AS world leaders continue to gather in Glasgow for the COP26 climate conference, attention has turned locally to what we can do to reduce our carbon footprint.
 
With the cost of heating your home with fossil fuels continuing to rise, residents in the semi-rural South Belfast village of Edenderry have established a new community co-operative to explore how they can sustainably heat their homes.
 
Edenderry Village Energy (EVE) was established in September to help residents transition from fossil fuels to a low-carbon heating system.
 
Karen Arbuckle, Chair Northern Ireland Community Energy (NICE) said: “The village of Edenderry is enviably positioned to avail of a natural sustainable resource on its doorstep; an opportunity for the village to make a just transition from fossil fuel heating to a low-carbon and energy efficient heating system, in an equal and fair way that is owned and run by and for the community.”
 
Karen added: “Edenderry Village Energy’s plans began in earnest in the first part of this year. Unfortunately, unlike GB and ROI, Northern Ireland is currently devoid of any Community Energy Policy and development support.”
 
Karen hopes that the much-awaited Department for the Economy, Future Northern Ireland Energy Strategy publication will redress this. Meantime in helping bridge this current policy gap, NICE were more than happy to engage and work collaboratively with Edenderry Village Energy, sharing knowledge, experience and expertise to aid getting this innovative proposal ‘off the starting block’. 

NICE successfully pitched to The National Lottery Community Fund – Awards for All Fund – to procure a fundamental feasibility study, an early-stage necessity to gain an understanding of the potential geo-thermal options and project viability. GeoServ Consultancy has been commissioned and the feasibility study is now underway.
 
On their journey to become both self-sufficient and zero-carbon, a combined drive by the directors to initiate locally sourced energy for their village became the vital spark for setting up the business. 

Edenderry Director Ronan Davison-Kernan explained that Edenderry Village Energy was set up by a group of residents with a shared belief, coupled with concern for the climate and future generations.
 
“We have backgrounds in energy, water and conservation, and are collectively striving to help the village make a just transition to clean energy helping to alleviate the risk of fuel poverty, providing a stable and dependable source of heat, not subject to increasing fuel prices, eliminating need for harmful fossil fuel boilers thereby improving air quality,” he said.

“Edenderry is currently heated by a mix of oil and gas but the village’s location beside the River Lagan and placement on the Sherwood Sandstone Aquifer, means it is ideal for a district heating system.
 
“Houses can instead benefit from a central heat pump and hot water pipes, a system that is three times more efficient than individual fossil fuel heating systems.  None of this is possible without taking the first step of a feasibility study. 
 
“The advice and assistance from NICE at this key stage has been invaluable and without which, this community district heating initiative may not have got off the ground.”
 
Ronan praised the work of the co-operative development body, Co-operative Alternatives, who guided them through Belfast City Council's Go Social scheme.

Tiziana O’Hara of Co-operative Alternatives said: “The message is a clear one; communities should come together to make the impossible possible. As a co-op, Edenderry Village Energy has the buying power to consider geothermal heat. For most individuals this would be well out of reach due to cost implications.
 
“The scope, diversity and wealth of experience within the current board add the necessary expertise to avoid pitfalls, making the co-op option a stronger much more resilient business model.”