In 2024, Proterra Energy delivered a fully integrated energy system for Scaliscro Estate on the Isle of Lewis.
As part of the wider redevelopment of the estate in 2023/2024, new and refurbished properties were fitted with electrically powered heat pumps. The main estate also added a new office and larder. This increased electricity demand and meant that the local grid network required upgrading. Given the estate’s remote location, this came at a considerable cost.
Proterra Energy was already in the design phase of installing a micro-hydro scheme using existing infrastructure from an old hatchery. Using our off-grid expertise we designed a resilient off-grid system to give Scaliscro Lodge and the wider estate long-term energy independence while reducing costs and reliance on fossil fuels. The final system design combined solar generation, hydropower, battery storage and a backup diesel generator.
At the heart of the project is a full three-phase micro-grid, including 24 lithium-ion batteries for energy storage, to provide off-grid power year round. The system is able to balance incoming renewable power with the estate’s electrical demand, directing energy where it is needed and maintaining an uninterrupted supply.
