Local and small-scale renewables
We have a number of initiatives designed to make it easier for businesses and communities to invest in local and small-scale renewables.
Community and Renewable Energy Scheme (CARES)
The Scottish Government’s Community and Renewable Energy Scheme (CARES) encourages community ownership of renewable energy projects across Scotland, helping to maximise the benefits of renewable energy systems, and ensuring that the delivery of community energy comes with benefits for people in Scotland
CARES, which is delivered by Local Energy Scotland, supports communities across Scotland to participate in, and benefit from, the energy transition. It has a network of development officers across Scotland to provide free, expert and impartial advice and support to community groups, charities and other eligible organisations seeking to explore their renewable energy options.
CARES provides advice and funding to communities across Scotland looking to develop renewable energy, heat decarbonisation and energy efficiency projects, including shared ownership projects. This helps to support progress towards our target of two GW of community and locally owned energy in Scotland.
For more information, visit the Local Energy Scotland website.
Community access to wind farm repowering
The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring the transition to net zero delivers real and lasting benefits for communities.
We have set up a pilot scheme to provide new opportunities for communities to benefit from renewable energy developments. The scheme will give local groups across Scotland the chance to lease windfarm sites on publicly owned land managed by Forestry and Land Scotland (FLS). Repowering involves upgrading or replacing older wind turbines with newer, more efficient models to increase energy output and extend the operational life of an existing site.
The scheme makes enhancements to FLS’ existing Community Asset Transfer provision. It gives a protected window for local groups to make an asset transfer request to lease windfarm repowering sites on the national forests and land. We have identified ten onshore wind sites under 50 megawatts on public land to pilot this approach.
FLS will give communities advance notification of upcoming lease opportunities, so they have time to prepare asset transfer requests before sites go to market.
There will also be dedicated guidance for repowering projects, including support on financing, evaluation and governance, as well as targeted support from Local Energy Scotland through the Community and Renewable Energy Scheme (CARES), including help to develop proposals.
For more information about community access to wind farm repowering, visit the Forestry and Land Scotland website and the Local Energy Scotland website
Community Asset Transfer
Community Asset Transfer is a mechanism through which community organisations have a right to request to take over publicly-owned land or buildings that they feel they can make better use of for local people.
Find out more about Community Asset Transfer.
These community empowerment rights apply to all land and buildings managed by FLS. FLS’ Community Asset Transfer Scheme (CATS) sets out how groups can buy or lease sites on the national forests and land to benefit their communities.
Business Energy Scotland
Business Energy Scotland (BES) provides free, impartial advice and support to small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs), charities and not-for-profit organisations on implementing energy efficiency and renewable heat measures with the aim of cutting carbon emissions, reducing energy consumption, and saving money.
SME Loan and Cashback Scheme
The SME Loan and Cashback Scheme provides unsecured, interest free loans of up to £100,000 to eligible SMEs, not-for-profit-organisations and charities to finance the installation of renewable heating and energy efficiency measures.
Home Energy Scotland Grant and Loan Scheme
The Home Energy Scotland Grant and Loan Scheme provides homeowners in Scotland a grant, interest free loan or a combination of both to install clean heating systems and energy efficiency measures.