Islay Energy Trust (IET) is calling for expressions of interest from groups or individuals who would like to receive funding towards the cost of a heating or cooling system which uses the earth’s natural energy to serve homes, community buildings or business premises.
The venture is part of the GeoAtlantic project, which sees a range of organisations from countries bordering the Atlantic working together to look at the potential for using geothermal energy and heat pumps as an alternative to traditional, less eficient systems.
Providing a practical, working example of how the technology can be used is key to the project, as Kirsten Gow, project development officer for Islay Energy Trust, explained. She said: ‘It’s great to have the technical expertise and support of our international partners but, with such a diverse range of landscapes and climates, it’s important that we’re able to make the findings as useful to communities on the west coast of Scotland as possible, and the best way to do that is to set up a demonstration project here. ‘To this end, we are looking for local projects which can act as a model for others who might be interested in using geothermal energy or heat pumps. In return, we can offer a range of support including a substantial contribution to the costs of designing and constructing the system and wider project support including help to identify additional funding if required.’