Local voluntary group Power Hull has won a £20,000 grant from the Northern Power Grid Foundation to install solar panels at Lonsdale Community Centre, transforming it into a Climate Resilience Centre that can keep the community warm and fed when the power grid fails.
The group has a bold long-term vision: to put power in the hands of Hull communities. They plan to set up energy clubs across the city, where buildings with solar panels can sell energy directly to people in their local area. By cutting out sale to the national grid, generators get more money for their excess power, while residents buy cheaper, cleaner electricity. The first club is on track to launch in 2026, centred on the Anlaby Road area, with installations like the Lonsdale increasing club capacity while also benefiting the building’s users.
The Lonsdale Centre system features 23 panels and a 24 kWh battery, installed by Hull firm Pure Renewables and commissioned on 18th September 2025. Dave Coates, the centre manager, said “The panels are making a huge difference. Our energy bills have plummeted, meaning we can focus on helping our community.” In the event of power cuts, the large battery is expected to run the centre for two days.
“Getting these panels up is an exciting first step”, said Sean Irving from Power Hull, “and we intend to keep growing from here. We want to offer a real challenge to big energy companies and our broken energy system.” One in five Hull residents lives in fuel poverty (2022 data, Hull City Council), while recent research from the Who Owns Britain project shows that 24% of the average UK household energy bill in 2024 was taken as profits; “that money would be better spent improving people’s lives”, said Irving.
The group plans to introduce ‘Power Assemblies’ to give residents direct influence over their energy club, in collaboration with local democracy group Cooperation Hull, who have held 18 people’s assemblies across the city in the last two years.
While building a fairer energy system locally, Power Hull also have their eyes on the wider renewable system, noting that many global solar panel suppliers rely on forced labour to minimise costs. They chose to pay a slight premium for the Lonsdale panels to use a supplier with transparent and ethical supply chains (REC Group).
Power Hull are gathering residents’ expressions of interest for the first energy club and also welcome inquiries from local organisations. For more information, visit powerhull.org or contact Power Hull at hello@powerhull.org
