Community Renewables Schemes
91. Community groups have increasingly been working to develop renewable energy schemes that provide energy to a range of local users. Examples of a community scheme include:
- a grouped housing installation such as a "solar street" where solar panels are fitted to the roof of every house in a street;
- incorporating solar water heating into a new civic building;
- installing a wind turbine to provide electricity to a school or hospital; or
- a community-owned wind turbine development.
92. Community owned renewable energy projects present the opportunity to create a regular income stream which can be used to fund local improvements to enhance and strengthen the community. They can generate wider benefits such as investment into local communities, local jobs creation and raising local awareness and interest in other types of renewable energy. Additionally, by developing their own renewable energy schemes, communities can have more control over the scale and siting of local developments. They will need to establish a legal identity to progress their plans. However, planners should be aware that community ownership does not guarantee that objections will be eliminated, particularly from residents who are not part of the scheme or from competitive schemes.
93. Planning authorities should be able to assist communities in understanding the planning issues which need to be address when developing a micro-renewables project. Additional assistance is available from Planning Aid for Scotland, the Energy Saving Trust, the Highlands and Islands Community Energy Company, area based renewable energy groups, energy companies and manufactures and installers of micro-renewable devices. Some community groups will pursue proposals themselves, others may go into partnership with a private company, which allows them to be guided through the process without taking on the full financial risks and necessary work in preparing the scheme.
94. Community groups interested in pursuing a micro-renewables project are encouraged to work with the development plan process, to ensure their proposal is in accordance with the plan when they submit their application.