Richard Watson of Energise Sussex Coast joined European partners from North West Europe in Essen recently – Europe’s green city in 2017 – as part of the CAN project (Climate Active Neighbourhoods).
Individual towns, cities and energy organisations are aiming to catalyse grass roots neighbourhood action to make homes in deprived areas more energy efficient and learn from one another. ESC is training community champions, exploring community solar tariffs and aiming to roll out the Energy Local innovation and Retrofit Works model in Hastings.
Essen is in the heartland of industrial Germany and was heavily bombed in WW2. The town energy company of Essen became RWE, one of Germany’s Big 4 who now trade as Innogy – who are also Npower in the UK. The city of Essen relies on its annual dividend from the big energy giant it created but this year no dividend was paid for the first time in the company’s history. The combination of increasing renewable energy generation and the costs of decommissioning Germany’s 6 moth-balled nuclear reactors have taken their toll on the giant’s finances.
Our meetings took place in the Unperfekt Haus – an inspirational building full of artist studios and start-up companies set up by a benefactor to encourage artists and business innovators to share space. His founding belief is that creativity is essential in every artistic enterprise of business and that 80% of ideas need to be tested to failure – which is why the building is called the Imperfect House. We also saw a multi-use church project and an intra-generational housing scheme with shared kitchens, communal space and craft shop and café that was a runaway success. If only Hastings had a visionary benefactor like Reinhard…