Green Isle of Eigg comes out sunny side up

Islanders’ innovation in reducing carbon emissions recognised with £300,000 share of UK-wide award
Charlene Sweeney

Two years ago Eigg did not even have mains electricity. Now the tiny Scottish island, population 95, has won a UK-wide award for its leap forward in harnessing renewable energy and its approach to tackling climate change.
Among the measures it has adopted are using spent cooking oil from the local ferry in its community vehicles, and running public conveniences by solar power.
Eigg was yesterday among three groups each receiving a £300,000 share of a £1 million prize offered by the Big Green Challenge, a competition organised by the National Endowment for Science Technology and the Arts to reduce carbon emissions.
Sharing the jackpot were The Green Valleys, a project based in the Brecon Beacons, and the Household Energy Service, based in Ludlow, Shropshire. Low Carbon West Oxford received £100,000 as runner-up. Eigg managed the greatest decrease in CO2 emissions, with a cut of 32 per cent.

Maggie Fyffe, secretary of the Isle of Eigg Heritage Trust, said that residents were delighted.
The prize will be seen as a vindication of Eigg’s decision to launch the first community buyout in Scotland. After decades of being owned by lairds who did not invest in the Hebridean island, south of Skye, it had become desperately run-down. In 1997 the population of Eigg took advantage of land reform legislation and raised £1.5 million to take control of their own affairs. The trust set up to run the community embarked on a regeneration programme that culminated in the construction of a £1.6 million renewable energy scheme combining hydro, wind and solar power. It was switched on in February 2008, bringing all-day electricity to the island for the first time.
The system was instrumental to its success in the Big Green Challenge, impressing judges who had to select 10 finalists from 350 entrants before awarding them £20,000 to implement their carbon-cutting plans. The communities had a year to put their proposals into action. On Eigg, that meant fitting solar panels in homes and businesses, and adding insulation. People were encouraged to travel by bicycle, or lift-share to reduce car use.
Residents said that the project had the hidden advantage of uniting the community as they sought to meet their targets. Eigg had pledged to reduce its carbon emission from 6.2 tonnes annually per household in October 2008, to four tonnes by November 2009.
“The Big Green Challenge has given me and many other younger folk the opportunity to get involved and work within the community on projects over the last year where we haven’t felt confident or lacked in experience to contribute before,” said Tasha Lancaster, the 31-year-old project manager, who was born and bred on Eigg.
“The outward purpose of this project is tackling climate change, but it’s also ensuring we continue to be a strong, vibrant healthy community to live in.”
There are now plans to install more solar panels, build a £200,000 eco-house for students, and buy a community electric vehicle.