From Solar To Saplings

OUR PLEDGE TO PLANT THE FORESTS OF THE FUTURE

Read on to discover how our pledge to plant one tree in the beautiful rolling hills of the Peak District for every new solar installation is already restoring endangered habitats – and improving local children’s access to outdoor education.

While many of our customers are understandably, and justifiably, motivated by a desire to drive down what can feel like extortionate monthly energy bills, they also recognise the importance of reducing their environmental impact. The concept of reaping the rewards of both is often what makes the switch to solar a no-brainer.

That’s why we’re excited to announce our partnership with Treeapp, an organisation built on a passion to fight for the planet and improve the world we live in, something that deeply resonates with our team.

This partnership, and our pledge to plant one tree for every install, will help us to turn each homeowner’s investment in renewable energy into a meaningful, tangible contribution to ecological restoration and conservation.

Protecting your finances is smart and savvy, but protecting our natural environment and taking steps to protect the planet is non-negotiable. While choosing renewable energy is an important step, protecting and restoring beautiful natural habitats also plays a critical role in building a more sustainable future.

Supporting ecological recovery in the Peak District

So far, we’re proud to have planted over 100 trees in the Peak District, the UK’s first national park and one of the country’s most iconic and idyllic landscapes.

But we’re just getting started, and there’s so much more work to do. Despite its plush green appearance, tree cover in the region is surprisingly low, with just 8% of the lush green land benefiting from tree canopy, compared with the national average of 12%.

In an area of extraordinary natural beauty, known for its vast moorlands, precious farmland and sweeping valleys where woodland habitats can often be fragmented, increasing woodland cover is a vital step towards restoring ecological balance – and we’re committed to making this happen by creating healthier, more connected habitats that will enable wildlife to thrive and will benefit local communities for generations to come.

Planting ‘living classrooms’ for future generations

Our project is already underway at an outdoor recreational children’s centre, where the new woodland will form part of a wider rewilding and conservation programme.

Beyond their obvious environmental benefits, the trees we plant will serve as an enchanting living classroom for children who visit the centre, creating unique opportunities to learn about ecology, conservation and the importance of protecting the natural world through play and exploration, experiencing it on a level they have perhaps been unable to, until now.

Over time, what we hope to become a thriving woodland will help to enhance the recreational environment by creating shaded areas, improving air quality and providing wildlife-rich spaces, ideal for curious exploration and enriching outdoor learning.

Protecting wildlife and boosting biodiversity

Alongside woodland creation, this project has been carefully designed to support local biodiversity. A key focus is the restoration of natural habitat for lapwings, a bird species of concern due to a steep and worrying decline in population.

Lapwings thrive in landscapes that combine open fields with lightly wooded boundaries, providing safe spaces for nesting and foraging. By planting trees along field edges, this project will enable us to create safe shelter and cover, while simultaneously maintaining the open areas that lapwings need to breed successfully.

Our planting pledge will also support a range of other wildlife, including farmland birds such as skylarks and yellowhammers, while creating habitat corridors for small mammals and pollinators, including bats, bees and butterflies.

Your choice makes a difference

At Next Energy, we’re committed to supporting and empowering our customers to make more sustainable choices.

Through our partnership with Treeapp, every new solar install contributes directly to environmental restoration, helping to create new woodland, support wildlife and enrich outdoor spaces in which future generations can learn.

While a single tree may seem like a small action, the collective impact can make an enormous difference. The new woodlands we’re committed to planting will help strengthen ecosystems, improve biodiversity and create greener spaces, where people and nature can thrive.

By planting one tree for every install, we’re investing not only in renewable energy, but also in a healthier, happier, more sustainable future.