HICEC - empowering communities - first annual review

A growing number of community groups in the Highlands and Islands are joining the powerful community energy movement and seizing the chance to develop their own income-generating schemes.

The first annual review of the Highlands and Islands Community Energy Company, launched recently at a community energy conference on the Isle of Harris, shows that more than 20 groups are now on the way to developing their own projects to generate cash to reinvest with the aim of making a real difference to the lives of the people who live there.  

Nicholas Gubbins, HICEC chief executive said “This is a movement which is gaining strength. Potentially there are great rewards, economically, environmentally and socially, for those communities who grasp the opportunity. Many have taken their inspiration from the islanders of Gigha who receive an annual net income of £70,000 from the sale of electricity produced by their own wind turbines. This has contributed to a resurgence in the economic fortunes of the island, a rising school roll and construction of new houses.”

"The review also highlights some of the difficulties which frustrate community groups during the development process, such as the scarcity of suitable-sized turbines and excessive grid connection quotes."

“At the conference in Harris, HICEC was given a clear mandate to lobby on behalf of these communities on these barriers and the year ahead will see us working hard to resolve these issues. We also have local development officers based throughout the Highlands and Islands on hand to support and guide these communities along the development path”.

The review also shows that HICEC has exceeded its target by supporting more than 130 Highlands and Islands community groups through technical and capital funding for their community renewable projects, such as installing new heating systems into community facilities.

These projects - from Shetland to Argyll, from Moray to the Western Isles - involve a range of technologies, such as heat pumps, solar panels, wind turbines, woodfuel heating, and have resulted in increased energy efficiency and reduced running cost of the buildings.

A copy of the review can be downloaded from the Community Energy Company website