A workshop was held in the IFSC on December 8th 2016, looking at financial incentives to promote citizen investment in renewable energy. The workshop was organised by Dr. Celine McInerney, Cork University Business School, and Joseph Curtin, UCC. It was funded by the EPA Research programme.

1. Financial Participation of
Citizens in Low Carbon
Transition:
The Scottish Approach.
Jennifer Ramsay, Local
Energy Scotland

2. Local Energy Scotland
Community and
Renewable
Energy Scheme
(CARES)
Community
renewables
Local energy
systems
Local involvement in
large-scale projects

3. Scottish and UK policy
Scottish energy policy
- Ambitious targets
- Local energy
- Climate change
- Forthcoming energy
strategy
à Supporting local energy
UK energy policy
- Department of Energy and
Climate Change merged to
become Business, Energy and
Industrial Strategy
- Subsidy cuts/removal
- All scales
- Phase-out of coal by 2025
à Promoting innovation

4. Community and Renewable Energy
Scheme
CARES
• Financial assistance
• Advice and support
• Online resources

5. Citizen financial participation
1. Community generation projects
2. Local involvement in large-scale projects
3. Local energy systems

6. Community generation
projects
1. Popular model over past ten years
• Generated high levels of income
• Rural areas
• Electricity projects
• Public funds available
• Share offers becoming extremely popular
2. Subsidies and grid issues prevent financial viability
• Tax relief for shares removed in 2015

7. Harlaw Hydro Case Study
• Commissioned Sept 2015
• Members of the co-operative receive around 4% interest
• Surplus used to support local projects
• 95kW scheme in
Edinburgh
• £403,000 raised through
local share offer with
some bank support

8. Local Involvement in Large Scale Projects
Community Benefit

9. Local Involvement in Large Scale Projects
Shared Ownership
1. SNP Manifesto – 50% of all sites consented in 2020
to have element of shared ownership
2. For developers:
• Increased public support and involvement
• Can require additional resource
3. For communities:
• Can give high(er) levels of income
• Often difficult to work on commercial timescales

10. Marshill Farm Case Study

11. Local Energy Systems
• Scottish Government Energy Strategy
• Transition to decarbonised energy
• Energy systems approach
• Localised energy
• Local Energy Challenge Fund
• £30m of public support
• Partnership approaches
• Linking energy generation with energy use
Identifying viable business models for local energy

12. Levenmouth Community Energy Project
• 910kW renewable
generation
• 8 building parallel
microgrid
• Toshiba H2EMS Smart
Grid control
• 250kW electrolyser/100kW
fuel cell ESS
• 2 x 10kg per day hydrogen
refuellers
• 17 vehicle fleet
• Study into rural hydrogen
production

14. Tower Power

15. Algal Solutions for Local Energy Projects

16. Others…
• EASTHEAT: Sunamp heat storage in social housing
• Montrose Local Energy Project: New fuel source from animal
bedding
• ACCESS: Live monitoring of production from community
hydro and shifting use
• Large Air Source Heat Pump: District heating in housing
association stock in Glasgow
• Outer Hebrides Local Energy Hub: Using salmon waste to
power anaerobic digester, which feeds into biogas CHP
system, combines with wind energy into H2 electrolyser, O2
feeds salmon, H2 goes into Hydrogen CHP system, powers
the fish hatchery

17. Other Scottish support programmes
• Low Carbon Infrastructure Transition Programme (LCITP)
• ERDF support programme for low-carbon infrastructure
• Heat Network Partnership
• Ensuring consistent support across heat projects
• District heating loan
• Financial support for commercially viable district heating systems
• Home Energy Scotland and Resource Efficient Scotland
• Advice and support for homes and businesses
• Scotland’s Energy Efficiency Programme (SEEP)
• Developing existing programmes to improve building energy
efficiency

18. What next?
• Find out what works
• Deliver local energy projects without public grant
support
• Mainstreaming following demonstration
• Publication of Scottish Government energy
strategy

19. Contact us
www.localenergyscotland.org
0808 808 2288
@localenergysco
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jennifer@localenergyscotland.org