‘Renewable Opportunities (on Common Grazings land)’ Crofters Commission Assessors Seminar, 17 th November 2011 Melanie MacRae, North Highland Development Officer Scottish Charity Number: SC039673

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

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

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

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

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

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

LOWHIGH Ownership More risk More time More benefit

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

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

Otherwise no FiT's !

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?

Where are they?

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

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

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)

Larger-scale wind / hydro TOTAL No. projectsNo. MW Western Isles North Highland Argyll Orkney Islands Lochaber, Skye & Lochalsh Shetland Islands East Highland & Moray Aberdeen, Dundee & Angus TOTAL % Planning success rate Thanks for listening!