Featured Community
Isle of Eigg has long been one of the most newsworthy community owned estates. Most of you will have read in the past of their trials and tribulations. Well this particular story is of pure empowerment (sorry!), achieved entirely on the efforts of the community to resolve their own needs and finding their own solutions. And with an energy supply that is 95% renewable they are setting the benchmark for all of us. Here is their story.
The Big Switch On
On 1st February 2008, the Isle of Eigg Electrification Project will switch on for the first time, allowing power generated from renewable energy sources around the island to be supplied to all residents, through the new island wide high voltage distribution network.
The system will generate over 95% of the islands annual energy demand through a combination of Hydro Electric, Wind Power and Solar Energy, which is believed to be the first time that anyone has successfully integrated these three renewable energy sources.
To ensure that constant power can be provided, a battery storage system has been designed which will compensate for short periods of up to 24 hours, where energy from renewable sources is not available. Two 80kW diesel generators have also been installed to provide emergency back-up and to supplement the supply should the output from the renewable sources be lower than the demand.
Each of these systems in their remote locations, and the 45 households, 20 businesses and 6 community buildings on the island, are linked to together by 11km of buried cable that forms a high voltage network, linking generation with consumption.
John Booth, Director of Eigg Electric and who has been the co-ordinator of the project on the island said, “This project is the culmination of 10 years of achievement since the purchase of the island in 1997. Eigg Electric gives us the green light to our future”
Eigg Electric commissioned Synergie Scotland Ltd to manage the whole project in August 2005. Ian MacGillivray, Managing Director of Synergie Scotland Ltd said, “We have been delighted to have been involved with such a unique and technically challenging project and we compliment the people of Eigg for their vision and determination to deliver a project with such a wide community benefit.”
The project design and some enabling works were carried out during 2006 and early 2007, before the main design and build contract was awarded to Scottish Hydro Contracting in April 2007.
Ian Cartwright - Regional Manager, Scottish Hydro Contracting said: "Scottish Hydro Contracting were appointed to design and install an electrical generation and distribution system to supply approximately 60 properties owned and occupied by the residents of Eigg which is a community owned island. The system will be owned and operated by Eigg Electric with some on going maintenance and HV switching by Hydro Contracting."
John Hutchison, Chairman of the Isle of Eigg Heritage Trust said, “The Eigg Electric team has done an excellent job on behalf of the resilient Eigg community. We are also grateful for the financial support from European Regional Development Fund, HIE Lochaber, Highlands & Islands Community Energy Company, Big Lottery, Scottish Community Household Renewables Initiative, Energy Saving Trust & Highland Council. Thanks also to Triodos Bank for assisting with financial arrangements”
Maggie Fyffe Secretary
Technical Data
The system is fed from 3 main energy sources:
Hydroelectricity, a 100kW hydro scheme at located at Laig, and 2 smaller 6kW schemes at Kildonan and the pier.
Windpower, a 24kW wind farm comprising four 6 kW Proven wind turbines on 15m masts are located at Grulin on the south of the island.
Solar energy, a 10kW Photovoltaic Array at Glebe.
The generation system comprises a new 100kW Hydro Scheme, 4 off 6kW wind turbines, 9.5kW photovoltaic system, battery inverter system and two diesel generators. The distributing system comprised 9 HV to LV transformer stations, 11km of HV cable and 9km of LV cabling and meters and changeover switches in each property.
The total cost of the scheme is £1.6 million
