Energy Generation

Community energy is defined by Community Energy England, of which Central Suffolk Community Energy (CSCE) is a member, as:

“The delivery of community-led renewable energy, energy demand reduction and energy supply projects, whether wholly owned and/or controlled by communities or through a partnership with commercial or public sector partners”.

The comments below are designed as a guide and represent CSCE’s current understanding. As a member of Community Energy England and being a pathways participant with Community Energy South, we have access to expertise to help and guide. Therefore if you represent a rural community in the Central Suffolk and North Ipswich parliamentary constituency and wish to take a project forward please contact us, using the form at the foot of the page or by e-mailing enquiries@csceuk.org.

District Heat Networks (DHN) are defined as a central (or a cluster) of heat generating installations which pump hot water via a pipe network to provide space heating to many properties in a location e.g a village or a housing estate. Commonly this will take the form of a large ground source heat pump, supported by renewable electricity provision from a solar array and a wind turbine, with batteries / grid access as a back-up.

Superficially DHN are very attractive in areas off the gas grid and with housing that doesn’t lend itself to individual heat pumps. Swaffham Prior Heat Network, is the example often cited, but it has elements that are unlikely to be replicatable elsewhere. In Babergh, one of CSCE’s sister organisations Heating Bildeston, which is also supported by the Suffolk Climate Change Partnership, has undertaken considerable work to see if it might adopt a DHN there. Its work to date is accessible via the following link.

CSCE’s DHN position is to maintain a watching brief and support Heating Bildeston as the lead in Suffolk for a DHN project. If any central Suffolk parish is considering a DHN, CSCE will be pleased to effect an introduction to the Heating Bildeston team. However, registering an interest as a CSCE community – which you can do here – will mean that we can make you aware of any developments which improve the feasibility of district heat network projects.

Solar projects remain the most popular initiatives for communities to implement renewable energy generation. Many are roof-top and benefit the community building where they are sited. Guidance and case studies are covered in the Community Assets section of this site.

Beyond rooftop solarPV, communities often seek to use a piece of community owned land or land which a landowner is prepared to make available long-term at a reasonable rent to establish a small solar farm, where the profits or an element of it accrue to the community.

What makes for a successful community solar project does change with many variable factors e.g. price of land, electricity price, supply chains, availability of labour etc., but there are some elements that are common to all successful projects, which are:

• • A credible team to progress a project: In addition to enthusiasm, the team should include people with time to devote to the project that can cover off the following bases: electrical engineering, financial/accountancy, legal, project management, administration, PR and communication and direction/chairperson skills.
  • Community engagement and support: This includes the parish and district councils, in addition to most residents, taking account of and responding to those raising doubts/objections to the project.
  • An off-taker for the generated electricity: National Grid will consider community solar of <1MW but only if its adjacent to a node which has capacity. However preferable option is having a public sector off-taker for the generated electricity which is guaranteed by national government. Schools, NHS bodies and some council facilities fall into this category.
  • Connectivity: a clear path needs to exist to the off-taker, which ideally is short (less than 2km) and crosses the land of one or two landowners. Easement will need to be applied for, but the simpler the route is the better chance of success in a reasonable timeframe.
  • Funding: early on you should have clarity as to how you will fund the project. Options include grants/loans from local authorities/other public bodies, commercial loans/debt, monies raised via an investor share offer, crowdfunding or a mixture. The Centre for Sustainable Development, amongst many helpful resources has a succinct guide to community energy funding here.
  • Business casing / feasibility: having pulled an outline project proposal together it is vital that a fully feasibility study is conducted, and a business case developed. Funders will demand it and it will form the basis of any share offer prospectus.

Since 2016 in England there has only been a single community onshore wind project that has resulted in the installation of a turbine and that is at Avonmouth, Bristol and the community group Ambition Lawrence Weston.

The Energy Security Strategy published in April 2022 announced a consultation programme with those who wish to host new onshore wind infrastructure in return for benefits, including lower energy bills. In July 2024, the new Labour government stated that it would change planning policy to encourage onshore wind. Details are awaited.

When considering if a community has suitable wind to support a successful turbine project, a start point should be the Friends of the Earth renewable energy potential map.

Having established that there is sufficient wind available, then the ‘successful project’ points above under Community Solar apply, with one further addition; turbines need to be a minimum of 500m away from any home. Although dating back to 2006-09, the project at Hockerton in Nottinghamshire, known as SHOCK is a useful starting point.