Community Energy London

March Open Meeting Minutes

26th March, 6-8PM, Zoom Call

Agenda

6:00-6:10 Welcome

6:10-7:00 Impacts of Covid-19 on community energy groups

7:00-8:00 CEL Priorities following loss of CEL Officer

6:00-6:10 Welcome

How the session is going to run

Tools

Quick go round

If you’d like to speak, please raise your hand OR type in the chat

6:10-7:00 Impacts of Covid-19 on community energy groups

Some common issues we’ve heard of

1. Groups are invited to share their experiences so far

2. Discussion around opportunities for community energy to play a role to support vulnerable communities

• CEL and CEE are interested in how we can support projects through COVID-19.
• GLA are also keen to support groups in relation to LCEF

Issues we have heard about

1. FiT deadline

• 31st March installation deadline from Ofgem is not going to be flexible

*Duncan update from CEE*

• Ofgem have forwarded concerns to BEIS but not sure what flexibility there is to change the legislation. May be able to do that retrospectively if possible (if the minister is minded to).
• They have direct contact at Energy UK who is contacting all member associations. CEE has suggested 1 line statutory instrument.
• Secretary of state would need to sign off to change any statutory instrument

2. Cash Flow

• Sydney: People not being paid their FiTs. En10ergy one of the first to install but haven’t been paid at all. Apparently Ofgem have had ‘technical issues’. This is a real problem with cash flow (this was an issue before COVID19)

LCEF update:

• GLA are being flexible. Signed up to London funders commitment, understand that we will experience delay. Asked that we let them know.
• Will accept interim claims.
• Also want to hear how COVID has impacted projects - difficulty in getting solar panels from suppliers etc.

Impacts of COVID-19

• Syed: Have heard from solar companies that China is back up to ramping up production of solar panels to pre-Covid19 - which is amazing. However, the issue remains getting the panels here

• Alan: Funding for feasibility study (with SELCE) but struggled to get access to the buildings due to COVID
• Access to sites (hospitals, schools) because only being allowed access for essential safety issues
• Affecting O&M

• Mike: Challenge around closure of schools: closure of schools during peak generation and peak usage will have an impact on income

• Mike: Delays with Ofgem has led to problems with Coop energy because they are all stuck with Ofgem. Not sure what to do - accept lower FiT? Is there a risk of Coop energy going under?

• Coop folding into Octopus Energy
• Octopus don’t have specific FiT team, and only correspond via email

• Technical issue: EPC that was there when we registered the site but has now elapsed. Now waiting to hear back from Ofgem. Unsure whether to accept lower tariffs (without the EPC)?
• Sydney: Unsure whether Octopus do FiTs at all? Unsure from their correspondence with Octopus.
• Duncan: [Asked for this issue to be written up for CEE cases document] Email sent out to member contacts asking for Coop energy FiT team. Fit@coopenergy.org should reach Josh?
• Syed: Octopus have also  just entered into a relationship with E.ON. They know what they’re doing
• Duncan/CEE interested to learn more about pressures groups are under

2. Discussion around opportunities for community energy to play a role to support vulnerable communities

• New groups have stepped up to support vulnerable people via mutual aid - how could community energy step us to support vulnerable communities?
• Fuel poverty - in particular figuring out how to support people with prepayment meters
• Duncan: suggestion that people could focus on draft exclusion. DIY shops are now closed, but can community association bulk buy these? How can we help people reduce their fuel bills?

• Offered to help make best practice document to share on this. Draft email is here to be added to: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1vjlhtfWE2M9WGH_3-8lbQvyDp_z303B7qYxYozAX_x0/edit#

• Suggestion to link up with mutual aid groups who are keen to partner with existing community groups to identify vulnerable groups and find the best ways to support them
• Sam: Will there be a suspension in utility payments? Unclear at the moment what the government is committing to.

7:00-8:00 CEL Priorities following loss of CEL Officer

- Overview of current financial situation

- Funding applications update

Applied to: City Bridge Trust, Friends Provident Foundation, National Lottery Fund Awards for All, Polden-Puckham Charitable Trust, Fuellers Charitable Trust

Crowdfunder!

Q: Any other funds that people know of?

Funding applications:

• Hannah is leaving at end of March and no funding in place to employ a new officer (£900 remaining)
• Applied for 5 grants (listed above). Still waiting to hear back from City of London ‘Fuellers’ livery company. They are having their decision-meeting next week and we are positive that we might secure funding
• Repowering is working on a proposal to Climate Action Fund and is including CEL as a partner.
• Chris: Is there any mileage in putting forward a proposal that directly relates to post CV19 and what the future should look like?

• Might be more relevant for member groups rather than CEL. But perhaps a route to coordinate activities between groups for a programme across London

Crowdfunder:

• Crowdfunder campaign is ready to go but is the timing right?
• Syed: People are actively looking for projects to support. Also we can’t forget about the climate emergency.
• Suggestion that we should at least wait to hear back from Fuellers.

Membership scheme:

• We have been working on this but decided to hold back till we have an officer in place

Discussion around the following questions:

1. Of the things that CEL currently does:

- Monthly open meetings at City Hall

- Lobbying and relationship building with the GLA

- Organising Community Energy Fortnight events

- Monthly newsletters

- Council climate emergency action plan campaign

a. Which, if any, are of value to you?

b. Is there anything else that you think CEL does?

c. Is there anything else that you would like CEL to do?

2. CEL is having to step back to be a wholly volunteer-run organisation again. How could we organise ourselves as a group of volunteers to do the work of CEL?

Which things are useful to you from what CEL does?

• Alan: All the activities are equally important as together they help to create a collective understanding of what is happening in the sector and catalyse
• CEL is a forum for the dissemination of experience
• Community Energy South (Ollie) - what lessons could we learn from them? E.g. on ways to raise funding?

• Mike: Also enjoyed the talks and knowledge sharing from the monthly meetings. Sharing experiences and learning from Syed’s knowledge of the energy sector
• Follow ups with LAs who are less active in community energy (e.g. Newham) would be good - how can this be done in COVID-19?

• Syed has met with Newham since and made initial plans to have community energy meeting (currently postponed)

• Duncan: Useful to get the on the ground information and ‘gossip’.
• Being able to input and receive input on policy
• Meetings and follow up has been great

• Sylvia: CEL has been very helpful to help them understand what is happening in community groups, get inside information. Helps them to escalate things within GLA, lobbying etc
• CEL helped them reach out to community groups to help them shape LCEF

• Pamela: Finds CEL meetings very useful and encouraging - especially for new projects starting out to learn from more experienced projects
• Sharing experience and knowledge - what works and doesn’t

• Afsheen: Have been one of founding members of CEL and think it is hub of knowledge sharing
• Relationships we have developed with GLA are crucial

• Sharing learning
• Identifying opportunities
• Thinking of new business models.

• Community Energy Fortnight, events etc - allows us to reach new audiences

• Ben: External speakers coming to meetings is useful
• Useful for GLA to have one point of contact
• Newsletters are rich in detail
• Larger events: We do need opportunities to reach new audiences but these are time intensive, so maybe these should be put aside for now?

• Chris: really appreciates having meetings online as some people are unable to make the in-person meetings. Zoom meetings more inclusive for everyone!

• Paul: Forum that brings us together to share insights, challenges in a way that couldn't be done without CEL
• Agree with Ben that maybe not the best time for doing big events
• Is there a danger of waiting too long before going for the membership or raising funds? At the moment people value what CEL brings - we should continue to be ambitious

• Shahzad: New to CEL but find this really useful to learn about it

2. CEL is having to step back to be a wholly volunteer-run organisation again. How could we organise ourselves as a group of volunteers to do the work of CEL?

• Tried having a rotating chair before but people are busy it was more effort than if Syed does it himself
• Arranging an attractive series of speakers, disseminating action points etc is time consuming
• Restriction on physical meetings is likely to last several months

• Maybe online meetings are better in some ways - could every other month be an online meeting?
• Mike offered Zoom licence via Energy4All

• Option to still have monthly speakers even via zoom

• London Power and Retrofit Accelerator would be good
• Syed says we have approached them and hopefully can arrange
• Haven’t confirmed whether they can do webinars but hopefully yes

• Could board members share responsibilities within their member groups?
• Promotion for meeting - could Sydney do this via Mailchimp?
• Other activities (larger events, climate emergency engagement etc) are bigger questions
• Community Energy Fortnight - asking groups to make their own videos

Syed closing remarks:

Want to thank everyone for joining us today - and wishing everyone all the best during these difficult times. Also want to say a huge thank you to Hannah for her hard work, good humour, patience (especially with me!) - especially at my slow lack of response to emails! Hannah’s been a super asset to CEL and wishing her the best for the future!!!