Among the Argyll Islands, Mull is probably best known within ESIN since we held our 12th Annual General Meeting there and on nearby Iona. During 2014 and 2015, as part of the SMILEGOV project, the Scottish Islands Federation has coordinated and trained local staff and volunteers to prepare energy audits for Mull, Iona Arran, Bute, Gigha, Iona, Lismore, Liung, Mull, Eigg, Canna, Rum and Muck.
Attached are the audits in pdf format. Do take time to read these beautiful portraits of island life. Although the different audits took slightly different approaches and the situations on the various islands are disparate, there are some clear patterns that emerged: much energy consumed on ferries and heating.
Most of these island depend heavily on imported fuel but there are brilliant exceptions such as Eigg, a model for a sustainable energy future. Eigg produces 90% of the island’s electricity from renewables: first there are three hydroelectric plants in the streams coming down from An Sgurr, then there are four wind turbines, and then there are two solar panels. There are also two backup diesel generators (providing less than 10% of the electricity used in a year). This makes up for 333 kW which is fed to the islanders through a smart gird.
100 kW hydroelectric plant
Four 6 kW wind turbines
30 kW of solar panels
60 kW of batteries
Eigg’s smart grid power central
Eigg’s emissions have fallen by 47% from 8.4 to 4.45 tonnes/year per household since the system was installed in 2008.
Wow.
Roger Andrews made a thorough, loving and critical report on Eigg’s model of sustainable energy in September 2014, you can read it here http://euanmearns.com/eigg-a-model-for-a-sustainable-energy-future/ (thanks Roger for the Eigg pictures)
Arran-Energy-Audit-Report Bute-Energy-Audit Gigha-Energy-Audit-Report Iona-Energy-Audit-Report Lismore-Energy-Audit-Report Luing-Energy-Audit-Report Mull-Energy-Audit-Report Small-Isles-Energy-Audit-Report
ESIN 