Wednesday 29 January 2025
Join us for our next CARES conference, which will take place at the University of Strathclyde Technology and Innovation Centre on Wednesday 29 January 2025 from 10am to 4pm.
The Scottish Government’s Community and Renewable Energy Scheme (CARES) supports communities to engage, participate and benefit in the energy transition to net zero.
This year we’ll be looking at how we can scale up community energy across Scotland and its importance in making net zero a reality by 2045. With Labour set to scale up local energy projects at a UK level through Local Power Plans in England and Wales, we are asking, ‘How can more communities across Scotland get involved in local energy projects?’
In our plenary sessions we’ll be joined by Dr Alasdair Allan MSP, Acting Minister for Climate Action. We’ll hear from organisations and communities that have already carried out renewable energy projects, and you’ll hear inspirational stories from community groups that are delivering renewable energy projects. This will be followed by a discussion session, with panellists talking about the community energy’s role in having an inclusive and fair transition for us to reach net zero emissions.
After lunch, we’re running two parallel practical sessions. Here you’ll be able to choose from workshops that include shared ownership, the role communities can play to accelerate decarbonising heat, maximising community benefits for Scottish communities and more. These sessions have been designed to focus on previous learnings and what action community groups can take to help Scotland reach its net zero targets by 2030.
Throughout the day, you’ll be able to meet Local Energy Scotland’s local development officers. You’ll be able to find out more about CARES and ask specific questions about existing renewable energy projects or ideas you may have.
Please see below for our and keep an eye out for exciting updates!
Location
The conference will take place at the University of Strathclyde Technology and Innovation Centre, 99 George Street, Glasgow G1 1RD.
The Technology and Innovation Centre is close to major public transport hubs, and you can work out your route on their website.
How to book
The conference has now sold out. If you didn’t manage to book your place and are interested in attending, you can join our waiting list and we’ll contact you as soon as a space becomes available.
Please note, the conference is free to attend and is primarily for communities with an interest in renewable energy. Please do not book multiple spaces if you are not from a community organisation. Community groups will be prioritised and ticketing is limited to 2 tickets per organsation.
If you have booked a ticket and are no longer able to attend, please email info@localenergy.scot with your booking reference and mention ‘Conference cancellation’ in the subject heading. This will enable us to free up spaces for people on the waiting list.
Agenda
10.00am – 10.30am – Arrival and registration
Refreshments will be available on arrival.
Please note that the following times for the morning session are approximate and are subject to change.
10.30am – 10.40am – Welcome from Local Energy Scotland
- Speaker: Chris Morris, Local Energy Scotland.
10.40am – 11.00am – Minister’s address
- Speaker: Dr Alasdair Allan MSP, Acting Minister for Climate Action, Scottish Government
11.00am – 11.45am – Sharing community stories
Be inspired by communities that are delivering renewable energy projects. Our speakers will give short updates and will be involved in the afternoon sessions where you can delve into the detail with them and ask questions about their projects.
Speakers:
- Caroline Ferguson, RUTS.
- Lesley Hinds, Edinburgh Community Solar Co-op.
- Allan Wilson, Radio City.
- Jim Lee, Dundee Renewable Energy Society.
- Gillon Dobie, Abbey St Bathans village hall.
- Sue Hollands, Eigg Electric.
- Janet Moxley, Biggar Youth Project.
11.45am – 12.30pm – Just transition and community energy
Our panellists will introduce their topics and will take part in a discussion on community energy’s role in an inclusive and fair transition to net zero emissions.
Panel:
- Virginia Toyi, CEMVO Scotland: Minority ethnic communities’ participation in environmental projects.
- Fraser Stewart, Regen: Leveraging local and community energy for a just transition in Scotland.
- Joe Smee, Glasgow Community Energy: An inclusive approach to community energy projects.
- Chris Mackie, Scottish Government: Introducing the 2025/26 Community Energy Generation Growth Fund.
12.30pm Lunch
Afternoon workshop sessions
1.30pm – 2.30pm – Workshop session 1
We will run three workshop sessions in parallel. Please choose one session, to be booked in advance.
Workshop 1 – Community energy generation case studies and funding
We’ll have case studies from a solar PV project and a wind energy project. Our speakers will build on the presentations given in the morning session, providing more information on the project model, development experience and the communities’ future aspirations.
We’ll then hear about different ways of funding projects – commercial funding, community shares and grants before opening for a panel discussion.
Chair:
- Chris Morris, Local Energy Scotland.
Panel:
- Allan Wilson, Radio City: Kilbirnie Wind Turbine.
- Jim Lee, Dundee Renewable Energy Society: Bullionfield Solar Meadow.
- Morven Lyon, Democratic Finance Scotland: Community shares.
- Graham Ayling, Energy Saving Trust: Ofgem Redress Fund.
- Graham Watson, Scottish National Investment Bank.
Workshop 2 – What role can communities play to accelerate decarbonising heat?
We’ll share the key learnings from the Community Heat Development Programme and other community heat projects and programmes.
Chair:
- Iona Hodge, Local Energy Scotland.
Panel:
- Ben Whittle, Sharenergy – Community Heat Development Unit.
- Martin Hayman, East Lothian Council – LHEES.
- Oisín De Priall, Reheat – community heat development programme.
- Neil Harrison, Reheat – community heat development programme.
Workshop 3 – Maximising community benefits for Scottish communities
With the awareness that large onshore wind projects are planned to meet the Scottish Government’s ambition of 20GW of onshore wind by 2030 and that community benefits are expected from these projects and from transmission infrastructure, this session will look at how communities and developers are planning for this.
It’s also an opportunity to find out about the refreshed Register of Community Benefits and Shared Ownership and the Scottish Government consultations on community benefits.
Chair:
- Laura Campbell, Local Energy Scotland.
Panel:
- Lesley McNeil, Muirhall: How are developers planning for this scaled-up level of funding?
- Stephen McCarron, 9CCG: How are communities planning for this scaled-up level of funding?
- Jillian Violaris, SPEN: What community benefits are planned from transmission infrastructure.
- Laura Campbell, Local Energy Scotland: How we can use the Register of Community Benefits and Shared Ownership.
- Francesca Vacca, Scottish Government: Scottish Government consultation on community benefits.
2.30pm – 2.45pm – Break for refreshments
2:45pm – 3.45pm – Workshop session 2
We will run three workshop sessions in parallel. Please choose one session, to be booked in advance.
Workshop 4 – How can GBE Local help to support the growth of community energy?
Great British Energy (GBE) Local aims to generate clean, affordable energy through community-owned and led projects across the UK. Our panellists will discuss how GBE Local can support the scaling up of community energy, and what impact plans might have on communities.
Chair:
- Emma Shepherd, Scottish Government.
Panel:
- Simon Calverley, UK Government.
- Emma Shepherd, Scottish Government.
- Chris Morris, Local Energy Scotland.
- Zoe Holliday, Community Energy Scotland.
Workshop 5 – How do communities take a share in the growth of commercial scale renewables?
In this session, we’ll look at the landscape of support for community organisations to overcome the challenges of shared ownership. We’ll also have a panel of experts from Local Energy Scotland, Democratic Finance Scotland, Regen, and Rathbones to answer your questions about it and how it can work for your community.
Chair:
- Christina Hinds, Local Energy Scotland.
Panel:
- Christina Hinds, Local Energy Scotland: Addressing the Challenges of Shared Ownership.
- Morven Lyon, Democratic Finance Scotland: Can community shares or bonds provide the low-cost finance required to deliver community shared ownership at scale?
- Jessica Hogan, Regen.
- Fiona Gillespie, Rathbones.
- Andrew Wilkinson, QMPF.
Workshop 6 – Lessons from low carbon community and faith buildings
Communities who have installed renewable technologies and energy efficiency measures (including a mixture of solar, batteries, heat pumps and energy efficiency measures) in their buildings will talk about their renovations, living with low carbon technologies and the benefits of doing this.
We’ll discuss lessons learnt, what they’d advise others and what they’d do differently.
Chair:
- Ruth Davidson and Gemma Murray, Local Energy Scotland.
Speakers:
- Caroline Fergusson, Rural & Urban Training Scheme (RUTS).
- Janet Moxley, Biggar Youth Project.
- Gillon Dobie, Abbey St Bathans village hall.
3.45pm – 4.00pm – Closing remarks
(Agenda provided subject to change)