Renewable energy projects generate £200m a year in Scotland

Small-scale renewable energy projects in Scotland, including wind turbines, could be generating £200m worth of power a year, latest estimates suggest.

There are now 280 independent, commercial-scale projects across the country with a total capacity of 750MW, according to research compiled by SmartestEnergy.

The projects, including wind, hydro and marine energy schemes, are generating valuable income for communities, landowners and businesses.

"Depending on weather conditions and other factors we estimate that with current energy prices these projects could together be generating power worth something in the order of £200m a year" said Iain Robertson, Generation Sales Manager for SmartestEnergy.

"Rising energy prices and the introduction of financial subsidy schemes including the Feed-in Tariff have sparked huge interest in the development of independent generation projects," said Robertson.


"Our estimates of the size of the market show how the combined strength of a large number of smaller-scale projects can have a real impact both in terms of generating income and in helping Scotland meet its climate change targets."