Former coal mining communities in the UK are leading a new European project designed to put citizens at the centre of renewable energy generation and ownership.
The project, known as INNO-TREC, aims to remove the technical, financial and legal barriers that have historically limited the growth of community-led energy systems.
It focuses on shared solar power schemes that are owned and operated by local residents and organisations, giving communities greater control over energy costs and supply.
Dr Pegah Mirzania, Academic Fellow in Local Energy Systems at Cranfield University, said the initiative comes at a crucial moment for local energy systems. She said the project is about giving power back to people while creating systems that are simple to set up and operate.
INNO-TREC is a €5.4m project funded by the European Commission and brings together 21 academic and industry partners from ten countries.
Demonstration sites are being developed in Portugal, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Belgium and the UK.
The UK demonstrator will be based in Barnsley, working with social housing equipped with rooftop solar panels, battery storage and air-source heat pumps.
Cranfield University will lead work on new commercial models, digital tools and social reward mechanisms to reduce costs and influence energy use.
Local delivery is being supported by Electric Corby CIC and Energise Barnsley, with a focus on improving comfort for vulnerable residents, cutting carbon emissions and strengthening local energy resilience.
If successful, the model could be expanded nationwide, supporting net zero goals while tackling fuel poverty through citizen-owned clean energy.
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