This research provides a summary of the literature and evidence relating to community
renewable energy projects. It focuses on the practical examples of community-owned
renewables, to consider the way they develop, what benefits they bring, how they have been
funded and how they can be sustained. Annex 1 contains a complete list of the evidence
that has been reviewed.

Specifically, the report is designed to answer the questions set by Community Energy Plus (CEP), across four areas:
 

1. Evidence for community-owned renewable projects, their results, lessons and implications, including:

1.1 What evidence is used to justify the need of community-owned renewable energy projects?
1.2 What are the advantages and disadvantages as compared to more commercially focused
proposals?
1.3 Which have been the notable successes and failures, and why?
1.4 What scale of project and technology has been most successful?
1.5 Are there economies of scale that work better within certain communities?
1.6 What are the consequences of working in a rural setting such as Cornwall?

2. The degree to which projects grow or replicate their approaches, namely:
2.1. Is there any evidence of projects being able to grow/replicate their influence, assisting further
projects?

3. The models used by community groups to raise capital, particularly relating to share
based approaches:
3.1 What evidence exists for how community share issues work?
3.2 What are the key issues that local groups have considered?
3.3 Why have they opted for a share issue rather than other financing options?

4 How projects have used the income they generate. Specifically:
4.1 How are funds from community-owned renewable energy projects used?
4.2 What research has been done into the success of proposals to create revolving funds to
support further projects?
4.3 What level of funding is required to make a revolving pot work?
To help, twelve community-owned renewable energy case studies were compiled to show
the range of approaches that are being taken – Annex 2 and table 1. These are referred to
throughout this report and include: projects using wind, hydro, biomass and other
technologies, at a range of scales, using different models. In addition, Annex 3 provides
some examples of projects that have used share based approaches to raise capital both
within the energy and wider community enterprise sectors.

Community renewables appear to be coming of age, with the alignment of different
objectives from a variety of sectors and a strong drive from communities to take action. The
evidence shows diversity between projects in terms of their purpose, approach and benefits.
This variability appears to be a key aspect of the success of community-owned projects, but
results in different understandings and interpretations about what these projects consist of
and who they benefit. These issues are discussed within the background section of this
report.

Community-owned Renewable Case Studies

Baywind
Bro Dyfi
Fens Co-operative
Fintry Renewable Energy Enterprise (FREE)
Gamblesby Village Hall
Gigha Community Wind Farm
Isle of Eigg Heritage Trust
Kielder Biomass District Heating
Knoydart Hydro
The Green Valleys
Torrs Hydro, New Mills
West Oxford Community Renewables/Low Carbon West Oxford

Examples of Community Share Issues

Energy4All – IPS Co-operative Model
Green Valley Grocer – IPS Co-operative
West Oxford Community Renewables – IPS Community Benefit Society