The Scottish island of Rum’s hydro power scheme has successfully integrated renewable energy into the island’s system, utilising Econnect’s load-control systems. As a result, blackouts have reduced and the island no longer has to rely on diesel power, saving money and reducing carbon dioxide emissions.
The Rum hydroelectric scheme is a small hydro-diesel system which serves a community of 30 permanent residents on the Rum National Nature Reserve. The system needed a stable and reliable supply of electricity to deal with variations in input energy and demand.
Econnect’s controllers were install- ed in December 1999 to control consumer loads and enabled increased levels of hydroelectricity into the system, reducing the amount of running time for diesel.