Don’t invest unless you’re prepared to lose all the money you invest. This is a high - risk investment and you are unlikely to be protected if something goes wrong. Take 2 mins to learn more

Don’t invest unless you’re prepared to lose all the money you invest. This is a high - risk investment and you are unlikely to be protected if something goes wrong. Take 2 mins to learn more

Low Carbon Hub

Renewable Energy - Withdrawable Shares

0% raised
5%

Forecast
return

Investors
2
Days left
92
Raised so far
£1,500

Low Carbon Hub community share offer will help fund the UK’s first community-owned battery for Ray Valley solar park, unlocking more value from renewable energy, cutting more carbon and increasing community benefit.  

Renewable energy

Target
£500,000
Min raise
£1
Offer opened
19/03/2026
Closing date
26/06/2026
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Low Carbon Hub
Registration Number: 31903R
Oxford, UK

Registration Date: 31903R


Your money will…

  • Take positive climate action by funding the UK’s first community-owned battery co-located with a ground-mounted solar park, saving 809 MWh of clean energy going to waste a year.

  • Unlock 102 tonnes in additional carbon savings by reducing wasted renewable energy and shifting clean power to when it’s needed most.

  • Strengthen local resilience by reinvesting 100% of surplus income into local climate action, fuel poverty support and grassroots sustainability initiatives.

  • Target financial returns: Investments target a return of 5% and will make you a member of Low Carbon Hub, with a stake in the future of community-owned energy.

The bigger picture

Ray Valley Solar is already one of the UK’s largest ground mounted solar parks and has outperformed expectations since it began generating in 2022. But grid constraints mean that on very sunny days, some clean electricity cannot be used or sold at its full value. 

Adding battery storage will make it more productive by enabling clean energy to be stored and released when demand is highest and prices are stronger. 

Low Carbon Hub is one of the UK’s most established and trusted community energy organisations. Since 2012, they have: 

  • Built 56 community-owned renewable energy projects across Oxfordshire.
  • Raised more than £10 million in community investment from nearly 2,000 investors.
  • Invested over £1 million of surplus into community benefit programmes.
  • Delivered a pioneering “double carbon cut” model, where projects cut emissions and 100% of surplus income funds further carbon reduction in schools, homes, businesses, and communities.


What your money will do

Your investment in the Low Carbon Hub share offer will: 

    • Help fund the installation of a co-located battery at Ray Valley Solar, storing clean electricity and releasing it when the grid needs it most.
    • Increase the long-term financial performance of the solar park, protecting and growing community benefit.
    • Enable participation in flexibility and balancing services, ensuring communities share the value of a smarter, more resilient grid.
    • Make a powerful statement in support of community-owned climate action and a fair energy transition.

Team

The Low Carbon Hub IPS Limited is governed by a Board of Directors, who bring a
wealth of experience from both the community energy and wider energy sector. https://www.lowcarbonhub.org/about/team/

Barbara Hammond, MBE

CEO; Executive Director

Barbara is CEO of the Low Carbon Hub, Executive Director and sits on the Audit Committee, Nomination and Governance Committee and Remuneration Committee. Founder and CEO of Low Carbon Hub since 2012, she drives the sustainability initiatives, pioneering community energy and leading Low Carbon Hub.
From 2000 until 2010, Dr Barbara Hammond was in Government, heading up the UK’s renewable energy programme and then, as International Director for Sir David King, supporting him on international climate change policy influencing.
Since 2008 Barbara has been involved in starting up community energy businesses in her own neighbourhood, as Director of Osney Lock Hydro and West Oxfordshire Community Renewables. Then in 2011, she founded the Low Carbon Hub. Not only has Barbara led the Low Carbon Hub in its development of a significant portfolio of renewable energy projects, she has also led on developing critical relationships with many partner organisations that are fundamental to the Hub’s continuing success. Highlights include: • Oxford City Council’s Revolving Construction Fund – a £2.3m facility that allows the Hub to develop new projects in advance of raising share equity.
• OxFutures – a £4.2 million project boosting low carbon economic development in Oxfordshire in partnership with both our universities and three of our local authorities.
• Project LEO – a £40 million project trialling local energy solutions to accelerate the transition to a zero carbon energy system in partnership with 9 other organisations including our distribution network operator, Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks.
• Cosy Homes Oxfordshire – a home retrofit service to improve energy efficiency in homes, reducing carbon emissions and improving comfort.
• Energy Solutions Oxfordshire (ESOx) – a complete energy efficiency service helping organisations lower their energy use while saving time and money.
She was awarded an MBE in the 2015 New Year’s Honours List for services to community energy development, particularly in Oxfordshire.

Mairi Brookes

Smart Energy Systems Director; Executive Director

Mairi is the Smart Energy Systems Director for Low Carbon Hub and sits on the Strategy Committee. She has 16 years of policy development, project delivery and strategy experience in the world of sustainability including non-domestic energy efficiency, electricity market reform, community energy and electric vehicle infrastructure. Mairi was the Sustainable City Manager at Oxford City Council and worked closely with Low Carbon Hub when it was starting up. In a previous career she worked at NASA researching the cosmological evolution of supermassive black holes. She is motivated by tackling big challenges and enabling others to achieve things they never thought possible. She wants to answer the question: what is the role that community energy and Low Carbon Hub can play to enable the decarbonisation at the grid edge. In her spare time, Mairi likes to race road bikes and take her dog Freddie for walks.

Beth McAllister

Head of Marketing and Communications

Beth has over 14 years of experience in Communications and Marketing. Her experience ranges from a large global publisher to a grassroots climate organisation. She joined the Low Carbon Hub in 2017 and her role is to develop and implement communications and marketing strategies for the Low Carbon Hub’s work. She is energised by encouraging people to take action on climate change. She lives in Oxford with her partner and two children.

Steve Drummond

Chair

Steve Drummond is Chair of the Low Carbon Hub combined board. Steve has been associated with the Low Carbon Hub since the early days and has also served as Investment Committee Chair and independent Board Member of The Low Carbon Hub IPS. Steve has extensive experience in the energy sector. Starting as an engineer and then moving into finance, he has spent nearly 40 years working in nuclear, conventional and renewable energy power generation. Roles include power station design, operations and development in the Central Electricity Generating Board and its successors, Partner of Corporate Finance at PwC, and emissions trading, finance and global project development at Cantor Fitzgerald. Steve is now CEO of Electrogenic Ltd., which develops EV technology that is deployed both in new production cars and the conversion of beautiful classic vehicles. Back in Oxford, he was one of the founding directors of Oxford North Community Renewables (or ONCORE) and developed the structure of the enterprise and the financial model to install community renewable projects in North Oxford.

Tim Jones

Renewables Portfolio Director; Executive Director

Tim is the Renewables Portfolio Director for Low Carbon Hub and sits on the Investment Committee. He has 35 years of experience in the energy sector. Recently, Tim worked with Schlumberger PLC an energy services company structuring project funding and delivering global energy projects. He is delighted to have the opportunity to contribute to the zero emissions ambitions of the Low Carbon Hub, particularly at a local level and wants to help accelerate these ambitions across Oxfordshire and beyond. In his spare time, Tim likes to play cricket and attend choral events and concerts.

Sam Clutton

Head of Finance & Business Systems

Sam is responsible for the management of Low Carbon Hub’s
finances and investor relationships.

Robin Maxe

Chief Operations Officer

A seasoned scale-up operator across deep tech and gaming to consumer goods and fashion, Robin has repeatedly taken businesses through rapid growth by installing disciplined operating systems and a bias for delivery. Most recently at Trilitech, he redesigned the group’s operating model, re-accelerating innovation and driving 450%+ user adoption. At Ralph & Russo, he helped the founders grow revenue from sub-$1m to $75m+ and helped raise over $90m equity financing. Before that, he spent nearly a decade at Sony and PlayStation. At SALAD Robin has responsibility for Marketing, Origination and Customer Account Management.



Craig Pennington

Chief Strategy Officer

Craig has over 30 years’ experience in investment, as a portfolio manager in the City, as co-founder of a family business, head of social investment for the Francis Scott Trust and most recently at one of Salad’s investors - Fair4All Finance. There he was responsible for managing investments and partnering with mainstream finance with the aim of attracting investment capital to community finance providers. Craig has wide-ranging experience in social investment, business strategy, finance & accounting, analysis and of running businesses and charities.

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Interest accrual and payment

Interest is calculated annually, based on the performance of all energy projects funded by the Community Energy Fund during that financial year. The Low Carbon Hub’s financial year runs from 1 April to 31 March. Interest is paid out after the end of each financial year.

Getting your money out

Investors can apply to withdraw the shares that have been held in the Fund for at least four years. There will be an annual process by which investors can apply to withdraw some or all of their equity, up to a maximum of £20,000 in any one year.

Investing on behalf of children

Applicants must be 18 or above and investments can be made on behalf of children. 

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