Meadowbrook Energy Hub

Meadowbrook the neighbouring organisations are working together to create shared energy infrastructure.

Need to cut energy costs? Need replace gas heating to become ‘Net Zero’?

Stage 1 feasibility is looking at the potential for us to use solar electricity and ground source heating networks to offer sustainable energy supplies for our community facilities, schools and other local services.

This work is being Funded by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero and supported by the Southwest Net Zero Hub.

It Starts with All of Us

This idea came from community trustees’ meetings, talking about challenges we’re all facing around energy, environmental protection and longer-term sustainability.  These can seem overwhelming, particularly when we think about developing our sites and facilities.

We are all facing high energy and resource costs as well as the challenges of climate impacts and sustainability.  We all need to reduce consumption, cut costs and carbon emissions whilst maximising social value and benefits to the community.

At our Energy Day (2023), we identified key challenges and opportunities we all need to address to bring about the benefits for a more sustainable future, for example:

• More energy effective buildings and facilities.

• Need for practical and deliverable solutions.

• Helping save the planet whilst enhancing our community purposes.

Can the DRA help create a Lean, Clean and Green Powerhouse?

The DRA has a good track record developing community assets like our community centre, pool, bike track, playpark and sports pitches, making use of available community and resilience grants, lottery funding, donations and Section 106 funding as much as we can.

At Meadowbrook, we know there is a hot spot of energy demand around the carpark, potentially including the community centre, the Primary and Bidwell schools, our pools, The Brook residence, with The Wave, Cider Press, carparks, Lifeworks and others all close by.

We want to explore if the DRA can help develop community assets, on behalf of the community, to help future service this local energy need in the most socially sustainable way possible for all of us.

To kick off, Bloom Renewables (of Webbers Yard) and Erda Energy (ground heating specialists) are helping us scope out whether Meadowbrook can indeed generate more energy than it needs.

Let’s Transition Together

Are you unsure which solutions are best at solving our problems?

• Are you uninspired or struggling to put into practice future fit sustainable facilities?

Our plan to help is simple:

1. Engage our community user stakeholders on this together.

2. Better understand our (future) energy consumption and opportunities to reduce.

3. Scope out opportunities for local community energy generation and networks.

4. Co-develop a set of sustainable financing and energy supply proposals.

Imagine us all working together, eager and passionate about what needs to be done and confident in our energy sustainability strategies.

Imagine us proud of the outcomes we’re achieving:

• More inclusive community services and facilities.

• Better energy security – lower consumption, costs and carbon.

• Inspiring participation and educational engagement.

• Funding local community facilities and services, rather than profits going elsewhere.

Get involved

We’d love to chat to see if there’s a fit with your site’s energy requirements. Email energyhub@meadowbrookdartington.org if you’re interested to find out more.