Communities across Scotland, including groups in the Hebrides, Shetland and two projects in Edinburgh are to benefit from a share of £1.5 million Scottish Government funding aimed at supporting community renewable energy generation projects.
A total of 19 community groups from across Scotland, including groups in Eigg, Bressay, Tiree, Fair Isle, Barra and Arran, will share funding from the Community Energy Generation Growth Fund. This will support them to develop their own renewable energy projects, including installing wind turbines and solar panels to meet local needs.
The organisations will also be able to earn money from their projects by, for example, selling the excess energy generated back to the grid.
The fund forms part of the Scottish Government’s Community and Renewable Energy Scheme (CARES), which to date, has awarded more than £65 million in funding to over 900 renewable projects across the country.
The pilot scheme will inform longer-term support for community-owned energy generation projects through CARES.
Acting Minister for Climate Action, Alasdair Allan said: “I am pleased the fund has provided support to so many locally owned energy generation projects – particularly those in our island communities.
We are fully committed to ensuring that all areas of Scotland are able to thrive and contribute to a growing sustainable economy and renewable projects like these will help reduce energy costs, generate revenue and help drive Scotland’s transition to net zero.
“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.”
Director of Eigg Electric Labhaoise McKenna said: “Eigg Electric is delighted to be a recipient of the Community Energy Generation fund. As a pioneer of community energy generation, we value this support to help us to plan for and further develop our renewable system.
“This fund will help us build a more resilient island community and help us on our journey to 2030 carbon net zero.”
More information about Community Energy Generation Growth (CEGG) Fund
| Organisation | Project Summary | Total initial approved capital/ resource |
| Fort Seafield And Wallacetown Community Association | Installation of solar panels on three school buildings in Wallacetown, with power generated sold to the Local Authority. The funding will be used to fund purchase of equipment. | £151,512 |
| Arran Community Renewables | A 4 MW solar farm on Arran. Funding will be used for grid connection, a planning application and project management costs. | £220,828 |
| Radical Renewable Art and Activism Community Energy Society Limited, Glasgow | Rooftop solar PV on 7 community buildings and 2 local businesses in Glasgow. Funding will be used for site permissions, detailed design work and consents. | £68,850 |
| Fife Communities Climate Action Network CIC | Ground-mounted solar PV across 4-6 sites. Funding is for grid connection, legal agreement, planning costs and technical development. | £58,074 |
| Arnish Community Windfarm Ltd | Up to seven 4-5MW wind turbines. Funding is for a grid connection. | £38,000 |
| Sunart Community Renewables Ltd | 300kw ground mounted solar. Funding is for feasibility work. | £17,844 |
| Sunart Community Renewables Ltd | 800kw wind turbine. Funding is for feasibility work. | £20,884 |
| Radio City Association, Kilbirnie | A 3MW wind turbine project. Funding is to support feasibility work. | £10,000 |
| Carluke Development Trust (on behalf of the ONECarluke Community Energy Project up). | Rooftop solar and battery storage at four sites. Funding is for equipment and installation costs. | £233,260 |
| Tiree Community Enterprise Limited | Solar PV array with battery storage, to support EV storage and resilience. Funding sought for equipment and installation costs. | £113,500 |
| Eigg Electric Ltd | Three 100kwh wind turbines and infrastructure upgrade to support increased capacity, to support decarbonisation of Eigg by 2030. Funding is to support grid infrastructure upgrades. | £86,766 |
| Knock and Swordale Community Company Limited | 3-6MW wind turbine. Funding is for options appraisal and planning work. | £20,000 |
| Fair Isle Electricity Company Ltd | Ground mounted solar array to provide power to the Fair Isle Bird Observatory. Funding is for equipment and installation costs. | £137,361 |
| Edinburgh Community Solar Ltd (Edinburgh Community Solar Co-op) | 2.5MW solar array on 16 council sites, including 7 schools and a number of leisure buildings. Funding is for development costs. | £84,960 |
| Porty Community Energy | Solar bond project, exploring putting solar on 6 community buildings. Funding is for a feasibility study and work on consents and permissions. | £44,088 |
| Zero Carbon Daviot | 1MW ground mounted solar PV. Funding is to support feasibility work. | £15,000 |
| Barra and Vatersay Community Ltd | Repowering for Barra community turbine, with learning to be applied to other repowering projects. Funding is to explore an engineering solution to support repowering. | £23,000 |
| Huntly Development Trust Limited | A wind generation project on Gartly Moor, forming part of a wider project of up to 20MW of wind, solar and potentially green hydrogen. Funding will be used for grid and planning, including addressing aviation issues. | £138,141 |
| Blairgowrie and Rattray Development Trust | Ground and/or roof mounted solar. Funding is for feasibility work. | £10,000 |
| Bressay Development Ltd | Solar PV and battery storage on a brownfield site. Funding is for feasibility work. | £10,000 |
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