week ending 20 July 2007
Arnie Army
Forum for the Future has identified the key blockages preventing local authorities from seizing the opportunities the low carbon agenda can offer.
Public Finance 20th July 2007
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Salford
ECO-FRIENDLY? Tick. Brownfield land? Tick. Energy-efficient? Tick. The property developer Anthony Hirsch has ticked all the boxes in the Prime Minister’s latest plans to build three million new homes in Britain by 2020. But he can’t even put a spade in the ground because the land he wants to turn into homes has been earmarked for industrial use.
Times 20th July 2007
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Irish solar
A Bangor company employing 185 people has gone into administration. Thermomax, which makes solar heating systems, has run into financial problems and administrators are in talks with potential buyers.
BBC 19th July 2007
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4NI 19th July 2007
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Aberdeen wind
A Wind turbine is planned for a North-east primary school grounds. The five kilowatt turbine, which would be up to 49ft (15m), is proposed for a site beside Balmedie Primary School. And the application is part of Aberdeenshire Council's initiative to create a sustainable way of creating energy at North-east primary schools.
Aberdeen Evening Express 19th July 2007
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York Offices
The offices, currently applying for planning permission, will incorporate many sustainable features including solar power to heat the water and light the car park, wind turbines and ground source heat recovery pumps
York Press 19th July 2007
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Domestic micro-CHP
Ceres Power, an AIM-quoted fuel cell group, has announced that it has designed and built an integrated, wall-mountable combined heat and power unit (‘the CHP Unit’) which will form part of an up-coming demonstration at the Company’s headquarters. This is said to demonstrate the commercial potential of the product and also represents an important milestone in the Company’s residential CHP programme with British Gas.
Fuel Cell Today 19th July 2007
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Sedgefield
Sedgefield Borough Council is holding a series of events to help to form its Local Development Framework. It covers high level planning, where new developments should be and how we should provide renewable energy.
The Advertiser 19th July 2007
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Community Revival
A study funded by the Economic and Social Research Council of projects in Britain has found that so far, projects are largely based in the countryside, some quite remote. From wind turbines to shared heating systems, small-scale renewable energy doesn't just help in the fight against climate change. It can also bring people together, revitalise local economies and help alleviate poverty.
ESRC Press Release 19th July 2007
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Village power
Local people could profit from an eco-friendly scheme which would make a small market town carbon neutral. Mother-of-two and part-time teacher Hannah Blowers wants her community to do its bit to curb global warming by building three wind turbines in Beccles. She is determined to realise her ambitious plans for the community turbines, which would generate both money and electricity for the town, and has found a suitable site for her proposal.
East Anglian Daily Press 19th July 2007
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Isle-of-Wight
IT WILL be easier for households to generate their own green power in future.
Homeowners will be able to install domestic microgeneration equipment, such
as wind turbines, without having to go through the formal planning process.
The Department for Communities and Local Government has published the proposed
changes, which are subject to a consultation paper.
And the IW Council said this week it is also to investigate how it can compel
developers to incorporate low-energy design and technology in new builds.
Isle of Wight County Press 18th July 2007
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Future homes
Research, undertaken in conjunction with think tank the Centre for Future Studies, highlights how new homes will have to be built in response to lifestyle and environmental demands, with as much as the equivalent of one-third of the UK's total housing stock being built between now and 2050 as a result.
Money Extra 18th July 2007
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Skills 1
The Renewable Energy Skills project (RES) is an independent organisation which uses government funding to teach trades people how to install microrenewables in an effort to promote clean energy in Ireland.
Edie 18th July 2007
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Solar glass
Romag is planning to increase its capacity to make photovoltaic architectural glass by more than 100 per cent next year. The Durham-based company is to raise £7.7m through a placing at 170p a share to build two more production lines that are both expected to be running by the end of next summer
Ft 18th July 2007
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Gateshead
AN ambitious 20-year plan to put Gateshead on the global map – and make it a city – has been announced. Gateshead Council’s Vision 2030 report was published yesterday, outlining plans to transform the town’s environmental record and the health of its inhabitants. The council also wants to ensure the town uses 30% renewable energy by 2030. A year-long consultation on the Vision document was launched yesterday.
Newcastle Journal 18th July 2007
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Planning
Planning policy now requires developers to provide 10% of energy from a renewable source. This policy has already been implemented in many planning authorities and proof of renewable energy sources in development schemes is being requested more often. Compliance with the policy is usually required as a condition of planning consent. Until this consent is signed off, a development will not be legal. There are several documents that can be used to work out energy consumption to ensure the 10% target is met. These include the Energy Use Benchmark and guides that have been produced by the BRE (Building Research Establishment) for the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).
Newcastle Journal 18th July 2007
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Skills 2
The growth in demand for renewable technology has lead to concerns in the industry that contractors do not have the required skills for their installation. At a joint meeting of the all-party parliamentary group for the roofing industry and the all-party parliamentary group for intelligent energy, the National Federation of Roofing Contractors (NFRC) expressed its unease at unqualified personnel fixing photovoltaic panels. David Sowden, chief executive of the Micropower Council, agreed that there is an extra skill set to be learnt. "We're starting to see progress on the government's renewable energy strategy, but installers need credibility," he said.
Contract Journal 18th July 2007
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Co-op Bank
The Co-op has installed solar panels at the top of its headquarters, the CIS Tower in central Manchester, to meet a proportion of the energy needs for the building, and it has plans to install panels in 100 schools around the country.
Guardian 18th July 2007
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Farm energy
NFU Scotland’s energy event gave local farmers a good deal to think about as they considered on-farm energy production with experts from the field.
NFU Scotland 18th July 2007
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Windsave
David Gordon's success is based on a repeated combination of quirky ideas and canny observation of social and housing problems in his hometown of Glasgow. The serial entrepreneur created his first product at theage of 19 - the first in a string of products and businesses started by the 61-year-old Glaswegian. His latest venture is as chief executive of Windsave, a company he founded to develop wind turbines that can help householders reduce their electricity bills.
FT 18th July 2007
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Eco-Airport?
NEWCASTLE Airport is set to become one of the greenest in Europe, under ambitious plans unveiled today. The airport plans to become carbon neutral and to pump funds into local schemes to reduce the carbon footprint of the whole region. An offsetting fund will be created, with schemes to improve the energy efficiency of homes in deprived areas of Tyneside and supply them with renewable forms of energy and biodiversity projects for local habitats among the projects likely to benefit from the cash.
Newcastle Evening Chronicle 17th July 2007
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High Peak
High Peak Borough Council is at the forefront of a campaign to help councils across the country to improve their sustainable energy performance, and meet the increasing need for action against climate change at a local government level. High Peak Borough Council, a Beacon council for sustainable energy since 2005, has pooled its experience with 6 other Beacon local authorities for sustainable energy, the Improvement and Development Agency (IDeA), the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) and the Department of Transport and Industry (DTI), to develop a toolkit and benchmark.
e-gov monitor 17th July 2007
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Eco-fashion
Zara owner Inditex , Europe's biggest clothing retailer, unveiled on Tuesday plans to make its shops and factories more environmentally friendly. Inditex plans to reduce energy consumption at more than 3,200 stores in 65 countries by 20 percent through more-efficient lighting and heating systems. The fast-to-market Spanish fashion company will cut carbon dioxide emissions from warehouses and transport by 20 percent with the use of biodiesel, zero-emission vehicles and new power generation plants
Interactive Investor 17th July 2007
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Eco-houses
Award-winning housebuilder Charles Church will demonstrate how a traditionally designed home can incorporate renewable energy solutions. Each property will feature solar panels that are designed to supply up to 70% of free hot water throughout the year. In the summer months it is estimated that at least 95% of all hot water is free, enabling the boiler to be switched off, resulting in less contamination of the atmosphere from the emission of flue gases.
Easier Property 17th July 2007
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Highland Heat Pumps
The Highland Council has installed eight ground source heat pumps in eight of its properties as part of pilot project to evaluate the suitability of renewable energy technologies in tackling fuel poverty. The pilot, which is being managed by the Energy Saving Trust on behalf of the Scottish Executive, is being run across Scotland and will eventually involve participation by local authorities, housing associations and private householders
Highland Council Press Release 17th July 2007
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Manchester
Energy efficiency goes far beyond dual flush toilets as Seddon Homes have demonstrated with their Heywood Gardens development in Prestwich. The development has pulled out all the stops to create energy efficient properties and has the full backing from environmental enthusiast Michaela Strachan who launched the eco-friendly community last Thursday.
Manchester Confidential 17th July 2007
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Stockton-on-Tees
Unitarian Church, Stockton. When demolishing the old church the majority of internal materials including fireplaces, doors, pews, staircase, floorboards and furniture where recycled and are being re-used in the new building. This group has replaced a very large and thermally inefficient Victorian Church with a state of the art energy efficient building. They have many facilities for the community to use and it is a showplace for renewable energy it includes solar roof tiles, low energy light bulbs, water saving percussion taps, dual flush water saving toilets and the floors walls and ceilings are insulated and they have the provision for a wind turbine subject to planning permission - all contributing to a big reduction in their overall carbon footprint.
Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council 17th July 2007
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Green Net
Property developer Ask:Goodman is joining a partnership with Internet hosting specialist UKFast.Net and Manchester City Council to build an Internet exchange and hosting facility using the latest techniques to minimize carbon emissions. The purpose-built facility will be sited in Central Park, East Manchester and aims to be operational in the second half of 2008.
Net4Now 17th July 2007
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Ethics
Letter from Prof Fenton Robb. The Scottish Executive is trying to promote various forms of domestic renewable energy: direct solar heating, photovoltaic electricity generation, heat pumps and so on. So far as I can ascertain, none of these can show anything like a reasonable return on investment and the question arises as to whether or not the Executive is acting ethically in this matter; especially when offering taxpayers' cash to subsidise uneconomic investments.
Scotsman 17th July 2007
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North east toolkit
A toolkit that will enable planners, developers and home builders to use renewable energy in new buildings has been launched by the region’s planning body. In the draft Regional Spatial Strategy for North East England, the North East Assembly (NEA) has set targets for 10 per cent renewable energy to be used in new developments. And to help planners and developers to meet these targets the NEA has also launched the ‘micro-renewables’ toolkit, which will help users to assess which forms of renewable energy will be the most cost-effective and have the biggest impact on carbon emissions in a particular development.
North East Assembly 16th July 2007
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Sunny north east
Residential energy efficiency provider eaga plc has formed a partnership with regional development agency One NorthEast, renewable energy centre of excellence NaREC, and the Centre for Design Research at Northumbria University to bring solar power to schools. Under the pioneering scheme Newcastle-based eaga will install solar thermal demonstration kits in every secondary school in the North-East.
One North East 16th July 2007
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Plymouth
Coombe Dean School in Plymstock is preparing to apply for planning permission for a 25-metre- high wind turbine. According to headmaster Pattrick Frean, it will be unique in a city school, teach the children about alternative sources of energy - and save money.
Plymouth Herald 16th July 2007
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Wind and Fire
The London Fire Brigade has chosen Leicester company Galliford Try to install
micro wind turbines at its stations. The energy generating kit is being installed
at four sites initially, with the
hope that more will follow.
Leicester Mercury 13th July 2007
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Gloucestershire Heat Pump
A MULTI-MILLION pound rebuild of a school in Yate is getting close to completion much to the excitement of staff and pupils. Wellesley Primary School is to be the first school in South Gloucestershire to use a Ground Source Heat Pump (GSHP) to heat the school.
South Gloucestershire Gazette 13th July 2007
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Sunny Brum
A pioneering eco-energy scheme, which could shape the future of housebuilding across the country, will be piloted at a Birmingham housing development. Waterloo Housing Association has received £156,900 to provide cutting-edge 'sun spaces' on homes being built at its Brandwood End site in Kings Heath. This comes after a study of the energy efficiency of new homes across the region.
Midlands Housing Press Release 13th July 2007
24 Dash 17th July 2007
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