Home > novice > clanki > scottish island of eigg a big green challenge

Scottish island of Eigg a Big Green Challenge

Date: January 27^th 2010 Author: Jasmina Nikoloska, Maidenhead Category: Articles
Topic: RES and EE , Ecology

Since 2007, the Big Green Challenge award has been supporting communities and their innovative ideas, enabling to transform these into possible solutions for improving human life and making it environmentally friendly. The one million pound challenge prize is run by National Endowment for Science Technology and the Arts (NESTA) and designed to stimulate and challenge communities in their battle against climate change.

In the beginning of 2008, 355 community groups applied for the winning prize but only 100 had a chance to develop their ideas and plans in details. Ten community groups were in the final round and they received funding and support to put their ideas into practice in the period of one year. NESTA developed a rigorous target and evaluation mechanism. Competition was completed in October 2009 and the communities were judged by their achievements in four areas, namely by CO₂ reductions achieved, the innovative nature of their initiatives, the longevity and scalability of their project, and their level of community engagement.

PHOTO: Jovana Bila

The winners who received one million pounds between them were announced on January 13 by Lord Puttnam, Chair of the jury. The winners, receiving each 300,000 were The Green Valleys, the Household Energy Service, and the Isle of Eigg. The runner-up, Low Carbon West Oxford, received 100,000 pound prize.

All winners reduced carbon emissions to a large percentage by using renewable energy system and individual transport scheme, but most significant results were achieved by the Isle of Eigg with the highest carbon cuts, totalling 32 per cent.

The Island of Eigg which is located south of the Isle of Skye and 10 miles off the west coast of mainland Scotland, is a real inspiration to the communities around UK, because it has proved that with dedication they were able to make difference for the environment. Their website ‘Islands Going Green’ offers five-step guidance on how to achieve green and sustainable goals.

The residents of Eigg are not using diesel generators as they used to, and they are not connected to the mainland energy supply since February 2008.

Their renewable power systems include four small wind turbines below An Sgurr which produce maximum 24kW of energy, photovoltaic cells which produce 10kW electricity from the sun, and three hydroelectric generators which produce electricity from running water. The biggest one above Laig produces 100kW, and there are two smaller 5-6kW generators on this side of the island.

The system generates more than 95 per cent of Eigg's annual energy demand and is backed up by a battery storage system and two diesel generators.

The Island of Eigg has about 45 households, 20 businesses and six community buildings, which are connected together by 11 km cable-laid electricity grid, providing a high voltage network and transformers that convert the power to domestic voltage.

PHOTO: Jovana Bila

To ensure a continuous supply of electricity to the island, each household and business have a maximum use limit at any one time of 5kW and 10kW, respectively.

In the periods when electricity production exceeds the consumption, the overload is stored into batteries via inverters. When renewable resources produce insufficient power for the needs of the island, the stored power flows out of the batteries and they progressively discharge.

The project is unique and technically challenging with big optimism for the future: “So follow in Eigg’s Big Green Footsteps one step at a time and before you know it, you’ll be a green island too!”

top