SMALLEST renewables for smallest communities. SMALLEST is a service to help make renewable energy more accessible to the smallest communities in the most remote areas of Northern Europe.
Synopsis:
The SMALLEST project will establish an innovative service across all Northern Periphery Programme (NPP) partner regions to raise the scale and quality of training, mentoring and support for rural communities needed to help them convert from traditional energy generation to renewable energy generation. The SMALLEST service will assist rural communit... More...
The SMALLEST project will establish an innovative service across all Northern Periphery Programme (NPP) partner regions to raise the scale and quality of training, mentoring and support for rural communities needed to help them convert from traditional energy generation to renewable energy generation. The SMALLEST service will assist rural communities by increasing their awareness of the potential benefits of renewable energy generation for their community; assisting with the planning and helping to reveal the commercial feasibility of renewable energy generation; and improving the skills provision required to support renewable energy generation. SMALLEST will add value by integrating with existing advisory services, filling any gaps in community training and mentoring for conversion to renewable energy generation, and providing supporting business modelling solutions relating to renewable energy generation for communities. SMALLEST will deliver a transnational benefit by standardising a support process for converting communities from traditional energy generation to renewable energy generation which can draw upon pooled skills and shared knowledge across the region, and potentially can be offered to rural communities across the wider EU.
The detailed objectives are: Raise the scale and quality of the advisory services available to all rural communities in the NPP region for converting from traditional energy generation to renewable energy generation To stimulate interest among rural communities in all parts of the NPP region in the benefits of converting from traditional energy... More...
The detailed objectives are:
Raise the scale and quality of the advisory services available to all rural communities in the NPP region for converting from traditional energy generation to renewable energy generation
To stimulate interest among rural communities in all parts of the NPP region in the benefits of converting from traditional energy generation to renewable energy generation
To help communities in all parts of the NPP region identify the best way for converting from traditional energy generation to renewable energy generation
To provide communities in all parts of the NPP region a mentoring service that enables the communities to help themselves take advantage of the potential benefits of converting from traditional energy generation to renewable energy generation
To provide communities with access to trained and qualified professional and practical support for implementation and maintenance when converting from traditional energy generation to renewable energy generation
To integrate all the innovations in SMALLEST with existing advisory services in each region
To introduce innovative training and mentoring programmes to the existing advisory services
To ensure complete coverage of all parts of the NPP region
To ensure the achievement of a shared standard of excellence in the advisory services available to all rural communities in the NPP region for converting from traditional energy generation to renewable energy generation
To create a common pool of training skills and knowledge available through the service to all rural communities in the NPP region for converting from traditional energy generation to renewable energy generation
To create a common pool of professional and practical skills and knowledge available through the service to all rural communities in the NPP region for converting from traditional energy generation to renewable energy generation
To encourage commercially sustainable solutions and provide mentoring to enable them to convert from traditional energy generation to renewable energy generation
To ensure the sustainability of the SMALLEST service
The SMALLEST project builds on existing knowledge and experience available from the existing advisory services in each region. SMALLEST will integrate with existing advisory services and therefore will be customised according to local requirements as the project develops. This will also help ensure its long-term sustainability beyond the end of the NPP support.
The outcomes of the project will show a considerable return on investment in the long term, evidenced by the value of the savings in energy costs to the communities served by SMALLEST, the value generated by the new social enterprises created, the value of the jobs created, and the value of savings in pollution avoided by changing from traditional ... More...
The outcomes of the project will show a considerable return on investment in the long term, evidenced by the value of the savings in energy costs to the communities served by SMALLEST, the value generated by the new social enterprises created, the value of the jobs created, and the value of savings in pollution avoided by changing from traditional energy generation. Wealth will be retained within the region by switching to renewable energy generated within the region, in place of importing energy and paying outside suppliers, the large energy companies, which means wealth lost to the region. It is anticipated there will be both direct and indirect employment generation particularly through the supply chain network development needed to sustain a renewable energy industry. Given the key importance of professional groups in the development of renewable energy for rural communities, considerable added value will be achieved through helping professional associations such as RICS, RTPI, RIAS and RAEng by helping to develop CPD activities tailored to the needs of the various professional groups.
Carbon dioxide reductions across the NPP region for the implementation of SMALLEST are estimated to be approximately 20,000 tonnes of CO2 (and cost savings of approximately €10,000,000). This figure is derived from anticipated C02 reductions of approximately 400 tonnes per community and a total of 54 communities (cost savings of approximately €200,000 per community). These figures are based upon the estimated lifetime of each pilot project (i.e. 25 years+). The CO2 levels will be measured at the start and at completion of the project and further projected savings reported in the final project report to the NPP.
The SMALLEST partnership is about to undertake its third partners' meeting in the space of six months (in N Ireland, from 13th-15th January). It has started quickly and is already achieving some of the outcomes required. Community introductions have started in all regions. Case studies are being prepared. Materials are being developed. Adv... More...
The SMALLEST partnership is about to undertake its third partners' meeting in the space of six months (in N Ireland, from 13th-15th January). It has started quickly and is already achieving some of the outcomes required.
Community introductions have started in all regions.
Case studies are being prepared.
Materials are being developed.
Advisory services are in discussion with SMALLEST in all regions.
Reporting protocols have been established (using a new quarterly interim report system for the partnership).
It has also started to work with other NPP projects, most importantly MicrE (which is sharing the N Ireland partners' meeting); Clim-ATIC; and RASLRES.
All enquiries concerning the progress of SMALLEST are welcome.
The service to be introduced is a new training service for enabling changes in energy generation in remote rural communities, and helping to introduce renewable energy solutions to replace traditional energy generation, reducing costs, pollution, environmental damage, and encouraging self-reliance for their future energy generation. It will speak to a number of communities during the lifetime of the project. It will talk to 180 communities in order to generate 54 solutions, 27 new enterprises, and 81 jobs. 180 communities means 30 per region excluding Ireland, Norway and Greenland that will be contacted, which means 10 per year per region. 54 solutions means 9 per region, or 3 per year per region.27 new enterprises means 1.5 per region per year. This process has now started.
Priority: 2. Sustainable development of natural and community resources Objective: i. Environment as an asset in the periphery Theme: Renewable energy, eco products
Total Budget: €2 971 549 Total Funding Request: €1 732 713
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