A ground-breaking Dundee solar energy project faces a desperate battle for survival after the Scottish Government axed its funding.
Dundee Solar Cities was told last week its bid for funding from the Scottish Climate Challenge Fund had been unsuccessful, putting its entire future under threat.
Dundee-based MSP Jenny Marra said losing the project would undermine the Scottish Government’s pledge to transform Dundee into Scotland’s renewable energy capital.
Last year the charity received more than £180,000 from the fund, which allowed it to continue promoting solar energy and work on a range of environmental projects with Dundee schools. It also began laying the groundwork for introducing a car-sharing scheme in the city.
Unless new backers for the project can be found by the end of the month the the project will begin winding down next month.
The project employs five people but has received international recognition for its work to promote renewable energy.
In 2010, organisers of the fourth international Solar Cities Conference at Dezhou in China paid for Dundee City Council leader Ken Guild and Dundee Solar Cities chairman Rob Pedersen to attend the event.
Earlier in the year a delegation from China had visited Dundee to learn about the project.
Alistair Macleod, community carbon exchange coordinator at Dundee Solar Cities, said: ”We only heard last week that we were unsuccessful with our funding bid so don’t have much time to put anything else in place.
”I hope that the board will have something to announce at our AGM next week. I am working on a funding bid just now but that won’t kick in till June if its successful.”
In 2008, Solar Cities Scotland opened a demonstration eco-house in Whitfield. Unlike similar projects, the house had not been purpose-built. Instead, an energy inefficient janitor’s house was refurbished to make it as environmentally-friendly as possible.
A spokeswoman for the Scottish Government said: ”All projects in receipt of an award from the Climate Challenge Fund (CCF) are made aware that their award is only for the period quoted within their Offer of Grant letter. There is never a guarantee that an existing community group will continue to receive funding after the end date of their original award.
”Previously-funded groups, like all community groups, have had the opportunity to apply through an open and transparent process for future funding with decisions made by an independent grants panel.”
Labour MSP Ms Marra said: ”This is a real blow for our city. Dundee Solar Cities contributed greatly to Dundee’s developing renewables sector. The Scottish Government said it would transform Dundee into the renewables capital of Scotland, but by withdrawing this funding they are doing the opposite.
”On the back of the Scottish Government’s failure to give our city its fair share of the £9m youth unemployment fund announced yesterday, the SNP must answer serious questions about their commitment to Dundee.”