Resources
This page contains all materials, resources and learnings from Next Generation, and are made available to the whole community energy sector. There are several types of resource on this page:
Group videos
Videos from each group providing a brief description of their projects:
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Chester Community Energy - LED lighting in community buildings
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Plymouth Energy Community- New housing energy services company
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Gloucestershire Community Energy Cooperative- Decarbonising local authority housing
Case studies
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Green Fox - Zero Carbon Schools (June 2022)
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Lockleaze Loves Solar (June 2022)
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Nadder Community Energy - Partnership Models for an Electric Vehicle Car Club (Summer 2022)
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Brighton Energy Coop – Finding good locations for Electric Vehicle chargepoints (Summer 2022)
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Chester Community Energy – FCA authorisation (June 2022)
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Bath & West Community Energy – Flex Community (Summer 2022)
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Carbon Co-op – Energy Data Co-operative (Summer 2022)
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Crew Energy – enabling heat pump installations in London (Summer 2022)
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Plymouth Energy Community – developing affordable net zero homes through the use of an Esco (December 2020)
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Gloucestershire Community Energy Co-op (Summer 2022)
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Burneside Community Energy (June 2022)
Practical learning guides for community energy groups
Five practical learning guides have been developed to share learning on common themes emerging from the Next Generation innovation projects. These should be useful to community energy groups considering new approaches and also to other community businesses considering action on energy and climate issues.
The experience of the Next Generation innovation programme suggests that many emerging, innovative business models for community energy are significantly more complex, involve more partners and involve considerably more risk than earlier subsidy-supported business models. The practical learning guides provide insights from the Next Generation programme and beyond on:
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Practical learning guide 1 – partnership working by CE groups
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Practical learning guide 2 – partnership working with local authorities
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Practical learning guide 3 – partnership working with private firms
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Practical learning guide 4 – managing risk in innovative business models
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Practical learning guide 5 – raising funds for community energy activities
End of project reports
Each group has produced a detailed report on the delivery of their project and the lessons they have learnt along the way. More reports will be added as projects are completed.
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Green Fox Community Energy Co-operative- Delivering zero carbon schools
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Lockleaze Loves Solar- The Story so far October 2020 and Pivot model findings- June 2021
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Gloucestershire Community Energy Co-operative- Decarbonising local authority housing
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Chester Community Energy- LED lighting in community buildings
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Nadder Community Energy- Starting an EV car club and Business models for rural community car share
Financial models
As part of the Next Generation Innovation programme each group has developed a financial model which they have shared in order to help other groups to find out if similar projects may be financially feasible.
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Green Fox Community Energy Co-operative- Financial model- Base Model and Base Model Plus (excel without macros)
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Green Fox Community Energy Co-operative- Financial model- Base Model with gas (excel without macros)
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Gloucestershire Community Energy- Financial model- Battery-PV model Economy 7 shared loop BG tariffs (excel)
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Version 2 Battery + PV modelling- Lockleaze Loves Solar (excel)
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Version 2 Single House Breakdown model- Lockleaze Loves Solar (excel)
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Calculating EV charging profit template- Brighton Energy Coop
Templates & resources
These resources have been produced by community energy groups and may be a useful starting point for other groups. You can use these templates as a guide but please seek legal advice before using them in your project.
Solar
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Summary of the Lease and Energy Supply Terms to be provided to Landlords- Lockleaze Loves Solar
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Version 2 Framework Installation Agreement- Lockleaze Loves Solar
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Community Energy Zero Carbon Housing PowerPoint presentation- Burneside Community Energy
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Advice note- Should the PPA and heat supply agreement be combined- Plymouth Energy Community
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EPC template 1- General terms and conditions- Plymouth Energy Community
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EPC template 2- Design and installation template for solar- Plymouth Energy Community
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EPC template 3- Design and installation services for heat- Plymouth Energy Community
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EPC template 4- SPV and O&M services- Plymouth Energy Community
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Heat supply agreement- Commercial- Plymouth Energy Community
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Generating and selling electricity to residents- Plymouth Energy Community
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A Community Energy Services Company to Support the Decarbonisation of New Homes- Plymouth Community Energy
LED lighting in community buildings
Solar PV and EV charging
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Calculating EV charging profit template- Brighton Energy Coop
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Example EVCP request for quotation spreadsheet- Brighton Energy Coop
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Example EVCP request for quotation pdf- Brighton Energy Coop
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PodPoint EVCP specification- Twin charger- Brighton Energy Coop
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Example of demographic data to inform charge point location- Brighton Energy Coop
Flex Community
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Flex community customer journey- Bath and West Community Energy
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Flex community learning strategy- Bath and West Community Energy
Renewable heat
Electric vehicle car club
Data Co-operative
Impact of community energy involvement
A case study on the impact of community energy group involvement has also been produced. This is based on survey research that the Next Generation programme supported with 205 members of three community energy groups that are structured as ‘Community Benefit Societies’. The aim was to find out about their members, many of whom owned community shares in these group, and explore the difference that Community Energy made to their lives. The case study should be of interest to community energy groups as well as to policy makers.