A recent visit to Clydach Lakeside and Ysgol Nantgwyn, showed how locally generated clean energy could be used to reduce energy costs and keep more of the benefits within the local community.
The visit showed how the Council is working with Welsh Government and local partners to develop projects that cut carbon, reduce energy costs, and support important community facilities.
At Clydach Lakeside, members of Cambrian Village Trust were keen to showcase an established micro-hydroelectric scheme that is helping to power the Lakeside café, with water extracted from the upper lake. The electricity generated helps power the Lakeside café which helps to keep prices affordable.
Hydroelectric power uses moving water to generate electricity. At Clydach Lakeside, this means a local natural resource is already being used to create clean energy for a valued community facility.
Cambrian Village Trust also have future ambitions, including an aspiration to become Wales’s first net zero football club and the visit focused on how this local approach could be developed further. In support of this innovative approach, the Council has been successful in securing two stages of grant funding through Welsh Government’s Whole Systems Research and Innovation for Decarbonisation Programme, known as WSRID.
The Council’s WSRID project is titled “Maximising Renewable Energy Generation for Community Benefit.”
The project is exploring how renewable electricity generated locally can also be used locally. This could then help reduce energy costs for schools and community buildings.
The proposed scheme includes a further 170kW micro hydro project at Clydach Vale, which is set to be connected via private wire to a local school. A private wire is a direct electricity connection, meaning power generated nearby could be supplied straight into the school. This approach could help the school make better use of local renewable energy, reduce its reliance on the wider electricity grid and support lower running costs, over time.
The wider project is also exploring ‘smart local energy systems’ (SLES), looking at how solar panels, battery storage and smart controls can work together. In simple terms, this means generating clean electricity, storing it when it is not immediately needed, and then using it at the right time.
The project is also exploring how any surplus electricity could be shared for wider community benefit, including through an ‘Energy Club’ model. This could create opportunities for local community assets, such as sports clubs, facilities or other educational buildings, to benefit from clean energy generated in the area.
The visit then continued to Ysgol Nantgwyn, where low carbon heating is already being introduced on site as part of the wider energy project. The Council has received grant funding support through Welsh Government Energy Service (WGES) Low Carbon Heat Grant, which was awarded in the 2025/26 financial year, to install four air source heat pumps in the primary block.
Air source heat pumps (ASHP) use electricity to take heat from the outside air and use it to warm buildings. They are a cleaner alternative to more traditional heating systems and help schools reduce their carbon emissions. To support the extra electricity consumption from the ASHP installations the Council’s Energy and Carbon Reduction team has installed solar panels and battery storage at Ysgol Nantgwyn. Together, these measures are helping the school move towards decarbonised heating solutions, while making better use of renewable electricity generated at the site.
The WGES Low Carbon Heat Grant work at Ysgol Nantgwyn forms part of the wider WSRID challenge project, showing how Welsh Government funding is helping the Council develop joined-up energy solutions that help support the wider community.
Councillor Ros Davis, Cabinet Member for Resources, Customer and Energy, said:
“This project is about making sure that the benefits of renewable energy are felt locally, by our schools, our community groups and the people who use these facilities every day.
“Thanks to Welsh Government support through the WSRID Programme and the WGES Low Carbon Heat Grant, we are able to explore practical ways of generating clean energy, locally, and use that energy for the benefit of local people.
“That could mean helping schools reduce their reliance on the grid, supporting community buildings with cleaner energy, and keeping more of the financial benefit within Rhondda Cynon Taf.
“Clydach Lakeside is already a strong example of community-owned renewable energy in action, and the work at Ysgol Nantgwyn shows how schools can play an important role in the move towards a decarbonised future.
“These projects are not just about cutting carbon emissions. They are about supporting local places and helping our communities become more resilient for the future.”
Posted on 22/07/2026