UK’s biggest community wind farm takes shape in Scottish Borders

A 14-turbine wind farm, being built in the Scottish Borders, is set to be owned by members of the public in what will be Britain’s biggest people-owned renewable energy project. The site at Whitelaw Brae near Tweedsmuir has been secured by Ripple Energy in an agreement with developers BayWa r.e.

It means thousands of people across the country will be able to join together to co-own the wind farm via a co-operative, powering their homes with up to 100% green energy, reducing their electricity bills, and cutting their carbon footprint.

The site will have the potential to power more than 50,000 homes and generate around 145GWh per year. At full power, it will take just three minutes to provide enough electricity for an average household for an entire year. Landscaping work on site will include planting around 56 hectares of native woodland, scrubland and marshland, providing nesting habitat for wader species, and promoting biodiversity with the growth of heather and mosses.

The wind farm will begin generating in late 2026 and is Ripple’s fourth project since the company launched seven years ago. Ripple manages the co-operative and works with multiple energy suppliers to apply savings generated by the wind farm directly to member’s electricity bills.

Sarah Merrick, CEO of Ripple Energy, says:

“It used to be that installing solar panels on your roof was the only way to own a source of clean energy and reap the financial benefits. 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. 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.”

The site has been developed by BayWa r.e., which have delivered 144 wind projects worldwide, installing approximately 2.5GW of wind energy. The turbines will be manufactured by Vestas. On average by weight, 85% of Vestas turbines can be recycled or reused.

John Milligan, MD at BayWa r.e. UK Ltd., adds:

“We are delighted to work with Ripple in delivering green, renewable energy to UK households with the Whitelaw Brae project. 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.”

Ripple is currently accepting registrations to a priority access list from anyone interested in owning part of the wind farm. This access list will close at 9pm on Thursday 18th April, with those registered able to buy their share from Friday 19th April. The wider public will have access the following week on Friday 26th April.

For information and to join the access list, visit www.rippleenergy.com.