Sparking the transition to low carbon energy in the Outer Hebrides and beyond

What would ideal energy systems look like in the Outer Hebrides in the next 15-20 years – and how can we get there? That’s the question at the heart of a new Europewide project, and HIE is helping provide the answers.

The Outer Hebrides has been chosen to represent the Highlands and Islands in an exciting new three-year project to identify a vision and support the transition to low carbon energy. The Responsible Research and Innovation Policy Experimentations for Energy Transition (RIPEET) is bringing together communities, business, academia, government and the environmental sector to explore how to accelerate sustainable energy innovations and solutions.

Three pilot regions have been chosen – the Outer Hebrides, Ostrobothnia in Finland and Extremadura in Spain. HIE and Community Energy Scotland are working together to deliver the Scottish part of the project, which kicked off in summer 2021 with the creation of a Transition Lab of stakeholders from across the Outer Hebrides.

The Transition Lab is exploring what regional energy systems could look like in the future, setting out a vision, and shaping and creating change. Throughout the project, research will be carried out to understand what common policies, drivers and processes are needed to promote the transition.

RIPEET includes €50,000 funding for an open call for solutions to meet an identified pressing regional energy need. This could be anything from a social or technological innovation to the creation of a new organisation or piece of research.

“We’re looking to develop a methodology for energy transition and innovation which is really inclusive, accessible and rooted in the needs of the local area,” explains Sarah Marshall, RIPEET senior project manager at HIE.

“It’s about putting local people at the heart of sparking change, identifying the steps that will help us transition to low carbon, and setting out the priorities.”

SYNERGIES AND SHARED AIMS

RIPEET is now one of many small and large projects, organisations and individuals working to combat climate change in all kinds of innovative and creative ways. Linking with similar projects, sharing connections, research and learnings, and benefiting from the groundwork laid, has already proven invaluable.

Rona Mackay, head of operations and governance at Community Energy Scotland, is involved with many of the projects in the region and is eager to take advantage of these synergies.

“We’re currently working on the Uist Local Energy Plan (ULEP), along with a steering group from the local community and, of course, it makes absolute sense to work up this plan at the same time as RIPEET,” Rona explains.

“RIPEET is on a different scale – it’s much heavier on the research side, and more academic. The ULEP can piggy-back on this research and knowledge, and vice-versa, with projects coming out of the ULEP that could potentially come under the umbrella of RIPEET.”

Likewise, the Islands Centre for Net Zero, which is funded by the Scottish Islands Growth Deal, is a research and technical facilitator to help Orkney, Shetland and the Outer Hebrides achieve net zero carbon energy by 2030. Again there is shared focus and overlap with RIPEET, which Rona is keen to capitalise on.

MUTUAL LEARNINGS TO STIMULATE INNOVATION

The location for RIPEET’s Finnish pilot, Ostrobothnia, is home to a vibrant energy cluster. EnergyVaasa is the largest energy technology hub in the Nordic countries, and the city of Vaasa is known as the energy capital of the Nordics. Many energy researchers, companies and developers are located in the region, and there is excellent potential for renewable energy resources, including wind power, smart grids, biofuels and geothermal energy.

The Ostrobothnian RIPEET partners – the University of Vaasa, Technology Centre Merinova and the Regional Council of Ostrobothnia – are making the most of being based in the thick of Finland’s energy revolution, enabling them to connect with key stakeholders and link with current strategic work and projects already underway.

“The council is currently updating the regional strategy and work has already started, with certain priorities already defined,” says senior researcher Mona Enell-Nilsson from the University of Vaasa. “It’s necessary and sensible to link RIPEET with this type of strategy work so we are sharing knowledge and moving forward together.

“We see a huge potential in mutual learning from the other pilots as we progress through the project. It’s always valuable to make new connections and a fresh international network of people and organisations who we haven’t co-operated with in the past. It’s not just about the tech solutions, it’s about getting different stakeholders on board and working in a more collaborative way.”

As the project gathers pace over the coming months, RIPEET should stimulate developments and innovations that will have a positive impact for years to come.

As Sarah Marshall concludes, “We’re hoping that there will be loads of great collaborative learning which can be applied across the HIE area and beyond to help make the transition to net zero much more accessible across Scotland and further afield.”

OUTER HEBRIDES OSTROBOTHNIA

EXTREMADURA

THE RIPEET PROJECT

RIPEET is being funded from the EU’s largest ever research and innovation programme, the €80bn Horizon 2020, with 11 European partners. As well as the Highlands and Islands, RIPEET is working with project partners from across Europe, with further pilot projects taking place in Extremadura in Spain and Ostrobothnia in Finland.

The first meeting of the Outer Hebrides RIPEET Transition Lab was held virtually in June 2021 with the aim of introducing the project. Representatives took part from GreenspaceLive, Tighean Innse Gall, UHI – Lews Castle College, Comhairle nan Eilean Siar, Horshader Development Trust, Barra and Vatersay Community Ltd, Community Land Outer Hebrides, the Galson Estate Trust and SSEN. This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under H2020-SwafS-2018-2020 / H2020SwafS-2020-1 | Grant Agreement No. 101006295.