1. Cambridgeshire
Community Workshop
18th October 2011
Tim Lunel
Chief Executive, NEF
(& Hook Norton Low Carbon Limited – Society for the Benefit of the Community)
18 October 2011
Community Workshop

2. 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

3. 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’
18 October 2011
Community Workshop

4. Cambridgeshire renewable energy potential
1600
Deployment potential (GWh)
1400
Wind >=6 turbines
1200
Wind <=5 turbines
1000
Biomass
800
ASHP
600
GSHP
400
SWH
200
PV
0
Public sector Community Commercial
18 October 2011
Community Workshop

5. Community renewable energy potential
30 (2.5MW)
180 • Solar PV
160 • 145MWp, 1,150,000m2
30,860 • 460 non residential
Deployment Potential (GWh)
140
43,000 • 30,400 homes (14%)
120
• Solar Water Heating
100
• 42,600m2
80 • 8,500 homes (4%)
60 • Heat pumps
8,500
40
• 43,000 homes (15%)
• Wind turbines
20
• 75MW
0
• 30 turbines (2.5MW)
PV SWH GSHP ASHP Wind <=5
turbines
18 October 2011
Community Workshop

6. Vision for community delivery
18 October 2011
Community Workshop

7. Incentives for community renewables
Enable
(making it easier)
Sustainable
Encourage Engage
Development
(giving the right signals) (getting people involved)
Diamond
Exemplify
(leading by example)
18 October 2011
Community Workshop

8. 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)

9. 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
18 October 2011
Community Workshop

10. 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

11. 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

12. 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

13. Gamlingay Eco Hub & wind turbine (planned)
• Type: Community building • Type: Standalone
• Ownership: Parish Council • Ownership: Community group
• Funding: Loan (Public Works Loan Board • Funding: Entirely private investment
or Community Building) from residents and businesses
• Savings: FiT, reduction in energy bills • Savings: 400+ tonnes of CO2 over lifetime
• Community benefits: Income from FiT & • Community benefits: 10% net income to
energy export; new community centre community fund for first 15 years of FiT
• Community input: Gamlingay estimated at £200,000
Environmental Action Group • Community input: Owned and managed
by Gamlingay Community Turbine Ltd
formed of local residents
18 October 2011
Community Workshop

14. Project ownership & leadership
Standalone Community Individual
systems buildings homes
Community lead Projects on buildings Community set up
planning, funding, owned by incentive schemes
Community-led management to community group. for household
maximise community purchase e.g. bulk
benefits. discount.
Joint ventures to Projects in Community work
increase resources partnership with with partner e.g.
Co-led for delivery with local building & land Parish Council to set
shared benefits. owners. up incentive scheme.
Some community Led by building Commercially led
benefits agreed, but owner/private household incentive
Partner-led led by private developer but with scheme e.g. rent a
developer. community benefits. roof.
18 October 2011
Community Workshop

15. 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

16. 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

17. CRIF Finance Options Resource
Advantages Challenges
Grants • Kick start projects • Accessible • Short term • Funder priorities
• No debts • Pay upfront costs • High competition • Time intensive
• Low-success rate • Limitations
Loans • Progress projects • Encourages • Suitability • Loan security
forward planning • Favourable • Liability for repayment
(Debt Finance)
terms • No limitations • Maintenance of cash flow
• Sustainable
Equity • Widens stakeholders • Raise • Risky for investor • Heavily
significant capital via share issues regulated • Professional advice
(Share Issue)
needed • Low interest rates • Admin
Commercial • Commercial partners well placed • Rarely provide core funding
to access finance • Sharing of project benefits
Partners
18 October 2011
Community Workshop

18. CRIF Finance and Governance Resources
18 October 2011
Community Workshop

19. 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

24. Local United Action Packs www.localunited.net

25. Low Carbon Communities Network
http://lowcarboncommunities.net

26. energyshare www.energyshare.com

27. 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

28. 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?
18 October 2011
Community Workshop

29. 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