HFE
Harbury Future Energy.
Harbury Future Energy (HFE) began as an EV charging station project for Harbury in
2019. Now that this project has become a reality the project has been incorporated as a
Community Interest Company with the aim of continuing and expanding the work of
Harbury Energy Initiative (HEI). In November of 2024 HEI officially merged with HFE
donating its assets to the new company and providing a strong background for future
activity.
Our Goals
Main Aims
We plan to continue building on the past successes of HEI in improving the energy efficiency of our community buildings and providing help to residents in cutting carbon and thereby their energy costs. Our recent acquisition of a thermal imaging camera with a grant from Heart of England Community Foundation is a step towards this. At the same time we are looking to take on bigger challenges and more ambitious projects following on from the Harbury Future Energy project that will install an electric vehicle charging station part powered by renewables in the village. HFE will continue to take a lead role in the Low Carbon Warwickshire Network established by HEI in 2019.
Our History
>> HFE History from 2024 onwards. > HEI History from 2010 to 2024
2024
HEI becomes HFE.
2023
HEI run a free community event in Harbury Village Hall in March on behalf of Harbury Parish Council. Contributors give brief presentation and then answer individual questions covering the whole range of ways that villagers can make their houses warmer and cheaper to heat. This includes measures ranging from £10 to £10,000, from draught excluders to heat pumps.
1) Overview presentation.
2) Material on the HEI stand.
3) The contributors.
2021/2
HEI successfully invites the Parish Council to recognise the climate emergency and subsequently joins the Parish Council Climate Working Group with other village sustainability groups. The Climate Working Group, supported by the Parish Council, plans the first village Eco-Fair as a part of the Village Carnival 2022.
2019
We launch the Low Carbon Warwickshire Network with The RSA. Three local events are held and two new active groups form. We provide funding for the Scout Hut to change all its lighting to LEDs with a grant from Heart of England Community Foundation (CEW Fund). Finally we achieve Eco Church Bronze Award level for our church. The Car Club closes on October 2nd but e-wheels keeps rolling.
2018
We are awarded a Postcode Local Fund grant of £15,500 and instal a 19kW energy store battery in the village hall linked to the solar generation.
2017
We complete equipping the primary school with LED lighting throughout, saving £800 in the first year. Once again the County Council matched the funding from The Heart of England Community Foundation. .
2016
Harbury e-Wheels becomes a separate entity with its own Board. The first stage of installing LEDs in the school is completed with help from Warwickshire County Council.
2015
We launch the electric car club with E-Car Club and we launch Harbury e-Wheels, our social transport scheme. we join the team preparing the village Neighbourhood Development Plan.
2014
We insulate the roof and some of the cavity walls of the Harbury RFC clubhouse with a grant from E.ON Energy Action Fund.
2012
We are awarded £45,000 of the government LEAF programme funds. We insulate the community run (now award winning) village library and Biblio’s Cafe, hold a community event, commission Energy Options Reports on 5 community buildings, provide the Village Hall with a publicly visible generation monitor for their PV installation, complete EPCs on a range of different period houses in the village and publish the results.
2011
We hold our first public event in association with the new Harbury Heritage Room, ‘Green Memories, Green Future’. We enter the Energyshare competition for a chance to win £100,000. We don’t win but reach the last 20 competitors and come 4th in the large bid category. We now have a shopping list of ideas.
2010
In 2010 HEI formed and constituted with close links to the Parish Council.