THE PROJECT OVERVIEW

What is the Glenkiln Solar project?
Arran Community Renewables (ACR) is developing a community-owned solar farm at Glenkiln, near Lamlash, to generate clean electricity for the local grid and deliver long-term benefits to the Isle of Arran.

Where will the solar farm be located?
The site is near Glenkiln, approximately 2 km west of Lamlash on the Isle of Arran.

Why is ACR doing this?
The project reduces Arran’s reliance on fossil fuels, cuts carbon emissions, and allows any surplus income to be reinvested into community projects.

Why are solar farms important?
Solar panels generate electricity without carbon emissions. They support Scotland’s net-zero targets and provide clean, predictable energy that benefits the local community.

Why solar rather than other renewables?
Solar is extremely well-proven, low maintenance, and predictable technology. It also has less landscape and visual impact than other renewable energy technologies.

Why solar in Scotland? What happens when there’s no sun?
Solar panels can generate energy whenever it is light, not just when it is sunny. Whilst more sun leads to more generation, it is not a linear relationship. The UK also has a more established electricity grid and installer networks than other sunnier parts of the world – the panels themselves only make up part of the overall project costs.

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HOW IT WORKS (TECHNICAL DETAILS)

How does a solar farm work?
Arrays of photovoltaic (PV) panels convert sunlight into electricity, which is exported to the national grid.

How big will the solar farm be?
The Glenkiln Solar Farm covers around 20 acres (8 hectares). Panels will be spaced to allow continued agricultural use, such as sheep grazing, and to support biodiversity.

How much energy will it generate?
Once operational, it is expected to generate around 5,600 MWh per year, equivalent to about a quarter of the Isle of Arran’s domestic electricity usage.

Will there be a battery for when the sun does not shine?
At the time the project was developed, the economic case for installing a battery alongside the solar farm was not sufficiently strong and we did not have sufficient volunteer capacity at that stage of development. We are open to looking at batteries again in the future if this was of interest to our members. 

Is a solar farm noisy?
Solar farms are generally quiet. Any noise generated from transformers or inverters is minimal and usually inaudible beyond the site boundary.

How will the equipment be protected on site?
The solar farm will be enclosed by secure fencing. Discreet monitoring may be used to protect the site while minimising visual impact.

What happens to the panels at the end of their life?
Panels will be reused or recycled responsibly, and the land will be restored to its original condition. The project will last for at least 40 years.

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LANDSCAPE & WILDLIFE

How does the project support wildlife?
We will seek to enhance biodiversity across the site by re-seeding with pollinator-friendly grasses and clovers. This will provide habitats for pollinators, birds, small mammals, and amphibians.

How will the land look during the lifetime of the solar farm?
A landscape and visual impact assessment was undertaken as part of our Planning Permission studies. Which can be seen here North Ayrshire Planning

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PLANNING & TIMELINE

Has planning permission been granted?
Yes. Planning permission has been granted, a major milestone for the project.

When will it be operational?
Construction is planned to begin once funding and grid connection arrangements are in place, with the site becoming fully operational between 2027 and 2030. As of January 2026, we are awaiting an exact date to base our plans on.

What happens next?
Next steps include detailed design, securing construction finance, finalising grid connection, and launching the community share offer. Construction will follow once these are in place.

 

COMMUNITY OWNERSHIP & GOVERNANCE

Is this project community-owned?
Yes. The project will be 100% community-owned, through strict governance regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.

How is the project truly community-owned?
The Glenkiln Solar Farm will be owned by a Community Benefit Society (CBS), a legally recognised organisation designed to benefit the community. Local people will hold the ownership, and a volunteer board will oversee the project. All surplus income generated is intended to be reinvested back into Arran, so the project delivers benefits for the island.

What is a Community Benefit Society (CBS)?
A CBS is a legal structure designed to benefit the community rather than private shareholders. Members of the society can include local residents and supporters, and all decisions are made in the community’s interest. You can find more information about CBSs online if you’d like to learn about the legal details.

Why is Arran Community Renewables a Community Benefit Society and not a Community Interest Company?
Arran Community Renewables is being set up as a CBS, which means the project will be owned and controlled by its members — the local community. Members will have a say in decisions, and any profits are expected to be reinvested into Arran.

A Community Interest Company (CIC) can also benefit the community, but it is essentially a company. The community would not have the same ownership or decision-making rights, and profits/surplus income are managed more like a standard business. In simple terms: a CBS puts the community in control, while a CIC can benefit the community but is not owned or run by local people. 

How can I trust that this is truly in the community interest?
As a Community Benefit Society, we believe that we have the most robust legal arrangement possible to ensure that all control (not just benefit) of the organisation will sit with the local community. This will be governed through the membership structure at the heart of any CBS and is regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).

What control do the community have on decision making?
The project will be entirely owned by anyone who gets involved as a shareholder member, and all members (shareholders or not) will have equal voting rights, making it a truly democratic structure. Member voting decisions could include things such as removing directors, changing rules, or choosing which community initiatives are supported by the society.

That sounds good, but what’s to stop the structure, goals, or benefits completely changing?
We are regulated by the FCA to ensure that we will always comply with the governance rules of being a CBS, including both the democratic membership structure and ensuring that 100% of all surplus income is spent on community benefit on Arran.

I’ve read about Community Interest Companies hijacking the community agenda to capitalise on available grants more than community benefits. What is the difference here?
CICs, whilst having a community purpose, can be privately controlled, are not regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), and the community can sometimes have little direct power if things go wrong. A CBS is designed for collective, democratic ownership, whereas a CIC can provide community benefit, but not necessarily community ownership.

What's to stop you just selling the project now that you’ve got the community grants?
Grants that we have received from the Scottish Government to develop the project are linked to our constitutional objectives and our CBS structure and would be repayable in the event of any breach. The CBS rules also restrict any sale of assets outside of the interests of the community benefit and the society's objectives. This is also regulated by the FCA.

ACR seems to be controlled by four directors rather than the community? How is this democratic?
ACR was set up by four voluntary directors who have given hundreds of hours of voluntary time over the past five years to get the project this far. None of the directors receive any financial benefit from the project. It is typical for a CBS to grow membership through volunteers initially, widening membership once a project gets to construction. We would like to launch a membership offer earlier but don’t yet have the volunteer resource to do it — please get in touch if you could help.

How is this different from a commercial energy project?
Unlike a commercial company that might build a solar farm and profit privately, Arran Community Renewables is a Community Benefit Society, owned and controlled by local people. The electricity will be sold to the grid, but any surplus income is intended to be reinvested back into Arran to support local projects and initiatives. This means the project directly benefits the community, rather than only generating private profit.

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INVESTMENT & FINANCE

Can I invest in the solar farm?
Yes. We plan to launch a community share offer, allowing members to take an ownership stake in Arran Community Renewables. Money raised through the share offer will support the construction of Glenkiln Solar Farm, alongside government-backed or commercial loans where required.

What return will I get if I invest?
Details of the share offer will be released nearer the time. However, as a Community Benefit Society, our primary goal is to support reinvestment into community benefits. Any interest on share capital will not exceed the rate necessary to attract and retain the capital required to build our project. (In simple terms, this means returns are capped at a modest level so that most surplus income goes back into community benefit rather than investor profit.)

I can't afford to invest; isn’t all the benefit going to go to wealthy residents rather than the wider Arran community?
Where any benefits go will be decided by members on an equal vote basis, regardless of levels of individual investment in the project.

Any surplus income after paying project costs may only be used to support the society’s defined community benefit activities. Additionally, dividends cannot be paid out to shareholders in the same way that they can for some other not-for-profit organisations. Any interest on share capital cannot exceed the rate necessary to attract and retain the capital required to build our project — this further ensures that surplus income is maximised for community reinvestment.

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COMMUNITY BENEFITS

Will the project create a community benefit fund?
Yes, any surplus income from the project after costs are paid will be used to support environmental and community projects on Arran. We plan to set up a Community Benefit Fund to manage this process.

What long-term benefits will Arran gain from the project?
The solar farm is expected to generate clean, renewable electricity and income from energy sales. This income will support local initiatives and projects through a Community Benefit Fund, creating lasting value for the island. It also will provide opportunities for local people to get involved and help shape the project.

 

GETTING INVOLVED

How can I become a member of Arran Community Renewables?
We are working behind the scenes on the mechanics to launch our community membership. Individuals or businesses can all become members of ACR, and as a Community Benefit Society (CBS), the membership will entirely control the governance of the organisation. Another democratic function of a CBS is that all of our members will have equal voting rights, regardless of the level of involvement in the project or any shareholding.

How can local people get involved?
Anyone on Arran will be able to contribute in ways that work for them — signing up for the newsletter, attending meetings or events, or volunteering skills and time. Getting involved will help people stay informed and shape how the project benefits the island.

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LIKE TO KNOW MORE?

For questions, to get involved, or volunteer, please email us at: info@ArranRenewables.com

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GLOSSARY OF TERMS (SIMPLE DEFINITIONS)

• ACR – Arran Community Renewables, the organisation running the project.

• CBS – Community Benefit Society; a legal structure owned and controlled by the community to benefit the local area.

• CIC – Community Interest Company; a company that benefits the community but may not be owned or run by local people.

• PV – Photovoltaic; the type of solar panel that converts sunlight into electricity.

• FCA – Financial Conduct Authority; the government body regulating CBSs to ensure they follow rules and protect the community.

• MWh – Megawatt-hour; a unit of energy (enough to power many homes for an hour).