Solar project to become a reality
Edinburgh Festival of Cycling
Edinburgh to have ultrafast broadband
Refugee Festival Scotland
Short Film Night
Following earlier promises to do so, the council is now about to put solar panels on 25 council buildings across the city.
The Council will work in partnership with the Edinburgh Community Solar Co-operative (ECSC) – supported by Energy4All – to deliver the initiative, which is believed to be the largest community-owned urban renewable energy project in the UK. Public buildings such as schools, leisure and community centres will be chosen to host the solar technology, which is expected to deliver significant environmental and social benefits.
The energy generated by the installations will help to make future cost savings while reducing the capital’s carbon emissions by an estimated 855 tonnes a year. Buildings that are chosen to participate will benefit from cheaper electricity from the solar panels, resulting in substantial savings. Any surplus energy will be sold to the National Grid and profits made by the project will be reinvested locally through a newly-created Community Benefit Fund.
Shares will be offered to organisations or individuals who want to invest in the initiative, with priority allocation given to Edinburgh residents. Anyone interested in becoming members of the Co-op can register their interest via the ECSC’s website .
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The third Edinburgh Festival of Cycling begins on 11 June and has many events of all kinds to entertain you whether you are a cyclist or simply an armchair enthusiast!
The Edinburgh Reporter spoke to Kim Harding the Director of the Festival about some of the programme on offer:
The Edinburgh Reporter NEWS from Phyllis Stephen on Vimeo.
Here is the programme for you to peruse at your leisure:
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Last night the idea of Edinburgh becoming one of the most digitally connected cities in the world was put to a group of business people at an event in Edinburgh.
There will be 150km of future-proof pure fibre network running through Edinburgh and you can help determine where the network goes by registering now. Read more here.
We spoke to Councillor Frank Ross about the joint venture which will make this possible:
The Edinburgh Reporter News from Phyllis Stephen on Vimeo.
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Refugee Festival Scotland is back for its fifteenth year and runs from 3 to 21 June with a packed programme of events across Edinburgh. These events will be coming to Edinburgh in a variety of venues. From art to theatre there is something for everyone to get involved with and learn more about life for refugees in the UK.
The festival previously started in 2000 and was held over one day in Glasgow. It has now rapidly expanded to involve communities all across Scotland with its wide range of events.
This year’s festival theme is ‘celebrate’. The festival offers an opportunity to Join in, celebrate and support the diversity and the contribution refugees make to Scotland’s cultural life – the food and drink, music and poetry, dance, visual art, language and ideas that refugees bring with them when they begin new lives in Scotland. The events reflect upon the positive variety these contributions make to the communities we live in.
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Short Film Night at Summerhall. Tonight. That’s all you need to know. Click here.
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Founding Editor of The Edinburgh Reporter.
Edinburgh-born multimedia journalist and iPhoneographer.
