In this blog we’ll explore the new opportunities for community power, via community-owned energy assets, but first…
Some updates from our Solar System
As reported in a previous blog, GEAI now has its own 6 kW Solar Photovoltaic System installed on Ballinaglera Community Hall’s roof. The system is up and running since November. In good weather conditions, the system generates enough power to substitute oil as primary fuel for heating the water tank! We’ll publish some curious data in the future about:
- the amount of power generated
- savings in carbon emissions
- other environmental benefits.
A sneak peak: the bar chart below shows the amount of power generated daily in December 2020.
Almost 70 kWh in a month infamous for its sunny days is not bad at all!
Let the community energy transition unfold
We get the rest of our electricity from Community Renewable Energy Supply (CRES), Ireland’s first community-owned renewable energy supplier, based in Tipperary. CRES has now been rebranded to Community Power and has been granted a license to become a large utility supplier. This is a game changer for community-owned energy generation in Ireland. Until now, Community Power has been buying and selling power between a handful of small renewable generators and a few customers. From December 2019, the community-basedutility has been able to take on thousands of customers and can compete on a national footing across the whole of Ireland, buying selling community owned power peer-to-peer. In a market that has been closed to community and citizens for years, this means the door is now firmly open for citizens and communities to generate and sell their own power.
To find out how to become a customer of Community Power and to support the people-owned energy transition use this link https://communitypower.ie/
We have made the switch. Now its your turn to take transformative action in reducing carbon emissions. You know it makes sense!
Best wishes from all at GEAI for the continued developments and growth of CommunityPower.