Edinburgh-based renewable energy project wins national competition

Community groups in Portobello and Leith were celebrating yesterday (Saturday) as their renewable energy project won the public vote in the Energyshare.com contest. The project, a collaboration between neighbouring community groups Pedal – Portobello Transition Town and Greener Leith,aims to build a community-owned wind turbine on the Seafield Waste Water Treatment Site in Edinburgh.

The project won the online Energyshare.com vote, beating off competition from nearly 1,000 other community renewables projects from around the UK. They are awarded funding to complete feasibility work on the windturbine, which is expected to go to planning permission during 2012. The Energyshare.com contest is a collaboration between River Cottage and British Gas which awards a total of £500,000 to community renewables projects onthe basis of online votes.

Eva Schonveld, Chair of PEDAL – Portobello Transition Town said:

We’re delighted to have won so much support for the project, and would like to thank everyone who took the time to vote for us. The funding is very welcome and will allow us to complete the final stage of feasibility workbut just as valuable is the massive support from local people that this vote represents.”

Charlotte Encombe, Chair of Greener Leith said:

A big thank you to everyone who voted online, tweeted, facebooked, blogged and badgered their friends and colleagues to support the project. We’re delighted to be the most popular project in the Energyshare.com contest, but the turbine is not built yet. We still have a number of hurdles to overcome, butthis vote gives a clear message that the project has widespread support, for which we are extremely grateful."

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