About us
A Community Benefit Society
As a Community Benefit Society, we focus on community investment in renewable energy – building solar arrays and other renewable energy technologies in Keynsham that are funded by members of our community.
The idea is beautifully simple. We develop renewable energy projects and members of our community help fund them by taking out shares. The profit we make from selling this clean, green electricity is then distributed through our community fund to help tackle fuel poverty in Keynsham.
Read our KCE rules to find out how we’re governed.
Investors get a great return on their investment.
Local business owners and landlords get cheap electricity.
We’re doing this for two important reasons
With the sharp increase in energy prices, we want to keep energy costs low for the people of Keynsham.
We also want to do our bit to address climate change by reducing carbon emissions.
The benefits to creating sustainable energy at a local level are clear:
- People living in Keynsham benefit from the generation of cleaner, cheaper energy.
- Investors get good returns on their investments.
- Our community fund helps to make Keynsham residents’ to make your home warmer and more comfortable.
- Renewable energy doesn’t pump greenhouse gasses into the atmosphere.
Transforming our town
Keynsham Community Energy grew out of Transition Keynsham’s energy group and became a Community Benefit Society in 2016. Since then, we have been working to provide Keynsham with the power to transform the way we generate, use, and buy energy.
Keynsham was one of the very first places in England to supply electricity using hydropower – in 1889! And way before that we were harnessing our rivers to power our local industrieshas great potential for renewable energy. Keynsham still has great potential for renewable energy. We are installing a community-owned solar array on Keynsham leisure centre roof, and are collaborating with Bath and West Community Energy on other projects across our local area.
We’re doing this because we want Keynsham to withstand the future shocks that climate change and resource constraints are likely to bring. Meet the team
“Community energy projects offer local people the chance to power their homes and businesses with clean energy, and to help tackle climate change at the same time.”
Sam Willitts, Keynsham Community Energy director
Sam Willitts
Chair
Sam has worked in environmental roles across the public sector. He has been the Energy and Sustainability Manager at University Hospitals Bristol since 2010, where he tackles carbon emissions through the twin approaches of engineering and behaviour change. His efforts are focussed on embedding sustainability in activities across the Trust. Key successes in greening the Trust have been achieved through developing partnerships with organisations across Bristol and beyond. He is particularly interested in community led solutions to sustainability problems. He is a Director of Keynsham Community Energy and Bristol Energy Network. Sam has a One Planet MBA from Exeter University and an MSC in Environmental Science from the University of London.
Mark Penny
Director
Mark has a Master’s and PhD in Chemistry. He works in the aerospace industry leading a Research and Development team bringing new technologies from concept to final products. Since moving to Keynsham Mark has been involved in a number of community groups including Transition Keynsham. He was part of the team which set up Keynsham Community Energy and was chair from 2011 to 2020. During his time with TK energy group and KCE he has been involved with giving energy advice at community events in Keynsham, taken part in public meetings promoting sustainability and sustainable energy and conducted surveys in the town for potential renewable energy projects.
Matt Green
Director
Following a degree in renewable energy engineering, Matthew has worked in the renewables industry for over a decade. He is currently responsible for a portfolio of large scale onshore wind and ground-mount solar farms for institutional investors. He has experience of project management, engineering and finance of such projects
Tom Radford
Director
Tom is a Business Systems Analyst in Bristol, with experience in highly analytical data-driven approaches to manufacturing processes, Building Energy Performance monitoring and reporting, implementation of a large-scale solar project, and energy storage technologies. Tom moved to Keynsham in 2018 and volunteers a Cub Scout Leader with the 1st Keynsham Scout Group.
Will Trueman
Director
Will has nearly 30 years experience in finance and accountancy roles having qualified with PricewaterhouseCoopers in London and worked for Axa and Aviva in the pensions industry for many years. He is currently the Financial Controller at Prior Park Schools in Bath. Will has spent most of his life living in and around Keynsham. He is a keen footballer and can regularly be seen walking his dog Harley around Keynsham!
Matt Berry
Director
Matt Berry is a senior industrial decarbonisation engineer and sustainable engineering consultant, Ramboll. He delivers energy system projects in light industry and the public sector, supported by his background in chemical and process engineering at the University of Bath. He hopes to use his engineering & people orientated mindset to bring clean energy to Keynsham, where he has lived for the past 5 years