Community Energy’s Role in Addressing the Climate Crisis
While world leaders gather in our city for COP26, groups like Glasgow Community Energy are hoping to demonstrate the importance of local responses to the climate crisis.
Photograph: Glasgow Community Energy
By Sam Doak
The climate crisis requires responses on all levels. International agreements and national policy shifts will play a large and indispensable part in preventing catastrophe, but it is essential that communities take ownership of their futures.
One area in which communities appear able to make a substantial impact is the generation and management of energy. Initiatives have shown that, in many instances, green, local solutions can offer sustainable alternatives to reliance on large energy companies.
Glasgow Community Energy is an organisation that is attempting to demonstrate this point. Founded in 2015 and initially composed mostly of volunteers, the group has grown into a cooperative with over 180 members. Having recently completed a project to provide Glendale Primary School in Pollokshields with the capacity to produce its own solar energy, members of the co-op are hopeful that their efforts will serve as an example of what can be achieved through community-based action.
When considered alongside a similar project carried out by Glasgow Community Energy at another school in Easterhouse, the solar project at Glendale Primary School is estimated to be capable of offsetting the equivalent of 50 tonnes of carbon dioxide a year. In periods such as summer holidays, during which the schools won’t require much energy, excess electricity will be diverted to the grid, providing the institutions with a source of revenue to cover installation costs.
While the carbon dioxide reduction made possible by these projects is substantial, they have the potential to have a much more far-reaching impact according to Bill Fraser, a director of Glasgow Community Energy.
“In the Glendale school, we’re going to be starting an educational program,” Bill explained. “We’ll be able to show them it works in practice. We will have equipment that we’ll be able to use to let them play with the idea, and get the principles of energy.”
“We’re hoping they’ll say ‘we’ve got one of those’ and take ownership of it. If we’re talking to primary-aged children, it's hoped that message will spread to parents.”
Aside from serving as an example to pupils and parents, Glasgow Community Energy hopes that their efforts will demonstrate that grassroots community initiatives should not be overlooked by policy makers as they gather in Glasgow for COP26. On this, Bill said:
“We want to say to all these big guys who are coming that you can try and create the circumstances for change, but, if you don’t communicate with communities and allow them to be part of the decision-making process, you're not going to get any traction.”
Moving forward, Glasgow Community Energy hopes that by helping to provide technology and expertise to those looking to move away from traditional energy providers they can play a valuable part in transitioning Glasgow to a greener energy economy.
“We're taking the idea that we’ve piloted with these two schools and looking for other instances in the community in which we can offer a better energy solution for an existing building,” Bill explained. “These areas have very active communities and people who are interested in the idea of expanding renewable energy. With COP26 coming up, it's a very hot topic.”
It is important to note that community energy projects such as the one at Glendale school will play only a part in Glasgow’s move to a greener economy. With a price tag of approximately £50,000, for similar projects to proceed at scale across the city individuals and institutions will need to be prepared to shoulder significant upfront costs. While those who opt for such solutions may expect to recoup these costs through the sale of excess energy, these returns are likely to be modest, making such solutions difficult in practice for organisations with limited financial resources.
While the economics of projects such as the Glendale School initiative are perhaps not overwhelmingly appealing, Bill was keen to point out that, in the views of many, these are not best thought of as purely financial investments. Rather than offering entities such as schools a lucrative way to generate large amounts of income, Bill said: “What we’re selling is our knowledge on sustainable energy and how that can be applied to a community-led situation.” He made clear that, for many institutions, the environmental and social benefits of these initiatives outweigh such concerns, and noted that, for the projects already completed by the cooperative, “the reaction from the schools has been very positive.”
If Glasgow City Council’s target to achieve carbon neutrality by the year 2030 is to be met, significant investment will be needed across the economy. In a city that has frequently faced funding issues in the past, sourcing the tens of billions of pounds necessary to make these essential changes will be a formidable challenge in itself. This should not deter communities from being ambitious in how they plan to tackle the climate crisis, however. The situation requires nothing less. Initiatives from groups like Glasgow Community Energy demonstrate that, when institutions take the climate crisis seriously, and are prepared to invest in forward thinking solutions, there are those with the knowledge and motivation needed to help them turn determination into action.