First published in Cleantech magazine, May 2012. Contributed by Cleantech Jersey.

The island of Jersey is fast becoming an important jurisdiction for the cleantech sector and, in order to harness the enthusiasm of a number of organisations across industry and government, Cleantech Jersey was established earlier this year.

The group brings together like-minded individuals who are passionate about this sector. Collectively the group members bring with them many years of experience working in or with cleantech businesses either directly or in an advisory, legal or accounting role. They believe that by working together, leveraging individuals’ experiences, knowledge and resources in a joined-up way, the Island can demonstrate its breadth and depth of capabilities, and its commitment to be recognised as a global centre of excellence.

First published in Cleantech magazine, May 2012. Compiled with the support of Guernsey Finance

by Rue Swabey

In terms of natural assets, the Bailiwick of Guernsey has some of the strongest tides and winds in Europe, making it an obvious site for tidal power and offshore wind farms.

Guernsey in the Channel Islands is embracing renewable energy in more ways than one. The Bailiwick of Guernsey, which is officially a British Crown Dependency, comprises the islands of Herm, Sark, Alderney and Guernsey. The latter, at 24 square miles, is the largest of the islands, and has a population of 61,000. Guernsey, which is connected to the European Electricity Grid through a submarine cable link, currently imports around 80% of its electricity from France and generates the remaining 20% from imported oil. The grid is modern and there are plans to increase capacity by adding a third cable link between Jersey and France over the next couple of years.

The Guernsey authorities have announced plans to develop macro marine renewable energy encompassing off shore wind, wave and tidal power. Large scale adoption of renewable energy would benefi t the island by improving energy security and lowering its carbon footprint. It may also allow for the export of surplus energy to France and the UK, thus diversifying the economy away from the finance and related sectors which currently represent around 65% of GDP.

First published in Cleantech Infocus: Offshore Renewable Energy in the Isle of Man, May 2012. Copyright Cleantech Investor Ltd

The constitutional status of the Isle of Man, which is located in the centre of the Irish Sea, remains anomalous: the island is a Crown dependency but is neither a member of the EU nor part of the United Kingdom.

What is not anomalous, though, is the determination of the Isle of Man Government to participate in the heavy energy investment upgrade that is forthcoming throughout the British Isles, including the Republic of Ireland – and which will involve the roll-out of extensive renewable energy generation capacity.

First published in Cleantech Infocus: Offshore Renewable Energy in the Isle of Man, May 2012. Copyright Cleantech Investor Ltd

Cleantech Investor has been getting to know the Isle of Man for several years. It was in 2009 that we first published a feature in Cleantech magazine about how the island hadbeen positioning itself in the cleantech sector. At that time, a key focus for the Isle of Man was electric vehicles and on a trip to the island in 2009 (my first visit back there since I spent a week at a Girl Guide camp in Ramsey as a child!), I was introduced to companies such as Bladon Jets. Since then Bladon Jets, which has developed an innovative micro jet engine, has become increasingly successful and its engine is now being deployed as a range extender in a Jaguar Land Rover vehicle.