Community Energy Community energy is collective active to reduce, purchase, manage and generate energy. There is emphasis on local engagement, local leadership and control. The local community benefit collectively from the outcomes

Slide 2 - Community energy refers to the delivery of community led renewable energy, energy demand reduction and energy supply projects, whether wholly owned and/or controlled by communities or through partnership with commercial or public sector partners. By placing democratic control, shared benefits and active participation at the centre of project delivery, community energy can create a foundation for the significant infrastructural and cultural change we need to reduce the impact of climate change and increase our energy security. Where successful, community energy has the potential to draw people in. Partners because people share in the benefits, have some say in how things happen, are actively involved and feel a connection with the outcomes. Creates a supply model which promotes local involvement and production.

Types of Community Energy Slide 3 - Get them to list types – wind/solar/hydro/tidal/biomass/EV/batteries Refer to other presentations Around 5,000 community groups have undertaken energy initiatives over the last five years. The benefits of community energy is the community receives a financial benefit from electricity and heat generation. Helps to meet UK needs for secure clean energy, funds local community projects. Act co-operatively to create sustainable communities

Drawbacks of Community Energy Usually run by volunteers so it can take a long time to build As run by volunteers they may not have the correct technical knowledge and can make costly mistakes Do not have the financial ability to build large-scale renewable projects which can tend to be better value for money Slide 4 – The drawbacks to community energy are They are usually run by volunteers so it can take a long time to build and they may not have the correct technical knowledge and can make costly mistakes. Do not have the financial ability to build large-scale renewable projects which can tend to be better value for money.

Factors to consider when setting up Community Energy Land Lease – where will it go? Who owns the land? How much will they get paid? Grid Connection – if you build something can you export the power to the grid network? How much will it cost to connect? Are there technical issues? Planning – where is best to put the project? Will it impact birds/wildlife? Are there people nearby? Noise/shadow flicker? Visual? Archaeology? Can you get the turbine or equipment there? Ground Conditions – will you be able to put up the turbine easily? Peat? Bedrock? Mining? Slide 5 - Ask the students what factors the community group would need to consider if planning to install a renewable energy in their local community. Go through factors on the slide.

Factors to consider when running it Finance – how will you raise money? How much will it cost? How much will it cost to operate? Where will you get your revenue from? Structure of the group – co-operative? Limited company? Community Benefits – environmental? Fuel poverty? Help create more groups? Slide 6 – There also lots of things to consider when running a community energy project. Go through slide.

Westmill Wind and Solar Farm, Wiltshire Slide 7 – Now we will go through a couple of examples of community energy sites. Westmill (Swindon, Wiltshire) Co-operative Energy buys all of the energy that is produced by the wind and the solar farm. Westmill is a working organic farm. In 2008 Westmill Wind Farm Co-op was the first 100% community owned onshore wind farm to be built in the south-east of England whose five 1.3MW turbines generate on average 10.2 GWh per year. This was followed up with the UK’s first co-operatively run, community-owned solar farm set up by Westmill Solar Co-operative in 2012, with 30 acres of over 20,000 polycrystalline PV panels generating 4.8GWh per year. The land around them is a fantastic wildflower meadow. What has been achieved at Westmill is truly inspiring – as well as the thousands of tonnes of CO2 avoided, it has provided a wildlife habitat and thriving educational resource for the region, and demonstrated a model of large-scale generation that remains under community control. They inspire and support many others to follow their example through site visits and the work of Westmill Sustainable Energy Trust

Great Dunkilns Wind Turbine Slide 8 – Great dunkilns was Resilient energies first wind turbine project, installed near St Briavels, in the Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire in late 2012. Over 420 investors helped them to develop the project via purchasing debenture shares. In addition the project donates 4% of turnover to the St Briavels Wind Turbine Community Fund.

Activity Plan to Install an Onshore Wind Turbine In your group have a table discussion about your plans to install a wind farm. Answer the 3 following questions on the paper provided and feed back to the rest of the group

Answer these questions List the factors that you will have to consider in order to install your wind turbine How will you run your Community Group? What will be the community benefits to your group? Ask the students to make a note of their answers and feedback at the end of the session