Introduction

This project was undertaken by our group as a requirement for the award of MSc in Energy Systems and the Environment at the University of Strathclyde. The remit of the project was:

'To use Scottish islands as a showcase for sustainable technologies'

- from which we decided on two primary objectives that the project would consist of. These were:

1. To create a process through which the potential of any Scottish island to become a 'Green island' could be assessed.

2. To perform a theoretical case study on one island and determine its potential. This would include examining the engineering, environmental and social, and economic factors related to such a development.

These objectives were decided with the intention that the outcome would be of use to parties in Scotland considering what potential exists on their island for renewable energy. Traditionally, development in the energy sector has been led by utilities and governmental department. This project aims to show that local groups, such as enterprise agencies, can assess their community's potential for development and give them an initial analysis procedure to do so.

While the emphasis of this project has been on sustainable development issues related to Scotland, it is suggested that the findings of the project have use in a wider context. Island communities exist in many countries all over the world. Furthermore, 'island' communities, when considered from the perspective of energy matters, exist anywhere that people live remotely from a strong energy transmission and distribution system. Therefore, the information within this project is relevant to anybody wishing to determine the potential of their 'island' to become a Green Island, provided the required local information is available.