Peter Tavy Community Hydropower is a community project aiming to bring reliable and efficient renewable energy for the benefit of everyone in Peter Tavy. It was launched at a village meeting in October 2014 and since then the committee has successfully applied for grant funding and appointed specialist hydropower
consultants, Hydromatch, to carry out the feasibility study on the Colly Brook which runs off of Peter Tavy Common down through the village.
In January of this year 50 residents attended a community meeting to discuss the consultant’s findings from the Phase 1 Scoping Study. It had emerged the most direct pipeline route between the proposed intake and outfall sites was not a feasible option, and so subsequently the consultants were asked to examine using a different but longer pipeline route.
A full survey and system sizing design based on the hydrology and topography have now been completed confirming the technical feasibility of a hydropower system which would generate sufficient electricity to meet the average needs of over 80 UK households.
The consultants are now preparing preliminary applications to the Environment Agency (EA) and planning authority (Dartmoor National Park) and based on their advice the consultants will be able to carry out the financial modelling and risk assessments to decide whether the scheme is viable and whether it could be viable as a community project. It is expected that the consultants will reach this stage and report to the PTCH Working Group by mid-November 2016.