
We have a new member of staff in post. Gwen Barrell is our Powerdown Officer, responsible for reducing the carbon output of a peninsula that, despite enjoying the benefit of a clean, green hydro-electric scheme, still uses fossil fuels for heating, transport etc.
Look out for more information appearing on this page soon, and for a form which you will be able to contact Gwen through.
To find out more about the Powerdown project, click on the link below.
Knoydart Foundation Powerdown
Through Powerdown we currently have four main areas of activity:
Renewables
Through our trading subsidiary, Knoydart Renewables, we have refurbished the hydro-electric schemes to provide a reliable and green, supply of energy for the local community.
The Powerdown project will enable the Foundation and Renewables Company to work to develop a renewable energy supply to other parts of the Knoydart peninsula and with the Knoydart Forest Trust and others, work to reduce the community’s reliance on fossil fuels for space and water heating. We held a meeting with our off-grid householders in July and will be able to commission some feasibility studies and practical activity very shortly.
Food
Through Knoydart Foundation we have a land management plan which includes reducing deer numbers to impact on grazing pressure and we have an old market garden and land resource.
The Powerdown project will work to develop plans and action to retain venison on Knoydart and to develop the market garden to decrease food miles and look at other project ideas too. Our venison study is well underway and we are holding a training day for staff on venison issues in August. We are commissioning a new plan for Knoydart community garden in September and getting some winter veg in soon.
Transport
Through Knoydart Foundation and its subsidiary companies we currently own two workable vehicles. As a “landlocked†community with no road access, we are reliant on sea journeys to reach the mainland (or 16 miles walk through rough terrain!)
KF will work to develop plans to manage our use of company transport, pilot an electric vehicle as a demonstration project and work with the community and others to develop other strategies to reduce our reliance on fossil fuels in this area. Knoydart Children’s Transport Exhibition helped us to learn more about sustainable transport and we hope to have an electric vehicle demonstrated on –site this year plus some staff pushbikes.
Community Involvement and Carbon Footprint
Knoydart Foundation, Knoydart Renewables and Knoydart Forest Trust have already begun work on identifying and reducing C02 emissions.
Our whole programme is about carbon footprint reduction and community involvement. We also aim to start thinking about the carbon footprint of visitors and how we can sensibly work with visitors to reduce impacts.