The sunniest city in Scotland is looking to turn sunshine into community benefit
A Dundee-based community group is looking to raise £3 million to build a solar meadow on the edge of Dundee.
The Dundee Renewable Energy Society (DRES) has launched a community share offer to raise funds to construct and operate a solar meadow on the Bullionfield near Invergowrie on land owned by the James Hutton Institute. The society will sell the electricity generated to the institute, a world-leading independent scientific research organisation.
The institute has an ambitious climate action plan which maps the route to Net Zero by 2035 and the society will work in partnership with them to support the transition away from fossil fuels.
The society arose from a meeting in Dundee in 2017 at which people gathered to discuss how Dundee and the surrounding area could develop community energy projects as a response to the growing awareness of climate change and the need to develop sustainable solutions to the climate problem both locally and globally.
Richard McCready, the Chair of the community group said: “We want as many people as possible, especially local people from Dundee, the Carse of Gowrie and the surrounding area, to join DRES which is why the minimum investment is as low as we can make it at £100. DRES is a community benefit society, all members no matter how much they have subscribed, have an equal vote in running the society”.
DRES is supported and assisted by Energy4All Ltd. DRES is one of the family of 34 community energy co-operatives that come together as Energy4All, demonstrating the power of co-operation in the renewables sector. Over £85 million has been raised for Energy4All’s community-owned renewable energy generation co-operatives at locations throughout the UK.
“We want as many people as possible, especially local people from Dundee, the Carse of Gowrie and the surrounding area, to join DRES which is why the minimum investment is as low as we can make it at £100″
Richard McCready
Marna McMillin, CEO of Energy4All said “Energy4All believes that community ownership requires the participation of the local community to help deliver projects and distribute community benefit, with financing also coming from non-local members who support the objectives of the community and wish to help deliver a democratically owned, cleaner, more sustainable energy system.”
Parents and grandparents can apply for Shares now and hold them on behalf of their children and grandchildren; or can apply for Shares now and give them to their children and grandchildren in their will. Shares in DRES are understood to be exempt from inheritance tax under present rules.
As well as owning and managing the project on behalf of the community, the society will use surplus profits from the sale of electricity to provide support to community organisations across the Dundee area with a particular focus on tackling fuel poverty.
Further information about the community share offer can be found on Dundee Renewable Energy Society’s website
Or telephone 01229 821028
December 8, 2023
