I would love to have a windmill in our garden at Brownhill House.
Message forwarded by Sue Hackett, Ruyton PC.
From : ben.eardley@googlemail.com
Date : 05/01/2018 - 17:13 (GMTST)
To : ruytonxitownspc@btinternet.com
Subject : Community Energy Funding
Dear Mrs Hackett,
Apologies for this unsolicited email. However, I am looking to contact rural communities that I think might benefit from community renewable energy projects and who could access current government funding for such projects.
We are an independent and impartial organisation who can provide fully funded services to help develop viable community energy projects. The aim is to identify and develop viable community owned projects for community benefit. This recycles energy spend in the local area, reduces energy costs and provides revenue for local good causes. We have carried out a good number of such projects and am happy to provide references should you wish.
In recent times rural communities have been hit hard by economic pressures and changes to funding for local government. Community energy projects offer a way for rural communities to develop projects that benefit the local community and generate revenue. By using innovative forms of community ownership it is possible to recycle energy spend locally.
Rural communities are subject to high incidences of fuel poverty due to lower incomes, hard to heat properties and reliance on energy systems with great variability in fuel price. Community energy projects provide one way of helping to address these issues. By identifying and developing local projects that reduce energy bills and generate revenue for local people community energy initiatives are a way for rural communities to utilise local resources for local benefit.
Renewable energy has for some time only been available to those with the significant amounts of capital to pay for it. Community energy projects are a way for the whole community to invest in a project and to access the financial and environmental benefits. The community can also partner with other existing community energy organisations to help develop projects.
There have already been a number of successful projects nationwide such as solar PV on schools by Plymouth Energy Community, Rumbling Bridge Community Hydro and South Brent Community Energy Society who have installed a community wind turbine. We have successfully delivered many community energy projects in the last few years.
All of these projects have been developed by local people for the benefit of the local community. A return on investment is available to those who invest and a community fund is also established to finance local good causes.
Fully funded feasibility is currently available to community groups through the Rural Community Energy Fund (RCEF). This allows community groups to establish the technical, financial and legal viability of a scheme to get it to the stage where it is ready to be financed. It also enables support for community engagement activities which are vital in building momentum and support for a project. In short it provides a community with the toolkit to identify and develop projects that can recycle energy spend locally instead of it being lost to energy companies and fuel suppliers.
Opportunities in and around Ruyton-XI-Towns Parish may include roof mounted solar PV and hydropower. The aim would be to connect systems into local energy users to reduce energy costs/carbon emissions and generate revenue from energy sales that is recycled in the local community. In this way money that would otherwise be lost to national and international energy companies can be utilised locally for the benefit of the community.
For an example of how an established renewable energy scheme can benefit local communities you could take a look at Talybont-on-Usk community hydro:
Projects need not be within the parish as they could be developed to benefit the wider community. The Parish Council need not be the organisation that takes a viable project forwards but can act as a conduit to help facilitate development through access to funding.
If you would like to learn more about community energy and how your local community could benefit then please get in touch. I would be happy to talk to you about a specific scheme or discuss general opportunities and help to develop potential project ideas. We are expert at helping to develop ideas for community energy projects.
Kind regards
Ben Eardley
Senior Consultant
Energy Analysis
Tel 01271 815643 / 07979 344555
Email ben@energyanalysis.co.uk
-- Yoland Brown Brownhill House B&B & Garden, Ruyton XI Towns nr. Shrewsbury SY4 1LR Tel: 01939 261 121 brownhill@eleventowns.co.uk www.eleventowns.co.uk www.eleventowns.org uk www.eleventowns.com ShACC - Shropshire Alternative Car Club - www.ShACC-uk.org MAILING LIST for Ruyton XI Towns area Yo`s blog: http://Yo-emails.blogspot.co.uk
