PRESS RELEASE

Edinburgh Community Solar Co-operative (ECSC) are celebrating 10 years of generating clean, community-owned electricity in the city: and they are getting ready for their next major solar project.

ECSC have already generated over 11 million kWh of electricity by installing solar PV panels on schools, leisure centres and community buildings in the city, this is estimated to have saved more than 2,000 tonnes of CO₂ from being emitted from burning fossil fuels. Their generation last year was enough to power more than 600 homes with electricity.

The solar panels are owned by a community of 600 ordinary people (the majority local) who chose to invest in community shares and receive a fair return each year.

The schools and council buildings which host the solar panels have them installed at no charge, and have benefitted from a cheap rate of electricity – ECSC are estimated to have saved the council over £500,000 in energy costs since launch, helping to redirect funds to essential local services.

Vicki White, Chair of the Edinburgh Community Solar Co-op said:

“It’s fantastic to celebrate what we’ve achieved together through our solar panel installations over the past 10 years. We’re really proud that we’ve reduced greenhouse gas emissions, saved the council money and funded some really brilliant community projects across the city. Our project is giving people – and the City of Edinburgh Council – a real and practical way to act on climate change.”

Council Leader Jane Meagher said: 

“These numbers speak for themselves – there’s no doubt the Edinburgh Community Solar Co-operative has been making a real difference in the Capital over the last ten years, significantly reducing our carbon emissions while saving money in the process, and we’re delighted to be part of this.

“The City of Edinburgh Council has made an ambitious commitment to become net zero by 2030 and initiatives like this are central to our efforts to achieve our goal.”

So far ECSC has installed solar PV panels on 30 sites across the city, including City of Edinburgh Council offices at Waverley Court and 18 schools. ECSC has another share offer due to launch very soon, when the co-operative will be opening up to new members to help fund a further set of solar installations across the city.

If you would like to be notified when their share offer launches, head to the homepage and click ‘Upcoming share offer: learn more’: www.edinburghsolar.coop/