Energy Group

This is a very active and enthusiastic group, with a focus on the urgent need to reduce energy consumption and greenhouse gases emissions.  Our group focuses on direct grass root action to tackle climate change and peak oil in the community.  

We are currently focussing on reducing domestic energy consumption, including finding out the best ways to increase the use of renewable energy at the individual, group and community level in domestic houses and raising awareness about climate change and peak oil and gas.

More information about our activities has been posted on our internal website (TES energy group, edinburgh.grassgroups.com). We  welcome new ideas and suggestions from members, as we are always keen to take forward new ideas.

We like to work collaboratively with other groups and have built strong links with other organisations. We also believe in educating ourselves and in sharing information with other groups.  When running projects, we are keen to promote the active participation of all members so we make sure we provide learning opportunities for all members and volunteers who are interested.  

There are a lot of interesting people with diverse skills and knowledge in this group and in the community groups we are working with and our group is growing all the time.  

We welcome new members and suggestions about way to take forward our group and new projects.

If you would like to get involved please check the ‘Events’ page to see what we are up to and drop us a line via the ‘Contact’ page. See also the table with more detailed information about our recent and future activities.

Some of our activities

• Talks

At the Science Festival, talk on Peak Oil and the Transition Town initiatives

Talk about our 'Switched on to Switching off stage 1 funded project at the

Edinburgh Community Energy Cooperative http://edinburghcommunityenergy.wordpress.com/

Talk at Transition Edinburgh

Talk on peak oil at a TES workshop

• Workshops

Community audit

Community engagement

Energy talk by Changeworks

• Attending conferences/workshops/ discussion

Sustainability conference

Changeworks: The renewable Heritage: Microgeneration in Historic Homes conference, May 2009

Linlithgow Energy conference

Friend of the Earth Talks

Environmental Forum meetings

Discussions about the causes of climate change

• Working with other groups/other people

Scottish Education and Action for Development (SEAD)

Edinburgh South Energy Efficiency (ESEE)

Changeworks and the Energy Saving Trust

Climate Challenge Fund, Scottish Government

Transition Edinburgh, Transition Scotland, Pipers group working with eco-school

Energy consultants

Edinburgh Community Energy Cooperative

Volunteers recruited from Universities in Edinburgh

Deep South Transition Group

Central Transition Group

• Ongoing Projects

We have received funding from the Climate Challenge Fund for a project to reduce energy in two ‘hard to treat’ tenement streets in South Edinburgh. The ‘Switched on to Switching off’ energy project is run by TES and another community group (ESEE) and focuses on community engagement and door interviewing of the householders and tenants in the two streets.

Our aim is training our members to conduct the community engagement and the door to door interviewing in the two streets so that the whole project group is actively involved. It is important to develop self-sufficiency in our members.

• Resources

The group has also contributed a lot of resources and information on energy consumption, peak oil and gas and climate change. This information is posted on to the resource list on our internal website at edinburgh.grassgroups.com

Contact the Energy Group