hkdtransition.org.uk

ENERGY GROUP

The Energy Group was formed to plan our first Eco Fair, held in April 2010. Since then it was formative in organising the highly successful Octoberfest held at Downlands School in 2011, which we hope to see become an annual event. The group has also held other information and workshops events. 

Current members of the Energy Group are:

Carolyn Barton, Ian Chisholm, Chris Handel, Juliet Merrifield, Martin Sherman, John Willis & Colin Wood

The Energy Group aims to provide a forum for all those interested in discussing and helping to find ways of reducing the energy consumption of both individuals and our communities, reducing reliance on fossil fuels, and where possible introducing localised energy supplies – in response to climate change, peak oil and the ever-rising cost of fossil fuels. 

 

As a community we need to encourage the use of renewable forms of power, and enable the introduction of local schemes to generate renewable power.  We are lucky to have a very active group in near-by Lewes, where Transition Town Lewes has set up an Industrial Provident Society - called OVESCo - which has been administering Lewes District Council’s grants for insulation, heating and  renewables, as well as successfully implementing the UK's first 98kW community-owned solar power station at the Harveys Brewery site in Lewes, which is now fully operational.  

 

OVESCo (along with the Barcombe Energy Group) are also showing us the way to win funding for local energy efficiency projects, having recently won bids of approximately £80k for the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) Local Energy Assessment Fund (LEAF) to carry out household energy efficiency assessments, a renewable energy assessment, community-building energy assessments and household retrofits. 

 

• The Energy Group is looking to increase the membership of the group, so that we can become more active in pursuing these aims as well as: 

Run regular events to promote renewable energy and energy efficiency.

 

• Provide easy access to energy efficiency advice, and to assist in incentives to take it up.

 

• Survey energy efficiency of members in existing buildings to assess the best possible steps to reduce energy consumption. 

 

• Create a local renewables map - so people can see systems in situ.

 

• Create a cooperative wood purchasing and storage scheme.   

 

• Promote energy efficient alternatives to conventional cars (eg electric vehicles, bicycles, etc)  

 

In the longer term, more ambitious objectives can be considered, based on a similar model to OVESCo, such as: 

 

• Providing funding for small-scale renewable energy such as solar panels for members in conjunction with existing schemes.

 

• Developing large-scale community-owned renewable energy projects such as community PV, wind turbines, water hydro and CHP.

 

• Investigating larger scale projects for local energy generation such as community-owned wind turbines, coppice wood projects, sewage and gas projects and large-scale solar farm projects.

 

• Bulk purchase of electricity from an existing renewable electricity provider and resale to members.
• John Willis