Monday 7 July 2014

More cash splashed on ‘indie’ renewables

Nearly £300 million flowed into commercial-sized independent green energy projects last year, suggest new figures.

Businesses, communities, farmers and landowners put the money into 843 new projects, around 40% more projects than in 2012, with an average cost of £353,000 each, according to the Energy Entrepreneurs Report.

It finds there are now 2,930 business-sized projects (more than 50kW capacity) not masterminded by the Big Six energy companies in the UK, generating almost 20TWh of electricity a year.

Whether it’s community wind turbines on far-out Scottish islands or onsite power generation at large manufacturing plants, indie green energy now tots up to more than 6.2 gigawatts in capacity.

Iain Robertson, Head of Generation at SmartestEnergy which put together the report says: “More than £1 million was invested every working day in 2013 and the 843 new projects commissioned are now having a direct impact on the businesses, communities, landowners and developers behind them.”