The Dolmen’s Climate Action Network – Reimagining rural energy resilience through community-led action

Background

The Dolmen’s Climate Action Network is a community-led initiative in South-East County Down, dedicated to addressing climate change through sustainable grassroots action in the Castlewellan / Newcastle area.

Dolmen’s Climate Action Network is one of four pilot communities under the Sustainable Energy Communities NI (SEC NI) programme, commissioned by the National Lottery Community Fund & led by Advice NI.  Dolmens have for some time worked with the community on energy resilience and transition.  Their focus in this project has been to understand the energy use in the area, and a feasibility study for a community energy project.

Representing a largely rural area with a higher proportion of aging housing stock, limited supply to natural gas networks & a reliance on imported home heating oil, the community is developing an Energy Master Plan to chart their path as a community towards a more sustainable future.

Key Initiatives

The community’s evidence-based Energy Master Plan was developed using:

• 2021 National Census Data, NISRA domestic energy consumption statistics & the NI Housing Condition Survey
• 4,906 existing Energy Performance Certificate (EPC’s) records, 50 domestic EPCs commissioned via the project alongside 10 home energy audits & 5 commercial audits
• Widespread community engagement which included four public events held between October 2025 & March 2026, capturing 79 surveyed residents to ensure the plan reflects the needs & desires of the local community

 

Overcoming Local Grid Constraints

While the community identified their ambitions for a large-scale renewable project; modelling both a 1.6 MW & 2.17 MW solar farm at anchor sites within the community, conversations with the District Network Operator revealed that the local electricity network had limited capacity for new connections into the foreseeable future.

With no major grid upgrades planned across the area for the next ten years, the Dolmen’s Climate Action Network turned towards a model of distributed Solar PV, rather than waiting for grid infrastructure to catch up.

Turning Ideas into Reality

The next part of the community’s journey focuses on moving from planning and feasibility, towards making the project happen:

Model	Installing multiple small-scale solar PV arrays (12 kW systems) across schools, community hubs, & participating local businesses. Capped at 3.68 kW per phase to comply with current export limitations.
Ownership	The Dolmen’s Climate Action Network will lead on the development, ownership, & management of each system within a single portfolio
Community Investment	Energy will be supplied to participants at a lower rate than standard supplier tariffs
Asset-Locked	Revenue generated through the project will be reinvested back into future renewable projects, energy advice & community services, promoting a circular economy

 

• Directly addresses the region’s £27.4 million annual residential energy spend & vulnerability to volatile energy markets
• Working with Advice NI & Action Renewables has provided the expertise to build a roadmap tailored to meet the needs of the community
• The project is shaped by residents, helping to strengthen local identify & promote energy resilience
• By focusing on onsite consumption (assumed at 60% for the distributed solar PV model) into the next phase of the project, Dolmen’s Climate Action Network can capture value in the here and now, without waiting on grid infrastructure to catch up

Future Vision

The Dolmen’s Climate Action Network aims to be a leading example of how rural communities can take control of their energy future with a scalable, replicable blueprint for other communities to follow. In developing the Energy Master Plan, the community now have an evidence base to transition away from imported fossil fuels. Establishing a Register of Opportunities, ranging from spreading awareness on community-wide retrofit towards solar-powered EV charging hubs, the Master Plan creates a clear roadmap for long term sustainability across the community.

Building on this foundation, Dolmen’s Climate Action Network are working to deliver a Distributed Solar PV Programme. By inviting residents & businesses to join as off-takers or investors, they are building a cleaner future where local residents have a direct stake in the transition.

Author: Jack Stewart