Community planning: Low Carbon Communities
Low carbon communities
Funding
Funding opportunities
Government policy has created a framework, led by the Green Deal, which provides opportunities for individual households and for communities and neighbourhoods to invest in energy efficiency and micro-generation.
Pay as you save – the Green Deal
- A move away from up-front payment of the costs of installation - capital cost paid back by present or future occupants of dwellings - energy consumption reduced – but bills remain the same;
- the difference will be the Green Deal Payment collected by the energy suppliers and passed to the organisation that borrowed the money – at end of ‘loan period’ when capital been repaid, bills will reduce significantly;
- £6,500 – £10,000 worth of work per dwelling for energy efficiency and micro-generation installations with a payback period of 5-10 years;
- Repayment cost must not exceed value of energy saved;
- Who will borrow the money to fund private owners package? High profile retailers such as Tesco and Marks and Spencer? Local authorities? New purpose designed private sector organisations? All to be resolved in early 2012 and be operational by Autumn 2012;
- Subsidy will still be needed for poorest families in fuel poverty who need reduction of bills now.
from Funding A-Z- Declared a ‘huge success’ by government. 21,000 installations by early 2011 – mainly domestic – solar panels and wind turbines;
- Average of £800 income per annum per dwelling plus £140 per annum average energy savings;
- But Feed-in Tarrifs for over 50kW (20 homes) reduced from 30.7p per kW to 8.5p because of solar farms ‘boom';
- The 50kw and upwards scale is the government’s idea of ‘community energy’.
- Huge potential for a community income stream for other neighbourhood projects.
‘Community energy is a perfect expression of the transformative power of the Big Society. With the right combination of incentives and freedoms, community groups, businesses and organisations can get together to build a cleaner, greener future’ Greg Barker – Climate Change Minister
from Funding A-Z
Thanks: This page partly funded by the Department for Communities and
Local Government, 2011.
