Project lead: The West Harris Trust
Local Energy Challenge Fund award amount: £0
Area: Comhairle nan Eilean Siar
Vision
This project aims to build on the work of a parallel Low Carbon Infrastructure Transition Programme application for feasibility work on a community renewable wave energy array alongside a wind turbine. These will provide locally generated power for West Harris Trust’s new community hub and neighbouring social housing development of six units.
Project
Wave energy arrays are still at an early stage of development, and it is important to achieve a successful deployment of projects and develop operating hour experience to progress the technology and allow wave energy arrays to achieve commercial viability at the earliest opportunity.
In addition to the wave energy aspect, this project seeks to explore and find solutions for the combination of wave and wind generation and how this should be handled within the local grid context. This will include the use of storage and district heating systems as ways of managing the local energy economy and building additional load capacity to use additional energy when available.