Will the neighbourhood get a windmill?

With the Renewable Energy Support Scheme (RESS) auction scheduled to kick off this June, community projects have been given a special preference category as part of the auction design. The question remains, will this be enough to spark a change in how we develop, operate and own assets in the future? Community ownership of renewable assets is touted as a key part of our future energy system as we attempt to evolve our grid to a more decentralised model.

The auction design allows for three separate preference categories; community projects, solar and all projects. Each of these categories has been given a representative maximum quantity that can be awarded as set out in the draft Terms and Conditions. The allowable quantities for each category are:

  • Community projects – 30GWh
  • Solar projects – 300GWh
  • All projects – 3,000GWh
Click here to view full article

Low carbon generation
Cathal Ryan

Cathal Ryan

Related thinking

Net zero corporates and ESG

More details required for large-scale solar rollout in EU

Last week, our 'Financing net zero forum' gathered to discuss the role of private capital for the next wave of solar across Europe. Joining the meeting chair, Cornwall Insight's Daniel Atzori, were our guest panellists from a leading developer and the Global Infrastructure Investor Association (GIIA). With the European Commission...

Commercial and market outlook

In the midst of the Australian Energy Transformation Process

Australia is in the midst of an energy supply and distribution transformation. This transition is twofold and includes not just bridging the gap from conventional fossil fuels to renewable technologies (due to their reduced carbon footprint, lower levelized cost of energy and improved reliability levels by comparation), but also requires...

Energy storage and flexibility

Glory Days – T-1 auction clears at £45/kW

To say the T-1 Capacity Market (CM) auction clearing at £45/kW per year was a surprise feels like an understatement. It looks like a major windfall for successful participants in the auction –  many are asking just what happened? Easy money Until February, it looked like prices would clear at...

Commercial and market outlook

SEM articles of the year: All I want for Christmas is RESS-2

With COVID-19 dominating our everyday lives, we saw similar trends in our most popular articles for the year. Demand shifts were observed in domestic and industrial settings with working patterns shifting from offices to homes all around the country. It was also a landmark year for the renewables industry with...

Low carbon generation

RESS-won: renewables on the march

Yesterday will be remembered as a good day for the Irish renewables industry, with the level of supported renewables capacity set to grow by over a quarter in the next 2-3 years. After years of waiting, the first Renewable Energy Support Scheme auction (RESS-1) results are here (provisionally, pending appeals)....

Low carbon generation

FiT costs to reach all-time high amid COVID outbreak

Energy Third Party Charges (TPCs) have certainly been in the limelight recently, and rightly so as less consumption from non-domestic sectors is resulting in a greater recovery of money from domestic households amid the COVID-19 outbreak. Several measures have been taken to date to protect domestic suppliers and consumers from...

Commercial and market outlook

Flight of the Phoenix – could green investment point the way forward post-COVID?

As economies around the world move from “disaster preparation” to “recovery preparation”, the low carbon and renewable sector has been earmarked as a means by which to target government support in a manner consistent with medium and long-term policy targets – such  the UK’s own net zero 2050 objectives. While...

Low carbon generation

RESS-1 application closing date is further extended

With a lot of uncertainty around the impacts of COVID-19 on global supply chains and renewable project delivery we are starting to see the effects in the Irish Energy market, notably the announcement that prequalification for the Renewable Energy Support Scheme in Ireland will be extended. In December 2019, the...