Case Studies

Below are a selection of resources and case studies to give you useful information on CARES. Hover over an image for more information.

Murieston Community Council
Murieston Community Council applied for CARES funding to support the creation of a Community Action Plan. The area will soon be able to access community benefits from nearby wind farms; a Community Action Plan will outline the community’s vision and provide a strategy on how to achieve it.

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Murieston Community Council
East Coast Organics
East Coast Organics wanted to make better use of the energy generated by the solar PV array at their business in East Lothian. They installed a storage battery to increase the usage of the renewable energy generated on site. It also provides power to charge up their electric vehicles.

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East Coast Organics
Aberlady Community Association
Aberlady Community Association applied for CARES funding to help them identify a low-carbon alternative to their village hall’s existing gas-powered heating system.

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Aberlady Community Association
ACCESS (Assisting Communities to Connect to Electric Sustainable Sources)
ACCESS aimed to help local communities generate their own renewable energy by offering ‘flexible connections’ in areas were tapping into the existing grid is difficult. By using these connectors, it would be possible to manage the local energy network more effectively.

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ACCESS (Assisting Communities to Connect to Electric Sustainable Sources)
Duddingston solar project
Friends of Duddingston Charitable Trust wanted to reduce Duddingston Primary School’s carbon emissions. They applied for a CARES development loan to install solar PV on the school’s roof.

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Duddingston solar project
Tower Power
By offering a community-led alternative to standard customer and supplier relationships, Tower Power aimed to give the community control to negotiate cheaper energy and benefit from local, renewable energy generation.

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Tower Power
Solar Connected Communities
The Feed-in Tariff closed in March 2019 but Ofgem offered community organisations a 12-month extension through a simple pre-registration process. Local Energy Scotland supported 35 community groups and organisations to apply for pre-registration.

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Solar Connected Communities
Coigach wind turbine
The wind turbine project was a community council legacy taken on by Coigach Community Development Company (CCDC) when it was established in 2010. The turbine is formally owned and managed by Coigach Community CiC, a subsidiary set up by CCDC. Capital funding was received through Triodos bond.

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Coigach wind turbine