Lead Partner: Highlands and Islands Community Enterprise Company (HICEC)
Description
Summary
This project saw the installation of a 600kW biomass district heating system to provide heat to 90 homes in Oban built and owned by the West Highland Housing Association (WHHA). The WHHA is a registered charity and as a registered social landlord is committed to providing homes to disadvantaged members of society while giving serious consideration to environmental issues. The Glenshellach Biomass project is the most significant of its kind, to date in the UK.
The system will initially heat 44 homes and includes all associated pipe work and metering. A further 46 houses are planned and these will also be heated by the biomass system. Funding is required to assist with the costs of the boilers, pipe work and metering.
Benefits
• Providing comfortable modern homes that are affordable to run
• Wood fuel is carbon neutral and displaces gas use in the area. Oban is one of the few remote gas networks in the UK and as such, requires all gas to be brought in by road. By reducing the volume of long haul gas delivery and switching to a locally sourced renewable fuel, further carbon emissions will be saved
• Other features in the design include passive solar gain, high levels of insulation, south-facing orientation and heat-recovery ventilation systems, all helping to reduce energy costs
• Glenshellach, the first project of its kind in North Argyll, will be instrumental in the capacity building element of a wood fuel network and an affordable energy supply will be secured for the future. At the same time it will assist the further development of biomass scheme and woodchip supply across the region, thus supporting a new local industry while assisting in the reduction of fossil fuels
• There would be considerable research benefits in being able to monitor energy use by individual households.
Cost
The total project cost £530,566, additional funding provided by Communities Scotland, Fresh Futures, Scottish Clean Energy Demonstration Scheme and WHHA.
Contact Details
Paul Phare, HICEC Development Officer (Argyll & The Islands) Kilbowie House, Gallnach Road, Oban,Argyll PA34 4PF Tel: 01631 562125Email: paul@alienergy.org.ukWebsite: http://www.hie.co.uk/HICEC