Could a community energy project reduce bills in Sandwick?
THE IDEA of a community energy club is among the options in the mix as Sandwick explores ways to reduce bills in the village.
Grant funding worth £20,000 has been secured by Sandwick Social and Economic Development Company (SSEDCo) from Local Energy Scotland’s Community and Renewable Energy Scheme (CARES) for the project.
The need for the initiative was identified through a community consultation event to inform local place plans, following which a grant application was submitted to explore options for the community.
SSEDCo carried out a competitive tender exercise for pre-feasibility work and consultants Voar Energy Ltd was the successful bidder.
This pre-feasibility study will consider a wide range of options, and everyone in Sandwick will be invited to share their views and shape the future direction of this project.
Voar’s Daniel Gear said the company will be looking at ideas related to community energy clubs, “with the underlying objective of increasing the sustainability of energy use in Sandwick, and critically, reducing its cost”.
There is a plan to hold a public meeting in Sandwick in February.
He told Shetland News that the concept behind community energy clubs sees households and small businesses directly benefit from renewable electricity generated within their own community.
This could be generated through a community-owned turbine, for instance, or solar panels, and even potentially some batteries.
The purpose is for the power being fairly priced, and consumed locally, keeping the financial and social value within the community.
“Rather than renewable generators selling electricity to the grid for it to be sold back to local residents at higher retail rates, Community Energy Clubs can allow community members to buy locally generated power at a price that better reflects its true value,” Gear explained.
While community energy clubs are a key part of the project, they are not the sole focus, with other ideas potentially in the mix too.
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“An essential element of this approach is that the concepts are led by the community right from the very start – they come up with the ideas for how energy should happen in the community, rather than it starting life as a commercial endeavour,” Gear added.
SSEDCo meanwhile said it was “delighted” to be working with Voar and is looking forward to wider community engagement.
Local Energy Scotland is the operational arm of the Scottish Government’s Community and Renewable Energy Scheme.
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