Behind the Meter Community Energy Projects

= australian strategy for Community Energy update

Description

Via Taryn Lane:

"The models of community solar outlined below are what we call “behind the meter, below the load” models which are currently the most feasible for community energy. In this approach, the host site agrees to purchase the energy over the life of the project, thus avoiding the issue of selling the energy into the energy market. The scale needs to be less than the minimum load profile to minimise grid connection issues and costs." (http://www.embark.com.au/pages/releaseview.action?pageId=9797728)

Typology

Applicable to Australia:

"* Donation/community organisation models – these models of community energy involve a community raising funds through donations (either using a crowdfunding platform or more traditional fundraising) to install renewable energy or undertake energy efficiency measures. Typically, the host site and beneficiary of this model is a community organisation such as a school, surf-lifesaving club, fire station etc. Examples of groups who are using community energy donation/community organisation models include CORENA, The People’s Solar and Clean Energy for Eternity

• Community investment models – these models are where an organisation develops a sustainable energy project and raise funds through opening up the project to community investors, on the expectation that these investors will receive a certain return on their investment. Examples of a community solar investment model is the Repower Shoalhaven model.

• Commercial-community partnership models – those where a community group partners with a commercial energy developer (or similar organisation) to deliver a community energy project. This can result in duel ownership between the community and the developer or other structures such as those developed by Clearsky Solar Investments.

• Multi-household models of community energy – are about aggregating households to deliver sustainable energy solutions. Examples of such models include solar bulk-buys which were popular around 2009 and the Moreland Energy Foundation has developed a rates-backed solar model for low income households with the City of Darebin."

(http://www.embark.com.au/pages/releaseview.action?pageId=9797728)