Edinburgh Community Energy Co-operative (ECEC) started working on an exciting project in Leith in July 2011 having been awarded funding from the Scottish Government’s Climate Challenge Fund (CCF).
Firstly we will be working with the Energy Saving Trust to help Leith residents save money and energy in their home through advice and discounted insulation measures. A letter will be going out soon to all households in the Leith Neighbourhood Partnership area (Leith & Leith Walk Wards – see map). This will include a discounted insulation offer. It will also contain a survey which aims to gather information on how much energy an average household in Leith uses – this will help us to carry out and evaluate our project. The survey also aims to gauge how much interest there is from the Leith community in developing community-owned renewable energy schemes. The survey is available online here: survey
or in paper format. Send an e-mail to edinburgh.energy.coop(at)gmail.com if you would like a hard copy.
Copy of letter to residents in Leith Neighbourhood Partnership area
See the poster advertising the project here: Community_Energy_Poster2[1]
Secondly, we are planning to develop a community-owned renewable energy scheme in Leith by installing solar panels on the roofs of suitable community buildings to generate electricity for the benefit of the local community. You may have heard about the government’s ‘Feed-in Tariff’ scheme which pays a premium price to electricity generated in this way, whether it is used on-site or exported to the grid. A typical solar scheme might cost between £8,000 to £25,000, so obviously financing the capital costs would be a problem for most community groups.
These are now schemes where it is possible to enter a 25 year contract to lease out an area of roof to a third party company to install solar panels. Some companies have been offering to install up to £15,000-worth of solar panels on some building owners’ roofs absolutely free; in return they get some free electricity for the next 25 years. While this is probably a good deal for those without the capital outlay the building owner could lose out on around £30,000 profit from a single installation over the next 25 years. Edinburgh Community Energy Co-operative would like to see these profits remain in the community and used for further energy efficiency and renewable projects so that the benefits are multiplied.
You can help in two ways.
Firstly, please encourage Leithers to watch out for the energy survey and to participate if at all possible.
Secondly, if you know of any community buildings in the area which you think might be interested in participating please let us know.
Leith Community Energy Day was held on Saturday 15th October 2011 at the Norton Park Centre on Albion Road. The presentations are available here.
Our second public meeting was held on Saturday 21st January in South Leith Parish Church Halls in Henderson Street, Leith. Speakers included Mark Wells from Sheffield Renewables, which is a community and a social enterprise that develops, funds, builds, owns and operates renewable energy schemes. Any surplus money is re-invested to support local communities in Sheffield. It is legally incorporated in way which allows it to finance its work by selling shares, primarily to people and businesses within Sheffield. Presentations available here.
For the next part of the project four two hour drop-in sessions were organised: two at Leith Library and two at McDonald Road Library, so that Leith residents could speak to an advisor about using and energy monitor (which can be borrowed from the libraries) and saving energy in the home. There were information displays at both libraries for two weeks. Details available here: LibrariesPoster_Feb12[1]
A final public meeting for this project was held on 15th March at Cafe Camino, St Mary’s RC Church Hall. The theme of this meeting was “Tenements Can Be Energy Efficient”. The presentations given at this meeting are available here.
Our Final Report to the Climate Challenge Fund is available here.
Contact edinburgh.energy.coop(at)gmail.com
Hello there, I’m really interested in all that you’re doing in Leith, particularly the community renewables scheme. I really wanted to come along to the event on 15th Oct but unfotunately have other committments that day. Please could you keep me informed of the outcome of this event and of any similar future events you might be hosting. Thanks!