Falck Renewables, in partnership with Energy4All, who work to promote community ownership of renewable energy schemes and energy conservation measures, has promoted local ownership through community co-operatives for our wind farms in the UK. These co-ops allow local people to purchase a stake in the wind farm and thus take a direct ownership in the project. Profits from the sale of the green electricity produced by the wind farm are distributed to members though an annual dividend.

One such co-operative that has received national recognition is the Boyndie Wind Farm Co-operative in Aberdeenshire. This co-operative won the prestigious National Green Energy Award for Best Community Initiative Project in Scotland. Receiving the award in front of an audience of over 700 leading figures from the Scottish Renewable Industry and notable Scottish politicians including Alex Salmond, Andrew King, the Boyndie Co-op Chairman, said “Scotlands renewable energy revolution cannot succeed without the support of ordinary Scots. What better way to involve people than by letting them own a direct stake in the project? To achieve this you need only three things.

1. An imaginative developer like Falck Renewables at Boyndie.

2. Support of Energy4All Ltd, the social enterprise dedicated to extending community ownership.

3. Enthusiastic support of the local community.

We had all these three at Boyndie and it is a great success. Now let’s roll this model out across Scotland.

Details of this initiative and other similar co-operatives developed between Falck and Energy4All can be found on the web site www.energy4all.co.uk.