We'd love you to become a member of Bigbury Net Zero!
Just click on this logo:
A stitch in time
One Planet - One Bigbury Turbine - One Chance
It's a Global Emergency - Bigbury can act now to make a difference - on a scale that makes a difference to us. This is a national flagship project. It demonstrates that communities can improve their energy self-sufficiency within their small, local energy grids whilst the Government urgently fast tracks investment in the larger National Grid to allow more large scale renewable energy to be connected. Otherwise the waiting list for connections is 2035 - much too late! Huge devastating impacts are forecast by 2050 if we dont act now - thats only 24 years away!
The Bigbury Turbine is a 'stitch in time'. Let's stitch baby stitch!
The community-owned 'Bigbury Turbine' project will enable us to use green energy produced locally by a single small-scale turbine. There is no room just here on the local grid for more than one turbine. Connections are like gold dust in small local grids. But One is Enough. It's capable of meeting the needs of 700 homes and our power will be used by people and businesses locally.
Is it a real Emergency?
Yes it is. We will be screening the documentary - People's National Emergency Briefing in Bigbury to confirm the shocking facts about how unprepared our nation is for the irreversible and catastropic effects of our rapidly changing climate. Anyone hearing the unequivocal truth from respected experts - will be galvanised to get behind the Bigbury Turbine Project and encourage other communities to do the same.
The independent committee that advises our Government, the Climate Change Committee, warns that the UK is not prepared. We need to move faster to adopt renewable energy,
Can Bigbury 'Big-Up'
and get prepared?
National Flagship
GOVERNMENT SUPPORT for
COMMUNITY ENERGY
The Bigbury Turbine project has received Government funding and support through The Great British Energy Community Fund via the South West Net Zero Hub to bring the project to a planning application at SHDC by the end of October 2026.
The Devon Energy Collective CIC are the not-for-profit technical experts leading this project.
It's your turn - please support the Bigbury Turbine project. Contact us to find out how you can help.
Power to the People
Individuals can make a difference.
-
If you understand the urgency to move to renewable energy and want to helpThe Bigbury Turbine Project - please get in touch.
-
The Power Film will be shown in Bigbury soon. It charts how a couple in Walthamstow raised funds to help anyone in their street to have solar panels on their roof. Inspirational.
-
Artists and filmmakers Dan Edelstyn and Hilary Powell camped on their Walthamstow roof for 23 nights in late November and December 2022 to attract attention to their call for funding. Dan will be in Bigbury for the showing of his film. He has strong local connections.
-
The film will be followed by questions to a panel of experts with experience in community energy projects. The panel will include: Guy Singh-Watson (founder of Riverford Organic Farmers), Dan Edelstyn (producer Power Film) and Als Parker (Devon Energy Collective CIC).
Power Bigbury
Our 1 MW Bigbury Turbine will:
-
Be entirely community-owned.
-
All profits will be retained locally to be spent on local projects.
-
It is a 'temporary' structure which will be in place for 30 years and provide an urgent energy transition lifeline to our residents and businesses. Then it can be dismantled and removed.
-
Sit on a concrete foundation of 13m in diameter and does not impact food production.
-
Programmed not to produce flicker effects and is 600 m away from habitation to ensure there is no noise impact at our homes.
-
Supply energy to 700 homes used by people and businesses living locally.
-
Lead a national programme to de-centralise energy production and protect energy security for our community in challenging a geo-political landscape.
-
Support businesses and individuals who want to move away from fossil fuels.
Net Zero - just means that all opportunities to switch to renewable energy are taken. Fossil fuels become the back-up - not the main source of energy.
The Bigbury Turbine is your opportunity to get the balance right - here and now.
Farm Carbon Footprints
What have we done?
-
All farms in Bigbury are measuring their farm carbon footprint and are working, with their customers support, to reduce the impact of their farming practices on climate change.
-
Farms measure soil organic matter (SOM) regularly as an indicator of soil fertility. For every 0.1% increase in SOM farmers are able to store 9 tons of eCO2 per hectare helping us to slow down climate change.
-
Regular features in parish magazine promote Farm Carbon Toolkit to reduce carbon footprints of our farms
Next Steps
-
Open Days on farms to showcase what farms are doing to increase habitat for nature, produce renewable energy and reduce their carbon emissions.
-
Continue to work towards setting up the Small Farm Carbon Offset Scheme
What have we done?
-
Teamed up with Eoin McQuone, Chief Carbon Coach, Founder and Managing Director of Go Climate Positive to understand the importance of small to medium enterprises (SMEs) in our fight to slow down climate change by reducing business carbon footprints.
-
Shared Go Climate Positive training videos for SMEs.
-
Introduced businesses to the concept of the Small Farm Carbon Offset Scheme to enable them to become carbon neutral.
Next Steps
-
Hold Open Days for our businesses to showcase what they are doing to reduce their carbon footprints.
Business Carbon Footprints
Parish Carbon Footprint
What have we done?
-
Highlighted our over reliance on fossil fuels (oil and LPG) and the need to shift to renewable energy.
-
Raised awareness of the estimated average carbon emissions from a home in Bigbury calculated from meta data by the Exeter University Community Calculator.
-
Signposted information about the Bigbury territorial carbon emission footprint.
Next Steps
-
Work together to reduce the impact our community has on global climate change.
What have we done?
-
Regular features in parish magazine to promote Carbon Savvy's Top Ten Tips to reduce carbon footprints of our homes.
-
Held workshops to help home owners to use the free Carbon Savvy Home Carbon Calculator
-
Promoted and enrolled on Carbon Savvy's Carbon Ambassadors training to better understand climate change and how we can reduce our home carbon footprints.
Next Steps
-
Create an annual Bigbury Energy Questionnaire to collate progress, ambition and concerns about switching to renewable energy.
-
Organise an annual 'Green Doors' event for local homes can share their progress on switching to renewable energy solutions.
-
Celebrate the 'Power Stations' in Bigbury where homeowners are installing renewable energy equipment.
Home Carbon Footprints
