Bristol Energy Network July 2018


Bristol Energy Network Open Meeting
Easton, Bristol                                                                                     3rd July 2018

Celebrating the 5th Anniversary of the Bristol Community Strategy for Energy.

Aim: to review the Community Energy Strategy and define achievements and progression against the key themes, to discuss the journey of change that community energy groups have undergone, and to outline the key influencers of change and determine the next steps for groups in Bristol.

Summary

Iris Partridge, from Easton Community Centre, started with an overview of the Bristol Community Strategy for Energy – how it came about 5 years ago, who was involved and where we are now.

Damon Rand then gave a glimpse of the future in action with his talk on the Owen Square Community Energy cooperative and the air-source heat pump and solar panels which supply renewable energy through a microgrid to homes and businesses in Easton.

Dave Tudgey gave an update on the work Bristol Energy Network have been doing to engage residents from across Easton, Ashley and Lawrence Hill with the Bristol City Council-led Replicate project.

James Sterling from the Council’s Energy Service gave a presentation of the City Leap Prospectus. This is a call for local, national and international partnership in energy to ensure Bristol becomes carbon neutral by 2015. The Energy Service is currently inviting expressions of interest to get involved in the partnership.

Ola Michalec explored a possible new chapter for the Bristol Community Energy Strategy through the work she has conducted with focus groups looking at the perceptions and misconceptions around SMART energy.

The meeting then broke into 4 workshops:
1.        Next steps for community energy groups
2.        Opportunities and Threats to low carbon energy, community engagement &                   Smart approaches
3.        Best practise in Bristol and beyond….
4.        Bristol City Leap – how to get involved and what happens next.

Bristol Energy Network website:   http://bristolenergynetwork.org/
(a newsletter is available – see the website to sign up).

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