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Heat-Smart Orkney (HSO): Using Wasted Renewable Energy to Heat Homes Experiencing Fuel Poverty
Published on 02 March 2021
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United Kingdom
North Eastern Scotland
This is the good practice's implementation level. It can be national, regional or local.
About this good practice
To divert unused renewable energy from marginalised wind turbines into affordable heat for remote communities in the Orkney Islands
Resources needed
£1.3m (€1.475m) awarded by Scottish Government Local Energy Challenge Fund. 3 new jobs created. Heat-Smart technology installation
Evidence of success
The income generated for the participating generator, by the turbine turning when it would have otherwise been switched off was used to rebate the cost of running the heating systems, thus providing affordable warmth for vulnerable consumers. 70 households benefitted, and the renewable energy used displaced the burning of 8,000 kg of coal and wood over the project time frame. The community will continue funding the project as it is showing live-matching as a business-as-usual activity.
Potential for learning or transfer
Replicability where there is no additional grid capacity for renewable energies, such as in remote locations with low population numbers, or where the grid is weak or restrictive. The learnings from this project have been transferred to two multi-million £ projects based in Orkney which have implications for the rest of the UK, such as ReFLEX Orkney which seeks to optimise storage and distribution of the islands’ renewable energy sources, and to allow heat, transport and electricity to be managed holistically, and to stop importing carbon intensive energy from the mainland of Scotland.
Further information
Website
Good practice owner
Organisation
Heat Smart Orkney Ltd
![Country flag flag](/themes/custom/interreg/images/flags/uk.png)
United Kingdom
North Eastern Scotland
Contact