Part of the 'Bringing Power to the People: starting your own community renewable energy project' workshop held at the Transition Network Conference 2012, London, UK. Presented by Chris Rowland of OVESCO, Peter Capener of Bath and West Community Energy, Allan Shepherd, author of "The Home Energy Handbook", and Frank Gordon of Westmill Solar Cooperative. Chaired by Peter Lipman of Transition Network.

1.
B a t h
&
We s t
C o m m u n i t y
E n e r g y
G E N E R A T I N G
L O C A L
E N E R G Y
P e t e r
C a p e n e r
:
C h a i r
September
2012

2. Where
we
started
in
2009
…….
…...set
up
as
a
Community
Benefit
Society
in
2010
2

3. Recurring
themes
in
early
discussions……
Community
benefit
at
centre
Do
the
easy
things
first
Financial
sustainability
Be
ambitious
and
build
scale
Offer
financial
as
well
as
social/
environmental
dividend
3

4. Bath
&
West
Community
Energy
“Our
vision
is
to
create
a
financially
sustainable
social
enterprise
that
will
deliver
renewable
energy,
energy
efficiency
and
energy
supply
via
strong
community
model
that
builds
community
resilience.”
4

5. Our
mid
term
targets....
2014-­‐2015
• 6MW
of
projects:
solar
(1.8MW),
wind
(3MW),
Heat
(0.8MW)
and
hydro
(0.4MW)
• £11
m
raised
in
debt
and
equity
• £275k/year
to
Community
Fund
on
average
5

6. Achievements
in
2011/12……
• Raised
£1
million
loan
finance
from
SSE
• Successful
EIS
approved
share
offer
-­‐
Raised
£750,000
from
nearly
200
members
• Installed
362kW
Solar
PV
on
10
schools
and
community
buildings
• Installed
250kW
Solar
PV
system
linked
to
a
business
park
• Paid
members
7%
interest
in
first
year
• Established
an
important
and
valuable
co-­‐operation
agreement
with
B&NES
Council
–
secured
£100,000
grant
• Successful
energy
efficiency
in
schools
project
under
LEAF
6
• Identified
potential
wind
&
hydro
sites

7. How
we
operate….
Individual
investors
-­‐
£20k
maximum.
Investment
goes
Development
loan/
into
projects
grant
BWCE
–
Develop,
Finance,
Own
&
Operate
Individual
investors
Renewable
Energy
Projects
Special
Purpose
Vehicles
(SPVs)
-­‐
Portfolio
of
projects
of
same
technology
invested
Local
community
at
same
time
enterprise
operating
as
part
of
BWCE
family.
Controlling
community
fund
from
local
Debt
from
corporate
projects.
investors
and
banks
7

8. Reflections…….
What’s
worked
well
….still
to
do
• Partnerships
• Secure
medium
scale
bank
• SSE
finance
• B&NES
• Carbon
Leapfrog
• Help
establish
partner
community
enterprises
• Development
work
• Secure
more
development
• Share
offer
finance
• Momentum
• Integrate
energy
efficiency
• The
team
8
• Become
financially
sustainable!