September Update on HKD Energy

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)
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