This Scottish Island is Powered Almost Entirely by Wind , Solar , and Hydro
It is regarded to be the model island when it comes to renewable energy .
The world is slowly turning away from fossil fuels and shifting to renewable energy . With carbon footprint reaching to dangerous levels , the future of power relies among engineers and scientists who devise efficient and effective renewable energy systems on a large scale .
But while that is still on the way , what countries can do is utilize present renewable energy systems to its full potential . And if researchers are looking at a template , there is no other place to look at but the Scottish island of Eigg which is already reliant almost entirely on renewables as sources of power .
Using wind , solar , and hydro technology , Eigg has been the go-to location of renewable energy researchers across the globe to check how communities there make it possible . The 30-square-kilometer island has used off-grid electricity since 2008 .
It ’ s a three-energy source balance . The sun , the wind , and the waves are all used to ensure that there is enough electricity for Eigg , comprising about 90 to 95 percent of the island ’ s daily power .
Eigg has 3 hydroelectric generators – one larger 100kW hydro turbine and two smaller 5-6kW units – and 4 6kW wind turbines and a 50kW photovoltaic array . There are 2 70kW diesel generators for backup .
All are managed and maintained by the Eigg residents themselves through a communityowned company called Eigg Electric . “ The whole thing is run by and for the island ,” said ex-Eigg Electric director John Booth .
But given the rich sources of power that Eigg communities have , residents are limited to use power which is only 5kW of energy use at any one time , while business owners with 10kW . As an estimate , 5kW is equivalent to running a kettle and a washing machine altogether .
By any case the people go above the limit , their power is temporarily cut off with a small fine . To get it back up , they have to call Eigg Electric for restoration of power . While that may sound unfair for most of us , it has worked so well in Eigg .
12 Renewable Green Leaders • May 2017