POLITICIANS scaled the roof of a brewery to announce a £10 million boost to community energy schemes.

Energy and climate change secretary Ed Davey was joined by fellow Lib Dem and Lewes MP Norman Baker on the roof of Harveys Brewery.

Beer is made using the sun’s rays after a community energy company Ovesco installed solar panels on the brewery.

As a result Harveys benefits from lower energy bills, while the community benefits from money back under the feed-in tariff – a scheme designed to accelerate investment in renewable technology.

The Urban Community Energy Fund, announced yesterday, will give community groups the chance to bid for grants of up to £20,000, or loans of up to £130,000 to help kick-start their projects.

Community groups can reap the benefits of renewable energy by creating ‘power hubs’ in their area. Installing solar panels on local buildings or factories or building plants to create energy from local waste can save whole communities money, the minister said.

Mr Davey said: “I want to give more people the power to generate their own electricity and by supporting community energy projects we can - helping them drive down their energy bills at the same time.

“That’s why we’ve pledged £10 million, so communities can play their part in generating renewable power at a local level.”