Purpose of this workshop To begin to explore the opportunities
that exist for Community Energy Projects in your community To start
to think about what needs to be done to progress any of these
options
Slide 3
Introductions
Slide 4
Background Local Information for example Community,
Neighbourhood and Parish Plans Local support for this work Local
information for example from landowners
Slide 5
Focus for the workshop Energy efficiency and / or Renewable
Energy Renewable Energy Technologies Options for Energy efficiency
Opportunities for a Community Energy project Challenges for
communities Support available Next steps
Slide 6
Renewable Energy Options Basic introductions to Renewable
Energy technologies Renewable Electricity Renewable Heat Common
community ideas about RE projects Opportunities in the local
area
Slide 7
Hydro power
Slide 8
Slide 9
Slide 10
Slide 11
Slide 12
Slide 13
Solar Power Solar Photovoltaic panels Solar Thermal panels
Energy Efficiency options Domestic properties Community
buildings Draught proofing Switching energy bills Collective
purchasing
Slide 24
Benefits of Community Energy Develop solutions to meet local
need and involve local people Put communities in control of the
energy they use and help maintain energy security and tackle
climate change Wider social and economic benefits Government
commitment via first Community Energy Strategy Jan 2014 Tackle
challenges more effectively than government alone
Slide 25
Community Energy Strategy Comprehensive coverage of all
elements of Community Energy Demonstrates clear Government support
for Community Energy projects Addresses the following issues:
Generating energy (electricity or heat) Reducing energy use (saving
energy through energy efficiency or behaviour change) Managing
energy (balancing supply and demand) Purchasing energy (collective
purchasing or switching to save money)
Slide 26
Opportunities for communities? Government's Community Energy
Strategy Community Interest Ongoing local support local councils /
other organisations etc Landowner interest Funding available
Slide 27
Challenges? Community capacity Who is going to do the work? Do
you have the expertise in your community? Site / land ownership
Statutory consents Funding (more to follow)
Slide 28
What capacity do we have to take on a project like this?
Critical question to answer very honestly Not just about the money
Its about time
Slide 29
Funding opportunities Feed In Tariff (electricity) Renewable
Heat Incentive (heat) Rural Community Energy fund (RCEF) Urban
Community Energy Fund (UCEF) Community funding Crowd funding
Community share issues
Slide 30
Rural/ Urban Community Energy Fund (R/UCEF) Government funded
programmes Aims of the funds Enable communities to access benefit
of renewable energy schemes Support communities to maximise income
from RE and use this to work for their communities Help move
towards the governments target for RE and commitment to promote
community owned RE schemes Removing barriers, for example up front
costs of feasibility work and getting an investment ready business
plan RCEF open to Communities in England with less than 10,000
population UCEF open to Communities in England with more than
10,000 population Two Stages Stage 1 applications for grant for
Initial Feasibility Study Stage 2 applications for loan to progress
planning and permitting applications and to secure
finance/grants/investment for development Five communities in
Cumbria already have stage one funding in place Lots of interest
elsewhere
Slide 31
R/UCEF Stage One Grant(1) Initial Feasibility Grant For those
communities at an early stage of exploring the possibility of a
renewable energy grants of up to a maximum of 20,000 covers
consultancy and professional costs for the development of an
initial feasibility report in a standard format The work undertaken
at this stage will identify whether there is an appropriate
technology for the area in which the community is situated, and
suitable land available on which to develop it. Groups will also
begin to understand the likely level of demand from the community,
appraise the likelihood of gaining planning consent and develop an
initial financial forecast.
Slide 32
R/UCEF Stage One Grant(2) Who can apply? Legally constituted
community organisations, for example Community Interest Company,
Industrial Provident Society, Parish Council What type of
technology? Wind, hydro, solar PV / Thermal, Ground and Air source
heat pumps, Anaerobic Digestion, Biomass, Gas combined heat and
power Community Benefit and Support What can be funded?
Professional services NOT for capital expenditure on kit
Slide 33
RCEF Stage Two Loan (1) Once you have a successful feasibility
study and support from your community for your project you can
progress to stage two RCEF offers a loan of up to 130,000 to
progress ideas to submitting planning and permitting applications,
and to secure finance/grants/investment for development Loan is
repayable (with a premium) if all consents and finance are
secured
Slide 34
R/UCEF Stage Two Loan (2) A Stage Two Loan would cover:
Detailed investigation into the chosen technology Securing a site
(legal fees for example) Environmental Impact Assessments full
planning applications Permitting applications (abstraction licences
for example) Developing a full investment business plan and seeking
finance Project management
Slide 35
R/UCEF Stage Two Loan (3) For projects which achieve planning
permission and attract capital investment the loan will be
repayable, with a premium, once finance has been secured. If the
project cannot, for genuine reasons, be taken forward then loans
maybe written off.
Slide 36
Support for North West Communities Community Energy England
Peer mentoring support Local Renewable Energy companies and
consultants
Slide 37
Support for Cumbrian Communities Sustain Eden Community Support
via CAfS staff Cumbria Community Renewables Fund Rural Cumbria
Connects consortium Cumbria Community Renewable Energy Conference
January 31 st 2015 Penrith
Slide 38
For more information about RCEF please visit
http://www.wrap.org.uk/content/application- and-guidance-rcef For
more information about UCEF please visit
https://www.gov.uk/urban-community-energy- fund For more
information on Community Energy England, please visit
http://communityenergyengland.org/
http://communityenergyengland.org/ For further Information about
CAfS support for communities in Eden, please contact
[email protected] For further information about Rural Cumbria
Connects consortium please contact Reiver Renewables on
[email protected]@supanet.com
