Hook Norton Community Land Trust, a Low Carbon Hub community group member, is seeking £500,000 through a community share raise to complete a community-led housing project in the Oxfordshire village of Hook Norton, Low Carbon Hub reported on 26 June 20241. The project combines affordable homes built to Passivhaus thermal performance standards with an on-site microgrid that Low Carbon Hub describes as the first in the UK to be used at community level on a site of less than 30 homes1.
The homes are built to Passivhaus thermal performance standards, which Low Carbon Hub says means they perform very well on energy use and require very little heating, and are constructed using closed timber frame panels insulated with wood fibre, lime and hemp1. Rooftop solar panels generate electricity, an on-site battery stores surplus renewable energy, and there are charging points for electric vehicles alongside an EV car club1. The site also includes a shared communal space with a garden and food-growing beds1.
The microgrid links 68kWp of solar PV on the rooftops of the new homes to an existing 50kWp solar array on the roof of the neighbouring Hook Norton Sports and Social Club, creating what Low Carbon Hub calls a pool of renewable energy to power the homes and the electric vehicle charging points1. It was designed by SNRG Ltd together with Hook Norton Low Carbon, another Low Carbon group1. Residents will be able to buy power from SNRG Ltd at a rate lower than regular energy tariffs, and any renewable energy not used will be stored in a community battery on site so it can be used at times of peak demand1.
"The team are currently looking to raise £500,000 through a community share raise to complete the innovative housing project."
Low Carbon Hub says it helped start the project six years ago with a grant from OxFutures, which supported a feasibility study and community engagement, with two people employed part time to drive it forward, and later provided a small grant for a video interviewing local people about the need for affordable and sustainable homes1. The project followed seven consultation workshops with the community1. The share offer documents are published by Hook Norton Community Land Trust1.
| Feature | Detail as reported |
|---|---|
| Homes | Built to Passivhaus thermal performance standards |
| Construction | Closed timber frame panels, insulated with wood fibre, lime and hemp |
| New solar | 68kWp on the rooftops of the new homes |
| Existing solar | 50kWp on Hook Norton Sports and Social Club |
| Storage | Community battery on site |
| Microgrid designer | SNRG Ltd with Hook Norton Low Carbon |
Why it matters for households
The Hook Norton scheme is an example of community energy in which generation, storage and supply sit with the site rather than the national grid alone. Low Carbon Hub states that residents are less reliant on energy from the national grid and benefit from clean electricity produced on their rooftops1. The arrangement described is a microgrid that pools rooftop solar with a neighbouring array and a battery, so power generated on site can be used at peak demand rather than exported and bought back1. The stated saving for residents comes from buying power from SNRG Ltd at a rate lower than regular energy tariffs1. The homes' Passivhaus thermal performance is intended to reduce heating demand, which addresses the other half of a household's energy position1. The £500,000 is being raised through a community share offer, a model in which local people provide the capital1. The project is in a rural Oxfordshire village, and Low Carbon Hub is the Oxfordshire community energy organisation behind the group membership1.
What happens next
The share raise is open, with documents published by Hook Norton Community Land Trust1. No closing date, share terms or completion timetable for the homes is given in the report1.
Sources1 cited
- Sustainable homes and an innovative microgrid in action - Low Carbon Hub, lowcarbonhub.org