The UK’s nascent community energy revolution picked up pace through 2014 and the early part of 2015, but what will be the impact of the emergence of a new Government? The UK’s Community Energy Strategy has recently been revitalised, but what will be the influence of changes to investor tax relief and the new approach of the FCA? More broadly, the EU is now progressing with its new Energy Union strategy which has the citizen at its centre, but will EU State Aid Guidelines restrict national support mechanisms?
These and other questions were explored at what has become the UK’s largest and most exciting annual gathering of community energy practitioners. The programme and links to presentations are listed below.
To read the full conference report: click here
To view photos from the day: click here
PROGRAMME
9.30 Registration
10.15 Welcome: Emma Bridge, Chief Executive, Community Energy England
10.25 “How community energy in the UK can reach real scale": Ramsay Dunning, Co-operative Energy - download presentation
10.40 "Opportunities and barriers for community energy": Philip Wolfe, Chair, Community Energy England - download presentation
10.55 "The contrasting fortunes of wind and solar co-operatives": Mike Smyth, Chair, Energy4All - download presentation
11.10 BREAK
11.40 "Enabling community action through strong partnerships": Barbara Hammond, CEO, Low Carbon Hub - download presentation
11.55 "European learnings: the contrasting fortunes of community across Europe": Dirk Vansintjan, President REScoop, the European federation for community energy groups - download presentation
12.10 "Prospects for energy co-operatives and social enterprises in the UK": Ed Mayo, Secretary General, Co-operatives UK - download presentation
12.25 Panel discussion: "Prospects for the UK's Community Energy Strategy"
12.45 LUNCH & NETWORKING
13.45 "The current state of community energy in the UK"; Anna Harnmeijer, Senior Researcher, Scene Consulting - download presentation
14.15 WORKSHOPS
Peer Power - community energy best practice - download presentation
Community-led energy efficiency - download presentation
Financing community energy - download presentation
Lobbying for change - download presentation
15.00 TEA-BREAK
15.15 WORKSHOPS
Making shared community ownership work - download presentation
Working with local authorities - download presentation
Overcoming obstacles to connecting to the grid - download presentation
Utilising tax reliefs
16.00 Panel discussion: "New Government, New Dawn?"
16.35 Closing thoughts
16.40 CLOSE
Community Energy Awards
The second annual Community Energy Awards were also held on the 5th September 2015, as organised by Community Energy England in association with Energise London.
For the full list of awards, nominees and winners, click here.
Community Energy Fortnight 2016
This year events take place 3rd – 18th September. The Fortnight is an exciting opportunity to explore and celebrate how communities across the UK are generating, owning and saving energy. Doors will be opened to projects up and down the country – from seeing inside a wind turbine to building your own solar panel. The Fortnight aims to bring communities together and inspire new energy projects. This year's theme is Powering Forward.
To find out more about all the events that took place as a part of the 2015 Fortnight, click here.