Our CEO, Paul Kenny's presentation on Community Energy at today's seminar organised by the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources

1. The Role Of Community
Energy
Paul Kenny, B.E. C. Eng.
Chief Executive
Tipperary Energy Agency
Putting the Energy system
on a sustainable pathway
2nd December 2014

2. Tipperary Energy Agency is a partner in the
Interreg 4c ACE that aims to identify barriers and
solutions to Community Energy in northwest
Europe

3. Context/ Drivers
• Clear we need to Transition to Sustainable
Energy.
• The “Distributional Impact” of policy needs to
be carefully considered.
• Current “policy” leading to destabilising wealth
transfer.
• Citizen owned Vs multinational profit.
• Citizens have little trust in the “system”

4. Ideal Energy Senario (Citizen)
• Citizens use energy wisely
• Energy use contributes to the local and
national economy (not harms it)
• Citizens and businesses supply energy on a
competitive basis.
• The rewards of which are in turn invested
(mainly) in our economy.
• Policies support a secure, stable and clean
industry.

5. Ownership

6. Communities Own Transition
• Tipperary Energy Communities retrofit ~ 70%
homes signed up.
• Aran Islands similar at 60+%
• Research has & will continue to show community
energy engages.
• Requires a bottom up approach at a community
level.
• Needs to unleash
• Volunteer effort (competitive)
• Citizens savings
• Economic development

7. Community Energy Delivers Value
Value to Local Economy / MW / Annum
85,702
90,036
148,559
Non Local Spend
Local Spend
Ownership Revenue
Ownership
Benefit Accruing
to Local
* Based on real figures for one project. NPV assuming 20 year life time

8. Community Energy Delivers Scale
Danish vision of community energy
- Engages people and their savings
- Empowers decisions
- Owns infrastructure – DH, Wind, Solar
District Heating must be consumer owned – i.e. community
Planned Tralee District Heating
- 100M revenue over 20 years
- All locally sourced energy.
- Equivalent of 135 sustainable jobs.
- 13,000 T CO2 (per annum)

9. Community Policy Support
• Support the conversation at a local level
• Parish Development, tidy towns, Transition groups,
Local Authorities
• Facilitated through “community energy office” or Leader
program
• Strategic focus on removal of barriers (Grid speculation,
supportive planning policy, structured financing model and
support, simplified payments for Microgen)
• Competitive, structured, scaled supports of experts for
communities.

10. Tipperary Energy Agency
• Non profit, public good enterprise
• Partnership approach
• Energy management
• Renewable energy and energy
efficiency
• Procurement, project mgmt.
• Cost effective, value driven
• Paul Kenny
• Chief Executive
• T: 052 7443090
• F: 052 7443012
• E: pkenny@tea.ie
• W: www.tea.ie