1. ‘Renewable Opportunities (on Common Grazings land)’ Crofters Commission Assessors Seminar, 17 th November 2011 Melanie MacRae, North Highland Development Officer http://www.communityenergyscotland.org.uk Scottish Charity Number: SC039673

2. 1.What are your opportunities 2.What makes a good project 3.Different ways to be involved 4. Top Tips 5.Policy and Support

3. Type of project – Reduce energy usage in your house/business – Generate energy for the above – Generate energy primarily for income generation

4. What are your opportunities? – Access to land – Access to large amounts of land – Access to large amounts of windy and wet land – Rights over land

5. What makes a renewable energy project/business opportunity? – Land – Resource – Grid – Time - CAPACITY – Money – RISK CAPITAL – Wider community benefit - INVOLVEMENT

6. LOWHIGH Land Rental /Access/Way leave Agreement Lower Risk (time, money resources) Lower benefits/income

7. LOWHIGH Joint Venture (Partnership) Benefit from partners skills More risk More benefits

8. LOWHIGH Ownership More risk More time More benefit

9. Common Challenges – The Grid – Hard to find finance < £1M – FiT uncertainties – FiT banding Existing North of Scotland Distribution System –SHEPD © 2009 Alec Morrison SHEPD

10. Policy support – Government RE Route Map to 2020 – 500MW by 2020 – community and locally owned renewable energy

13. Otherwise no FiT's !

14. What sort of work does the scheme cover? – Feasibility studies and surveys – Resource monitoring – Environmental surveys – Design work – Pre planning technical work – How do you apply and who do you speak to?

15. Where are they?

16. We are Scotland’s community energy charity. We offer independent advice and support Generate, Reduce, Substitute We are a membership organisation made up of community groups Renewable Energy Generation Energy Demand Reduction Community Energy Development Renewable Energy Substitution

18. TOP TIPS – VEHICLE is IMPORTANT Sets you up earlier for commercial liability which you will later incur – Think about the skills you don't have as well as those you do – Schemes are worth something in various stages of development – Finance think laterally

19. Summary – Land is an asset – Wet and Windy land is an even better one! – Many ways to be involved and benefit – Rental, Joint Venture Partnership or Full Ownership – Policy support is there for local ownership and generation – There are issues that you will come up against but there are others out there who are experiencing similar – (Ps you could also plant trees for woodfuel)

20. Larger-scale wind / hydro TOTAL No. projectsNo. MW Western Isles 2133.70 North Highland 1411.07 Argyll 2045.57 Orkney Islands 1110.50 Lochaber, Skye & Lochalsh 83.40 Shetland Islands 88.39 East Highland & Moray 53.15 Aberdeen, Dundee & Angus 31.96 TOTAL 90117.7 100% Planning success rate Thanks for listening!