REPAIR IT – Sat 12th November – Local Matters – 10:00 to 12:30

11Nov11th November 2016

In a fix with your broken electrical items and gadgets? Time to get them fixed for free at a special event to be held to be held at Local Matters, Elbow Lane, PL19 OBG on Saturday November 12^th.

Download a poster here

Recycle Devon is putting on a series of REPAIR IT events across the county for householders to bring along their broken electrical appliances, including computers, to be fixed by local menders at no cost and the West Devon event takes place in Tavistock.

Organised in conjunction with Transition Tavistock and Tamar Community Energy, the event will run from 10:00 to 12:30 and repairs will be carried out on a first come, first served basis so please be prepared to wait. Please note that they won’t be able to fix CRT TVs or monitors, electric blankets or microwaves, for safety reasons.

Kate Royston, from Transition Tavistock, says ‘Local businesses and community members with the right technical knowledge are amazingly supportive of these events and contribute their time voluntarily. We’re delighted to have IT repair business; Western Web Computer Services and electrical repair whizz Myles from Yeltv on board alongside a number of skilled local people, for the Tavistock REPAIR IT.

Emma Croft, Re-use Project Co-ordinator added, ’Research shows that more than 75% of the small electrical items that come into recycling centres could be back up and running if they were repaired. These events are designed to help householders waste less and enable them to save money and resources by not having to replace something broken.’

Get in touch with Emma on 07966 566435 or via emma.croft@devon.gov.uk; or Kate on 07969 569 444 to find out more.

Recycle Devon is a countywide waste communications campaign which represents a partnership of 10 authorities across Devon including Devon County Council, 8 District Authorities and Torbay Council.

Devon County Council’s Re-use Project promotes re-use of durable household items – specifically clothes, electrical goods, furniture and bicycles through a programme of community and third sector engagement.

The REPAIR IT events have been funded by the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Distributor Take Back Scheme.

Unlocking the Power of Community – Energy Fair 2016

01Oct12th October 2016

By tecsetup

Unlocking the Power of Community is the theme for our annual Energy Fair on Saturday October 15^thtaking place in Local Matters community space in Elbow Lane, Tavistock, from 10:00 until 15:00.

There’s lots of reasons to come along …

… We’re offering free tea and cake

… Are you concerned about keeping your home warm, about your bills, saving energy? Come and talk to our local volunteers about the small things you can do that can make a difference.

… Find out more about the Community Fundraiser we’ve started with the Utility Warehouse. They offer excellent service and competitive tariffs to suit some households.

… Living in an older home that’s difficult to keep warm? Building a new home? Come and find out more about what others locally have done and how you can get started or be helped along the way.

… Come and talk to Mike Wye –natural building products, The Fell Partnership –energy efficient building, GreenHus – external wall insulation.

… Living in a Bedford Cottage? We’re starting a project to look at how we can keep these homes warmer without spending lots of money. Come and find out more.

… Interested in generating your own power or in renewable heat? Things are changing fast. Come and talk to three of the leading local experts: New Generation Energy, Sungift Energy and ZLC Energy.

… See our Community Solar installations generating! We’re proud of our achievement in getting solar panels owned by the community to support five sites across the area. Our host sites (including Mount Kelly and Abbey Garden Machinery) can reduce their energy costs and be renewable generators. Any surplus is used to support fuel poverty and energy advice locally.

… Talk to Roots to Transition and the team from Tasty Tavy working to transform Tavistock … and pick up some free seeds

… Check up on our Totally Locally Tavistock display

.. And see what we’re doing with Local Matters community space … supporting Transition Tavistock, Tamar Energy Community, Climate Matters and more … a space for you …

If you’d like to help us promote the event you can download a poster here

Want more information? Call or email us at hello@tamarenergycommunity.com or on 07969 569 444.

Volunteers for Local Matters community space and TEC welcomed!

08Sep9th September 2016

By tecsetup

Regular or occasional two hour shifts.

Tamar Energy Community is seeking additional volunteers to help us run our recently opened community space – Local Matters.

A key part of our activity is the operation of a community space which can provide a place for local people to meet and discuss local matters such as local food, energy, climate change, local businesses and how they can be supported. Importantly it is also a centre where volunteers can provide energy support and advice for local people.

We are looking for enthusiastic and people centred volunteers who are interested in finding out more about our activities, are interested in talking to people about their energy use and opportunities to improve their home comfort; and helping us develop Local Matters into a thriving hub within the community.

We will provide training for the right candidates.

Local Matters is open from 11:00 to 13:00 6 days a week (Monday to Saturday) and from mid September we will be adding an additional shift from 13:00 to 15:00.

You may be able to work each week or once or more a month. We’re happy to be flexible to fit in with your circumstances.

We also have opportunities for volunteers wishing to take a more active part in the organisation such as supporting our social media development; or assisting with our community generation projects.

Applying:

If you are interested in applying please email hello@tamarenergycommunity.com with your personal details and experience, your reason for applying and a CV. Initial applications are welcomed by Friday 16^th September 2016 but we welcome applications at any time.

If you have any questions please call Kate Royston on 07969-569-444.

Tamar Energy Community AGM – 14th July – 19:30

12Jul13th July 2016

By tecsetup

Come along to our AGM and share your views

We’ll be holding TEC’s AGM on Thursday 14th July, starting at 19:30, in our Local Matters community space in Elbow Lane, Tavistock.

The evening will be a celebration of our achievements together so far and our plans for the coming year. We’d also like to hear your views and ideas onhow we should develop the community benefit fund.

TEC is reaching an important and exciting stage in its development. Our first community owned local generation project should soon be realised, . and we’ll be opening the doors of our Local Matters community space very soon

Come along, see what we’re up to and be one of the first to explore our Local Matters space and exhibits, We’ll have an update on investment opportunities for those interested. We’ll also be tempting you with delicious cake. Let us know if you have any special dietary requirements!

In order to be quorate we need 10% of our members to attend, but we do hope that more of you will join us!

If you’re not a member you’re also welcome, although you won’t be able to vote. Let us know if you’re able to join us.

The formal agenda is below. If you have any questions, please email hello@tamarenergycommunity.com or call 07969 569 444.

Notification of Tamar Energy Community’s AGM

Tamar Energy Community will be holding its Annual General Meeting on Thursday 14th July, starting at 19:30.
The AGM will be held at Local Matters community space in Elbow Lane, Tavistock.
We invite all our members to attend.

The agenda:

Welcome to Members
Apologies for absence
Presenting our Accounts, Balance Sheet and Reports of the Board
The Application of Profits
Resolution 1: To apply the audit exemption
Resolution 2: Charter to guide the administration of TEC Community Fund
Election of the Board
Any other business
Date of next meeting

Further information will be distributed prior to the AGM.

Are you batty about Bats?

27Apr12th May 2016

By Kate Royston

Did you know that bats make up nearly 20% of all mammal species in the world? Add to that their amazing flying, navigation and sensory skills and you’ve got a truly fascinating little creature on your hands. Bats are also essential to our ecosystem keeping insect populations under control and (for fruit eating species), helping to pollinate plants and disperse seeds.

If you’d like to find out more about this brilliant mammal come along to the Town Shop to speak to one of our bat experts. You can even borrow a bat detector to track down your own batty bat.

£20,000 RCEF grant secured to help capture solar energy for our community

12Apr12th June 2016

By Kate Royston

Tamar Energy Community (TEC) is thrilled to have secured a £20,000 RCEF grant which will enable us to pay for the detailed feasibility work for our ‘Solar Roofs Project’.

RCEF is a £15 million programme, delivered by WRAP and jointly funded by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) and the Department of Energy & Climate Change (DECC). It supports rural communities in England to develop renewable energy projects which provide economic and social benefits to the community. For more information on RCEF, visit www.wrap.org.uk/renewables

Our ‘Solar Roofs Project’ is TECs first community scale project to generate energy locally, funded and owned by the community. The project will install solar panels on a number of roofs across the area from Callington to Buckland Monachorum, including four local schools and colleges and three community facilities. If successful, the project will have a capacity of just under half a megawatt hour of power – sufficient for over 130 homes (equivalent).

The project will benefit our community in several ways, providing:

local people with an investment opportunity with a competitive rate of return
reduced cost electricity to the organisations who have the solar panels installed on their roofs
a community benefit fund to support local projects
part time employment for a TEC administrator
support for learning about local energy generation as part of the school curriculum
a reduction in the amount of energy that needs to be imported from outside the community, and a contribution to our local and national electricity generation needs
work for local businesses who will do the installations and ongoing maintenance.

Transition Tavistock’s study on the local energy economy (Tavistock and District Local Economic Blueprint) estimated that £40m per annum is spent across Tavistock and its southern linked parishes on heat and power. With much of this being spent with national and international companies, the more we can generate locally, (as well as reducing how much we use), the more money we keep within our local economy (http://www.transitiontavistock.org.uk/working-groups/tavistock-and-district-local-economic-blueprint/).

TEC’s professional partners to deliver the detailed feasibility work are Communities for Renewables (www.cfrcic.co.uk/) led by Jake Burnyeat and Rosie Gillam and Plymouth Energy Community (www.plymouthenergycommunity.com/) led by Jon Selman. Our TEC team is led by the two Kates (Royston and Dibble).

Kate Royston, TEC’s coordinator said “A lot of people have invested a lot of time to help make this project happen, and we’re excited to see it getting off the ground. We’d like to thank Devon County Council and RegenSW for their help from the Devon Accelerator Fund which helped pay for our initial work in the autumn and, importantly, to WRAP and the RCEF fund which will help pay for the next steps. We hope that as many people as possible, locally, are able to benefit from this community project.”

We’ll keep everyone informed of progress through the project, particularly via facebook (Tamar Energy Community) and twitter (@TamarTec). Please like and follow us! Or come along to the Transition Tavistock Food and Growing event at Tavistock College on Sat. 5^th March (afternoon) and have a chat.

For further information please contact Kate Royton (kate.royston@transitiontavistock.org.uk; 07969-569-444).

Tool share at the Town Shop – would you like to be involved?

06Apr12th June 2016

By Kate Royston

With the imminent launch of the Tavistock Town Shop we’re keen to hear your ideas for what the shop should contain. One of the latest proposals is to create a tool sharing facility where local people could borrow tools they otherwise may not have access to, to complete home improvements and DIY. We could also make the most of local expertise and share the knowledge of local people who have ‘been there and built it’.

If you think this sounds like a great idea or have tools or expertise you’d be willing to contribute we’d love to hear from you.

And if you have any other ideas for the shop please let us know that too!

Wadebridge electricity prices slashed

20Mar8th April 2016

By Kate Royston

The South West Grid is struggling to cope with ‘growth in renewables’ and hundreds of householders in Wadebridge are being offered cheaper electricity when the sun is out – the Wadebridge Sunshine Tariff.

Kevin Smith from community group Wadebridge Renewable Energy Network (Wren), which is running the scheme, said: “We want to shift electricity usage to when solar generation is at its greatest.

“And it’s likely that this shifted use of electricity during the day will be offset by corresponding reduced use of electricity in the evenings.”

The rate in Wadebridge in Cornwall will be slashed from 18p a unit to 5p a unit between 10:00 and 16:00 during the pilot scheme from April to September.

Find out more about the Sunshine Tariff in Wren’s booklet, here.

Read the full report here.

When the sun doesn’t shine and the wind doesn’t blow…

15Mar8th April 2016

By Kate Royston

Researchers from Harvard University in the US have developed a battery that uses a common food additive to enable abundant solar and wind power to be stored cheaply and safely in homes and offices.

Such batteries could be used to save and store surplus wind and solar power, which could then be used at times when neither form of renewable energy can deliver.

Read the full report here

Beyond wind, solar and hydro: A look at the less talked about forms of renewable energy.

10Mar8th April 2016

By Kate Royston

Most electricity in the world is produced using steam to push turbines, which generate power by transforming kinetic energy into electricity within a generator. Electricity is thus inextricably linked to movement and to heat, and there are many resources on our planet with which we can produce renewable energy beyond the near-ubiquitous solar, wind, and hydro.

Read the full report here