Sheffield Renewables

Annual General Meeting 2026

Ted Datta — Thu, 12 Mar 2026 18:23:40 +0000

This year’s AGM took place at Victoria Hall (Norfolk Street, Sheffield) on the 2nd February 2026, and was well attended.

Sheffield Renewables has now generated 1.6 million kWh of green electricity, equivalent to powering 590 homes for a year or 50 – 60 homes / year over the past 10 years.

Our schemes are operating well. The strong solar irradiance for 2025 compensated for an inverter failure at HGDT Campus (fixed) and only impacted its output by 4% compared to 2024. Analysing our historical solar generation data from our five schemes this year has shown the robustness and reliability of solar PV technology in the UK over the past 12 years and the value in leveraging such data to model more accurately new schemes in a post-FiT era.

The projects ran during 2024-2025 were presented:
• Supporting local NHS GP practices to NetZero 2050 (funded by Northern Powergrid Foundation)
• Our Cow Molly (funded by North East and Yorkshire Net Zero Hub)
as well as current and up-coming projects.

As a community energy group, our organisation has also proven to be financially viable and strong, repaying over £163,000 to our shareholding members in capital and interest. Our renewable energy schemes have allowed our partners to save over £90,000 in electricity costs over the past ten years (currently £2000-£7000/year). Our activities have also contributed over £31,000 in community benefit funding.

This year, our members agreed to distribute funding to:
– Heeley City Farm to help the farm renew its solar PV installation.
– Sheffield Energy Hub to help with the cost of a video projector and window displays.
 This year, our international donation will go again to the tree planting activity of the Mbedza charity in Malawi.

While we are actively looking for new directors to supplement our Board, we thanked Erin Lachs, our former Chair, for his service and expertise over the past few years.

2026 Annual General Meeting minutes (pdf)

2026 AGM presentation slides (pdf)

Accounts for year ending 2025 (PDF)

Message from Sheffield Energy Hub

The Sheffield Energy Hub is a collaborative and community-driven project to bring together energy efficiency, decarbonisation and warm homes projects, information and services in an accessible, city centre space, connecting people with relevant support and information. The project is supported by Sheffield City Council who have provided a space on a meanwhile licence but is without core funding.

Our primary intention is to buy a projector suitable for showing films with your donation, but as you have been so generous we will put the remainder to the design costs for the window display. This has been a great success, its increased our visitor numbers by 75% or so on our previous premises and has drawn considerable public praise. Thank you for your contribution to our work.

We’ve hit the ground running and hosted meetings of both the Retrofit Skills Taskforce and Seeing is Believing in our first week. In the second week we opened the doors to the SYMCA/Yorkshire Water ‘Connected by Water’ initiative and they provided two days of children’s activities in our premises – which also helped with our footfall.

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Non-Executive Directors Wanted

Ted Datta — Sun, 01 Feb 2026 17:46:00 +0000

Sheffield Renewables was formed by a group of volunteers in late 2007. We are committed to improving Sheffield’s environmental sustainability. We aim to harness local enthusiasm, knowledge and skills, in creating an energetic and committed social enterprise, which develops, owns and operates renewable energy schemes for the benefit of Sheffield’s local communities.

We were formed into an Industrial and Provident Society in 2009 and are now registered as a Community Benefit Society with currently five directors. We would now like to expand our Board with additional directors. The Board develops strategy, decides on priorities and monitors our finances. Ideally we would like to recruit people with experience in one or more of the following: internal audit, governance, construction, business development, engineering, finance or law as well as renewables.

We currently operate five solar schemes in the Sheffield City Region and are keen to develop more projects around renewable energy. The issue of climate change has come to the forefront politically and the Board feels the time is right to develop Sheffield Renewables further. We have recently employed a part time project worker to help develop more projects with partners we already have contact with.

We are looking for local people who are committed to our aims, our values and have some time available to devote to Sheffield Renewables. Board meetings are held quarterly and last about two hours. Board members also need to spend about an hour or so reading Board papers in preparation for meetings. Full training would be given on the responsibilities of directors and we hold Directors and Officers insurance. There is no remuneration for these positions, but travelling expenses would be met.

In the first instance, new appointees would shadow the existing Directors to gain experience before being nominated at the next AGM for member approval.

If you are interested, please contact our Secretary Dr Nicolas Viphakone to arrange to meet for an informal chat. We would then request a CV and an interview would take place.
13th January 2026

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Supporting local GP practices to Net Zero 2050

Site Builder — Fri, 29 Aug 2025 11:35:06 +0000

Sheffield Renewables has partnered with NHS South Yorkshire ICB to:

• contact GP surgeries within the wider Sheffield and systematically assess their suitability for rooftop solar PV
• survey the energy efficiency of several practices, covering various building types and providing them energy efficiency/fabric improvements advice.
• sharing the outcomes of our investigations with Sheffield GP practices via the ICB communication channels to inform future sustainability and decarbonisation measures.

GP surgeries are vital community hubs, yet their staff are under substantial pressure.

We found that a single Sheffield GP surgery consumes in one month the electricity an average UK household uses in a year, putting a huge strain on budgets.

Our study highlighted key energy efficiency issues:
• poor insulation
• limited smart/half-hourly monitoring (only 30% of surgeries are currently equipped vs 58% of UK non-domestic buildings)
• limited energy control systems
• slow transition to LED lighting
• need for behavioural changes.

Yet, surgeries’ electricity use aligns well with daylight, making them ideal for solar PV (see image below). By gradually applying our recommendations and adopting solar PV where possible, practices can cut costs and emissions significantly.

This project:
• raised awareness of community energy among Sheffield and South Yorkshire GP practices
• featured the positive impacts of renewables at Birley Health Centre
• provided practices with energy usage and solar PV insights
• highlighted the energy efficiency status of typical GP buildings
• supported 3 surgeries now planning solar PV within 2–3 years
• informed NHS South Yorkshire ICB, which will explore support for surgeries with energy efficiency and building upgrades
• might lead to future partnerships between Sheffield Renewables and GP surgeries.

81% of participating practices were suitable for solar PV. Incompatibilities included limited or shaded roof space, or “human factors” such as fear of change or assumptions that “solar won’t work here.”

Yet, even suitable sites face challenges:
Shadows (70%): from trees, roofs or buildings. While design can mitigate some, tree growth means maintenance agreements are key.
Lack of smart metering: without detailed data, solar PV systems risk being under- or oversized, cutting savings or extending payback. Thankfully, smart meters are now installed with minimum disturbance.
Building ownership: some lenders complicate solar adoption. Encouragingly, some practices now plan to seek mortgage providers supportive of solar.

As a positive outcome, 30% of practices engaged in the project are now planning to take meaningful steps: solar PV, refurbishments, efficiency measures, or switching to supportive lenders.

Read The Full Report

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Our Cow Molly – project update

Ted Datta — Sat, 23 Aug 2025 12:37:44 +0000

We wanted to update you on the renewable energy project at Our Cow Molly farm.

Sheffield Renewables and SYEcofit have been working together to explore opportunities for solar panels, wind turbines, anaerobic digestion and hydrogen generation at the farm.

Our feasibility study is now complete, available here. While the full project presents some exciting possibilities, it is also quite complex due to the multiple technologies involved and grid connection considerations.

After careful evaluation, we have decided that SYEcofit will take the project forward and we will withdraw at the end of the feasibility study.

We remain enthusiastic about two parts of the project that show great promise:

Barn solar photovoltaic panels – a straightforward, low-risk way to generate clean electricity
Anaerobic digestion system – which can reduce waste and methane emissions while producing electricity, heat and fertilizer.

Both of these elements already have planning approval and can work within the existing electrical infrastructure, making them excellent first steps toward making the farm more sustainable.

The additional wind and ground solar PV renewable components, which solely aim to support the hydrogen generation, carry higher costs and complexity from technical and planning perspective. While these technologies hold promise for the future, there are substantial risks to consider.

Consultants also highlighted the organisational challenges of delivering the project as a joint venture.

We are excited about the potential for renewable energy at Our Cow Molly farm and thank the project partners for their work on this scheme.

We would also like to thank the Net Zero Hub for offering us this opportunity and supporting the study with funding

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Annual General Meeting 2025

Jean — Mon, 28 Jul 2025 16:24:45 +0000

Our AGM was held on Saturday, March 22nd in person. However, we were not quorate (not enough members attended), so no decisions were taken.

At this meeting an Operations Report was given and information about our Grant Funded Project with the NHS. There was also an update on another Grant Funded Project with Our Cow Molly.

A further on-line meeting was held on the evening of Monday, March 31st.

At this meeting there were 25 members (we needed about 18 to be quorate).

Richard Collins chaired the meeting.

The minutes of last year’s meeting were approved.

The Accounts for 2023/24 were approved, and the Audit Exemption was passed.

Richard Collins (Treasurer) explained about the Allocation of Surplus for the year and it was AGREED to offer members interest of 3%. The donations to the Community Benefit Fund were approved. Eight percent of electricity sales (£3,058) to go to Heeley City Farm to repair their wind turbine and two percent of sales (£764) to go to Mbedza, Malawi. It was also AGREED to repay £13,500 of capital to members.

A minor amendment to our rules was approved – our registered office is now Heeley City Farm as the Energy Centre there has closed and the Farm has a slightly different postal address.

Election of Directors
The following nominees were duly elected: Richard Collins, Luke Wilson, David Berry.

Documents

Accounts for year ending 2024 (PDF)

2025 Annual General Meeting minutes (pdf)

2025 Annual General Meeting Operations Report (pdf)

2025 Annual General Meeting NHS Slide (pdf)

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Our Cow Molly

Ted Datta — Sun, 17 Nov 2024 10:22:13 +0000

CLICK HERE to read our completed Feasibility Study for Renewable Energy at Our Cow Molly

How do you decarbonise a farm? As well as energy for the human body (food), can it produce other forms of renewable energy? How can Community Energy projects work with farmers and their funding to produce more energy locally and benefit rural communities? These are the kind of questions Sheffield Renewables is investigating through our case study of the Sheffield dairy farm, Cliffe House farm, aka Our Cow Molly.

Through our grant from the North East & Yorkshire Net Zero Hub, Sheffield Renewables is producing a renewable energy feasibility study at Cliffe House farm. Nicolas Viphakone, technical manager of the Our Cow Molly project, said:

“This feasibility study has allowed us to examine different technologies that can help decarbonise farming and move it along the road to Net Zero. We have developed a clear investable pathway for Our Cow Molly and we will share that knowledge with other Community Energy groups so it becomes a model for other dairy farms. The insights we have gained have been valuable learning for us and the other partners involved.”

The case study is aimed at helping other community energy groups learn from our experience, to speed up other similar projects and enable them to be really effective. For example, Defra funding for farmers has recently been overhauled, so it’s important to understand the opportunities and challenges that brings. A good renewable energy project should integrate well into the farm’s practice, both current, and future (with risks of less water and more weather extremes, for example) and enable the farm to play a positive role for nature as well as society.

Diversifying the farm’s activities further into renewable energies requires integrating many forms of knowledge. Wind, solar and Anaerobic Digestion each have their own strengths and weaknesses – for example, the season when they work most effectively. The impact on wildlife, local communities and other businesses needs to be thought through and consulted on, and local knowledge needs to be tapped.

A farm is a business, but also a form of stewardship of the land, informed strongly by tradition and constrained by climate challenges and policies. Sheffield Renewables is helping one particular farm to find its way through this maze, and we want the learnings from this feasibility study to be really useful to other farmers and community energy projects. Our findings will be published here at the end of June 2025.

View the flyer (PDF)

What are the key aims of the study?

Why is the study important?

Site visit and tour to mark the official launch of the study

Button Text

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Sheffield Renewables awarded grant funding to support NHS green transition

Ted Datta — Mon, 14 Oct 2024 19:05:18 +0000

“Sheffield Renewables has been awarded £8,718 from the Northern Powergrid NetZero Community Energy Fund (NHS SY ICB). We will help NHS South Yorkshire Integrated Care Board engage GP surgeries to raise awareness of climate change, energy use reduction and sustainability. This will also support NHS net zero commitments by promoting existing solutions to decarbonise GP practices and the financial benefits of energy transition. In parallel, we will screen Sheffield GP surgeries with NHS SY ICB for solar PV suitability and needs for energy efficiency measures and insulation improvements through retrofit.

With this project, we will help the NHS implement its net zero goals at a local level and make financial savings. By supporting GP practices and their staff in adopting sustainable measures both at work and in their lives, we will help Sheffield’s sustainability objectives reach deeper into society.

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Moo-ving ahead with renewables feasibility study at Our Cow Molly

Ted Datta — Tue, 03 Sep 2024 11:54:06 +0000

Exciting news, we have successfully secured a grant from the 2024 Community Energy Fund (North East & Yorkshire Net Zero Hub) for a renewable energy feasibility study at Cliffe House farm, aka Our Cow Molly!

The study aims at diversifying the farm’s activities further into renewable energies (wind & solar) & involves multiple partners: Our Cow Molly farm, South Yorkshire Ecofit, The University of Sheffield, Hockerton Housing Project & Pure Leapfrog consultancy.

A parallel bid was also successful by South Yorkshire Ecofit to assess green hydrogen production, powered by the renewable electricity generated onsite. Here’s an extract from our successful bid:

“This project is an exciting opportunity in terms of the diverse technologies involved, but also to explore various business models around the diversification of farm activities and multiple uses for the renewable energy generated. It also brings together a partnership of existing local community businesses, research establishments and commercial businesses”

This is stage 1 in a potentially multi-phased study & future large-scale project. We will keep our members, volunteers and supporters informed of our progress over the next 6-12 months.

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Fiver Rivers Cohousing

Ted Datta — Thu, 15 Aug 2024 19:57:58 +0000

This innovative project was completed in 2024 at Five Rivers Cohousing in Wisewood. Five Rivers is a cohousing development consisting of 22 dwellings. A large common house supports communal living; powering the air source heat pump, laundry, communal kitchen and guest rooms.

The solar project consists of approximately 30 panels cited on the common house, which has an east-west roof. We expect to generate around 9,500 kWh per year, roughly the equivalent to the electricity used by 3 homes. We hope to generate around 10-20% of the total electricity needs for the development.

The housing development was supported by the Ecology Building Society and developed by Oakworth Construction.

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Annual General Meeting 2024

Ted Datta — Sun, 10 Mar 2024 14:36:12 +0000

This year’s AGM took place at Meersbrook Park Church, and it was great to see a good number of our long standing members as well as some new faces!

Sheffield Renewables has now generated over 1.3 million kWh since inception, and is firmly established as a financially viable community energy organisation. In our 9 years of generation we have produced enough green electricity to power 350 homes for a year. We have also contributed over £20,000 in community benefit funding.

This year our members agreed to distribute funding to two new organisations. First, our local donation went to ASSIST Energy Efficiency Measures. ASSIST was founded by people in Sheffield in 2003. ASSIST works primarily with people seeking sanctuary who have had asylum applications refused and who are therefore destitute, not able to work or study, and with no recourse to public funds. ASSIST is replacing its former night shelter with a new dispersed “Welcome House” scheme for new arrivals. Part of this work involves retrofitting our existing houses to raise all to EPC level C. Measures include insulation, solar panels and windows

Our international donation went to the Mbedza Project in Malawi. Mbedza Projects Support aims to deliver poverty reduction in Malawi through 4 key themes – livelihoods, health, environment, and education. Their work often begins with the building of Esperanza stoves for all households. These stoves transform women’s lives by saving cooking and firewood collecting time and the 60% reduction in firewood use has a very positive benefit on local environments.

This year we welcomed a new director Sue Morton to our board, and at the same time thanked founding director Keith Alford for his many years of service to Sheffield Renewables as he has decided to step down. Keith receievd a well deserved extended round of applause and a much coveted SR mug!

Finally, there was positive news about our newest project – Fiver Rivers Cohousing. We have started generation on the site which has the potential to generate 9,500 kWh per year.

Below you will find the AGM slides, our accounts and the last years AGM minutes:

AGM Presentation 2024_Final (1)

Sheffield Rewables – Final ACCOUNTS 30 09 2023

AGM 2023 minutes.doc (1)

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