CEW's vision by Dan McCallum, CEW Founding Director

1. Dan McCallum, Founding Director
8th June 2012

2.  Who are we?
 Why is there a need?
 What do we hope to achieve?
www.communityenergywales.org.uk

3.  To create a recognised sector for community
energy and grow the number of communities
actively involved in sustainable energy saving and
renewable energy generation
 In achieving this we seek to deliver one sixth of the
Welsh Government's target for CO2 emission
reductions.
www.communityenergywales.org.uk

4. To inspire communities to take action
To empower them with the knowledge, resource,
peer-to-peer support
To provide financing models that move away from
grant reliance
To influence policies at local, regional and
national levels
To be an independent and trusted voice for
communities energy groups across Wales
www.communityenergywales.org.uk

5.  Influence policy - locally and nationally to:
o Recognise the contribution of community schemes to
economic & social development
o Be more ambitious in enabling community energy
developments through Spatial plans
o Enable preferential planning requirements and exemption
from, for example, business rates
o Actively implement the Localism Act 2011
o Ensure that all Local Development Plans have policy on
renewables
www.communityenergywales.org.uk

6.  Explore financial measures, including:
o Influencing mechanisms, i.e. FiTs, RHI, Green Deal in favour of
community renewables
o Introduction of a Community Tariff
o Incentivises for community projects to pursue new models of social
and economic organisation.
o Allowing communities to bid for ownership of their local grid
o Not discriminating against equity and equity-like investment of risk
capital in community-led energy schemes
NB. Scottish Government loan scheme offering £23.5million for
community renewable energy projects to cover ‘high-risk’ phase
www.communityenergywales.org.uk

7.  Work with developers to:
◦ ensure that the wealth generated by energy development in
Wales benefits communities in the long term
◦ explore new models – financial & legal - for partnerships
with community groups
◦ collaborate with community groups through skills &
training offers
◦ produce a ‘Community benefits’ protocol based on long-
term objectives for community growth & resilience
www.communityenergywales.org.uk

8.  Currently:
o 62% of renewable generation from wind and solar
o 25% from thermal renewable generation
o 13% from hydro generation
 For onshore wind – 2GW:
o 1770MW – SSA areas
o 300MW - non SSA areas
• combination of developments under 25MW, including community
energy
 In Scotland,
o 500MW – target for community & locally-owned renewable energy
generation by 2020
 Community energy provides 1% of renewable energy in UK
www.communityenergywales.org.uk

9. Examples Technology Generating Cost Why
Fintry Wind turbine - Rejected community to reduce energy demand
Renewable owning one of benefit payment for and decrease fuel poverty
Energy 15 turbines ownership &
acquired loan for
one turbine cost
Bath & West 1.5 MW of Vision to £5m - shares, bank To make community more
Community Solar PV, hydro increase to loans & others, resilient in the face of
Energy and wind 25MW by including £1million increasing energy costs
projects 2026 SSE loan for 100%
debt finance
Low Carbon 220kWp of 400MWh £1m - combination to make low carbon living
West Oxford solar PVs; 6kW p.a. of loans, shares, & possible
wind; 49kWe £830k prize money
micro hydro from NESTA
www.communityenergywales.org.uk

10. Examples Technology Generating Cost Why
Sustainable 225kW Wind 330MWh £225k - private to make Hockerton a more
Hockerton Turbine p.a. investor & Share sustainable village
offer
BroDyfi 75kW Wind 165MWh £82k - Grants and to maximise local revenue
Turbine p.a. share offer kept within the local economy
500kW Wind 870MWh EU Funding & £180
Turbine p.a. k - share offer
Talybont 36kW Hydro 220-250M £92k - 100% grant to invest the income in energy
Energy turbine Wh p.a. funded from saving and sustainable living
various sources projects
Isle of Gigha 3nos x 225kW 2.1 GWh £440k - mix of to reinvigorate the local
Wind Turbine p.a. grants, loans and economy
equity
www.communityenergywales.org.uk

11.  generating income streams & using it for wider sustainability
initiatives
 contribution to emissions savings & meeting energy efficiency
targets
 self sufficiency for community organisations
 helping reduce a community’s dependence on fossil fuels
 reduction in energy costs and carbon emissions
 increased awareness of energy use & consumption patterns
 transferable skills
 creating local jobs
 tackling fuel poverty
www.communityenergywales.org.uk

12.  Germany –
◦ renewables industry worth €6.8bn to municipalities in
2009,
◦ 2.2m solar power installations, 22,000 wind energy
systems, 400,000 heat pumps and 4,500 biogas plants
◦ 20% of Germany’s entire electricity output, where
communities alone generate around a quarter of
this
◦ study has shown that attitudes toward local wind power
was greater amongst residents for one locally owned
than privately owned
www.communityenergywales.org.uk

13.  Overcoming perception problems with public & community
 Onerous system of achieving consents and permits
 Securing Financing
 Lack of information specific to forming community groups,
 Lack of availability of local skills
 Grid connection
 Lack of long-term contracts
 No representation of the ‘sector’
www.communityenergywales.org.uk

14.  Pick up information on joining our organisation
 Sign up for our regular CEW bulletins
 Find out more by contacting us via:
o www.communityenergywales.org.uk
o rita@communityenergywales.org.uk
o 029 20 192021
o @CommEnergyWales
www.communityenergywales.org.uk