The Western Isles renewable energy solution?
There are a number of renewable projects in receipt of planning consent in the Western Isles; enough projects to provide power locally to the majority of island homes but the local infrastructure will not allow secure connection to local properties or the mainland. The local grid infrastructure is not sufficient to take the output and the projects are distant from either proposed interconnector route. For some projects funding is not yet secured, for others there is a problem in sourcing wind towers. The community is still divided as to the site of the interconnector or the development of large wind farm projects. Meanwhile how many power cuts have you had in the last few months? I’ve had one or two – and I live in the middle of Stornoway!
A quick search of the Internet reveals much information on the progress made in Orkney. Just look on the council website as a start to see how local commitment is demonstrated. The CnES search is much thinner. There are local organisations in both places advocating renewables but here in the Western Isles there is much distrust as to the goals of such groups. In Orkney the Registered Power Zone initiative has helped and it is clear that local participation in discussions has done much to support the development of a local vision for the future. This has been reinforced by work to develop the local grid to allow the supply of energy to local customers and a practical focus on energy conservation as well as production. Most importantly the message has been communicated to islanders and they are on board.
But the progress elsewhere is not limited to other Scottish islands. The island of Samso in Denmark has achieved a zero carbon economy (with provision of wind offshore and onshore and solar power only some of the projects). It is a net exporter of energy and has achieved diversity in its supply of secure renewable energy to the island itself.
