Environmental Stewardship: Green Space and Energy Schemes
Running alongside the emphasis on local provision of housing and other
services, many Community Land Trusts attempt to meet high standards of energy
efficiency and environmental friendliness. Some community groups may aim to
implement their own renewable energy schemes to reduce their community's carbon
footprint and contribute towards the wider transition to a low carbon economy.
There are many ways of pursuing the generation of alternative energy, through
the way buildings are heated and supplied with utilities to the creation of
woodlands and preservation of green spaces.
The Centre for Alternative
Technology acts as a valuable introductory resource, offering educational
resources and short introductory courses to increase your knowledge.
Their short information sheets on Energy Efficiency; Renewable Energy;
Transport; Low-impact living; Water and Sanitation; and Eco-Building will
provide support and advice on these aspects of sustainable living.
Two common ways of creating renewable energy are through community wind and
hydro electric projects and the development and protection of new and existing
woodland spaces. To illustrate what others have achieved and what is possible,
we have highlighted particular case studies and relevant organisations that can
help your project below.
Energy Schemes
Hydroelectricity:
Hydroelectricity is energy that is generated through the use of turbines and
the gravitational force of flowing water. For an introduction to the topic and
links to further resources, visit
the Energy Saving Trust's webpage.
Using a local river to construct a scheme, Torrs Hydro New Mills based in
Derbyshire was set up to create a small hydro-electric scheme capable of
generating up to 250,000 kWh of electricity a year: the equivalent of the annual
electricity consumption of around 50 typical British homes. The scheme was
constructed with assistance from a specialist development company, H20OPE, who
specialise in consulting on community-led hydro electric schemes. The project
was financed through a combination of grant funding, loan finance, and share
capital raised through the formation of an IPS for Community Benefit. As such
the scheme is owned by the community acting to improve their local environmental
sustainability. For more on Torrs Hydro please visit
http://www.torrshydro.org/index.php.
Wind Turbines
Another alternative energy source can be utilised through the creation of a
wind turbine project. A community's ability to build wind turbines will depend
on your location: small scale domestic wind turbines will be most effective in
windy and exposed locations. Planning permission from your local authority will
also be necessary.
The Energy Saving Trust/a> provide an introduction to generating electricity
through small-scale wind turbine projects.
Energy4All is a
non-profit support organisation aimed at delivering community-owned green power
through community-owned wind farms. Registering on
their website will
provide access to a nine-point practical action plan guiding you through each
step of the journey to building a community wind farm. Similarly
there is a detailed case study of Bro Dyfi Community Wind Farm based on a
co-operative model of ownership which provides an analysis of their project
development including consideration of capital costs and legal structure.
Feed-in tariffs for renewable electricity
If you are producing your own electricity from a sustainable source such as
the two detailed above, it is possible you will be able to benefit from feed-in
tariffs which make a payment for every kilowatt-hour of electricity you
generate. This system was legislated in the government's Energy Act 2008 in
order to incentivise small scale renewable electricity initiatives. In addition
to the tariff payment, you will be able to use the power you generate to help
power your locality while still being able to 'export' surplus power back to the
National Grid if you generate more than you need.
Feed-in tariffs are applicable to England, Wales and Scotland. Payments vary
according to each type of renewable energy. For more information see
http://www.fitariffs.co.uk/
Renewable Heat Incentives
Whether it is a local community centre, shop or housing development, you may
choose to heat your scheme in a renewable fashion, perhaps using ground source
heating pumps or solar energy. Similar to the feed-in tariffs for sustainable
electricity, the government have created a Renewable Heat Incentive. This
provides a regulated income for the generation of your own heat and will come
into force from April 2011. You can find out more on
how to implement your sustainable heating system here /a>and how to qualify for
the financial incentives from April 2011 at
http://www.rhincentive.co.uk/
Woodland and green space conservation
The remit of many community groups may be to preserve or create green spaces
in order to protect the natural environment. Creating woodland for example may
be aimed at offsetting carbon emissions, creating a more wildlife-friendly area,
or providing resources for wood fuel. The Woodland Trust has more information on
how to plant your own wood and on its own campaigns aimed at improving woodland
biodiversity and raising awareness of the need to protect woodland.
Similarly Natural
England has a remit to advise the government on the natural environment.
They are an independent public body responsible for reducing the decline of
biodiversity, designating National Parks and Areas of Outstanding Natural
Beauty, and generally increasing opportunities for people to enjoy their natural
local environment. They can provide general advice and support on protecting
conservation areas and also offer access to numerous grant funding programmes
which may be able to assist your project. For the latest information please see
their list of open grants which you may be eligible for.
Community groups seeking funding for this type of project may wish to
consider their eligibility for the Community Spaces grant programme which can
provide finance for projects aimed at improving the local environment and/or
community public spaces.
Transition Towns
Encompassing these aspects of sustainable development, the Transition Towns
movement is orientated towards creating widespread community involvement in the
creation of a sustainable local community. This includes aspects such as energy
efficiency, preservation of the natural environment, and reduction of carbon
emissions through initiatives such as alternative energy sources and reduced
food miles. Transition Towns create community defined and implemented Energy
Descent Plans to help achieve these aims with a set framework. For more
information see
http://transitiontowns.org/.