A 14-turbine wind farm being built in the Scottish Borders will be Britain’s biggest people-owned renewable energy project. Ripple Energy has made an agreement with developers BayWa r.e., securing the site at Whitelaw Brae.
The site has the potential to power more than 50,000 homes and generate around 145GWh per year. It will be developed by BayWa r.e., which has delivered 144 wind projects worldwide and installed about 2.5GW of wind energy.
People across the country can co-own the wind farm via a co-operative, powering their homes with up to 100% green energy, cutting bills and reducing their carbon footprint.
Sarah Merrick, CEO of Ripple Energy, said: “Wind energy offers an abundant source of low-cost, clean power so that owners will be contributing in a tangible way to the UK’s energy security and net zero efforts.”
She added: “This will be Ripple’s biggest project to date and indeed the largest people-owned renewable energy site anywhere in the UK and potentially the world. We couldn’t be more excited to see it come to life.”
Ripple will manage the co-operative and work with energy suppliers to apply the savings generated by the wind farm to members’ electricity bills. According to Merrick, owning just a “credit card size slice” of a turbine would enable most people to power their homes with green energy completely.
Managing director at BayWa r.e., John Milligan, said: “Developing onshore wind farms is essential to meeting the UK’s net zero emission targets, and it is encouraging to see the public excitement about projects such as Whitelaw Brae.”
The wind farm will begin generating towards the end of 2026. This is Ripple’s fourth project since the company’s launch seven years ago. In 2022, its turbine at Graig Fatha in Wales and an eight-turbine wind farm will be completed this month near Girvan, Scotland.
Ripple opened registrations for a priority access list for people looking to get involved in the Whitelaw Brae project and those who signed up are able to buy their share. The wider public will have access from 26 April.
Community energy projects continue to grow in popularity
Energy production in the past has been remote from people’s lives, resulting in a widespread lack of public understanding of the importance and reality of the economics and politics of energy production.
Community energy is carving out an increasingly prominent role within the UK’s energy transition, a shift recognised by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) which committed £10 million to community energy groups in August 2023.
Current± spoke with Ripple Energy’s founder and CEO, Sarah Merrick, to discuss how co-ownership of renewable sites can shape the future of the energy system.