A Dutch company claims to have broken the world record for crowdfunding after it raised €1.3 million (£1.09 million) for a wind turbine co-operative in just 13 hours.

The 6,648 ‘wind shares’ were sold by Windcentrale to 1,700 households at €200 (£168) a pop. For the next 12 years ‘windsharers’ will receive their own sustainable energy from the 2MW turbine, with each share corresponding to 500kWh of power each year.

A dedicated smartphone app will allow investors to see electricity production and wind speeds in ‘real time’.

In addition to the initial outlay shareholders will also have to pay Vestas – the company which built the turbine – €23 (£19) per year for turbine maintenance.

Harm Reitsma, founder of Windcentrale said: “We expected things would move fast but nobody anticipated the run on the wind-shares that happened.

“An increasing number of people want to generate their own electricity. Solar panels aren’t always an option and so wind-shares in a remote wind turbine gives everyone the chance to take matters into their own hands and generate their own clean electricity.”

The first wind turbine in Scotland to be wholly owned by a co-operative is coming soon, following the recent launch of the Dingwall Wind Co-op.