Scotland has huge sources of renewable energy. But the massive schemes – whether wind, wave or water power -tend to attract opposition from people who don’t want the landscape despoiled. However, with the increasing efficiency of much smaller, micro-schemes, a solution may be at hand. In Glen Lyon in Perthshire, landowners first started using micro-hydro schemes a very long time ago since they would get access to the national grid. These very old systems produced enough for the states but not much more. Today, they’re installing the latest generation of equipment, burying it under-ground, which will allow them to export significant amounts of electricity to the grid. They have the backing of Scottish and Southern Energy and have just persuaded the Forestry Commission to give them an exclusive deal to let them build similar schemes in the Highlands, from Inverness to Skye and North towards Durness.
Copyright 2012 Simply Renewable Ltd (SC323770)
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