Ynni Cymru: £12.9m awarded to 48 Welsh projects to power smart local energy systems

Local Partnerships is proud to support the Welsh Government to deliver the Ynni Cymru programme, helping Welsh communities generate and use clean energy close to home.

Following an open call for applications, 48 projects across Wales have been awarded a share of £12.9m through the Ynni Cymru Capital Grant Scheme 2025/26.

The scheme, led by Local Partnerships in partnership with the Welsh Government Energy Service, received over 100 applications. Each successful project will demonstrate the benefits and opportunities of Smart Local Energy Systems (SLES): approaches that cut energy costs, create local jobs and build more resilient energy networks.

Examples of successful projects include:

• Wales Millennium Centre: over £910,000 to install solar panels, a new battery energy storage system, EV chargers and solar thermal for hot water, with savings reinvested into the community.
• Coleg Cambria: nearly £750,000 to create a low carbon learning hub and energy efficient building.

This round of funding builds on success stories like the South Cornelly Local Energy Market, where Ynni Cymru support has helped residents cut their energy bills by up to 50%.

Ynni Cymru is helping organisations across Wales get more from their renewable energy projects. Through a health check, they assess how well solar, wind, hydro and battery systems are performing and identify opportunities to improve efficiency, reliability and returns, with potential funding available to act on the findings.

Ynni Cymru is also inviting expressions of interest from organisations planning Smart Local Energy System projects from 2026 onwards, helping communities, businesses and public bodies develop smarter, more connected and locally owned energy solutions.

For more information on the Ynni Cymru programme and to explore our health check offer, visit our webpage.