Community energy advocates welcome a brighter future for Edinburgh

Commenting on news that the Edinburgh Community Solar Co-operative has already raised around £350,000 through a share offer, Anne Schiffer, community energy campaigner at Friends of the Earth Scotland said: “It is great news that the Edinburgh Community Solar Co-op is well on the way to raising the funds it needs. We’re delighted that the Solar Co-op is going to bring renewable energy and associated benefits to the citizens of Edinburgh. It’s great to see a project like this taking off in an urban setting. We hope to see many more community energy projects inspired by what’s happening in the Scottish capital.”

Schiffer continued: “Community energy projects are a vital part of the energy transformation we need – as well as reducing carbon emissions, they give communities a stake in the energy system and a chance to share benefits locally. Projects like the Edinburgh Community Solar Co-op are the signs of a brighter future.”

With support from players of People’s Postcode Lottery, Friends of the Earth Scotland are promoting and encouraging community energy projects across Scotland. Find out more at www.communitypower.scot

ENDS

Notes to Editors

1. The Edinburgh Community Solar Co-operative will be the largest community-owned urban renewable energy project in the UK. The project aims to raise funds through a share offer, which enables local people to invest in the scheme and so take an active part in building a low-carbon future. Buildings such as schools, leisure and community centres have been chosen to host the solar panels and will benefit from reduced energy bills. Any surplus energy will be sold to the National Grid and some of the profits made by the project will be reinvested locally through a Community Benefit Fund. It is estimated that the energy generated by the co-op will reduce the capital’s carbon emissions by 855 tonnes a year. For more details, see www.edinburghsolar.coop. Please note that because of changes to UK tax law, the deadline to take up the share offer is 28 November.

2. Friends of the Earth Scotland’s Community Energy campaign aims to:
• Speed up the development of renewable projects by supporting a favourable legislative environment
• Inform and educate policymakers, empowering them to put forward enabling frameworks
• Build a broad, public coalition in support of community renewable energy projects
• Inform and engage the public through workshops, street stalls, stunts and more.

3. About People’s Postcode Lottery
• People’s Postcode Lottery is a charity lottery. Players play with their postcodes to win cash prizes while raising money for charities and good causes across Great Britain and globally
• People’s Postcode Lottery is an External Lottery Manager and manages multiple society lotteries promoted by different causes supporting a range of good causes. For details on which society lottery is running each week, visit www.postcodelottery.co.uk/society
• Postcode Lottery Limited is regulated by the Gambling Commission under certificate nr 000-000829-N-102511-010 and 000-000829-R-102513-009. Registered office: Titchfield House, 69/85 Tabernacle Street, London, EC2A 4RR
• People’s Postcode Lottery players support the following Trusts – Postcode African Trust, Postcode Animal Trust, Postcode Care Trust, Postcode Children Trust, Postcode Community Trust, Postcode Culture Trust, Postcode Dream Trust, Postcode Earth Trust, Postcode Global Trust, Postcode Green Trust, Postcode Heroes Trust, Postcode Local Trust, Postcode Planet Trust, Postcode Support Trust, People’s Postcode Trust and Postcode Sport Trust. These Trusts are funded entirely by players and support a variety of good causes. For further information on each charity, visit: www.postcodelottery.co.uk/charities
• 55p from every £2 ticket goes to good causes and players have raised £86.8Million for good causes across the country
• There are five draws a month with prizes every day and each ticket costs £2 – paid monthly in advance by direct debit. For further prize information, visit: www.postcodelottery.co.uk/prizes
• Maximum amount a single ticket can win is 10% of the draw revenue to a maximum of £400,000
• Players can sign up by Direct Debit, credit card or PayPal online at www.postcodelottery.co.uk, or by calling 0808 10-9-8-7-6-5.

4. Friends of the Earth Scotland is:
• Scotland’s leading environmental campaigning organisation
• An independent Scottish charity with a network of thousands of supporters and active local groups across Scotland
• Part of the largest grassroots environmental network in the world, uniting over 2 million supporters, 75 national member groups, and some 5,000 local activist groups. www.foe-scotland.org.uk