Another way of saving energy, is to harness energy where its free – like the sun. 

There are already five houses on Eigg which have solar panels, but as part of the Big Green Challenge we’re installing another three as part of a pilot programme.  These three panels have been installed on houses which previously heated all their water with either coal, wood or oil. 

Before the panels were installed, each house monitored the amount of fuel they used to heat their water.   The monitoring will continue after the panels were installed so that everyone can see how much CO2 and money the panels saved.   We hope this information will enable us to extend the solar hot water panel programme in the future; information on how they perform in our own back yard will help us make decisions about how economical and efficient they are.