We’re delighted that there was such a strong response to our Share Offer for the Downlands School Solar project, launched on 8th November.  Share applications started coming in straight away, and the share offer is now fully subscribed and closed (more than a month early).  We will implement the strategies for over-subscription that we talked about in the Share Offer: prioritising local investors, and reducing the share allocations to the larger investors.

We’re sorry to disappoint anyone who had hoped to invest (or hoped to invest more) – but keep your eyes open for our next project, which is in the planning stage right now.  There will be other opportunities to buy in to the community energy ethos.

Good news for investors is that HMRC have given us Advance Assurance that we are eligible for the Seed Enterprise Investment Scheme (SEIS).  This allows UK taxpayers to claim tax relief up to 50% of their investment.  From April community energy projects will come under a different arrangement for tax relief, but the Downlands project, and possibly project two if we can get it done in time, will be eligible for the more generous SEIS tax relief.

We are now pressing ahead with the Downlands project, and hope that all the final details can be in place for the planned February half-term installation.  There is still much to keep the HKD Energy directors busy in the run-up to Christmas.

At the launch event we heard about a number of other possible sites for community solar projects in Hassocks, Hurstpierpoint and Ditchling.  If you know a building that might be interested in being part of such a project please get in touch with us: info@hkdenergy.org.uk.

After only 10 days, the Share Offer for the HKD Energy Downlands School Solar project has reached – and exceeded – the target of £100,500.

We had allowed over 7 weeks to reach the target, so are both amazed and delighted at the positive response from the community and supporters.  We are now working hard on all the remaining tasks leading up to a planned installation in the February half-term.

Any further share applications received by us will be kept on a waiting list in case investors drop out.  We are also working on a second project so hope to have an alternative to offer disappointed investors quite soon.

Thank you for your support of HKD Energy and the Downlands School Solar project.

John Willis
on behalf of HKD Directors

Downlands School catches the sun with community solar project

The Share Offer for the HKD Energy Downlands School Solar project is now open – and after only two days we are already 60% of the way towards our target of £100,500.  If you’re thinking of investment, please act quickly.  Full details are on our website www.hkdenergy.org.uk/howtoinvest
On Saturday 8 November over 80 parents, grandparents and other local residents gathered at Downlands Community School, Hassocks, to hear about plans to give the school one of the largest school solar power arrays in the country – and it will all be paid for by investors from the local community.
We were delighted at the level of interest and positive response of the audience to our plan to install 266 solar panels, providing the school with a cheap source of green electricity, investors with a good rate of return, and saving some 843 tonnes of carbon dioxide over the course of the project life.

The audience heard from speakers including Norman Baker, MP for Lewes, Howard Johns, a founding director of OVESCo in Lewes, and Rose Hetherton, Head Teacher of Downlands School.  HKD Energy Directors explained how the project will work, and how members of the local community will be able to buy shares in the project, and earn a return on their investment as a result of the electricity that the solar panels generate, much of which the school will use with the surplus sold back to the grid.
Norman Baker described the scale of the energy challenges that this country faces, both in terms of climate change and the need to reduce carbon emissions, but also in terms of energy security and the need to generate our own electricity rather than depend on imported gas and coal.  He outlined the government’s strong support for community energy projects like HKD Energy.

Howard Johns placed the Downlands project in the wider global context of the ‘energy revolution’, which is changing the way the world works, just as the industrial revolution and the internet revolution did.  Around the world we are seeing communities take responsibility for meeting their own energy needs, and doing so in creative ways.

The Downlands School Head Teacher, Rose Hetherton, said: ‘I am delighted that Downlands has the opportunity to work in partnership with such an innovative scheme. It fits the ethos of our school perfectly to operate as a true community initiative with direct benefits to both the school community, through reduced energy bills and educational opportunities, but also the local community through the returns on any investment.’

In the photos below, the Launch Event is seen in progress and in the group photo (from left to right): John Willis, Chris Handel, Howard Johns, Norman Baker MP, Rose Hetherton Juliet Merrifield, Bec Hanley, Darren Berman.

The pace of life for HKD Energy Directors is really heating up now!  We’re getting everything ready for the launch of our first community energy project on Saturday 8 November 2014, 2.30 pm at Downlands School.  The launch event will highlight the community as well as financial benefits of putting 80 kW of solar panels* on the school and sports centre roofs, generating low-price electricity for the school to use, lowering their carbon footprint, and creating a project the whole community can support.  Speakers will include Howard Johns, one of the country’s leading voices on community energy, and Norman Baker MP, as well as presentations about our project by us and by Downlands students, along with opportunities to ask questions.

We hope you will be able to join us!

We’re very pleased that we finally have our registration approved by the Financial Conduct Authority – just about 5 months after we started the process.  So we can announce that HKD Energy Limited is a Community Benefit Society, registered with the FCA as number 7021.

Our business plan is complete, and we have selected Solar Resources, a local company based in Haywards Heath, as our preferred installer for the Downlands Project.  Solar Resources have installed a solar project at Warden Park School and other schools and colleges, as well as many commercial and community premises across Sussex.

We’ve been talking about HKD Energy and Downlands to local people at events like the Ditchling Apple Day, and have given briefings to Hurstpierpoint Parish Council, Hassocks Parish Council, and the Downlands School governors.  We’ve been working with the Downlands Eco Club, a group of enthusiastic students who are ready to start the ‘solar revolution’.  We’ve organised a competition for Downlands students on this theme, with prize-winners to be announced at the launch event.

At the launch day on 8 November we’ll ask for individuals to support the project by investing in shares.  We will have full details of the investment opportunities and income tax relief available as well as risks for potential investors. These documents will also be on our website if you can’t make it to the launch event. Thanks for your interest and support.

* Originally this meant 320 panels, however the technology is improving and now the total is 266 panels, each rated at 300 watts output.

Chris Handel, Chair                 John Willis, Secretary
Juliet Merrifield, Treasurer       Darren Berman, Director
Bec Hanley, Director

Please mark your diaries for the launch of our first community energy project at Downlands School on Saturday 8 November 2014 at 2.30 pm.  We’ll have speakers and entertainment, cakes and tea, and a chance to get your questions answered.  The launch event will highlight the community benefits of putting 320 solar panels (80kW) on Downlands School roofs, generating low-price electricity for the school to use, lowering their carbon footprint, and creating a project the whole community can support.

If you’d like to find out more about community energy, HKD Energy will be one of several Sussex projects highlighted in the Powering our Communities event organised by Community Energy South in Lewes on 19 September.  Details on http://www.communityenergysouth.org.uk/events/event/lewes-powering-our-communities-the-community-energy-south-discussions/

The work behind the scenes to get our first project underway is intense and not very glamorous!  Lots of paperwork and spreadsheets, but we have also been talking to local people about the project, and are pleased to have had so much positive interest.

The registration process with the FCA has taken much longer than expected as we have been caught up in a problem that has received a lot of publicity in the newspapers.  Coinciding with new Co-operative and Community Benefit Societies Act coming into force, the FCA has blocked new energy co-op applications on the grounds that they would not have enough member participation, despite having authorised previous ones set up along the same lines.  We have reworked our registration to become an IPS ‘for community benefit’ rather than an IPS co-op, all in line with the new Act, and we expect this registration to go through smoothly.

The details of the business plan for the Downlands School have also been occupying a lot of our attention.  We want to maximise benefits for the school while also providing a reasonable return for investors.  One of the big advantages for the school is fixing their electricity prices for the next 20 years, while most of us brace ourselves for ever-increasing energy prices.  The project also provides intangible but important benefits in terms of learning opportunities for students to learn about energy, climate change and solar power.

At the launch day on 8 November we’ll ask for individuals to support the project by investing in shares.  We will have full details of the investment opportunities and income tax relief available as well as risks for potential investors.

In the meantime we are accepting pledges and expressions of interest, so please get in touch if you’d like to do this – by email to info@hkdenergy.org.uk.

Thanks to all of you for your interest and support of this project.

Chris Handel, Chair                 John Willis, Secretary
Juliet Merrifield, Treasurer       Darren Berman, Director
Bec Hanley, Director

HKD Energy  (www.hkdenergy.org.uk)
Also follow us on Twitter @hkdenergy and on Facebook www.facebook.com/HKDEnergy

Greetings to all of you who signed up for our mailing list, and many thanks for your support.  We’re excited to be developing non-profit community energy for Hassocks, Hurstpierpoint, Keymer and Ditchling (maybe you were wondering what HKD stands for?).
Although it is still early days for our project, we’ve been encouraged at the overwhelmingly positive response so far.
We are well along with planning our first community energy project: solar panels at Downlands School.  After much discussion and consultation with solar installers, structural engineers, UK Power Networks and Ofgem, our plan is to install 50kW on the school roof and another 30kW on the sports centre roof.  We expect this to generate approximately 80,000 kilowatt hours per year of electricity, much of which the school will use directly.  Schools are a great location for solar panels because most of their electricity demand is in daylight hours, when the panels are working.  We’re getting close to finalising our financial model and business plan, once we have final tenders in hand.
The five (unpaid) directors of HKD Energy are working hard to get our new organisation registered with the Financial Conduct Authority as an Industrial and Provident Society for Community Benefit.  The process with the FCA is taking longer than we’d hoped, but is moving along.
In other work we are researching the tax implications – both in terms of VAT and the tax incentives for investors through the EIS and SEIS schemes.  And we’re working on an agreement with Downlands and West Sussex County Council.
We’ve been out and about in our communities getting the word out about HKD Energy, including at the Ditchling Fair, Downlands School Summer Fayre, Hurst Secret Gardens and Hassocks Amenity Association AGM.  We’re now planning our autumn activities.  You can help us by telling your friends and neighbours about the project. Our website is live on http://www.hkdenergy.org.uk/, our Facebook page is https://www.facebook.com/HKDEnergy and you can follow us on Twitter on @hkdenergy.
Our share issue launch will be on Saturday 8^th November.  Please mark your calendars!  We’ll be at Downlands School in the afternoon.  Details to follow.
If you’d like to know more, or get involved in our work, please email us on info@hkdenergy.org.uk.  We look forward to hearing from you.

Chris Handel, Chair  /  John Willis, Secretary  /  Juliet Merrifield, Treasurer
Darren Berman, Director  /  Bec Hanley, Director
HKD Energy