Thread by @GreenAllianceUK

🗯️News that 30 #communityenergy projects, totalling 4GW of capacity, have failed because FiT cap has been reached, just days before it is due to end for good, calls for a recap on why gov needs to recognise the role of local, community owned energy.

Here are 5 reasons (thread):

1. Renewables are now the cheapest source of energy.
Falling costs + greater awareness of #climatechange will contribute to rapid adoption of distributed energy tech across public institutions, businesses and, increasingly, among households 2/

According to a recent study, 11 mn households could be producing or storing their own energy in the UK by 2030, compared to just over a mn today.

& @beisgovuk expects nearly 30GW of renewables and storage to be built by 2030: bit.ly/2WlOHDK 3/

2. Battery storage costs are falling
…which is making #EVs cheaper and reducing the costs of balancing the electricity grid

@Tesla batteries, for example, are estimated to reach the tipping point of £80 per kWh by 2020 with the wider sector not too far behind. 4/

3. More technology is now closer to the ‘grid edge’ (ie source of energy demand)

In a recent future scenario, @nationalgriduk estimated that 65% of all energy capacity could be distributed by 2050. 5/

4. Household electricity bills could rise without efficiency
…and increase the fuel poverty gap even further

Recent reports indicate that over 2.93 million households are currently in energy debt, eg: theguardian.com/business/2018/… 6/

5: Consumer demand is changing

Support for renewables is at an all time high, while consumer trust in the Big Six energy suppliers an all time low, with more now choosing alternative, smaller suppliers.

#communityenergy has been an important part of this shift. 7/

#communityenergy is clearly operating in a significantly different tech context today than it was in 2010.

As we move towards a more distributed, decentralised and digitised system, #communityenergy groups have a new opportunity to evolve, innovate and play a critical role. 8/

End of FiTs on 31st and already failing #communityenergy projects are fresh reminders of the work that is still to be done.

To address this, our community energy manifesto, signed by 20 community energy and affiliated groups, sets out 3 clear asks: bit.ly/2WrBOZa 9/

Community energy groups put people at the heart of the energy system. It’s time the government realised the #futureislocal.

(All graphs from our report "Community energy 2.0" which provided evidence for manifesto: bit.ly/2EuNgNy) 10/