The summary
Ripple Energy is the UK’s first ever clean energy ownership platform. Its innovative approach is helping to make green energy ownership easy and affordable by giving individual households the opportunity to live a low-carbon lifestyle by buying part of a wind farm to power their home and contribute to the UK’s climate change goals.
In June 2020, Ripple Energy launched the UK’s first consumer-owned onshore wind farm project and turned to the Renewable Energy team at Burges Salmon for advice on the legal aspects this ground-breaking clean energy ownership model.
Why us?
Our Renewable Energy team has an established reputation for helping innovators and disruptors in the renewable energy sector and provided tailored advice to Ripple Energy to support the forming of the co-operative which consumers will invest in and negotiating and drafting of its consumer contracts. Partners Ross Fairley (head of Renewable Energy) and Camilla Usher-Clark (head of Corporate Energy) led the team, with support from director Emma Andrews and associate Briony Barber
Sarah Merrick, chief executive officer and founder at Ripple Energy says: “The support we received from the Burges Salmon team was absolutely invaluable. They saw the potential in Ripple when we were not much more than an idea on the back of an envelope. We really couldn't have done it without their flexibility, creativity and experience.”
Ross Fairley adds: “We were delighted when Sarah – who we’ve known for several years through our work in onshore wind – came to us to help make Ripple Energy a reality. This is a unique proposition and a fantastic concept that promotes green energy and helps the UK on its way towards achieving the 2050 Net Zero target.”
The outcome
Ripple Energy’s unique proposition signals a landmark moment in the history of sustainable energy in the UK, enabling any household to own their share of a wind farm, from which they will receive affordable and clean electricity via the grid. The Graig Fatha wind farm, located near Coedely in South Wales, is now owned by 900 members, and is expected to save them up to 25 per cent on their electricity bills each year across the wind farm’s 25 year lifetime. Ripple Energy recently launched a second, 18MW wind farm and the legal contracts in place will play a key role in supporting further renewable energy projects that will enable consumers to receive low cost, green electricity from the projects via Ripple's supply partners.