Dundee Renewable Energy Society (DRES) launched a successful share offer in the period running up to Christmas 2023, and we had a huge response from people in Dundee and around the country. We worked flat out through 2024: finalising contracts, working on the access road required from the A90, installing the frames, inverters and transformers, and finally installing and connecting the panels themselves.
The panels were generating in October, and in a sunny day in November we managed to power The James Hutton Institute's Invergowrie campus entirely, with a little export to the grid on top. We expect that 94% of the electricity generated will be sold to the Institute, a highly efficient system that is anticipated to generate around 2,214 MWh per annum, that's around 500 tonnes of CO2 emissions saved.
The James Hutton Institute specialise in soil science and have already conducted analysis of the soil in Bullionfield field as part of a long-term experiment to assess the impact of solar meadows. Talks with the farm manager are ongoing about what kind of seeding and management is most appropriate for the site, and we hope to develop guidance for others on best practice in managing ground-mounted solar and biodiversity.
Thank you to everyone who has helped make this project happen, from our contractors and project managers to our Board of Directors and the members themselves. We are continuing to take applications to become a member of DRES up until 30th April 2025, with priority to people living in post codes areas of DD1-DD5.
In the coming years as our initial project costs steady out and the solar meadow generates you will hear more from us regarding the community benefit fund, which will be spent on local projects to promote sustainable energy and alleviate fuel poverty. If you would like to hear more news you can follow us on Facebook or LinkedIn.
If you are interested in joining another renewable energy co-op, you can register to Energy4All who help with the administration of DRES and more than 30 other renewable energy co-ops around the UK.
