News / renewable energy
Call-out for green energy enthusiasts to spark community conversation
A community group with the mission ‘clean affordable energy for everybody’ is starting an open conversation with neighbours.
Emersons and Lyde Green Community Energy CIC (ELCoE) formed out of a local interest in energy and its relationship to climate change.
The voluntary group is exploring options for projects that can help to clean up the community’s power needs while lowering bills and supporting people in fuel poverty.
is needed now More than ever
“Our key ambition is a local community that largely powers itself,” ELCoE’s chair Chris Sunderland told Bristol24/7. “This is a moment of great opportunity – a lot of the technology is there, and there’s lots we can do.”
The renewable energy group was born from the number of environmentally-focused projects in the area such as the Emersons Green community orchard
ELCoE was born of environment-related projects which proliferate in the local area, such as the Friends of Emersons Park, the community nature reserve and gardening for wildlife initiatives.
The group has big ambitions but plans to get the conversation started with a Green Open Homes day in November which will enable people to discuss the “warts and all” realities of retrofitting.
“Our aim is simply to encourage that conversation with a view to building trust,” said Sunderland, explaining the group is seeking residents to open up their homes to visitors to demonstrate energy efficiency measures, insulation, draught blockers or any other adaptations.
“If you know a real person who’s done something and they’ve told you a real story then I think it’s much more encouraging than just marketing spiel. Green Open Homes day is just that.
“For all of us it’s a journey – it’s not entirely obvious what you should do with every home. We’re not prescribing what everybody should do, but as local community people with an interest in the area, we will put them in touch with professionals who can help them think it through.”
The group’s ambition to fit solar panels on every appropriate roof including those of public buildings could include the local library
Sunderland outlined the group’s vision, including harnessing energy from the deep mine water as a ground heat source, and an Every Roof campaign which hopes to see solar panels on all public buildings and every appropriate roof in the area:
“There’s just no reason not to do that now – it’s proven technology, you can do it at relatively low cost with payments likely less than your savings from not using electric or even selling electric back to the grid – so the project washes its face financially.”
The group has been inspired by the Lawrence Weston wind turbine project.
“The work that Bristol Energy Network has done in Lawrence Weston is a great model for others to follow,” said Sunderland. “It’s producing a really serious contribution to their local community and it’s owned by the community, so that’s just terrific. If we could do something like that, that would be great.”
Lawrence Weston’s community-owned wind turbine is the tallest in England and powers the local residential community of 3,500 homes – photo: First Avenue
The group sees scope for largescale projects that could provide significant community benefit, with a remit that covers Pucklechurch, Mangotsfield, and Staple Hill, a total of 15,000 households.
“There’s lots of possibilities, our mission is to try to make some of it happen,” said Sunderland. “We’re just local people – we want to work together to encourage one another to do what we can in this area.”
ELCoE is seeking residents to open their homes to guests for Green Open Homes day on November 16, offering a £25 voucher and home cleaning services to anyone that would like to take part. Find out more by visiting elcoe.co.uk/green-open-homes
All images, except where credited, provided by ELCoE
Read next:
Our top newsletters emailed directly to you
