Aberdeen Community Energy

31/10/2026

Another excellent hydro tour on Thursday, for Nicolas and his lovely Energy Law students from RGU. The sun shone, the hydro site looked fab and loads of questions were asked about our scheme. It's always good to be able to show students around and be able to contribute in a meaningful way to their education.

30/10/2026

Just a wee reminder of our Volunteer Day;

This Saturday, tomorrow 31st October
10:30 to 13:30. All welcome 🙏 to come along.
No experience necessary.

Tasks on the day will include cleaning hydro otter screen to maintain flow, landscaping, planting a few potted trees and moving silt approx 50 yards distributing it.

Pic of a previous volunteers day installing gabien baskets which are holding strong 💪

24/10/2026

The University of Aberdeen LLM Renewable Energy students visited the grid-level Donside Hydro Scheme, Aberdeen’s first community energy project and Scotland’s first urban community hydro project.

Facilitated by Patrick Morgan-Achor and hosted by Directors Jane Fullerton and Rick Vaughan, the students were able to see first-hand the operations of a small-scale renewable energy project. Hailing from multiple jurisdictions including the EU, Uganda, Nigeria, India, and Thailand, they were also able to better appreciate important issues such as the role of subsidies as well as legal and practical challenges faced by renewable energy projects.

07/10/2026

Volunteer Day;

Saturday 31st October 10:30 to 13:30. All welcome 🙏 to come along. No experience necessary.

Tasks on the day will include cleaning hydro otter screen to maintain flow, landscaping, planting a few potted trees and moving silt approx 50 yards distributing it.

Pic of a previous volunteers day installing gabien baskets which are holding strong 💪

07/10/2026

Good news for nature along the River Don 🌿

Aberdeen City Council has expanded the River Don Local Nature Conservation Site to include more woodland and wild grassland around the Donside Hydro and Village.

This recognises how important these riverside places are for wildlife and nature.

It also recognises the hard work of Aberdeen Community Energy volunteers and local people, who have helped nature thrive through planting and caring for the landscape around the area.

The River Don is at the heart of Donside Hydro. It gives us clean, renewable energy and is also home to lots of plants and animals.

We’re really pleased to see our efforts helping more of our beautiful riverside being recognised and protected. 💚

Find out more from Aberdeen City Council: https://www.aberdeencity.gov.uk/news/protection-for-nature-scaled-up

22/09/2026

PLEASE NOTE: 11am start!
Come along this Saturday 11am till 1pm for 20 min tour during Climate Week North East (CWNE). See an insight. *In Operation subject to weather/River levels. Details in the link below. All welcome.

We are delighted to be able to offer this opportunity to welcome visitors to our multi-award winning Community Hydro scheme. Meet our volunteer Directors who will conduct the tours and tell you all about the scheme. See first-hand the Archimedes Screw, the widest in the UK when it was installed in 2...

21/09/2026

Well, we've only gone and done it, this time 10 years ago, our hydro came into life and started producing electricity.

Thanks to our volunteers and board directors for 10 years of hard work here's to many more and hopefully more rain!

We continue to look after the site and improve nature and wildlife around the area.

Happy 10th Hydroversary from all at
Aberdeen Community Energy - ACE 🎉🎉🥳

25/07/2026

Very busy day at the hydro - The last Saturday of every month is volunteer day, and today was the day for July!
As always, we are indebted to our wonderful volunteers, who just turn up and get on with it!
Very large logs (from our recently cut down tree, which was dead, and in danger of 'dropping' it's branches) were moved to create seating in the shelter, and around the fire pit. Some logs were split for the fire
Fallen trees were removed from paths
Vegetation was cut back
Hedges were trimmed
Fences were fixed
Cherry plums were picked
General 'tidying up' of the site was carried out
Several interested passers by were given a short 'spiel' about our hydro scheme.
Rhu, our 'hydro pup' had fun 'helping'!
Oh, and a European Comma was spotted - a new butterfly for the iNaturalist app, not recorded in our neighbourhood before now!
For further info, check out iNaturalist.
It's an app and website for recording nature.
Very easy to use and all the info goes into the global nature database. We can all add what we see around us.
Already got over 350 recording of different plants, insects, trees, birds and butterflies in the area around the hydro - it's community power in action! Download the app and get involved!
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.inaturalist.android

Next month's volunteer day is Saturday 29th August - anyone who wants to help is welcome, check out this page for detail, but usually 10.30am until we are finished!

23/06/2026

This Saturday is our monthly volunteer day. Why not come along and get involved, get a taste of volunteering and see our site.

Tasks involve cleaning the otter screen, shifting silt, cutting back vegetation, pot a few wiltering trees and pull up invasive species and other things.

Where: Donside Village Riverside Hydro
When: Saturday 27th, 10.30 to 13.30.

Gloves will be provided, just suitable footwear to be worn and U16s to be accompanied by an adult.

See you there 😁

30/05/2026

Volunteer day down at the hydro. Cleared out the shelter, and sorted the fire pit, to encourage fires to be made in the right spot (rather than in the middle, cracking the concrete).
Very kindly assisted by Bryan, who stopped to help whilst out for a walk!
Ainoha mowed the grass, Sinclair did weeding and hedge trimming, and Rick and Steve cleaned out the level sensor for the hydro, and redistirbuted the mud and earth to the exposed gabian baskets. Oh, and all the bins emptied, the rubbish taken (5 black bags full) to be recyled or put into general waste bins. A busy day, gorgeous sunshine and a lovely interlude at The Wallace Tower for lunch! Come and join us next month (last Saturday of the month is our volunteer day, 10.30am to whenever we finish!). Next planned date will be 27th June👍