Keeping the lights on in Knoydart Scotland

Knoydart, situated between Loch Nevis and Loch Hourn on the west coast of Scotland, relies exclusively on locally-generated power as it’s not connected to the National Grid.

Programme

In recent years, the community has faced repeated instances of power outages, particularly in periods of high demand, like the holiday season around Christmas and New Year. All that has changed with the upgrading of the local hydro-power generation system and the design and installation of our Z-Lynk demand management technology.

The Z-Lynk system monitors mains frequency and power demand continuously across the Knoydart network. When the hydro system comes close to its maximum threshold, Z-Lynk sends command signals via a low power transmitter to receivers installed on domestic storage heaters. It instigates progressive and automatic load-switching to keep the supply balanced. The system also monitors the cumulative amount of time each load is shed, ensuring that switching is evened out across several loads of equal priority so that no single home is discriminated against.

Outcome

Knoydart now has a demand management system in place, along with greater generation capacity, to ensure that the lights stay on even during popular tourist periods. It’s also supporting the community’s growth plans for the future.