Additional funding for community-owned renewable energy

Community groups that want to install renewable energy projects and decarbonise their buildings will be able to access additional Scottish Government support this year.

Funding available from the Community and Renewable Energy Scheme (CARES) will increase to £15 million this year, meaning more groups will be able to develop their own renewable energy projects such as onshore wind and solar, and cut the energy bills for their buildings by installing heat pumps and solar panels.

CARES has already delivered more than £83 million to communities across Scotland, supporting more than 1,200 projects and 75 Megawatts (MW) of renewable energy capacity.

The increase was announced by First Minister John Swinney ahead of a visit to Scalpay Community Centre in the Western Isles, which received CARES funding previously to install a heat pump, solar pv and battery storage.

Mr Swinney said:

“We are moving beyond the idea of communities as passive hosts of energy infrastructure. Our approach supports them to become active partners by helping them to invest in, own and benefit from the clean energy future.

“That is why we are increasing the funding available from CARES to £15 million each year. More than 1,000 groups have already benefitted, empowering them to generate their own clean energy through local solutions, not only cutting emissions but also reducing costs and creating resilient communities.

“I would encourage organisations who have not already applied to check what support they may be eligible for.”

Gordon Ness, Chair of Scalpay Community Association said:

“CARES funding has been instrumental in helping Scalpay Community Association SCIO transform our Community Centre into a more energy-efficient, sustainable and welcoming facility for everyone in our community. The support has enabled us to reduce our environmental impact while creating a warm, accessible space that will benefit local people for many years to come. Continued investment in CARES gives communities like ours the confidence to develop ambitious local projects that strengthen resilience, reduce carbon emissions and help secure a sustainable future for Scotland’s islands.”

Background

CARES provides advice and funding, via grants and loans, to communities looking to develop renewable energy, heat decarbonisation and energy efficiency projects. It is administered by Local Energy Scotland on behalf of the Scottish Government.

Scottish Government funding will be complemented by £2 million per year from The National Lottery Community Fund.

The Scottish Government wants communities to benefit from the opportunities presented by renewable technologies, and make the best use of the land and assets Scotland already has. To deliver that, the Scottish Government will refresh guidance for public bodies to remind them of the ways they can help community groups to deliver renewable projects on public land and encourage them to make land and buildings available for such projects.

The Scottish Government is also assessing the potential for deploying solar technology in underused spaces, so that even more of Scotland's land and infrastructure can contribute to our energy ambitions.

Tuilleadh taic-airgid airson cumhachd ath-nuadhachail fo shealbh na coimhearsnachd

A’ cumail taic ri buidhnean coimhearsnachd le bhith a’ gearradh chosgaisean cumhachd agus a’ lùghdachadh sgaoilidhean carboin.

Do bhuidhnean coimhearsnachd a tha airson pròiseactan cumhachd ath-nuadhachail a chur an gnìomh agus an carbon a chleachdas an cuid thogalaichean a lùghdachadh, bidh an cothrom ann am-bliadhna barrachd taic fhaighinn bho Riaghaltas na h-Alba.

Bidh am maoineachadh a tha ri fhaotainn tron Sgeama airson Cumhachd Ath-nuadhachail sa Choimhearsnachd (CARES) a’ dol suas gu £15 millean am-bliadhna. Mar seo, gheibh tuilleadh bhuidhnean an cothrom na pròiseactan cumhachd ath-nuadhachail aca fhèin a leasachadh, m.e. le cumhachd na gaoithe air tìr agus cumhachd na grèine, agus na cosgaisean cumhachd sna togalaichean aca a lùghdachadh tro bhith a’ stàladh phumpaichean teasachaidh agus panailean-grèine.

Tha an sgeama CARES air còrr is £83 millean a thoirt do choimhearsnachdan air feadh na h-Alba mar-thà. Tha seo a’ cumail taic ri barrachd air 1,200 pròiseact, ’s an cothrom ann 75 meaga-watt (MW) de chumhachd ath-nuadhachail a chruthachadh.

Chaidh an naidheachd mun àrdachadh sa mhaoineachadh fhoillseachadh leis a’ Phrìomh Mhinistear John Swinney air thoiseach air an turas aige do dh’Ionad Coimhearsnachd Sgalpaigh anns na h-Eileanan Siar. Fhuair an t-Ionad maoineachadh CARES roimhe airson pumpa-teasachaidh, panailean-grèine foto-bholtaig agus bataraidhean cumhachd a stàladh.

Thuirt Mgr Swinney na leanas:

“Tha sinn a’ dol ceum nas fhaide na an suidheachadh neo-ghnìomhach far a bheil coimhearsnachdan dìreach nan dachaigh do bhun-structar cumhachd. Tha an dòigh-obrach againn na cuideachadh dhaibh le bhith a’ gabhail pàirt èifeachdach sa ghnothach, ’s taic ann dhaibh gus airgead a thasgadh ann an àm ri teachd na cumhachd glain, buannachd fhaighinn às agus sealbh fhaighinn air goireasan.

“Sin an t-adhbhar gu bheil sinn ag àrdachadh a’ mhaoineachaidh a tha ri fhaotainn tron sgeama CARES gu £15 millean sa bhliadhna. Tha còrr is 1,000 buidheann air buannachd fhaighinn às an sgeama mar-thà, agus tha an cothrom aca a-nis a’ chumhachd ghlan aca fhèin a chruthachadh tro mheadhan fhuasglaidhean ionadail. Cha bhi seo dìreach a’ gearradh sgaoilidhean, ach a’ lùghdachadh chosgaisean agus a’ cruthachadh choimhearsnachdan seasmhach cuideachd.

“Mholainn do bhuidheann sam bith nach do chuir iarrtas a-steach gu ruige seo sùil a thoirt air dè seòrsa taic a dh’fhaodadh iad fhaighinn.”

Thuirt Gordon Ness, Cathraiche aig Comann Coimhearsnachd Sgalpaigh, na leanas:

“Tha maoineachadh CARES air a bhith riatanach do Chomann Coimhearsnachd Sgalpaigh SCIO. Chùm e taic rinn le bhith a’ tionndadh an Ionaid Coimhearsnachd againn na ghoireas a tha nas seasmhaiche, a chleachdas cumhachd ann an dòigh nas èifeachdaiche, agus a chuireas fàilte bhlàth air gach neach sa choimhearsnachd againn. Leis an taic seo, chaidh againn air a’ bhuaidh àrainneachdail againn a lùghdachadh, ’s sinn a’ cruthachadh àite blàth, ruigsinneach aig an aon àm a bheir buannachdan do mhuinntir an àite fad iomadh bliadhna ri teachd. Le tasgadh-airgid leantainneach ann an sgeama CARES, togaidh coimhearsnachdan mar an tè againne a’ mhisneachd a dh’fheumas iad airson pròiseactan ionadail, àrd-amasach a leasachadh a neartaicheas seasmhachd, a lùghdaicheas sgaoilidhean carboin, agus leis an gabh àm ri teachd seasmhach a ghlèidheadh do dh’eileanan na h-Alba.”

Cùl-fhiosrachadh

Tha sgeama CARES a’ toirt stiùireadh is maoineachadh – tro mheadhan ghrantaichean is iasadan – do choimhearsnachdan a tha airson pròiseactan a leasachadh co-cheangailte ri cumhachd ath-nuadhachail, èifeachdas cumhachd, agus lùghdachadh a’ charboin a chleachdas siostaman-teasachaidh. Thèid an sgeama a riaghladh le Cumhachd Ionadail na h-Alba às leth Riaghaltas na h-Alba.

Gach bliadhna, thèid £2 millean bho Mhaoin Coimhearsnachd a’ Chrannchuir Nàiseanta a chur ri maoineachadh le Riaghaltas na h-Alba.

Tha Riaghaltas na h-Alba ag iarraidh gum faigh coimhearsnachdan buannachd às na cothroman a thig an cois theicneòlasan ath-nuadhachail, agus gun dèan iad am feum as fheàrr dhen fhearann is dhe na stòrasan a th’ aig Alba mar-thà. Airson seo a lìbhrigeadh, bidh Riaghaltas na h-Alba ag ùrachadh stiùireadh a th’ ann do bhuidhnean poblach, airson cur nan cuimhne na dòighean anns am faod iad taic a chumail ri buidhnean coimhearsnachd le bhith a’ lìbhrigeadh phròiseactan ath-nuadhachail air fearann poblach – agus, airson am brosnachadh gus fearann is togalaichean a thoirt seachad airson phròiseactan dhen leithid. Tha Riaghaltas na h-Alba cuideachd a’ measadh nan cothroman a th’ ann gus teicneòlas na grèine a chur gu feum ann an àitichean nach eilear a’ cleachdadh gu leòr; le seo, gabhaidh fiù ’s tuilleadh fearann is bun-structar na h-Alba a chleachdadh airson na h-amasan cumhachd againn a ruigsinn.