A WIND turbine at the Lecht ski centre and a solar energy project on a Perthshire farm are amongst the increasing number of new independent renewable energy projects.
SmartestEnergy's Energy Entrepreneurs Report 2014, published today, shows that 169 new independent renewable projects of 50kW or more started in Scotland in 2013, up 50 per cent on the number in 2012.
Trade body Scottish Renewables said the rise showed that independent electricity generators, including communities, businesses, farmers and public bodies, were increasingly taking their energy future into their own hands.
The report also shows that not including the six largest power companies, more than £66 million was invested in independent, commercial-scale renewable electricity schemes in Scotland in 2013, generating enough electricity for more than one million homes. It also cites the £11.5 million Loch Carnan Community Windfarm, which is generating profits for reinvestment in South Uist, Benbecula and Eriskay by Storas Uibhist, the community company which led Scotland's biggest land buyout in 2006.
Why are you making commenting on The Herald only available to subscribers?
It should have been a safe space for informed debate, somewhere for readers to discuss issues around the biggest stories of the day, but all too often the below the line comments on most websites have become bogged down by off-topic discussions and abuse.
heraldscotland.com is tackling this problem by allowing only subscribers to comment.
We are doing this to improve the experience for our loyal readers and we believe it will reduce the ability of trolls and troublemakers, who occasionally find their way onto our site, to abuse our journalists and readers. We also hope it will help the comments section fulfil its promise as a part of Scotland's conversation with itself.
We are lucky at The Herald. We are read by an informed, educated readership who can add their knowledge and insights to our stories.
That is invaluable.
We are making the subscriber-only change to support our valued readers, who tell us they don't want the site cluttered up with irrelevant comments, untruths and abuse.
In the past, the journalist’s job was to collect and distribute information to the audience. Technology means that readers can shape a discussion. We look forward to hearing from you on heraldscotland.com
Comments & Moderation
Readers’ comments: You are personally liable for the content of any comments you upload to this website, so please act responsibly. We do not pre-moderate or monitor readers’ comments appearing on our websites, but we do post-moderate in response to complaints we receive or otherwise when a potential problem comes to our attention. You can make a complaint by using the ‘report this post’ link . We may then apply our discretion under the user terms to amend or delete comments.
Post moderation is undertaken full-time 9am-6pm on weekdays, and on a part-time basis outwith those hours.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article