Comparing Case Studies of Community Energy Projects

1
Comparing Case Studies of Community Energy
Projects

• Energising Communities Workshop
• Oxford, June 2006

2
Case Study Objectives

• To understand how and why projects are initiated
  and developed
• To assess how community is interpreted and
  enacted within projects
• To examine how participants conceive the outcomes
  of projects and the extent to which these
  outcomes are being achieved

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Case Study 1 Llandwddyn

• Location Montgomeryshire, Wales
• Technology Wood fuelled local heating network
  school community centre, 19 local houses
• Cost 375,000
• Programme Community Energy (EST)

Llanwddyn
4
Case Study 2 Moel Moelogan

• Location North Wales
• Technology 2 x 1.3MW turbines followed by a
  further 9, grid connected
• Cost 2.6 Million (phase 1)
• Programme Ashden Awards

Moel Moelogan
5
Case Study 3 Bro Dyfi

• Location Dyfi Valley, Mid Wales
• Technology 75kw wind turbine (grid connection in
  place)
• Budget 83,555
• Programme Baywind, REIC

Bro Dyfi
6
Case Study 4 Kielder

• Location Northumberland
• Technology Biomass local heat network school,
  youth hostel, 6 houses, workshops, Castle
• Budget 630,000
• Programme Clear Skies, EST, CRI

Kielder
7
Case Study 5 Falstone

• Location Northumberland
• Technology Solar photovoltaic (grid connected)
  and biomass boiler tea rooms, shop,
  interpretation centre
• Budget 175,000
• Programme CRI, Clear Skies, EST

Falstone
8
Case Study 6 Gamblesby

• Location Cumbria
• Technology Ground Source Heat Pump for renovated
  village hall. Followed by 6kW wind charger.
• Budget 42,100 (GSHP and renovation)
• Programme CRI

Gamblesby
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Case Study Selection and Methods

• Selection
• all involve successful technology installation
• including involvement of local people (in some
  form)
• Methods
• Regional interviews (15)
• Local interviews with those most directly
  involved (41)
• Questionnaire survey of all local households
  within settlement area (205 total)

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Similarities

• Importance of individuals initial idea,
  commitment, skills
• Profile of multiple outcomes - environmental,
  economic, social
• Stress on local benefits
• Complex financial packages and finance problems
  of various forms (timings, amounts, restrictions)
• Need for advice, expertise (although from
  different sources)
• Need for support from key local institutions,
  particularly local authorities/regeneration
  agencies
• Energy efficiency also included (directly or
  indirectly)

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Differences

• Primary purpose (although all but one problem
  focused)
• Scale (physical, time, energy, cost)
• Technologies and form/function of energy
  generation
• Leadership/management arrangements
• Partnerships and alliances (formal, informal)
• Extent of reliance on, involvement with central
  government community RE programmes
• Ownership arrangements
• Levels of direct involvement and contribution of
  local people
• Distribution of benefits and outcomes (local,
  collective)
• Degrees of local support/opposition
• Extent of technology and installation problems

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Ownership Models

• community company
• Tyndale Council then transferred to Kielder
  Community Enterprises Limited the trading arm of
  charity Kielder Limited
• public body owning existing property
• old school buildings purchased by National Park
  Authority
• existing community organisation owning building
• Village Hall Committee (registered charity)
• private ownership by local entrepreneurs
• local farmers
• energy services company (ESCO)
• DULAS install and operate, contracted by Powys
  County Council
• cooperative
• unincorporated association with 59 shareholders

Kielder
Falstone
Gamblesby
Moel Moelogan
Llanwddyn
Bro Dyfi
13
Involvement and contribution of local people
Q1 Have you been involved in any way? Q2 Have
you made any direct contribution to the project?
14

• attended meetings- painted hall as a member
  of a group- donated money in lieu of silver
  wedding
• Gamblesby resident, response on questionnaire
  to how have you been involved

15

I am in favour of the project
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1. How and why are projects initiated and
developed?

• No one simple answer ..
• Individuals in localities and roles are
  important..
• for ideas, skills, providing impetus both
  within communities and partner institutions
• BUT institutions and policies are important too..
  
• individuals need and respond to the strategic
  opportunities openings that institutional
  agendas and initiatives provide (govn and
  non-govn)
• .. as is, the particular context of time and
  place
• problems to be solved, and opportunities to do so

17

• 8 years ago our farming was taking a dive, I
  thought I needed to diversify and looked to what
  we can do and theres not much you can do up
  here. I thought of everything-dry ski slopes and
  anything, but the obvious one was wind and it
  made perfect sense for the tops of hills. And
  there was lots of talk in the paper at the time
  that this global warming thing might be a reality
  and renewable energy was about to explode and it
  sounded like a good time.
• I knew there was a European grant for
  farmers even thought it hadnt been used for wind
  before, it was there as potential. The whole
  feeling of it sounded just what the government
  wanted to happen. They wanted more renewable
  energy, they wanted farmers to diversify and get
  together and work together. It had never been
  done and we didnt know how we would do it
  ourselves but we just found out step by step.
• Moel Moelogan, Project Developer

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• connections to regeneration and rural
  development, and associated funding, are often
  crucial

19

• Llanwddyn Biomass DH
• Idea from Vrnwy Forum a local residents group.
• - to boost local economy through using local wood
  plus
• - replace aged heating system for school
• improve heating of local housing (mainly owned
  by Severn Trent)
• reduce fuel poverty
• Capital Funding
• ERDF (30.5) Welsh Assembly Government via Powys
  County Council (43.5) Community Energy Programme
  (12.5) Welsh Development Agency (13)

Llanwddyn
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Kielder

• Kielder Biomass DH
• Idea for biomass heating network from Jan Ashdown
  resident in nearby village.
• Supporting local forestry
• Regenerating declining village
• Tourism as part of renewable energy trail
• Demonstration project

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Falstone Biomass and solar Local people
approached the community development officer when
village shop in old school buildings closed.
National Park Authority developed RE aspects with
architects. Sustaining community
facilities Attracting visitors Jobs for local
people Demonstration sustainability project
Falstone

22
Bro Dyfi Wind Turbine Idea from local person
Vickey Leaney previously involved with Baywind
and Dulas - Demonstrate potential for community
development and ownership of RE project - Income
for Community Energy Fund to fund local energy
initiatives
Bro Dyfi
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• Putting together the funding package . and
  getting good advice (from various sources) to
  develop a feasible project and problem solve
  throughout are important in each case study
• With the hassle we had with the objectors, they
  helped us a lot, we wouldnt have been able to
  cope without them. ..financially and advice as
  well. Its good to have them, to bounce ideas off
  them and we bounced suggestions off each other.
  We had a lot of problems along the way but we
  came though itadvice which way to go. In the
  beginning we went in the wrong way and we needed
  to be pointed in the right direction. Theres a
  lot of sharks out there.
• Moel Moelogan, Project Developer

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2. How is community interpreted and enacted?

• Well . its not very straightforward!!

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• What does community mean to you?
• people who are willing to support and work
  for the common welfare and good
• where people live together in harmony with
  different cultures and interests, but with a
  strong feeling of trust and respect for one
  another
• a place where you live and raise your family
  amongst friends and people you know

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• What does community mean to you?
• people of the village and surrounding area
  who live and work in the area and are involved in
  things that go on in the area. Not people who
  buy houses and use them 1 or 2 weekends a month
  and keep themselves to themselves
• nothing now, as most people are too self
  centred
• bunch of nosey people slagging each other
  off behind their backs

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Debating community at Moel Moelogan

• And when is a community project a community
  project? You know, this is 3 men who have set up
  a limited company and yet they give it these buzz
  words, they use words like community and
  sustainability and they press particular buttons
  dont they?
• Moel Moelogan, member of opposition group
• Clearly theres a substantial difference
  between a community project that does support the
  community and one that is owned by the community.
  I dont think its a worry that they sit side by
  side, I think its a good thing . The problem is
  that it does raise these issues of local
  jealousies, rivalries, whereas the community
  projects perhaps as the text book lays it out is
  meant to take care of that through consultation
  and people being involved in it in the true sense
  of ownership.
• Conwy Energy Agency

One of the main factors which kept cropping up
was that the project was run by local people.
Even though its not a community project as such,
the benefit was going to stay in the area, rather
than being developed by a large multinational
company where the profits all go out of the area?
County Councillor
28

• two key dimensions are seen as making projects in
  some way community
• process how the project is developed and run,
  who is involved and has influence
• outcome how the project outcomes are
  distributed, who benefits

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The PROCESS dimension of RE projects who is
involved and has influence
The process of developing and running a project
is closed, distant and institutional (public or
private)
The process of developing and running a project
is open, local and participatory
30
The OUTCOME dimension of RE projects who benefits?
The beneficial outcomes of a project are distant
and private
The beneficial outcomes of a project are local,
shared/ collective
31
PROCESS
Open, local, participatory
Distant, private
Local, collective
OUTCOMES
Closed, distant, institutional
32
PROCESS
Open, local, participatory
Gamblesby
Bro Dyfi
Moel Moelogan
Distant, private
Local, collective
Falstone
Llanwdynn
OUTCOMES
Kielder
Utility wind farm
Closed, distant, institutional
33
PROCESS
Open, local, participatory
Gamblesby
Bro Dyfi
Moel Moelogan
Distant, private
Local, collective
Falstone
Llanwdynn
OUTCOMES
Kielder
Utility wind farm
Closed, distant, institutional
34
PROCESS
Open, local, participatory
Gamblesby
Moel Moelogan
Bro Dyfi
Distant, private
Local, collective
Falstone
Llanwdynn
OUTCOMES
Kielder
Utility wind farm
Closed, distant, institutional
35
PROCESS
Open, local, participatory
Gamblesby
Bro Dyfi
Moel Moelogan
Distant, private
Local, collective
Falstone
Llanwdynn
OUTCOMES
Kielder
Utility wind farm
Closed, distant, institutional
36
Multiple Components of Process
37
PROCESS
Community Renewables?
Open, local, participatory
Gamblesby
Bro Dyfi
Moel Moelogan
Distant, private
Local, collective
Falstone
Llanwdynn
OUTCOMES
Kielder
Utility wind farm
Closed, distant, institutional
38
PROCESS
Community Renewables?
Open, local, participatory
Gamblesby
Bro Dyfi
Moel Moelogan
Distant, private
Local, collective
Falstone
Llanwdynn
OUTCOMES
Kielder
Utility wind farm
Closed, distant, institutional
39
PROCESS
Open, local, participatory
Community Renewables?
Gamblesby
Bro Dyfi
Moel Moelogan
Distant, private
Local, collective
Falstone
Llanwdynn
OUTCOMES
Kielder
Utility wind farm
Closed, distant, institutional
40
PROCESS
Open, local, participatory
Community Renewables?
Gamblesby
Bro Dyfi
Moel Moelogan
Distant, private
Local, collective
Falstone
Llanwdynn
OUTCOMES
Kielder
Utility wind farm
Closed, distant, institutional
41

• what counts as community is flexibly defined
  on the ground as well as by funding/support
  programmes. This reflects
• what is locally appropriate and possible
• diverse motivations and drivers
• how using a community approach fits with agenda
  of important institutions and funders
• the extent to which there are already cohesive,
  connected and trusting relationships between
  local people and reflected in community groups

42

• within small rural settlements (where most
  community RE is happening) there is some scope
  for a cohesive, inclusive and cooperative
  community to be mobilised, but
• they are in reality, rarely found, and may be
  illusory
• innovation with RET may not be embraced, or be
  appropriate (to time and place)
• there are social fractures, exclusivities and
  conflicts within all places
• processes have dynamics and relationships/position
  s can change over time
• processes of public consultation and
  participation can be evaluated and represented in
  different ways
• adopting a community approach, or using a
  community label, cannot guarantee wholesale local
  acceptance and support

43

• The project has brought the community
  together

44

• The vast majority of the community were
  either pro wind mill or ambivalent. There was a
  small section who were very keen, a huge number
  who didnt mind one way or another and a small
  minority who were against it.
• And then the next thing was they made
  application for a further 15and it became
  apparent that this wasnt a community projectthe
  3 was a Trojan horse this project was sold to
  the community as a community project and then it
  became clear that it was nothing of the sort and
  a lot of sympathy went from them from the town
  and certainly the villages around.
• they played on the thing that farming was
  going backwards, with BSE and foot and mouth. But
  they were the biggest farmers around here. If
  they were in difficulty finding enough cash to
  bring up their families, what about the rest that
  were farming on far less acreage? And people
  from outside seemed to swallow that idea
  following that when they had planning permission
  to plant 3 of them they immediately sold one off
  to a German company. So what they told us they
  needed 3 for their own use to supplement farming
  was complete bullshit.

45

• It seems that there was an unofficial
  meeting for the antis in one of the local pubs.
  They chose the wrong night for a start. They
  chose a Friday night when the locals go for a
  drink. And one of the locals was there. These
  antis, they are people whove made their pile
  elsewhere and then theyve half retired into the
  area, hence the reason for the high prices of the
  properties. This chappy turns to one of the
  locals whos sat there with his pint and he says
  the value of our properties is going to go down
  to half in this area, what do you think? The
  local replied well itll make it bloody
  affordable for us wont it.
• They are outsiders. Be careful how you word
  that because they came to live in this district,
  they werent born and bred here, the 3 farmers.
  We are born and bred here.

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3. What outcomes are conceived and achieved?

• Range of outcomes within project objectives
• Distributed in different patterns

Income Cheaper heat/electricity More reliable
energy Jobs (short/longer term) More useable
buildings Social facilities Funds for community
use Reduced pollution and more
Project team/developers Investors
(local/distant) Users of local buildings Rest of
local population Rest of wider society The
environment
47

• A lot of positive outcomes recognised by local
  people most frequently
• Llanwdynn - economic
• Moel Moelogan environmental, regeneration
• Bro Dyfi - environmental
• Kielder economic, environmental
• Falstone - economic
• Gamblesby social identity
• Negative outcomes also feature
• Moel Moelogan most significantly (env impacts and
  social cohesion)
• Llanwdynn and Kielder to lesser degree
  (technology problems and intrusion)

48

• In addition to local social and economic
  outcomes, learning processes of various forms are
  widely claimed
• from project to project -visits, presentations,
  resources, contractors etc
• from project to local people - understanding,
  support for RET, micro-adoption, green lifestyles
• but evidence not clear
• problems of measurement - anecdotal rather than
  systematic
• Key policy issue given small energy generation
  and carbon reduction usually involved

49
I understand more about renewable energy as a
result of this project
I feel more positive about renewable energy as a
result of this project
50
I am more aware of climate change as a result of
this project
I think projects like this should be set up in
other places as well
51
I feel a sense of pride in the project
52
I feel more positive about renewable energy as a
result of this project
53
I feel a sense of pride in the project
54
Concluding Comments

• What can we get from researching six case
  studies?
• six stories and examples of success
• comparisons and contrasts between stories
• depth of understanding
• differences of perspective
• framework for analysis (and evaluation?)
• These six particularly show
• diversity and multi-functionality
• community RE is not one category recognising the
  many differences and some commonalities is
  important
• projects are all time and place dependent and to
  some degree opportunistic
• there are many financial, technical, social
  challenges
• wider learning outcomes can be achieved
• technological innovation is far more than
  developing kit that works innovation in
  social and economic arrangements

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Concluding Comments

• But for every success there are many that fall
  by the way side or never get going
• years can tick by with other community
  projects. Nobody is willing to take the bull by
  the horn and drive it
• the problem is that they are such hard work,
  they are difficult to get off the ground. Theres
  always the argument that I can probably put in
  ten times as many cavity walls and lofts in an
  urban area as I can in a rural area
• I am very cautious about getting involved in
  community initiatives because you know that you
  are going to invest a huge amount of time in it
  for very little return
• . if its an affluent area where youve got
  people who are well used to filling in that sort
  of application form and they have the
  intelligence to deal with it and follow it
  through and chase it, then they are the ones who
  benefit. And you get the poorer communities where
  maybe they would use it more havent got the
  people within that community who can drive it
  forward and deliver it and so its not equitable
  at all