The Rural Community Energy Fund provides £15 million for community energy generation projects in rural areas. It offers grants up to £20,000 for feasibility studies and loans up to £130,000 for detailed pre-planning. So far it has received 99 feasibility study applications and awarded 61 grants totaling £980,000 for projects with a combined capacity of 55MW. Good applications clearly define the project idea, demonstrate community benefits, and provide evidence of community support and grid connection possibilities.

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