The Neilston Community Windfarm was built in 2013 as a joint venture between Neilston Development Trust (NDT) and the specialist renewables developer Carbon Free Developments Ltd. NDT funded their 28.3% investment in the windfarm with loans from social investors including Big Issue Invest, Charities Aid Foundation, Green Equity Pilot, Social Investment Scotland and the West of Scotland Loan Fund. The original aim was to:

• provide an income stream for NDT by generating income from the sale of green electricity
• reduce the town’s carbon footprint
• fund projects identified in the ‘Neilston 2030 Vision’ consultation.

In 2017 NDT sold their share in the windfarm to The Renewables Investment Group (TRIG), which produced a surplus of £2 million. This sale was part of an agreement that led to the creation of a new independent community fund to invest in the long-term development of the local area.

The windfarm was, and remains, very successful. Before the sale this joint venture was already £400,000 in profit. It continues to contribute to Scotland’s green energy supply by generating 2.5 times the annual electricity requirements for Neilston.