A summary of progress so far…
Since its launch in February, our community energy group has done a lot of talking and had a lot of ideas. We have carried out a parish survey which has given us a clear understanding of how our homes are powered and heated. The majority of our homes are stone built, single skinned and detached. Most people have invested in insulation and double glazing. Oil is the most popular heating fuel, with logs being the most common secondary source of heat.
There is a wealth of knowledge and experience within SHARE. Some of our group can explain the mysteries of energy bills. Others would be happy to show how to compare the tariffs of different suppliers and how to switch to a better deal. For anyone considering installing a renewable energy technology such as Solar PV, Solar hot water etc, or saving energy by insulating their home better, there are examples in the parish where you can see in practice how it can be done.
Sharing knowledge is an element of most community energy groups, as is sharing knowledge between groups. There is a group in Tavistock and numerous groups throughout Cornwall. A few members of our group met up with members of Transition St Goran (near St Austell) to learn from their experiences.
We had a presentation from Biozolve on how a biodigester could be used to generate power as a community project and also possibly deal with some of our waste that currently we pay Cornwall Council to take away and bury at great expense. The concept of a community owned project, with the benefits shared throughout the parish, fitted well with the aspirations of the group. At the moment, there is not the quantity of digestible material freely available in the parish, so biodigestion is not a viable option for us right now.
Recently grants have been made available to community energy projects in Cornwall through energyshare and energyfund Cornwall. A SHARE working group has started work on a bid for a grant to pay for an evaluation of which renewable energy generation technologies will be appropriate for our parish, an appropriate legal structure, local community engagement activities, etc.
So far, the group has been very informal. To progress further we need a proper structure and constitution. The consensus has been that the group is for the residents of South Hill or those with a close association with the parish. Everyone is welcome to come along to our meetings.
Finally, I would like to thank the Parish Hall for letting us use the Hall without charge, so far. Also thank you to Jackie Squance for taking notes at the meetings and to everyone who has made a contribution.