COGS joins the Microgrid

Over Easter, something remarkable happened at Gracious Street Methodist Church in Knaresborough. While many of us were tucking into chocolate eggs, 91 solar panels were being carefully fitted onto the church roof. But this isn’t just about lowering the church’s bills — it’s about powering the neighbourhood too.

The church is taking part in a new trial that could see the electricity it generates shared directly with nearby homes and businesses, including the local fire station. Instead of sending spare energy back to the National Grid, the idea is to keep it local, making sure the community benefits first.

Reverend Gordon Hay summed it up beautifully: “The idea that we could share some of that energy with our neighbours – people who live or work just around the corner – feels like exactly what a church should be doing.”

The scheme is being led by Knaresborough Community Energy as part of a wider Ofgem-backed trial. In total, 78 homes and small businesses on the same circuit as the church could benefit. Alongside Gracious Street, two other sites in the town are also part of the project — each one testing how renewable power can be shared more fairly at a neighbourhood level.

Tim O’Brien, Net Zero Officer for the Yorkshire North & East Methodist District, explained why this matters: “Instead of relying on energy being pushed in from far away, we can generate it here in Knaresborough, and use it here – saving money and cutting waste.”

For the church, it all began with a simple question from the congregation: “What more can we do?” They were already a hub for community life, and now they’ve become an energy hub too.

The panels will cut the church’s own energy bills, but the real impact lies in showing how local, shared energy systems could work across the country. Less dependence on distant power stations, fewer pylons and cables, and more resilient, community-led solutions.

If you’d like to learn more, the church is hosting an exhibition on Saturday 7 June, as part of the Great Big Green Week. It’s a chance to see the project up close, ask questions, and be part of the conversation about Knaresborough’s energy future.

As Reverend Hay put it: “In a world that often feels uncertain, this is something positive and grounded. It’s not about grand statements. It’s about doing the right thing – for your neighbours, your town, and your future.”