Matchmaker

Opposition to renewables and new grid infrastructure is growing. People can see turbines and pylons in the landscape, but they don't see the benefits flowing back to their community.

What's more, securing a grid connection for new generation can be especially challenging for communities - and shared ownership projects are few and far between.

That's why we're developing Matchmaker. It's a service that connects developers with communities to explore shared ownership of new generation. This project will test whether better coordination could help unlock shared ownership at scale, build local support and reduce risk for the networks.

Problem(s)

The need for new grid infrastructure and the benefits it brings are not widely understood, which can lead to public opposition to grid expansion. Tangible local benefits need to be felt and seen, rather than just explained. This requires more than simply being able to connect their EV charger or heat pump in a timely manner. Broader financial, social and environmental benefits, such as those realised from community ownership of renewables, could help increase public engagement and support for necessary grid expansion.

A substantial body of research indicates that community-owned renewables can enhance trust, legitimacy and public acceptance of renewable energy projects. A newer but growing body of literature also suggests that similar mechanisms can support the acceptance of grid infrastructure. We want to test this further through this project.

Barrier: Congested connections queue

However, the connections queue for projects 'needed' for CP30 is full, which creates challenges for new community-owned energy initiatives. Shared ownership of projects in the queue is a logical solution that enables communities to feel engaged and directly benefit from the transition. However, there is currently no easy way for communities and commercial developers to connect and explore potential partnerships. This project aims to validate the need and business case for a digital "matchmaker" service to accelerate shared ownership schemes.

Solution: National matchmaker service

The main users of the matchmaker service will be community groups and commercial developers. In addition to searching for geographical matches for shared ownership schemes, the service could also streamline the process and provide easier access to the guidance and support people need to set up schemes. We will take an agile, user-centred approach to developing this service based on the needs identified. There is potential for DNOs to also use the service to identify community groups to partner with on engagement campaigns, e.g. where new grid infrastructure is to be built. These groups can act as trusted local intermediaries and advise on appropriate engagement techniques.

Discovery objectives

The desired outcomes of the Discovery are to validate the need for the service, define the core service features, identify any policy or regulatory barriers, develop the business case and recommend a suitable business model. This project will build on research by Regen and others on the value of community-owned generation, different shared ownership models and how shared ownership can support a just transition.

Innovation Justification

The Project demonstrates novel and ambitious innovation by applying a digital matchmaking approach to shared ownership of renewable energy -- an area where uptake remains limited despite strong policy intent, evidence of increased local benefits and growing public acceptance of the energy transition (see appendix). The core innovation lies in adapting proven digital matchmaking techniques to the energy networks context and combining them with a user-centred design approach.

This approach represents a clear step-change through:

• Active matching and support: While organisations such as Community Energy England have recommended creating a public register of projects to support matching, no such register exists. The proposed service goes further by actively matching parties and providing tailored support to establish successful partnerships, addressing wider barriers including lack of clarity and trust.
• Wider engagement: We will test whether shared ownership appeals beyond established community energy organisations by exploring interest from non-energy community groups, helping to engage harder-to-reach parts of society and broaden participation in the energy transition.
• Grid acceptance research: We will investigate the relationship between community ownership of renewables and acceptance of wider grid infrastructure. The Project builds on Regen's previous research into shared ownership and leverages this evidence to move beyond research into a practical, testable service that could unlock delivery at scale.

Digital matchmaking and information platforms are established technologies (TRL6--7), but their application to shared ownership in energy networks is novel. The Project will explore integration readiness by identifying interface points (e.g. with GB Energy, consultants and DNOs) at IRL 1--3 and advance commercial readiness by assessing demand, delivery models and scalability, targeting CRL 2--3 by the end of the Discovery phase.

The proposed size and scale for Discovery is the NGED licence area. NGED already supports community energy organisations and is committed to new connections to its network, making it an ideal initial partner. However, the Project addresses a national challenge aligned with the government's ambition to support1,000 community energy projects, with clear potential to scale across Great Britain.

The Project is not suitable for funding through BAU activities, as it goes beyond established stakeholder engagement or connections advice and introduces a fundamentally new way for DNOs to engage with customers, with network benefits that are plausible but unproven. The Discovery phase will test this assumption, explore counterfactual approaches and assess alternative models, ensuring SIF funding is used to de-risk innovation before wider adoption.

• Impacts and Benefits

  Financial

  There are potential future reductions in the cost of operating the network from:

  • Time saved by system planners on more complex shared-ownership connections through standardised guidance (e.g. split-metered connections). The baseline will be the average time spent on connection negotiations. We will speak with system planners to identify key complexities, resolution times, potential solutions and time savings, and record time required post-implementation. An initial estimate of time saved is one day per application at £870.
  • Better stakeholder engagement, enhanced trust and greater social licence to operate, which could reduce opposition to grid expansion and price control settlements. Baseline metrics could include engagement reach and diversity, participation in price control consultations, and existing trust or satisfaction scores. Discovery will establish baselines and identify additional methods to measure opposition and associated costs.

  There are likely to be cost savings on energy bills for consumers from increased community ownership of renewables. Many community energy organisations reinvest revenue to reduce fuel poverty. Community Energy England (CEE) reported £1.86m in savings for UK residents in 2024, equating to over £12k per community. Some communities have established local supply schemes; for example, the Energy Local model saved users in Bethesda 24% on energy bills(around £900 per household). Further evidence will be gathered at Discovery to estimate Matchmaker impacts, with actual savings measured in later stages.

  There are potential cost savings for users of network services, specifically owners and developers of shared ownership schemes. The Matchmaker service aims to reduce partnership barriers through standardised guidance, templates and reduced regulatory friction, saving time and potentially lowering legal and consultancy costs. Baselines will be established using cost evidence from existing schemes, with costs recorded for schemes created post-implementation.

  Environmental

  There are likely to be indirect CO₂ savings from increased community-owned renewable projects. CEE reported that community energy organisations saved at least 120,000 tonnes of carbon in 2024, averaging 195 tonnes per group. New shared ownership schemes will support community organisations to expand decarbonisation activities. Discovery will establish baselines, with actual CO₂ savings measured in later stages.

  Revenues

  Matchmaker aims to improve access to revenues for community organisations. Shared ownership delivers significantly higher returns than community benefit funds (the baseline). Local Energy Scotland reports average benefit funds of£5k/MW, compared to around £100k/MW for fully community-owned schemes, with shared ownership in between. Increases in community revenues from new schemes will be measured throughout the project.

• Key Outputs

  By the end of Discovery, we aim to have a validated "Go/No-Go" decision for the Matchmaker service based on user demand, technical feasibility and a robust business case. We will have defined the core service components and identified the policy levers required to unlock shared ownership at scale. We will have mobilised an Advisory Board of key stakeholders to support the design and implementation of a national service.

  Key project outputs

  The primary output is a report detailing the design of the service, with responsibilities distributed as follows:

  • User needs insights (TPXimpact): In-depth research findings from commercial developers and community groups.
  • Service vision and model (TPXimpact): A clear purpose statement, target users and outcomes, and journey maps with functional components.
  • Business model and policy recommendations (Regen): A cost-benefit analysis, future service ownership recommendations and an audit of regulatory barriers.
  • Implementation roadmap (TPXimpact/Regen): a phased plan for future delivery.