1. Creating Local Energy Dave Fuller Project Manager @RepowerLondon
Dave Fuller, Project Manager Repowering London
Joined 1.5 years ago, mainly working in Ladbroke Grove so had to do research into Repowering’s history for this presentation
Interesting the stories that Repowering developed about itself as I think they are a reflection of some of the benefits of community energy as whole.
So wanted to share some of those with you
(not my personal stories so apologies if I get the details wrong)
Repowering was created 7 years ago, in tandem with it’s first installation, Brixton Energy Solar
Dave Fuller
Project Manager
@RepowerLondon

2. Kevin @RepowerLondon Kevin
Kevin, volunteer on BES1 and unemployed electrical engineer
Kevin shaped Repowering – he wanted to contribute to the project and use the skills he had
With the support of the volunteer group, Brixton Energy Solar organized work experience for Kevin during install
Experience -> more work with Southern Solar -> permanent job in construction
Got the job because he’s a qualified electrical engineer and good at what he does. Repowering was able to support that by helping him showcase his skills.
Kevin wrote the following in a blog about the install process:
“Do something you enjoy doing and you won’t have to work a day in your life, says the old Chinese proverb and that’s what it seemed like to me. Although we were actually installing the solar panels for me it was just having fun. The hard graft was inconsequential. It was more like a solar farm, planting solar seeds and watching them come to fruition within a week.”
@RepowerLondon

3. Habiba @RepowerLondon Habiba Born and bred in Styles Gardens, Brixton.
Brixton Energy Solar 2
First cohort of Repowering Trainees (aka interns)
RPL developed training programme – demanded by mums (Althea, Fay, Jean). The community fund is good for the future but what was the organisation going to do to help their kids now
Can’t be another useless piece of paper.
Not solar installers – how to create a social enterprise:
They did go on the roofs
@RepowerLondon

4. Habiba @RepowerLondon
Covered Finance, energy generation, marketing. Talk to others, turn up on time, hold yourself right
Call them young people. Support communities to develop active citizens
Habiba last been in touch to say she’s gone to university to study engineering
Never met Habiba – her part in the Repowering story continues
Last year, I ran the Repowering Youth Training Programme in North Kensington
@RepowerLondon

5. Repowering Trainees @RepowerLondon In 2018 – 55 Trainees graduated
5x AQA certificates, paid London Living Wage for their hours
12 hours of work experience at Repowering, Community Energy London, 10:10, doing solar installs or with the business launch pad.
Last cohort had 3 NEETS, 1 of whom has found full time employment with our help
(again, he got the job because he was capable. Already had a city and guilds but was stuck working the nightshift in a supermarket)
To date, RPL has had 128 trainees go through our training programme from across London, majority in Lambeth. We hope to run more cohorts this year, if we receive funding
These are a couple of stories about what we’ve done so far, but in my role I find I’m often creating a narrative for the future. Repowering’s future narrative includes
@RepowerLondon

6. Innovation projects @RepowerLondon
First 2 projects approved for the Ofgem sandbox are based on Repowering sites. We’re now involved in 4 pilots across London, 3 of which are using Repowering assets
These pilots include battery storage, using Block Chain and other tech I don’t quite understand.
The purpose of these trials is to allow people who don’t own their property (and are often excluded) to access cheaper, clean, locally generated electricity. We don’t want to see anyone left behind in this renewable revolution.
We also do Micro AD, energy audits, Energy Garden (37 gardens)
AND new solar installs, which are my babies.
Finish by talking about Lambeth Community Solar
@RepowerLondon

7. Lambeth Community Solar
148 kWp solar PV on two Lambeth Schools
£130,000 community share offer
52 tonnes CO2 saved per annum
£32,600 community fund
Lambeth Community Solar – evolution of Repowering’s 6 previous projects
Borough wide iniative to install community owned solar panels on as many roofs as possible
Phase 1 which has received support from the London Community Energy Fund
**148 kWp of solar generating capacity on Elmgreen and Norwood schools.
Saving 52 tonnes CO2
Creating a £32,600 community fund
Expandable project
In discussion with Council, future sites, community groups, youth centers, businesses, want to include everyone
Our hope is we can keep fighting climate change and funnelling money into local groups, with our spending decisions made by local people
** here’s the obligatory URL
Share offer in autumn and love for all of you to get involved
@RepowerLondon

8. Final thought “I just hope other people can have this too!”
- Shemsa Guri Osman
For me, power of community energy is it’s inclusivity
Like all of the groups you’ve heard so far
We want to create projects that are developed with people, rather than imposed on them
By creating these projects, we can change the narrative around energy, community and what life can look like in a large city. And the more people we help, the more they tell our stories. The thing is about stories, the more often they’re told, the more true they become.
So each time the Community Energy story is told, it becomes less obscure and more mainstream.
Until one day, we will have built an energy system that works for everyone, supporting those in need whilst creating a cleaner world.
So, please, join us. Get involved in one of the projects you’ve heard about today or start your own. Yes, please invest. also talk to your friends, chat to your neighbors, go to a meeting and take control. Those of us presenting can’t possibly do this on our own, but if all of us start writing this story together, the outcome could be better than any of us imagine.

9. Thank you
Dave Fuller
Project Manager