Community-owned solar scheme wins GTR and Energy Garden top award in railway ‘Oscars’

• Environmental Excellence Award for railway depot rooftop solar schemes that fund transformative urban greening and community engagement projects at no cost to the rail.
• High commendations too in Customer Service Excellence category with Sight Loss Councils (innovative app to guide blind and partially sighted customers) and Major Station of the Year (Gatwick)

Govia Thameslink Railway and London-based Community Benefit Society Energy Garden have won this year’s Environmental Excellence Award at the National Rail Awards – the railway’s answer to the Oscars – for a pioneering community-owned solar scheme that is set to transform energy generation on the UK’s railways.

Energy Garden is covering GTR’s railway depot roofs with community-owned solar panels at Streatham Hill in South London; Bedford Cauldwell Walk in Bedford; Selhurst in Croydon and Three Bridges in West Sussex.

These projects, either completed or in the pipeline:

• Provide clean, green energy for use onsite at GTR depots (helping GTR to meet its net zero target)
• Export surplus energy via the grid to power other UK-based organisations
• Generate profits to fund Energy Garden’s community engagement initiatives – transformational urban greening projects and education programmes for young people from deprived innercity London boroughs.

Energy Garden is the largest community energy organisation in London and raises 100% of the capital costs needed to the develop the solar on these rail depots from the community. This concept can be easily scaled up and deployed across the rail industry to take advantage of other under-utilised depot roofs.

Judges at the prestigious awards ceremony said: “Public transport has long been regarded as one of the key solutions to the climate crisis. But this project takes it a step further. This not-for-profit uses the vast empty and often ugly space of depot roofs to generate clean energy at no upfront cost to the operator.”

GTR’s Head of Environment Jason Brooker said: “Community owned energy is a great example where everyone can benefit. We're in a climate and ecological crisis and we need to be challenging the norms and looking at innovative new ways of doing things. The partnership GTR have with Energy Garden is fantastic example of doing just that, and it’s something we can all get behind.”

CEO of Energy Garden Agamemnon Otero said: “Thousands of staff work across the sector trying to improve the quality of the rail for communities, passengers and rail staff alike. The Energy Garden model is an incredible way to allow businesses like GTR to work with communities and develop new renewable energy infrastructure at no extra cost.

“The revenues sale of energy go further still, funding community engagement programmes that improve biodiversity, public access to green space and provide transformational educational opportunities for young people. This is a win, win, win, for the rail, customers, and the environment.”

Customer Service Excellence Award

GTR and national charity Thomas Pocklington Trust and the Sight Loss Councils it funds were also highly commended in the Customer Service Excellence category, for the innovative AIRA Explorer app they have jointly introduced at railway stations.

This app sets up a free video conference call with a trained agent who looks through the phone’s camera lens to guide blind or partially sighted customers. Read more here: Blind and partially sighted people set to benefit from free app at 8 more GTR stations | Govia Thameslink Railway (mynewsdesk.com)

GTR Head of Accessibility Carl Martin said: “The AIRA app has had great feedback from our blind and partially sighted customers. It’s just one of the ways we’re innovating to make our services more accessible.”

David Smith, Engagement Manager for Sight Loss Councils, said: “We are really proud of our work with Govia Thameslink Railway to increase accessibility in response to blind and partially sighted people telling us accessible public transport matters to them the most.

“Everyone should be able to rely on accessible public transport and be able to travel independently and safely. Without it, people cannot get to work, visit family and friends, and risk becoming isolated.”

Gatwick Airport Station, which was recently redeveloped to create space and improve accessibility, was also highly commended in the Large Station of the Year category.

ENDS

Editors’ notes

The UK’s first community-owned rail solar scheme was opened in 2021 at Streatham Hill Depot in South London. Last year its 578 panels generated more than 200 MWh, saving around 50 tonnes of CO2e. Over 20 years, the roof should generate 4.165 GWh (over 4 million kWh) of electricity, saving 884 tonnes of CO2e. Further schemes are in progress at Bedford, Selhurst in Croydon and Three Bridges in West Sussex.

About Energy Garden

Energy Gardenis a Community Benefit Society that invests in renewable energy infrastructure to support community development. Its mission is to empower communities to take climate action into their own hands by owning renewable energy and greening London.     

Energy Garden has been implementing educational green spaces across the rail since 2012. There are now 20 gardens across the London Overground and Underground, with each garden helping the local community to take climate action and build resiliency in their local areas. The gardens provide a powerful learning space to connect people with nature and are integrated within Energy Garden’s wider education programmes: School Workshops for 3,000 pupils at Key Stages 2 to 5 each year and an AQA accredited youth training programme for 40 young Londoners from disadvantaged boroughs, with each trainee receiving 50 hours of learning paid at the Real London Living Wage.

Find out more and get involved: https://www.energygarden.org.uk

About Sight Loss Councils and Thomas Pocklington Trust

Sight Loss Councils (SLCs) are regional groups led by blind and partially sighted people. Together, they work with organisations to ensure what they do is accessible and inclusive.

There are around 25 SLCs across the country. Each SLC is made up of blind and partially sighted members who meet monthly to discuss accessibility issues and plan projects in their regions under priority themes. National themes addressed by all SLCs are accessible public transport and street safety so everyone can travel independently and safely, and health and fitness. They also work to increase the accessibility of shopping, museums and galleries, depending on local area needs.

SLCs are funded by national sight loss charity Thomas Pocklington Trust. Over the next year Thomas Pocklington Trust will extend groups of SLCs further across the country.

To find out more visit: www.sightlosscouncils.org.uk/become-a-member