Smoorit? Alistair Heather, in Scots, on micro renewables in the Heilans

As Scotland is ane o Europe’s vital sources o ile an gas, it maun bear a guid skelp o the blame fir risin temperatures. But we’re the windiest country in Europe.

The rain faas wi regularity owre mony airts. We’re hame tae twa o the warld’s lairgest turbines. Wi its renewables sector, Scotland has fair been aheid o the gemme in terms o diversifyin awa fae hydrocrabons. We can aye be Europe’s pooerhoose wioot reliance on hydrocarbons.

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The micro renewables sector wis an important pairt o the green revolution in Scotland. But wi the cessation o the UK government subsidy fir green energy, the micro renewables sector in Scotland is awa tae collapse, alang wi oor ability tae organise agin conventional energy at a community level. The micro renewable sector also gied Scots in the hielans in particular a wey tae tackle local issues o fuel poverty an bein unintentionally ‘aff-grid’.

The drookit earth an aye-dingin rain o the hielans can be a trauchle; the burns flood, tourists girn. Whit a curse. But whan in 2010, a UK Government initiative brocht its Feed In Tariff (FIT) electricity scheme, fowk were gien a revolutionary wey tae wring the siller lining fae oot the raincloods, an significantly reduce the carbon fitprint o oor neuk o the earth.

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Hydro schemes could be biggit on hielan burns bi landowners or communities, an turn aahin fae a saft smirr tae a general doonpish intae green electricity. The scheme gied guaranteed payment tae green energy producers aa owre Scotland. A fouth o sic schemes appeared aa owre Scotland.

FIT will be stappit completely fir new schemes fae April neist year. The micro renewables industry is leukin likely tae dee aff as quick as it appeared. A brief bloom o hope, quickly smoorit.

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Proterra o Drumnadrochit is ane o the ainly hydro pooer scheme providers left o the mony foondit in the wake of FIT. Tae an extent they are emblematic o the success o the scheme. The co-owner Terry Stebbings flittit fae his wark in the ile industry in Aiberdeen owre tae the banks o Loch Ness tae stairt the business. They big unremarkable wee concrete dams owre hielan burns that funnel aa the watter through a screw turbine tae produce pooer. There’s a feck o engineerin involved, an costs are high. But wi the FIT, it wis an effective wye tae gie pooer tae the people an reduce the carbon fitprint.

Community power scheme, in Clebrig by Proterra's James McEwan

“The ideal scenario is ye hae a wee hielan clachan that wis biggit aroon a burn, as mony sic places are,” Mr Stebbings explainit. “The community gaithers thegither a task force wha organise a micro renewable hydro scheme fir the burn whaur it passes through the village.

"Suddenly that village gets cheap electricity, cheap lichts at nicht, there’s mibbie some income there. An wi the rainfaa an the steeper braes o the hielans, this is reliable fir the 20 year lifespan o the hydro scheme.”

They an companies sib tae them hae biggit micro hydro schemes aawye fae Applecross tae Skye, an even intae central Aiberdeen whaur there’s a new community-owned turbine on the Don. The schemes gie walcome income but also vital solidarity an cohesion tae the communities they’re pairt o. They repone tae the modren need o fechtin agin isolation, o supplyin affordable pooer tae mair rural airts, an, o course, o reducin oor reliance on hydrocarbons.

Mr Stebbings fae Proterra says: “We’ve installed twenty micro hydro schemes aroon Scotland since the Feed In Tariff wis established. We’ve warkit wi crofters, wi communities an wi wealthy landowners. Oorsels an ither firms hae developed a real strang set o skills in the sector.”

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But aa the expertise in the industry micht weel be awa tae be emptied doon the sheuch.

“The stappin o FIT will kill the industry deid." Mr Stebbings says. "Weel, mibbie no deid, but aaready mony firms hae closed in advance. Noo, loads o these firms were charlatans, gingin roon biggin turbines an hydro schemes that were crap, an makkin loads o money. As soon as the going got tough, they were the first tae gae oot o business. But loads o guid fowk are oot o business as weel.”

Community power scheme, by Proterra's James McEwan

This comes wi muckle cost tae Scotland PLC. The government subsidy o FIT has allowed an industry tae emerge owre eicht year wi a strang core o warld-leadin engineers, wha’re adaptit tae the latest technology. Gin the enn o FIT means the enn o the industry fir maist employees, then they are back intae ile an gas, maist likely owreseas.

“It’s boom an bust”  Mr Stebbings says. “Gin the company cannae stey busy, then I’ll be back tae ile ships aff West Africa. It’s nae whit I want but...Aa these firms were biggit up, loads of schemes biggit up, makkin progress. But it’s boom an bust, an we’re on the doonhill side o that. Ither countries, Norway, they dinnae dae it like that. They sell their ile tae aabdy an then run their ain hooses on renewables. They’ve been daein it fir a hunner year, wioot ony FIT scheme. That’s a mair sustainable picture.”

Wi the endin o the subsidy fir green energy, oor rural communities, sae in need o investment an infrastructure, will hae ae mair brig tae development steekit tae them. Scotland will nae langer be hame tae a green revolution, an will aince mair be a hydrocarbon producer, daein hairm tae the planet. In the shadow o the UN report on climate change, this is damnin indeed.

This is the latest article by Alistair Heather published by The Herald in Scots. Click on his byline above to see more.