No one underestimates the real challenge facing a small community group wanting to develop its own energy project. Nevertheless, case studies are demonstrating that small motivated groups, without specific technical expertise, can achieve success in generating their own renewable energy. Some community groups are just starting to generate and sell their own renewable energy; some are close to financial break-even point after which investors make a return; some may be considering setting up a revolving community fund to benefit their wider community.
The role of online research
Online research and contact with online groups is invaluable at the pre-planning stage, even before starting to form a group. Developing an energy project is quite complex even in the planning stage. Groups must identify viable solutions to a range of issues:
- how one generates energy from available local resources,
- how one raises finance e.g. from grants or loans
- the role of "financial incentives"
- technical issues including quality, durability, safety, noise, tilt angles, wildlife etc
- local politics (in its widest sense)
- variable local attitudes to renewables
- risk and insurance
- finding investors
- doing accurate calculations on likely energy outputs.
A group must carefully balance all the evidence taking advantage of reliable advice available on dedicated websites and on online forums.
Starting Off
A first step is to identify individuals with similar 'vision' in your local community. Community energy groups can be driven by:
- a professionally trained person with expertise, offering professional skills free to their community;
- a community group already successful in putting in place a non-energy project, such as a local playgroup, with experience of procuring community funding, but without technical expertise;
- a Community Champion - an individual with a strong vision who leads the community;
- the work of a small, dedicated team with a shared vision, drawing in other volunteers to help as they see the community benefits (which may be "social").
Key decision: leading or cooperating?
Do you, and your group, want to start your own group or influence a local group which is already in existence? This will partly depend on your vision, your skills, core funds and the time you have available.
Join a group
- If you want to find out what is already going on in your area, you can use the CEO Links page to search for groups under your postcode(s).
- You can approach your local Council and ask them what groups are already working on community energy, in your area.
Set up your own Group
- You can view an Energy Saving Trust (EST) video on EST's “Green Communities”. "Green Communities" is no longer funded, but its online resources for communities are operational.
- On the Energy Saving Trust’s automatic Action Planning Tool, you can set up an EST branded community group with ready-made posters. This tool helps identify a group name. A useful function on this tool shows the numbers of properties in your area (e.g. houses, flats, single storey buildings), based on national averages.
- After careful consideration, you may want to establish your own community group. In this case, a good place to start is looking at community websites offering ideas about approaches to renewable energy projects such as Community Pathways
- For groups located in London, this is a guide to developing an Action Area