A.Community Energy Champions
Easton’s new network of volunteers advising people on ways to power down, including solid wall insulation for 100 local homes
B.Roles for Community Groups in relation to the Green Deal
Bristol University research on powering up and powering down Bristol though the Green Deal
This workshop will discuss the different roles that community groups can play in helping householders or local businesses in Bristol access the Green Deal. It will identify some of the things that community groups would be required to do (especially in terms of adopting certain structures) if they chose to carry out that role. It will also briefly explore whether alternative avenues to the Green Deal, such as a Bristol-specific Energy Services Company or bulk-buying schemes, would better suit community groups.
C.Streets of Solar
a community led and community owned solar PV project on track to power up 300 Lockleaze homes
Bristol Power Co-op and Bristol Areas Solar Installer Co-op (BASIC) installed solar panels on 13 homes in Lockleaze in July in a field trial of a model for community-owned renewable energy. The community reaction from this limited trial has been very positive, and it's planned to extend the scheme to 300 homes between now and October. Other groups in other parts of Bristol are showing interest in replicating the scheme. The workshop will show how it's done and cover solar basics, community engagement, how the field trial worked, and whether/how the numbers stack up.
D.DIY solar panels
empowering people to share skills and knowledge on generating renewable energy and the importance of cutting our energy use
E.Where next?
A reality check on cross Bristol community energy projects and the best options for powering up and powering down our city
We all have limited time. Some projects might be easier to deliver collaboratively, others have the potential to generate revenue. Facilitated by Bristol Energy Co-op this session will be a chance to discuss opportunities for cross-Bristol projects. A synthesis of the opportunities identified in the LEAF energy assessments together with a summary of post-LEAF opportunities discussed at the network meeting in June (including neighbourhood planning, street energy advisers, bulk buying) will be used as headlines for discussion. The aim is to carry out a reality check on how possible these opportunities are to deliver in real life, and the likely routes to making them happen in terms of time commitment; people-power; financial constraints; and how existing knowledge, experience and expertise can be built on.
F.Zero Carbon Britain in real life
Tobi Kellner is a Renewable Energy Consultant at the Centre for Alternative Technology and will use this workshop to bring to life some of the issues in the Zero Carbon Britain 2030 report. To power the whole of the UK (electricity, heat & transport for all sectors) we will need industrial-scale developments in addition to lots of small-scale generation, and this will mean that in one way or another large areas of land will be involved. Should we cover miles and miles of Cornwall in solar farms? Or establish willow biomass plantations? But would that produce enough energy? How do you decide where to site wind turbines? The workshop will be run as a game based on the map of the UK and will stimulate discussion about what our options are and what choices need to be made.
G.ELENA and Bristol retrofit
powerful European funding for a Bristol based ESCO to retrofit the city
Bristol City Council recently started it's European Local Energy Assistance (ELENA) programme, that will utilise £2.5m of grant funding to develop project concepts into delivery. Kieran Highman is leading on the Green Deal, and the focus of this workshop will be an information exchange and discussion to understand how communities and BCC can support each other in shaping and delivering the Green Deal in Bristol – such as the roles of each party, the needs for measures, grant funding opportunities, timescales, innovative funding/delivery models, etc.