Case studies 2020 - 2021

Organisation behind the project

Acclimatise Whaley is a community interest company which addresses environmental challenges through communication, education and engagement with the Whaley Bridge community.

It aims to promote better public transport, improve home energy efficiency, encourage local renewable energy, promote locally sourced food, plant trees and increase biodiversity.

Background and detailed description of the project

Our £4,000 grant will be used to establish a club which will enable members to pool their resources and purchase solar panel installations in bulk, at a reduced price.

The club will also provide support and advice, technical information on solar panel installations and establish a list of trusted local suppliers and installers.

Members will contribute money to the club over a period of time to put towards the purchase of their solar panel systems. Once there are enough contributors, the club will purchase the equipment on behalf of its members via a sellers’ auction, allowing suppliers to bid for the guaranteed business.

To protect its members’ investments, Acclimatise Whaley will enlist expert advice to set up a legal entity which will be governed by directors and trustees elected by the club members. All contributing members will have a vote in how the club is run and the type of solar systems to be purchased.

It is expected that members will volunteer their time to run the club and source expertise from within their own ranks where possible, but some support may be outsourced such as legal, financial and advertising services.

Where to go for further information

For more information on our community and local energy strategy visit our strategy page, or to find out more about the work of Acclimatise Whaley visit their website.

To find out more about solar power, see our online guide.

Organisation behind the project

Ainstable Parish Council serves the north Cumbria villages of Ainstable, Croglin, Newbiggin and Ruckcroft, the communities of Dale and Longdales, and the surrounding farms and houses.

Background and detailed description of the project

Our £11,000 grant will fund the installation of safe, efficient and environmentally-friendly solar-powered lighting for three community shelters and two car park entrances in the rural village of Ainstable.

Following a decision by Eden District Council to devolve its footway lights to parish councils in 2018, Ainstable Parish Council carried out a public consultation and found that the local community did not want the footway lights, since residents value the dark skies of their rural village.

However, the consultation identified three community shelters and the entrance to two village hall car parks as key locations where lighting was needed for the safety of the public.

The shelters are provided by the parish council at the request of residents and have a number of benefits:

• They are used by children waiting for school transport
• They are used by residents waiting for the voluntary community bus
• They contain parish noticeboards
• They incorporate benches where walkers can shelter from the weather
• They form an outdoor meeting place for residents
• One contains a defibrillator.

Solar power is an ideal solution for providing lighting in this remote rural parish as some sites may not have mains electricity supply and the low running cost makes it a truly sustainable solution for the community. Most of the lights will be ground-mounted bollards, to minimise the impact on the dark skies.

The project will help promote sustainable energy solutions and demonstrate to other communities that small-scale solar solutions are viable and cost-effective.

 

Where to go for further information

For more information on our community and local energy strategy visit our strategy page, or to find out more about the work of Ainstable Parish Council visit their website.

To find out more about solar power, see our online guide.

Organisation behind the project

Based in Greater Manchester, Carbon Co-op is a not-for-profit community energy organisation which aims to help people and communities make radical reductions in system-wide and household carbon emissions and energy bills in the fight against climate change. It delivers energy-saving, innovation projects, runs retrofit services for domestic homes such as insulation, new heating systems and solar panels and promotes low carbon behaviour through education, communications and campaigns.

Background and detailed description of the project

Our £16,000 grant will fund the development of an online, end-to-end heat pump service for community energy organisations which will help them to promote the uptake of heat pumps to householders and overcome many of the existing market barriers.

A heat pump is a low carbon alternative to traditional central heating, which uses a small amount of electricity to absorb the natural heat from the air or the ground and pump it around the heating system of a property. The widescale uptake of heat pumps is essential if we are to decarbonise heating and meet our net zero carbon targets.

Current uptake of heat pumps is very low. In 2018/19 there were less than 9,000 air source heat pumps installed in the UK compared to the estimated 1.5 million/year needed to tackle climate change. Research shows that barriers to uptake include a lack of understanding among consumers, a lack of available information and limited numbers of installers.

By carrying our surveys and working with Community Energy England, Carbon Co-op has identified a desire to understand more about heat pumps among stakeholders. Community energy groups want to understand how they could be involved in the heat pump rollout, and customers want to explore the use of heat pumps as a way to decarbonise their heating.

The heat pump tool will enable organisations to:

• Develop expertise in heat pump design, specification and delivery
• Establish a quality supply chain of accredited installers and manufacturers
• Become a trusted source of advice for local householders.

The tool will be developed using market research and business modelling, focusing on the interface between heat pump designers and installers.

Carbon Co-op will work with other community energy groups to design the tool, test it with customers and develop a training package.

 

Where to go for further information

For more information on our community and local energy strategy visit our strategy page, or to find out more about the work of the Carbon Co-op visit their website.

For more information on heat pumps, see our online guide.

Organisation behind the project

Energy Local is a community interest company which aims to transform the electricity market by helping communities get more value from small-scale renewable generation. By forming local co-operatives, known as Energy Local clubs, customers can buy locally-generated clean electricity at a better price which helps to support the local economy, reduce carbon emissions and alleviate fuel poverty.

Background and detailed description of the project

Our £8,700 grant will help set up the first Energy Local club in the North West. The club will bring together local households in the Cumbria village of Broughton-in-Furness, and help them to benefit from cleaner, cheaper energy generated at Logan Gill, a local hydro plant.

Up to 400 customers could benefit from the project, each saving around 20% off their energy bills.

The Energy Local model works by bringing together the generator and local customers to agree a mutually beneficial price for their electricity. Generators are paid 4-7p per kWh for exporting power to the grid, whereas householders pay about 15p for the same power. By working together and forming an Energy Local club, members can agree a price somewhere between the two.

Starting with about 50 households the project will work with Cumbria Action for Sustainability (CAfS) to engage with the local community in Broughton and recruit customers to join the club.

Energy Local will then work with the generator and energy supplier, Octopus Energy, to secure a suitable power purchase agreement.

As well as benefiting from reduced costs for the locally-generated energy, customers will be educated about the benefits of time-of-use tariffs for the power that can’t be generated from the hydro plant during dry spells or at times of peak demand.

Once the project is up and running, club members will be able to access an online dashboard which will help them to understand their power use.

 

Project partners

To deliver the project Energy Local will be working with a number of partners including:

• Ellergreen Hydro – local energy company who manage Logan Gill, a 450kW hydro plant, which will supply electricity to the club
• Cumbria Action for Sustainability (CAfS) – a local charity which promotes low carbon living, energy saving and reduced use of fossil fuels across Cumbria, which will help with local engagement, recruitment and administration to set up the club
• Megni – energy monitoring equipment supplier who will maintain and develop the dashboard for the club and its members
• Octopus Energy – registered electricity supplier who will co-ordinate the contractual requirements for the generator and consumers, organise smart meter installations and arrange settlement and billing.

Where to go for further information

For more information on our community and local energy strategy visit our strategy page, or to find out more about the work of Energy Local visit their website.

To find out more about hydro power, see our online guide.

Organisation behind the project

Green Rose is a social enterprise based in North Lancashire offering households free advice and support with energy issues. Its aims are to help people stay warm and well, and to make homes more sustainable. Any profits made by the company go directly into community projects for those most in need.

Background and detailed description of the project

Our £2,940 grant will help to develop a training programme for energy ambassadors and empower them to promote energy efficiency in their local community.

The training will provide the ambassadors with the skills they need to reduce their own energy bills and give them the confidence to help other members of the community to do the same.

The company is aiming to recruit and train at least 100 Lancashire residents to help combat increasing levels of fuel poverty in the area and raise awareness of the help and support available to the vulnerable, fuel poor and digitally disengaged.

The project will develop a bespoke online training package covering a range of energy topics including:

• Bills, tariff types and common issues with energy companies
• Energy behaviours and habits
• Benefits and support available for low income and vulnerable households
• Grants for heating and insulation
• The latest technology that can help promote energy efficiency such as smart meters and thermostats.

The training will be delivered online in a series of four two-hour sessions for up to ten people which will be recorded and made available online. The same course will also be offered as an intense one-day session for local organisations to upskill their employees.

The project will follow up after six months to measure the success of the project in terms of how many customers have reduced their energy bills and their carbon footprints, and how many have signed up for grants and other support.

Where to go for further information

For more information on our community and local energy strategy visit our strategy page, or to find out more about the work of Green Rose visit their website.

To find out more about energy efficiency, see our online guide.

Organisation behind the project

St Helens-based Youth Focus North West is a community group which works to improve the lives of young people across the region, giving them opportunities to learn, develop and have a voice. Their team of professional youth workers work with around 2,000 young people every year, providing advice, guidance and training.

Background and detailed description of the project

Our £18,100 grant will fund a series of six webinars on environmental issues and a summit connecting young people with international experts and decision-makers.

The aim of the project is to change hearts and minds on the importance of saving the planet, by educating hundreds of young people from disadvantaged backgrounds, using social media and other online platforms.

The first part of the project (the journey) will deliver six webinars, each focusing on a particular theme related to climate change and sustainability. It is hoped the webinars will be watched by around 1,100 young people on social media.

The second stage of the project is to host an interactive green summit for decision-makers, utilities and around 100 young people, which will be recorded and shared online. Attendees will take part in workshops with the intention of gaining commitment from decision-makers on complex environmental challenges, such as the impact of climate change on electricity use and the creation of more green jobs.

The project builds on the group’s existing environmental initiative, Pioneers of Sustainable Hope (POSH) initiative. POSH ambassadors have delivered environmental sessions to over 2,000 young people and created POSH Bites, a series of short films promoting energy efficiency, shared with youth groups and across social media platforms.

POSH ambassadors from 21 local authority areas in the North West will work in partnership with Youth Focus North West to plan and deliver the webinar programme and take the lead in designing and delivering the summit.

The project webinars will be available online for local schools and colleges to educate and inspire young people for years to come.

 

Where to go for further information

For more information on our community and local energy strategy visit our strategy page, or to find out more about the work of Youth Focus North West visit their website.

Organisation behind the project

Lune Valley Community Land Trust (CLT) is a not-for-profit, volunteer-led group which was set up in 2019 to build and manage sustainable, energy-efficient, affordable homes for local people, and protect green spaces in the North Lancashire village of Halton-with-Aughton and the Lune Valley.

Background and detailed description of the project

Our £15,000 grant will be used to explore the possibility of extending an existing community-owned renewable energy scheme to install electric vehicle charge points.

The Lancaster Cohousing private wire network in Halton-with-Aughton is a pioneering example of community-owned renewable energy. The 41 existing residential homes and a number of small business units are powered by a mix of solar panels and hydroelectricity.

A feasibility study funded by Electricity North West in 2020 established that the private wire can be extended to supply two new developments, totalling 40 rental, shared ownership and privately-owned all-electric homes, co-ordinated by Lune Valley CLT and Halton Senior Cohousing.

As the sites are designed to be car free, there will be no private driveways outside the homes, with communal car parking provided at the boundaries instead, which makes charging electric vehicles a challenge.

This feasibility study will look to find a future-proofed and innovative approach to installing EV charge points for the new homes, and possibly for neighbouring existing properties, using surplus energy from the private wire.

The study will ascertain the potential capacity available and the number of charge points that could be installed. It will also develop a conceptual model for the charge points which is flexible, rapid, intelligent and capable of charging multiple EVs from a single charging pillar using combinations of new and/or existing technologies.

In addition to the benefits of using renewable energy from the private wire, the charge point scheme would help to make electric vehicles accessible to low income households. It would support the local economy by creating jobs and increasing revenue to the Halton Lune Hydro Community Benefit Fund. It would also create a blueprint for the installation of communal electric vehicle charge points which could be adopted by other communities.

 

Project partners

To deliver the project Lune Valley CLT will be working with a number of partners including:

• Halton Senior Cohousing – to provide information about their development
• MORE Renewables – to provide data on the solar power scheme
• Halton Lune Hydro – to provide data on the local hydro generation scheme.
• Lancaster Cohousing Ltd – to provide data on use of the private wire
• South Lakes Housing – a future client for the electric vehicle charging infrastructure.

Where to go for further information

For more information on our community and local energy strategy visit our strategy page, or to find out more about the work of the Lune Valley Community Land Trust visit their website.

To find out more about electric vehicles and charge points, see our online guide.