To start the new year off, we here at PosiGen are going to be featuring a different piece about solar each week. It could be a person, location, or event.
The Isle of Eigg sits off the coast of Skye in the highlands of Scotland. It is a part of the Small Isles – an archipelago consisting of Rhum, Eigg, Muck, and Canna. The islands are accessible only by ferry which travels from Mallaig, on the mainland, to the various islands and back again in a weekly continuous loop.
Eigg was one of many locations in Scotland that fell victim to the Highland Clearances – an event wherein the local population of the islands was evicted in order to rent the areas to sheep herders. They ended up scattered across the globe, from Australia to Canada and everywhere in between. Today, the population of the island is minimal.
Due to their remoteness, for years Eigg depended upon diesel generators to provide electricity. These days, however, they have converted completely to renewable resources and residents use solar, wind, and water to power their lives – setting an groundbreaking example for how these alternative energy sources can be incorporated in our daily lives.
Read a fascinating BBC article detailing their accomplishment.
Also, check out this great mini-documentary from The Open University:
Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). “Small Isles“. Encyclopædia Britannica. 25 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. pp. 246–247.
Wikipedia Contributors. (1911). “Eigg“. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. 20 Dec. 2017. Web. 20 Dec. 2017.
