This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
Listen
Community initiative on renewables
23/06/2002
Schools could get access to solar panels, villages could
be kitted out with forestry-waste heating schemes, and
farms could be wind-powered, under the Scottish Community
Research Initiative (SCRI) which seeks to promote wider use
of renewable energy technology.
The initiative, which makes available £1 million over
three years, was launched today by Environment and Rural
Development Minister Ross Finnie. He said:
"There is a huge appetite among local communities for
environmentally friendly ways of resourcing energy. And
grant schemes already exist for local projects. The problem
until now has been that people often don't know what's
available, and how to get access to this support.
"That is what we intend to change with this initiative.
Through our partners in the Energy Savings Trust and
Highlands and Islands Enterprise, we will provide a front
door for communities to access expertise and finance.
"Creating electricity and heat using sources such as
energy crops, solar & hydro power, wood-fuel or wind,
is a challenge that local people can now take on. Schools,
hospitals, offices, farms, and community centres should all
be able to benefit from sustainable power projects. SCRI
should help that potential turn into reality."
Under the SCRI initiative, expert teams will advise and
train local groups on how to get better access to the range
of funding initiatives available for renewable energy
projects. Help will be on hand in working out how new
technologies can help local groups, in preparing
feasibility studies, and in bidding for grants.
As well as the advice service being run through Energy
Savings Trust and Highlands and Islands Enterprise, we will
also establish a website to provide illustrated examples, a
network of local area officers, and information guides.
Getting much more of our energy from the abundant renewable
resource available in Scotland is an integral part of the
Executive's response to climate change. Our objective is to
obtain around 18 per cent of our energy from renewable
resources by 2010. With SCRI, communities can play their
part in this.
Just some of the schemes available include grants of up
to 50 per cent for bioenergy and photovoltaic (e.g. solar
power) schemes. Community renewable schemes such as
innovative wind power concepts can benefit from grants of
up to 45 per cent.