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Description:
This session will provide an insight into various projects across the Orkney Islands, showcasing how the local communities are shaping energy developments to solve problems and shine a light for island futures globally. Project case studies will include:
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- The development of community-owned turbines in island communities across Orkney, here highlighted by Stronsay and Shapinsay.
- The SMILE project, where the Rousay, Egilsay and Wyre and Eday communities are collaborating with Samsö and Madeira on tackling the problems of grid constraints by managing smart demand to both increase local generation and value to community energy and create modern affordable heating.
- The ReFLEX project and how it is now further developing intelligent local community approaches to energy use in order to deliver just and inclusive net-zero transition; here supporting electric community owned and managed transport and mobility services, in Hoy and Eday.
The discussion will be complemented with questions from islands across the globe.
Speakers:
Howie Firth is a writer and broadcaster who has directed Orkney Internmational Science Festival for the past 30 years. As the director of the first Edinburgh Science Festival in 1989 he created the science festival format that is now followed worldwide. He worked for 11 years for the BBC as the head of Radio Orkney, one of the UK's first community radio stations. His background is in mathematical physics and he has a deep interest in the history and philosophy of science. He is also chair of the Resource Use Institute and the innovation company Going Nova, which is working on a project developing a new strategy to tackle island waste.
Howie Firth
Director, Orkney International Science Festival
James Ellsmoor is the Director of Island Innovation, a communications agency focused on the need of island communities. He has a passion for sustainable development and renewable energy, particularly applications for rural and isolated communities. Last year he ran the inaugural Virtual Island Summit, which brought together 4,000 participants from Scotland to Samoa to share stories about their communities. James has always used technology to advance his mission, allowing him to live and work anywhere and manage a team spread over 4 continents. Island Innovation focuses on bringing together NGOs, the private sector, universities and government with projects covering topics including lithium extraction, climate change and public policy.
James Ellsmoor
Director, Island Innovation
Mark has been supporting community-focussed island-based energy programmes over two decades. Since joining Community Energy Scotland, he has overseen hundreds of energy developments in domestic, community and commercial settings – including generation, demand reduction, and smart storage/management; a significant proportion of them on his home islands of Rousay and Mainland in Orkney. Currently, as part of his role as Head of Innovation, he oversees CES and community partner involvement in a portfolio of ground-breaking community smart-energy projects pushing the boundary of how communities own and interact with their local energy systems. These include: Scottish Government funded LECF Surf 'n' Turf, ACCESS, OHLEH and Heat Smart Orkney projects, two EU Horizon 2020 projects –SMILE and BIG HIT, an Innovate UK project looking to transfer our learning and experience from our Scottish Community activities to other areas, such as Sub-Saharan Africa, and, most recently, ReFLEX; a new £28M UKRI funded local storage and flexibility project encompassing all of Orkney, and TraDER; a way our (island) communities can benefit from trading flexible generation and demand live across local grids.
Mark Hull
Head of Innovation, Community Energy Scotland
As well as my role as a director of OREF I am a final year PhD student with the University of the Highlands and Islands. My research looks at impact of Marine Renewable Energy in Orkney, focusing on the relationship between language, community, energy and environment.
Rebecca Ford
Director, Orkney Renewable Energy Forum (OREF)
Adrian Bird
Turbine Manager, Shapinsay Renewables Ltd and Director of Shapinsay Development Trust
Andrew Stennett
Managing Director, Eday Renewable Energy Ltd
I have been on the board of the Rousay, Egilsay and Wyre Development Trust since the beginning when the community came together to erect the turbine. The money generated from the turbine is used for a variety of projects in the three islands.
I have been a farm labourer, haulage contractor, fish farmer, builders labourer, shopfitter, double glazing salesperson, coastguard and at the moment I work on a listed building doing building maintenance, groundworks. I am also a retained firefighter.
Having done so much variety in my life it has been very helpful in my various roles on the board of the trust.
I have been a farm labourer, haulage contractor, fish farmer, builders labourer, shopfitter, double glazing salesperson, coastguard and at the moment I work on a listed building doing building maintenance, groundworks. I am also a retained firefighter.
Having done so much variety in my life it has been very helpful in my various roles on the board of the trust.
John Garson
Chairperson, Rousay Egilsay And Wyre Development Trust
Electrical engineer living on Hoy with over 10 years experience in the renewable energy industry in Orkney - working on a wide range of projects using new technologies ranging from EV charging systems and demand side management projects through to wind and solar based microgeneration with energy storage. Additionally, spent 11 years as a director of Hoy Energy Ltd and been responsible for the development and operation of the community owned 900kW grid connected wind turbine project, as well as more recently, the development of the Legacy Project which majors on domestic level renewable energy generation and storage across 100 homes on the island of Hoy targeting fuel poverty, energy cost reduction and domestic de-carbonisation on a community wide basis.
Brian Clegg
Technical Director, Hoy Energy Ltd
Manages the Samso part of the SMILE project
Jan Jantzen
Engineer, Samso Energy Academy
Laura French
Turbine Manager for REWIRED Ltd, and Director of Heat Smart Orkney Ltd
He is an Associate Professor at University of Magallanes (UMAG). After his undergraduate studies of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Magallanes (1994), he made his doctoral degree (Doctor of Engineering Sciences) at the Federal University of Santa Catarina, Brazil (2005). He has directed and participated in more than twenty research projects, has been member of research consultant committee at University of Magallanes and is currently in charge of the Center of Energy Resources. Likewise, he has directed a large number of graduate and postgraduate theses, has published papers in renowned scientific journals and has participated as consultant for the planning and updating of the Chilean energy policy. His main areas of interest are energy efficiency and renewable energy, with special interest in photovoltaic solar energy, sustainable fuels and green hydrogen.
Humberto Vidal
Associate Professor, University of Magallanes (UMAG)
Ebrahim Jadwet belongs to the exotic Andaman & Nicobar islands in the Indian Ocean. He hails from the Jadwet family which is one of the oldest and most respected business families of the islands that have played an important role in the development ofbthe islands. He is a social entrepreneur that focuses on bringing a change in the lives of the islanders. Mr. Jadwet is the Secretary of Nicobar Chamber of Commerce and Industries that works to develop a sustainable source of income for the Nicobarese tribe. He is a well-known influencer in the Andaman and Nicobar islands with great connections.
Ebrahim Jadwet
Secretary, Nicobar Chamber of Commerce and Industries
I have been involved with SHAPE for the past 12 years as a Board Director and for 8 of these years, as Chairperson. My professional background is in Education, of which I have 30 years experience as a teacher including 20 years as a senior manager in education. I was until last year, the island’s Inclusion Manager; managing special educational needs and disability across the island’s four schools and into adulthood. I am passionate about an inclusive society for all and my work at SHAPE allows this. SHAPE’s mission is to guide and support disabled and vulnerable people towards independence and self reliance. At SHAPE we take the view that a sustainable environment, both intrinsically and extrinsically is vital to future prosperity and I have been driving our training programmes towards this vision.
Lolly Young
SHAPE St. Helena’s Active Participation in Enterprise
Sponsored by:
It’s the oldest science festival anywhere outside Edinburgh, and in its 30th year welcomes the challenge of going online as an opportunity to reach out worldwide. Speakers have included Jane Goodall and Nobel laureates Peter Higgs, Brian Josephson and Sir Paul Nurse, and the Festival has a particular interest in cutting-edge ideas, and in the connections between science and history, music, and the arts generally. Astronomy and archaeology are also featured strongly. From the start it has highlighted Orkney’s energy potential, and the old island challenge of turning waste into resources. It is also involved in several innovative upcycling projects. It wants to share the skills of creating a science festival and will next year launch an online course for communities seeking to develop their own. It opens in the week before the Virtual Island Summit, with events over the seven days of 3-9 September. On the preceding weekend, 29-30 August, it features events from a new Foraging Fortnight in Scotland. After the session that it’s hosting on Wednesday 9 September, it warmly invites all Summit attenders to continue the discussion at its closing ceilidh, with traditional music too. Everything can be accessed through its website www.oisf.org, or email [email protected]
Since 2000, the Orkney Renewable Energy Forum (OREF) has been an integral part of the development of a diverse and successful renewable energy industry in Orkney. As a membership organisation, OREF is open to businesses and individuals with an involvement or interest in Orkney’s renewable energy sector.
OREF aims to address strategic issues affecting Orkney’s renewables sector through focused collaboration with members, the local community, key stakeholders, and Orkney’s world-leading academic and research organisations.
Community Energy Scotland is a registered charity that provides practical help for communities on green energy development and energy conservation.
Highlands and Islands Community Energy Company was formed in 2004 as a subsidiary of Highlands and Islands Enterprise. Building on the success of this, and in response to a growing sustainable development agenda in Scotland, the Highlands and Islands Community Energy Company evolved into an independent Scottish charity, Community Energy Scotland.
Community Energy Scotland was incorporated on 9th November 2007 as a Company Limited by Guarantee with no share capital (Company No. SC333698) and a registered Scottish Charity (No. SC039673). The organisation has spread from an initial base in the Highlands to cover the whole of Scotland, offering local development officers throughout the country.
