AN innovative new scheme is helping the city reach its carbon neutral goals - but needs the community to get involved.

Glasgow Community Energy has been six years in the making, thanks to the dedicated work of a team of volunteers.

Their efforts have now seen solar panels installed on the roofs of two schools with plans to expand the installation to buildings across the city.

Now the renewable energy co-operative is calling for locals to invest in a community share scheme in a bid to raise £30,000.

Ellie Harrison, chairwoman of Glasgow Community Energy, said: "The minimum investment is £50 and once you have invested you can also get involved in developing and shaping the project in the future.

"We're hoping to get people involved who might also have buildings where we can install solar panels as we're looking to expand across the city.

"Our initial two sites are owned by Glasgow City Council and we're really hoping they might offer us more sites as well.

"The benefit of buying from us is that we are cost effective but also 100% renewable so this all helps towards Glasgow's carbon neutral goals.

"And we're hoping to save more and more carbon the more we expand."

Glasgow Community Energy was set up in 2016 by volunteers who have been working for six years to get the project off the ground.

During the lockdown last year Solar Systems were installed on the roofs of Ashton Secondary School in Easterhouse and Glendale Primary School in Pollokshields.

Ashton School

Ashton School

The panels supply energy to the two schools and between them will save nearly 50 tonnes of carbon dioxide every year - helping towards the city's goal of being carbon neutral by 2030.

These initial installations were funded by the Scottish Government’s Community & Renewable Energy Scheme (CARES) and Glasgow City Council gave support to allow them to be placed on the two school buildings.

A grant of £77,150 came from SPEN’s Green Economy Fund, which covered two-thirds of the costs, and the final third was paid for with £28,006 from CARES.

Selling the energy produced by the solar panels will raise thousands of pounds each year, which the group intends to invest in community projects through its Community Benefit Fund.

It has partnered with The Pollokshields Trust, which will help divert funds to support communities in Pollokshields.

The board is also looking for a community group in the North East of the city to help spread funds there from the Ashton school Solar Systems.

Community shares funds, with a minimum investment of £50 and a maximum of £1000, will help the co-op pay back the CARES bridging loan used to part-finance the first two installations.

Eventually Glasgow Community Energy aims to invest in different types of renewable energy too.

Glasgow Community Energy's volunteer team is offering two online Q&A sessions before the share offer closes on Friday, June 18.

Both are from 7pm til 8pm with one on Thursday, June 3 and the other on Thursday, June 10.

Links to sign up for the sessions can be found at: www.glasgowenergy.coop/about