About this group
Help us win this bid for our community energy project.
Sign up and help us get through to the next round of the Energyshare Fund application - its free to you, but could raise us thousands.
Thank you!
About our community
This community is built around a river, but it’s a complicated relationship. We enjoy the power, beauty and history of the Thames every day. But we live on the front line when the waters rise. In the summer of 2007 we felt powerless as we watched the homes of friends and neighbours succumb to the flood waters.
Yet this community has always worked with the river, harnessed its great power. So now, here in the oldest industrial quarter of the city, we want to work with the river once again using the newest technology.
Our dream
To set up a microhydro system in the heart of Oxford that will use the power of the river to generate improvements for our community. Situated by Osney Lock, just across the river from the site of the city's first electic power station, the benefits of the scheme will be two fold
1. providing a source of green energy, a 48 kW installation could generate 159,169kWh a year, saving 68 tonnes of carbon dioxide each year.
2. creating an income stream which can be invested in local community projects to help further reduce our community's carbon footprint.
The story so far.....
A site has been identified and assessed as suitable. A full feasbility study has been completed to show that the project is both technically and financially viable. flood risk analysis and ecology and arboricultural surveys have been carried out, to enable us to understand and manage any potential negative impact the project may have.
We are now working on leasing the land, securing planning permission and abstraction licence for the project.
We're also working to secure the funding to carry out the project, through a community share scheme and loans.
About us
What started in 2007 as a group of enthusiastic neighbours around a kitchen table, is now a flourishing Industrial and Provident Society with a track record in setting up community owned renewable projects, with five installations complete and another three in the pipeline. The microhydro scheme will be our first hydrogeneration project.
You can find out more about our work at our website.
www.westoxfordcommunityrenewables.org.uk
We wouldn't exist without the extraordinary community support we have received - not only from people living in the area, who have invested time and money in making our plans a reality, but also as a virtual community of friends, likeminded individuals and organisations who have supported us along the way.
We know that with your help, we can continue to flourish and play our part in making West Oxford the supportive and vibrant community we feel privileged to be a part of.
Togther, we have the power to make it possible.
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