Centroc Renewable Energy Workshop 2 Case Studies

Prepared by Moreland Energy Foundation

Date – February 2016

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Contents1. Moreland City Council Civic Centre solar .......................................................................................3

2. Hepburn Wind ................................................................................................................................4

3. Yorke Peninsula biomass project ...................................................................................................5

4. Yarra Council Energy Performance Contract .................................................................................6

5. Alkimos Beach solar and battery storage ......................................................................................7

6. Kenjarhy Solar ................................................................................................................................8

7. CEFC funding for solar leasing and PPA programs .......................................................................9

8. Woking Borough Council and Thameswey Ltd. ...........................................................................10

9. Magnetic Island Solar Suburb joint venture .................................................................................11

10. Melbourne Collaborative Energy Purchase ..................................................................................12

11. ACT Reverse Auction ...................................................................................................................13

12. Lismore Community Solar ............................................................................................................14

13. Beaufort Hospital Regional Bioenergy project .............................................................................15

14. Torrs Hydro community project, New Mills, UK ...........................................................................16

15. The Birdsville geothermal power plant .........................................................................................17

16. Autolib’, Paris electric car sharing service ...................................................................................18

17. Vast Solar 6MW concentrating solar thermal pilot project ...........................................................19

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1. Moreland City Council Civic Centre solar

In 2015, the Moreland City Council engaged Australian-owned solar company, iEnergytech, to install a 100kW solar PV system on the Moreland Civic Centre in Coburg. The project consisted of installation of 390 new solar panels, adding to the existing 9kW system that was already functioning. The project was commissioned in June 2015.

The Coburg Civic Centre now has 109 kW of solar installed and is one of the largest solar systems operating on a municipal civic centre in the country. It is expected to payback in a period of 8 years. This would be a shorter period however Moreland City Council has a policy not to claim small-scale technology certificates (STCs) or large-scale generation certificates (LGCs) on PV projects.

These solar panels will provide 30 percent of the building’s electricity needs and save over 160 tonnes of greenhouse gases each year. It also means an annual saving of $23,000 on Council’s electricity bills.

The project specifications set were high on quality for both materials and workmanship. The evaluation committee chose iEnergytech from a group of high calibre bidders, as iEnergytech was able to demonstrate the capacity to deliver the project’s higher standards. This was particularly important given the status of this iconic public building and the need for the installation to achieve a long and trouble-free operational life.

This project has been recognised for its quality and attention to detail; it was a finalist in the Clean Energy Council’s solar design and installation awards in 2015. To watch a short video of the Moreland Civic Centre solar installation, follow this link.

Moreland Council was the second Victorian local government and the third in Australia to be certified carbon neu-tral for its corporate operations, first achieving this in December 2012. To achieve and maintain this certification, each year Council undertakes a continuous improvement approach to carbon management, which is evidenced by the augmentation of the Civic Centre’s solar capacity in 2015. As well as reducing its corporate emissions, Moreland Council is committed to reducing emissions across the Moreland community by 22% by 2020, achieved through its ambitious Zero Carbon Evolution Strategy. A copy of the strategy can be found through this link.

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2. Hepburn Wind

Hepburn Wind is the owner-operator of Australia’s first community-owned wind farm at Leonards Hill, south of Daylesford and about 100km north-west of Melbourne. The co-operative has more than 2,000 members with the majority local to the area. The 4.1MW wind farm hosts two turbines called Gale and Gusto that produce enough clean energy for over 2,000 homes.

Hepburn Wind was the first project under the Hepburn Renewable Energy Association (HERA), which is now known as Sustainable Hepburn Association – Renewing the Earth (SHARE). After an exploration of several structures, HREA determined that the most appropriate way to own and operate the wind farm would be a co-operative, completely separate from their own operations. In 2007, the Hepburn Community Wind Park Co-operative Limited (known as Hepburn Wind) was established to allow the local community to invest in and own their own wind farm.

Hepburn Wind Project officially launched the share offer in July 2008, and by June 2011 almost 2000 co-operative members contributed $9.8 million to the construction of the wind farm, with shares issued to local residents accord-ing to contribution. The Victorian state government has provided grants totalling $1.725m and the Bendigo Bank a $3.1m loan.

The turbines were ordered in December 2009, and a full construction contract was signed in April 2010. The turbines were erected in March 2011, and began generating power in June 2011. The landowner at Leonards Hill has agreed to a 25 year lease for the wind farm, with options to extend.

The wind farm is owned by the local community through Hepburn Wind. The co-operative manages the wind farm, provides financial returns to its members and funds community projects through a community fund. The co-operative structure allows for wide-scale community involvement. The project has shown that the community is prepared to invest significant capital in local infrastructure, provided that local benefits are created.

The wind farm project has attracted numerous awards and media attention for its unique approach to community engagement. It leads the way for community owned wind farms in Australia as it is the first of its kind, and demon-strates the goals a community can achieve to tackle climate change. The group have worked with the non-profit body Embark to capture their learning’s and make them widely available so that other communities may adapt the ‘Hepburn Model’, as it is often called, to suit their unique requirements.

Further information about the Hepburn Wind story can be found on their website.

http://www.hepburnwind.com.au/

Embark Australia is a privately funded, non-profit organisation, governed by an independent board, who are striving to eliminate the barriers holding back the growth of a powerful, community renewable energy sector in Australia. Further information about Embark and community renewable energy projects in Australia can be found on their website. http://www.embark.com.au/display/WebsiteContent/Home

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3. Yorke Peninsula biomass project

Local farmers will own and operate a new biomass cooperative-style business that will supply Australia’s first straw-fuelled power company on South Australia’s Yorke Peninsula.

The $100 million Yorke Biomass Energy project launched in September 2015, is a cooperative-style business model that will see local biomass suppliers own and operate a new company called Yorke Biomass Supply (YBS). YBS, and the individual farmers and straw aggregators who make up the company, will have a 20-year contract with Yorke Biomass Energy for the supply of suitable biomass at a base price of $85 per tonne maintained in real terms. As part of the initiative, residents of Yorke Peninsula could connect to a hybrid microgrid and receive energy discounts of at least 15% per year.

This business model provides local farmers with a new and diversified source of income that in itself will inject around $6 million per annum into the local community, and will produce up to 40 long term jobs. The project will be employing an open profit-sharing arrangement between Yorke Biomass Energy, YBS and local electricity customers. Profits achieved above the 12% internal rate of return being sought will be shared by Yorke Biomass Energy with suppliers and customers in the form of higher dollar per tonne prices and lower electricity charges respectively.

The project will be located near the Ardrossan West substation and be based on global infrastructure company Acciona’s 25 MW Sanguesa straw-fuelled project near Pamplona, Spain. Yorke Biomass Energy is aiming for the power plant to be operational by 2017 and is currently in discussions with SA Power Networks, regarding how the existing electricity grid network may be used to facilitate lower cost power.

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4. Yarra Council Energy Performance Contract

In December 2013, Yarra City Council engaged Ecosave, Australia’s leading energy service compant (ESCO), to implement and manage the largest energy efficiency upgrade of its buildings.31 buildings were assessed, and 18 were identified as having environmental and financial returns. A $3.4 million Energy Performance Contract (EPC) will fund the implementation of efficiency measures on the 18 identified buildings. As part of the funding, Yarra City Council has received $411,000 for the project through the Federal government’s Community Energy Efficiency Program.

The Council’s building stock is the largest contributor to the carbon emissions, accounting for 62% of total green-house gas. The introduction of improved energy efficiency measures will reduce the combined carbon emissions of those buildings by approximately 45%, saving the Council over $300,000 a year in operational and maintenance costs.

The implementation of changes in their infrastructure includes cogeneration, triple glazing, lighting replacements and refurbishments, sensor installation, boiler replacement, hot water controls, photovoltaic system installation and others.

Ecosave has contractually guaranteed to meet the agreed energy reduction targets through the Department of Treasury and Finance (DTF) Energy Performance Contract model. Under this model, Ecosave must pay Council the difference should the agreed targets not be met. Based on current utility prices, the full financial outlay by Council on this project will be recouped through reduced energy bills after 10 years.

The implementation of the EPC commenced in the second half of 2013/14 and will continue into 2014/15. It is estimated that by mid-2016, the EPC will have helped Council reduce emissions by 44% from base line levels. This translates to 1,954 tonnes from electricity and 523 tonnes from natural gas.

The Yarra Council was successful in attaining Carbon Neutral status under the National Carbon Offset Stan-dard (NCOS) program, and in doing so becoming the first Victorian and only second Council nationwide to achieve this certification. Yarra City Council remains committed to ensuring long term sustainability of the municipality, and are currently  implementing  their ambitious Yarra Environmental Strategy. A copy of  the strategy can be  found by following this link.

Ecosave is a leading independent Australian supplier of energy and water efficiency services. They have delivered savings to more than 3,000 sites in Australia, New Zealand and US since 2002. Ecosave have worked with organ-isations across a number of sectors, and projects include energy efficiency upgrades to Wagga Wagga Council’s facilities, and lighting upgrades to State Water’s offices in Sydney, Tamworth, Dubbo, and Leeton. Further informa-tion on Ecosave’s services and case studies can be found on their website.

http://www.ecosave.com.au/

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5. Alkimos Beach solar and battery storage

In March 2015, the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) announced $3.3 million funding for a trial project that will involve developing, deploying and testing the commercial feasibility of a new energy retail model. It will combine community scale battery energy storage, high penetration solar photovoltaics (PV) and energy management within a new residential development at Alkimos Beach in Western Australia.

The trial includes combining 1.1MWh of centralised lithium ion battery storage with more than 100 rooftop solar PV systems. It will also offer participating residents virtual energy storage; rebates for solar PV, solar hot water system and other energy efficient appliances; an in-home energy display unit monitoring generation and usage; variable price plans; and, an education program to help residents maximise their potential to save money and better manage their energy usage.

The project will be led by government-owned energy retailer Synergy, Western Australia’s largest provider of gas and electricity. Synergy will deliver the project in partnership with Lend Lease and Landcorp. The 4 year trial will begin in early 2016 and results will be shared with the broader energy industry. Total cost of the trial is approxi-mately $6.7m over the period.

Alkimos Beach is a master-planned suburb that is billed as an ‘environmentally conscious sustainable commu-nity’. In March 2015, the first 240 hectare stage of the 710 hectare development became the first community development to gain a 6-star rating from the Green Building Council. As well as the community energy storage trial, other key sustainability innovations at Alkimos Beach include:

» Mandatory solar panels and gas boosted solar hot water systems as well as other energy-efficient appliances, supported by a financial incentive package from the Alkimos Beach development partners that range from $4,500 to $6,000 are expected to reduce home energy bills by up to 50%.

» Smart water initiatives are planned throughout the site including stormwater retention, bore water irrigation and water efficient appliances in each home.

» All homes will be within 800 metres of both the local centre and transport links, and no home will be more than 200 metres from a park

The trial aims to provide a better understanding of how community scale infrastructure combined with energy efficiency incentives may help manage and reduce household energy costs. The partnership with two major development companies presents an opportunity for widespread adoption in future residential developments.

Further information on the Alkimos Beach development can be found on their website.

http://communities.lendlease.com/alkimos-beach

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6. Kenjarhy SolarKenjarhy Solar is an indigenous company who are committed to providing solar services to business and com-mercial enterprises. Kenjarhy Solar is a joint venture partnership between Kenjarhy Aboriginal Services and Solar Professionals, and are one of a minority of companies who design and construct medium and large-scale solar projects throughout NSW.

Kenjarhy Solar has developed an ‘electricity supply agreement’ to assist businesses that are interested in switching to solar power but are concerned about the capital investment required. The electricity agreement sees Kenjarhy Solar fund, build, own, operate and maintain the solar asset on a business premises. The solar power generated is sold back to the business owner for an agreed time period at a fixed rate. This rate is lower than other electricity providers. This agreement will allow companies to purchase power without the cost, complexity or maintenance associated with owning solar panels.

At the completion of the contract period, the solar system ownership is transferred to the business without any added cost or complications. This allows the business to continue to produce renewable energy and begin to receive the full financial benefits from the system.

Further information can be found on the Kenjarhy website. http://www.kenjarhy.com.au/

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7. CEFC funding for solar leasing and PPA programsIn mid-2014 the Clean Energy Finance Corporation (CEFC) provided $120 million to fund three new finance pro-grams including leasing and Power Purchase Agreements (PPA) to help expand and deepen the solar PV market in Australia. These include;

» Kudos Energy - offering PPAs focused on commercial and multi-unit residential customers

» Tindo Solar - offering a PPA product to commercial and residential customers; and

» SunEdison Australia - offering customers solar leases or the option to sell the power under a PPA

Solar leasing and PPAs have been available in California for nearly 10 years and 75 per cent of new solar PV home installations now use a leasing or PPA structure. While PPA programs have been used in Australia for some larger-scale projects they have rarely been used for smaller businesses or the residential sector. By making them available here, these new programs could similarly see leasing and PPAs widely adopted by both residential and commercial customers segments in Australia.

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8. Woking Borough Council and Thameswey Ltd.

The Woking Borough Council established Thameswey Ltd. with the goal to enter into public/private joint ventures to deliver its energy and environmental strategies and targets (primarily energy, tackling fuel poverty, waste, water and green transport). The company is structured as a number of wholly-owned individual companies, joint venture companies and subsidiaries.

In May 2000, Thameswey Ltd set up its first energy services company (ESCO), Thameswey Energy Ltd (TEL), to build and operate its energy station in the Woking town centre. TEL is a public/private joint venture ESCO between Thameswey Ltd., and Danish company ESCO International A/S.

Its projects are financed with shareholding capital and private finance. The joint venture allows the company to escape capital controls that would be imposed on a purely local government venture. This means they can implement large scale projects, primarily with private finance with the Council’s shareholding capital coming from the Council’s energy efficiency recycled fund, which in itself is recycled with each Thameswey project

For TEL’s first project, the company partnered with Xergi, a Danish combined heat and power (CHP) design and build company, to build and maintain the CHP installations at the Woking Park and Town Centre Energy Station. These stations provide heating, cooling and electricity to buildings within the Woking Town Centre including Civic Offices, YMCA and Woking Leisure Centre.

As a small supplier, the ESCO is an exempt supplier able to achieve the true value of green energy by selling the electricity directly to customers on the network rather than to a licenced supplier. This approach enables the ESCO to increase its income to fund the investment whilst also providing competitive electricity to customers by cutting out high use of system charges.

This project is the first sustainable community energy system operating in a competitive energy market of its type in the world. In 2010, TEL generated more than 10 GWh of low carbon electricity and 9 GWh of heat from its Energy Stations. TEL now has over 170 business and domestic customers, and has recently expanded to deliver projects in Milton Keynes.

Following on from the successful CHP project in Woking, Thameswey have also delivered a fuel cell combined heat and power (CHP) project in Woking’s Pools in the Park, and a combined CHP and photovoltaic system at Brockhill Residential Home in Goldsworth Park. Thameswey have also expanded into Milton Keynes with a number of developments connecting to the CHP energy station in Central Milton Keynes. Thameswey now supply electricity and heat to over 900 residential and 30 retail units, as well as The Pinnacle, Milton Keynes largest office development for over 25 years.

Further information can be found on the company’s website

http://www.thamesweygroup.co.uk/

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9. Magnetic Island Solar Suburb joint venture

The Magnetic Island Solar Suburb was the flagship project initiative for the Townsville: Queensland Solar City Project. This project was part of the Australian Government’s $93.8 million Solar Cities program, which aimed to trial new, sustainable models for electricity supply.

Ergon Energy led the Townsville Solar City consortium, which included Townsville City Council, Delfin Townsville, HIG Riverway, Cafalo Pty Ltd and funding partner, the Queensland Government through the Department of Mines and Energy. The project consisted of five main initiatives, with Ergon Energy developing the flagship project, Magnetic Island Solar Suburb.

As part of the initiative, Ergon Energy offered residents free home energy assessments, smart meters, and provid-ed opportunities for customers to adopt cost reflective pricing structures and incentives to encourage reduction of electricity use in periods of peak demand. At the beginning of the project in 2008, 180 residents and businesses agreed to host 211 solar PV systems on their roofs, with two options following the conclusion of the project – to purchase the systems at a reduced price or have them removed. 157 hosts have agreed to purchase the systems, with only 22 opting to have them removed.

There are a number of positive results which proved that the solar trial on Magnetic Island was indeed a success. The maximum energy demand from the grid was reduced by 10.5% based on the peak demand in 2008 to 2009, saving customers approximately $1.784 million. Ergon was also able to defer the proposed undersea supply cable by about 10 years, saving an estimated $20 million in construction.

In 2009, the Magnetic Island Solar Suburb project was recognised at the national Keep Australia Beautiful Sustain-able Cities Awards, winning the Community Action accolade, in recognition of the support of the local community in coming together to reduce electricity usage.

An overview of the Townsville: Queensland Solar City Project, including the Magnetic Island trial can be found on this website.

http://www.townsvillesolarcity.com.au/Home/tabid/36/Default.aspx

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10. Melbourne Collaborative Energy PurchaseThe City of Melbourne has united with 10 other like-minded organisations, including universities, councils, banks, cultural institutions and corporations, to express their interest securing renewable energy supply for their combined 120GWh energy usage through a PPA. This is enough to power more than 31,000 households in Melbourne for a year.

The project aims to stimulate investment in renewable energy by offering reliable long term demand, providing greater certainty to the renewables market. The group expect this project will provide a major boost to employment within the renewable energy sector. Up to 140 jobs will be created in the construction phase

and 12 ongoing jobs in operation and management of the plant.

By approaching the market directly, the Group is able to bypass Federal and State government renewable energy policies and secure a competitive price on energy supply for a long period of time. This long term commitment provides certainty over electricity expenditure and carbon emissions, assisting in planning for and achieving organisations’ carbon reduction objectives and freeing up funds for other valuable projects.

Most Councils in Australia have a renewable energy target, and they are well set to join together to secure large-scale renewable energy generation under this model. The group hopes that they have created a blueprint to inspire other organisations to replicate this approach and drive investment in renewable energy.

A Request for Information (RFI) was launched in November 2014, which resulted in widespread interest from Australian and international companies operating in the wind, solar and biomass sectors. This process has proven the concept will work, and a tender briefing has been organised for mid-December 2015. Tender documents are expected to be released early 2016 and responses will be sought from new renewable energy projects that are shovel-ready and have planning approvals in place.

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11. ACT Reverse Auction

Under the ACT’s 90% renewable energy target, additional wind power investments will meet around 45% of Canberra’s electricity needs by 2020 under the Electricity Feed-in (Large-scale Renewable Energy Generation) Act 2011 (‘the Act’). The goal will be achieved by using the ACT’s reverse-auction Feed-in Tariff (FiT) process, which has been demonstrated through the Territory’s first solar auction held in 2013. The solar auction saw 40MW of FiT capacity under the Act.

In March 2014 it was announced that 200MW large-scale wind farm projects would be made available using the reverse-auction process. This offered the opportunity of a 20 year entitlement for wind projects to be located within the Australian Capital Region (or a participating jurisdiction in the National Electricity Market.

The auction saw 18 wind companies vying for the 20-year deal. The wind auction resulted in

» Renewable Energy Systems (RES) Ararat Wind Farm (Vic) – 80.5MW and 75 turbines

» Windlab’s Coonooer Bridge Wind Farm (Vic) – 19.4MW

» Neoen/Megawatt Capital’s Hornsdale Wind Farm (SA) – 100.0MW

The government has guaranteed a 20 year price to each of the farms for the energy they feed into the national grid, ranging from $81.50 - $92.00 a megawatt hour. It is estimated the wind farms will feed in approximately 560,000 megawatt hours of electricity a year. The deals are worth a total of $68 million a year to the three com-panies, and will cost Canberra households and average of $93 extra a year at the peak in 2020. This cost will be completely offset by the energy efficiency measures offered to households.

The three wind farms are expected to be operational by 2017 and combined with the solar farms will produce 65% of the city’s energy.

In 2015, the ACT government launched its third reverse auction process, calling for applications in the solar energy field. The ACT government intends to commission around 50MW of capacity, in what will likely be the first large scale solar plus storage project, or projects, in Australia. They have received thirty submissions represent-ing 967MW of potential solar plus storage capacity in response to its call for interest. The applications received include a range of options, including solar PV plus battery storage, solar PV combined with pumped hydro, and a range of solar thermal plus storage options. Information gathered through the EOI process will be used by the ACT Government to inform the future next generation solar initiative which may include direct grant of a feed in tariff or a reverse auction process.

Information on the ACT Government’s reverse auction process can be found on this website.

http://www.environment.act.gov.au/energy/cleaner-energy

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12. Lismore Community Solar

The Lismore City Council in partnership with Farming the Sun have established the Lismore Community Solar initiative, with the aim to develop the first ever council operated, community funded solar farm in Australia.

The project consists of two 100kW solar farms, funded by an innovative local financial model in the form of a loan to the Council by community investors. The solar farms are managed by two separate community companies, each with 20 shareholders who lend funding to the Council to construct the solar PV systems at the Goonellabah Sports and Aquatic Centre and the East Lismore Sewage Treatment Plant. The two solar farms are flagship projects for Lismore City Council’s 2023 Renewable Energy Master Plan which will address objectives outlined in the Imagine Lismore 10 Year Plan 2013-2023.

The original model was a single 250kW solar system that was owned by the community, with Lismore City Council buying back the power over a decade. However following an in-depth investigation, it was decided that two smaller-scale 100kW solar farms would be more viable, as it reduces the difficulties around sharing power across a number of sites and the risk to investors.

Council adopted the financial business model at its meeting on 13 October 2015. Each loan will be used to procure and construct the solar farm, with any surplus funds can be applied to other projects under Council’s 2023 Renewable Energy Master Plan. Council will repay the investors with interest to the community companies for a period of seven years followed by a ‘bullet’ repayment of capital in full.

This unique local investment model requires a strong partnership between the Council and the community, and has the potential to change the way communities and Councils do business. The Embark/Farming the Sun Lismore Community Solar model can be adapted in Victoria under the current regulatory environment.

For further information, visit the group’s website http://farmingthesun.net/lismore/

Lismore City Council is the first regional council in Australia to commit to making its electricity supply 100% renewable. Their ambitious Renewable Energy Master Plan can be found at this link.

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13. Beaufort Hospital Regional Bioenergy project

The Regional Bioenergy Project is a project funded by the Victorian Government to promote bioenergy in Regional Victoria. The project has two elements which include the establishment of a commercial bioenergy demonstration plant at the Beaufort Hospital, and the development of an Investment Plan for the Wimmera. It aims to raise aware-ness amongst regional councils and the wider public about bioenergy.

A woodchip-fired boiler system has been installed at the Beaufort Hospital as a demonstration biomass heating project. The 110kW boiler is housed in a 12m shipping container, which also includes a fuel store and filling system. The existing LPG boilers will be retained as backup and to cover peak loads.

The aim of the project is to provide a demonstration site for bioenergy; and the installation allows the public to view an operating system, see how it works and what bioenergy could do for them. The biomass feedstock comes from a local saw mill. A number of local tradespeople have gained valuable experience in bioenergy due to the project. This local knowledge is expected to contribute to quicker and smother uptake of bioenergy in the region in the future.

The Project received $620,000 of government funding to launch the project. The biomass boiler is estimated to de-liver a financial benefit of approximately $36,226 per year through reduced energy costs. In addition to reducing the energy costs for the hospital, the biomass system will also reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by approximately 140 tonne per year. Savings on LPG total around $55,000 a year, and total savings on the cost of heating of nearly $35,000 a year. The simple payback on the installation is expected to take 12 years at current LPG prices.

Since the launch of the Project, the local saw mill has installed its own biomass boiler; and the Horsham Aquatic Centre is also considering a biofuel boiler as part of the Wimmera Investment Plan.

The following website contains further information on the Regional Bioenergy Project, including regular project update reports.

http://www.pyrenees.vic.gov.au/What_We_Do/Environment/Regional_Bioenergy_Project

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14. Torrs Hydro community project, New Mills, UK

Torrs Hydro, New Mills Ltd is the first community-owned hydroelectric scheme in the UK. The hydroelectric scheme is run by the directors and members of Torrs Hydro, New Mills Ltd, a volunteer-run Industrial and Provi-dent Society (IPS) set up by New Mills’ residents in 2007. An IPS is essentially a co-operative set up to benefit the community.

The project was initiated by UK social enterprise, H20PE, who had identified New Mills as a potential site for hydropower. The initial four directors of the soon to be Torrs Hydro, New Mills Ltd wanted to develop the project at a more local level than H20PE proposed, and keep the benefits of the scheme in the community. Local people approached H20PE on this basis, and H20PE came back with a proposal that meant the project was developed, owned and controlled locally.

This was the first project for H20PE, and the company took on much of the project development work, including finding grant funding and supporting the set-up of the Torrs Hydro, New Mills Ltd Industrial and Provident Society. Under this financial model, money is raised through a share offer which is used to purchase and install a hydroge-nation plant. In November 2007, after community consultation and feasibility assessments, Torrs Hydro launched its community share offer.

The Torrs Hydro community share offer raised approximately £125,000 from its 231 members. Grant funding from the East Midlands Development Agency, the Co-operative Fund and the Sustainable Development Fund of the Peak District National Park raised about £135,000. A 10-year loan from the Co-operative Bank provided a further £70,000.

The system is a 63 kW ‘low head’ hydroelectric project with an Archimedes screw design, where the River Goyte and River Sett meet at New Mills in Derbyshire. The project started generating electricity in September 2008, powering the local co-op store, and any excess power is sold back to the grid. This provides the company with a source of income, which is invested back into the company to fund a community grants program, and will eventu-ally provide a return for investors. Like an Australian co-operative, shares cannot be traded on a stock market but must be sold back to the owners of the project. As such, investors tend to view the projects as a social rather than financial investment.

This pioneering scheme has generated nationwide interest, and the group hold a number of open days and run an educational program to share their experience.

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15. The Birdsville geothermal power plant

The Birdsville geothermal power plant in south-west Queensland is Australia’s only operating geothermal power plant. It was built as an experimental plant funded by state and federal governments, and has had a number of modifications over its history, transitioning from a hydroelectric plant to a geothermal plant.

In the early 1960s, a six inch bore was drilled on the edge of Birdsville town. The pressure of the water exiting the bore was used to drive a hydro electric generator with a capacity of 8kW. The hydro power station was in operation from 1965 until 1976, when the town transferred to diesel generation.

In 1992 the Capricornia Electricity Board (CAPELEC) commissioned the existing Organic Rankine Cycle Engine (ORCE) geothermal power generator. The power plant was built by Enreco Pty Ltd of Alice Springs. The ORCE generated power between1992 and 1994. Operations were suspended as the ORCE used Freon gas which had been recognised as environmentally unfriendly.

In 1999, CAPELEC became part of Ergon Energy. The new company then partnered with Enreco and the Queensland Sustainable Energy Innovation Fund (QSEIF) to upgrade the ORCE. It again began producing electric-ity in late 2001 and ran until late 2004. Operations were suspended to enable a major upgrade to meet Australian safety and other standards. It was recommissioned into operation in December 2005.

The current system uses hot water from the bore that was drilled in the early 1960s to provide water for the town. The water is run through a heat exchanger where a fluid is evaporated into a pressurised gas which drives a screw expander and alternator to produce electricity. The partly-cooled water is channelled into a pond for further cooling and reticulation into the town’s water supply and the lagoon. The plant has an output of 80 kWe net with a capacity factor of over 95%, supplying just under a third of Birdsville’s electricity needs. The remainder is supplied by three 300kW diesel generators.

In 2009, Ergon applied for a $4.3 million grant from the Queensland Renewables Program to upgrade the Birdsville plant; however the project did not progress after a tender process failed to find suitable technology.

From the mid-90s, following a study commissioned by the Energy Research and Development Corporation, geothermal energy received a significant boost in interest. As the geothermal sector grew through the 2000’s, the sector matured with all six states and one territory (Northern Territory) enacting legislation to regulate geothermal energy development. However recent policy changes at a Federal level have resulted in the stalling of the Aus-tralian geothermal sector, with very little activity in Australia. The lack of activity is due to the project proponents’ difficulties in attracting funding.

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16. Autolib’, Paris electric car sharing service

Autolib’ is an innovative car-sharing service operating in Paris and 67 municipalities within the Paris region. It aims to tackle pollution and congestion issues by providing a fleet of compact electric cars and an array of flexible services designed to help drivers reduce their reliance on privately owned vehicles.

The city government, in collaboration with a number of surrounding municipalities, established requirements for a car-sharing service that would serve the more than 1 million people who drive into or through Paris each day and offer flexibility for the majority of Parisians who do not own cars. In February 2011, the cities selected French industrial giant, the Bolloré Group to design and develop the service. Bolloré was already marketing the Bluecar, a four-person electric vehicle built around a powerful lithium metal polymer battery designed by the company; IER, a subsidiary of the Bolloré Group, was given the task of designing and creating the technology and infrastructure for a car-sharing service that would make the Bluecar available to Autolib’ members.

The service operates in a similar way to Paris’s highly successful bike sharing scheme, Velib’, offering a fleet of all-electric Bolloré Bluecars for public use on a paid subscription basis, with a citywide network of parking and charging stations. There are also plans to integrate payment for the bicycle and car hire schemes with the ticket-ing systems for traditional modes of public transport. A key feature of the Autolib’ service is the ability to rent a car for a one-way trip, picking it up from one charging station and leaving it at another. Bolloré estimate that 90% of cars rented have different departure and arrivals points.

Since its initial roll out, the scheme has been highly successful, with the current fleet of vehicles rising from 250 to 2600 in four years and now with over 150,000 subscribers. Autolib’ currently has 4,700 charging stations which can be used by Autolib’ subscribers as well as private electric vehicle owners for a fee, helping to establish a regional network of charging points.

Bolloré have invested approximately $265 million in Autolib’, as well as paying €750 annually for each parking space. The company will receive all the revenue from the program. Vélib’, in contrast, is financed by JCDecaux, a major advertising company, in exchange for the revenue from a concession on outdoor advertising. This is a chance for Bolloré to show off their Bluecars, made by a joint venture of his Bolloré Group and the Italian design firm Pininfarina; and is also a chance to demonstrate the car’s lithium-metal-polymer batteries, which his group has spent €1.5 billion to develop.

Bolloré are expanding their network of electric car share vehicles, launching Bluely in Lyon and Bluecub in Bor-deaux. In both cities, Bolloré spend €20 million to fund the entire infrastructure, install and provide the vehicles, and cover the costs of maintenance and repairs. There is also a trial underway in the US city of Indianapolis, and Bolloré have won a contract with Transport for London to oversee the grown of electric cars in London.

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17. Vast Solar 6MW concentrating solar thermal pilot project

Vast Solar is an Australian company developing concentrating solar thermal power (CSP) generation technology with integrated large-scale thermal energy storage. The company has developed a low-cost system to deliver CSP at a cost competitive with wind power and with the additional flexibility and higher revenue generation capability available from integrated thermal energy storage. In developing its technology, Vast Solar previously constructed and operated three CSP research and demonstration facilities, including the 1.2MW Demonstration Facility that received funding from ARENA.

In 2014, the company received $4.99 million of funding from ARENA to construct a larger scale demonstration facility at the company’s site in Jemalong in Central NSW. The 6MWth Jemalong Solar Thermal Station comprises of five solar array modules, with each module consisting of one 30 metre high tower, a thermal energy receiver and 700 heliostats (mirrors), meaning there will be 3,500 heliostats in the completed Pilot.

Modules connect to a central energy storage tank from which stored thermal energy is passed through a steam generator to make steam for a turbine and electricity generator. Once complete, electricity generated from the facility will be delivered into the Essential Energy distribution system via the West Jemalong substation. The station is expected to generate 1.1MW electrical output, which is enough to power 400 homes. It will also include three hours of thermal energy storage.

The 6MWth Solar Station Pilot builds upon the achievements of the 1.2MWth Demonstration Facility is the next, and critical, pre-commercialisation phase of Vast Solar’s program. While it will enable further refinement of com-ponents and systems, most importantly the pilot will provide vital information and learnings about the integration of sub-systems to form a safe, reliable operating CST plant delivering high efficiency solar thermal power, with integrated thermal energy storage, at a competitive cost. The pilot is scheduled for commissioning in early 2016.

Further information can be found on the Vast Solar website

http://www.vastsolar.com/