The Role Of Community Energy Paul Kenny, B.E. C. Eng. Chief Executive Tipperary Energy Agency How can communities work with wind.
Jul 25, 2015
The Role Of Community Energy
Paul Kenny, B.E. C. Eng.Chief ExecutiveTipperary Energy Agency
How can communities work with wind.
• Clear we need to Transition to Sustainable Energy.
• The “Distributional Impact” of policy needs to be carefully considered.
• Current “policy” leading to destabilising wealth transfer.
• Citizen owned Vs multinational profit. • Citizens have little trust in the “system”
Context/ Drivers
• Citizens use energy wisely• Energy use contributes to the local and
national economy (not harms it)• Citizens and businesses supply energy on a
competitive basis.• The rewards of which are in turn invested
(mainly) in our economy.• Policies support a secure, stable and clean
industry.
Ideal Energy Senario (Citizen)
• Tipperary Energy Communities retrofit ~ 70% homes signed up.
• Aran Islands similar at 60+%• Research has & will continue to show community
energy engages.• Requires a bottom up approach at a community
level.• Needs to unleash
• Volunteer effort (competitive)• Citizens savings• Economic development
Communities Own Transition
Community Energy Delivers Value
85,702
90,036
148,559
Value to Local Economy / MW / Annum
Non Local SpendLocal SpendOwnership Revenue
Ownership Bene-fit Accruing to Local Economy
* Based on real figures for one project. NPV assuming 20 year life time
Danish vision of community energy- Engages people and their savings- Empowers decisions- Owns infrastructure – DH, Wind, Solar
District Heating must be consumer owned – i.e. community
Planned Tralee District Heating- 100M revenue over 20 years- All locally sourced energy.- Equivalent of 135 sustainable jobs.- 13,000 T CO2 (per annum)
Community Energy Delivers Scale
• Developers are forced to have 20% community owned equity
• Third party (state) completes due diligence and approves the investment offering (a regulated financial product)
• Open within a close geographic limit first• Open to a wider geographic limit if insufficient investors.• Community Investor returns ~ 7-11% (depends on project)• Community investor can sell shares at anytime.
Lessons From Denmark
• Developers assemble a project (€€€€)• Planning permission• Grid• Lease• Other consents
• Banks recognise this project value as “equity”• Additional “equity” provided by developer
• This may be a loan, a share offering, cash investment, Tax scheme (BES/ EII)
• This “equity” has less rights than bank (B-shares)• 60% - 85% Bank Senior Debt/ Project finance/ Non
recourse loan (Mortgage!) over 10-15 years.
Windfarm funding 101
What value is in the wind?
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21
-2,000,000
-1,500,000
-1,000,000
-500,000
0
500,000
1,000,000
1,500,000
2,000,000
2,500,000
3,000,000Simplified Windfarm Development Finance (per MW)
Bank finance
Developer borrowed equity
Developer equity
Years
Eu
ro
What value is in the wind?
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21
-2000000
-1500000
-1000000
-500000
0
500000
1000000
1500000
2000000
2500000
3000000Simplified Windfarm Community / Developer Model
Bank finance
Community Share (1/3)
Developer Equity (2/3)
Years
Eu
ro
What’s in it for me?
Developer:- Lower development cost
risk.- Lower development costs
(planning/ court!)- Lower objections - Quicker project- Potentially larger windfarm- Feel good.
Community:
- Significant local income (100k/turbine/annum)
- Some ownership of decisions (Turbine siting)
- Ownership of project- Community development
funding- Less divisions, animosity- Landowner can get same
or more money!!- A future for children.€
- Community needs to organise and unite.- Educate all stakeholders about benefits and impacts. - Gain windfarm development knowledge.- Really need to get vast majority of locals on board.- Form a committee that the developer can work with.- Legal/ Finance- Form a co-op
or Ltd company.
Next Steps
• Non profit, public good social enterprise
• Partnership approach• Energy management• Renewable energy and energy
efficiency• Procurement, project mgmt.• Cost effective, value driven
• Paul Kenny• Chief Executive• T: 052 7443090• F: 052 7443012• E: [email protected] • W: www.tea.ie
Tipperary Energy Agency