The number of community owned renewable energy schemes in England is set to increase thanks to a $15 million fund unveiled by UK Energy and Climate Change Secretary Ed Davey.
The Urban Community Energy Fund will give community groups in England the opportunity to bid for grants of up to $31,347, or loans of up to $203,756 to help start their projects.
Wind, solar, biomass, heat pumps, anaerobic digestion, combined heat and power and hydro projects planned in any urban area across England will be eligible for financial support from the Urban Community Energy Fund. Community groups can reap the benefits of renewable energy by creating “power hubs” in their area. For instance, installing solar panels on local buildings or factories or building an anaerobic digestion plant to create energy from local waste can save whole communities money.
In addition, community electricity projects will now get further support under the Feed in Tariff Scheme – which pays the owners of small-scale renewable generation for the electricity they produce.