DCE Spring 2018 Expansion

Dorset Community Energy 2018 Expansion Opinion Survey

DCE has thus far raised nearly half a million pounds from community share offers and installed 420kW of solar PV on 16 schools and community buildings across Dorset. We are currently paying our members 5.5% interest on their investment, and will shortly start paying back the capital.

DCE have not installed any new PV for 2 years now, as the Feed-in tariff subsidy diminished and the tax incentives for community energy were removed.

However, several things have changed and we are now considering further share offers and installations. Install costs have reduced, the Low Carbon Dorset programme have grants on offer to help fund installations, and energy storage options are now available.

We are considering further share offers and are interested in your opinion regarding the options. Any new projects would be legally and financially separate from current projects, so they would not add any risk to existing investments.

There is potential to acquire grant funding to help with feasibility studies. If you can respond to this survey by the end of Sunday 20th May, it would help us with the applications. By responding before 23:59 on Sunday 20th, you’ll be entered into a prize draw to win a selection of fine chocolates from a local manufacturer.

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* 1. In general, would you be interested in investing in a community energy scheme (more on the specific technologies, sites, and finances below)?

Yes

Maybe

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* 2. If you answered 'Maybe', please use this box to explain your conditions (if they are not covered by the questions below):

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* 3. Which of these types of renewable energy installation would you be interested in investing in (tick all that apply):

Solar PV on schools/community buildings

Ground-mounted solar PV

Solar PV on business premises

Solar PV on affordable houses

Solar PV on community housing

Solar PV on private housing

Small wind turbines

Large wind turbines

Micro Hydro

Anaerobic Digestion

Wave/Tidal

Other (please specify)

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* 4. Do you have any geographical preference for installs (tick all that apply)?

Bournemouth

Christchurch

East Dorset

Purbeck

Poole

North Dorset

West Dorset

Weymouth and Portland

No preference

Other (please specify)

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* 5. What is the lowest annual interest payment that you would be willing to accept and still invest in a community energy scheme (select only one):

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* 6. If you have any comments on what DCE has done, or suggestions for technologies/sites/projects we could consider in the future, please lets us know here:

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* 7. In our current business model, our community fund is small in the early years while we provide the power as cheap as possible to the schools (freeing up their resources for other things). We also work closely with schools to help embed renewables in the curriculum in a practical way.

Are you happy with this model, or would you prefer a larger pot of money in the community fund earlier?

Happy with this model

I would prefer a bigger community fund earlier, paid for by less value given away in the form of cheap electricity

I would prefer a bigger community fund earlier, paid for by slowing down repayments of my capital

Other (please specify)

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* 8. How would like to see the community fund spent?

On feasibility studies for further installations

Reinvested in further installations

On education services

On energy efficiency projects

Given to worthy causes (applications decided upon by the board of directors)

Other (please specify)

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* 9. This survey tool gives us anonymous answers, so if you want to be entered into the prize draw, please leave your name and contact details here:

100% of survey complete.