Iconic Lewis music festival HebCelt will implement a forward-thinking new green initiative at this year’s festival, thanks to funding from EventScotland.
The festival’s latest eco innovations include the installation of a green energy system known as a micro power grid system, which consists of a suite of micro wind turbines and solar panels.
The state-of-the-art system will power critical operational infrastructure on site at the grounds on Lews Castle on Stornoway, including the site office, control room and finance office, and organisers anticipate it will have significant carbon savings for the event’s 2024 edition.
Taking place from 17th- 20th July 2024, HebCelt is set to welcome thousands of music lovers from around the world to the Outer Hebrides for its four-day celebration of exceptional music, Celtic and Gaelic culture and shared community spirit.
Also to be installed for this year’s eco-friendly festival is advanced monitoring equipment which will provide live insights about the event’s power usage. The HebCelt team will use a simple, data-led approach to measure and compare how much power is generated this year against power levels consumed in previous years, and as a result, very accurately calculate the amount of CO2 emissions saved.
The funding will also allow event organisers to install an electric vehicle (EV) charge point on site at the grounds of Lews Castle in Stornoway, introducing the option for electric vehicles for transportation to and from the site.
The support from EventScotland will also help HebCelt evaluate the feasibility of further future investment in EV infrastructure and assess the use of green renewable energy across the events industry as a whole.
These latest innovations follow a string of energy saving initiatives from the green festival, named one of Europe’s top 10 sustainable events, including the use of PlusZero green hydrogen generators to power part of the Islands Stage, and a number of recycling and waste-reducing initiatives.
HebCelt Festival Operations Coordinator Carol Ferguson said: “We are always exploring innovative solutions to harness and consume green energy at HebCelt and make our event as sustainable as possible. We want to be a big festival with a wee footprint and thanks to this support from EventScotland, we can continue to reduce our carbon footprint, while improving the festival’s sustainability.”
Paul Bush OBE, VisitScotland’s Director of Events said: “Events not only provide authentic experiences for both locals and visitors, but they can drive positive change on multiple fronts including the development of innovative solutions, setting ambitious goals and raising awareness of the importance of sustainability.
“EventScotland is proud to be supporting HebCelt continue their efforts in this area through our National Events Programme. The award-winning festival continues to strengthen Scotland’s position as a world-leading events destination and reinforces Scotland’s place as the perfect stage for events.”
Last year’s HebCelt saw record attendances of over 19,500 and brought a £3.2 million economic boost to the Isle of Lewis. HebCelt 2024 will take place 17 – 20 July and welcome names such as legendary alternative rock act James, Scottish legends Del Amitri, Irish icon Sharon Shannon, trad favourites Kinnaris Quintet, upcoming duo The Laurettes, and many many more.
Tickets for HebCelt 2024 are still available, for more information visit: www.hebceltfest.com
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