Knoydart Renewables – The Power of Knoydart
The BBC has been showing a film all day about the Knoydart area of the Scottish Highlands and their community-owned hydroelectric power system.
The title of this post, is the same as that of this page on the Knoydart Foundation web site.
This paragraph introduces the system.
Knoydart is not connected to the National Grid and generates all of its own electricity. Other than some small run-of-burn micro-schemes in outlying hamlets, by far and away the the main producer and distributer of electricity on Knoydart is Knoydart Renewables Ltd. that supplies electricity around Inverie Bay.
Note.
- The system is based on a 280 kW turbine and generator.
- The turbine is fed over a kilometer by steel and plastic pipe from a man-made loch with an estimated storage capacity of at least 74 MWh.
- There is a back-up diesel generator.
- 120 residents in 90 properties are supplied with electricity.
It sounds like a very professional system for a community with a convenient hill and water supply.
The system is being expanded and connected to the grid.
The whole page is a must read for anyone, who wants to put in a small hydroelectric power station for their house, castle or community.
The Anonymous Widower 