Project Sunflower

Aim

Project Sunflower aims to bring solar energy to Deptford housing co-op in Lewisham, cutting energy costs and creating a greener community.

PROJECT SUNFLOWER: WHO WE ARE & WHAT WE’RE DOING

Project Sunflower is a volunteer and community-led initiative by Deptford Housing Co-operative, a fully mutual housing co-operative established in 1978. Based in Lewisham, the co-op provides 138 affordable homes across shared houses, self-contained houses, bedsits and flats, alongside communal spaces including a community hall and garden.

At the heart of the co-operative is a commitment to democratic, resident-led housing. Members have a direct say in how their homes and shared spaces are managed, creating a model of housing based on collective responsibility, participation and community. Project Sunflower builds on these principles, exploring how we can work together to make our homes more environmentally sustainable and contribute to a greener Lewisham.

Our vision is to bring solar energy to the co-op, reducing our reliance on national grid electricity, lowering energy costs and making our homes more environmentally sustainable. At a time when both the climate crisis and rising energy costs are placing increasing pressure on communities, we believe local, collective action can make a meaningful difference.

WHAT ARE OUR AIMS?

As a co-operative, the project reflects the principles at the heart of how we work: sharing resources, making decisions collectively and investing in solutions that benefit our community as a whole. We also hope Project Sunflower can encourage conversations about how housing co-operatives and other community organisations across Lewisham can play an active role in the transition to greener energy.

PROJECT SUNFLOWER WORKING SESSION, AUGUST 2026

OUR PLANS FOR SOLAR ENERGY

We are currently raising funds to move Project Sunflower towards implementation. Having already obtained three quotes for the installation of solar panels and battery storage across the co-op, we are working towards raising approximately £100,000 through a combination of grant applications and community fundraising. Alongside our online Crowdfunder, we are applying to funding programmes including the London Community Energy Fund, bringing together different sources of support to make the project possible.

The project began taking visible shape in June, when co-op members came together to plant 150 sunflowers across our communal spaces for our upcoming fundraiser. Inspired in part by the success of community energy initiatives such as Power Station Walthamstow, Project Sunflower is exploring how a housing co-operative can take collective action on energy at a local level. Based on our current proposals, the completed system could generate nearly 74,000 kWh of renewable electricity each year and save the co-op up to £15,000 annually in energy costs and and reduce CO₂ emissions by approximately 10.5 tonnes per year. 

We are developing the project with community energy specialists South East London Community Energy (SELCE)and Community Energy Go (CEGo), whose expertise is helping us plan a viable route towards installation. Through Project Sunflower, we hope not only to reduce the co-op’s reliance on grid electricity and associated greenhouse gas emissions, but also to demonstrate how community-led housing can contribute to Lewisham’s wider transition towards net zero.

GROWING PROJECT SUNFLOWER

PROJECT SUNFLOWER FUNDRAISER

We are holding a community fundraiser at SHAPES Lewisham on Saturday 5 September 2026, bringing together co-op members, local residents and community energy specialists through art, food, solar-powered live music and conversation. The gathering will give people an opportunity to discover Project Sunflower, meet the residents behind it and support the project directly by buying sunflowers grown by co-op members and home-baked goods, or by donating to the wider Crowdfunder. More than a fundraiser, the event is an opportunity to raise awareness of community energy, share what we have learned so far and open up conversations about what locally led environmental action can look like in practice.

Tom Noble of the co-op’s solar sub-committee said: “It has been a push for us, volunteering our free time towards this project. But where there’s a will there’s a way and the reduced emissions will be more than ample reward. We hope this project will inspire others across Southeast London and beyond to take power into their own hands, spread community renewable energy and build towards a fairer, greener city.”

Social practice artist and co-op Secretary Savannah du Quercy organised the fundraiser in collaboration with Shapes Lewisham. She said: “The transition to a greener future shouldn’t feel distant or inaccessible. One of the strengths of co-operative and community-led models is that they allow people to pool their knowledge, skills and resources to respond to challenges collectively. Project Sunflower is about putting that principle into practice, demonstrating how neighbourhood-level action can contribute to a wider environmental transition while helping our community build resilience against rising energy costs.

A LOCAL RESPONSE TO ENERGY AND CLIMATE PRESSURES

Project Sunflower responds to two interconnected challenges: reducing carbon emissions from housing and increasing resilience to rising energy costs. This is particularly relevant in South London, where communities face significant exposure to climate-related risks and energy insecurity.

Housing accounts for approximately 51% of Lewisham’s carbon emissions, making the improvement of existing homes central to the borough’s climate ambitions. Lewisham Council’s retrofit strategy identifies technologies including solar PV as part of the transition towards lower-carbon, more energy-efficient housing, with the potential to reduce both emissions and exposure to future energy price increases.

These environmental pressures intersect with persistent fuel poverty across Lewisham, which varies considerably between neighbourhoods. By generating renewable electricity on site, solar PV can reduce reliance on electricity purchased from the national grid, while battery storage allows more of that locally generated energy to be retained and used when it is needed.

For Deptford Housing Co-op, Project Sunflower therefore represents more than an infrastructure project. It is an opportunity to explore how a democratically managed housing community can respond collectively to environmental and economic pressures, while contributing at a local scale to Lewisham’s wider transition towards net zero.

HELP US MOVE PROJECT SUNFLOWER FORWARD

Project Sunflower begins with our own housing, but the questions it addresses are shared across the borough: how can existing homes become more sustainable, how can communities become more resilient to changing energy costs, and what role can collective forms of housing play in the transition to a lower-carbon future?

Through Project Sunflower, we hope to share what we learn with other co-operatives and community groups and contribute to a wider conversation about community-led energy and a greener Lewisham.

We would be very grateful for any support you can give to Project Sunflower. Every donation, whatever the amount, will contribute towards helping us move the project forward and bring us closer to installing solar energy across our co-op. If you’re not able to donate, sharing the project and helping us spread the word is equally appreciated.

With gratitude, 

The Project Sunflower team

Funding method

Keep what you raise – this project will receive all pledges made by 22nd November 2026 at 6:24pm