Generating community energy for social impact Working with local authorities Community Energy Conference – 5 th Sept 2015 Saïd Business School Jamie Mansfield – Director Gen Community

Background 2 My journey  Energy engineering masters graduate  Co-founded Gen Community (solar PV to combat fuel poverty)  £1m+ community investment (wind/solar PV)  Design projects for maximum social impact  REA 2014 Community Energy Award – “innovative finance”  Cabinet Office funding to develop Solar Social Bond model  Partnership with British Gas & Social Finance to scale  Community Energy Model Rules 2015 – Sponsoring body

Gen Community model 3 Our approach  Deliver locally owned & governed energy projects  Offers genuine alternative to commercial models  Aim is to maximise social impact and long term benefits (not just about electricity!)  Working with local authorities and housing associations (strong need & scalable)  Collaboration with other community groups  Creates locally governed community benefit societies to distribute funds  £5m+ projects (e.g homes)  Scalable and looking beyond solar PV – Energy Service Company model

Scaling community energy for social impact 4

How it works 5 “Community Power Company” Community Benefit Society Development & asset management agreement Institutional debt investor Local Community Fund Community investors EIS Shares Amortising bond Board position of CBS & community fund 80% of Capital 20% of Capital All project surpluses

Summary:  17,211 council owed homes  circa 6,800 tenants on prepayment meters (segment survey)  24%-34% of children live in poverty (NorthernHousingConsortium.org 2014)  10% of housholds in fuel poverty (DECC 2014)  Forecasted £17.8m household electricity savings  £2.5m+ community fund to deliver targeted support:  fuel & debt clinics  “green doctors”  Barnsley MBC Community Director to assist in delivery Energise Barnsley 6

What can prove difficult:  Speed of decision making at LAHAs  Maintaining momentum of LAHAs & unlocking key personnel  Unravelling complexity of community model and multi stakeholders  Understanding governance & sign off process (asset/legal/finance signoff)  Procurement/OJEU?  Policy impacts – digression, right to buy, DECC inconsistency  A ‘free solar model’ – so where is the hook, commitment, risk management?  Combining low carbon technologies, finance, policy, social impact, community engagement and legal all in one model Challenges 7

Generation Community Limited 34 Bedford Row, London WC1R 4JH James Mansfield With thanks to Holly Southall from Millbrook Primary School, Newport 8