Community Energy Initiative
13th February 2012, 7.30pm, Small Hall
In Spring 2011, the VAP Plumpton Goes Green Team carried out a survey of the energy consumption and environmental footprint of a small number of households in the village – the “community footprint”. The survey showed very clearly that, while Plumpton residents’ energy consumption is about average for the Lewes district, our oil consumption puts us way above the norm. Basically, because most of us are reliant on oil for our heating, we are paying out a lot of money, and we are leaving a big sooty footprint on our environment.
The PGG Team has since been exploring how we can both save ourselves money as a community and if we can source more environmentally sustainable alternatives to oil. Our aim is not just to help cut individual energy costs in the short term, but also to look at the energy consumption and needs of the village as a whole, and explore a community-wide, cost-effective and sustainable energy strategy for the long term.
The strategy would have several stages, depending on levels of buy-in from the village. One simple and immediate step towards cutting energy costs is for the village, or groups of villagers, to organise a deal with a local oil supplier so that we get reduced price deliveries for a guaranteed minimum annual order.
A more ambitious and longer-term next step would be to survey a larger cross-section of houses in the village and organise a community-wide insulation scheme for all home owners who wished to opt in. Again, we would benefit from bulk-purchase and installation. Subsidies could be arranged for low-income households.
At the most ambitious end of the scale, we would invest in a district heating system powered by a combination of sustainable, renewable sources, including biomass and anaerobic digestion – our two most readily available sources of alternative energy generation locally. Hydropower also offers a good source of renewable electricity.
In Germany and Austria, it is standard for every town and village to have a heating and energy plan for the next 10 or 20 years. It is likely that some (at least) new houses will be built in the village in the next five to ten years, so this seems an ideal time to be thinking ahead about our energy consumption and needs.
Without being too alarmist, there are bigger, global factors involved. New EU pollution rules could force the closure of 25% of UK power stations by 2015 – we could face some very cold winters. And the oil is running out: since the mid 1980s oil companies have been finding less oil than we have been consuming. Last but not least, the costs of heating oil have tripled since 2004.
A good example of community response to the looming energy crisis is Güssing – formerly one of the poorest areas in Austria. In 1990, the Mayor of Güssing realized that his region was entirely dependent on fossil fuels for heating, electricity and transportation (much like us) and over €9 million was going to oil and gas companies. In 11 years, Güssing has become 100% energy self-sufficient by investing in a renewable energy strategy. Over 1500 new ‘green’ jobs have been created in the community, commuting outside the region has reduced by 60% and, perhaps most importantly, Güssing produces more energy than it needs. Selling this excess generates an annual income of over €4.7 million for the region.
The PGG Team will be holding a meeting in the village hall on the 13th of February 2012 for the whole community, where we can discuss these ideas in more detail. The projects falls within the PGG team’s remit to explore actions to reduce our community carbon footprint and promote sustainability. If enough people support the principle of exploring alternative community solutions to our energy needs, we can then start looking for funding for detailed and expert surveys.
Ruth Segal
Plumpton Goes Green Team Leader
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