Onboarding Cohort 3 to the Community Energy Program
Ana Spataru
On 4 October, Village Power announced the newest participants in our pioneering Community Energy Program (CEP). Their motivations were diverse, but most were driven by a desire for community action. Among them are people with expertise in how batteries work, renters who see real promise in the community battery, and solar owners who want their exports to be worth more than the current low financial return.
Who joined
Cohort 3 ranges in age from 30 to 80, with 53% over 60 and 40% under 50, much like our existing participants. Across the program, 73% of participants have rooftop solar, mostly owner-occupiers, while none of our renters or apartment dwellers do. That makes the program a valuable way to explore what is possible for households with limited options for becoming energy self-sufficient.
A third of the cohort has an electric vehicle, a third has an induction cooktop, and one household has a passive house, the second in the program. As you’d expect, participants with several energy technologies at home, such as EVs, batteries and solar, tend to have high energy literacy. Six of the 15 participants with medium energy literacy are interested in starting their electrification journey, and they will find like-minded company in the CEP community.
Why they joined
Reasons for joining range from wanting better solar utilisation, to connecting with the community and supporting local energy sharing, to backing the program’s research. Several participants told us they don’t yet fully understand how the program works but chose to join anyway. It’s our job to bring everyone along on this knowledge-sharing journey.
Where we are now
With Cohort 3 on board, we have reached our target of 100 participants, although some churn is already occurring. Engagement remains strong: 80% are willing to read the materials we send, 80% will review their retail offer, and just over half plan to attend program events. We look forward to working with you all to make the CEP as strong as it can be.
Welcome aboard, everyone. Together we’re building the community that will make the CEP a success.