Talybont on Usk Energy Ltd owns and manages a community hydro scheme in the Bannau Brycheiniog National Park. Our 36kW hydro electric turbine works off the compensation flow from Talybont Reservoir and started running in 2006. It was the first community hydro scheme in Wales. After a 7 year gap in operation from 2016 when Welsh Water were carrying out dam maintenance, we were able to restart the turbine in April 2023.
We sell the electricity generated by the hydro via Octopus Energy and invest the income in energy saving and sustainable living projects within our small rural community.
From 2010 until 2021, we operated a community eco car share scheme with one electric van and a car running on recycled vegetable oil. We 
installed 8kW PV panels on the community hall roof which helps cover the hall’s running costs and powered the community electric car. We also funded the installation of air source heating in the hall and, in 2025, helped fund new EV charge points at the hall. We have developed a primary school education package and collaborated with our community cub group to develop the first ever community eco award for cubs. We have donated a proportion of our hydro income to the Community Council to award to a wide range of community projects.
For the past couple of years, we have helped fund a number of local schools to join the UK wide Energy Sparks programme and have directly helped pupils perform an energy audit at their primary school.
The last 4 years, we have funded 4 week projects for locals aged from 16 to 25 who are full or part time students or unemployed. These have included a water source heat pump, micro wind turbines and activities to reduce energy waste in Fast fashion. In 2025, we ran a more detailed investigation into the viability of micro wind turbines for farms and small businesses in the Bannau Brycheiniog National Park.
This year (2026), we have started a collaboration with our friends and near neighbours at Llangattock Green Valleys with their excellent Home Energy Service to improve understanding and options for reducing energy in people’s homes.
This site tells you about who we are, our aims and history, the Talybont turbine and our community projects.
If your local group, organisation or community based business would be interested in meeting up with us sometime to chat through any energy generation or saving ideas informally, then do contact us at info@talybontenergy.co.uk. Projects could involve heating, lighting, insulation, transport, consumables (food or materials) or activities/events of any kind for our community or our visitors.
Talybont-on-Usk Energy 
Well done to you all. I live in Trefriw, we are famous for our lakes, reservoirs and cascading rivers.
How do we build our own hydroelectric scheme?
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At Talybont, we were very lucky as there was already a reservoir that had a disused hydro scheme from the 1930’s so there were no significant land ownership and planning issues (which plague many schemes) and much of the necessary infrastructure was already there. We had to install a new turbine in the existing turbine house. We lease the turbine house from our friendly landlords, Welsh Water.
A good company to get in touch with if you have a possible scheme to consider is TGV Hydro They are local to us but may consider projects in North Wales. Good Luck!
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When you say subscribe in your reply does it mean register or is there a charge to be paid? Please reply, because I would like to keep in touch. Keith
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You can become a member of Talybont Energy which is free. https://talybontenergy.co.uk/join-talybont-energy/ You can also opt to follow our blog via wordpress (also free)
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