Vital Energi's Brendan Clancy with The Princess Royal

Her Royal Highness, The Princess Royal has made a flying visit to Vital Energi's innovative biomass community heating installation on the Isle of Skye .

The 'Home Farm' residential scheme, owned and managed by Lochalsh and Skye Housing Association, is being constructed over five phases and when complete will consist of 169 brand new affordable homes. As part of the project Vital Energi has provided a complete turnkey renewable energy solution from detailed design, supply and installation of the energy centre including an impressive 500kW biomass woodchip boiler through to the pre insulated underground pipework and bespokely manufactured products such as hydraulic interface units and pre-payment meters. During her visit Princess Anne presented a set of keys to the resident of the 500^th home, which will be one of the 128 properties on the development to benefit from this energy efficient technology. Coincidently the occasion marks the landmark 25th anniversary of the housing association, who continue to deliver environmentally friendly and cost effective housing for the communities they serve.

Princess Anne has expressed a desire to visit the renewable energy project, the largest of its kind on the island. The design of the scheme incorporates locally produced wood chip as a carbon neutral fuel source providing reliable heating and hot water to these homes whilst helping to protect the environment too, providing CO2 savings of around 1174 tonnes per annum.

Vital Energi's Brendan Clancy and John Harley took the Princess on a guided tour inside the Energy Centre installation operated by Vital Energi.

Brendan Clancy comments: "Vital Energi have long championed the use of biomass and other such 'green' energy solutions and we are privileged that our work has received personal interest from such a high profile individual."