It can help community organisations with grant funding, advice and loan funding to progress your renewable energy project. There’s support for early feasibility work, project development and construction. Your project idea must meet the fund objectives:

• Contribute to Scotland’s target of 2GW of community or locally owned renewable energy by 2030.
• Support communities to develop and be engaged in energy projects and the energy transition.
• Deliver concrete economic benefits to communities, while also supporting Scotland’s net zero ambitions.

Projects supported will need to:

• Install over 100kW of renewable energy, either at a site or over multiple sites, for example multiple building roofs.

• Install eligible technologies including onshore wind, solar PV, hydro. Battery storage, flexibility and local supply arrangements can be included if it complements renewable generation and improves the business model.

• Generate and provide electricity through a connection to:
  • Sell to the national grid; or
  • Sell to a local energy user with enough demand; or
  • Power your own building.

Please note the additional points if your project idea is to:

• Power your own building – you can only apply if it’s heated by electricity, biomass or district heating and you’ll need a big roof or space around your building to install a 100kW of renewable energy.
• Improve an independent electricity grid – as a community group that owns and operates its own independent electricity grid because it can’t connect to the national grid you can apply.
• Repowering an existing renewable energy project – you can apply for feasibility, development and construction support.