Islay Community Energy Co-operative

IET has been discussing the establishment of a co-operative in which local people can invest. Each investor will become a member of the co-operative with a single vote, irrespective of sum invested. The co-operative would be governed by a board elected by the members.  The co-operative would invest its funds in IET’s projects and would receive revenues from them.

Investment and Return

Individual investments could range from £100 to £20,000. Withdrawal of capital would be possible. Similar co-operatives have been paying out returns to investors of 5 – 8% p.a.

IET is conducting a survey to find out if there is interest in investing in an IET Energy Co-operative.  We are very interested in your views and would appreciate if you could take part in the very short (three question) survey:

   (by 31st January 2012)

This is not an offer to invest

Installation of the Hammerfest Strøm HS1000 Tidal Turbine

The plans for the 10MW Tidal Energy Project in the Sound of Islay took a significant step forward with the successful deployment of the Hammerfest Strøm HS1000 tidal turbine at the European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC) in Orkney.

The HS1000 tidal turbine has been developed by Hammerfest Strøm, a company partly-owned by Iberdrola (ScottishPower Renewables’s parent company), Andritz Hydro and Statoil New Energy.  Seen as one of the world’s most advanced tidal turbine designs, a prototype device has been generating electricity in Norway for over 6 years.

Following its successful installation, the HS1000 device will now enter a test period to confirm its performance and reliability, in preparation for larger scale production and deployment.  It is expected that the machine will be fully operational in early 2012. The tests will also help to finalise the timetable for the Islay project, with machines being installed as early as feasible during the period 2013 to 2015.

Keith Anderson, Chief Executive of ScottishPower Renewables, said: “We are delighted that the HS1000 turbine has been successfully installed in Orkney, and Hammerfest engineers deserve huge credit for carrying out this difficult operation in very testing weather conditions. We look forward to monitoring its progress when fully operational next year.

“This is a major milestone in the development of tidal power technology in Scotland, and for the tidal power industry across the world. We anticipate using this turbine as part of our project in Islay, which will be the first of its kind in the world, and remains the only consented tidal array project in Scotland. Beyond this, we have ambitions to use this turbine as part of even larger scale projects in the Pentland Firth, which we are currently investigating.

“The substructure for this device was constructed in the Arnish Yard, near Stornoway in Lewis, and we aim to work very closely with The Scottish Government to support their ambitions of delivering both economic and environmental benefits for Scotland from the marine renewables industry.”

The Managing Director of Hammerfest Strom, Stein Atle Andersen, said; “The device was installed in one of Europe’s most challenging waters, during the roughest time of the year, which shows the extreme conditions the technology and the team is capable of handling.”

Scotland is widely regarded as having the best tidal power resources anywhere in the world and the progression to demonstration projects is seen as a vital step towards fully realising this potential.  The Islay project will play a key role in proving a range of factors necessary for the large scale deployment of the technology. This will include developing a better understanding of the technical aspects involved in deploying and maintaining machines and bringing forward systems to monitor and analyse their performance.

ARC Phase 2 Socio-Economic Report

A report exploring the socio-economic impacts of the proposed offshore wind farms to the west of Islay, Tiree and Kintyre has been published.  The report, commissioned by ARC members (Islay Energy Trust, Kintyre Energy Trust, South Kintyre Development Trust and Tiree Community Development Trust) from SQW, follows on from an initial scoping report (published in February 2010)

The broad purpose of this work was to assist local communities in engaging with developers and relevant authorities so as to strengthen the respective communities’ roles in the development of the projects and in the consenting process.

In summary, the report’s findings highlight the poor understanding of the planning consent process at community level and identify weaknesses vis-a-vis community engagement in the process. Evidence from other offshore wind farms indicates that local employment opportunities are more likely in the operations and maintenance phase rather than in construction and installation, that impacts on fishing, housing, tourism, seascapes, etc. are uncertain and require specific local assessment.

As part of the process of compiling the report, local community surveys were conducted. Responses and concerns about impacts – both positive and negative – varied between projects, but in general there was a broad appreciation of the potential issues and impacts, and an indication of willingness to engage in debate about the complex matters inherent in such projects.

The report recommends that communities and developers maintain close contact so that the former’s concerns are integrated into development plans, and that the Tiree scenario mapping exercise be monitored with a view to considering the value of replicating it elsewhere.

ARC members are grateful to LEADER, HIE, SNH, RSPB and ScottishPower Renewables for their financial support without which the study would not have been possible.

Marine Scotland Map showing constraints and areas for further investigation for Offshore Wind to the West of Argyll

Marine Scotland have published their latest report Scoping Study for Offshore Wind Farm Development in Scottish Waters investigating the offshore wind plan options.  This report includes the first discussion of development outside Scottish Territorial Waters (STW) to 200 nautical miles and also considers the medium term options (beyond 2020).

The report builds on the earlier report Sectoral Marine Plan for Offshore Wind Energy in Scottish Territorial Waters (Blue Seas – Green Energy) using an improved (and more systematic) assessment process to consider current commercial activities such as fishing, environmental factors and other interests including recreational uses, visual and landscape impacts.

Whilst the previous report focused on the short term options up to 2020 within Scottish Territorial Waters (STW), the latest report extends this to include the area out to 200 nautical miles.  Much of this area is deeper than 60m and will require improvements in technology so is considered in terms of longer term development.

The study is the first investigation of the wider area and longer term options for Offshore Wind around Scotland.  It will be followed by the development of Regional Locational Guidelines for offshore wind development and this will then be followed by a Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA).

This is a long process that must involve wide consultation.  The short term sites in the previous plan (West of Islay and West of Tiree) are still going through Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA).  The new study is looking at areas for investigation beyond this and are unlikely to go ahead before 2020.

The areas identified for further investigation include a large area from the north of Islay to south of Barra.  The report identifies this area as having a low to moderate levels of constraint and says that further detailed analysis of the area is required.

It is important to local communities that this process takes full account of the social and economic impacts to the region as well as the broader commercial and strategic benefits of these developments to Scotland as a whole.

Philip Maxwell at the Scottish Affairs Select Committee

Philip Maxwell, chair of the Islay Energy Trust gave evidence to the UK House of Commons Scottish Affairs Select Committee Inquiry in to the Crown Estate.  The committee is investigating the role of the Crown Estate and its relationship with the Scottish Parliament.

Giving oral evidence in support of IET’s written submission to the committee, Philip stressed the importance of local communities in the planning, operation and economic aspects of marine renewables.  In particular, he reiterated that “proximate or affected communities should be confident of having some proportion of the revenues with surplus going back (to central government) instead of top down distribution.”

Evidence was also given by Sandy Brunton, Chairman, Scottish Islands Federation and Ruchir Shah, Head of Policy Department, Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations

The video of the session is available from the parliament.uk website or you can read the Select Committee Transcript

The Irish-Scottish Links on Energy Study (ISLES) study, funded by the EU’s INTERREG IVA Programme, has found that development of an interconnected transmission network within the decade would help drive further growth in the renewables sector, create jobs, generate revenues and ensure future sustainable energy supplies by better connecting and exporting electricity.

A copy of the report is available here:

Irish-Scottish Links on Energy Study (ISLES) – Executive Summary (Draft)

Policy impacts on prices and bills – Department of Energy and Climate Change.

This makes interesting reading against a backdrop of rising energy bills and increased fuel poverty.  In particular the report notes:

“i. Recent increases in energy bills have been largely driven by rising international prices for fossil fuels, particularly gas, and not by energy and climate change policies….

iii. Wholesale gas and electricity costs represent around £600 (48%) of an average household energy bill (before any rebates) in the UK in 2011…..

iv. By contrast, Government policies are estimated to represent around £89 (7%) of an average household energy bill (before any rebates) in the UK in 2011…..

vi. By 2020 households will, on average, save £94 (7%) on their energy bills compared to what they would have paid in the absence of policies. The impact of policies in helping people to save energy, or use it more efficiently, is expected to more than offset the impact that policies delivering low carbon investment will have on energy prices;”

The Crown Estate Commissioners (CEC) are a public body responsible for the management of the Crown properties and property rights known as the Crown Estate.

The inquiry has taken written evidence and is now taking oral evidence.  Philip Maxwell, the chair of the Islay Energy Trust is giving evidence at 2.30pm on Wednesday 23rd November.

Other evidence will come from:

Coverage can be seen on ParliamentTV.

Annual General Meeting

There will be presentations on:
Sound of Islay Tidal Energy Project
Renewable Energy Projects
Islay Community Energy Partnership

7.30pm Monday
21st November 2011

Ionad Chaluim Chille Ìle,  Bowmore, Islay

All welcome

Sound of Islay

The Scottish Government has announced two initiatives that provide great news for the tidal energy industry.

Firstly, the Scottish Government has proposed to increase the number of renewable certificates (called ROCs) allocated to tidal energy generation from three to five per Megawatt hour.

Electricity suppliers are required to provide an increasing share of power from renewable sources.  Different numbers of ROCs are awarded to different types of renewable energy generation.  Suppliers can buy and then submit these ROCs to show that they have met their obligation.

The proposed increase to five ROCs for tidal stream energy is a significant boost and will encourage investment in the industry.

Secondly, an £18 million fund has been established to help develop Scotland’s first commercial wave and tidal power arrays.  The money forms part of £35 million the Scottish Government and its enterprise agencies will provide in direct support to the marine and tidal industry over the next three years and will be used to improve capability and infrastructure, as well as helping to fund technology solutions and the roll-out of marine arrays.

More details of the formal consultation on ROCs and on the investment fund can be found on the Scottish Government website.

Laura Watson (centre) from SPR receives the prestigious Energy North Award

ScottishPower Renewables’ (SPR) tidal energy project in the Sound of Islay has been recognised by the Energy North Awards with the project winning  the Best Offshore Renewables Award.

The Energy North Awards judges praised SPR’s extensive use of the Highlands and Islands supply chain from pre consenting, through to fabrication and highlighted that the project is significant in terms of technology and commercial scale, with massive export potential.

Alan Mortimer, ScottishPower Renewables Head of Renewables Policy, said: “This was really unexpected and we are extremely grateful for this award.

“The Highland and Islands could have a major role in the future of marine renewables and we have already seen that potential with the construction of the Hammerfest device substructure at Arnish.”

SPR was awarded consent for the world’s first commercial sized tidal project in March 2011 and are currently working towards beginning installation of the tidal turbines in 2013.

This project will utilise the 1MW Hammerfest device, with a machine due to be installed at the European Marine Energy Centre in Orkney before the end of the year, in preparation for the Islay project.

Which way for Renewable Electricity Generation?

Two key strategy documents were published in the last couple of weeks that will guide the UK and Scotland’s renewable electricity generation strategy for the next decade.

The UK Renewables Roadmap outlines the actions required to deliver UK Government commitments to increase the deployment and use of renewables.  This includes Scotland’s new target to generate the equivalent of 100 per cent of annual electricity demand from renewables by 2020, as set out in the 2020 Routemap for Renewable Energy in Scotland, published on June 30.

Swimmers competing in the 19th Islay Triathlon

Congratulations to all of the competitors in the 19th Islay Triathlon.  Stephen Whiston and Rebecca Helliwell picked up the honours in the male and female individual events and there was strong competition in the team events with Connor Boyd, Grahame Bauld and Jimmy Johnson  winning the male team event by just 21 seconds.

Full results are on the Islay Triathlon website along with photos of the event.

There were 29 competitors taking part including 10 juniors.  Next year is the 20th anniversary of the event so we’re looking forward to an extra special event.  Time to start training.

The Islay Senior Triathlon is sponsored by ScottishPower Renewables and Bruichladdich Distillery

Hammerfest Strom HS1000 Tidal Turbines

Developments in wave and tidal technologies are making excellent progress.  Evidence of the continued confidence and investment in the new technologies is demonstrated by the number of full-scale prototypes being tested at the EMEC test centre in Orkney.

The last two available berths at EMEC’s tidal test site have now been leased, and 10 full-scale wave and tidal prototype devices will be tested across both EMEC’s sites by the end of 2011.

Devices currently at the Centre include those deployed by Open Hydro, ScotRenewables, Tidal Generation Ltd/Rolls Royce, EON/Pelamis and Atlantis Resources Corporation.  These will be joined during the course of this year by a second Pelamis brought by ScottishPower Renewables and additional devices including those developed by Hammerfest Strom, Aquamarine Power, Wello Oy and Voith.

The Hammerfest Strom HS1000 Tidal Device is the type of device that will be used in the Sound of Islay Tidal Energy Project.  More details from the Scottish Government Energy Minister Fergus Ewing are available here.

Tidal Power South West of Islay from Natural Power

Renewable Energy consultants Natural Power have published tidal energy resource models for the west coast of Scotland including the area to the south-west of  the Rhinns of Islay.

This area was highlighted in the Crown Estate’s Further Scottish Leasing Round and the map demonstrates why this area is recognised for its enormous energy potential.

Click on the image for the full map.

Competitors after the Junior Triathlon 2011

The 19th Islay Junior Triathlon took place on Saturday 18th June.  Over 50 competitors took part aged between 10 and 14.  The weather held off and a few rain showers didn’t dampen the spirits.  All the results can be found on the Islay Triathlon website along with details of this Saturday’s Senior Triathlon.

The Islay Junior Triathlon is sponsored by ScottishPower Renewables and ActiveSchools.

The Islay Senior Triathlon is sponsored by ScottishPower Renewables and Bruichladdich Distillery

Confusion has also arisen over recent newspaper adverts offering ‘grants’, seemingly available to all and, untypically, with no upper limit. When questioned, this organisation claimed that the grants –a third of the total cost, with no maximum – were coming from ‘private sector funding within the industry’, and all I had to do to benefit was give my details, which they would pass onto a number of firms for quotes. The likely scenario here is that the organisation is being paid for referrals; certainly the person on the helpline did not take kindly to being questioned too closely.

The message is very simple – if you are considering installing solar panels, treat the installation as you would any other major household spend. Ask around, get several quotes, and make sure your salesman/woman knows exactly what they are talking about before signing up to anything. If you do make enquiries to a firm offering ‘grants’, make sure that you compare their quote with others from outside the system. If necessary, IET can supply contact details for firms who have delivered successfully on Islay, and who should be willing to put you in touch with satisfied customers locally. The technology is sound, the payback can be excellent… but if the deal sounds too good to be true, it probably is!

Project Officer Lindy MacLellan will begin training as a Non-Domestic Energy Assessor in April, with a view to being qualified and able to offer business help by early June. We will also be contacting those who have expressed interest in our community solar PV scheme, with the aim of progressing that as quickly as possible, while continuing investigations into other sources of community income generation. One condition of our funding is that we may not actually generate any income during the next year, although we can progress the project to the point where we begin to generate income on 1^st April 2012 – so that is our target. A busy year is ahead – we’ll keep you updated!

Free energy advice will still be available at the IET office, Custom House, Bowmore. Lindy is also still a point of contact for the Home Insulation Scheme, if you are experiencing any difficulties. A full report of the the Carbon Savings Project is available to download here. CCF Final report – Carbon Savings Project

Hammerfest Strom HS1000 Tidal Turbines

The Sound of Islay Tidal Energy project has reached another milestone with the announcement by the Scottish Government that it has given consent to ScottishPower Renewables (SPR) to proceed with the project.  The project is the world’s first tidal energy array to be given consent and if testing is successful in Orkney this summer 10 x 1MW devices will be installed just south of Port Askaig in the summer of 2013.

Andy Macdonald, the Islay Energy Trust’s Tidal Project Officer said that he was delighted with the news – “To be the first consented tidal array in the world is a great achievement.  It is the result of the combined efforts of SPR, the Islay Energy Trust and the local suppliers that contributed to the Environmental Impact Assessment.  Now we can focus on the engineering challenges of the single device deployment in Orkney and start planning for a deployment in the Sound of Islay in 2013 of the ten Hammerfest Strom HS1000 Tidal Turbines.”

It is estimated that the project has spent almost £160,000 on services on Islay so far and this is likely to reach £500,000 by the time that installation is completed.  Philip Maxwell, Chairman of the IET, welcomed the successful cooperation with SPR.   He said, “What we have achieved together so far with this project sets a new benchmark for corporate – community cooperation.  IET looks forward to building on this model with SPR and other developers in the future exploitation of marine energy and offshore wind in the seas around Islay.”

Climate Week will shine a spotlight on the many positive steps already being taken in workplaces and communities across Britain. The power of these real, practical examples – the small improvements and the big innovations – will then inspire millions more people.

Find out more here

Climate Week Challenge

The Climate Week Challenge for Primary and Secondary schools takes one day, and will be held on Monday 21st March. Tens of thousands of people will take part simultaneously all over the UK.  Click here to find out more about the Climate Week Challenge and click here to register for it.

Andy Macdonald, Islay Energy Trust

Saturday’s Renewables Day was great success, with just over 130 attendees over the course of the day and 48 of those signing up as new members of Islay Energy Trust.The new format, running presentations alongside the drop-in session, worked well.  Scott Currie’s personal experience of installing Solar PV at Conisby proved particularly popular, and inspired a rush of queries at the PV stands.  In the display area, Margaret and Blair Rozga supplied a beautifully documented account of the installation of their 20kW wind turbine at Kilmeny Farm which made the project look deceptively straightforward.

All the exhibitors will be returning to the island shortly to carry out survey work and one has already taken an order for a 4kW PV array – proof that the sun does shine on Islay!

Thanks are due to all our exhibitors who took the time to travel to the island, to those who were willing to stand up and share their knowledge and experiences, and to Islay High School Hospitality Group who kept us all fed and watered. Thanks also to the IET board for their practical help on the day and to everyone who called in and made the day such an interesting and sociable one – hope to see you again next year!

En-Solve (specialising in air source and PV)

Earthfuel Scotland (PV)

Coullabus Partnership (wind turbines & heat pumps)

Icon Energy (wind, solar and heat pumps)

Absolute Solar and Wind (Solar and wind)

Backwoodsman (Woodfuel)

Following on from feedback from last year’s event, there will be a number of short presentations in the adjoining Lesser hall over the course of the day as follows:

11am – Introduction to renewables, Colin Douglas, En-solve

12 noon – Solar PV on Islay – it works!  Scott Currie, Conisby

1pm – Introduction to renewables, John Barry, Absolute Solar & Wind

2pm – Getting the best from your woodstove, Andrew McIntyre, Backwoodsman

Amongst the dispays in the hall will be one from  Blair & Margaret Rozga, detailing the succesful installation of their 20kW Westwind turbine at Kilmeny Farm. Tea, coffee and lunches will be provided by Islay High School Hospitality Group, so you can linger for as long as you like – we hope it will be a happy, busy sociable day just like last year – see you there!

Offshore Wind – Consultation Workshops

The Scottish Government is holding a series of follow-up workshops on the outcomes of the consultation on Scotland’s draft plan for offshore wind.  These events will be held in the following locations:

• 10 January 2011 – Argyll Arms Hotel, Campbeltown, 6.30-9 pm
• 13 January 2011 – An Talla, Tiree, 6.30-9 pm
• 20 January 2011 – Bowmore Hall, Islay, 6.30-9 pm
• 25 January 2011 – Easterbrook Hall, Dumfries, 6.30-9 pm
• 26 January 2011 – Wigtown County Buildings, Wigtown, 6.30-9 pm

(refreshments available at all events from 6 pm)

All members of the public are welcome to attend these workshops. Scottish Government officials will present information on the outcomes of the consultation exercise and an update on further work on offshore wind.  They will then be on hand to answer questions and hear your views.

The analysis of consultation responses has been published on the Scottish Government website - .

Please contact the offshore wind consultation team at offshorewindconsultation@scotland.gsi.gov.uk or on 0131 244 1617 if you would like further information.

The latest figures cover 2009 and show:

• Electricity generated in Scotland increased by three per cent to 51,325 gigawatt hours (GWh)
• Gross electricity consumption in Scotland decreased by 4 per cent
• 24 per cent of electricity was exported (12,145 GWh) from Scotland
• There was a 20 per cent increase in the amount of electricity from renewables (to 10,744 GWh), which includes a 37 per cent rise in electricity generated from wind, wave and solar (mainly wind)
• Scottish renewables accounted for 43 per cent of total UK renewable output

The Scottish Government’s target is to meet 80 per cent of electricity demand from renewables by 2020. There is now 7 Gigawatts of renewables capacity installed, consented or under construction around Scotland, set to take Scotland beyond the interim target of 31 per cent of Scotland’s electricity demand from renewables by 2011.

The development of wave and tidal resources is an important part of Scotland’s renewable portfolio; with tidal energy offering the benefit of a predictable supply.  The ten tidal device array planned as part of the Sound of Islay Tidal Project will be an essential stepping stone from single devices to larger arrays that can make significant contributions to Scotland’s energy targets.

IET Website was viewed 7,900 visits in 2010

The IET website was viewed about 7,900 times in 2010.  There were 30 new posts, growing the total archive to 55 posts. There were 56 pictures uploaded; over a picture per week.  Top referring sites in 2010 were ileach.co.uk , islayinfo.com and islayblog.com.  Thanks for your help!

The most popular searches were for islay energy trust, tidal energy, low energy light bulbs, islay energy, and low energy light bulb.

Offshore Wind - Crown Estate Leases

You will be aware of the proposals which exist to develop offshore wind farms in the waters off Argyll. We are supporting the work of ARC (Argyll Renewables Communities) which has been formed to research and understand the potential impacts of these projects, and to assist the affected communities to influence the consenting processes, to engage with the developers such that local issues are taken into account, and to enable everyone to reach balanced decisions on matters which may have significant long-term ramifications. There are many impacts to be considered, such as the effects on employment, infrastructure, tourism, culture and the landscape and we would like to gather the current views of the community.

To fulfil this, we have organised a questionnaire, which can be completed on-line or on paper. It can be anonymous if you wish, or you can attach your contact details to receive further information about the projects as they develop.

At present the developers are conducting their own research into sea-bed conditions, potential impacts on fishing, bird-life and the like. This research will continue through 2011, and we anticipate they will formulate their detailed plans over this period before applying for the necessary consents in the first half of 2012. It may be that we will issue further consultation questionnaires as new information about the developers’ plans becomes available.

ARC has already responded to the Scottish Government’s Draft Plan for Offshore Wind, making the points that:

• Both the offshore and onshore aspects of marine energy projects must be considered together (which is not the current planning process)
• The socio-economic impacts of the projects should form a part of the application for consent (again not a requirement of the current process)
• The directly affected communities must be engaged and involved in the consenting process.

By completing this survey with your considered views, you will greatly assist us in ensuring that all aspects of these major projects are fully aired and considered.

The on-line version is available at www.surveymonkey.com/s/ARC_windfarm_impacts

Paper questionnaires are available from the IET office at, Custom House, Main Street, Bowmore, Isle of Islay PA43 7JJ and when completed, should be returned there.

Many thanks for your assistance. We will aim to publish the outcomes in Q1 2011

Philip Maxwell, Chair – IET

Argyll Renewable Communities (ARC) has been supported by the Argyll and the Islands LEADER Programme, RSPB Scotland, SNH and ScottishPower Renewables.

Results of Questionnaire at Public Information Days (2009 - 24 people, 2010 - 27 people)

Surveys carried out at the Public Information Days on Islay and Jura and at the Islay Show demonstrated strong community support for the Sound of Islay Tidal Energy Project.

• 27 out of 27 people that completed the questionnaires at the events on Islay and Jura said that they thought the Sound of Islay was a suitable place for a tidal array.
• 48 out of 56 people at the Islay Show were either Supportive or Very Supportive of the project with the remaining 8 undecided.  Nobody said they were against or strongly against.

The Islay Energy Trust has submitted a letter to Marine Scotland to register its support for the project.  A copy of the letter can be seen by clicking on the following link:

Sound of Islay Tidal Energy – Letter of Support

(R to L – Rosie MacLellan, Lindsay Smith, Meri Ferguson, Alec Chasemore. Next week the team will be joined by Joe Teale from Gigha.)

The Islay-based team will be seconded to Changeworks, the managing organisation for the HIS, and will work alongside teams based on Mull and Bute to cover every island in Argyll.

“The Islay Energy Trust (IET) moved quickly to assist Changeworks in the recruitment process. Working with locally based staff offers so many advantages in terms of service delivery that the partnership made good operational sense. Building up further expertise for the benefit of the community also fits well with Changeworks’ strategy of support for island and rural based communities on behalf of its Energy Saving Scotland advice centres”, comments Tom Kenny, Head of Commercial Operations at Changeworks, who has been tasked with co-ordinating assessments to over 90,000 properties across Scotland.

 Information from the HEC forms will also be used to build up a clearer picture of housing across the islands, for example identifying the proportion of ‘hard-to-treat’ houses such as those with solid walls or coombed ceilings. It is hoped that feeding this information back to the Scottish Government may help to make a case for subsidised measures to treat these, so your participation is vital. Even if you have completed a HEC form in the past, it’s important that you take a few minutes with one of the Assessors to complete a new one.

This is a great opportunity for the islands, and IET are delighted to have played a part in ensuring that some of the associated employment comes to Islay. We wish all the new recruits the best of luck with their training, and look forward to seeing them in their new HIS uniforms very soon!

The event will feature two presentations followed by a Q&A session.  The first presentation by Phil Gilmour will set the  context on marine renewables and offshore wind, with more detailed information on the Draft Plan itself in the second presentation by Amanda Chisholm.

Marine Scotland are seeking to provide information and answer any questions the audience may have on the Draft Plan, and will take note of the points raised, to feed into the consultation analysis.

More information and links to the Draft Plan can be found here:

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/News/Releases/2010/05/19103706

Thanks for your help.

IET currently has more than 200 members but we are keen that as many people as possible on Islay support the aims and activities of IET. The more members we have the greater our collective influence and involvement in future renewable energy developments.

If you live on Islay either full or part-time then you can download a membership form here.  Membership is currently free and you will be kept up to date with the progress of our projects.

There were a couple of significant announcements relating to the Sound of Islay tidal energy project today.

To put this in context, a quick summary of the background:

The Sound of Islay project is being developed by ScottishPower Renewables (SPR) with local support from the Islay Energy Trust.  The proposal is to put ten 1MW tidal turbines in the Sound of Islay, just south of Port Askaig.  The devices sit on the seabed and are fully submerged (they are about 30 metres to the blade tip and will be placed in 50 metres of water.)

SPR submitted an application at the end of July for consent to Marine Scotland (part of the Scottish Government.)  In parallel with this, preparations are underway to place a single 1MW turbine at the EMEC test site in Orkney.  If consent is given and the tests at EMEC go well then the ten devices for the Sound of Islay would be manufactured in 2012 and installed in 2013.

So back to today’s announcements:

Firstly, it was announced that BiFab (Burntisland Fabrications) will build the device to be deployed at the EMEC test site in Orkney in summer 2011 at their site in Arnish, Lewis.  This is the largest part of an order worth four million pounds and it is significant that a Scottish firm has proved capable of winning the contract and demonstrates that the marine renewables industry can make a significant contribution to the Scottish economy.

Secondly, Hammerfest Strom, the developer of the HS1000 tidal device, has completed a significant new round of funding that includes investment from Andritz Hydro.  This secures the funding for the Orkney development and provides additional technical experience to Hammerfest Strom.

Finally, SPR has announced it it entering its Pentland Firth site at the Ness of Duncansby into the £10 million Saltire Prize for marine energy innovation.  This shows its commitment to tidal technology and is a reminder of the next scale of development (95MW) that will follow the Sound of Islay installation.

Overall, this is excellent news and shows that the project is fast becoming a reality!

Islay Show 2010

This year’s Islay Show was more popular than ever and the IET stand had a constant flow of people asking about the Carbon Savings Project, the Sound of Islay Tidal Energy Project and the ARC consortium.

Whilst the weather was excellent, it proved too windy for IET’s own marquee and we were very grateful to SNH‘s Islay team for generously sharing their more robust tent!

Public Information Day on Islay

Following the completion of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), ScottishPower Renewables have submitted an application for consent to Marine Scotland for the 10MW Tidal Project in the Sound of Islay.

Public Information Day on Jura

Public information days were held on Jura and Islay on the 28th and 29th July respectively.  There was a good attendance at both events and a lot of positive interest in the project.

Staff from SPR will be available to answer any questions about this project or renewables in general.

Details of the events are as follows:

Jura Village Hall, Craighouse, Jura
Wednesday 28th July, 12noon until 4pm

Ionad Chaluim Chille Ìle, Bowmore, Islay
Thursday 29th July, 3pm until 7pm

Offshore Wind - Crown Estate Leases

“Argyll Renewables Communities” (ARC), comprising the community-owned Islay and Kintyre Energy Trusts, and the Tiree Community Development Trust have announced the next phase of their social and economic impact assessment (SIA) of the proposed Argyll offshore wind farms.

This follows a successful funding application to EU LEADER, which will be matched by contributions from ScottishPower Renewables, HIE, SNH and the RSPB Scotland.  The SIA will be carried out by a team which will include representatives of the local communities, the consultants SQW Consulting (who published the initial ARC SIA Scoping Study  in January 2010), and Dr Jill Shankleman, a consultant sociologist with 25 years experience of social impact assessments.

ARC was established to safeguard and enhance local community interests in the development and operation of the proposed Argyll offshore wind farms: the Crown Estate has signed exclusivity agreements with SSE Renewables for projects off Kintyre (378 MW) and Islay (680MW), and with Scottish Power Renewables off Tiree (1500MW).

The key issues for local communities are firstly, to understand all of the potential impacts of the development and operational activities associated with these wind farms, and secondly, how to maximise positive benefits and minimise negative outcomes. The SIA will enable local communities to develop their own opinions from a position of knowledge.  It will also give local communities the confidence that their voice is being heard, that they are fully involved in the development process and that well-balanced judgments can be reached.

ARC believes that genuine collaboration between communities, corporate interests and consenting authorities can lead to both enhanced value for the developers and optimisation of benefits to communities.

The full press release can be downloaded here.  The project is supported by the following organisations:

ScottishPower Renewables

Swim, Pedal and Run - SPR's winning mixed triathlon team

The Islay Senior Triathlon on Saturday 26th June was the biggest ever.   Sponsored by ScottishPower Renewables and Bruichladdich Distillery there were 42 competitors, ranging for the ages of 12 to, well, considerably older than 12!

Ten men and four women battled it out for the individual prizes, with the honours being taken by Eamon Staunton and Kerry KcKay-Hubbard, both from Mid-Argyll Triathlon Club.  Special mention goes to the 3 local men and 2 local ladies who took on the challenge of the individual event and performed admirably.

The only entry in the Junior Individual Male category was Iain Harrison who gave the old(er) guys a run for their money, setting a new Junior Male Record and finishing in a time that would have placed him 3rd in the Men’s event.

In the Team events, there was sadly no competition this year for Jack Glover, Carl Reavey, and Marcus Covell who retained the Men’s Team trophy.  Four teams contested the Women’s Team trophy with Anna Storrie, Shona Ramsay, and Jenna Cockburn winning by a comfortable seven minutes.  The winners of the Mixed Team were “ScottishPower Renewables” – Laura Watson, David MacArthur & Mandy Gloyer.

The Junior Team competition is building in popularity, with two teams taking part this year. The 1st Junior Male team was Connor Boyd, Stuart Gillies & Josh Wood and the 1st Junior Mixed team was Caitlin Stewart, Scott McCalman & Millie Mitchell. 4 of these six young people were completing their second triathlon in eight days after also competing in the Schools’ Triathlon two weeks ago. Well done!

Full results can be found at the Islay Triathlon website.

Solar water heating is a well-tested technology, less complicated and less expensive to install than photovoltaic panels which generate electricity. You only have to test the temperature of the water left lying in the hose on a sunny day, even on Islay, to see that it works. Solar thermal collectors are still relatively expensive to install however, and many people are put off by the cost. So how about making your own?

Kerr McGregor, former Senior Lecturer in Energy Engineering at Napier University, has developed a new design of solar water heater which is relatively easy to install and needs no specialist knowledge, just very basic DIY skills, to construct. Kerr believes that the potential of solar power has not been fully recognised in Scotland – the west coast is after all the sunniest part of Britain, and due to our high latitude we actually receive more hours of sunshine than many countries. He has already run a number of successful panel construction workshops in Scotland, and now Islay Energy Trust have arranged for him to run two on Islay, during the weekend of 17^th/18^th July.

Participants will build a full-size, (2440x1220mm) solar water heating panel in one day. The panel is of freeze-tolerant design (similar to the SolarTwin) and unlike many does not require the use on anti-freeze or the installation of a separate water tank or heat exchanger. One panel should be sufficient to provide 50% of the domestic hot water required by the average household, and connects directly to a conventional low-pressure water system via two pipes already in your loft. Circulation is by a solar-powered PV pump.

All materials and instruction are supplied to build the panel on the day; participants just need to bring a screwdriver, a saw, gaffer tape and sharp knife (e g. Stanley). If you have them, a power drill and work bench would also be handy, though not essential.  At the end of the day the panel, weighing about 15kg, will be complete and ready to take home – this will require a roof rack, trailer or van due to size.

The cost of the workshop will be subsidised by IET’s Carbon Savings project and instead of £200 per person will be just £100. On top of this, you will need to fix the panel to your roof – if you are confident at DIY you may be able to do this yourself, using a fixing kit which Kerr can supply separately for £350. If you’re not entirely sure what you’re doing we strongly recommend professional installation, for which there will obviously be an extra cost. However, with a system like this costing in the region of £4000 at commercial rates this has to be the bargain of the year.

Kerr will be visiting Islay’s primary schools this week in his other guise as the man behind Solar One, the renewables demonstration bus, and you can read more about his experience and qualifications at www.macgregorsolar.com. He will also be happy to answer any queries directly or through Lindy at IET if you’d like more information before committing. Places on the workshops will be limited to 8 on each day – if you’d like to register your interest, please contact Lindy on 301413, or email lindy.maclellan@islayenergyytrust.org.uk  stating whether you’d prefer Saturday 17^th, Sunday 18^th, or are flexible. Then just cross your fingers for more sunshine!

Phil Gilmour, Mike Neilson and David MacArthur

The Islay Energy Trust was delighted to host a visit to Islay by Mike Neilson and Phil Gilmour from Marine Scotland.  Mike is the director of Scotland’s marine management organisation.

Marine Scotland is part of the core Scottish Government and brings together the functions and resources of the previous Scottish Government Marine Directorate, the Fisheries Research Services (now Marine Scotland Science) and the Scottish Fisheries Protection Agency (now Marine Scotland Compliance).

As such, Marine Scotland have an important role to play in the planning and licencing of offshore wind and marine renewables around Scotland.

The visit included discussions with Philip Maxwell (Islay Energy Trust),  Andrew Campbell from SNH and David MacArthur from the ScottishPower Renewables Sound of Islay Tidal Project.

33kV Overhead Lines

The Sound of Islay Tidal Energy Project has taken another step forward with the signing of the grid connection agreement with SHEPD (Scottish Hydro Electric Power Distribution).  The agreement covers the investment in the grid infrastructure to provide the ScottishPower Renewables project with the 10MW capacity that it requires.

This is an important milestone as the relatively limited capacity of the electricity network from the mainland over Jura was seen as a potential restriction on renewable energy projects on Islay, Jura and Colonsay.   The proposal for ten 1MW tidal devices could generate more electricity than is used by the whole of Islay.

The Environmental Statement, which covers all aspects of the project, is nearly complete and will be sent to the Scottish Government in June.  This will be followed by a period of public consultation in July with events being planned on Islay and Jura.

Avenue de l'Europe

Andy Macdonald - Islay Energy Trust

The Sound of Islay tidal project is becoming recognised as one of the leading tidal demonstration projects in the world.

Previous international media interest from Al Jazeera has recently been followed by a short programme on France 3′s European affairs programme Avenue de l’Europe.

The programme also looks at Bruichladdich Distillery‘s plans to build an anaerobic digester.

The programme is available on the internet at the following link:

http://info.francetelevisions.fr/

(then search for ‘avenue’ and the 17th April edition of the programme)

Don’t forget how cold the winter was! If you were shivering in an uninsulated house this winter, make sure you do something about it before the summer passes. Without insulation, you were losing up to 25% of your home’s heat through the roof, and another 30% through cavity walls – and paying for the pleasure.

Energycare Scotland have just completed a second round of work on the island as part of Islay Energy Trust’s Carbon Savings project, and this time over 20 homes have benefited from either free or cut-price loft and cavity wall insulation.  These boys are keen to work and will be back on Islay during the last week of April, so get in touch now if you’d like to participate.  Anyone missed from this latest list due to timing or other issues will be top of the next. Other firms carry out this work too – you may have had a flyer from Argyll & Bute Council with your council tax bill recently offering a council tax rebate if you take up an offer from Scottish Gas; feel free to explore this but it’s worth noting that the ‘rebate’ appears to have been added on to the initial cost, which on this visit by Energycare was around £199. It has also proved difficult to get larger firms to commit to coming to the islands

These discounts for insulation work apply to all households with uninsulated cavity walls and also those with less than 60mm of loft insulation; if you are over 70 or on certain benefits the work may be free. The benefits of full insulation are immediate and will save you money as well as keeping your house warmer – even if you have to pay for cavity wall insulation, it will repay itself in just 2-3 years. If you are having trouble keeping your house warm, insulation is the first thing you should consider – there’s no point paying for heat that is escaping to the outdoors!

Interested? The initial survey is free and carries no obligation to have work carried out. If you’re not sure how much loft insulation you already have and have difficulty in accessing your loft yourself, just get in touch – call Lindy on 01496 301413, or email lindy.maclellan@islayenergytrust.org.uk, or call into the IET office in Main Street, Bowmore.  Surveys will take place from 23rd-25th April, with installation completed the following week. Act now and you’ll be sure of warmer winters for the future – indoors at least!

Quick, professional work - and no need to don the face mask yourself!

The Saltire Prize - The Scottish Government's £10million challenge for marine renewables

Scottish Energy Minister Jim Mather announced that Scotland’s £10 million Saltire Prize, a challenge to the world to accelerate the commercial development of marine energy, is now open for applications.

The Prize, the largest Government innovation prize in the world, will go to a commercially viable wave or tidal energy technology that generates at least 100 Gigawatts of electricity over two years using only the power of the sea – enough to power 10,000 homes.

Scottish Energy Minister Jim Mather also confirmed today that The Crown Estate, as owners of the seabed around the UK, will run a dedicated leasing round over this summer specifically aimed at Saltire Prize competitors to test their devices in Scottish waters.

Publishing the competition guidelines today at the Scottish Renewables annual conference in Glasgow, Mr Mather said:  “I am delighted that the Saltire Prize, Scotland’s challenge to the world to push to the boundaries of marine energy innovation, is now open for applications.  The guidelines have been finalised and are published today. We have been working with The Crown Estate and Marine Scotland to enable new opportunities for global competitors and I am pleased at the co-operation in opening a dedicated new sea-bed leasing round. This will be led by The Crown Estate and will be specifically aimed at new projects competing for the Saltire Prize.

Rob Hastings, Director of the marine estate at The Crown Estate said: “Following on the success of the Pentland Firth and Orkney Waters announcement, we are delighted to be working with the Scottish Government to identify further areas for wave and tidal project leases in Scottish Waters. We share the Scottish Government’s drive to encourage this emerging industry to maturity and we are looking forward to announcing the start of the leasing round later this year.”

Scotland’s seas can provide 25 per cent of Europe’s tidal power and 10 per cent of its wave power. The Scottish Government and The Crown Estate are seeking views on the suitability of the proposed areas for the dedicated leasing round. The areas are:

Wave – West of Shetland, west of the Western Isles, north of Tiree, west of Colonsay
Tidal – West of Islay, west of Kintyre peninsula

It is very encouraging to see Argyll being given the opportunity to make use of its excellent marine energy potential.

ScottishPower Renewables, who are developing the Sound of Islay Tidal Energy project, were awarded a lease for a 100MW tidal site at Ness of Duncansby and a 50MW wave site at Marwick Head.  The 10MW  Sound of Islay project is an important stepping stone to prove the technology before the larger development at Ness of Duncansby.

The First Minister, Alex Salmond, MSP, MP said: “Today marks a major milestone in the global journey towards a low carbon future, with the commercial-scale deployment of marine renewables set to power our economies and help safeguard the planet for generations to come. These waters have been described as the Saudi Arabia of marine power and the wave and tidal projects unveiled today – exceeding the initial 700 MW target capacity – underline the rich natural resources of the waters off Scotland.

“Leading international energy companies and innovators continue to be drawn to Scottish waters, which boast as much as a quarter of Europe’s tidal and offshore wind resource and a tenth of the continent’s potential wave capacity. Together with some 11 GW of planned offshore wind developments, these latest marine renewables projects show that Scotland is powering ahead in the development and deployment of clean, green energy.

Roger Bright, Chief Executive of The Crown Estate said: “This announcement demonstrates the UK’s position as the leader in wave and tidal technologies. Through our experience and some of the best natural resources in the world we have been able to launch the first wave and tidal energy projects on a commercial scale.”

Survey work was recently carried out by Dan Atkinson from Headland Archaeology with local support from Susan Campbell.  Whilst no new discoveries were found during the surveys, the work highlighted the rich selection of historic maps that are available online from the National Library of Scotland (http://www.nls.uk).

Dan Atkinson and Susan Campbell

An excellent example is the map of the Sound of Islay between Port Askaig and Feolin from 1882 which can be found at http://bit.ly/Sound1882.  Blaeu’s 1654 Atlas of Scotland can be found at http://bit.ly/Blaeu1654.

On the engineering side of the project, the design of the tidal device is making good progress. Hammerfest Strøm UK Ltd are planning to install a full-scale version of the device at the European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC) in Orkney later this year.  The testing of the single device in Orkney will provide the confidence to go ahead with the ten devices proposed for the Sound of Islay.

The Navigational Safety Risk Assessment (NSRA) is another important part of the planning process and David Cantello, an independent consultant from Abbot Risk Consulting, has been assessing the potential impact to other marine users.  Meetings took place in November and December with CalMac, Argyll and Bute Council, the MoD, the Northern Lighthouse Board and some of the Port Askaig fishermen.  Any further comments on the potential impact to marine users would be welcomed by Andy Macdonald at the Islay Energy Trust on 810 873 or andrew.macdonald@islayenergytrust.org.uk

It’s never easy to judge how well an event will be received, and planning anything which involves key participants arriving by ferry in January is always nerve-wracking, so it was very pleasing to see such a good turnout for Islay Energy Trust’s Renewables Day. Around 150 people took the opportunity to come along and explore the possibilities for small-scale renewables, picking up tips on heat pumps, solar panels, wind turbines and hydro power. Our enthusiastic and well-informed exhibitors kept everyone interested, even the youngest, and of those who took the time to complete our quick feedback form, all felt themselves to be better informed and more likely to consider installing some sort of renewable energy system at home in the future. Several mentioned the benefits of face-to-face contact, and of receiving information directly relevant to Islay. Many were surprised at the favourable payback times, a direct result of the new Feed -In Tariff which will reward domestic energy producers by paying for every unit of electricity produced – even those used in the home. Unfortunately, due to the complex nature of many planning applications, Argyll & Bute planning department didn’t feel it would be useful to have a representative here for the day – but with such a high level of interest and such good support from all concerned, we will certainly push harder for this next time as it would clearly have been of use to many. No Islay event would be complete without catering, and special mention must be made of the Islay High School hospitality group, who provided hot drinks and tasty snacks throughout the day. This was their first venture into outside catering and their professional service was much admired. If you’d like to keep up to date with what’s happening with Islay Energy Trust then you can add your details to our mailing list by becoming a member – it’s cheap and easy! Just call in to the office with £1 and fill out a form – or give us a call and we can pop one in the post to you. If you missed the Renewables Day and would like to pick up information or to get in touch with any of our installers, (or if you were there and have a suggestion for next time!) speak to Lindy on 01496 301413, or email lindy@islayenergytrust.org.uk

Offshore Wind - Crown Estate Leases

The Scoping Report for the socio-economic impact assessment of the proposed offshore wind farms in the Argyll area is now available.  The report was commissioned by the Argyll Renewables Consortium (ARC) and written by SQW Energy and SQW Consulting.  It sets out the context of the proposed developments and defines the scope of the assessment.

A copy of the report is available here:

Forward, Executive Summary and Contents

Full Report without Annexes

Full Report with Annexes

Designed and managed by the Carbon Trust, the Marine Renewable Proving Fund (MRPF) uses new funding from the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC). The MRPF marks a new level of commitment to developing wave and tidal technologies by helping the UK’s most promising technologies to progress towards early stage deployment and accelerating the first commercial projects in UK waters.

Hammerfest Strøm UK Ltd., has received a £ 3.9 million grant for the construction and testing of a 1 MW tidal power device at the European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC) in Orkney.

The tidal turbine, known as HS1000, is expected to be fully operational in Orkney by 2011. Hammerfest Strøm UK has already completed the design and pre-engineering and is now tendering for fabrication and installation.

After a test period, the company will work with ScottishPower Renewables who have plans to install the device as part of a 10MW tidal power array in the Sound of Islay by 2012. This project will be the largest demonstration tidal power project in the world and put ScottishPower Renewables at the forefront of global tidal power developers.

Reid Kerr College Students and Islay High School S5 Pupils

Students from Reid Kerr College‘s Skills for Work Energy programme joined up with Freddie Bell and S5s Skills for Work students from Islay High School as part of a combined study into Islay’s Renewable and Sustainable Energy resources.

The trip included a visit to Ionad Chaluim Chille Ìle to see the photovoltaic tiles and a presentation about the Sound of Islay Tidal Energy Project.  The students had some great questions and it is hoped that they will be able to come back to Islay as the project develops.

Further details are available on the Reid Kerr website.

Other Islay and Jura winners included:

Best Tourism Initiative: Jura Passenger Ferry
Best Activity Website: Islay Wilderness Guide, ahead of Islay Shipping Blog in close pursuit.
Best Local Newspaper: Oban Times, a flyaway winner with the Ileach a good second.
Best Community Initiative: Lochgoilhead Fiddle Workshop, with the Finlaggan Centre development on Islay a close second.
Best Wildlife Website: Mull Eagle Watch, with Islay Birds a good second.

Deployment of Turbulence Measurement Frame

The tidal energy project is continuing to gather information in preparation for the Environmental Statement that will be submitted to the Scottish Government early next year.

In addition to the bird and sea mammal surveys, a sophisticated turbulence measurement frame was installed last week (see photo).  This equipment, which weighed over two tonnes will provide information that will allow the turbine blades to be optimised for the fast flows in the Sound of Islay.

The document can be downloaded by clicking here.

If you have any more questions that you would like answered then please contact:

andrew.macdonald@islayenergytrust.org.uk

Tim Friend, Al Jazeera Television

Al Jazeera’s television news reporter Tim Friend visited to Islay to report on how the Sound of Islay Tidal project could play its part in tackling climate change.

Amongst the firms attending will be EcoLiving, Mint Energy ( in partnership with Proven Wind), Novadyne Solar, and BabyHydro; Rejig will also be there to chat about their biogas project, and Scottish and Southern Energy Renewables (formerly Airtricity) will have information on grid connections and on their plans for off-shore wind development in the seas off the Rinns. Eamon King of EnergySaving Scotland will be able to advise on grants and loans for domestic installations, while Rae McKenzie of SNH will have advice for those eligible for SRDP, as well as being able to comment on natural heritage issues. Argyll & Bute Council will be providing general guidelines on planning consents. Some of Islay’s primary schools will be presenting examples work on climate change and renewable energy and to round it all off you’ll be able to see how the Sound of Islay Tidal Energy Project is going along.

All in all it should be an information-packed day which will leave you wondering how you ever managed without that ground source heat pump…. we’re hoping for a good turnout to support our exhibitors, so put the date in your diary now!

A sum of £2 million is available this year for a pilot loans scheme to help people improve insulation, replace inefficient boilers or install small scale renewables.

The Energy Saving Scotland home loans scheme is managed by the Energy Saving Trust in Scotland on behalf of the Scottish Government.

 Loans of between £500 and £10, 000 are available. The loans are interest free so you only pay back what you borrow. Applicants can pay back the loan in monthly instalments over a maximum of eight years. 

Loans can be combined with grants such as the Energy Saving Scotland home renewables grants and funding from fuel suppliers under the Carbon Emission Reduction Target.

 You can borrow money to:

• Install cavity wall or solid wall insulation and/or loft insulation;
• Install renewable energy systems, such as wind turbines, solar water heating, heat pumps, small scale hydroelectric schemes and wood fuel heating systems;
• Replace old, inefficient boilers.

For more information, go to http://www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/scotland/Scotland-Welcome-page/At-Home/Grants-and-offers/Energy-Saving-Scotland-home-loans

The biggest criticism of carbon offsetting would appear to be that it encourages the idea of ‘paying to pollute’ rather than changing behaviour. It’s not just flights; you can offset your household energy use, your car travel, your business activities – buyers of Calor Gas patio heaters can even pay to offset the impact of their heater on the environment.  It would appear that the conscience of the developing world can easily be salved, despite the fact that there is no real regulation to ensure that schemes actually exist, that the measured carbon savings are accurate, or that the offset has not already been sold to another customer.

Many of the schemes advertised do not stand much scrutiny – tree planting is a favourite, but while some appear to be well thought out and carefully monitored, such as that of RippleAfrica, in Malawi, others have led to disruption of communities and loss of water supplies through inappropriate land use. In some cases poor management means that the trees do not even survive to maturity – in 2002, Coldplay offset the environmental impact of their latest CD by planting 10,000 mango trees in southern India. Just seven years later, most are already dead.

There have also been claims that some schemes are inadvertently leading to an increase in child labour. In one scheme – ironically, recommended by ‘Which’ as a good buy – farmers in developing countries are being paid to abandon their polluting diesel -powered irrigation pumps and use human-powered treadle pumps instead. Is it right that the world’s poorest should work harder so that the world’s richest can pollute more?

If you do want to offset, look very carefully at the scheme on offer. Does the organisation make it clear how much of your money goes into administration and profit? The UK offsetting industry was worth £60 million in 2006 and is forecast to reach £250 million by the end of this year, but there is no clear indication of how much has reached the projects being promoted, and no accurate measure of the actual carbon savings. If the scheme is one which you feel worthy of support, then it may be that making a direct donation to its organising body is a more efficient way of doing that.

Government organisation DEFRA has set up a Quality Assurance scheme for offsetting projects, to try to reassure consumers – most of the schemes involve development of renewable energy projects and none involve tree planting. DEFRA stresses that offsetting is a measure to be taken ‘after avoiding and reducing emissions as much as possible’- in other words, forget the patio heater, put on a jumper.

If you would like any more information on carbon offsetting, fuel bills or any other energy related matter, or if you’d like to borrow one of our electricity monitors, feel free to call in to the Islay Energy Trust office in Main Street, Bowmore, or contact Lindy on lindy.maclellan@islayenergytrust.org.uk , tel. 301413. If you have a monitor which is due for return, please drop it into the office or call and we can arrange to pick it up. We also have a large stock of low energy light bulbs available free at various points around the island – if you don’t spot any locally, there are lots in the office!

The programme is availabel on the BBC’s iPlayer until Thursday 10th September at the following link:

http://bbc.co.uk/i/ml1hq/

Philip Maxwell, chair of IET - photograph copyright Murdo Macleod

Islay and the Sound of Islay Tidal Energy Project has been in the news recently with articles inThe Guardian and on Reporting Scotland and Newsnight Scotland.

The Guardian August 26 2009

Whoever your current electricity supplier is, you can almost certainly save money by switching if you haven’t already done so. Switching suppliers sounds complicated but it really isn’t – I’ve just done it and it was very easy to set up (although I’ve yet to receive my first bill from my new supplier or the final bill from the old one so I’ll keep you posted.) If all goes according to plan, by switching supplier and signing up to online billing with a monthly fixed payment, I’ll save a whopping 29% on next year’s electricity.

The easiest way to switch is by using a price comparison website – there are several of these, USwitch  being the best known. I also found  Energy Choices very user friendly, but  for those who do not have access to the internet ,  Simply Switch offers an excellent telephone switching helpline  – 0800 011 1395. Whichever method you use, all you need is your postcode and an idea of your monthly or annual electricity spend. It’s worth looking out your last few bills to get a reasonably accurate figure for this as the tariff you pay will depend on your usage.  Before you call or go online, you should also think about how you’d like to pay and whether you’d like to receive paper bills or are happy to be billed online. The cheapest deals available are for online billing and fixed monthly direct debit payment, as these cost less for suppliers to administer. If you want to continue to pay a quarterly paper bill then that will cost slightly more, but if you don’t have internet access at home you can still make a reduction by signing up to monthly payments.

Once you’ve decided to make the change and supplied your details, your new supplier will take over without any further action from you. You don’t need to contact your old supplier as that will be done for you, and they will send you a final bill –it’s worth checking your meter reading on the date the switch is to happen just so you can check this is accurate.

Many people are entitled to cheaper electricity without realising it – all energy providers must by law offer a social tariff to what are termed ‘vulnerable’ customers, and this must be equal  to or cheaper than the provider’s cheapest deal.  To qualify, customers generally need to be in receipt of either means tested benefits, Disability Living Allowance or pension credits but this varies from supplier to supplier. Those living in fuel poverty (defined as spending 10% or more of household income on fuel) also qualify. If you fall into one of these categories it’s well worth calling your supplier to ask if you qualify for their social tariff. Information on these tariffs is hard to find on suppliers’ websites, but the helplines do seem to be manned by helpful and well-informed staff. Scottish and Southern appear to offer most, with a 20% discount on costs, regardless of payment methods.

Many people opt to use prepayment meters, but you should think carefully before making this choice. Suppliers need to recover the cost of administering this system and you will typically pay up to a third more for your electricity than if you have a normal account. The exception to this is Scottish Power, which is the only firm to set its prepayment meters at a lower cost than standard. If you are with another supplier, on a low income and a prepayment meter is your only option, think about switching.

The study charts a course for wave and tidal power around Scotland, and highlights actions to build further success in the sector. Its recommendations, for Government and its partners, include:

A call for the Scottish Government to repeat its Wave and Tidal Energy Support scheme

A review of grid infrastructure required to support growth

A fresh look at the levels of support available under the renewables obligation

Calls for the Treasury to do more to help the sector, including the release of the Fossil Fuel Levy surplus funds to help promote renewables in Scotland

The full report can be found on the Scottish Government website.

Roseanna Cunningham MSP visits Islay

Roseanna Cunningham, the Environment Minister, visited the Islay Energy Trust on 28th July as part of her summer tour programme.  The discussions covered the carbon savings project with Lindy Maclellan and the Tidal Energy project with Andy Macdonald.

The visit to the IET offices was followed by a trip to Port Askaig to see the Sound of Islay and take the ferry on to Jura.

Offshore Wind - Crown Estate Leases

The community-owned Islay and Kintyre Energy Trusts and the Tiree Community Development Trust have formed the Argyll Renewables Communities (“ARC”) Consortium to investigate fully the impacts, both positive and negative, on their local communities of offshore wind and marine energy exploitation.

The seas west of Argyll contain some of the main tidal, wave and offshore wind energy resource areas in the UK. In March 2009, the Crown Estate announced exclusivity agreements with developers to investigate three large scale offshore wind projects: Airtricity off Kintyre (378MW) and Islay (680MW), and ScottishPower Renewables off Tiree (1500MW).

Meanwhile, the Scottish Government is conducting a strategic environmental assessment (SEA) of offshore wind resources. Looking ahead, it is expected that the Crown Estate will begin the process of opening up areas off the Argyll coast for marine energy exploitation in the near future.

All three Trusts already have experience of involvement in renewable energy projects. In February 2009, the Islay Energy Trust signed a Memorandum of Understanding with ScottishPower Renewables for the development of a 10MW tidal energy array in the Sound of Islay; the Tiree Community Development Trust are in the process of installing a 900kW community wind turbine, and Kintyre are also developing a wind turbine project. In addition, the Trusts have a wide range of relevant skills and experience available to them through their members and Trustees.

Local communities often have the feeling that industrial-scale renewable energy developments are imposed by remote forces with little or no effective local participation, let alone influence or control. This can fuel responses which vary from helplessness through apathy to active opposition. On the other hand, if development goes ahead, genuine collaboration between community and corporate interests can lead to enhanced value and beneficial impacts for both the project and those affected.

Members of the ARC Consortium wish to be considered active participants in both the assessment and development processes and any eventual operations, rather than merely bystanders, and thereby to ensure the best possible outcomes for their communities, as well as for all stakeholders. They are studying options for communities becoming more involved in the development of offshore renewable energy projects. They are also negotiating with the developers and consulting with other key stakeholders, such as Crown Estate, Scottish Government, Argyll and Bute Council, etc.

Jim Mather, MSP for Argyll and Minister for Energy, Enterprise and Tourism in the Scottish Government, attended a recent meeting of the consortium, and gave a warm welcome to the ARC project. He said: “this is a ground-breaking, collaborative initiative by voluntary community groups, whose proactive involvement with developers and other bodies could help in making local communities in areas with fragile economies more sustainable”.

bye bye standby

We all have them – little lights around the house telling us that our appliances are ready and waiting for us to need them again. Collectively, these appliances are costing customers in the UK an estimated £1 billion per year, and are thought to be responsible for up to 800,000 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions. It is a bizarre fact that this is roughly equivalent to the emissions from flying the entire population of Glasgow to New York and back. So why don’t we switch things off? Lots of reasons – for one thing, crawling around the floor pulling out plugs at night takes too long. We might not be sure whether our mobile phone is fully charged – so let’s leave it on overnight just in case. Or we just don’t think it’s worth it – surely that little red light isn’t using much power? The little red light is only part of the story however – what we often don’t realise is that the light is just an indicator of the slow trickle of power which is being drawn by the appliance to keep the electronics ready to switch on immediately.
One easy way to deal with the standby problem is to buy a device which will switch them off for you with one click. In the Islay Energy Trust office we use the Bye Bye Standby – this comes as a pack with two special sockets and a wireless wall switch. All our computers, printers etc are plugged into these using a multi-socket adapter, and the switch is stuck to the wall beside the door (sticky patch included!) It took about 5 minutes to set up, and now the last person to leave can switch everything off at once. The pack costs about £30 from most electrical retailers and you can buy extra sockets separately.
This works equally well at home with the TV and DVD… but not, supposedly with your Sky box. These seem to be in league of their own in needing to be left on standby permanently – Sky very cleverly describe the standby setting as the ‘green’ setting. There are approximately 8 million Sky boxes in the country, supposedly consuming enough electricity while on standby to keep a small power station in business. When I called the Sky helpline to ask about this I was told that this was to ensure that the box could receive software updates overnight, and that switching it off regularly could result in the box not working correctly. However a second adviser told me that there was no reason the box couldn’t be switched off as updates are received through the phone line and can be processed when the box is next switched on. Not being a Sky engineer, I don’t know who was right – but I know of at least one person who switches off their box at night without any problem so I will give it a try too and keep you posted…..
By 2010, all new appliances will be required to have a standby power consumption of between 1 -2 watts, with a further reduction to 1 watt or less by 2013. Unless we’re going to buy all new appliances however, we still need to think about switching off – the standby consumption needs of present day appliances are up to 10 times that.
All our electricity monitors are currently out on loan but some are due back very soon, so if you would like to borrow one, please get in touch and I’ll add you to the list. The latest interesting thing mine has shown is that my computer draws more power with the screensaver on than when I’m actually working on it. There was I thinking the screensaver was an energy saving device – wrong again!

ADCP Recovery

The ScottishPower Renewables (SPR) Sound of Islay Tidal Project is progressing well with the completion of the latest flow measurement activities.  Detailed measurements of the flow across a full day were recorded and the seabed measurements devices that were placed last month were recovered with data over a full tidal cycle.

This new data will enable SPR to identify the best locations for the tidal devices and allow the turbine designers to optimise the design of the units and blades for the conditions in the Sound of Islay.

Jim Mather MSP and Philip Maxwell

The Board of the Islay Energy Trust (IET) met with Jim Mather, MSP, on Tuesday 14th July to discuss the Sound of Islay Tidal Energy and the Carbon Saving Projects.

Both Project Officers, Andrew Macdonald and Lindy Maclellan respectively, gave detailed reports on the progress of their projects.

Mr Mather, who last year facilitated a seminar on IET’s Tidal Project, said he was delighted at all the developments that had taken place, and encouraged IET “to become a role model for community-owned energy trusts”.

If you’d like to borrow one please contact Lindy on (01496) 301413 or call in at the IET office in Main Street, Bowmore. Supplies are limited so get in quick to avoid the queue! All we ask in return is that you complete a short feedback form at the end of the month to give us an idea of any energy saving measures you’ve adopted as a result.

You should also contact Lindy if you are interested in completing a Home Energy Check form – this will generate a personalised energy report for your home, detailing ways to improve your home’s energy efficiency. Again, we’d then be interested to know which measures you have adopted – and everyone completing a form can also collect a free pack of low energy light bulbs.

Bird and sea mammal surveys will take place over the next year from seven observer points on both sides of the Sound. This will provide data at different times of day and different tidal conditions in order to build up a picture of wildlife location and activities. Local survey work is being carried out by Simon Pinder and Fiona MacGillivray.

The ecology of the seabed was also assessed using cameras lowered from the Margaret Sinclair. With excellent weather and visibility the survey team managed to capture over 25 kilometres of still and video images at a depth of over 50 metres. No surprise discoveries so far but the images will be analysed further to identify any species of interest.

A number of flow measurement devices called ADCPs (Acoustic Doppler Current Profilers) have also been placed on the seabed to measure the flow rates in the Sound during different tidal states. The ADCPs had to be placed to an accuracy of ten metres which at a depth of 50 metres in the middle of a tidal stream is not as easy as it sounds. The deployment used two vessels and was carried with the help and local knowledge of diver Colin Campbell.

Colin Campbell

Fiona MacGillivray

Simon Pinder surveying birds near Bunnahabhain

An extensive survey of birds and sea mammals in the Sound of Islay has started in order to provide baseline data for the proposed Tidal Energy project.  Surveys will take place from seven observer points on both sides of the Sound.  The survey will provide a count of birds and sea mammals at different times of day and different tidal conditions in order to build up a picture of their location and activities.

The work is being carried out by Natural Research with local survey work being carried out by Simon Pinder and Fiona MacGillivray.

Islay Energy Trust, backed by the Climate Challenge Fund, has launched a new energy-saving project for Islay and Colonsay. Project Officer Lindy MacLellan, who took up the post on 1st April, will be working with the two island communities to raise awareness of climate change and to encourage energy saving initiatives. One of the first priorities will be to encourage the uptake of grants and discount offers for home insulation – poorly insulated homes being a major source of energy loss. The project has set a target of reducing carbon emissions in the islands by 300 tonnes over each of the 2 years it will run; equivalent to the saving from properly insulating just 100 lofts.

The Islay Energy Trust (IET) and Scottish Power Renewables (SPR) have now signed a Memorandum of Understanding covering the joint development of the Sound of Islay Tidal Energy Project. The MoU provides for both parties to work together on the detailed tidal resource study, environmental impact assessment, stakeholder consultation and securing the necessary consents, leases and grid connection required for the establishment of an array of tidal devices supplied by Hammerfest Strom, capacity up to 10 MW, in the Sound of Islay.

Local liaison and consultation on Islay will be managed by IET’s recently appointed Tidal Project Development Officer, Mr Andrew Macdonald, who will also assist in other project development activities undertaken by SPR. The parties will also begin discussions on cooperation in the investment, implementation and operational phases.

Sound of Islay

The proposed project is likely to consist of 4-6 turbine devices (total capacity around 2 MW) installed in the Sound of Islay. The development phases are expected to cost up to £750,000, and take around 3 years to complete. Once in operation, revenue would be generated from electricity sales.

It is estimated that marine energy could comprise around one-third of Scotland’s renewable energy resources; in particular, the seas around the Isle of Islay hold significant potential, second only to those around the Orkney Islands. Islay is already home to the world’s first commercial wave power station – Wavegen’s Limpet at Portnahaven. This new proposal to develop tidal resources will represent a major step forward in the commercialisation of tidal energy exploitation, which could ultimately generate sufficient electricity to supply around 5% of the UK’s demand. It will also make a contribution to meeting Scotland’s target of 50% of electricity demand from renewable energy resources by 2020, and could reduce carbon dioxide emissions by around 4000 tonnes per annum compared with the use of fossil fuels in electricity generation.

IET Chairman, Philip Maxwell, says: “A particular feature of this proposal is the innovative business model. Instead of the more conventional route involving a large energy utility company or turbine manufacturer, the Islay community is taking the initiative in leading the development of what is intended to be a commercially viable and strategically important project. IET wishes to ensure that any exploitation of the considerable tidal energy resources in the seas around the Isle of Islay yields substantial and sustainable benefits to the Islay community, as well as helping to provide greater energy security for the island by supplying around a quarter of its electricity demand.”

Dr Alan Owen of RGU’s School of Engineering said, “Tidal streams offer a substantial and predictable source of renewable energy and this is an area where RGU has specific expertise. The University is delighted to be involved in a project which has both national and international significance for the development of energy from tidal streams.”

IET and RGU will be consulting widely with stakeholders, including the Crown Estate, local fishermen, ferry operators Caledonian MacBrayne and Argyll and Bute Council, tidal technology developers, the Scottish and Westminster Governments, Scottish Natural Heritage, potential funders etc. It is hoped to complete the pre-feasibility study which will evaluate potential tidal resources, locate possible sites for the underwater turbines, and prepare for the environmental impact assessment by the end of this summer.

No decision has yet been taken on the type of technology to be installed. The process of selecting a suitable tidal device will be based on a set of technical, commercial and environmental criteria and subject to independent verification.

The aim of this website is to provide the community with information on IET and its projects.  The website also provides a forum for the community to discuss the projects and distribution of benefits back to the community.