Partner with BHESCO to reduce energy costs and carbon emissions for your Sussex business
- Renewable energy and energy-saving systems installed for no upfront cost
- Long-term energy security with fixed energy prices
- All insurance, maintenance, and monitoring included
- Get compliance ready for new MEES regulations
Generate on-site
renewable energy
Affordable long-term
energy costs
Increased comfort
& wellbeing
Improved environmental
credentials
Protection from volatile
energy markets
Reduce long-term energy costs with commercial solar panels and renewable energy systems for your Sussex business, installed at no upfront cost
Our team provides comprehensive project management, from initial assessment to installation and ongoing monitoring, ensuring a smooth and efficient process.
We offer a community financing model where our network of investors fund the project, allowing you to start saving immediately.
BHESCo is Sussex’s community-owned energy co-operative, delivering low-carbon heating, energy-saving systems, and solar power projects for businesses across Brighton & Hove and the wider South East.
We are passionate about helping businesses achieve their sustainability goals and are committed to providing transparent and honest advice.
Interested in partnering with BHESCo?
Speak with a member of the BHESCo Projects Team about starting a low-carbon energy project for your business or organisation.
Leave your details below and a member of our team will get back to you as soon as we can.
What services do BHESCo offer?
Energy Project Consultancy
BHESCo’s Project Team conduct an analysis of your property and energy bill data. We produce a detailed report highlighting opportunities for renewable energy generation and energy saving improvements.
We recommend the most cost-effective solutions, including a cost vs savings analysis to inform decision making.
We advise on potential grant funding opportunities, planning permissions, and electricity grid connections.
Energy Project Management
BHESCo act as Project Manager, overseeing every aspect of your energy project. This includes planning, installation, cost management and operating performance of your energy saving/ energy generating measures.
We engage our trusted network of local suppliers to obtain the best performance and value options for your property.
BHESCo ensures a high quality installation is undertaken by one of our experienced and qualified local contractors.
Energy Project Finance
Project installation costs are financed by BHESCo’s network of community investors, meaning there is no upfront cost to customers, who start to make savings immediately.
A portion of the monthly savings are used to repay the cost of the project, plus interest which we pass on to investors.
After an agreed number of years, once the project costs have been repaid, ownership transfers to the customer, who enjoys 100% of savings for the remaining lifetime of the equipment.
Why choose BHESCo as your energy project partner?
BHESCo’s unique combination of expertise, experience, transparency, and passion make us the ideal partner for your next energy project.
We're experts
Our talented team is made up of qualified professionals with decades of experience in energy project design and financing.
We're passionate
We’re on a mission to drive down energy costs and carbon emissions and are dedicated to achieving the best outcomes for your project.
We're honest
BHESCo is a social enterprise here for the benefit of our community. Our recommendations will serve your best interests, not our bottom line.
BHESCo is a social enterprise, which means we are motivated by big impacts, not big profits.
We will give honest answers to your questions and tell you if solar power or a heat pump is suitable for your site.
The best part is that we finance all of our energy projects at no upfront cost through community financing. The capital costs of a project are met by our network of community investors who want to use their money to support renewable energy projects. This means you start to make big savings immediately, with having to worry about any capital investment or risk.
No upfront cost to you
Financed through a Power Purchase Agreement or a Hire Purchase Agreement, funded by our community investor network, not your capital budget
No sales commission
As a co-operative, our team isn’t paid to upsell or oversize your system; recommendations are based on what your site actually needs
Profits reinvested, not extracted
Surplus goes back into more community energy projects, not out to shareholders
Long-term accountability, not a one-off installer
Ongoing post-installation support means we stay accountable for how your system performs after handover, including maintenance
Genuine local expertise
Nearly 70 community and commercial energy projects delivered across Sussex, with in-house knowledge across solar PV, battery storage, heat pumps and efficiency
Community-rooted, not remote
Brighton & Hove based, accountable to the Sussex community we operate in, not a national or overseas head office
Transparent, values-led decision-making
Co-operative governance means decisions serve member and community interest, not quarterly shareholder targets
A funding model that shares the benefit
Community investors who fund your project share in the returns, keeping the economic value of your energy transition local
What does a typical customer journey look like?
Whether you’re exploring solar panels for a commercial building, a solar for business installation, or want to understand the cost of commercial solar panels for your premises, our free survey gives you a clear, no-obligation picture before you commit.
We will design a bespoke on-site micro-generation and energy saving system, identifying technology synergies to enhance efficiency and deliver maximum cost savings for your business. Our analysis will measure and compare the anticipated reduction in demand that we can expect from installing different types of energy saving and/ or energy generating technologies.
In this way we can make conclusions about which combination of technologies will best meet the heat and power requirements of your business, as well as being able to provide upfront cost and future savings projections to help you make the best decision.
If an energy survey is all you are looking for, we will charge a fee for our service (typically £70/ hour). However, customers who decide to work with BHESCo to install their energy management improvements will not have to pay for their energy audit upfront. The cost will be absorbed into the Power Purchase/ Lease Agreement.
Here is a typical customer journey for a solar panel project:
1. Survey
BHESCo survey the property and examine energy bills for an in-depth understanding of heating and electricity needs.
2. Proposal
BHESCo produce a detailed report of energy improvement recommendations. Based on installation costs and potential energy bill savings, BHESCo offer to provide project finance.
3. Finance
BHESCo fundraise the upfront installation costs from our network of community investors.
4. Installation
BHESCo project manage the installation of the solar panels. This includes installer selection, planning permissions, grid connections, insurance, and electricity export contracts.
5. Contract term
BHESCo and customer enter into a contract (typically a Power Purchase Agreement). Customer agrees to buy electricity generated by BHESCo’s solar panels at a discounted price, compared to what they would pay to their energy supplier. Low cost energy is guaranteed for 20-25 year contract term.
6. Monitoring & maintenance
BHESCo monitor the equipment to ensure solar panels perform as expected and that long-term savings are achieved.
7. Transfer of ownership
Once the upfront cost is repaid, ownership transfers to the customer
Are you eligible for funding to help with energy improvements?
There are a variety of funding opportunities available to help property owners in Sussex with the installation of energy saving and energy generating systems.
Is your organisation a good fit for an energy project with BHESCo?
We work with a wide range of customers with varying needs and property profiles. However, there are some some characteristics that make a business a good match for a community energy project.
Preferably, customers will have a real passion for clean energy and will be able to make decisions regarding their premises (or have a good relationship with their landlord).
Here are some common traits that make an ideal community energy project partner:
High existing energy costs
Greater opportunity for long-term energy savings. This makes a project more economically attractive
A large sloping, south-facing roof
Ideal for solar power. However, the roof must be in good enough condition to hold the weight of the solar panels
On-site parking
Opportunity for a solar car port. The solar energy could be used to charge electric vehicles or supply the property
Green space adjacent to the building
Opportunity for ground-mounted solar or a ground source heat pump
An ageing heating system
Opportunity for modern, low-carbon heat replacement
Over the last decade BHESCo have developed projects for many different organisations with many different building types. One of our great strengths is our adaptability and skill in finding the right solution for each unique customer.
Below are examples of customers with have worked with. Please click an icon for information on the bespoke solutions we offer to each type of customer.
Recent customers
Case Studies
Since 2015 BHESCo has developed more than sixty successful community energy projects throughout Sussex.
Please browse our Case Studies Page or download our Case Studies Booklet.
Montessori Place,
Uckfield
Solar PV, air source heat pump, ground source heat pump, insulation
Alistair Fleming,
Lewes
Solar PV, Sunamp heat batteries, air-conditioning units, LED lighting
Dyke Golf Club,
Brighton
Solar PV, LED lighting, battery bank, monitoring & control system
The Unity Centre,
Lewes
Air source heat pump, underfloor heating, insulation, LED lighting.
What are people saying about BHESCo's energy services?
Read other customer reviews on Google and Trustpilot
Why are BHESCo's commercial energy services needed?
Most business managers want to take action to upgrade their premises but don’t know where to start, don’t want to invest precious cash, or a bit of both.
Even though rising energy costs are a concern for business owners across Sussex, they have so many day-to-day issues that managing energy costs gets pushed down the list, leaving them at the mercy of volatile international energy markets.
Working with BHESCo takes the hassle away from our customers – we design an optimal system, get grid connection approval, calculate cost savings, speak with planning departments, etc. Our technical engineers can assess the appropriateness of energy storage or electric vehicle charging, while our finance team ensures that the customer achieves maximum value from the project.
Naturally, money is a big issue, as well as a lack of familiarity with technologies like solar panels and heat pumps. Working with a social enterprise like BHESCo removes all risk from businesses, because we own, operate and maintain the system on their behalf.
What are the benefits of introducing an energy improvement strategy for your premises?
A good environmental and facilities management strategy forms the basis of any successful organisation – whatever the size or sector.
This will ensure you meet the financial, regulatory and stakeholder obligations of your business, as well as helping you attract and retain loyal customers and talented team members.
Meet changing compliance and regulatory requirements
The UK Government recently announced changes to the Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards (MEES), meaning landlords now have to meet higher standards of energy efficiency.
Failure to meet the new MEES regulations can result in a hefty fine and make the property unlawful for rental.
To help landlords meet new regulations as efficiently and cost-effectively as possible BHESCo are offering a MEES Compliance Report, providing property owners with a detailed snapshot of where their building is now and what they need to do to be compliant.
Efficient energy management = Effective business management
A well considered energy strategy will enable organisations to meet financial, procedural and stakeholder expectations.
A business premises with affordable energy costs, minimal environmental impact, and a comfortable temperature will form a sound basis for your organisation to thrive.
BHESCo can help your organisation achieve these goals for no upfront cost using our unique project financing and outstanding technical expertise.
Gain a competitive edge and identify new revenue streams
Saving money on your energy costs allows you to reinvest profits into the resources that really matter to your organisation.
According to the Energy Saving Trust, the average small to medium sized enterprise (SME) could reduce energy bills up to 25% by introducing energy efficiency measures and energy saving behaviours.
Wherever possible, being able to generate your own renewable electricity is significantly cheaper than purchasing energy from an energy supplier and could also present opportunities for revenue generation via the sale of excess electricity.
In addition to significant financial savings, improving the energy performance of your business or organisation could deliver any of the following benefits:
- Identify new income streams by selling excess electricity to energy suppliers, via peer-to-peer trading opportunities, or electric vehicle charging.
- Ensure compliance with Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards (MEES)
- Improve Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) and Display Energy Certificates (DECs) for public spaces
- Increase business resilience by insuring against future energy price fluctuations
- Support the creation of employment opportunities within the local economy
- Demonstrate social and environmental leadership by significantly reducing the impact of operations
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is required of me (the customer)?
The more information and data that we can collect about energy use in your building, the better we can understand your existing needs. This will help us design an optimum energy solution that will deliver the long-term financial and carbon savings you’re looking for.
If you have a floorplan or other drawings that’s great – it will save us time on our assessment. Otherwise as part of a survey we can visit the building and measure key dimensions.
It is also very helpful if you can provide with at least two years of historic energy bill data.
What is included as part of an initial energy survey?
We will visit the building to access the heating system and radiators and identify what insulation the building has already, including the loft space. We would also check the roof condition and electricity supply capacity in preparation for solar panels.
After the survey we will analyse the heating load from the building, and recommend measures to reduce energy consumption.
Do I need to own the building?
No.
BHESCo have completed many projects in the past on behalf of tenants and with the co-operation of the building owner.
What financial support is available?
Grants and funding for energy improvements on commercial properties change all the time.
In the recent past, grant opportunities have included the VCSE Fund and the Community Energy Fund. If you live in Sussex we can help you to access the Rampion Community Fund.
Your eligibility for certain grant funding may depend on the legal status of your organisation or on the type of services or business that you deliver.
BHESCo will always investigate grant funding opportunities on behalf of our customers and help you to access finances whenever possible. You can read more about grant funding here.
Where appropriate, we can also provide upfront project costs through our network of community investors.