A WIND farm being built in the Scottish Borders is set to become Britain’s largest people-owned renewable energy project.
The site at Whitelaw Brae near Tweedsmuir has been purchased by Ripple Energy in an agreement with developers BayWa r.e.
However, Ripple is set to manage the site as a cooperative and allow thousands to co-own the project and power their homes with 100% green energy.
The company will work with multiple energy suppliers in order to apply savings generated by the wind farm directly to cooperative member’s energy bills.
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The site, which will contain 14 wind turbines, will have the potential to power more than 50,000 homes and generate around 145GWh per year.
At full power, it’s estimated it will take just three minutes to provide enough electricity for an average household for an entire year.
Sarah Merrick, founder and CEO of Ripple Energy, said: “Wind energy is the cheapest source of electricity in the UK, but the energy market makes it harder for ordinary people and businesses to access it.
“Ripple’s mission is to change that, making renewable energy ownership affordable and accessible to everyone, everywhere.
“Whitelaw Brae is a significant milestone in this journey, representing a true partnership between people and the environment. By owning just a credit card size slice of a turbine, most people can power their homes with 100% green energy.
“Not only that, but wind energy offers an abundant source of low-cost, clean power, so owners will be contributing in a tangible way to the UK’s energy security and net-zero efforts.”
The wind farm will begin generating in late 2026 and is Ripple’s fourth project since the company launched seven years ago.
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Around 900 members have saved over £1.2m on their bills in two years after the switch-on of their turbine at Graig Fatha near Coedely, Wales in 2022.
An eight-turbine wind farm at Kirk Hill near Girvan, Scotland is also due to complete this month, while work continues on Ripple’s first solar park at Derril Water near Devon, England where members share the power as well as the ownership.
Ripple is currently accepting registrations to a priority access list from anyone interested in owning part of the wind farm.
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