The winners of a £1.5 million funding package supporting community energy projects in Scotland have been announced.
Overall, 19 community groups across Scotland will be sharing funding from the Community Energy Generation Growth Fund. It is part of the Scottish government’s Community and Renewable Energy Scheme (CARES) which has awarded over £65 million in funding to more than 900 renewable projects across the country and will help inform longer-term support for community-owned generation projects through CARES.
The funding will help them to develop their own renewable energy projects, which include wind turbines, such as Huntly Development Trust’s plan for a wind generation project on Gartly Moor, which forms part of a wider project of up to 20MW of wind, solar and potentially green hydrogen, and Barra and Vatersay Community’s efforts to repower the Barra community turbine, while gaining learning that can be applied to other repower projects.
Backing has also been awarded to projects that are looking to install solar panels to meet local needs, including Arran Community Renewables’ plans for a 4MW solar farm on Arran, Fort Seafield and Wallacetown Community Association installing solar panels on three school buildings in Wallacetown, with this power then solid to the Local Authority, and Porty Community Energy’s plans for a solar bond project which is exploring the installation of solar on six community buildings.
Acting Minister for Climate Action, Alasdair Allen, said: “It is crucial that communities are at the heart of Scotland’s ambition to become a renewable energy powerhouse – and this fund helps to ensure that they can lead and benefit from this era defining transition.”
