Background

When the original cameras were installed on the Bass rock, the power system that was installed was a pair of diesel generators and a large battery bank. Unfortunately this proved to be very expensive to run and maintain, and it would frequently breakdown requiring and engineer to be called out.

The Scottish Seabird Centre wanted to address the failings of the diesel generation system by replacing it with a Photo-voltaic (solar) power system instead.  Peter Barlow of Outersight was appointed as Project Manager to drive the project from tender process to switch on.

How it was done

First we decided what criteria the ideal system would meet. This included year round operation with minimal, if any need to use diesel back up generators, self cleaning panels to deal with the guano from the thousands of gannets flying overhead, and robustness to cope with the harsh weather conditions.

On reviewing the tender submissions, the main contractor was appointed and the we started to plan how to get the engineers and equipment out to the Bass Rock. 

The installation date was to be in November 2002 as that was when all the equipment would arrive, so we had to figure out the best way to get the equipment out to the island. Landing by boat on the Bass is the usual means of getting onto the island but the landing can be quite hazardous in certain sea states, and we had a lot of equipment to move including a ton and a half of gravel ballast. The equipment would then have to be carried, by hand, up to the lighthouse building 50 metres above the landing stage. Taking all this into account we decided that the best and safest way to get everything to the right location was by helicopter.

The Saturday before the DULAS  solar engineers arrived on site, Peter and his team made their way to the Museum of Flight at East Fortune Airfield to await the helicopter. The weather was dreadful with gale force easterly winds brewing up and driving rain. Initially the visibility was too bad for the PDG helicopter to leave its base at Cumbernauld, but eventually it managed to make it to pick us up. All the equipment was palleted and wrapped securely and then placed into cargo nets for the 10 minute journey across to the Bass Rock.

When we got out to the island the wind speed was gusting to Force 7 and the waves were breaking almost over the helicopter landing pad. The wind around the lighthouse was very difficult for the helicopter pilot to hover in while the loads were unhooked, because of the eddy currents that the lighthouse caused and the proximity of the rotor blades to the cliff face. After a long, cold, wet and windy day we managed to get everything landed and secured ready for the installation.

The installation week went like clockwork and we even had some good weather. By the Thursday night the system was up and running and fully commissioned. The Outersight team then set about tidying up the work area for an inspection by Tom Brock, Chief Executive of the Scottish Seabird Centre.

The system has been in operation now for a year, and the savings on fuel and maintenance have been huge. The project came in under budget and on schedule, and all the key requirements have been met or exceeded..