Hydroworld.com | By: Elizabeth Ingram | GPE – September 12, 2017:
“Community hydro” is a phrase we’ve been seeing fairly regularly recently, and it generally refers to a hydroelectric project where development was driven by a community, for the benefit of an array of shareholders. The National Energy Foundation in the UK calls this type of development “community-led hydro.”
Originally published August 22, 2017: A recent example of this type of development work is the 123-kW Arrochar Community Hydro plant, which is being developed by the Arrochar Community Hydro Society. This society was set up to construct the project, near Arrochar in Argyll and Bute, Scotland.
The run-of-river Arrochar scheme was initially proposed by Luss Estates as a means to enable local Development Trusts to generate income to reinvest in their communities. The river and surrounding land on which the scheme will be developed will be “leased for a peppercorn rent” by Luss Estates to the society. The Arrochar and Tarbet and Luss and Arden Development Trusts are working alongside “community energy specialists” Energy4All, Local Energy Scotland and Luss Estates to develop this project.
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