In this session we will explore community energy schemes and options for renewable energy.
Keynote: Community energy in East Sussex,
Chris Rowland, Ovesco
Session recording
Program 12:15 – 13:05
- 12:15 Introduction to the resources
- 12:20 Community Energy Schemes – Chris Rowland, Ovesco
- 12:35 Renewable heat energy in your home: what are the options – Olly Healey, Ohm Energy
- 12:45 Q & A with panellists: Chris Rowland, Olly Healey, Jason Lindfield, Rachel Fryer, Becky and Roy Francombe.
If you’d like to ask our panel a question, we recommend you look at the relevant resources below first. You can ask your question at the live event, or you can send us your question in advance using the link below.
Resources
Resources to support the session:
- Case study on air source heat pump and solar panel installation: Seaford
- Case study on air source heat pump and solar panel installation: Newhaven
- Case study on solar thermal system: Pevensey
- Information on switching energy suppliers
- Information on grants and funding for renewable energy (see below)
If you are looking for a renewable energy solution for your home, doing your own research and getting independent advice before you begin is essential. The Energy Saving Trust is a great place to start as they provide free, easy to understand information on their website and they are not trying to sell you anything. They also have online energy tools and calculators to help you work out how whether solar energy or wind energy are good solutions for your home.
Grants and Funding available for renewable energy solutions
New heat pump grant from 2022
New grants for households replacing gas boilers with low carbon heat pumps were announced on 19th October. The grants/subsidies of £5000 towards the cost of the heat pump will be available from 2022, but the total amount of money set aside will only be enough for 90,000 households. More details to follow.
Renewable Heat Incentive
The RHI is a government scheme to support renewable heating systems like heat pumps and wood boilers. If you install a system that meets all the scheme requirements, you can be paid for every unit of renewable heat you produce for a number of years. There are two RHI schemes – the domestic RHI is for households with a renewable heating system just for the one home. The current RHI scheme is open to applications until March 2022. Find out more about RHI here.
Export tariff
Export tariffs are payments made when you sell surplus energy units back to your electricity supplier. The current rate is 5.24p per unit of electricity. There is usually a CAP on the amount of energy you can sell back to your supplier, but you can apply to have the level of the CAP increased.
Information on the Octopus Energy Export Tariff scheme.
Other grants and funding schemes
Feed-in tariffs were closed to applications in April 2019. This government scheme was to encourage people to generate renewable energy.
The Green Homes Grant introduced September 2020 and scheduled to run until March 2022, was closed a year early in March 2021. This has left a funding hole, while we wait to see whether the government has anything planned to replace it. The Eastbourne Eco Action Network will continue to monitor information on new funding schemes. Meanwhile, it is worth doing your research and exploring your options, so you are ready to install as soon as new schemes are available.
Your Q and A panel
- Chris Rowland: Director of OVESCO IPS, Ovesco CIC & Ovesco Sunny Solar Schools
- Jason Lindfield: Director of Ohm Energy
- Olly Healey: Ohm Energy
- Rachel Fryer – Newhaven homeowner (eco features: MVHR Air source heat pump and Solar Panels)
- Becky and Roy Francomb – Seaford homeowner (eco features: Air source heat pump and Solar Panels)
Olly Healey Jason Lindfield Becky and Roy, Seaford Chris Rowland