Our impact
We’re working hard to create an energy system that’s good for people, and good for the planet. As always, we want to achieve so much more, but we’re proud of the progress we’ve made so far.
How are we doing this year?
Below you’ll find our Social Impact Reporting for the 2023/24 financial year. Check out our progress towards our goal of creating an energy system that’s good for people and good for the planet. You can see our previous Social Impact Reports here.
We’ve now spend over £1 million of our own income from our renewable energy projects for the benefit of our community. For every £1 of our own funds, we’ve leveraged an additional £13 in grants and contracts supporting our communities, driving innovation and delivery carbon reduction programmes.
Saskya Huggins
Social Impact Director
How we measure our impact
*All figures are taken from our 2024 Social Impact Report and are correct as of March 2024
Metric 1: planet
We want to protect our warming planet with a better energy system. We do this with ‘powering up’ projects which supply renewable energy, such as our solar schools, Sandford Hydro, and ground mount solar parks. We also work on ‘powering down’ to reduce energy demand, with energy efficiency programmes such as Energy Solutions Oxfordshire for businesses, Cosy Homes Oxfordshire for homes, and Action on Climate and Energy in Schools for schools.
The first three figures are our portfolio as it stands currently. The rest are figures from 2023/24.
Metric 2: people
Community energy is a grassroots, people-centred movement for change. The success of the Low Carbon Hub is due to the support of individuals and organisations. We can all play a part in the shift to a sustainable energy future, and that’s why we track our impact on people.
The people who support our work include:
- schools, businesses and communities who host our projects
- investors who help finance the upfront costs of our renewables projects (whose investments also democratise ownership of energy resources)
- community groups who share our aims, and
- the wider community of people interested in our work, who receive our monthly newsletter.
Metric 3: prosperity
Our renewable energy projects generate collective wealth through electricity sales and Feed-in tariff revenues which we distribute as:
- a target interest to the (mostly local) investors who help fund the upfront costs of our renewable energy projects
- discounts on electricity to schools and businesses that host our installations
- supporting activities that deliver community benefit and help deliver further carbon cuts across Oxfordshire.
All figures are for financial year 2023/24 except for community benefit which represents cumulative spending so far.
Metric 4: perception
We have a commitment to develop sustainable energy for community benefit. We aim to be a transparent and trusted partner, and to share knowledge and expertise openly.
To ensure we’re meeting this commitment we survey our stakeholders – host partners, community members, investor members, project partners – annually to see how we’re doing and how we can improve. Our last survey was conducted in March 2024.
Perceive Low Carbon Hub to be committed to the creation of a zero carbon energy system that’s good for people and good for the planet.
93%
Trust Low Carbon Hub to deliver community centred solutions that support the creation of a zero carbon energy system
92%