The Role Of Community

Energy

Paul Kenny, B.E. C. Eng.

Chief Executive

Tipperary Energy Agency

Putting the Energy system

on a sustainable pathway

2nd December 2014

Tipperary Energy Agency is a partner in the

Interreg 4c ACE that aims to identify barriers and

solutions to Community Energy in northwest

Europe

• 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)

Ownership

• 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 Spend

Local Spend

Ownership Revenue

Ownership

Benefit Accruing

to Local

* 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

• Support the conversation at a local level

• Parish Development, tidy towns, Transition groups,

Local Authorities

• Facilitated through “community energy office” or Leader

program

• Strategic focus on removal of barriers (Grid speculation,

supportive planning policy, structured financing model and

support, simplified payments for Microgen)

• Competitive, structured, scaled supports of experts for

communities.

Community Policy Support

• Non profit, public good 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: pkenny@tea.ie

• W: www.tea.ie

Tipperary Energy Agency