Guide for Fostering Community Adoption of Renewable Energy Sources
In the realm of sustainable energy, community energy projects (CEPs) are gaining traction as a means to combat climate change and empower local communities. Eva Goudouneix, Community Development Manager at Repowering London, shares her insights on effective strategies for community engagement in CEPs.
- Building Trust and Relationships: Establishing strong, authentic relationships within the community is essential. By being transparent, approachable, and consistently present, Goudouneix emphasizes the importance of building credibility over time.
- Inclusive Participation: Ensuring that engagement activities are accessible and inclusive helps bring in diverse voices from the community. This means addressing barriers such as language, timing, and location of meetings.
- Education and Capacity Building: Providing clear information and education about the benefits and functioning of CEPs empowers residents to make informed decisions and become active participants.
- Co-Design and Collaboration: Involving community members from the early stages of project planning allows them to have a say in the design and direction of the project, fostering a sense of ownership.
- Highlighting Local Benefits: Emphasizing the direct social, economic, and environmental benefits to the community helps motivate engagement and support.
- Using Varied Communication Channels: Employing multiple ways to reach people, such as face-to-face meetings, newsletters, social media, and local events, can maximize outreach and participation.
These strategies aim to create a strong foundation for community-led energy initiatives that are sustainable and widely supported.
Goudouneix coordinates seven CEPs across London and emphasizes the social benefits they offer, including levelling equity, feeding the hungry, and providing energy for those outpriced of essential resources. However, she advises being patient when contacting CEPs, as they may be run by volunteers and may not always respond quickly.
When it comes to finding a suitable CEP, Goudouneix suggests starting with a 'foot in the door' approach. This could involve looking up existing organizations on websites like Community Energy England, Energy Scotland, Community Energy London, Local Energy Scotland, Community Power, Repowermap (for Germany), Community Power Agency (for Australia), Institute for Local Self-Reliance (America), Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland, Indigenous Clean Energy (Canada).
Volunteers are crucial to the success of CEPs. Goudouneix encourages potential volunteers to have a clear idea of what they can contribute and to be honest about their skills and time commitment.
CEPs often include a share offer for investors, promising a small return. The solar panels or wind generators in CEPs are pre-paid by the local community, which can be a selling point due to the potential for a 5% or 10% discount on electricity.
Goudouneix warns that CEPs can sometimes be dismissed as too good to be true. To prevent this, she advises following up with human contact as soon as possible. It's also important to protect the public purse when implementing CEPs.
When seeking a suitable site for a CEP, it's helpful to ask co-op members if they know someone involved with the site or property owners. Community Benefit Societies like Goudouneix's do the hard technical work, which can be used as leverage when approaching property owners.
Advocate groups like Community Energy England provide necessary advice, guidance, support, and expertise to newcomers in community energy. Goudouneix engages community members through markets, fairs, neighborhood meetings, and community events.
In conclusion, Goudouneix's work aims to get people involved in CEPs as investors, directors, or volunteers. By following her strategies, communities can take control of their energy future and reap the social, economic, and environmental benefits that CEPs offer.
- Funding and Investment: To ensure the financial sustainability of CEPs, Goudouneix suggests exploring share offers, which allow the local community to invest in the projects.
- Renewable Energy Generation: By investing in CEPs, community members can earn a small return on their investment through reduced electricity costs, often providing a 5% or 10% discount.
- Advocacy and Support: Collaborating with advocacy groups like Community Energy England can provide exactly the necessary advice, guidance, support, and expertise required for newcomers to navigate community energy projects more efficiently.
