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Dorset Community Energy PV array community consultation
Background information
Thank you for your interest in this project. Please read the following background information before proceeding to the survey.
About Dorset Community Energy Dorset Community Energy (DCE) is a not-for-profit Community Benefit Society that facilitates renewable energy installations for the benefit of local people.
To date, DCE has installed of close to 1 megawatt of PV on schools and community buildings in Dorset, funded through community share offers and some grant funding.
About this project
In a new step, we are looking to install one or more 250kW ground-mounted PV (solar) arrays in the Bridport area, again financed by a community share offer. The electricity generated by the community-owned array would be sold to domestic and/or business consumers locally through an Energy Local Club. Energy Local Clubs are co-operatives that allow trading of renewable energy between local generators and consumers. Members of the Energy Local Club pay a local rate (approx. 9.5p/kWh) when they use electricity at the time it is generated locally. Households and/or businesses in the Bridport area would be able to join the Energy Local Club, use the locally-generated electricity and save on their bills.
Sale of the PV electricity into the Energy Local Club at the local rate will allow DCE shareholders to be repaid over a reasonable time period. Without the Energy Local Club, the return on investment from selling the electricity into the grid at 4-5p/kWh is too low to repay shareholders.
The project therefore depends on enough Bridport residents and/or businesses being interested in joining Energy Local and purchasing the locally-generated electricity.
About this survey This survey aims to gauge if there is enough demand to justify building one or more new 250kW community-financed PV arrays in the Bridport area. Each array would require approximately 1 acre of land.
There is no obligation at this stage; expressing interest now does not commit you to joining an Energy Local Club. Equally, DCE cannot yet guarantee the new PV array(s) and Energy Local Club will go ahead.
Additional information about Energy Local Clubs
In order to join an Energy Local Club, you would need to:
Switch electricity supplier: the PV array won't supply your whole electricity demand. The remainder of your electricity will be supplied by a normal electricity supply company, currently Octopus Energy. Octopus are also responsible for the metering and billing of your electricity use.
Have a smart meter installed: the smart meter enables your electricity consumption to be matched to the local generation, so you can pay the local rate when local electricity is available. Octopus Energy arrange your smart meter installation. Accept a Time Of Use Tariff: when not using the local electricity, the remainder of your power will be charged according to the time of use; generally cheaper in the daytime/night and more expensive during peak evening hours.