Big Win fund merged with Quick Win project stream |

In September 2020 we merged the previously separate Big Win and Quick Win revolving funds into one ‘Quick Win climate project’ revolving fund. Having a single revolving fund simplifies our operations and better reflects how CORENA projects have evolved over time.

Key advantages of the merged revolving fund are:
– prompt and effective use of all project donations (our main motivation)
– a simpler public face for our website and messaging
– inclusion of the achievements from all projects in our Impact Calculator
– removal of outdated distinctions between the types of project funded by separate funds

The primary goal of the original Big Win fund was to enable community funding for utility-scale renewable energy projects that otherwise were unlikely to happen. At the time CORENA began that meant we set our sights on raising enough funds for a solar thermal plant with storage, or perhaps a smaller solar or wind farm. See The Vision.

When that proved to be a step too far we began putting Big Win funds to good uses in other ways…and the ‘Big’ in Big Win term started to become irrelevant.

As an interim measure we loaned Big Win funds to help fund several Quick Win projects more quickly than otherwise would have been possible. That money was then all paid back to the Big Win fund, but while on loan it achieved a surprising amount. Details here.

Rooftop solar panels on various CORENA projects

Next we funded a series of Breakthrough projects. Although tiny in size they were big in impact since they helped Enova Energy set up their first community-owned generator, helped an ethical enterprise go solar, and in the case of the landlord-tenant projects broke down the split-incentive barrier to reducing emissions on rental properties.

Our most recent project funded from the Big Win revolving fund helped fund a 99.2kW solar installation for Robert Menzies College. This was our biggest solar project at the time, but was essentially the same as the projects funded from our Quick Win revolving fund and no bigger than a subsequent Quick Win solar project.

We still have our Big Win fund account, and may re-establish a separate Big Win revolving fund sometime in the future if we come across a suitable utility-scale renewable electricity project opportunity.