Community Developed Renewable Energy Projects in Scotland

Mo Cloonan

Community Energy Scotland

Feb 17th 2009

Highlands and Islands Community Energy Company ; HICEC 2002-2008

SCHRI Over 425 projects assisted

Over 200 capital installations

Community revenue generating projects

‘to build confidence, resilience and wealth at community level in Scotland through sustainable energy development'

Community Energy Scotland (CES) Aug 2008

Non profit distributing body-charitable status,

-membership based organisation, open to all communities

Community Owned Revenue generation projects

45+ current projects

• Wind

• Hydro

• AD

WHY?

• Community owned and community developed - capacity building

• Revenue stream for regeneration

WHY?

Regeneration

• Tackle fuel poverty

• Energy conservation in homes and businesses

• Employment opportunities

• Affordable housing

• Dynamic sustainable community

• Improve local amenities

• Health & leisure facilities

• Business development

WHY?

• Independence

• Energy aware

• Resource

• Assistance available

HOW?

Community Capacity

• Strong sense of need /purpose

• Cohesive and productive community

• Volunteer commitment

• Energy awareness

Q34. Has your project generated much positive

interest in renewables amongst the local

community?

No17%

Yes83%

HOW?

Assistance

• Government assistance/finance

• Lottery assistance

• CES programme

• Community focused financiers

• Other communities’ experiences

HOW?

Start Up Assistance

•Raise awareness

• Community support

• Constitute organisation

• Up to £2000

•Is the commitment there?

HOW?

Feasibility Assistance

• Reasonable chance, given planning,

grid, environmental factors?

•Technical, financial and social

feasibility;

•Up to £15,000 /100%

HOW?

Assistance towards planning consent

• Project design

• Planning, env & reg

• Financial planning

• Community investment plan

• Connection agreement

HOW?

Assistance post planning consent

• Turbine procurement& contract negotiation

• Financing negotiations

• Connection agreements - RPZ

SUCCESS!

• 4 community projects recently permitted in Orkney

•2 projects securing turbines by mid 2009

• 1 project securing turbines by late 2009

• 4 other projects secured planning permission

•Inclusion in RPZ negotiations

•Gigha community wind operating since late 2004.

SUCCESS!

GIGHA RENEWABLE ENERGY LIMITED

•775kW installed capacity (3 x 225kW)

•2.1 GWh annual output – grid connected

•Gross annual income £180k

•£440k capital cost met from IGHT / HIE equity, grant and finance.

•Net profit about £85k pa – to Isle of Gigha Heritage Trust

Constraints to further development

• Volunteer time

• Match funding

• Confidence, skills and awareness

• Infrastructure (e.g. distribution

network)

• Supply chain + cost of plant

• Planning and regulation

Necessary

• Simple, clear and stable funding

• Continued government commitment to community scale –regulatory and financial

• Investment in infrastructure

•Training, skills and networking provision

• Planning process that differentiates between large scale and small scale

Communities leading and delivering renewable energy developments hand in hand with highly efficient energy use and

a focus on carbon reduction

Mo Cloonan Community Energy Scotland

www.communityenergyscotland.org.ukmo.cloonan@communityenergyscotland.org.uk

Climate Challenge Programme

Consortium structure27 Communities

Community Energy Scotland

Development Trust Association Scotland

•empower their residents with resilience

and an ability to cope with growing energy prices

Climate Challenge Programme

Scotland's communities wishing to •actively reduce their carbon emissions,

•reduce their reliance on imported fossil fuel energy

Key challenge

can these adjustments be made in a way which actually strengthens local communities and decouples their development from fossil energy use?