The Resilience Centre has created a blueprint for community energy by establishing the UK's first scalable, crowd-funded, renewable energy project, powering 300 homes and reinvesting more than 70% of all financial returns in the community.
Community energy could be 90 times its current size while reducing energy bills by increasing competition, according to think-tank ResPublica. In Germany, community energy accounts for 46% of all renewable energy, yet in the UK, this is 0.3%. In order to create more interest, cut emissions and keep the lights on for future generations, the UK government introduced a Community Energy Strategy in 2014.
Joint ownership, between businesses, public sector organisations and consumers, is emerging as the key to achieving scale.
The community of St Briavels in Gloucestershire wanted to localise its energy generation while maximising the benefits to the local economy. The Resilience Centre partnered with landowner Antony Cooke to develop a community-owned 500kW wind turbine project at Great Dunkilns Farm, offering locals the opportunity to invest from as little as £5. The company raised £1.4m from 400 investors in five months.
The Resilience Centre sourced local suppliers as much as possible during the construction phase. Once complete, the turbine whirred into action in January 2013. It feeds up to 1.5 million kWh of clean electricity into the grid via Co-operative Energy and saves 565 tonnes of CO2 a year.
Investors receive 7-9% return on their investment, with returns within the first year of operation. They can also invest in energy produced by the scheme through Co-operative Energy, allowing them to part-own their energy generator and their energy supplier.
The Resilience Centre sought agreement from all parties up front that 4% of revenue or £40,000 per year (per MW of installed capacity) would benefit the wider community: in its first eight months, the scheme donated £8,000 to local good causes.
Hot on the heels of this scheme, the company is developing a further 12 community-owned renewable energy projects under the banner of Resilient Energy, and has received more than 50 inquiries from communities across the country. In each case, The Resilience Centre harnesses the energy most suited to the local surroundings to power local homes, including wind, hydro, waste wood gasification, solar and tidal energy. The Resilient Energy model is being adapted to allow communities to own their local water and food supplies.
Katharine Earley is a journalist and copywriter, specialising in sustainability.
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