How could renewable energy work in your local area? Where might it be suitable, what matters to local people, and how could the community benefit?
A new Future Energy Landscapes (FEL) toolkit brings together practical guidance and resources to help communities explore these questions and have meaningful conversations about renewable energy from the beginning.
Developed by the Centre for Sustainable Energy (CSE), the free toolkit is designed for community groups, local authorities and others interested in exploring renewable energy opportunities in their area.
Community Energy Network partners have contributed to the development of the approach and resources behind the new toolkit. We also worked together to develop FEL Plus, which builds on the core FEL approach to help communities explore opportunities in more detail and consider what it could take to move towards a community-led renewable energy project.
What is Future Energy Landscapes?
Future Energy Landscapes is a community engagement approach that gives local people the information, time and space to explore what renewable energy could look like in their area.
Rather than starting with a proposed development, the process enables communities to explore different renewable energy options, consider what they value about their local area and discuss where renewable energy might be appropriate and how their community could benefit.
The approach combines workshops with wider community conversations and surveys, helping to involve more people and build a clearer picture of local views.
How does this fit with Energy in Your Community?
Through Energy in Your Community, we’re working with local communities across Bath and North East Somerset to explore opportunities for community-owned renewable energy.
The Future Energy Landscapes approach is our community engagement methodology, helping us start conversations with communities early and understand local views and priorities before decisions are made.
Every community is different, so we adapt the approach to reflect the local area, the opportunities being explored and the people involved.
Our work is about exploring possibilities with communities, there is no predetermined outcome. What we learn through local conversations and engagement helps inform what happens next.
What’s in the toolkit?
The new toolkit brings together guidance, resources and technical information so that other communities can use the FEL approach themselves.
The core process covers three stages:
- a community workshop to explore renewable energy options, the local landscape, potential locations and community benefits
- wider community conversations and a survey to hear from more local people
- a public report bringing together what the community has told us.
For communities interested in exploring ideas further, FEL Plus provides additional resources for further engagement, more detailed technical exploration and considering the potential for community-led renewable energy.
The toolkit is designed to be flexible, recognising that every community and place is different.
Support for communities in Bath and North East Somerset
The new toolkit could be particularly useful for community groups across Bath and North East Somerset that are interested in starting their own conversations about renewable energy.
You don’t need to have a project or proposed site in mind to start exploring what might be possible.
You can also find information and resources to help your group understand community energy through our ‘Community energy know-how’ page.
Find out more
Explore the Future Energy Landscapes toolkit for free guidance and resources to help start conversations about renewable energy in your community.
Find out more about Energy in Your Community and how we’re working with communities across Bath and North East Somerset.
Visit our ‘Community energy know-how’ page for more guidance and tools for community groups.
