Community Energy Scotland is an independent

Scottish charity The Scottish Charity Regulator (OSCR; ) is a non-ministerial department of the Scottish Government with responsibility for the regulation of charities in Scotland. OSCR is the independent regulator and registrar for more than 25,000 Scottish ch ...

established in 2008 that provides advice and financial support for renewable energy projects developed by community groups in

Scotland Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the northern part of the island of Great Britain and more than 790 adjac ...

.HICEC. (2006) ''Highlands and Islands Community Energy Company Annual Review''. Inverness

. The stated aim of Community Energy Scotland is 'to build confidence, resilience and wealth at community level in Scotland through

sustainable energy Energy system, Energy is sustainability, sustainable if it "meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs." Definitions of sustainable energy usually look at its effects on the e ...

development'."About Us"
Community Energy Scotland. Retrieved 11 July 2011.

History

Having evolved from the Highlands and Islands Community Energy Company (or HICEC), a subsidiary of

Highlands and Islands Enterprise Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE; ) is the development agency for the Highlands and Islands of Scotland, an executive non-departmental public body of the Scottish Government with the role to "help build a prosperous, sustainable and inclu ...

formed in 2004, Community Energy Scotland became an independent entity with a national remit in the summer of 2008. They currently employ 20 members of staff; some are based in the head office in

Inverness Inverness (; ; from the , meaning "Mouth of the River Ness") is a city in the Scottish Highlands, having been granted city status in 2000. It is the administrative centre for The Highland Council and is regarded as the capital of the Highland ...

, and others are based in offices in Edinburgh, Glasgow, Kirkwall, Stornoway, Benbecula and Perth. Community Energy Scotland is an independent charity governed by its members. The charity works closely with its members to develop projects which bring most benefit to their local communities."Members"
Community Energy Scotland. Retrieved 13 July 2011. Community Energy Scotland supports projects through several different programmes. This extends to non-profit distributing organisations such as social enterprises and housing associations. The charity also delivers programmes from

to support its work with communities in the Highlands and Islands, from The Lottery, and from various regional schemes across Scotland. The charity also acts as a lobbying organisation with the aim of "ensuring that community energy achieves a high status on Scotland's political agenda".

Projects

The

renewable energy Renewable energy (also called green energy) is energy made from renewable resource, renewable natural resources that are replenished on a human lifetime, human timescale. The most widely used renewable energy types are solar energy, wind pow ...

potential of their area of operation is considerable, with a large number of small communities which are pioneering community owned and led projects. Many of these renewable energy projects are being undertaken by

social enterprise A social enterprise is an organization that applies commercial strategies to maximize improvements in financial, social and environmental well-being. This may include maximizing social impact alongside profits for co-owners. Social enterprises ha ...

s such as

development trust Development trusts are organisations operating in the United Kingdom that are: *community based, owned and led *engaged in the economic, environmental and social regeneration of a defined area or community *independent but seek to work in partners ...

s. The projects supported by Community Energy Scotland include: * The Isle of Gigha in

Argyll Argyll (; archaically Argyle; , ), sometimes called Argyllshire, is a Shires of Scotland, historic county and registration county of western Scotland. The county ceased to be used for local government purposes in 1975 and most of the area ...

which boasts Scotland's first community-owned wind farm. Three

Vestas Vestas Wind Systems A/S is a Danish manufacturer, seller, installer, and servicer of wind turbines that was founded in 1945. The company operates manufacturing plants in Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, Taiwan, India, Italy, Romania, the Un ...

V27 turbines on the south end of the island are capable of generating 750 kW of electricity. *

Westray Westray (, ) is one of the Orkney Islands in Scotland, with a usual resident population of just under 600 people. Its main village is Pierowall, with a heritage centre, the 15th-century Lady Kirk church and pedestrian ferry service to nearby ...

, one of the northern

Orkney Orkney (), also known as the Orkney Islands, is an archipelago off the north coast of mainland Scotland. The plural name the Orkneys is also sometimes used, but locals now consider it outdated. Part of the Northern Isles along with Shetland, ...

islands, which runs a vehicle using recycled bio-diesel and whose parish church is an 'eco-congregation'. *

Knoydart Knoydart () is a peninsula in Lochaber, Highland, on the west coast of Scotland. Knoydart is sandwiched between Lochs Nevis and Hourn — often translated as "Loch Heaven" (from the Gaelic ''Loch Néimh'') and "Loch Hell" (Gaelic: ''Loch ...

, a peninsula in

Lochaber Lochaber ( ; ) is a name applied to a part of the Scottish Highlands. Historically, it was a provincial lordship consisting of the parishes of Kilmallie and Kilmonivaig. Lochaber once extended from the Northern shore of Loch Leven, a distric ...

which runs a micro hydro-electric scheme. *

Unst Unst (; ) is one of the North Isles of the Shetland Islands, Scotland. It is the northernmost of the inhabited British Isles and is the third-largest island in Shetland after Shetland Mainland, Mainland and Yell (island), Yell. It has an area o ...

Shetland Shetland (until 1975 spelled Zetland), also called the Shetland Islands, is an archipelago in Scotland lying between Orkney, the Faroe Islands, and Norway, marking the northernmost region of the United Kingdom. The islands lie about to the ...

which is home to the PURE hydrogen fuel research project. *

Findhorn Findhorn ( or ''Inbhir Èireann'') is a village in Moray, Scotland. It is located on the eastern shore of Findhorn Bay and immediately south of the Moray Firth. Findhorn is 3 miles (5 km) northwest of Kinloss, Scotland, Kinloss, and abou ...

Moray Moray ( ; or ) is one of the 32 council areas of Scotland. It lies in the north-east of the country, with a coastline on the Moray Firth, and borders the council areas of Aberdeenshire and Highland. Its council is based in Elgin, the area' ...

which is building an eco-village and has recently launched a UN-accredited

CIFAL The CIFAL Global Network is part of the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR). The Network comprises 25 International Training Centres (CIFALs) and aims to serve as a platform for capacity-building of government authorities ...

sustainability training centre. * The island of

Eigg Eigg ( ; ) is one of the Small Isles in the Scotland, Scottish Inner Hebrides. It lies to the south of the island of Isle of Skye, Skye and to the north of the Ardnamurchan peninsula. Eigg is long from north to south, and east to west. With ...

is undertaking a £1.3 million electrification project, part funded by HICEC. This combination of installed solar, wind and hydro power should provide a network that is self-sufficient and powered 98% from renewable sources. * In early 2008 the North Harris Trust received planning consent for three 86 metre (282 ft) wind turbines to be located at Monan. David Cameron, a director of the Trust said: "It will substantially reduce our

carbon emissions Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from human activities intensify the greenhouse effect. This contributes to climate change. Carbon dioxide (), from burning fossil fuels such as coal, petroleum, oil, and natural gas, is the main cause of climate chan ...

and it will help North Harris re-establish itself as a thriving, vibrant community".

Annual conference

Since 2005 the annual conference has been held at

Inverie Inverie (; ) is the main village on the Knoydart peninsula in the Scottish Highlands. It is located on the north side of Loch Nevis and, although on the mainland of Britain, the network of single-track roads surrounding the village is not conne ...

, Knoydart; Tarbert,

Harris Harris may refer to: Places Canada * Harris, Ontario * Northland Pyrite Mine (also known as Harris Mine) * Harris, Saskatchewan * Rural Municipality of Harris No. 316, Saskatchewan Scotland * Harris, Outer Hebrides (sometimes called the Isle ...

;

Sabhal Mòr Ostaig Sabhal Mòr Ostaig (; ) is a public higher education college situated in the Sleat peninsula in the south of the Isle of Skye, Scotland with an associate campus at Bowmore on the island of Islay. Sabhal Mòr is an independent Academic Part ...

Skye The Isle of Skye, or simply Skye, is the largest and northernmost of the major islands in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland. The island's peninsulas radiate from a mountainous hub dominated by the Cuillin, the rocky slopes of which provide some o ...

;

Stirling Stirling (; ; ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city in Central Belt, central Scotland, northeast of Glasgow and north-west of Edinburgh. The market town#Scotland, market town, surrounded by rich farmland, grew up connecting the roya ...

(26–27 August 2009); and

Edinburgh Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. The city is located in southeast Scotland and is bounded to the north by the Firth of Forth and to the south by the Pentland Hills. Edinburgh ...

(26 October 2010). "Annual Conference"
Community Energy Scotland

References

External links

Community Energy Scotland official websiteCommunity Energy Scotland Twitter streamCommunity Energy Scotland Facebook pageIsle of Gigha websitePURE projectFindhorn EcoviIlageDevelopment Trusts Association Scotland
{{Sustainable development in Scotland Charities based in Scotland Renewable energy in Scotland Climate change in Scotland Sustainability in Scotland Sustainability organizations 2008 establishments in Scotland Organizations established in 2008 Organisations based in Inverness

History

Projects

Annual conference

See also

References

External links