WRAP, Presentation, Rural Community Energy Fund, RCEF, Low Carbon, South West, Business Breakfast, 190515

1. Rural Community Energy Fund
Mark Collinson
Energy Sector Specialist
WRAP

2. What is RCEF ?
• £15m fund, £7.5 each from Defra and DECC
• Community energy generation projects in rural areas
• Provides pre-planning development finance – NOT capital costs*; via:
• Grants up to £20k for a project’s feasibility study
• Loans up to £130k for detailed pre-planning process
Rural Community Energy Fund

3. Who can Apply ?
• Applicants must be a legally constituted community based entity:
• Parish Council
• CIC
• Bencom
• IPS
• Charity
Rural Community Energy Fund

4. What have we achieved ?
• 94 Stage 1 applications – 55 awarded (60%)
• Hydro; Wind; Biomass; PV; G/WSHP
• £920,000
• 55MW combined capacity - 50MWp; 5MWth
• 5 Stage 2 applications – 2 awarded (2 pending)
• AD; Hydro
• £224,000
• Combined capacity 650kW – 400kWp; 250kWth
Rural Community Energy Fund

5. How does that breakdown? (14th May 2015)
Rural Community Energy Fund
6
13
13
20
3
AD
Biomass
Hydro
Solar PV
Wind
0
1000
2000
3000
4000
5000
6000

6. Application process
• Visit the website: wrap.org.uk/renewables
• Read the guidance and FAQs
• Download the pack
• Return to WRAP
• 2 week – 6 week turn around process*
Rural Community Energy Fund

7. What makes a good application ?
• Demonstrable skills and a committed group to drive the project
• Clearly defined (single ?) project idea – not a scoping study
• How will this project actually make a difference to the community ?
• Legacy - village hall, swimming pool, sports clubs, broadband provision
• Demonstration of your decision to choose the project
• Evidence of prior community engagement and acceptability of ideas
Rural Community Energy Fund

8. What makes a good application ?
• Evidence of prior key stakeholder engagement (EA, planners, anglers)
• Evidence of grid connection possibilities for power projects
• Evidence of a clear, transparent consultancy procurement process
• Try to avoid self-awarding
• Consider any reasons the funders may have to turn down the project
• THEN ADDRESS THEM !
Rural Community Energy Fund

9. What happens next ?
• New Government:
• Amber Rudd, Sec of State - Andrea Leadsom, Minister of State;
• Incentives stability ?
• Policy ?
• Wind ? Moratorium capacity cap ? Community exemption ?
• Ground mount large scale PV –
• C&I rooftop feasibility ? Legal/structural issues ?
• Grid connection – Route F, LV, PW, heat.
Rural Community Energy Fund

10. Rural Community Energy Fund