GMCVO & 10:10
People powered renewables in Greater Manchester
Is your organisation interested in installing renewable energy,
making your community facility more energy efficient and tackling fuel poverty?
GMCVO and 10:10 are working on a new initiative for community renewable energy in Greater Manchester.
Has your organisation considered renewable energy? We’re developing a model that could help you:
· Save money on energy bills.
· Grow support and membership for your organisation.
· Become a role model for energy efficiency and tackle fuel poverty.
· Increase skills and confidence of your employees and volunteers.
· Work collectively with GMCVO members to build resilient communities.
We’re currently working with 8 community organisations (hubs) to identify an appropriate funding model and support package that will enable the installation of solar photovoltaic (PV) panels.
We’re looking to identify further 10-15 hubs in Greater Manchester to get involved as this will increase the potential benefits for everyone. If you’re interested in finding out more, please contact us:
Alison Crush, GMCVO project officer
| 0161 277 1022
The background
We’re building on success and expertise developed through previous GMCVO and 10:10 work.
GMCVO’s Generating Success Project
Generating Success was a collaboration between GMCVO, MERCi and the Carbon Co-op which provided capacity building, project development, technical and enterprise support to community renewable energy projects. Through the initiative, four ‘Trailblazer’ projects installed a range of efficiency and renewable technologies. Find out more about the project here: www.generatingsuccess.org.uk
10:10’s Solar Schools project
Solar Schools is a project from the carbon cutting campaign 10:10. It provides teams of parents, staff, pupils and volunteers with the resources and training they need to crowdfund the cost of solar PV from their communities.
Find more out more here: www.www.solarschools.org.uk
The proposal
Our proposal for the first phase of this work involves the roll-out of multiple community led, partly or wholly crowdfunded solar PV projects which will seek to:
· Facilitate renewable installations on community buildings in Greater Manchester.
· Utilise the fundraising for, and installation of, renewables to raise awareness of the need to take action to reduce carbon usage.
· Stimulate the formation of networks, leaders and ‘hubs’ that could provide the framework for future projects and initiatives.
Our ultimate aim is creating energy resilient communities in Greater Manchester.
The proposal – funding model
There are a number of financing routes that we’ve started to explore, involving crowdfunding donations and/or share investment and potentially using social impact loan finance. Each of these would present a range of different challenges and benefits and we’ll look to develop a model to suit the group.
Desired outcomes for community hubs
Community hubs involved in an exploratory workshop identified a number of desired outcomes for the project. These include:
· More efficient use of resources. Reducing reliance on funding through the installation of solar, and using the project network to access time, expertise, a safety net and shared knowledge (that’s appropriate to community hubs).
· Crowdfunding donations for solar is more flexible and inclusive than purely share offers. Allowing more people to get involved at a level that suits them and enabling the hub to attract more supporters. This could demonstrate the community value of the hub, strengthening subsequent funding applications and creating a network of supporters for future work.
· Renewables would help hubs to deliver their mission and create a visible role model for others to follow.
Next steps
We’re looking for more hubs (up to 25) and partners to be involved in the initial phase of this work.
Is your organisation or building interested in installing renewables? Would you like to work with us on a way to raise the funds that will bring your community together, raise your profile and involve you in a network looking for innovative ways to tackle fuel poverty in Greater Manchester? We’d love to hear from you.
Contacts
To register your interest and for more information, please contact:
Alison Crush
GMCVO project officer
| 0161 277 1022