You can read many case studies on the CARES and your local CARES development officer might be able to help you to find out more details of particularly relevant projects.
In preparing this guide, we talked to people who managed recent, successful projects and asked them what they wish they had known when they were starting out, and these are some of their top tips:
Plan your cashflow
A small community hall retrofit project had grant funding for a heat pump, but they had a separate contractor complete the electrical enabling works in advance. The group had to ensure that they had reserves to pay for that work.
A large refurbishment project had a main contractor and the renewables were only a small part of the project. Since grant funding is paid in arrears of an invoice from the contractor, the group had to use a local authority loan to maintain a positive cashflow.
Hold a contingency
One group found themselves with paintbrushes in hand at the end of the project because touch-up repairs were not included in the contract, and no contingency had been allowed for unforeseen items. This one was easily dealt with by volunteers but other unforeseen events could be more complex.
Have a good project manager
Ensuring that your group has a dedicated project leader, with time available for the site meetings and unexpected phone calls is critical. They need to be empowered to make decisions quickly while still being accountable to the committee.
Manage user expectations
Users of one hall with air-to-air heat pumps were very confused when the heating cut out during defrost cycles. Since this is normal and expected, the users should have been told what to expect, both during the planning phase of the project and through the user instruction/signage.
Maintain service and revenue
Depending on the scale of the project and the scope of the works, keeping a community building open and generating revenue can be difficult. Try to plan the work around the building’s schedule. Also, ask the contractor to tidy up tools and make the space safe when they’re not working, for example over the weekend.
Look carefully at the contract and question everything
A good contractor should do their best to walk you through the process and highlight all the things you need but they are not obliged to do work for free. Question everything that you think may or may not be included to avoid surprise bills or gaps at the end.
Know your regulatory obligations
One group had failed to understand their building warrant requirements and were lucky to have a helpful building control officer who saved them at the end. You should speak to building control and the planning authorities early and get their guidance on what you need to do.
Remote control systems are useful
Particularly for small buildings without permanent staff, using a mobile app to programme or control the heating can make managing the building much easier and help prevent energy waste.
Get good training
One group who carried out a large project with multiple interconnected renewables found it took time to work out the best way to use and prioritise them. This led to a backup oil boiler running more than they wanted. New technologies and control systems can be hard to get to grips with, so make sure the installer has done a good job of describing the ideal operation and has shown you how to monitor performance.
