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Island solar project will help tackle fuel poverty
A North Ayrshire Council partnership project has seen more than 30 homes on Great Cumbrae being fitted with solar panels and battery storage systems.
The Millport Solar PV and Battery Project is a community-led, phased programme with three aims:
● reducing Scope 2 carbon emissions – resulting from grid supplied electricity
● tackling fuel poverty and
● building local energy resilience.
It is part of the Carbon Neutral Islands (CNI) Project, which is a Scottish Government programme for government commitment, supporting six islands with the aim to demonstrate the climate-resilience and low carbon potential of islands.
The latest phase alone is expected to mitigate approximately 24 tonnes of CO₂ emissions in its first year, contributing to the island’s decarbonisation goals as well as financial savings of over £20,000.
This has been a highly successful partnership, managed by the Council’s Energy and Sustainability team, locally led by Carbon Neutral Cumbrae and supported by Scottish Government Island’s Programme funding.
Installation works have been carried out by energy services company Union Technical, who completed 31 installations during the latest phase.
Councillors Alan Hill and Eleanor Collier visited Millport on 27 May to celebrate the progression of energy resilience on the island and see first-hand the impact of the latest phase of the island’s flagship energy retrofit programme.
Quote: There are many benefits to Millport Solar PV and Battery Project. It will produce clean energy, help islanders to cut their energy bills and drive the local effort to cut residents’ carbon footprint.
Quote from: Councillor Eleanor Collier, Cabinet Member for Green Environment and Economy
The systems installed are equipped with an emergency back-up power supply, providing continued access to essential electricity during outages.
This ensures residents can maintain lighting, use small appliances and charge mobile devices when the main power supply is unavailable.
Quote: I am delighted that we have been working in partnership with CNI on this project and I would like to congratulate everyone involved for their ongoing work.
Quote from: Councillor Alan Hill, Cabinet Member for Communities, Housing and Islands
As a community benefit, Union Technical has gifted a defibrillator to Millport Community Fire Station that will serve more than 300 households.
Defibrillators were originally installed on the island following the passing of Colin McCuaig – known as Coldo – when his partner Jane Flemming and friend and local firefighter Stewart Cape spearheaded a fundraising campaign in his memory.
Scott Watson, Carbon Neutral Cumbrae’s Community Development Officer, has worked closely with residents and Union Technical ensuring positive outcomes and satisfaction within the local community.
He said: “We are delighted to have been working with the Council and Union Technical on the latest phase of this partnership project.
“Their contribution of a defibrillator, which replaced the dated public unit at Millport Community Fire Station, alongside the care and time taken to work with local residents and their engagement with the wider community, will have a lasting and positive impact on Cumbrae well beyond these installations."
Since the CNI project started locally in January 2023, Cumbrae has seen a 632 per cent increase in the total generating capacity from rooftop Solar PV, saving over £100k annually in combined energy bills and mitigating an estimated 123 tonnes of CO₂ emissions annually.
This is helping the community to be well on its way towards the local target of 1 megawatt of rooftop Solar PV by 2030.
The project has attracted local and national recognition, previously winning Small Project of the Year at the 2024 Scottish Energy Efficiency Awards and Best Community Project at the 2025 Scottish Green Energy Awards.
It was also shortlisted in the Top 5 in the UK at the 2026 Ashden Awards for Local Energy Innovation and named as a Top 3 Finalist in the North Ayrshire Environmental Community Champion Awards 2026.
Chris Cogan, Construction Director at Union Technical said: “Projects like Millport show what can be achieved when we focus on improving existing housing stock in a meaningful, practical way.
“By installing high-quality solar and battery systems, we’re not just reducing emissions, we’re helping to bring down energy bills and improve the comfort and efficiency of people’s homes.”
Please note: The Carbon Neutral Islands (CNI) project is a Scottish Government programme for government commitment. It supports six islands (Great Cumbrae, Barra, Hoy, Islay, Raasay, and Yell) to become carbon neutral by 2040 with the aim to demonstrate the climate-resilience and low carbon potential of islands. Underpinned by three key drivers: alignment, justice and inclusion and sharing. Project delivery on Cumbrae began in January 2023 when Cumbrae Community Development Company, acting as the local anchor organisation, appointed Scott Watson as the CNI Community Development Officer for the island. You can see the Cumbrae Community Climate Action Plan below in a PDF document https://drive.google.com/file/d/18bpQpWuQSV7J7KlRWep4uVWwnTzmPq1-/edit
Published: 01 June 2026
© 2026 North Ayrshire Council, Cunninghame House, Friars Croft, Irvine KA12 8EE

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