Scottish Island Wins Renewable Energy Prize

17 January 2010 (Last Updated January 17th, 2010 18:30)

Residents of a small Scottish island have been awarded a share of a £1m energy conservation prize after installing four 6kW wind turbines, solar panels and a hydro-electric scheme. The National Endowment for Science, Technology and Arts (NESTA) awarded part of the £1m ($1.4m) prize to t

Residents of a small Scottish island have been awarded a share of a £1m energy conservation prize after installing four 6kW wind turbines, solar panels and a hydro-electric scheme.

The National Endowment for Science, Technology and Arts (NESTA) awarded part of the £1m ($1.4m) prize to the residents of the Isle of Eigg in an effort to find new ways to tackle climate change.

The island has a 100kW hydroelectric generator supported by two smaller hydroelectric generators of 10kW and 9kW, four 6kW wind energy generators and 10kW solar electric cells.

The £1.6m system uses the various power sources to generate over 95% of Eigg's annual energy demand and has reduced the island's carbon emissions by 32%.

Eigg shared the prize fund with an energy and transport project in the Brecon Beacons in Wales and an energy efficiency project in Shropshire.