Welsh Government awards grant funding to community green energy projects
The Welsh Government has awarded up to £10m of grant funding to 32 community green energy projects across Wales.
The successful projects were selected after a highly competitive application process and will be delivered over the coming months.
The schemes include the deployment of everything from solar panels and heat pumps to battery storage and electric vehicle charging points.
‘Ground breaking’
It’s hoped they will help to smarten up the use of energy across schools, leisure centres, care homes, business parks, community centres, and activity centres.
The funding forms part of the vision of Welsh Government’s Ynni Cymru programme, set up to support locally owned renewable energy generation and smart local energy eystems.
Important
Rebecca Evans, Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Energy and Planning said: “The wide-ranging benefits of smarter, greener energy generation and networks is clear – and we are committed to delivering that on every scale.
“Whilst ground-breaking technology and the development of national infrastructure continues apace across strategic sites in Wales, it’s equally important that we continue to support the growth of smarter, locally driven innovative projects.
“There was a huge amount of interest in this support, which goes to show the enormous appetite for clean, smarter energy systems keeping benefits within our communities and reducing the need for large scale infrastructure. I’m delighted to be able to support so many quality projects which will each have a positive impact on the many who use them.
“I look forward to seeing Ynni Cymru continuing to support a range of local services and facilities whilst contributing to our low carbon commitments.”
Funding
The list of Smart Local Energy System projects given the immediate go ahead for Ynni Cymru funding include the following organisations:
- Aberporth Village Hall (mid Wales) – Solar PV, battery storage and EV charging infrastructure at village hall.
- Nant Conwy RFC (north Wales) – Solar PV, battery storage and EV charging infrastructure at local rugby club.
- Swansea Mosque and Islamic Community Centre (south Wales) – Solar PV, battery storage and heat pumps.
- Gwersyll yr Urdd, Llangrannog – Solar PV and battery storage.
- Menai Science Park (MSParc) – Solar PV and heat pumps.
- Denbighshire CC – Solar PV, battery storage, EV charging infrastructure and heat pump at key transport depot.
- Gwynedd – Solar PV and battery storage across school sites.
- Challoch Energy Ltd – Solar PV, battery storage across 45 homes including establishment of Local Energy Market.
- Cardiff Council – Solar PV and battery storage across leisure sites.
- Cardiff Metropolitan University – Solar PV, battery storage and heat pumps.
- Ynni Teg – Solar PV and battery storage across community buildings.
- Egni Co-op – Solar PV, EV charging infrastructure and battery storage across school sites.
- Ynni Lleu – Solar PV and battery storage.
- Newport Playgoers – Solar PV, battery storage and smart lighting in theatre.
- Y Felin Ddwr – Solar PV, smart grid, EV charging infrastructure and heat pump.
- Powys CC – Solar PV and battery storage.
- Awen Cultural Trust – Solar and battery storage.
- Caban CIC – Solar PV, battery storage and heat pumps.
- Made in Tredegar Ltd – Solar and battery storage at theatre.
- Nant Y Moel Boys and Girls Club and Community Centre – Solar PV and heat pump.
- Rhondda Cynon Taf CBC – Solar PV, battery storage and EV charging infrastructure.
- Prysor Angling Association – Solar PV, battery storage and EV charging infrastructure.
- Podiau Blaenplwyf Pods – Solar PV, battery storage and EV charging infrastructure.
- Little Pencoed Farm – Solar PV and battery storage for business park.
- Kidwelly Town Community Hall – Solar and battery storage.
- Isle of Anglesey County Council – Solar PV and battery storage to complement existing heat pump.
- Centre for Alternative Technology – Solar PV, battery storage and EV charging infrastructure.
- Holywell Town Football Club – Solar PV, battery storage, smart lighting and heat pump.
- St Asaph Cathedral – Solar and battery storage.
- Winds Wind Development Ltd – Solar PV, battery storage and smart controls.
- Haush Pembroke Ltd – Solar PV and hydrogen technologies.
- Aberystwyth University – Solar PV and heat pump.
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All good stuff. However, is any of this kit manufactured in Wales or even UK ? Will the installation/commissioning crews have a high % of local labour, or will it be van loads of blokes from different parts of England or further afield ? We have been at this business for long enough to have grown a workforce resident in our communities but Government have done not a lot to foster the development of relevant skills.
I think that we do have the installation skills here in Cymru, but a rather small pool of such labour. I was recently turned down for a PV installation as the firm I wanted said they just did not have the workers to be able to do my job in a reasonable time frame. As for making PV panels, I suspect that realy requires some heavy investment in both production and research. There is plenty of money in the UK but those that have got their hands on it are too busy stashing it away in offshore hiding places. The… Read more »
A small pool will always exist because people who are already skilled in some jobs will be able to slide neatly into a job dealing with different systems, nuts and bolts. My gripe is that we’ve gone years knowing of the need for a bigger labour supply but evidently done next to nothing about it grafting the necessary skills onto the required numbers. As for manufacturing the UK including our Cymru seemed to surrender initiative around the Thatcher era and rolled over completely when Blair and others agreed that letting China become a global centre for manufacturing was a “good… Read more »
While the schmes are all worthwhile would liked to gave seen more of them include Car charging points.