In this video, we discuss the Clay Park project by Transition Homes Community Land Trust and TRESOC. Our project aimed to showcase a new business model where a community energy company and a local housing developer could generate low-cost green electricity for affordable housing. The Rural Community Energy Fund awarded us grants to investigate and develop the project.
However, due to economic challenges such as the increased cost of materials after the pandemic and the energy crisis created by the war in Ukraine, the financial model for the project needed to be reworked. Transition Homes Community Land Trust partnered with Aster Housing Group. This has helped ensure the housing development can provide 100% affordable housing, but with a shift in how energy for the homes will be sourced, has meant there is no business case for a microgrid or TRESOC’s continued involvement.
TRESOC is extremely grateful to the Rural Community Energy Fund for its support. We continue to develop the microgrid model through our Energy Local Totnes project and hope to inspire other community energy groups to plan their own microgrids.
