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Latest news

As a result, the company has recommended a final dividend of 12p per share for 2025. If approved at the AGM in June, it will be paid to shareholders in July 2026*.
Building blocks to continue growing our impact
One of the big highlights of the year was the addition of a 10MW ground mount solar farm in Essex, which we acquired through the Fair Play Clean Energy joint venture with TopCashback Group Ltd, supporting our diversification strategy as we look to derive value from across the technology mix.
We also celebrated the first investment by Community Energy Catalyst, our joint venture with Better Society Capital, with the community-owned turbine in Kilbirnie now generating clean power and unlocking a revenue stream to fund other local initiatives. This includes a new Employment Hub, offering employment and training opportunities for local people, sustainable transport opportunities and help to address health and educational inequalities locally, as well as upgrading local sports and recreational facilities.
Also in Scotland, we made significant progress on our largest project to date, a 57MW onshore wind farm, with the foundations for the 14 turbines now poured, and construction about to get underway. A further 25.1MW of wind is currently in development.
It was great to see these achievements recognised on a global stage too, with Thrive taking home the gold for Responsible Investor of the Year at Reuters Global Sustainability Awards in October.

As well as building and acquiring new projects, we are actively pursuing life extension and repowering opportunities across our older sites. In 2025, we announced our joint venture Burgar Hill Renewables (representing the local landowner), with plans to breathe fresh life into the Burgar Hill site – a pioneering testbed for onshore wind in the UK. Subject to obtaining necessary planning consents, the repowering project is expected to have an installed generation capacity of up to 30MW which would deliver an estimated £150,000 in annual community benefits each year.
In February we took a key next step in the proposed repowering project, with Burgar Hill Energy (the joint venture between Thrive and Burgar Hill Renewables) acquiring two Nordex N80 wind turbines that were previously owned by RWE.
Supporting local communities
As part of our mission to connect as many communities as possible with renewables, we are now pledging to provide an opportunity for the local community to purchase a share of every new project we acquire.
Through our Community Benefit Programme, we awarded £33,000 to eight community hubs across the UK – helping them to make important energy efficiency improvements such as lighting and heating upgrades, insulation, double glazing and more. Stuartfield Village Hall, based near our Clayfords wind turbine in Aberdeenshire, were one of the grantees from 2025. To help manage their energy costs, they used their £4,300 grant to overhaul their lighting system.
You can read our annual report in full <a href="https://cms-admin.thriverenewables.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Thrive_Annual-report-2025_Web-Final.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.
*  Please remember that past performance cannot be relied on as a guide to future returns.
&nbsp;
&nbsp;
[1] Impact Portfolio describing Thrive’s share of projects owned plus 
the projects Thrive is funding (adjusted proportionally where Thrive’s 
funding is a minority of a project’s overall funding).
[2] Homes equivalent is calculated using the most recent statistics 
from DESNZ showing that annual GB average domestic 
household consumption is 3,323kWh (as of December 2025, 
updated annually). <a href="https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6945728a033693d5d50eb83d/subnational-electricity-and-gas-consumption-summary-report-2024.pdf">Subnational Electricity and Gas Consumption Statistics, 2024</a>.
Average residents per household 2.35 (<a href="https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/birthsdeathsandmarriages/families/bulletins/familiesandhouseholds/2024">Families and households in the UK &#8211; Office for National Statistics</a>), Population of Southport is 
93,902 (<a href="https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/populationandmigration/populationestimates/datasets/understandingtownsinenglandandwalespopulationanddemography">Understanding towns in England and Wales: population and demography &#8211; Office for National Statistics</a>).
[3] Carbon reduction is calculated by multiplying the total amount of 
renewable electricity generated by Thrive’s impact portfolio each year by 
the number of tonnes of carbon which fossil fuels would have produced 
to generate the same amount of electricity. We have used DESNZ’s “all 
non-renewable fuels” emissions statistic of 448 tonnes of carbon dioxide 
per GWh of electricity supplied from the Digest of UK Energy Statistics 
(July 2025) Table 5.14 (“Estimated carbon dioxide emissions from 
electricity supplied”). Additionally, we include a conservative 
estimate of the carbon saved through operating our BESS projects.
[4] This includes £5.1m set-off against financial assets repaid.

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Beavers-47

As profit levels returned to pre-energy crisis levels in line with forecasts, we have already acquired the projects we need to meet our 2028 growth target. 

Annual results 2025: Acquisition of new projects and progression with development and construction of two onshore wind farms helping to lock in impact for next 30 years

Featured

The acquisition was complex and fast moving. Our role was to provide the speed and certainty required by the commercial vendor to get the deal done. We supplied the finance required almost immediately via our <a href="/project-funding/community-energy-groups/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Community Energy Funding Bridge</a>, plus expertise and advice for the communities involved in partnership with Energy for All. This gave the three groups the time and support they needed to undertake two rounds of successful fundraising, raising £4 million in a matter of weeks.
Last Friday this epic collaborative effort was recognised at the Community Energy England awards in Bristol. The culmination of Green Great Britain week, the event celebrated the vibrant world of Community Energy, where people gather together to fundraise for and build solar parks, wind farms and water wheels in their area, reach out to support people locally with energy efficiency and work together to tackle fuel poverty.
At Thrive Renewables we believe that ordinary people should be given the chance to own renewable generating capacity, providing them with direct social, financial and environmental benefit. So far, we have deployed over £12 million of investment in community projects via our Community Energy Funding Bridge, giving local communities the time they need to raise their own funds via crowdfunding once they have taken ownership.
Mean Moor is now being operated with the community-owned High Winds wind farm, comprising five turbines running at a combined capacity of 11.5MW. Its one of the largest community-owned renewable energy projects in the country. We are immensely proud to have played such a crucial part in this groundbreaking collaborative project, and look forward to continuing to support the Community Energy sector as it grows and flourishes.

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mean moor

Mean Moor Wind Farm,  in partnership with Thrive Renewables, has won the Finance Award at the Community Energy England Awards 2018.

Community energy finance award for Mean Moor wind farm

As part of a series of events during the week our MD, Matthew Clayton, reflected on projects in Bristol that we are part of which demonstrate the growth potential of renewables and highlight what is around the corner for pioneering businesses who choose to get involved.
Read the full story at the <a href="http://bristolgreencapital.org/green-great-britain-week-blog-series-financing-low-carbon-economy-bristol-thrive-renewables/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Bristol Green Capital Partnership </a>website.

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sigurd 2

We celebrate the UK's first ever Green Great Britain Week.

Financing the low carbon economy

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We evaluate the <a href="http://www.thriverenewables.co.uk/for-investors/buy-and-sell-shares/directors-recommended-share-price/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Directors’ Recommended Share Price</a> when material events occur. In this context a material event is an occurrence (or combination of events) which has an impact on the value of Thrive Renewables. In February 2017 we provided an update on a number of factors which had had both positive and negative impacts on the value of Thrive Renewables. In our most recent review of the Company’s value, we have identified a range of factors which combined have a positive impact.
<h3>Life extension at Haverigg II</h3>
We have agreed extended lease terms with the landlord at Haverigg II in Cumbria. Haverigg II is a pioneering wind farm, built as part of the first wave of wind power in the UK, and in conjunction with a local community energy group. This is our oldest site, which this month enters its third decade of generation. Having extended the lease duration, we can now include an additional 5 years of operation and therefore financial contribution from the site.
<h3>An increase in UK wholesale electricity prices</h3>
<h3><img decoding="async" style="font-size: 16px;" src="https://www.thriverenewables.co.uk/media/1901/drsp18.png?width=620&amp;mode=none&amp;scale=downscaleonly&amp;quality=80" alt="" /></h3>
</div>
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<figure class=""><figcaption>Source: www.smartestenergy.com</figcaption></figure>
</div>
<div class="cms rte js-cms-done">
&nbsp;
The chart above illustrates the movement of UK wholesale electricity prices. The negative impact on the Company’s value of the reduction in electricity prices experienced since 2014 has been offset by the growth in our portfolio. Since early 2016, electricity prices have been steadily increasing, with rapid uplift throughout the summer months. Whilst there are a vast range of factors which influence energy prices, the following combination of factors have had a material impact over the course of 2018:
<ul>
<li>oil prices (and consequently natural gas prices) increasing,</li>
<li>£ weakening in the currency markets relative to € and $, making imported fossil fuels and electricity (via the interconnectors) more expensive,</li>
<li>Following shortages in the availability of natural gas earlier this year, questions remain about the adequacy of supply for the coming winter months.</li>
</ul>
Despite the long term projections of energy prices stabilising (helped by a growing contribution of renewables) electricity prices in the immediate years ahead are expected to increase. This provides Thrive with the opportunity to benefit from higher prices for the electricity it generates. Approximately 50% of Thrive revenue comprises government backed and inflation linked support. The other 50% is generated via the wholesale energy market. We manage our exposure to market price volatility by putting in place a mixture of short and long term price agreements with our customers for months, seasons and years ahead.
<h3>Embedded benefits</h3>
To date our operational projects have been able to access a range of minor revenue streams which in combination the industry refers to as ‘Embedded Benefits’. These revenue streams are site specific and can contribute up to 5% of a project’s revenues. The payments encompass a number of elements to support smaller, decentralised electricity producers, such as incentives for generating at peak times. As the mix of sources of generation changes, the national policies determining these benefits are being reviewed. Whilst the various consultations are ongoing, in our projection of future cashflows we have now taken a more conservative view of the future contribution of Embedded Benefits to reflect the changes widely expected by the industry. This change has had a marginally negative impact on the value of the company.
<h3>Mezzanine finance</h3>
We have been able to put the £10 million raised in the Thrive Renewables plc Bond issue to work faster than we had forecast. The majority of the money raised has been deployed as bridging loans to plug funding gaps, contributing to the construction of two new wind farms in Scotland and providing communities with access to capital to purchase renewable energy projects. The interest generated by the rapid deployment of the bond money has had a positive impact on Thrive’s financial performance.
<h3>Discount rate</h3>
The DRSP is calculated using projections of the cash our existing portfolio of renewable energy projects and investments will generate over the long term. To derive a value today for future cash flows, we apply a discount rate. You can find more information on the discount rate <a href="/for-investors/buy-and-sell-shares/directors-recommended-share-price/">here</a>. The appropriate discount rate to use is largely driven by the cost of our capital. This is calculated by combining the cost of the bank debt and bonds with our target shareholder returns.
We have successfully raised capital via the Thrive Renewables and Thrive Renewables (Buchan) bond issues, and renegotiated other debt terms (taking advantage of current competitive rates available) enabling us to lower our cost of debt. So the discount rate we apply has been reduced, resulting in a higher valuation for the Company.
In addition, we are observing a significant number of transactions where operational renewable energy projects are being acquired by both pension and infrastructure funds and funds set up with a view to delivering inflation linked yield. We have received valuations of some of our operational projects from leading infrastructure players. This provides us with a helpful benchmark of the value of our operational projects and consequently comfort in the value of the Company upon which the DRSP is calculated.
<h3>Impact on the Directors&#8217; recommended share price</h3>
The combination of the factors set out above result in a DRSP of £2.60, a 11% increase on the previous DRSP of £2.35.
</div>

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Directors’ Recommended Share Price increases by 11% to £2.60 following positive developments.

Directors' recommended share price review

We’ve also been recognised for our new Community Energy Funding Bridge by Community Energy England. The innovative financing solution has been shortlisted in the Community Energy Finance Award category. The Community Energy Funding Bridge provides temporary finance for communities wishing to purchase or build their own renewable energy projects. Our financial support gives community groups the extra time they need to fundraise themselves. So local people can take ownership of renewable energy projects near them and reap the financial, social and environmental rewards.

The successful transition from coal to clean energy

Drumduff wind farm construction 

onsite-at-drumduff

Onsite at Drumduff

Our iconic Drumduff wind farm near Edinburgh, built on the site of a former open cast coalmine, has been shortlisted for a Sustainable Development award at this year’s Scottish Renewables Green Energy Awards.

Two Thrive initiatives shortlisted for prestigious industry awards

In the first six months of this year the wind farms, solar panels and hydro turbines that we invest in have generated 125 million kWh, that’s enough electricity to power 66,534 average homes. If we look at it in terms of emissions, each shareholder has saved 8 tonnes of CO2 in the first 6 months of 2018.
Our investors want to see social impact too. Our voluntary Community Benefit Programme goes above and beyond planning requirements to support the communities who host our sites. They are eligible to apply for grants of up to £4,000 to improve energy efficiency in community buildings like schools and village halls, making them more warm and cosy for visitors.
This means real benefits to real people. Doddington, a rural community in Cambridgeshire is one of 17 projects so far that has been awarded a grant. They installed new LED lighting in their village hall.

People are intrigued and fascinated by how renewable energy works. So we run regular family open days at our sites. More than 300 people turned up recently to the family fun day to celebrate the official opening of Drumduff wind farm, which is built on the site of a former coal mine near Edinburgh. As always, visitors really appreciated the community feel of the day with free science shows, a bike track and of course the chance to peek inside the turbines. As one visitor said: “Thought we would stay for half an hour and have a look around – absolutely great, have been here all day!”
So we believe money invested by our shareholders in sustainable energy delivers several levels of ‘good’. Globally, clean, smart, renewable energy helps us tackle climate change. On a business level the electricity generated delivers profits – our operating profit was £2.9 million for the first half of the year. And local communities who host wind farms and solar parks see investment, education and support to save energy and money.

tide-ise-2018-2

TIDE &amp; ISE 2018

We exist to power the transition to a sustainable energy future.

The good we do with money

We have made new investments this year in renewable heat and battery storage projects, both new areas for Thrive. Space heating and hot water accounts for 80% of UK residential energy consumption; we are investing in Rendesco which specialises in implementing ground source heat pump systems in new-build retirement homes. In May, we entered into a joint venture with battery storage developer Aura Power. Our joint investment model offers UK businesses the chance to use battery energy storage systems to cut electricity bills and reduce energy use at the most polluting periods of peak demand, contributing to a cleaner electricity grid.
Going forward we intend to invest further in renewable heat projects, continue to provide financial support to community energy projects via our Community Energy Funding Bridge and  develop investment opportunities to demonstrate that subsidy free renewables can work.
<a href="/documents/2018-half-year-report/">View the full report here</a>.

thrive-renewables-open-day-in-avonmouth-september-2022-6

Thrive renewables open day in Avonmouth. September 2022.

We are pleased to announce another strong performance in the first half of 2018.

2018 half year results

Headquartered just a five-minute walk from one another – by College Green and the Harbourside respectively – the businesses share a commitment to driving renewable energy growth and making green energy more accessible to all.
Bristol Energy purchased the renewable electricity produced by Thrive’s <a title="Clayfords wind farm" href="/our-projects/clayfords-wind-farm/" data-udi="umb://document/51f24a16f388411396ccd258e7266a4b">Clayfords Wind Farm</a> near Strichen in Aberdeenshire, Scotland for 12 months from September 2018. The single-turbine site will deliver approximately 2.26GWh of clean energy to around 564 homes over the course of the contract .
Thrive owns the 0.8MW site as part of their nationwide renewable project portfolio of 21 sites. The project was built in 2015 and qualifies for the government’s renewable energy feed-in-tariff (FiT) subsidy. The project was funded by Thrive with a crowdfunded bond raise in 2016.
<a href="https://www.bristol-energy.co.uk/">Bristol Energy</a> supplies more than 76,000 homes across the UK and is actively growing the amount of renewable energy in its portfolio year on year. Renewables accounted for 40% of its energy supply after its first year in 2017, which it has increased to an estimated 60% this year. The company has achieved this substantial growth by working with renewable energy generators, like Thrive, through power purchase agreements (PPAs).
Providing accessible renewable energy is a key objective of both Thrive and Bristol Energy. They are encouraging people to get involved by investing in one of Thrive’s renewable energy schemes or by signing up Bristol Energy’s 100% green tariff.
The Clayfords project was developed in conjunction with the nearby Auchtygills turbine and both became operational in 2015.
The deal was completed on e-POWER, an online auction, which enables independent renewable energy generators to sell clean electricity to utilities.

thrive-renewables-5

Thrive Renewables

The agreement between Thrive Renewables and Bristol Energy will provide over 550 homes with renewable wind energy.

Bristol companies sign clean energy deal

Space heating and hot water accounts for 80% of UK residential energy consumption.  Almost 40% of the UK’s energy requirement is for heat with 70% of our heating requirements met by burning natural gas, resulting in 20% of the UK’s CO2 emissions.
Ground source heat pumps significantly reduce this negative environmental impact and help to alleviate fuel poverty by using underground pipes to extract heat from the ground to heat radiators, underfloor or air systems and water. The pump requires electricity to run but uses less power than it produces and therefore generates lower CO2 emissions – the typical ratio is 1:3.
The project Thrive is investing in will deliver a reduction of 4,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions per year. That is enough for 3,300 return flights from London to New York , to build 50 new homes  or to make 193 million cups of tea.
Thrive has a portfolio of 21 renewable energy projects across the UK, and this is the company’s first investment in heat pumps.

Rendesco has a compelling offer whereby it designs, installs and maintains ground source heat pumps for clients providing 20 years of low cost energy. After the 20 years, Rendesco gives the heat pump to the client. Over the last three years, the company has successfully delivered 21 systems in new build developments.
Running a heat pump costs around 30% less than an equivalent gas boiler, 40% less than oil and 60% less than LPG, so as well as reducing carbon emissions, they can also lower energy bills. Heat pumps also have a longer life than combustion boilers and require less maintenance. The ground stays at a fairly constant temperature under the surface, so the heat pump can be used throughout the year.
Each heat pump costs around £150,000, but Rendesco is able to deliver low cost and low emissions energy to the host. It achieves a return on its investment through the government’s non-domestic Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) payment, a 20-year inflation-linked subsidy. This model will allow Rendesco to repay the bond in full within seven years.
In 2015, Heat Roadmap Europe found that the UK has the fourth highest heating and cooling energy demand among 14 countries analysed, but heat pumps delivered just 1% of this requirement.  This is compared to an EU average of over 10%, with Sweden producing around half of its heat renewably.
Thrive invested in Rendesco through Triodos Bank’s crowdfunding platform. The funds will come from a £1 million investment allocation that Thrive has ringfenced for new sustainable energy technologies, such as heat, energy storage and other innovative solutions. The company’s aim is to reduce carbon emissions, last year its portfolio delivered a reduction of 79,570 tonnes greenhouse gas emissions, which it hopes to increase to 100,000 by 2020.

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Thrive makes its first investment in heat.

Heat pump investment to help save 4,000 tonnes of carbon emissions a year

They are targeting thousands of businesses spending £500,000 a year or more on electricity. Over 8,000 businesses in the UK have annual electricity contracts of 10GWh or more and are likely to be spending at least £1 million a year, according to energy market analysts Cornwall Insight. The number with £500,000 annual bills is likely to be far larger.
Customers with a mid-range 2MW battery could save more than £1 million over a 15-year standard contract.
Thrive has invested in, owns and operates a 104MW portfolio of wind, hydro and solar assets. The joint venture moves it into the rapidly emerging storage market, combining its own funding and behind the meter renewable expertise with Aura Power’s market-leading experience of developing utility scale batteries.
Aura Power has developed a wide range of projects including a 15MW battery at Lockleaze, near Bristol – the UK’s largest when it started operation in August 2017 – and a 10MW battery at Nevendon, Essex.
The joint venture is seeking businesses spending around £50,000 a month or more on electricity with steady consumption and spare import capacity. Potential customers could include manufacturers, water utilities, pharmaceuticals businesses, cold storage facilities, hotels and large office buildings.
Batteries will be installed behind the meter, offering a range of benefits. Businesses can:
<ul>
<li>avoid punitive Triad and red zone charges for using electricity at peak times;</li>
<li>save money by charging up when power is cheap;</li>
<li>earn money by providing services to the grid such as frequency response;</li>
<li>hedge against rising electricity costs;</li>
<li>maintain activities during power cuts;</li>
<li>correct power quality issues;</li>
<li>develop or increase on-site renewable generation;</li>
<li>support electric vehicle charging.</li>
</ul>
Before customers sign a contract, Aura Power will review their electricity usage and bills and carry out a site survey. Customers will then be recommended the appropriate size of battery, from 0.5MW up, and provided with forecast revenue and savings.
Batteries can be installed with minimal impact on site operations, either in existing buildings such as basements or in shipping containers outdoors. Installation takes as little as a few days and is timed to ensure minimum disruption. The process from signing a contract to installing the battery can be concluded within three to six months.

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Wicken

Thrive Renewables and Aura Power are launching a joint venture today that will offer thousands of UK businesses the chance to use battery energy storage systems to cut electricity bills at no cost to themselves.

Batteries offer businesses savings with no up-front cost

During 2017, Thrive Renewables:
<ul>
<li>Raised nearly £10 million from 940 investors via the Thrive Renewables plc bond.</li>
<li>Completed construction of two new onshore wind energy projects totalling 10.6MW.</li>
<li>Created the Thrive Community Energy Funding Bridge, investing £11.4m in three projects, enabling the communities to buy renewable energy projects from large infrastructure owners.</li>
</ul>

<h2>Delivering impact in 2017</h2>
<h3>Widening ownership of renewables</h3>
Thrive Renewables plc bond offer successfully closed in March 2017 having raised £9.96 million. Over 900 individuals invested in the bond in addition to impact investment institutions and foundations. A total of 669 new individuals joined Thrive’s community of investors via the bond.
<h3>Investing in new renewable capacity</h3>
Thrive Renewables contributed to construction and commissioning of 10.6MW of new onshore wind capacity in 2017. The company delivered 6MW through Drumduff wind farm in West Lothian, Scotland, through a joint venture with GreenPower (International) Ltd. It also provided a £1.48m mezzanine loan facility that contributed to the funding of Brotherton Wind Farm, a 4.6MW onshore wind project in Aberdeenshire, Scotland.
“One of our new wind projects, Drumduff, is particularly satisfying; it sits on the site of a ‘retired’ open cast coal mine. It’s difficult to think of a more appropriate and optimistic symbol of how we use investor’s money to directly transform the country’s energy system,” says Matthew.
<h3>Innovative community funding model</h3>
In 2017, Thrive supported three communities with a total £11.4 million investment: a £1.7m funding bridge to a Community Interest Company that owns the Sheriffhales 3.174MWp solar PV farm in Shropshire, a £7.4m funding bridge to Mean Moor Community Wind Farm Limited that owns a 6.9MW wind farm in Cumbria, and £2.3m funding bridge for the purchase of the 2.4MW Brockholes wind farm located in Scottish Borders.
Thrive has been able to use its capital flexibly to allow the migration of assets from commercial to community ownership. The new innovative funding model is designed to provide communities with the expertise, funding and certainty required to acquire operational renewable energy projects. It then provides the communities with the necessary time to raise the funds.
<h2>Future ambitions</h2>
By 2020, Thrive has pledged to:
<ol>
<li>Deliver renewable energy projects in a subsidy free world.</li>
<li>Grow the investor base to 10,000, combining direct investment and funds facilitated by the Community Energy Funding Bridge.</li>
<li>Invest into a portfolio of sustainable energy projects that deliver over 100,000 tCO2e of greenhouse gas emission reductions per annum.</li>
</ol>
<h3>Business strategy</h3>
Thrive will pursue a focused business strategy to deliver impact in the subsidy free context, focusing on three core areas:
<h3>Community energy funding bridge</h3>
Many commercial players are looking to sell operational renewable energy projects to market. Thrive will continue to work with communities that have the ambition of owning renewable energy assets and provide funding bridges and expertise to facilitate the ownership transition.
<h3>Private wire generation</h3>
Thrive is working on securing more sites for supporting private wire generation at industrially-sited generation sites, such as its existing projects in Dunfermline, Eye and March.
<h3>Repowering mature assets</h3>
Thrive operates projects such as <a title="Haverigg II wind farm" href="/our-projects/haverigg-ii-wind-farm/" data-udi="umb://document/bf81738a173c42ec81a425b15ba31763">Haverigg II </a>and <a title="Beochlich hydro electric site" href="/our-projects/beochlich-hydro-electric-site/" data-udi="umb://document/e3f0af5ecc5249d79b91852e59c0e1af">Beochlich</a> that are entering their third decade of generation. It will continue with the preparatory work on repowering (replacing the existing generation assets with new equipment) with a view to extending the life of the projects. The repowering of sites can help support the subsidy-free future, as cost savings can be achieved relative to a new site by utilising existing infrastructure, such as the grid connections.
“Thrive intends to be at the forefront of demonstrating that subsidy-free renewable electricity generation can work in the UK. We are focused on private wire opportunities and repowering of existing sites, as well as offering the Thrive Community Energy Funding Bridge to communities, so broadening ownership of renewable energy and making local assets more accessible for individuals,” says Matthew.
<h3>Subsidy-free</h3>
While Thrive’s existing portfolio delivers financial impact from Feed in Tariff and Renewables Obligation subsidies, the future for new projects looks very different. The near elimination of financial support and significant planning constraints imposed on new onshore developments in England have largely put paid to the standard business model of the last 20 years.
In the future, Thrive believes that new onshore renewable energy projects will only be viable if they are more actively part of the local electricity system, perhaps combining with low cost storage, smarter and more flexible demand management, private wire, and/or peer-to-peer trading.
Thrive intends to be at the forefront of UK renewables development by demonstrating that subsidy-free can work and exploring opportunities to invest in both battery storage and demand side management flexibility services.

about-us-image

Record turnover of £15.6 million in 2017, up 15% on 2016, and a 28% growth in generation capacity to 104.9MW from 21 renewables projects across the UK.

Record year for Thrive Renewables in 2017

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The Bridge of Orchy village hall was also awarded £4,000 which paid for roof and floor insulation and eligible for its proximity to our <a title="Beochlich hydro electric site" href="/projects/beochlich-hydro-electric-site/" data-id="1472">Beochlich hydro-electric site</a>. The work was undertaken as part of a wider refurbishment, bringing the hall back into use and opening in the spring of 2017.
</div>
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The refurbished hall provides daytime activities for mums, children and older folk fighting isolation and offering inclusion in a remote area. The hall will also offer shelter to walkers on the popular West Highland Way.
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With awards of up to £4,000, a whole host of changes will be possible, including insulation, draught-proofing, improved heating, LED lighting or lighting controls. There is an option to use the funding for selected professional advice leading to long term improvements in energy efficiency.
</div>
The fund is available to community buildings near to sustainable energy projects in which Thrive Renewables is invested. These are positioned all over the country, from Cambridgeshire to Dunfermline and from Bristol to Cumbria.
</div>

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Communities across the UK can apply for grants to make their shared public buildings easier and cheaper to heat thanks to the Thrive Renewables' Community Benefit Programme.

Community building grants open for 2018!

Energy suppliers are in the process of rolling out smart meters which allow us to monitor our home energy use in increasingly detailed ways.  Being able to control appliances or thermostats via apps on our phones represents a huge technological step forward.  Smart appliances can also be sensitive to the frequency of the grid and adjust their demand in line with the availability of renewable power.
Our understanding of the systems and the choices we make in our homes are essential to make the most of these opportunities.  Purchasing the right appliances when they need replacing, using ever-improving controls to best effect and trying to avoid using power heavy appliances during peak periods will all make a difference to our home energy consumption.
Read the full story at the <a href="https://good-with-money.com/2018/02/22/domestic-energy-storage-wont-replace-behaviour-change/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Good With Money</a> website.

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We don't have to wait for smart meters and storage to become a smart consumer today. Our MD, Matthew Clayton, is interviewed by Good With Money on reducing domestic energy use and home energy bills.

Smart systems or smart behaviour

Thrive has made a significant investment in Gulliver, which is now nearly 20 years old, to ensure it runs reliably into the future  &#8211; generating clean power for homes and businesses across the UK.  The 2.75MW turbine is capable of generating clean electricity for more than 2,200 average UK homes a year.

The replacement turbine parts fitted during the overhaul are refurbished parts from a windfarm in the Netherlands – a great example of reuse.  The blades and nacelle were thoroughly assessed and tested and are expected to operate efficiently for years to come.
Gulliver’s old blades are currently being repurposed into bicycle shelters in the Netherlands. Other components have been made available for resale or are being broken down for recycling.
Since Thrive invested in the project in 2005, Lowestoft has become a growing hub for renewables. The Orbis Energy Centre has been established next door to Ness Point wind turbine – a flagship focus for the east of England’s renewables network and home to a range of innovative organisations supporting the sector. Lowestoft is also central for servicing the growing number of offshore wind farms in the area. 
In the latest round of Thrive’s Community Benefit Programme which provides energy efficiency grants to community hubs near its projects, Seething and Mundham Village Hall near Ness Point was awarded £980 to install LED lighting. The measures will help the popular community centre reduce its energy bills and carbon footprint.

Works taking place during overhaul of Ness Point wind turbine. 

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The nacelle and blades have been replaced to secure the turbine’s long term future.  

Ness Point wind turbine back in action following successful overhaul

We are committed to reaching net zero emissions by 2030 via the SME climate hub &#8211; a non-profit global initiative that empowers small to medium sized companies to take climate action and build resilient businesses for the future. By reporting on our emissions, we’re able to better understand the sources of them, whilst demonstrating transparency on our journey to net zero.
<a href="https://cms-admin.thriverenewables.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Thrive-Climate-Report-2023-FINAL.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Thrive’s latest climate report</a> for 2023 highlights key updates on our path to net zero by the end of the decade:
<ul>
<li>Maintained scope 1 and 2 emissions at zero (down from a baseline of 2.9 tCO2e in 2019). *</li>
<li>For the second year running, we reported comprehensive emissions estimates across our seven relevant scope 3 categories, which include all areas relating to the construction and operation of our clean energy projects.</li>
<li>Reduced carbon intensity of business travel by 17% in 2023 compared to 2022.</li>
<li>Calculated avoided emissions (sometimes referred to as scope 4) to illustrate the wider carbon impact of the business.</li>
</ul>
Emission reductions are the emissions ‘avoided’ from the operation of our portfolio of clean energy projects. These serve as a key metric to illustrate the wider positive carbon impact of the business.
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-8005" src="/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/NZ-report-24-graph.png" alt="" width="903" height="405" srcset="https://cms-admin.thriverenewables.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/NZ-report-24-graph.png 903w, https://cms-admin.thriverenewables.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/NZ-report-24-graph-300x135.png 300w, https://cms-admin.thriverenewables.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/NZ-report-24-graph-768x344.png 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 903px) 100vw, 903px" />
It is important to note that 2022 was a very successful year for project construction and that our reported emissions include the full construction footprint of three new projects. By comparison in 2023, our reported emissions only include the construction of one small rooftop project. Despite this yearly variation in our highest emissions area, it is useful to see how much greater our avoided emissions are in both years.
Our eyes are now fixed on the 2024 reporting year as we continue rolling out more clean energy projects and helping businesses to decarbonise. We are committed to continually reporting our emissions and reviewing our strategy on an annual basis.
*Thrive’s emissions are reported using The Greenhouse Gas protocol framework that splits emissions into three categories:
Scope 1 – Direct emissions from sources that a company owns or controls directly e.g. the gas used for our heating.
Scope 2 – Indirect emissions coming from the energy it purchases and uses e.g. the electricity powering our office.
Scope 3 – Indirect emissions resulting from sources that are not controlled or owned by the company. For example, the resulting emissions from our supply chain or employee commuting and business travel.

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Our positive contribution to reducing UK emissions far outweighs our carbon footprint. But we take responsibility for the emissions we make in the course of our operations.

2023 Net Zero Report – Scopes 1 & 2 remain at zero and carbon intensity of business travel reduced by 17%

The record low is followed by the symbolic closure of the UK’s last coal fired power station at Ratcliffe-on-Soar in September – ending over a century of burning coal to generate electricity.
At the beginning of the 20th century, coal accounted for more than 95% of the UK’s electricity generation. Now it is 0%.
The UK is the first G7 nation to completely phase out the use of coal to generate power. A few weeks ago, the government also confirmed it will introduce legislation to ban new coal mining licences.
Whilst renewables have played a crucial role in helping the UK phase out coal, we’ve still got a lot of work to do. In its recent report the National Energy Systems Operator stressed that net zero by 2030 is ambitious but achievable, if we expand renewables capacity swiftly and significantly – tripling solar and doubling onshore wind.
As the UK shifts towards a new era of green energy jobs, it’s crucial that no one is left behind and we’re working hard to play our part in a fair and inclusive energy transition. Thrive is proud to help fund community-led projects like the Ambition Community Energy wind turbine in Bristol which is providing a deprived community with a source of revenue. The charity behind the project, Ambition Lawrence Weston, is also preparing local people to take their place in the changing green economy through community-based advice, support and upskilling.

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