mark collinson wrap community energy rural community energy fund 300715

Rural Community Energy FundMark Collinson

Energy Sector Specialist

WRAP

What is RCEF ?

• £15m fund, £7.5 each from Defra and DECC – rolling programme

Rural Community Energy Fund

What is RCEF ?

• £15m fund, £7.5 each from Defra and DECC – rolling programme

• Community energy generation projects in rural areas

Rural Community Energy Fund

What is RCEF ?

• £15m fund, £7.5 each from Defra and DECC – rolling programme

• Community energy generation projects in rural areas

• Provides pre-planning development finance – NOT capital costs*; via:

• Stage 1: Grants up to £20k for a project’s feasibility study

• Stage 2: Loans up to £130k for detailed pre-planning process

Rural Community Energy Fund

Who can Apply ?

• Applicants must be a legally constituted community based entity:

• Parish Council

• CIC

• Bencom

• IPS (Co-operative)

• Charity

Rural Community Energy Fund

What have we achieved ?• 99 Stage 1 applications – 61 awarded (60%)

• Hydro; Wind; Biomass; PV; G/WSHP

• £980,000

• 55MW combined capacity - 50MWp; 5MWth

Rural Community Energy Fund

What have we achieved ?• 99 Stage 1 applications – 61 awarded (60%)

• Hydro; Wind; Biomass; PV; G/WSHP

• £980,000

• 55MW combined capacity - 50MWp; 5MWth

• 5 Stage 2 applications – 2 awarded (2 pending, 1 on hold)

• AD; Hydro

• £224,000

• Combined capacity 650kW – 400kWp; 250kWth

Rural Community Energy Fund

How does that breakdown? (14th May 2015)

Rural Community Energy Fund

6

13

13

20

3

AD

Biomass

Hydro

Solar PV

Wind

0

1000

2000

3000

4000

5000

6000

Application process• Visit the website: wrap.org.uk/renewables

Rural Community Energy Fund

Application process• Visit the website: wrap.org.uk/renewables

• Read the guidance and FAQs

Rural Community Energy Fund

Application process• Visit the website: wrap.org.uk/renewables

• Read the guidance and FAQs

• Download the pack

Rural Community Energy Fund

Application process• Visit the website: wrap.org.uk/renewables

• Read the guidance and FAQs

• Download the pack

• Return to WRAP

Rural Community Energy Fund

Application process• Visit the website: wrap.org.uk/renewables

• Read the guidance and FAQs

• Download the pack

• Return to WRAP

• 2 week – 6 week turn around process*

Rural Community Energy Fund

What makes a good application ?• Community benefit – independent fund ? Legacy – what is it ?

Rural Community Energy Fund

What makes a good application ?• Community benefit – independent fund ? Legacy – what is it ?

• Clearly defined (single ?) project idea

Rural Community Energy Fund

What makes a good application ?• Community benefit – independent fund ? Legacy – what is it ?

• Clearly defined (single ?) project idea

• How will this project actually make a difference to the community ?

Rural Community Energy Fund

What makes a good application ?• Community benefit – independent fund ? Legacy – what is it ?

• Clearly defined (single ?) project idea

• How will this project actually make a difference to the community ?

• Demonstration of your decision to choose said project

Rural Community Energy Fund

What makes a good application ?• Community benefit – independent fund ? Legacy – what is it ?

• Clearly defined (single ?) project idea

• How will this project actually make a difference to the community ?

• Demonstration of your decision to choose said project

• Evidence of prior community engagement and acceptability of ideas

Rural Community Energy Fund

What makes a good application ?• Community benefit – independent fund ? Legacy – what is it ?

• Clearly defined (single ?) project idea

• How will this project actually make a difference to the community ?

• Demonstration of your decision to choose said project

• Evidence of prior community engagement and acceptability of ideas

• Evidence of prior key stakeholder engagement (EA, planners, anglers)

Rural Community Energy Fund

What makes a good application ?• Evidence of grid connection possibilities for power projects

Rural Community Energy Fund

What makes a good application ?• Evidence of grid connection possibilities for power projects

• Evidence of a clear, transparent consultancy procurement process

Rural Community Energy Fund

What makes a good application ?• Evidence of grid connection possibilities for power projects

• Evidence of a clear, transparent consultancy procurement process

• Avoid self-awarding – at all costs

Rural Community Energy Fund

What makes a good application ?• Evidence of grid connection possibilities for power projects

• Evidence of a clear, transparent consultancy procurement process

• Avoid self-awarding – at all costs

• Application from a suitable and demonstrable legal entity

Rural Community Energy Fund

What makes a good application ?• Evidence of grid connection possibilities for power projects

• Evidence of a clear, transparent consultancy procurement process

• Avoid self-awarding – at all costs

• Application from a suitable and demonstrable legal entity

• Consider any reasons the funders may have to turn down the project

Rural Community Energy Fund

What makes a good application ?• Evidence of grid connection possibilities for power projects

• Evidence of a clear, transparent consultancy procurement process

• Avoid self-awarding – at all costs

• Application from a suitable and demonstrable legal entity

• Consider any reasons the funders may have to turn down the project

• THEN ADDRESS THEM !

Rural Community Energy Fund

Rural Community Energy Fund

Rural Community Energy Fund

Rural Community Energy Fund

What’s in a feasibility study ?• Executive Summary

• Community Engagement

• Community Benefit

• Technology (i.e., the project)

• Financial Projections

Rural Community Energy Fund

What’s in a feasibility study ?• Planning and Permitting

• Site details (i.e., landowner agreements, lease costs, grid connection)

• Operation and Governance

• Scheduling

• Conclusions and next steps

Rural Community Energy Fund

What happens next ?• New Government:

`

Rural Community Energy Fund

What happens next ?• New Government:

• Amber Rudd, Sec of State - Andrea Leadsom, Minister of State;

`

Rural Community Energy Fund

What happens next ?• New Government:

• Amber Rudd, Sec of State - Andrea Leadsom, Minister of State;

• Incentives stability ?

`

Rural Community Energy Fund

What happens next ?• New Government:

• Amber Rudd, Sec of State - Andrea Leadsom, Minister of State;

• Incentives stability ?

• Policy ?

`

Rural Community Energy Fund

What happens next ?• New Government:

• Amber Rudd, Sec of State - Andrea Leadsom, Minister of State;

• Incentives stability ?

• Policy ?

• Wind Moratorium

`

Rural Community Energy Fund

What happens next ?• New Government:

• Amber Rudd, Sec of State - Andrea Leadsom, Minister of State;

• Incentives stability ?

• Policy ?

• Wind Moratorium – ROCs only.

Rural Community Energy Fund

What happens next ?• New Government:

• Amber Rudd, Sec of State - Andrea Leadsom, Minister of State;

• Incentives stability ?

• Policy ?

• Wind Moratorium – ROCs only.

• Ground mount large scale PV:

Rural Community Energy Fund

What happens next ?• New Government:

• Amber Rudd, Sec of State - Andrea Leadsom, Minister of State;

• Incentives stability ?

• Policy ?

• Wind Moratorium – ROCs only.

• Ground mount large scale PV:

• C&I rooftop feasibility ? Legal/structural issues ?

Rural Community Energy Fund

What happens next ?• New Government:

• Amber Rudd, Sec of State - Andrea Leadsom, Minister of State;

• Incentives stability ?

• Policy ?

• Wind Moratorium – ROCs only.

• Ground mount large scale PV:

• C&I rooftop feasibility ? Legal/structural issues ?

• Grid connection – Route F, LV, PW, heat.

Rural Community Energy Fund

Rural Community Energy Fund