A remote hunting lodge on a volcanic outcrop off Iceland's south coast, dubbed the 'Loneliest House in the World' on social media, has been fitted with its first solar-charged battery power, reducing its reliance on propane and petrol generators.

The island of Elliðaey, part of the Westman Islands (Vestmannaeyjar) archipelago, is one of Iceland's most remote outposts. At around 110 acres - roughly the size of Vatican City - the island is home to a single hunting lodge built in 1953 and is only reachable by boat in calm weather, mainly during summer months. 

The Westman Islands are among the world's largest nesting grounds for Atlantic puffins, and Elliðaey alone is estimated to host tens of thousands of breeding pairs.

Members of the Elliðaey island association, which owns the property, voted to install a 5kWh EcoFlow TITAN home battery system, paired with twin solar panels, moving away from fuel and propane canisters that had to be winched up the cliffs from boats.

The house is the sole property on the island - located five miles south of Iceland's mainland - which has a human population of zero.

Indeed there are only 4,000 people living in the entire Vestmannaeyjar archipelago, which consists of 18 islands.

The sole dwelling was built by the Elliðaey Hunting Association in the 1950s as a space for visiting hunters, namely targeting puffins. It remains legal to hunt the birds in both Iceland and the Faroe Islands, between July 1 and August 15 each year. However, puffin populations on the island are also monitored by researchers.

Renewable power

Chairman Ragnar Thor Johannsson, a former trawlerman, led the effort to bring renewable power to the island.

"To run this house for the last 60 or 70 years, we had to rely on fuel and propane. And it's extremely hard to get it here. And it's not good for the environment," Johannsson said. 

He coordinated delivery of the battery system using the island's winch system to hoist the equipment up the rocky cliffs from a moving boat. 

"In a location like this, it's so difficult to keep it powered and run the home during the season they need it for. So the battery and the solar makes a huge amount of sense for them," said UK-based off-grid installation specialist Simon Smith of SA Energy, who travelled to the island to fit the system, describing it as among the most extreme locations he has worked in.

"The system is being tested in the most extreme environment we can put it in.  There is no backup here. It either works or it doesn't. And the system clearly works," he said.

Once operational, the battery system powered a stove, kettle, lighting and communications equipment; the latter considered essential for summoning help in emergencies. A fridge-freezer is also being brought to the island, which they say will reduce the frequency and cost of supply trips by keeping food fresh for longer.

The installation reflects a wider trend, with higher fuel and energy prices this year helping drive record demand for home battery systems in some countries, as households look to cut their reliance on fossil fuels.