TRESOC recognised for pioneering local energy club and inspirational leadership.
The Totnes Renewable Energy Society (TRESOC) has been shortlisted for two awards at the leading national celebration of innovative technologies, pioneering companies and inspiring individuals shaking up the energy system – the Regen Green Energy Awards 2026.
Formed by a group of local residents in 2007, TRESOC has been shortlisted in the Community Energy Initiative category for its ground-breaking Energy Local Totnes (ELT) project. In addition, TRESOC’s Managing Director, Dr Sally Murrall-Smith, has received an individual nomination in the Net Zero Energy Pioneer category.
Energy Local Totnes is a community-led club that enables local households and businesses to source their energy from locally generated solar and hydro. By matching local energy demand to local generation, the club offers participants the chance to pay less for power, while helping to build a resilient, environmentally-conscious energy network that benefits their pocket, their community and the planet.
Since going live, ELT members are already saving up to 30% on their electricity bills, when compared to the national average price of 25p/kWh. In 17 months of operation, 72% of club demand has been met by local renewables, with an average price paid by members of 17.9p/kWh (exc. VAT). In total, members have saved a total of £19,960, and £35,846 has been paid to local generators, keeping that money in the local community.
As the first Energy Local club to partner with 100Green, ELT is breaking new ground. Its innovative approach allows multiple local generators and even small businesses to participate, creating a more inclusive and sustainable energy model. The project has increasingly been cited as a national model for community-owned energy, and was featured on BBC One’s The One Show, in a short film exploring how the community energy club is benefitting members’ pockets, the local community, and the planet.
Dr Sally Murrall-Smith, Managing Director of TRESOC and founder director of Energy Local Totnes, said:
“To be shortlisted for two awards at the Regen Green Energy Awards is genuinely humbling. Energy Local Totnes exists because of the hard work of so many people – our members, our partners, and the community of Totnes that has believed in this from the start. Being recognised on a national stage, competing alongside some of the biggest names in clean energy, is a real statement that community-powered energy is not just a nice idea – it works, it saves people money, and it keeps wealth in local hands. I’m incredibly proud of what we’ve built together.”
The double nomination is particularly significant for a society rooted in the values of democratic community ownership, local economic resilience, and renewable energy development. TRESOC has also recently been awarded funding from Great British Energy to develop a 100kW community-owned solar installation at Dart Marine Park in partnership with South Hams District Council, with surplus energy to be sold directly into Energy Local Totnes – further expanding the club’s reach and impact.
The 2026 Green Energy Awards ceremony will take place on Thursday 26th March at the Bristol Harbour Hotel, Bristol.
