www.cccommunityenergy.org ccce presentation by joachim muller

CCCE

Central Coast Community Energy

Association Incorporated

www.cccommunityenergy.org CCCE presentation by Joachim Muller


Agenda

• Situation of CCCE• History• Projects• Lessons learned

• Report from Congress last week in Canberra• Signs of hope

• Solar cost calculator• Is solar PV worth it?

Location: Central CoastWhat we do: Community EnergyLegal definition: Association Incorporated

Incorporated: 27th of August 2012

Purpose: to power the Central Coast with

community owned renewable energy.

• Establish a co-operative• Negotiate discounts … on

behalf of its members• Educate members and the

public on renewable energy• Liaise with stakeholders and

foster community engagement


What is Community Energy ?

• Community ownership of renewable energy production

• Bridging the gap between individual and large-scale installations

• Financial benefits stay in the community

• Public acceptance

• Community empowerment

• Educational benefits

• Small projects can lead to larger ones www.cccommunityenergy.org CCCE presentation by Joachim Muller

CCCE History• Established as incorporated association nearly two years ago

• First members mainly from friendly local environment groups and Greens

• Within ½ year• 70 members (poor renewal, now in the second year just

35!)• 150 on email list (now 200)

• Received $2000 donation from local environmental group (PEG)

• Received $50,000 grant from OEH in June 2013

• Grant project• Received financial and tax advice• Received legal advice• Documentation for establishment of co-op is nearly ready

• Engaged with Gosford City Council and other potential clients/hosts

• Created financial model• Engagement with community


CCCE Strategy• Interested in all kinds of mature renewable energy systems

• Starting with solar PV because it appears to be the fastest and easiest to establish

• Engage with community and promote renewable energy

• Do something which has a tangible outcome

• Establish a co-op and own renewable energy system

• Organise bulk buy for members

• Main initial priority: Project with local Council


CCCE Activities• Committee (7 members) meets every two to 6 weeks• Website: www.cccommunityenergy.org • Facebook site https://www.facebook.com/CCCommunityEnergy • Newsletter• Press releases – most successful activity for us• Stalls at local events (about 20)• Various talks (about CCCE, solar PV, electricity cost, Climate

Change)• Grant project with OEH

• Working with various advisers• Contact with other community energy groups and stake holders• Engagement with local eco village (Narara Eco Village)• Members attended various solar conferences, exhibitions, talks,

training sessions• Developed financial model

• For community energy with PV• For domestic PV

http://www.sun2steam.com.au/index.php/solar-pv-investment-calculator/

• For energy saving http://www.sun2steam.com.au/index.php/energy-cost-savings-calculator/

• Contacts with potential clients• Started to investigate Bio Gas


http://www.cccommunityenergy.org/

https://www.facebook.com/CCCommunityEnergy

https://www.facebook.com/CCCommunityEnergy



http://www.sun2steam.com.au/index.php/energy-cost-savings-calculator/

http://www.sun2steam.com.au/index.php/energy-cost-savings-calculator/

CCCE potential Projects• Our initial plan to work with Gosford council has ‘failed’

• Council suggested to form PPP• Agreed on possible project: Leisure Centre, up to 300kW• Made proposal to Council, PPA of 22 cent/kWh • Reply: Council will do it alone, at levelised cost of 9

cent/kWh

• We could offer a 100 kW PV system to a local company but have not so because our relative high fixed costs are driving price of electricity up

• Discussions with other potential clients have not resulted in a project

• local Fire Brigade: many very small systems• One place: did 100kW solar PV by themselves because of

depreciation• Wyong Council: small project (30kW appeared possible, but

we were not yet willing and ready)• Planning to talk to local Clubs• We need total installations of >300kW to offer attractive PPA

• Long term plan for bio gas and wind energy


CCCE Project Structure


CCCE Lessons learned• Easy to start when using network of friendly organisations• Committee (7 members) meets every 2 to 6 weeks – but not much work

gets done if most members have a full time job and family

• Steep learning curve with so many different areas to know about• Social media, website• Press releases• Running an association / a co-op• Engaging with, recruiting and keeping members• Technology• Dealing with Council• Talking with clients and stake holders• Accounting• Financial modelling• Dealing with a volunteer organisation/Group dynamics• Managing a grant project

• Finding money is a problem, but it also a problem, when receiving a grant• Advisers rarely hold your hand. They only give answers to your questions• Costs for consultants are shocking


CCCE Problems• Catch 22:

• No project without finance (e.g. by established co-op)• No co-op without secured project

• High annual cost of co-op (fees, insurance, administration, part time staff) (about $24,000) make electricity price (PPA) for clients unattractive

• Lack of feed-in tariff makes projects so much harder

• Volunteer organisations are slow and difficult to manage

• Getting things done

• The RET may collapse, making projects unviable

• Problems of retaining members as long as we cannot offer anything

• Members of association are not the same as members of the co-op

• Transition from association to co-op (at the moment on stand-by) www.cccommunityenergy.org CCCE presentation by Joachim Muller

CCCE

our dream

(but rather solarthan wind)

CC Hepburn Wind, flickr


• Easy to start when using network of friendly organisations


• About 350 participants• Mainly volunteers• Strong support from Office of Environment and Heritage

Congress report (1)• Great organisation, >300 participants, 2 ½ days - a real buzz

• 45 community groups around Australia similar to CCCE. • Two operable – Hepburn Wind in Victoria and Denmark wind in WA.

• Meir of German village presented village with 300% renewable energy supply

• Renewable energy as part of a regional development - environmental, economic and social benefit.

• Community engagement does take time, but can be a catalyst

• Initiated collaboration in various groups

• The ACT Government: new renewable electricity consumption target of 90% renewables by 2020 (NSW 20% target)

• Great presentation by Rob Stokes, our minister for the Central Coast www.cccommunityenergy.org CCCE presentation by Joachim Muller


• Feed in tariff 20 cent/kWh• For community energy• Capped at 1000 kW


Talk Rob Stokes

Congress report (2)• Problems:

• RET – will it survive

• ARENA – hanging on a shoe string

• Solutions:

• Feed-in tariff, Virtual Net Metering

• Different funding models available – grants, loans, crowd-funding, philanthropy


CCCE

our dream

(but rather solarthan wind)

CC Hepburn Wind, flickr


www.cccommunityenergy.org ccce presentation by joachim muller

Documents

ccce presentation

community energy groups

joachim muller slide

ccce strategy

foster community engagement

ccce activities committee

solar pv worth

local council