The Isle of Wight is to become a test-bed for smart grid technology through a new partnership that brings together some of the leading players in the market.
In a move designed to put the
Isle of Wight at the forefront of sustainable living, companies including
IBM,
Toshiba,
Cable&Wireless and UK fuel cell specialist
ITM Power, are joining forces in a
smart grid initiative to integrate the island’s future wind, tidal, geothermal and solar power.
"Joined up thinking in the energy sector is rare and EcoIsland is a world class project on our doorstep with exactly that," said ITM Power ceo, Graham Cooley.
Smart Grid technology allows the management of multiple
renewable generators running on a grid network through the monitoring and controlling of power flows. The UK's
first smart grid system was launched in Orkney in 2009.
Halve energy bills
The Isle of Wight project intends to cut the island’s 142,000 residents energy bills by 50 per cent by matching supply and demand using battery energy storage, hydrogen energy storage and demand side management.
These technologies will be coordinated centrally by smart grid equipment supplied by IBM, Cable&Wireless and Toshiba. Energy supplier SSE, also a partner, will facilitate grid connections.
ITM will supply hydrogen refueling equipment controlled by smart grid technology to optimise both renewable energy storage and the provision of fuel to both fuel cell vehicles and hydrogen internal combustion engine commercial vehicles.
Community interest project
The smart grid initiative will be led locally by new community interest company EcoIsland Partnership CIC.
"The Isle of Wight community needs to act quickly to avert the possibility of black-outs from increased demands on the UK's electricity generation capacity," David Green, chief executive of EcoIsland CIC, said. "We are looking to use the island’s natural resources to make it self-sufficient in terms of energy, food, water, fuel and waste – enabling the community to take its destiny back into its own hands."
Renewable energy resource
The Isle of Wight benefits from an abundant resource of wind, tidal and solar energy and aims to become a net exporter of energy by 2020. To this end, the Isle of Wight Council is aiming to develop a £1.1 billion commercial tidal energy facility off the south coast of the island. By the second half of this decade, the island will also benefit from a planned £2 billion offshore wind farm being developed eight miles south west of the island. Meanwhile, a £25 million project is already underway to install solar photovoltaic panels on 3,500 social houses and upwards of 500 air-source heat pumps.
Big Society
Green said the EcoIsland Partnership fitted with the Government’s Big Society project, launched by the Prime Minister David Cameron in July 2010.
Further details of the island’s plans to become fully sustainable will be announced on November 15 at the House of Commons.
Like this content? Please subscribe to our free weekly e-newsletter at the top of the page for more content like this.
Related content:
