REWDT set up a wholly owned trading subsidiary, Rousay, Egilsay and Wyre Islands Renewable Energy Development Ltd (trading as REWIRED Ltd), to generate a profit from the development of projects which can be reinvested back into the community.

In 2011, with funding from the Big Lottery Fund, REWDT purchased six acres of land at Windbreck, Rousay, to house and give access to the new 900kW community-owned wind turbine. REWIRED’s sole purpose is to operate this wind turbine on Kingarly Hill, Sourin, Rousay, which started generating renewable energy in October 2011.

The income from this project is gifted back to REWDT to be used on the development of projects for community benefit and for the funding of the Grants and Bursaries schemes.

The turbine has been very successful and generates in the region of 3.5mw of electricity each year. This figure changes with weather, and how much curtailment we encounter. Curtailment is where the grid can’t accept our production, so effectively turns the turbine production down, by altering the tilt of the blades.

The turbine area can be accessed, as the ‘Heart of Rousay’ boardwalk and parking is next to it.