At Enova we're all about building stronger communities with the power of renewable energy. Through community partnerships, we help to get more renewables on the ground so that local communities receive the benefits.

We're super excited to have teamed up with local Northern Rivers not-for-profit COREM (Community Owned Renewable Energy Mullumbimby) to help more local community organisations and social enterprises install their own rooftop solar and benefit from renewable energy. 

COREM delivers renewable energy projects, with the rewards of cleaner and cheaper energy flowing directly to the community.

Are you, or do you know, a community organisation that wants to go solar? You may be able to access a no-interest loan from COREM that's easy to pay back from the savings generated on the organisation's electricity bill. 

Coorabell Hall installed a 10.5Kw solar system with a no interest loan from COREM and $1,000 donation from Enova Community Energy. 

⚡ Community partnership in action! 👨‍👩‍👦

Our new customers have had the choice to have their $50 welcome credit donated to COREM's Community Rooftop Revolving Energy Fund on their behalf. We are so proud to have been able, thanks to our generous customers, to accumulate $24,400 to contribute to the Fund! 

The Rooftop Revolving Energy Fund provides no-interest loans to community organisations, to enable them to install rooftop solar. The solar systems not only address climate change but the money generated from this renewable electricity is returned to COREM (until the no-interest loan is paid off) to be used again in the Revolving Community Energy Fund. A truly sustainable solution for people and the planet.

Mullumbimby Showgrounds installed a 10Kw solar system and has completed paying back it's no interest loan.

🔄 COREM's Revolving Fund Community Impact 👍

Since 2016 COREM's Community Rooftop Revolving Energy Fund has enabled 13 community organisations in the Byron Shire to install rooftop solar.

That's a total of 140kW of solar producing about 185,000 kWh of renewable electricity annually, avoiding the production of about 166 tonnes of greenhouse gases every year!

Enova Community Energy is proud to have assisted with many of these projects over the years as well, by making financial contributions toward the installations, that do not need to be paid back by the community organisations.

Check out the COREM Solar projects: 

• The Drill Hall (12kW)
• Mullum Showgrounds (10kW)
• Brunswick Valley Volunteer Rescue Association (5.2kW)
• Brunswick Valley Historical Society (5.76kW)
• The Commons (6.6kW)
• LightnUp (6.44kW)
• Federal Hall (6.6kW)
• Dorroughby Hall (5kW)
• Coorabell Hall (10.5kW)
• Mevlana Community Hall (19.5 kW)
• St John’s Primary School (26.0 kW)
• Bangalow Bowling Club (13.5kW)
• Hinterland Christian College (13.3 kW)

Five solar systems already paid off &  COREM's now looking at helping organisations install batteries!! 👌💚

Five organisations have already fully paid back their no-interest loan from COREM, which financed their solar installation, via the savings on their electricity bills! They're now benefiting from the savings generated by their wholly-owned solar system. That's community funding that no longer needs to go toward keeping the lights on but can be redirected into the important work of the organisations.

Mullumbimby Showgrounds, Brunswick Valley Volunteer Rescue Association, Brunswick Valley Historical Society Museum, LightnUp Lismore and Bangalow Bowling Club have all paid back their no-interest loans and are the owners of their solar systems. 

Bangalow Bowling Club vice president Atosha Clancy says the Bangalow Bowlo is a community-owned club:

‘This project not only increases our investment in renewable energy, but it saves money on our power costs. Dollars saved means more dollars that can be invested back into the Bangalow community, through sponsorship of our local sporting clubs.’

In an exciting move that helps expand the impact of the Revolving Fund, COREM is looking to support organisations to now also be able to install a battery. This means the solar-generated renewable energy can have even more of a resilience-building impact on building the strength of local community organisations. 

How the Revolving Fund works 😎

The no-interest loans provided to community organisations are paid back from the electricity bill savings generated by the rooftop solar. Two fantastic things then happen:

✔️Firstly, the community organisation benefits from the free renewable energy generated from their solar system and saves money on expenses for the long term. Stronger community organisations make our communities more resilient. 

✔️ And secondly, those funds paid back from the loan, are recirculated to assist another community organisation to install solar on their rooftop.

The funds we're contributing to the Community Rooftop Revolving Energy Fund (thank you new customers!) circulate to help strengthen community organisations with solar and address climate change, in perpetuity. 

This model of community-owned renewable energy:

• Increases the amount of renewables in the region.
• Allows wider access to renewable energy.
• Offers community ownership.
• Celebrates and empowers through community engagement.
• Invests profits back into the community for more sustainable and renewable energy projects, ever-increasing the community benefit.

Everyone benefits – including the earth and future generations!

 "We're all about strengthening community economies and finding ways to power communities with renewable energy. By supporting community organisations to buy their own solar systems we're helping create community-owned renewable energy assets that will continue to generate benefits for many years to come. Allowing that money to continue circulating back out to support other organisations means every dollar that goes into the fund has ongoing value."

Dave Rawlins, COREM.

COREM invites NSW and SE Qld community organisations to apply 😍😍

With $24,400 in the Revolving Fund now available to more Community Organisations to install solar, COREM is on the lookout for candidates.

If you work with or volunteer for a community organisation that wants to go solar or install a battery, please submit your interest below. If you know an organisation that wants solar please share this blog post with them.

The criteria for a no-interest Community Rooftop Revolving Energy Fund loan for a community organisation are:

• Any groups from NSW and SE Qld which support our communities can apply.
• Groups with a higher daytime energy use are prioritised as the energy savings derived from
  installing solar PV are greater. However, COREM will consider any host sites.
• Groups that already have rooftop solar installed can now apply for a battery installation. 
• Groups need to either own the rooftop or have permission to install solar on the rooftop of their building.

More renewables, more climate action, and stronger community organisations, with in-built community resilience. We're extremely proud to be supporting this initiative. Bringing community-owned renewable energy to life and working in partnership with our friends at COREM. We're looking forward to seeing the applications for community solar coming in!