New research identifies gaps in funding for community energy projects
Posted by: Sam Adams in Homepage, ResearchSupported by Carnegie UK Trust, ruralnet|uk have been undertaking mapping and research work into community energy projects. This work has ‘mapped’ community energy initiatives all over the UK - take a look - and provides a ’snapshot’ of current activity and included case studies from Ashton Hayes, Knoydart Renewables, Transition Forest Row and FREE. I would like to thank everyone for their time and cooperation in helping to put the case studies together.
Low Carbon Communities: A study of community energy projects in the UK
The main research findings are:
- The availability of grant support for small-scale renewable projects is good but this does not necessarily reflect how successful the project will be long-term
- There is a lack of on-going support for community energy projects; particularly project-to-project networking support
- Local support from Parish Council varies greatly between projects
- A gap in funding exists for the development of support infrastructures and general awareness-raising activities at a local level
Low Carbon Communities: A study of community energy projects in the UK
Contents
1.0 The purpose of the study
2.0 Introduction
2.1 The rural context
2.2 Meaning of community
3.0 Who’s doing what?
3.1 The mapping
3.2 The approaches they are taking (how are they doing it?)
4.0 The initiation and evolution of the community energy project
4.1 The models of activity
4.2 The case studies
5.0 Current support for community energy projects
6.0 Current funding for community energy projects
6.1 Funding from the philanthropic sector
6.2 Funding from the private sector
6.3 Government initiatives
6.4 The Government’s support for community energy projects
6.5 The Big Lottery
7.0 Gaps in funding and support
7.1 Charitable foundations & trusts
7.2 Private sector
8.0 The next five years and the future for community energy projects
8.1 The importance of rural areas
9.0 Recommendations
9.1 From the case studies
9.2 From ruralnet|uk
9.3 How the projects feed into the RCCN
Download full report here:
Download low_carbon_communities.pdf
(331KB, 27 pages)
NB. Unfortunately the footnotes do not appear in the following online report, download the pdf version to view these.
1.0 The purpose of the study
The
aim of the research is to provide a better understanding of the
community energy project, particularly in the rural context. The
research examines information and data that relates to community energy
projects in the broadest sense; from energy efficiency to renewable
energy generation. This information has been sourced from research
reports, the media, case studies and academics. This research is not
exhaustive; we have tried to provide a snapshot of current activity.
The case study analysis will examine the community energy project in
more detail; the dynamics, involvement, motivation, lessons learned and
future plans. The case studies selected are not statistically
representative but provide good illustrative examples of grass-roots
activity in rural areas.
Climate change is happening. According to the recent fourth
synthesis report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
(Bernstein et al, 2007), greenhouse gas emissions have risen by 70%
since 1970, and will rise by between 25% and 90% over the next 25 years
under “business as usual”. That rise will mainly be caused by an
expansion in the use of fossil fuels, which are set to continue as the
world’s dominant energy source. The report said temperatures were
probably going to increase by 1.8-4C (3.2-7.2F) by the end of the
century.
Consumers International statistics (AccountAbility &
Consumers International, 2007) showed that 90% of the public accepts
climate change is caused by human activity. But in stark contrast only
7% thought they were able to do something about it and, of that 7%,
only 3% try to live sustainably. This highlights the potential impact
that collective action to tackle change could have in effectively
mobilising individuals to take action.
2.1 The rural context
Community
energy projects are located all over the UK. The vast majority of
projects are rural. Walker (2007) suggests that some renewable
technologies, like wind turbines or biomass heating, are more suited to
rural areas, where they can provide a new source of income for farmers.
Also rural people are less well integrated into energy infrastructure
than the urban population. Many villages are off the gas network and
electricity supplies may be unreliable, so there is more drive towards
alternative sources of energy. 36% of rural properties are off gas
network, compared to 5% of urban properties (Baker and Preston, 2006).
People living in rural areas also have greater opportunity to act; the
location of rural households lends itself more easily to accommodating
the installation of small-scale renewable energy schemes.
The extensive problem of ‘hard-to-treat’ properties is so extensive
in rural areas that new approaches to targeting rural fuel poor
households is required according to a recent report to the Eaga
Partnership Charitable Trust (Baker and Preston, 2006).
2.2 Meaning of community
The
reference to ‘community’ is open to analysis and debate; what does
constitute a ‘real’ or ‘true’ community project? Who are the community,
how cohesive and inclusive is it, how is it involved in a community
energy project and how does it benefit: all these are open to
interpretation. The use of the term ‘community’ according to Walker et
al (2007), embodies ‘implications and assumptions about the nature and
quality of relationships between people and organisations’ that are
part of ‘the community’. Walker et al (2007) explore the meanings,
context and dynamics of community renewable energy. Their research
highlighted the different interpretations of ‘community’, concluding
that:
‘community projects are those in which process and/or outcome dimensions are to some degree local and collective’.
The case studies selected for analysis for this research all constitute a ‘community’ project based on this definition.
3.1 The mapping
As part of this
research, in March 2007 ruralnet|uk started to map community energy
initiatives. This activity is ongoing and provides an authoritative,
impartial look at the collective action happening all over the UK and
Ireland. The mapping provides a snapshot of activity currently taking
place. The map includes community energy projects, school projects,
climate change organisations, other networks and climate change groups.
This research focuses on community energy projects.
Figure 1: The Google Map of energy initiatives available at www.ruralaction.org.uk
The mapping work that is being undertaken has collated information
sourced from the internet, from other community energy projects, from
climate change organisations and from individuals getting in touch with
ruralnet|uk directly via phone or leaving a comment online . The
mapping of community energy projects is an on-going activity and we
will seek to continue to identify new projects.
3.2 The approaches community energy projects are taking (how are they doing it?)
The
process behind why and how community energy projects come into
existence is particularly complex. They can encompass renewable energy
technology and/or behavioural changes which focus on energy efficiency
measures. Some are motivated by a feeling of making a positive
difference to the environment and others relate to local needs, such as
supporting the regeneration of a deprived area.
The ‘eco-village’ concept has been in existence since the seventies
and settlements such as Findhorn and Bishops Castle have developed ‘to
encompass’ both renewable energy and behavioural changes. These
communities are intended to be socially, economically and ecologically
sustainable. A key principle of these settlements is that most of the
resources they use should be produced inside the community, giving it a
significant independence from the external world. This holistic
approach has also been adopted by the ‘Transition’ movement, which is
rapidly being adopted by many towns and villages around the UK.
Transition ‘towns’ consider the impact of ‘Peak Oil’ as being central
to their activities. The Transition Town movement began in 2005 in
Totnes and focuses on a sustainable way of living which sees
‘transition’ as moving away from a dependence on fossil fuels to create
robust, self-reliant communities for the future. There are now 29
‘communities’ (towns, villages or collection of local people)adopting
the ‘transition’ approach around the UK: now, with Transition Sunshine
Coast having just been officially awarded its Transition status, the
concept has reached as far as Australia.
Some community energy projects are focussed on ‘carbon emissions’
with a target to become ‘carbon neutral’. These projects have energy
efficiency at the core of their activities and look to reduce carbon
emissions through behavioural changes. ‘Going Carbon Neutral Ashton
Hayes’ has reported a reduction in carbon emissions of 20% in their
first year (Alexander et al, 2007) from implementing energy saving
measures through a village-wide energy awareness campaign. This group
and others like them are looking to help tackle climate change at a
local level, collectively. Global Witness , recognises that climate
change is such a huge issue that it is only through taking it down to
micro level - individuals deciding to cut long haul flights and recycle
more - that people can understand how to tackle it.
Many community energy projects focus on local, community scale
energy generation. These projects have sometimes been driven by the
need to address practical local needs rather than primarily by wider
energy or climate change concerns. Across our case studies these local
needs included: supplying reliable electricity to an off-grid community
(Knoydart Renewables); ensuring that the local community would benefit
from a nearby wind farm development (FREE); and regenerating the local
economy and setting up educational projects (Awel Aman Tawe). Community
renewable energy generation has emerged over the past five years in the
UK as a new theme of government policy and a substantial focus for
local activity on the ground. According to the Intergovernmental Panel
on Climate Change (Houghton et al 2001), renewable energy generally has
a positive impact on energy security and employment; validating
positive support measures from government.
Walker (2007) describes these projects as being implemented in many
forms, shapes and sizes, both in terms of the technology ‘hardware’ and
the ‘software’ of social arrangements through which the technology is
utilised. Indeed, our research has identified hydro-electric turbines,
wind turbines and photovoltaic technologies being utilised, with the
‘community’ structure of the project varying from Parish Council-led to
being a project led by a handful of local residents working to develop
relations with the community so that the project becomes
‘community-owned’.
4.0 The initiation and evolution of the community energy project
4.1 The models of activity – Transition vs Carbon Neutrality
During
the initial project analysis, it was identified that a community energy
project can have a focus which is primarily on the cutting of carbon
emissions or on the ‘transition’ away from oil dependence. The latter
are driven by the concept of ‘Peak Oil’. In real life these two foci
represent the two extremes of a spectrum (see Figure 2).
Carbon focused projects are generally very target orientated and
focus on a single measure - the carbon foot print of the community,
with some projects having the overall aim of becoming ‘carbon neutral’.
Peak oil focused projects tend to take on a more holistic and long
term strategy which tries to engage with as many parts of the community
as possible, including other community groups and organisations. A
‘peak oil’ or ‘transition’ initiative will often re-vitalise the
activity of all the existing groups in a community and provide them
with a new focus. The Women’s Institute will start to focus on local
food more vigorously, the local cyclists on sustainable transport and
so on. The level of engagement of each group with the ‘peak oil’ theme
will wax and wane as the core initiative progresses.
Other projects are developed from a specific local need, such as
regenerating the local economy. Awel Aman Tawe (AAT) for example, is a
project which supports activities that contribute to the regeneration
of the local economy, such as job creation and is not specifically
measuring carbon emission reductions for the area; it is an ever
expanding project for ‘social rejuvenation’ which came from one idea to
develop a community owned wind farm.
4.2 The case studies
The case
studies selected for this research provide an illustrative example of
the types of projects which exist around the UK. The process of
selection for these case studies was made on the basis of the type of
technology they are employing (if any), who they are engaging with and
what their focus is. More detail about the methodology behind the case
study selection, interview process and further case study information
can be found in Appendix 1. In this way, we have tried to represent the
spectrum of community energy projects that currently exist around the
UK.
Table 1: Key aspects of the case study projects
Full case studies will be made available online at www.ruralaction.org.uk
The
reasons why community energy projects are initiated vary. The
motivation can come from a practical necessity; the hydro scheme at
Knoydart, for example, was a refurbishment project with reliable, clean
electricity generation being the main motivation behind its
refurbishment. Different motivations lay behind the other projects:
Awel Aman Tawe had the regeneration of the local area as main motivator
through the development of a community-owned wind farm, Transition
Forest Row has ‘Peak Oil’ and transitioning away from life reliant upon
fossil fuels at the project’s core, which encompasses both
environmental and social motivators, while Ashton Hayes focuses on
reducing the collective carbon footprint of the community.
We have examined each of the case studies in relation to what the
motivating dimension was for the project’s creation. As shown in Figure
2, the case study projects can be positioned in relation to these
dimensions.
Figure 2: Initiators diagram locating the motivating dimension
Many of the projects identified through ruralnet|uk’s research have
environmental concerns as their starting point and want to make a
contribution to tackling climate change. As projects move up and right
from the cross-section, they are broadening their focus and community
base. A trend appears in the direction that the projects are taking
from when they were first started, to where they are now.
The arrows on this diagram emphasis how the initial motivating
factor can expand to encompass other factors as the project develops.
In the case of FREE and Knoydart Renewables, the projects are moving
upwards this is because the original ‘initiator’ for both of these
projects related to an opportunity (FREE) and a practical necessity
(Knoydart), but as time has gone by both projects have started to
consider other factors such as energy efficiency.
Community energy projects can contribute significantly to the
sustainable development of rural communities. Working as and for the
community through civil engagement can enhance trust between people and
organisations, an outcome which builds local capacity for future and
further collective action (Walker, 2007, Seyfang and Smith, 2006). This
further action can be focused on energy-related issues or it can lead
to activity centred on other matters such as job creation, education or
regeneration. As the Initiators diagram illustrates, the reason behind
why a project is created can often be replaced and enhanced, as the
project develops, when other factions of a community get involved. The
purpose, and the project by default, broadens.
5.0 Current support for community energy projects
Organisations that provide advice/training to support community
energy projects are listed in Appendix 2. Support of different types is
available from: the Government, the private sector (utilities),
charities and social enterprises. The foci of support are: energy
efficiency, renewable energy, fuel poverty, climate change, public
awareness and encouraging self-help.
6.0 Current funding for community energy projects
Recent research undertaken by Community Energy Plus (2006)
identified 60 potential sources of funding that community groups could
access to develop an energy project. The research pointed out that none
of these sources specifically offers non-capital funding that groups
could use to raise awareness, engage with the issues and make progress
to develop local energy projects. The Community Energy Plus (2006)
research identified a number of key issues for community groups in
accessing energy funding routes in the UK. These included:
• Issues of complexity in terms of the application, reporting and
monitoring requirements which are beyond the capacity of many community
groups
• Poor marketing of these funds to the community sector.
The research found that information about potential sources of funding
were not reaching the groups that would find it most interesting
•
The structure of the funding is not appropriate for community sector;
the timing for the delivery, the need of the applicant to understand
the technical aspects of sustainable energy, match-funding and lack of
flexibility.
The research also identified barriers to accessing the broader range
of funding for environmental and community initiatives, such as:
• Many broader funds do not identify energy efficiency as an issue
•
Some fund facilitators see energy efficiency as a specialist area in
which they have no expertise – with some funders this has resulted in
some cases where funders actively steer groups away from this area.
Defra’s Climate Challenge Fund is noted in the report as being a
good example of potential funding for non-capital projects, with a
simple application form and payment procedure. However, one off calls
for bids like this can undermine a project as applications are rushed
and often designed around the funding programme’s criteria rather than
around the community’s aspirations. The Climate Challenge Fund funds
renewable energy and biodiversity projects, as well as energy
efficiency projects, however, it is also only available in England, so
does not fill any gaps in the devolved nations.
Community Energy Plus (2006) also recognises that many organisations
in the energy sector are helping community groups access grants –
through help and support, securing funding to work with the group and
through sign-posting. Many energy utility companies have established
small-grant programmes, but most of these are funding for capital
projects, such as E.ON Source and EDF Green Fund.
Community Energy Plus (2006) identified some broader issues that may
help to explain why community groups do not always apply to existing
funding opportunities. These included issues such as lack of knowledge,
interest, support and resources; indeed one of the issues identified
was a lack of knowledge or information on successful projects already
achieved.
6.1 Funding from the philanthropic sector
The
issue of climate change poses specific challenges for community-based
initiatives in terms of funding, as it does not share the
characteristics of typical issues for such initiatives (local and
immediate, known beneficiaries and clear/measurable outputs). According
to the Environmental Funders Network “Trust funders remain daunted by
the scale of the issues these groups are tackling ”. The Esmée
Fairbairn Foundation is one of just a handful of charitable foundations
that have actively funded projects focusing on climate change.
6.2 Funding from private sector
Climate
change is high on the agenda for most corporations, with many now
having detailed climate change policies on how they will reduce their
carbon footprint as an organisation. Utility companies such as E.ON and
EDF Energy are funding community energy projects through grants for
small-scale capital projects and EAGA Partnership provide grant-funding
for projects which address the issue of fuel poverty. Gaps in funding
from this sector are discussed in more detail in section 7.2.
6.3 Government initiatives
The
UK Climate Change Bill will form a fundamental part of the UK’s
strategy to tackle climate change and address the issues raised by the
Stern Review (Stern 2006). The Climate Change Programme (HM Government
2006), sets out the Defra’s (Department for Environment, Food and Rural
Affairs) policies and priorities for action in the UK and
internationally. Subsequently, the Climate Change and Sustainable
Energy Act 2006 placed an obligation on Defra to report to Parliament
on greenhouse gas emissions in the UK and action taken by Government to
reduce these emissions. The target for cutting emissions remains
unchanged at 60 percent by 2050. The Government will ask the newly
formed Climate Change Committee to report on whether this target should
be strengthened by September 2009.
Table 2 provides details of the grant funding that the Government
has put in place to offer support to micro-generation projects. These
projects are not necessarily community-based, but many community energy
projects apply to these programmes for funding.
Table 2: Government led initiatives supporting and funding community renewable energy in the UK
Source: Walker (2007) Community Energy Initiatives: Embedding Sustainable Technology at a Local Level: Full Research Report.
6.4 The Government’s support for community energy projects
A
‘coalition of interests’ (Walker 2007) came together in the late 1990’s
in which government, NGOs and others found it useful to work within a
‘community theme’. This resulted in a complicated infrastructure of
public, civil society and private programmes and networks which have
evolved since, containing many motivations and objectives. The
Government found that supporting the ‘community’ approach provided a
way of overcoming planning objections which obstructed the development
of many wind farms and could help to regenerate rural areas which had
been badly affected by foot and mouth.
With the statutory sector bodies increasingly looking to commission
work from community and voluntary groups, there will be a growing range
of environment and climate change related services being contracted out
through Local Area Agreements. It is therefore very important that
community projects are brought to the Local Strategic Partnership,
where successful activity has the opportunity to be further supported
and replicated. Local authorities are being encouraged to support
action against climate change through the last Beacon Awards scheme of
‘Tackling Climate Change’; running from March to June 2007 there were
nine applicant authorities for the award . However, following a survey
at the start of 2007 by The Sustainable Development Commission which
illustrated a lack of ‘drivers’ for councils to consider climate
change, Communities and Local Government are currently consulting on
the technical details of the proposed indicator; reflecting the
recognition of the important role local authorities can play in
fighting climate change by reducing carbon dioxide emissions, both
through their own actions and by setting an example to the wider
community.
6.5 The Big Lottery
In
January 2008 The Big Lottery announced their Community Sustainable
Energy Programme which will be launched in April 2008. This is a £10.1
million grant scheme managed by BRE (Building Research Establishment).
The scheme is part of the Big Lottery’s Changing Spaces programme,
which aims to improve rural and urban environments and enable
communities across England to lead healthier and more environmentally
sustainable lifestyles. Groups can apply for grants to install
small-scale energy efficient technology such as wind turbines and solar
panels on sites including village halls, visitor centres or schools.
Funding to improve building insulation is also offered, along with
funding for feasibility studies.
7.0 Gaps in funding and support
Undertaking this research has identified that a lack of funding is
not generally an issue for projects that require some sort of capital
installation, however funding for non-capital activities such as
awareness-raising, are not specifically offered by most of the
potential sources of funding (Community Energy Plus 2006). Indeed, one
of the recommendations made by Community Energy Plus (2006) is a new
small grant fund dedicated to supporting community groups with
non-capital efficiency activities.
As non-capital activity, there is also a complete lack of funding
for information exchange and knowledge transfer between community
energy projects. The CAfE programme, from the Energy Saving Trust
provides an excellent information resource, but does not have the
resource to network its members. In the ECRC funded report, Walker
(2007) makes the recommendation that future policy needs to focus on a
way of sharing knowledge and inspiring further collective action:
“Develop far more effective practical and strategic mechanisms for
learning lessons and sharing experience and knowledge – a key
prescription of the niche management literatures
Actively support the potentially catalytic effects of initial local
projects in stimulating further phases of collective activity and the
take up of sustainable technologies in other settings such as local
households”
Indeed, even though the lack of this type of support has been cited
by several authors and a primary reason for the failure of community
initiatives, the most recent funding pots, such as The Big Lottery
Fund, still does not recognise the benefits to a support network and
cites only feasibility studies as the only activity eligible under
project development.
The recent report by Community Energy Plus (2007), produced for the
Education and Community Group of Energy Efficiency Partnership for
Homes, examined the funding for community-based sustainable energy
projects. It criticised national and regional websites as a resource
to groups looking for information on grant funding to support their
idea/project:
‘information or connection to funding opportunities is often minimal or out of date’.
The report concluded that the funding sector has a desire to
prioritise projects that the government does not fund and so, as
climate change continues to feature in the media and politics it could
influence funders either way. This could mean that some may recognise
the importance of providing support to tackle it, whilst for others it
may reinforce the impression that tackling climate change is the
responsibility of government.
There is a recognised gap in funding for developing learning,
sharing experience and capacity building among community groups taking
forward energy-related projects. The ruralnet|2007 plenary panel
session ‘Collective Approaches to Climate Change’ provided feedback
from three panelists who are all community advocates involved with
community energy projects. They all commented on the need for a way of
being able to network groups together so that they can share knowledge
and learn from each others’ successes and failures. This lively and
insightful panel session highlighted the importance and benefits of
taking a collective approach to tackling climate change. Collective
approaches effectively ‘tap’ into the wealth of knowledge and
experience that exists within our communities. This ‘Collective Genius’
was discussed as something that is incredibly important and valuable to
communities undertaking energy projects as it can be used to create
something greater and stronger than the individual can.
7.1 Charitable foundations & trusts
In
the Community Energy Plus (2007) report, their review of existing
funding opportunities suggested that although there are over 50
charitable trusts and foundations that could support community based
energy projects, nationally only eight makes a specific reference to
climate change, renewable energy or energy efficiency ‘suggesting that
most funders still do not see this as a priority for support’. This is
indeed reflected in the CAF 2006 book of Charitable Foundations, where
the eight foundations are listed as having ‘Energy Issues’ as a funding
priority, with just twenty four further foundations willing to
consider funding this area. This is encouraging, but less significant
considering that there are well over 1600 major charitable trusts
operating in the UK.
7.2 Private sector
According
to the Community Energy Plus (2007) report there has been a sea-change
in company giving over recent years. The previous cash-based
philanthropy is being replaced more and more by a donation linked to a
marketing scheme which will develop the image of the company. In
addition, companies favour an approach which engages their own staff to
support local charities by offering employee time within the voluntary
sector. This restricts opportunities to causes linked to a company’s
agenda or geographic area. Another trend identified by the report is
the move by large companies to decentralise their budgets for community
support to local or regional teams. Larger companies are also taking a
more proactive approach which creating priorities and choosing causes
that they will support, rather than responding to need.
As previously mentioned in section 6.2, utility companies are
supporting community energy projects by providing grants, but these
grants are for capital expenditure only and do not incorporate any
on-going support or advice to ensure the projects long-term success and
sustainability.
8.0 The next 5 years and the future for community energy projects
Politically, the government’s draft Climate Change Bill - which
ministers say shows Britain is “leading by example”, sets out plans to
reduce carbon emissions by a minimum of 60%, from the 1990 base level,
by 2050 - and sets an interim target of “at least 26% but not more than
32%” by 2020. The Energy Review published in June 2006 recognises
involvement of individuals as critical in delivering long-term cuts in
carbon emissions. As part of the Review, the Government carried out a
study to examine the role of ‘community level’ approaches to
‘mobilising’ individuals, and to look at the supportive role that
Authorities can take. As part of this, a Defra study carried out by CSE
& CDX (2007) ‘Mobilising individual behavioural change through
community initiatives: Lessons for climate change’, highlighted the
need for a ‘realistic sense of collective agency’ which moves
individuals and communities from the inaction of “I will if you will”
to the dynamism of “We have…now you”. The report findings recognise the
influence that a collective approach can have within a political
context:
“[a key requirement for future success] should make explicit the
political significance of many people starting to take action in
concert and demonstrate the way in which this genuinely underpins the
legitimacy of UK leadership in seeking a global solution to the threat”
The report concluded that sustained funding sources are important in
building social networks, trust and social cohesion. The interviews
undertaken within the research affirm that a national policy context is
important in stimulating and shaping community initiatives – and that
effective community initiatives are likely to be a necessary component
of a coherent national approach to tackling climate change.
In November 2007, the Prime Minister Gordon Brown announced that the
UK’s emission target of a 60% cut by 2050 could be increased to 80%.
The Prime Minister said climate change had been the product of many
generations, but “overcoming it must be the great project of this
generation”.
He will introduce a new Green Homes Service - a telephone line,
website and advice centres – which aims to provide a single point of
contact for people who want a “home energy audit”. A “green hotline”
will advise people on what they can do to cut their impact on the
environment. This approach would make information on energy efficiency
much more accessible, but people would still have to be motivated to
engage with the service. Moreover actions at both individual and
community level would benefit from support, and this initiative seems
currently to target only individuals.
Professional organisations such as the Royal Town Planning Institute
(RTPI) and the Town and Country Planning Association (TCPA) are
taking climate change into consideration and examining ways to support
remedial action, indeed these organisations highlighted the importance
of community led renewable energy projects when in March 2007, they
organised a joint conference titled ‘Climate Change – how can planning
meet the challenge?’. Changes have now (December 2007) been announced
to the planning system which will mean all councils will be expected to
provide for on-site renewable energy and local community energy schemes
to help cut carbon emissions from new developments. The new Planning
Policy Statement on Climate Change will:
• Ensure local plans have strong carbon ambitions and targets
• Help to deliver decentralised renewable and low carbon energy
• Speed up the shift to renewable and low carbon energy
• Create communities that are resilient to the effects of climate change
Housing Minister Yvette Cooper said
“It’s all about local power.
If we are to reach the ambitious zero carbon standards we need a
revolution in the way we heat and power our homes. We want councils to
do more to back local green energy.”
8.1 The importance of rural areas
As
part of this research, we have examined the community energy project
within the rural context due to the prevalence of such projects taking
place in isolated rural villages.
The key features:
• Different and more significant opportunities exist for local energy generation (eg land-use, space, physical geography)
•
The high reliance on the car for transportation make rural areas
particularly vulnerable to changes in energy supply and prices
• Higher proportions of workers use the car to commute in rural areas
•
Reducing travel in rural areas will provide new opportunities for
increasing, or re-establishing, social cohesion in rural areas with
related spin-off benefits
• A focus on reducing the carbon
footprint of communities in rural areas will generate future local
employment opportunities in the fields of power generation,
distribution, energy efficiency, engineering, building services,
construction and utilities
• Increased community ownership and control of energy generation provide the key to sustaining rural communities in future.
• Urban England needs rural England for: food, leisure, a carbon sink, energy production – eg biofuels and wind power
Recently, in October 2007 the Government announced that the Rural
Advocate, Stuart Burgess, will produce a report on ways the rural
economy can be further strengthened. He has proposed that his report
will focus primarily on releasing more of the potential of rural
economies. Activities will include:
• Inspiring tiers of government to recognise the contribution of rural economies and their further potential
• Providing distinctive measures to boost innovation and the knowledge economy in rural areas
The report from the Rural Advocate presents an opportunity to
present the case for the ‘rural’ community energy project – which could
help to ensure that policy related to community energy projects is
suitably ‘rural-proofed’, and that rural advantages are appropriately
exploited
Research from various surveys and analysis suggests that around 1 in
5 people live in poverty in rural areas and that nearly half of those
in poverty are in working households . Rural areas suffer from
financial poverty, access poverty and network poverty; all three
factors affect how rural people experience disadvantage and how they
escape from disadvantage. For example, in 2005 the average rural
household paid £60 per week more on commodities than urban areas ; this
may be due to higher transport costs or the smaller economies of scale
available to the local village shop. A community energy project can
help address these by bringing people together, helping to raise the
awareness of the benefits to being energy efficient and perhaps help to
support vulnerable people overcome other barriers or disadvantage.
Challenging new targets set for suppliers (under the Energy Efficiency
Commitment – EEC2) and Local Authorities (under the Home Energy
Conservation Act) come at a time when most of the easily accessible
housing stock has already been insulated. Community Energy Plus (2006)
identified the community sector as becoming “an increasingly important
audience to work with if energy efficiency in harder to reach homes is
to be improved”. Most ‘harder to reach’ homes are located in rural
areas.
Opportunities lie in the strong social capital apparent in rural
communities that provide the foundations for a locally based and owned
response to climate change. Indeed according to statistics published by
the CRC (2007), in 2005 10% of residents from villages and hamlets had
attended a public meeting about local services or problems, compared to
5% in urban areas.
The land offers valuable potential for both CO2 extraction and for
the production of biofuels and windpower which could replace fuels with
higher net emissions (CRC, 2007 ).
9.0 ruralnet|uk recommendations
The following recommendations are based around the identified need
for a national support network for community energy projects which
would help to support current groups and inspire new activity.
Community groups can access the funding required for capital projects
but funding towards raising awareness around energy efficiency and
accessing the appropriate and timely support appears to be much more
problematic.
9.1 From energy projects
As
part of this research, representatives of the case studies were ask to
comment on how a networking initiative would have helped them had it
been in place during their development. They were also asked how such
an initiative would help them moving forward.
Knoydart Renewables Ltd
Angela Williams, the Development
Manager at Knoydart Renewables Ltd, emphasised the intrinsic value of
being part of a network when there is limited opportunity for her to do
so, due to the location of the project being in the isolated Western
coast of the Knoydart Peninsula. She feels that a network would enable
her to participate in joint-learning and joint-sharing of experience
and ideas. As the Development Manager of the project for several years,
she has a great deal of experience of the Knoydart hydro-electric
scheme and has a number of very useful contacts; this knowledge could
be fed into a network, for the benefit of other groups wishing to
establish similar projects. As a successful project, Angela is keen to
support the replication of small scale hydro-electric projects around
the country and feels that a national network would definitely
facilitate this, adding that the de-centralised nature of a network
would open up opportunities to share ideas too. Angela noted that her
project now provides an efficient and clean source of electricity to
the village of Inverie, but that it is now becoming a victim of its own
success, with residents losing a sense of energy efficiency. When the
plant was inefficient, residents would select and use their appliances
with caution but with the plant now providing such a reliable source of
energy people are no longer taking into consideration the amount of
electricity they are using or what appliances they are using.
Ironically, Angela now needs to start working with the residents to
increase their awareness of energy usage, so that the production of
this sustainable energy is utilised in a way that is ecologically
aware.
Fintry (FREE)
Gordon Cowton is the co-founder of Fintry
Renewable Energy Enterprise and thinks they would have used a
networking resource if it had been available when they were starting
their project. He is very keen on the idea of national/regional
collaboration events for community energy groups but highlighted that
no support a network could provide can replace the commitment required
by a group/community to make a project work. Gordon also raised the
interesting point that as a group they were inspired to take action by
striking out on their own and feeling like they were the only ones
doing something like this, for the community cause. They made the point
that a network of knowledge sharing would be very useful but that they
would hope it would not dilute this ‘anarchic’ approach to action,
which so inspired them.
Forest Row
Mike Grenville is a resident of Forest Row and
co-founder of transition Forest Row. As a very small voluntary group,
there is not the resource to ‘re-invent the wheel’, so Mike felt that
it is important to be able to find tools which already exist in other
places. It would be really useful to be able to hear from other
communities and projects to learn from them and find out how they have
developed.
Mike also expressed the potential application of video diaries of
other projects which would provide a really useful tool for people just
starting and who want to inform their community. Mike highlighted the
fact that not everyone finds it easy to stand up in front of people,
and went on to explain how video would overcome this and would also
provide a less personal method of engagement which could help fuel
discussion. He recommended that there should many videos, which could
be rated and commented on, in a ‘YouTube’ fashion.
There are two more villages nearby to Forest Row who are also
interested in ‘Transitioning’ and have contacted Mike for information –
a network would help the information, experience and knowledge that
Mike and other have to be ‘pooled’ online and provide access to people
who have ‘been there, done that’. Indeed, research undertaken by the
Energy Efficiency Partnership for Homes (CAG Consultants, 2004)
illustrated how important community groups can be in communicating the
sustainable energy agenda and their role in taking steps to tackle
climate change. A network will help to support and facilitate this
communication.
Ashton Hayes Going Carbon Neutral (AHGCN)
Ashton Hayes is
being approached by numerous communities across the UK who wish to
learn from the villages experiences. As a result members of the ‘Going
Carbon Neutral Team’ give talks all over the UK. The recent project
newsletter (Dec 07) highlighted how the demand for these presentations
from other groups is on the increase, stating that, “Many people have
said that they find the example of our community action to be a
tremendous inspiration to them in their efforts to develop their own
projects”.
Garry Charnock is the founder of AHGCN and is supportive of the
networking concept, saying he would like such a network to support the
projects that ask for help, and to highlight the work of particularly
good case study examples. Garry recommended the employment of a ‘Carbon
Ambassador’ who could facilitate correspondence and meetings between
the project and the Local Authority; he and the other volunteers with
Going Carbon Neutral Ashton Hayes spent a lot of time meeting with
people within the Local Authority.
Tracey Todhunter is a local resident of the village and spends time
promoting the project and her involvement in the project as an
individual. Tracey is very supportive of networking initiative. As a
volunteer, she has spent months talking and emailing with people from
all over the country who are expressing a need for shared support and
access to information and skills. Tracey said that “it has been
invaluable to validate the amount of personal time I spend on
encouraging people to live a low carbon lifestyle, because I see that
it is important to inspire collective action, that way we can lobby
Government and businesses to make real changes and not just pay lip
service to cutting emissions”.
9.2 The Rural Community Carbon Network
Since
mid 2006 ruralnet|uk has been consulting on and developing the concept
of the Rural Community Carbon Network (RCCN) to link up and support
community energy initiatives. It would help to facilitate knowledge
transfer and effective communication so that communities can inspire
and motivate action. Many community groups have welcomed the prospect
of this type of support and recognise the need and the benefits it
would bring . The first step to encouraging action on climate change
is to make sure people understand more about it and how it will affect
them and this suggests that a local, community-based approach will
become more important; with the community sector being a key audience
to work with.
Who is ruralnet|uk? We are the rural networking organisation. We
specialise in bringing people together, online and face to face, so
that knowledge, skills, enthusiasm etc can transfer. We successfully
did this for the Community Broadband Project (CBN) which we led on with
the Phone Coop. The RCCN is our response to the climate change
challenge and builds upon the same methodology as the CBN. We will not
build a huge central team to ‘run’ the project. We approach things
differently and have already developed systems (Experts Online , Active
Brokerage etc) to enable the network to ‘help itself’. As a network,
the most important players in RCCN are the communities themselves;
highly committed and motivated but in desperate need of support.
At a recent national conference, delegates were asked what they
thought would most help community organisations develop successful and
sustainable enterprise activities. Out of the 238 delegates that
answered, only two chose Business Link’s ‘Information, Diagnostic &
Brokerage’ process, while 45% thought that contact with other
practitioners who had done something similar was most helpful. This
confirms the findings of a series of recent studies…and is one of the
key elements of support the RCCN would provide.
We have taken, and continue to take proactive action to ensure that
others working in the field of climate change know our plans and we
have changed our plans to ensure that what we are doing is
complementary to other actions. For example we have developed the
initiative in the ‘open’ at www.ruralaction.org.uk. We will work in
collaboration with other local and national climate change
agencies/organisations. The Energy Saving Trust’s CAfE programme has
over 1800 members and provides a good resource service to community and
voluntary groups. However, the excellent membership network and
services that they do provide does not support active collaboration; a
key component of the RCCN. The RCCN has the support of climate change
organisations and community energy projects. The summary RCCN document
can be downloaded at
http://ruralnet.typepad.com/rccn/proposal/index.html.
Defra recommendations on addressing barriers to funding, made from
the Community Energy Plus (2007) research, include the creation of a
new small grant fund which would be dedicated to supporting community
groups with non-capital energy efficiency activities that would fill
the gap identified – as discussed in sections 6.0 and 7.0. ruralnet|uk
supports action towards this type of grant funding, as the RCCN
proposal incorporates the distribution of a small scale grant for
activities such as awareness-raising events and workshops for local
community champions to engage with their neighbourhood on the subject
of climate change.
Throughout this research, funding has been sought for the RCCN from the charitable and corporate sectors, and from Defra.
We have ‘blogged’ our progress with the funding applications and the
discussions we have had with corporates at www.ruralaction.org.uk. Our
experience has been frustrating. As detailed in section 6.0 and 7.0
funding for non-capital projects is not a funding priority for the
sector. The RCCN does not match the requirements of a small-scale
capital grant project, and hence has not attracted funding from the
utilities sector either, which mostly supports projects in this way.
Interestingly, one of the utility companies we approached has
undertaken some of their own research which has recognised the need to
network community energy projects in the way the RCCN will, and is
considering adding a community area to their own website. Whilst this
is welcome, it will offer only a narrow focus on the projects this
utility supports and furthermore will not have the benefit of being ‘by
the sector, for the sector’, with the added value of knowledge transfer
from the wider sector which this brings (eg in funding, community
engagement, legalities, project management and so on).
9.3 How the projects feed into the RCCN
The
nature of the RCCN as an interactive network enables people and
projects themselves to feed into the resource as well as gain benefits
from it. Below is a summary of how three of the case studies can
promote the work they have done to contribute to the collective
knowledge which can then be transferred to other groups;
Fintry Renewable Energy Enterprise
o Experience of liaising with developer
o Host a regional/national collaborative event
Knoydart Renewables Ltd
o Off-grid renewable energy generation
o Hydro-electric experience – promotion for national small-scale
o application
o Organising community ‘Planning Days’
Awel Aman Tawe
o The PAP & SLA models –share knowledge/experience
o Funding success
o Implementation of a long-term strategy for a large-scale
o community project
Ashton Hayes Going Carbon Neutral
o Toolkit on becoming a Carbon Neutral village
o Publicity strategy/working with media
o Engaging with academic institutions & undertaking research
Appendix 1
The desk top research
Desk top research has involved;
• Internet searches
• Interviews via the telephone to projects
• Word-of-mouth from other existing projects
• (visits)
The desk top research has been carried out by Samantha Adams, with
support from the administrative team at ruralnet|uk. The size of many
of the projects meant that most of them did not have a dedicated
website, so phone calls proved the most effective means of
communication and information gathering. However, contacting the
appropriate person was difficult. This was because they were often
involved in the project on a voluntary basis and were at work during
normal office hours. Also some of the contact details were for an
agency or organisation that supported the community group with their
project and due to staff changes the appropriate person was no longer
working for them.
(The desk top research has limitations. With just one contact person
for the project, it could be argued that we are able to gain a more
comprehensive insight into the project from a number of different
perspectives. It would be preferential to speak with more than the main
contact, such as members of the community themselves and others leading
the project. This would provide a more comprehensive picture of each
case study).
• Case study selection and analysis
A database has been
developed and provides a useful snapshot of projects from which we have
used to inform case study selection. The database is by no means
exhaustive due to the sheer number of projects out there. The projects
selected as case studies offer a good representation of the variety of
projects out there; the carbon focused project; the ‘peak oil’ focused
project and projects which help to address particular local needs. The
case study selection was the also informed by the initiator matrix
The Case Studies – summary information. [The full case studies will be made available online at www.ruralaction.org.uk]
Case study: Knoydart Renewables Ltd
Website: www.knoydart-foundation.com
Description:
Knoydart
Renewable Ltd is a community-owned hydro-electric scheme that supplies
electricity to the village of Inverie on the remote Knoydart Peninsular
on the west coast of Scotland. Although on the mainland, Inverie is
accessible only by ferry from the port of Mallaig or by foot, and is
not connected to the national grid. Known as Knoydart Hydro Ltd, the
project changed name to Knoydart Renewables Ltd in November 2006. It is
a trading subsidiary of the Knoydart Foundation, a body established in
1997 to take ownership of the Knoydart Estate and whose aim is to
preserve, enhance and develop the area for the well being of the
environment and the people.
Structure: Knoydart Renewables Ltd is a company limited by guarantee and is a trading subsidiary of the Knoydart Foundation
Led By: Four Directors from local community and by a full time paid Development Manager
(Angela Williams).
LA involved: No
Size
of project: Electricity supplies residents of Inverie Bay on Knoydart
Peninsular, with a population of approximately 80. Total population of
Knoydart is approx 115.
Project duration: On-going
Start: 1978
End: On-going
Initiative Focus:
Carbon Transition
О О О О О
Initiative content:
Energy saving Fuel poverty Recycling/Re-use Food miles
Energy generation & Technology: HYDRO Travel Environment
Why was the project established?
The main aim of the project was
and still is, to provide a cost effective, clean and efficient
electricity supply to the local community of Inverie.
Who are involved?
Knoydart Renewables Ltd is run by a board of
local community representatives. It employs one part time maintenance
person who is supported by members of the community on a voluntary
basis. Development work is contracted to Knoydart Foundation staff.
Local contractors take on specialist work such as installing new
cabling or high-voltage apparatus.
What support has been accessed? (Financial and advisory)
Knoydart
Renewables Ltd did not originate the scheme, but took over a hydro
electric project begun by a previous owner of the Knoydart Estate in
the late 1970s. The 1980s and 90s saw a succession of owners which led
to problems with maintenance and disputes with local people about
supply. By the time Knoydart Hydro took over, the system was in a
serious state of repair. By early 2001 the electricity supply was too
erratic and unreliable, and was stopped, with the village moving to a
backup generator.
Financial support for the project (refurbishment) came from the
European Regional Development Fund, providing £500,000. The Knoydart
Foundation also provided financial support towards the project. The
Highlands & Islands Enterprise made a financial contribution and
gave considerable support to the board throughout the refurbishment.
The Highland Council also provided some support towards the project.
Case study: FREE Fintry Renewable Energy
Website: www.free-energy.org.uk
Description:
FREE - Fintry Renewable Energy Enterprise - is a community development
trust based in the village of Fintry, Stirlingshire, Scotland. Its aim
is to promote the use of renewable energy and energy efficiency within
the community to reduce C02 emissions and the effects of global
warming. FREE has agreed with the developers of a local wind farm that
an additional turbine for the village will be built as part of the
development. Most recently the group have formally signed an agreement
with the wind farm developers that they will bear the full initial cost
of the turbine and that this will be paid back over the first 15 years
of operation. They are now working with two other local villages which
will have wind farm developments sited close by, to facilitate
constructive discussions with the developer so that these villages may
benefit from the wind farm in the same way as Fintry.
Structure: Community Development Trust with 150 members
Led By: Original project activity stemmed from 4 individuals
LA involved: Community Council supportive, but not strongly involved
Size of project: Fintry Development Trust – 150 members
Project duration: On-going
Start: 2003
Initiative Focus:
Carbon Transition
О О О О О
Initiative content:
Energy saving Fuel poverty Recycling/Re-use Food miles
Energy generation & Technology Travel Environment
Why was the project established
Two main reasons: desire to do
something with renewable energy as a result of increased awareness of
global warming and secondly, as the prospect of a wind farm development
on their doorstep was inevitable, this project was a means to ensure
that the local community would benefit directly from such a development.
Who are involved
Original concept developed by 4 committed
individuals, residents of Fintry. The profile of their idea was
promoted throughout the village via the Community Council, newsletters,
website, annual event (Fintry Fling); where a survey was also
undertaken by a Glasgow University student to gauge support for the
initiative. Total population of Fintry is 500 adults. The message
about the wind farm and the project was widely disseminated to the
village; including through local television.
What support has been accessed (financial and advisory)
• Financial: Energy Saving Trust funded initial feasibility study
Awards4All - £5000
Stirling Council - £2500
The
initial cost of the wind turbine has been put forward by the wind farm
development company; full installation cost of £2.5m. Fintry
Development Trust has a mortgage on this over 15 years, re-payable to
the wind farm development company.
• Moral support/advice: Energy Saving Trust
Political support from MSP – Sylvia Jackson
Individuals
within the wind industry, who were keen to support the project as it
was very positive publicity for them; it was also good to speak to
people at various wind farm events.
Case study: Forest Row
Contact: Mike Grenville
Project Name: Transition Forest Row
Website: n/a
Description:
A group of residents from Forest Row are working together to increase
the awareness of the village to the issue of ‘Peak Oil’ – which will
lead to behavioural; changes that will help to create a more
sustainable community that is much less reliant on fossil fuels.
Structure: An informal group of residents
Led By: 8 local residents
LA
involved: No – not at present, but 2 of the local residents involved do
sit on the Parish Council – but the formal support of the Parish
Council is yet to be confirmed.
Size of project: 8 leading residents at present (the community has a population of 3500-4000)
Project duration: On-going
Start: Spring 07
End: On-going
Initiative Focus:
Carbon Transition
О О О О О
Initiative content: (ALL)
Energy saving Fuel poverty Recycling/Re-use Food miles
Energy generation & Technology Travel Environment
Why was the project established?
“A moment of madness!” Mike Grenville, co-founder. Two motives behind forming the group; environmental and social.
Who are involved?
Core group of 8 residents taking the project forward.
What support has been accessed? (Financial and advisory)
None
yet. The group is submitting an application for funding to the
district council for funding to pay for the publication of the villages
Energy Descent Plan (EDP) – around £5000. This would come from the
councils ‘Community Projects’ pot of money. In order to apply for
further funding the group will need to be constituted; something that
they are currently working towards.
Case study: Ashton Hayes Going Carbon Neutral
Project Name: Ashton Hayes Going Carbon Neutral
Website: www.goingcarbonneutral.co.uk
Description:
Ashton Hayes is a rural village located just outside Chester. Their
aim is to become the first carbon neutral village in England, through
energy efficiency measures and carbon offsetting; by encouraging
everyone in our community to think about how their way of life affects
their impact on climate change and to help people to understand how
simple actions can make a big impact on CO2 emissions to the
atmosphere.
Structure: Informal group
Led By: Parish Council
LA involved: Parish Council
Size of project:
Project duration: Ongoing
Start: Jan 2006 (Launched)
End: On-going
Initiative Focus:
Carbon Transition
О О О О О
Initiative content:
Energy saving Fuel poverty Recycling/Re-use Food miles
Energy generation & Technology Travel Environment
Why was the project established?
Garry Charnock wanted to do
something to tackle climate change as an individual but considered this
to be a difficult task as one person – as a member of the well-knit
community of Ashton Hayes, he felt that tackiling climate change as a
community would be more effective and easier. Garry had also seen
business and large organisations declaring themselves carbon neutral
and wanted to see if a village could work to the same goals. He did not
want the project to be seen as a pressure group within the community
and worked to ensure a democratic process, with the Parish Council
being involved.
Who are involved?
People are involved in different ways, there a
core group of people, like Roy Alexander, Garry and Tracey who deal
with most of the enquiries. There are about 20 people who are very
active volunteers, with a further 20 who are half as active. The
Parish Council is very supportive and consists of 9 further
individuals. The School is very supportive with the Headteacher
getting involved with the project.
What support has been accessed? (Financial and advisory)
Garry
spoke to Defra, EST and local Council, a number of local businesses
have donated wine etc for launch, with some making donations totaling
about £10k. Defra awarded the group a grant of £26.5k to support the
communication activities of the project and to engage with other
communities. A number of companies have said they will do things like
energy surveys but some of the group are wary that they are just trying
to hang onto the coat tails of the publicity the concept of a carbon
neutral village has created. Other local businesses have provided time
in-kind, particularly local company called M+M Communications, who
have produced all the groups publicity materials, posters, newsletters
etc at no cost, which has been really valuable. Garry’s company has put
in a lot of time and services into the project also (RSK Carbon
Management and TES). Green insurance companies have contacted the
group for their participation in discussion forums; they have paid
small donations to the project for residents’ time with these survey
forums.
Appendix 2
Organisations that provide advice/training to support community energy projects:
Government
CAfE programme funded by The Energy Saving Trust
Energy Saving Centres
Every Action Counts
Defra
London Energy Partnership
Private sector (utilities)
E.ON – SOURCE Fund – funding for small scale renewable projects
EDF Green Energy Fund – funding for small scale energy projects
Highlands & Islands Enterprise Company
Charities
Climate Outreach and Information Network
Marches Energy Agency
TAG 4 Sustainability
Community Energy Plus
National Energy Foundation
Centre for Alternative Technology
Friends of the Earth
Stop Climate Chaos
Community Energy Solutions
Renewable Energy Investment Club
Social Enterprise
Energy4All
Community Renewable Energy (CoRE)
Community Energy Solutions (CIC)
By interest area:
Energy Efficiency
Association for the Conservation of Energy
Combined Heat and Power Association
Energy efficiency and Best Practice Programme
Energy Saving Trust
Low Energy Lightbulbs
Practical Help (for Local Authorities)
The Little Pledge - save a little energy to help make a difference
Energy Efficient Homes Articles
Wasteless Society
Renewable Energy
British Biogen
British Photovoltaic Association
British Wind Energy Association (BWEA)
BWEA advice page on small wind systems
Fuel Cell 2000 - the on-line fuel cell information resource
Holsworthy Anaerobic Digestion plant
Hydrogen Now
International Geothermal Association
Marine Power info page (BWEA)
National Energy Foundation Logpile website - wood pellet boilers
Renewable Power Association
Fuel Cell Markets
Fuel Poverty
Centre for Sustainable Energy
EAGA Partnership
National Energy Action
Climate Change
Environmental Change Institute
Friends of the Earth Energy and Climate page
Global Climate Change Information Centre
State of the Cornish Environment Report
World Wildlife Fund Climate Change Campaign
Rainforest
Site - Save carbon every day for free by clicking on the site -
sponsors donate money towards preserving endangered rainforests.
Public awareness campaign organisations
Campaign against Climate Change
Stop Climate Chaos
I-Count
Friends of the Earth
Greenpeace
People and Planet
Green Party
Global Resistance
Christian Ecology Link
The Islamic Foundation for Ecology and the Environmental Sciences
London Islamic Network for the Environment
RisingTide
Save Our World
Climate Outreach and Information Network
‘Roadblock’
Artists Project Earth
NESTA – The Big Green Challenge (competition)
Media Interest and Support
The Guardian – incl. ‘Tread Lightly’ initiative and special commentators including George Monbiot and Mark Lynas.
Self-help
Projects also support each other in providing
telephone support and advice and through visits. The people involved
with existing successful and high profile projects, such as ‘Going
Carbon Neutral Ashton Hayes’ have many demands on their time to share
their experience and knowledge of setting up and developing their
project. Other projects (such as in the case of FREE) are being
approached by very local communities, who have heard what they are
doing and face similar challenges and want to learn from their
neighbour’s experiences.
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July 7th, 2008 at 3:52 pm
[...] charities and social enterprises. The Rural Community Carbon Network has been developed alongside research that ruralnet|uk has undertaken into community energy projects; Why they started; How they have [...]