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 (richard.hales@scambs.gov.uk) and Siobhan Melon; Tel: 01954 713135

• Huntingdonshire District Council

• Tracy Martin and Chris Jablonski (chris.joblonski@huntingdonshire.gov.uk),

(tracy.martin@huntingdonshire.gov.uk); Tel: 01480 388347

• East Cambridgeshire District Council

• Suzanne Goff (suzanne.goff@eastcambs.gov.uk); Tel: 01353 616379

• Fenland District Council

• Isabel Edgington (iedgington@fenland.gov.uk); Tel: 01354 602167

• Cambridgeshire County Council

• Damian Hemmings (damian.hemmings@cambridgeshire.gov.uk); Tel: 01223 715693

• Cambridge City Council

• Emma Davies (emma.davies@cambridge.gov.uk); Tel: 01223 457170