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energy Photo by © Westmill Solar Co-operative
Whitehall’s community power–up by Gareth Simkins
Locally-owned energy projects have received a refreshing injection of cash with the launch of the government’s first ever community energy strategy, supported by several million pounds in extra funding. Westmill Solar Co-operative operates the first community-owned solar farm in the UK, on the Wiltshire/Oxfordshire border
But to produce this would need Community energy organisations a 45-fold increase in capacity, curhave welcomed the government rently a modest 66 megawatts, with money, which could affect around another 200 megawatts either 5,000 groups across the UK that are planned or being built. already working to transform local In March, the government energy use, by switching energy granted 12 well-established comsuppliers collectively, running munity groups up to £50,000 each energy-efficiency advice schemes and building wind farms. It could also boost local ownership of commercially-driven renewable energy “The new DECC strategy projects. is potentially a really The new strategy was published in January by the Department of revolutionary approach” Energy & Climate Change (DECC). It predicted that locally-owned to spread their knowledge more solar, onshore wind and hydro- widely. Among those to benefit from the power projects could generate up Community Energy Peer Mentoring to three gigawatts of electricity by fund was the Ouse Valley Energy 2020, enough to power more than Services Company (Ovesco), an 1m homes.
offshoot of Transition Town Lewes. the government had largely failed locally-driven energy-efficiency It plans to help ten Sussex groups to address the difficulty of gaining projects. There will also be £100,000 to set up their own energy co- planning permission for projects. to go towards helping communities Andrews’ group has raised save energy and money – and even operative and has already used the rural fund to plan a district heating hundreds of thousands of pounds a cash prize for the community that to install solar power, mostly on demonstrates the greatest reducscheme. The new DECC strategy is school roofs. It is also developing tion in energy consumption. “potentially a really revolutionary two micro-hydro projects on the Andrews from Bath & West approach,” said Emma Pinchbeck of River Avon. Community Energy said the new One of the new measures in government strategy, could help the Sustainable Energy Association, which represents small-scale renew- DECC’s 107-page document is a transform community energy from able energy developers. “Policy £10m fund to help urban commu- a ‘Cinderella’ concept into a realmakers have [become aware] that nities develop renewable and other ity: “We’ve got the shoes – we’re just there might be more solutions than energy projects. waiting for the ball gown.” The measure complements an just building a big power station.” Peter Andrews, from Bath & existing £15m fund for rural areas Gareth Simkins is an environmental West Community Energy, added of England. Wales and Scotland journalist and consultant. He has that “somebody [in government] already have similar schemes. worked for environmental publishers is trying to take [community In addition to money for ENDS for eight years. He was treasurer energy] at least fractionally seri- schemes that generate energy, mil- of Transition Town Wimbledon and ously,” though he pointed out that lions more will be available for a trustee of Sustainable Merton.
Test run for Poole Harbour heat project by Gareth Simkins
Poole Tidal Energy Partnership has big plans for Poole Harbour
The 36 square kilometre bay acts like warm a café and art gallery at Upton they consume. If all goes to plan, the system, a “massive solar heater,” says John Country Park, just to the north of entirely funded by the council, the harbour. This is intended to be Gillingham, a carpenter and one of should be operational next winter. a proof-of-concept scheme, a public the leaders of the Poole Tidal Energy The scheme could increase public demonstration of heat pump techPartnership (PTEP). use of the park and will certainly cut nology prior to the bigger plan – As the name suggests, PTEP’s electricity bills, probably by some using the bay itself as a heat source original plan was to build the £5,000 a year. It will also educate for council buildings and local UK’s first ever community-owned the public, and save 20 tonnes of businesses. tidal power project. The commucarbon dioxide being tipped into The tea rooms in the park are nity interest company emerged three years ago, as a collaboration notoriously poorly heated and have the atmosphere – all of which will between Transition Town Poole, even had to be shut in the winter help the council meet its objective of Bournemouth University and the because of the cold. They’re a listed a 20% reduction in carbon emissions building, so demolition or major by 2020. borough of Poole. Gillingham said the advantages refurbishment is not an option. To But the tidal power proposal has are clear: “It will save quite a lot of solve this, PTEP is installing an proved too ambitious, at least at premoney, cut carbon... and the public underf loor heating system, consent. The harbour’s average depth nected to a heat pump, fed by water can see a working system.” is only 48 centimetres and there flowing through pipes in the pond. He admits heat pumps have a would be many competing interests Heat pumps are an old and estabdownside; although they are a lowto satisfy. lished heat-exchange technology, carbon source of heat, “we could be “It’s not viable to put a fairly large turbine there,” Gillingham explains, most commonly used to keep fridges accused of using dirty energy” from though harnessing the power of the and freezers cold. However, they are the grid to power them. increasingly being used, effectively “It’s not all sweetness and light. bay’s tides is still on the cards. For the moment, PTEP is under- in reverse, as heaters. Unlike normal Sometimes you have to walk taking a more modest project: electric heaters, they can produce far before you can run – but we’re not extracting heat from a pond to more heat energy than the electricity disheartened.”
“For the moment, PTEP is undertaking a more modest project: extracting heat from a pond to warm a café and art gallery”
Photo by Petr Kratochvil
Wind turbines, micro-hydro schemes and solar panels are not the only way for community groups to generate their own energy. One scheme in Dorset has rather different plans – to produce heat and power from Poole Harbour.