Community Enabling Framework
A framework that will provide end-to-end support to create a community energy sector in Ireland that can flourish sustainably and deliver meaningful impact to communities nationwide.
About the Community Enabling Framework
One of the key community provisions as part of RESS is the Community Enabling Framework which provides end-to-end support to create a community energy sector in Ireland that can flourish sustainably over time and one that will deliver meaningful impact to communities nationwide.
SEAI have been appointed by the Department of Environment, Climate & Communications (DECC) as the implementation body for this Framework which provides a range of supports including (but not limited to)
- advice
- financial support
- mentoring support to communities
as well as support to maximise the local benefit from renewable energy projects though realising their own generation ambition. In addition to the opportunity to generate electricity there is also a mandatory Community Benefit Fund now required of all RESS projects.
The Community Enabling Framework was launched at an online event on the 21st April 2022, with 70 attendees from community groups across the country. A subsequent in-person Information event was held in Portlaoise on the 21st June 2022 with 60 attendees. A further information event was held in October 2022.
Interested communities wishing to contact the SEAI RESS team can do so at communityRESS@SEAI.ie
Community Energy Resource Toolkit
One element of the Community Enabling Framework is the development of the Energy Resource Toolkit. This will provide a suite of practical guidance modules across a number of different areas (including technology options, business planning, project development stages, setting up an organisation / governance strategy) to support project development and delivery of a project.
The Toolkit has been designed with similarities to the well-known Community and Renewable Energy Scheme (CARES) toolkit which was developed by Local Energy Scotland to support community and local energy projects across Scotland. These resources have been examined and adapted to an Irish context for supporting the development of Community RESS projects.
The initial four modules of this Toolkit are available to download below.