Mark collinson wrap community energy rural community energy fund 300715

1. Rural Community Energy Fund
Mark Collinson
Energy Sector Specialist
WRAP

2. What is RCEF ?
• £15m fund, £7.5 each from Defra and DECC – rolling programme
Rural Community Energy Fund

3. 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

4. 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

5. Who can Apply ?
• Applicants must be a legally constituted community based entity:
• Parish Council
• CIC
• Bencom
• IPS (Co-operative)
• Charity
Rural Community Energy Fund

6. 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

7. 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

8. 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

9. Application process
• Visit the website: wrap.org.uk/renewables
Rural Community Energy Fund

10. Application process
• Visit the website: wrap.org.uk/renewables
• Read the guidance and FAQs
Rural Community Energy Fund

11. Application process
• Visit the website: wrap.org.uk/renewables
• Read the guidance and FAQs
• Download the pack
Rural Community Energy Fund

12. Application process
• Visit the website: wrap.org.uk/renewables
• Read the guidance and FAQs
• Download the pack
• Return to WRAP
Rural Community Energy Fund

13. 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

14. What makes a good application ?
• Community benefit – independent fund ? Legacy – what is it ?
Rural Community Energy Fund

15. What makes a good application ?
• Community benefit – independent fund ? Legacy – what is it ?
• Clearly defined (single ?) project idea
Rural Community Energy Fund

16. 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

17. 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

18. 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

19. 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

20. What makes a good application ?
• Evidence of grid connection possibilities for power projects
Rural Community Energy Fund

21. 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

22. 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

23. 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

24. 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

25. 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

26. Rural Community Energy Fund

27. Rural Community Energy Fund

28. Rural Community Energy Fund

29. What’s in a feasibility study ?
• Executive Summary
• Community Engagement
• Community Benefit
• Technology (i.e., the project)
• Financial Projections
Rural Community Energy Fund

30. 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

31. What happens next ?
• New Government:
`
Rural Community Energy Fund

32. What happens next ?
• New Government:
• Amber Rudd, Sec of State - Andrea Leadsom, Minister of State;
`
Rural Community Energy Fund

33. What happens next ?
• New Government:
• Amber Rudd, Sec of State - Andrea Leadsom, Minister of State;
• Incentives stability ?
`
Rural Community Energy Fund

34. What happens next ?
• New Government:
• Amber Rudd, Sec of State - Andrea Leadsom, Minister of State;
• Incentives stability ?
• Policy ?
Rural Community Energy Fund

35. What happens next ?
• New Government:
• Amber Rudd, Sec of State - Andrea Leadsom, Minister of State;
• Incentives stability ?
• Policy ?
• Wind Moratorium
Rural Community Energy Fund

36. 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

37. 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

38. 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

39. 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

40. Rural Community Energy Fund