SIFFFT - Development of Wind Projects

Community Power Solutions Ltd is developing new onshore wind turbine sites for our client Bristol Energy Network (BEN), who have a £1,500,000 grant from the West of England Combined Authority (WECA). The process we created is called SIFFFT (Sustainable Financial Foundation for Turbines), which is an optimised and systematic process of technical, financial, community engagement, planning, ecological and legal work. SIFFFT is the effective application of our know-how to the many challenges of onshore wind in England and Wales.

The WECA grant enables SIFFFT to be applied in that region however SIFFFT works any area of the country.

Asset Management

Community Power Solutions is privileged to be collaborating with Ambition Lawrence Weston since 2016 on the Ambition Community wind project, which is now in operation. We continue to provide asset management services for the wind turbine.

We have overseen the entire project, from the construction of roads and hard-standing, electrical infrastructure, substations, the turbine foundation, erection of the turbine and commissioning. The project has required dedication and determination from all parties involved, including volunteer directors from Ambition Community Energy.

NEWS

We're in the Sunday Times! The UK's biggest Sunday national newspaper ran an article on 2nd July on how we built a wind turbine. Power to the people: how we built a wind turbine (thetimes.co.uk) . We hope to post images and text from this soon. I'm happy they quoted my phrase: "Invisible air into invisible electricity - just like that!". I think there's not a more concise description of how wind energy works.

The founders of Community Power Solutions ( Dr Charles Gamble & David Tudgey) are the technical and planning team that developed the Ambition Community Energy wind turbine project. We’re a team of professional engineers working hard to improve the way our communities run. If you’d like to learn more about our industry and the kind of activities we carry out during each project, contact me here: charles.gamble@communitypowersolutions.co.uk

BRISTOL'S AMBITION COMMUNITY ENERGY WIND TURBINE IN OPERATION. CLICK HERE FOR SUNDAY TIMES ARTICLE

Towering over neighbouring turbines by 30 m is the Ambition Community Energy 4.2 MW wind turbine, developed by a small team for the community of Lawrence Weston and owned by the community of Lawrence Weston. This is not a common ownership model now, as communities where there are wind turbines have generally had them done to them by corporates, and not for them.

The turbine will provide over 3000 homes-worth of electricity every year for the next 30 years - about the number of homes in Lawrence Weston. Charles Gamble and David Tudgey worked with Ambition Committee Energy to carry out the technical, tendering, ecological, planning work and project management, and crucially fund raising over 6 years to make it happen. This £5m development and construction project was met by commercial and local and regional government loans and grants.

We at Community Power Solutions firmly believe that the Community ownership model which we put together is the way for many communities around the UK to develop their own turbines and benefit directly from ownership.

Community Power Solutions Ltd developed the SIFFFT program to do this, and will work with Bristol Energy Networks who are grant recipients from the West of England Combined Authority.

Enercon SMA approved 02 Ambition Community Energy C.I.C._20230208_153800.jpg

GUARDIAN ARTICLE ON THE POTENTIAL FOR ONSHORE WIND.

April 19th 2022

Onshore windfarms need not blight the most beautiful parts of England because there is plenty of room for them next to rail lines and on brownfield land, leading scientists have said. Click here.

AMBITION COMMUNITY ENERGY BUILT THE TALLEST TURBINE IN ENGLAND.

April 20th 2022

The Enercon E115 turbine was erected in February 2023. Community Power Solutions Ltd provided technical expertise and managed the tendering process for the turbine supply, grid and civil contracts. Click here for more.

AMBITION COMMUNITY ENERGY TEAM AT THE SITE NEAR LAWRENCE WESTON (PHOTO CREDIT: AMBITION LAWRENCE WESTON)

July 2021

The Ambition Community Energy team with Councillor Kye Dudd at the site after gaining full Planning Permission. In foreground Mark Pepper and Roger Sabido of ACE with Dr Charles Gamble and David Tudgey the founders of Community Power Solutions Ltd.

COMMUNITY POWER SOLUTIONS PROVIDES ASSET MANAGEMENT TO AMBITION COMMUNITY ENERGY WIND TURBINE. (VISUALISATION OF TURBINE ON SITE)

April 20, 2022

Thrive Renewables finances the wind turbine to be built for Ambition Community Energy in Avonmouth. Dr Charles R Gamble and David Tudgey were the technical and planning team that developed the project and as Community Power Solutions Ltd saw it through to financing.

BRISTOL COMMUNITY BUILDS THE TALLEST WIND TURBINE IN ENGLAND. CLICK HERE FOR GUARDIAN ARTICLE.

August 2022

The site during turbine erection.

Photograph: Charles R Gamble

Community Power Solutions Ltd is Asset Manager (Construction) for the project