Lambay

Lambay is the largest island off the east coast of Ireland and lies just 20 km from the centre of Dublin and five km off the coast of Rush, North County Dublin. It is a Natural 2000 site and part of a Special Area of Conservation. 

The island is entirely off-grid and has been partly renewably powered since the 1970s. The island availed of an EU ERDF LEADER grant in 2023 to increase storage, wind and solar PV capacity and also convert to a three-phase system.  The current aim is to optimise the renewable generation through an intelligent grid system with heat pumps. Future feasibility studies include possible seasonal storage in hydrogen, and also, in development is a micro-distillery on the island, so renewable energy options for that are in the medium term. It would be good to hear of other islands using smart controls to optimise renewables, seasonal storage options and electric boats.