Renewable Energy Installer REI Feb/Mar 17 | Page 24
Knowledge: Community Power
Knowledge: Community Power
Specialist support for community
energy groups comes to Dorset
A massive boost for community groups
– which has already helped 18 groups in
Devon get their hands on free training and
funding for renewable energy projects – is
coming to Dorset.
Renewable energy expert Regen, which
is running the ‘Peer Power’ initiative, is
seeking individuals and communities
in Dorset to come forward and take
advantage of the free specialist help.
The project aims to inspire groups in the
county to join the network, then support
them to develop new renewable energy
projects that are owned by communities,
benefit people in Dorset, and generate
local clean energy.
“We’ve already helped leverage
£284,000 for groups in Devon via the
Rural Community Energy Fund and local
authority. These groups have developed
412 kW of rooftop solar, with more
projects in the pipeline” said Jodie Giles,
Communities Project Manager at Regen,
“and we’d like to support similar groups in
Dorset to achieve their renewable energy
ambitions too.”
“The potential for communities
throughout Dorset to develop and
complete their own renewable energy
projects is huge, and we’re here to help by
getting their projects on track, giving them
independent advice, and putting them in
touch with others that can directly assist.”
Five events are already planned by
Regen to help communities get involved
and kick-start their renewable energy
ideas. Starting in early March with a
detailed tour of some of the best examples
of renewable energy in Dorset, other
activities include complementary tickets
to the SW Smart Energy Marketplace on
28 March; the Dorset Community Energy
Feast in summer; a Dorset Arts and Energy
networking event in winter; and other free
technical sessions throughout the year.
In addition to the events, Regen will also
be providing ongoing specialist support to
community groups that join the network,
and travel bursaries to enable community
energy groups to participate
“This programme is not simply
networking and advice though,” added
Jodie. “It’s about getting real-life projects
up and running that are locally owned, and
have local economic and environmental
benefit.
“We want to make it as straightforward
and understandable as possible for
communities to do this.
“We’ll be measuring success by the
number of projects developed, the
megawatts of renewable energy installed,
and the £s of investment raised.”
Enfield Council invests £58m in community energy
An ambitious plan to secure north
London’s energy future was given the
green light by Enfield Council last week.
The local authority has approved the
£85 million business plan for “energetik”
to develop, own and operate a series of
community energy networks to supply
low carbon heat and hot water to more
than 15,000 homes and businesses across
Enfield and beyond.
Enfield Council’s Cabinet Member for
Economic Regeneration and Business, Cllr
Alan Sitkin, said: “energetik is a ground-
breaking venture which will return £225
million of economic, environmental and
social benefits to residents and businesses
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in Enfield and the wider community.
“The heat networks are designed to
expand, with capacity to double the
number of homes and businesses receiving
heating and hot water in north London.”
The decision means Enfield Council is one
of the first London boroughs to establish
its own energy company. It is investing
£58 million to support a high quality
infrastructure and help secure the area’s
future energy needs.
The Council’s investment will be
supplemented by the company’s own
income, with energetik’s business plan
funding the capital balance, bringing the
total to £85 million over the next 40 years.
Energy centres at Meridian Water, Arnos
Grove, Ponders End and Oakwood will
supply the heat and hot water through
a network of highly insulated pipes.
Community energy networks provide
a local and adaptable energy supply,
allowing use of waste heat and adoption of
future heat technologies.
Jayne Clare, energetik’s Managing
Director said “energetik is using
Scandinavian design standards to
improve the service and the industry in
an unregulated market. We are putting
customers’ needs first, before rates of
return. We want to revolutionise the local
energy market and be the supplier to trust.”
Stirling Council
celebrates community
solar PV milestone
Above: Officials and contractors celebrate the milestone
Stirling Council has completed the 1,500th
solar PV installation on a new build
bungalow in Bannockburn. The installation
is also one of fifty properties that are also
piloting the addition of a battery storage
system to maximise the energy efficiency
benefits of a solar PV installation.
The installation is part of an ongoing
investment in renewable technology in
the housing stock aimed at reducing fuel
poverty, improving energy efficiency
ratings and reducing the Council’s overall
carbon footprint.
Housing Portfolio Holder, Councillor
Violet Weir said: “With electricity costs
forming such a high proportion of
household budgets, it’s important that
we do all we can to reduce energy costs
through a range of measures, and I’m
delighted to witness this latest solar panel
installation. Combined with the battery
storage system, our tenants are benefitting
from the latest technology to reduce their
energy costs. The savings will actually
increase each year as the cost of electricity
is expected to continue to rise so, this
really is an investment that will continue to
benefit our tenants for years to come.”
Overall, the 1,500 installations to date
will generate nearly four million units of
electricity each year, enough to meet the
average annual electricity needs of 1,00
homes.
The solar PV systems are also expected to
result in an estimated annual saving of just
under £300 for each household when it
comes to electricity bills.
Stirling Council has invested over £8m
to date on solar PV to its housing stock
and has committed to invest a further
£4.25m over the next 12 to 24 months
resulting in a further 1,200 properties to
benefit from solar PV. This investment will
be complemented by further investment
in central heating upgrades and window
replacement programmes as part of the
Housing Capital Investment Programme
over the next two years
Sustainable Energy
Association welcomes
housing providers
Nottingham Community Housing
Association (NCHA) has joined the SEA in
its new ‘Housing provider’ membership
category. The NCHA is among the East
Midlands largest housing groups with
9,000 homes, properties worth over £500
million a nd housing more than15,000
tenants across Nottinghamshire,
Derbyshire, Lincolnshire, Leicestershire,
Northamptonshire and Rutland.
NCHA have been developing new homes
since 1973, and are working in partnership
with 31 local authorities to build new
affordable homes that meet local needs.
This includes homes for sale, rent shared
ownership, and ‘try before you buy’.
Andrea Griffiths-James from NCHA
said: “We are delighted to be members
of the Sustainable Energy Association.
NCHA is committed to providing healthy,
sustainable homes and we take a whole
house technology agnostic approach
which is clearly aligned with the SEA.
Our membership of SEA will allow us to
benefit from the expertise of both its
secretariat and it members and provide
the opportunity to shape policy in areas
important to our business and our tenants.”
Lesley Rudd, SEA Acting Chief Executive
commented: “We are pleased to welcome
Nottingham Community Housing
Association into our membership. Our
Housing Provider membership category
was established following interest from
a number of providers who see value
in joining an organisation focused
on improving the quality and energy
efficiency of our buildings and the heating
systems within them.
“The SEA has a reputation for
developing innovative and solution
focused policy proposals for our buildings.
Housing providers can contribute valuable
input to ensure those proposals work for
the people living in these homes and offer
an opportunity to trial new approaches
and technology. We look forward to
working with NCHA and policy makers
to enhance existing policies and develop
new ones which ensure our homes and
buildings are healthy and sustainable.”
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