Hydroelectricity accounts for half of the renewable energy produced in this country. Yet, in all of the publicity surrounding climate change, it is wind and offshore renewables that are highlighted. Hydroelectricity never gets a mention. Yet there is an untapped potential for hydroelectricity that exists almost in every river in this country which is being overlooked by the government and potential investors. That untapped potential drove the early stages of the industrial revolution and the infrastructure is still there.

River weirs were constructed by their thousands and generated mechanical power for the industrial revolution. We now propose to re-use those river weirs for their original intention, namely the generation of power. However, this time round, we shall use them to develop electrical energy instead of mechanical energy. By doing so we will be tapping into a vastly underused resource that can mobilise local community involvement whilst delivering a blended return on investment.

Water Power Enterprises (h2oPE) is proud to be a social enterprise. Our Board has both a business and community focus. We believe we have a working business model that can deliver renewable energy, that can engage local communities and that can provide investors with an ethical, long term opportunity that does nothing less than help save the planet.

h2oPE is a Community Interest Company limited by shares. We intend to develop ‘low head’ hydro sites using the Archimedean screw which will be installed adjacent to suitable river weirs. The water will run from above the weir, down the screw and turning it, returning to the river just below the weir. The turning motion of the Archimedean screw generates electricity which can then be sold through the national grid. The technology is simple and is proven to work. h2oPE is in a position to produce renewable energy at no cost to the future of the planet.  By this means we aim to save approx 6,500 tonnes of carbon emissions per year by installing around 5MW of renewable energy by 2015. This is the equivalent of saving 18 million car miles per year and supplying upwards of 10,000 homes.

h2oPE takes the long view of renewable energy creation enabling larger hydroelectricity sites to be installed with a greater benefit to the environment obtained over the lifecycle. We achieve this by providing a blended financial return to stakeholders which is the essence of being a social enterprise – bigger social returns achieved by accepting more modest financial returns.

We believe that social enterprise and renewable energy go hand in hand and that local communities can become the beneficiaries of the revenues so raised for decades to come.  h2oPE propose to remove the two biggest barriers to the involvement of the local community in renewable energy by providing both the finance and capacity to develop and install small scale hydroelectric schemes.