18 October 2011
Community Workshop
Cambridgeshire
Community Workshop
18th October 2011
Tim LunelChief Executive, NEF
(& Hook Norton Low Carbon Limited – Society for the Benefit of the Community)
18 October 2011
Community Workshop
Delivering community renewables
• Why community renewable energy?
• What is the potential for community renewables in Cambridgeshire?
• How can communities deliver renewable energy projects?
18 October 2011
Community Workshop
Drivers to community renewables
• Why community renewable energy?
• Carbon reduction
• Local resilience
• Why community-led renewable energy?
• Maximising community benefits
• Financial income & savings
• Fund further activities and projects to benefit the community
• Leading local energy generation and input to future energy ‘vision’
Cambridgeshire renewable energy potential
18 October 2011
Community Workshop
0
200
400
600
800
1000
1200
1400
1600
Public sector Community Commercial
De
plo
yme
nt
po
ten
tia
l (G
Wh
)
Wind >=6 turbines
Wind <=5 turbines
Biomass
ASHP
GSHP
SWH
PV
18 October 2011
Community Workshop
Community renewable energy potential
• Solar PV
• 145MWp, 1,150,000m2
• 460 non residential
• 30,400 homes (14%)
• Solar Water Heating
• 42,600m2
• 8,500 homes (4%)
• Heat pumps
• 43,000 homes (15%)
• Wind turbines
• 75MW
• 30 turbines (2.5MW)0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
160
180
PV SWH GSHP ASHP Wind <=5
turbines
De
plo
ym
en
t P
ote
nti
al
(GW
h)
43,000
30 (2.5MW)
8,500
30,860
18 October 2011
Community Workshop
Vision for community delivery
18 October 2011
Community Workshop
Incentives for community renewables
Sustainable
Development
Diamond
Enable
(making it easier)
Exemplify
(leading by example)
Engage
(getting people involved)
Encourage
(giving the right signals)
Examples of Cambridgeshire projects
• Coldham – Privately owned wind farm
with community benefits
• Upwell – Privately funded residential
Solar PV with community benefits
• Waterbeach – Biogas for community
building (potential)
• Coton – Community-led solar PV
schemes for householders
• Gamlingay – Eco Hub (in progress) and
community owned wind turbine
(planned)
18 October 2011
Community Workshop
Coldham wind turbines
• Type: Standalone
• Ownership: Private
• Savings: 38.5 GWh/year - 9,000 UK homes
36,000 tonnes CO2
• Community benefits: Revenue under
Section 106 agreement for local projects
and regeneration; Fund for education
• Community input: The Co-operative Group
worked closely with local community
during planning and site construction
Upwell Park Solar PV Installations
• Type: Individual households
• Ownership: Private
• Funding: Property developer
• Savings: 68 tonnes CO2 per year;
Electricity generated covers
lighting and cooking for each of
the 67 bungalows
• Community benefits: Free
electricity & FiT income passed to
tenants of retirement homes
18 October 2011
Community Workshop
Waterbeach Biogas (Potential)
• Type: Community building
• Ownership: Community
• Savings: Potential generation of
electricity and heat for the
Emmaus community; home to 30
people who were formerly
homeless.
Potential savings of £14,000/year
• Community benefits: Reduction in
energy bills; high savings as not on
gas grid (currently bottled gas)
18 October 2011
Community Workshop
18 October 2011
Community Workshop
Coton Solar PV schemes for households
• Type: Individual homes
• Ownership: Community
• Savings: energy bill reduction, electricity
export and FiT income for householders
• Community benefits: Over 50 households
to obtain bulk discount on Solar PV;
Community Investment Scheme (no capital
outlay) for Solar PV.
• Community input: eCoton group set up by
local villagers
18 October 2011
Community Workshop
Gamlingay Eco Hub & wind turbine (planned)
• Type: Community building
• Ownership: Parish Council
• Funding: Loan (Public Works Loan Board
or Community Building)
• Savings: FiT, reduction in energy bills
• Community benefits: Income from FiT &
energy export; new community centre
• Community input: Gamlingay
Environmental Action Group
• Type: Standalone
• Ownership: Community group
• Funding: Entirely private investment
from residents and businesses
• Savings: 400+ tonnes of CO2 over lifetime
• Community benefits: 10% net income to
community fund for first 15 years of FiT
estimated at £200,000
• Community input: Owned and managed
by Gamlingay Community Turbine Ltd
formed of local residents
18 October 2011
Community Workshop
Project ownership & leadership
Community-led
Co-led
Partner-led
Community lead
planning, funding,
management to
maximise community
benefits.
Joint ventures to
increase resources
for delivery with
shared benefits.
Some community
benefits agreed, but
led by private
developer.
Projects on buildings
owned by
community group.
Projects in
partnership with
local building & land
owners.
Led by building
owner/private
developer but with
community benefits.
Community set up
incentive schemes
for household
purchase e.g. bulk
discount.
Community work
with partner e.g.
Parish Council to set
up incentive scheme.
Commercially led
household incentive
scheme e.g. rent a
roof.
Standalone
systems
Community
buildings
Individual
homes
18 October 2011
Community Workshop
CRIF Governance & Legal Resources
• Resources to help you choose governance arrangements & legal status
• Key considerations:
• Motivation of the group
• Approach to financial risk
• Level of control
• Availability of resources: time, energy, money, skills and experience
• Aims for profit generation and distribution
• Requirement for loans, equity, share issues or grants
18 October 2011
Community Workshop
Governance Options
Source: Social Enterprise Coalition and Bates Wells & Braithwaite (BWB)
www.bwbllp.com/Files/Publications/sec_keeping_legal_complete2b.pdf
18 October 2011
Community Workshop
CRIF Finance Options Resource
Advantages Challenges
Grants • Kick start projects • Accessible
• No debts • Pay upfront costs
• Short term • Funder priorities
• High competition • Time intensive
• Low-success rate • Limitations
Loans
(Debt Finance)
• Progress projects • Encourages
forward planning • Favourable
terms • No limitations
• Sustainable
• Suitability • Loan security
• Liability for repayment
• Maintenance of cash flow
Equity
(Share Issue)
• Widens stakeholders • Raise
significant capital via share issues
• Risky for investor • Heavily
regulated • Professional advice
needed • Low interest rates • Admin
Commercial
Partners
• Commercial partners well placed
to access finance
• Rarely provide core funding
• Sharing of project benefits
18 October 2011
Community Workshop
CRIF Finance and Governance Resources
National resources for communities
• Community Pathways website http://test.communitypathways.org.uk
• Questions/filters to find right approach for your group:
• What sort of level of maturity and experience best describes your
group?
• Just starting up; Finding your feet; Well established
• How much experience does your group have?
• None; A little; Some; Many projects
• What level of funding does your group have or can find?
• None; Low; Modest; High
• What is your neighbourhood like?
• Any; Rural; Urban
Local United Action Packs www.localunited.net
Low Carbon Communities Network
http://lowcarboncommunities.net
energyshare www.energyshare.com
18 October 2011
Community Workshop
Workshop discussion
1. Are you already delivering a renewable energy project?
2. What ideas do you have for potential renewable energy projects?
3. What level of project ownership would you seek?
4. What would help you develop and deliver these?
18 October 2011
Community Workshop
Workshop Conclusion
1. Have we identified a core group of Communities who want to maximise
benefits to their community by being Early Adopters?
2. Are there common themes to community projects for Cambridgeshire?
3. Is there interest to form a virtual, community peer-to-peer support
network for Cambridgeshire?
Cambridgeshire Community Contacts
• South Cambridgeshire District Council
• Richard Hales ([email protected]) and Siobhan Melon; Tel: 01954 713135
• Huntingdonshire District Council
• Tracy Martin and Chris Jablonski ([email protected]),
([email protected]); Tel: 01480 388347
• East Cambridgeshire District Council
• Suzanne Goff ([email protected]); Tel: 01353 616379
• Fenland District Council
• Isabel Edgington ([email protected]); Tel: 01354 602167
• Cambridgeshire County Council
• Damian Hemmings ([email protected]); Tel: 01223 715693
• Cambridge City Council
• Emma Davies ([email protected]); Tel: 01223 457170