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Community Renewables
Initiative
The Community Renewables
Initiative could bring renewable energy to your locality. It will mean
new skills and new livelihoods,
from well planned developments, that you can influence."
The Countryside Agency
 The
Community Renewables Initiative(CRI)
has
been
designed
to
promote
sustainable
energy
production
on
a
local
community
level.
The
initiative
helps
local
people
and
organisations
design
and
implement
renewable
energy
schemes
which
are:
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Environmentally sensitive; |
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Have support of all stakeholders; |
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Are appropriate to the circumstances of the locality; |
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Link to other diversification and regeneration schemes. |
The
scheme
has
been
designed
to
not
only
raise
the
awaeness
of
renewable
energy,
but
also
inform
communities
that
such
projects
can
form
a
major
part
of
the
regeneration
of
a
variety
of
spaces
from
farmland,
to
villages,
and
even
the
more
developed
urban
landscapes.
 England
has
been
broken
down
into
10
geographical
areas,
each
with
a
partnership
organisation
helping
local
communities
devise
their
own
ideas
for
renewable
energy.
TV
Energy
is
one
of
these
organisations
covering
Berkshire,
Buckinghamshire
and
Oxfordshire.
For
a
list
of
other
organisations
visit
the
Countryside
Agency's
web-site
www.countryside.gov.uk/communityrenewables.
Further
information
can
also
be
found
at
cri.energyprojects.net.
| What
is
happening in the Thames Valley? |
In the Thames Valley area
our
work
includes:
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Supporting local farmers to develop individual wind turbines & wind clusters on suitable farmland. |
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Investigating the opportunities for community investment schemes for local sources of renewable energy. |
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Advising on the installation of solar heat & electricity generating equipment in
community buildings. |
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Advising on the potential for low head hydro schemes on rivers and weirs in the region. |
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Working closely to support the development of community projects aiming to investigate the potential for small scale renewable energy schemes, or to raise awareness of renewable energy. |
| What has happened so far? |
 As
part
of
the
Community
Renewables
Initiative,
TV
Energy
has
hosted
four
community
workshops,
one
in
each
of
its
four
county
areas.
Over
230
people
attended
the
workshops
to
learn
about
the
potential
for
renewable
energy
and
as
a
result,
a
number
of
new
community
renewable
energy
projects
are
now
being
explored.
During late 2002 we also ran a community
renewable energy grant competition offering grant awards of up to £2000
to support promising community based projects. This attracted 43
applications and a report on the winners of the grants can be seen
here.
A further round of funding is planned
during 2004; details are attached
here.
| Education about Renewable Energy |
 A
range of educational events run each year, including site visits to the
Swaffam Wind Turbine and to the biomass heating system at Worcestershire
County Hall, workshops on solar energy and visits to sustainable housing
projects.
The following organisations and
government bodies support the Community Renewable Initiative.
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Department
of Trade and Industry |
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The
Forestry Commission |
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Department
for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs |
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The
Energy Saving Trust |
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The
Local Government Association |
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The
Environment Agency |
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The
Country Land and Business Association |
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Friends
of the Earth |
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The
Shell Better Britain Campaign |
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National
Farmers' Union |
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The
RSPB |
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The
National Trust |
| Would
you like to know more? |
If
you
have
ideas
for
a
renewable
energy
scheme
in
your
local
community
that
you
would
like
to
discuss,
or
if
you
would
simply
like
us
to
advise
you
on
some
of
the
renewable
energy
possibilities,
please
contact
TV
Energy:
Liberty House
The Enterprise Centre
New Greenham Park
Newbury
RG19
6HS
Tel: 01635 817 420
Fax: 01635 522 779
E-mail: info@tvenergy.org
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