News about ECOE
There’s lots to tell you about since our last newsletter
We’re really chuffed to have been shortlisted for the Community Energy England annual award for the community renewable energy project award. We’re one of seven community energy groups and we’ll be finding out on 3rd Sept at the awards ceremony.
Solar PV 1 and 2
The installation at Exeter College has finally started and we’re sending out a press release today, so keep an eye out in the local papers. The panels started to be laid yesterday and will be completed by Fri.
From left to right Nuku Wondrausch, Ashley Commins both from SunGIft Solar; Gill Wyatt, Exec Chair, ECOE; Steve Strang, Head of Property, Exeter College
There have been times when we weren’t sure this project would happen, so we’re both happy and relieved. Its a great project because the benefits are so wide reaching, for the college thru reducing their energy bills, the educative potential for all its students, to the members/investors of ECOE and the beneficiaries of the community fund
We’re expecting the installation at Pinhoe Rd Baptist Church and Glasshouse Lane Medical Centre to also be completed in August. Hopefully the legals will be signed for both of these in the next few days … and Swimbridge Village hall, part of Solar PV 2, is expected to also complete in August.
Its looking good for other roofs too – Honiton Community Complex and Lobb Pavilion – The plan is to send out the competitive tender next week for these two and they won’t be far behind.
We have access to an interest free loan so that we can install all of these once we have spent all of the £390,000 raised last October. We’ll then be running a further share offer in the autumn, so you’ll have another opportunity to invest.
Energy Efficiency
We’ve sent off one funding application for £10,000 to Western Power Distribution Affordable Warmth Local Action Fund and we’re planning to also apply to Smart GB later this month. The project will work with four areas in Exeter – Exwick, Newtown, Priory and St Davids. We will ask for referrals for households experiencing fuel poverty and/or health related difficulties from cold, damp homes and ECOE Energy advisors will carry out home visits to both carry out an energy audit to find out if switching, behaviour changes and low-cost energy saving measures would help but also assess whether they can also apply for other benefits that would improve their financial standings. Part of the project will be to train health and care workers to make referrals and our advisors will also receive training. Further visits would be offered to provide support for changes to be utilised.
We have bigger plans regarding how this could then lead to a street by street project. If we can access substantial funding, we would then be looking to provide funding for high-cost energy saving measures alongside low-cost measures, behaviour changes, switching and benefit advice.
We’re hoping to have a new energy efficiency web page soon!
ECOE Heat
We’ve been successful in applying for peer mentoring with the Co-op HIVE Project. Ben Dodd from Green Fox who have successfully installed community-owned biomas projects will now be guiding us and we hope to ne arranging our first feasibility study on replacing the biomas boiler at County Hall. Its very early days and the feasibility study will allow us to make our proposal to Devon County Council. Then we’ll have to see whether we will be partnering with DCC again. Its certainly worked well with our rooftop solar projects.
