Cepro, an award-winning Bristol-based renewable energy company, is crowdfunding to scale its mission to decarbonise and decentralise home energy – and disrupt the energy sector.
Cepro partners with housebuilders to deliver all-electric, future-proof homes at lower cost. They are already operating the UK’s first fully operational residential smart grids and are winning awards for their innovative approach.
Drawing on expertise in the energy sector, retro-fitting and housing, the Cepro team has established a model that finances and installs solar panels and batteries into new-build properties, then manages the fully renewable smart grid for residents.
Their aim is to remove the biggest barriers facing house builders when it comes to installing clean energy in new builds. In so doing, they want to pave the way for the UK’s urgent transition away from fossil fuels. Although the UK government has made a legally binding commitment to eliminate fossil fuel reliance by 2050, residential energy use, which accounts for 23% of current emissions, is a major challenge.
Cepro’s model meets this challenge by benefitting housebuilders, homeowners and occupiers alike.
For housebuilders, it lowers the upfront cost of installing renewable energy systems, reduces demand on the grid – easing constraints and speeding up development – and supports Scope 3 carbon emission reductions. For homebuyers and occupiers, the model offers both environmental and financial benefits: they avoid emissions from fossil fuel energy sources and receive a guaranteed lifetime discount of at least 15% on their energy costs, compared with grid prices. All of this is delivered at no additional cost to them.
Cepro is an ambitious company – they also want to disrupt the energy sector by providing a locally sourced and managed solution. Founder and Managing Director Damon Rand says: “having spoken to leaders within most of the major UK housebuilders now, there is a genuine willingness to deliver solar and batteries once presented with cost-neutral ways to do so”.
Also contributing to Cepro’s momentum is the imminent implementation of the long-delayed Future Homes Standard, which will tighten Part L regulations governing the construction of new homes. By 2030, Cepro aims to capture 18% of the UK residential smart grid market.
The company’s eight person team is based out of central Bristol and is set to grow rapidly to deliver this exciting work. Damon says “We can and should build both the housing AND the clean energy we need at the same time, in the same place. Help us make this possible for housebuilders creating more affordable and resilient communities.”
To learn more about Cepro and how to get involved, visit their website.