RIPEET

An international research project putting local people in the Outer Hebrides at the heart of delivering a low carbon future for their communities. 

What is it?

The Responsible Research and Innovation Policy Experimentations for Energy Transition (RIPEET) is looking at the impacts of bringing together communities, businesses, academia, government, and the environmental sector to develop tools and methods for energy transition that are easy to access, inclusive and deeply rooted in the needs of the region.

The project is being funded from the EU’s largest ever Research and Innovation programme, the €80bn Horizon 2020. As well as the Highlands and Islands, RIPEET is working with project partners from across Europe and communities in Extremadura in Spain, and Ostrobothnia in Finland. The Scottish project partners are HIE and Community Energy Scotland (CES).

Who's involved?

We've created a 'Transition Lab' of stakeholders from across the Outer Hebrides to explore what ideal regional energy systems would look like locally in 2040. The Outer Hebrides Lab will be able to actively shape and create change. RIPEET includes €50,000 funding for an ‘open call’ for solutions to meet an identified regional energy need. 

Representatives from the following organisations are involved with the Lab:

• GreenspaceLive
• Tighean Innse Gall
• UHI – Lews Castle College
• Comhairle nan Eilean Siar
• Point and Sandwick Trust
• Horshader Development Trust
• Barra and Vatersay Community Ltd
• Community Land Outer Hebrides
• Galson Estate Trust
• NatureScot
• SSEN

What’s happened so far?

The first meetings of the Outer Hebrides “Transition Lab” were held virtually in June and September 2021. Two focus sessions in late 2021 looked at the Outer Hebrides electricity grid and decarbonising marine transport. 2022 saw the Lab working together to identify the most important regional energy needs through a series of workshops.

The Lab first identified an Energy Vision for the Outer Hebrides, the Vision describes the ideal energy system of the Outer Hebrides in 2040. The Lab then worked together to understand what steps are needed to reach that vision as well as choosing the most important energy need that the region should address to kick start energy transition in the Outer Hebrides. The Lab identified that the most important energy need is to: explore solutions to reduce household energy costs by better utilising locally generated energy. 

Contact

Get in touch if you would like to get involved or know more about RIPEET, contact sarah.marshall@hient.co.uk