“We believe in working hyper locally with national reach and always intended to develop a ‘street by street’ approach – taking our learnings and the documentation produced here to inspire other communities to take action.”
Hilary, Director of Power Station
Solar Street Retrofit
Walthamstow, London
meet ...
Hilary, Dan and Leonie
Our why
The scale of the current climate, energy and cost of living crises means people feel disempowered. On our diverse East London street we have data and accounts of neighbours struggling with eating, heating, energy bills – unable to live sustainably and communally. According to the latest Government report, 27% of people in our borough are in ‘energy poverty’.
Our idea
We decided to turn our street into a POWER STATION, by providing free solar panels to homes to reduce bills and collectively reduce carbon emissions. This is about sharing power in all its forms. We are working with local organisations to ensure social and economic justice is at the heart of an action that began with ‘every building a power station’ and will expand to every neighbourhood becoming one. We are focusing now on 5 more local streets and on further collaborations with a local food growing coop, retrofit organisations and the council.
This a ‘show and do’ project where together we navigate all the hurdles to action – from property tenure to finances, supply chains to local training. Our aim is to prototype 5 more streets nationally and so share and spread our experience with other neighbourhoods.
With Footwork's support ...
About
Hilary, Dan, and Leonie will develop the strategy for Power Station’s impact campaign whilst also creating a green print; practical advice on how to do street scale retrofit. This work will help consolidate partnership building and ensure that Power Station is working with optimum impact.
Power Station
The Powerful Community Benefit Society and Optimistic Foundation CIC (aka Power) is made up of a team of neighbours driven to make change – to prove that people do have the power to make beautiful things happen and to defy the neoliberal idea that there is no alternative to the status quo.