Small hydro projects play a vital role in supporting fragile rural economies in Scotland, producing sustainable green developments that work in harmony with the environment. These efficient and unobtrusive energy sources integrate organically with the landscape, harnessing the power of Scotland’s most abundant renewable resource.
Alba Energy
The Small Hydro collective
Founded in 1998, Alba Energy was set up to connect remote hydro producers and share information relating specifically to Scotland’s small-scale hydroelectric schemes, which was not available elsewhere. Today there is a wide range of expertise within our group, with members benefiting from the experience and insights of their peers and our combined power to bring about new opportunities, industry change, and environmental innovation to ensure a sustainable future for the Scottish hydroelectric industry.
Alba Energy is not in competition with national and UK-wide membership organisations such as Scottish Renewables or the British Hydropower Association. Our focus is exclusively on connecting and championing the independent owner-operators of Small Hydro schemes. Within our membership we have representatives who are individual members of these larger organisations and keep a watching brief on developments and changes in legislation that specifically affect our members. Our connection and relationships with these nationwide organisations also provides a platform for us to lobby Government and ensure that Small Hydro schemes are well represented in the wider renewables sector.
Being part of Alba Energy benefits our voluntary members in three key ways:
1. Connecting Small Hydro operators
Small hydroelectricity producers do not need to face their challenges alone. By tapping into the collective experience of co-members, businesses are empowered to tackle issues and stay informed, sharing their own knowledge to support other producers.
We can provide advice on Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs), the Office of Gas Electricity Markets (OFGEM), and issues of environmental regulation from the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) and NatureScot (formerly Scottish Natural Heritage). Alba Energy members routinely support each other, problem solving issues particular to their location, topography, consultants, and contractors. With the support of one another, members have met issues of financing projects, the evolving requirements of Environmental Assessments, planning applications, choosing contractors, health and safety issues, determining flow rates, grid connections, repairing break-downs, sourcing suitable parts to minimise down time, wayleaves, rental agreements, busines rates and insurance, and more.
2. Collective action
By working together as a cooperative grouping, Alba Energy brings to the table our cumulative power to influence maintenance contracts, the distribution authorities, insurance companies, and ratings authorities. Start-up hydro businesses no longer have to tackle these issues or the marketplace on their own. Together we can communicate with and challenge Government and local authorities to bring about change, push for new opportunities and contribute to the climate change debate.
Collectively, Alba Energy members have encouraged the availability of affordable and appropriate insurance cover for small hydro producers in Scotland and worked together to secure more favourable terms from providers. We have successfully argued for rates relief from the Scottish Government and taken on the Scottish Assessor in our long-running battle to win fair rateable values for hydro schemes.
3. Championing climate change & green innovations
Hydropower is the world’s oldest and most sustainable form of renewable energy, and a vital economic ingredient in many of Scotland’s upland communities. We know that our local economies, environment, and climate rely heavily on the success of their hydroelectricity schemes, so together we work to ensure that Small Hydro has a long and successful future.
United without obligation, we challenge and contribute to the climate change debate, further the green agenda, find new ways to make the most of our precious natural resources and bring about the continued technological innovation that is essential for the longevity of Small Hydro production.
The Board
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Alba Energy is a grouping of small private hydro producers in Scotland, set up in 1998 with a number of objectives, but with the key ethos of sharing information relating specifically to small scale hydro schemes, which was not available elsewhere.
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