News Archive

week ending 14 September 2007

 

Tory Policy Review

Families would be forced to turn their houses green before being given permission to carry out loft conversions or conservatory extensions under plans published by the Tories yesterday. Householders would have to follow in the footsteps of David Cameron by fitting energy-saving light bulbs, solar panels and possibly even a wind turbine on the roof if they wanted to make home improvements.

Daily Mail 14th Sept 2007
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The quality of life group has proposed cutting stamp duty for greener homes and reducing VAT on house repairs and refurbishment. They also want people who are increasing their carbon footprint by building extensions to have to make efficiency improvements to the existing structure. The group also said that the UK government should lobby the EU for a date beyond which appliances that remain on standby or do not meet "a defined standard" could no longer be sold. The group has also called for lower council tax for green homes.

Guardian 13th Sept 2007
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Scottish Microgeneration Bill

THE Scottish Government has said it will oppose a city MSP's Bill which would offer council tax discounts to people who install windmills and solar panels on their homes. Edinburgh Central Labour MSP Sarah Boyack said she was disappointed at the snub to her member's Bill which would extend the same cash deal to energy-saving measures - such as roof insulation - and reward green moves by businesses with a cut in their tax bills.

Edinburgh Evening News 13th Sept 2007
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Bolton

MORE affordable housing, and use of renewable energy are among the aims of a new Bolton Council blueprint. "The Bolton Plan", dubbed the authority's 'to do list', sets out its priorities from 2007 to 2010. The green agenda sees a target of using 350KW in renewable energy such as wind turbines and solar panels to power council buildings by March 2009, rising to 800KW by 2010.

Bolton News 13th Sept 2007
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Cambridge Eco-town

ANGRY housing chiefs have fired a broadside at the Government about Northstowe, the new township planned for the edge of Cambridge. They fear ministers are back-tracking on pledges to make the development one of Britain's first "eco-towns" - settlements specially designed to be energy-efficient and kinder to the environment.

Cambridge Evening News 13th Sept 2007
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Liverpool

THE CHARITY behind Liverpool’s first completely environmentally friendly building is to fight to save the project as plans for a 40ft wind turbine to power it appear doomed. Kind, a charity for disadvantaged youngsters, wants to build the turbine next to its new £750,000 carbon-neutral base
Liverpool Echo 13th Sept 2007
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Calderdale Hydro Power

CLIMATE change is one of the biggest problems facing the world – but Calderdale's mills had the answer 200 years ago. Staff and volunteers at the Alternative Technology Centre, Hebden Bridge, have researched the history of water power in the area and hope their findings will help Calderdale blaze a trail in renewable energy.

Halifax Evening Courier 13th Sept 2007
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Braintree

Braintree: A district council has been slammed for "avoiding the installation of renewable energy" in public buildings.Braintree Green councillor James Abbott said: "I am consistently tired of this council avoiding the installation of renewable energy."

Essex Chronicle 13th Sept 2007
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Planners

Future trainee planners across the capital will be equipped with the skills to deal with the impact of climate change through a new training package developed by a consortium including Haringey Council and the London Energy Partnership.

Haringay LBC 13th Sept 2007
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Islington Wind

Islington Council will be one of two London councils to push the boundary and harness wind power to provide energy in council homes. The energy may be used to help light the communal hall way, pump water, power the electrical security system or ventilation for the residential block of flats.

Islington LBC Press Release 12th Sept 2007
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Utilities

Guess what? The first long-term lock-in energy contract has arrived but it features little of the green innovation the regulator promised consumers just over a month ago.

MSN Money 12th Sept 2007
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Suffolk ESCO

A new energy company could be set up in East Anglia in a bid to combat climate change. Suffolk County Council is considering setting up an energy service company, or Esco, to provide environmentally friendly local energy. The electricity may prove to be cheaper than conventional power companies, and could be used to power schools, council offices and new developments like the regeneration planned through 1st East in Lowestoft. The idea will be discussed by the council's environment and waste scrutiny committee today.

East Anglian Daily Press 12th Sept 2007
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Eco-school

A NEW primary school in has finally completed its move to the former British Aerospace site and is a purpose-built eco-school. Features include solar panels, the use of recycled materials and the school is the first UK building to use an interseasonal heat transfer system to store summer heat for use in winter.

Welwyn and Hatfield Times 12th Sept 2007
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Suffolk Tech-town

Europe’s top telecommunications provider, BT, has unveiled ambitious new plans to establish the UK’s first technology town, a multi-million pound sustainable community built around an industry of cutting-edge ICT innovations.

Business Weekly 12th Sept 2007
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Micro-power incentives

The Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (EFRA) Committee says making households most efficient is the single most cost-effective way of cutting carbon emissions. Home owners were often put off on installing solar water heating, wind turbines and photovoltaic systems by the cost, planning restrictions and confusion over what grants were available. It also says people who do generate their own energy can find it difficult to sell it back to the National Grid - only Npower buys energy back for the same price at which it sells it - elsewhere there is a "large disparity" in prices, the report said.

BBC 12th September 2007
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Zero-carbon homes

Government policy now states that all new homes will be zero-carbon by 2016. But can so many new houses really be as cosy as they sound for the environment?

Channel 4 News 11th Sept 2007
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Islington

The pavilion-style hall at Grafton Primary School, Eburne Road, N7 6AR, is a brilliant example of an eco-friendly building, with sustainable features including low embodied--energy* construction, solar panels, a wind turbine, and rainwater harvesting.

Islington LBC 11th Sept 2007
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Rhondda

RHONDDA Cynon Taf council is urging people to consider environmentally-friendly measures including wall and loft insulation, solar panels and mini wind turbines.

South Wales Echo 11th Sept 2007
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Liverpool

The £146m ACC Liverpool is one of the most environmentally- friendly venues in Europe with its own wind farm, rainwater harvesting on the roof and a design which will produce half the CO2 emissions of a traditional building.

Liverpool Echo 11th Sept 2007
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Eco-Norfolk

A disused Norfolk airbase could be transformed into a £9bn eco-community combining homes, jobs, and a brand new broad, under proposals by a developer. The vision for RAF Coltishall would make it a carbon-neutral settlement, developer Richard Davies has said.

BBC 11th Sept 2007
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East Anglian Daily Press 11th Sept 2007
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Nottingham

Many schools want to find ways to get youngsters thinking about energy conservation and the environment. But The National School, in Hucknall wants to go one better - by producing its own energy via a wind turbine in the grounds. The school has been doing some work with [energy supplier] E-On and decided to put in an application to the Low Carbon Schools Programme. They decided the school could have several renewable energy generators here, which they would pay for. The wind turbine would be placed at the back of the school field.

Nottingham Evening Post 11th Sept 2007
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Rochdale

It is hoped that planning rules are to be relaxed in order to make it easier for SMEs to install ‘green’ technologies, such as wind turbines and solar panels. Currently businesses must go through the planning system if they wish to install a wind turbine or solar panel, which can cost up £1,500, take 6 to 18 weeks to be considered, with no guarantee after that time. It is hoped that renewable energy equipment will be classed as ‘permitted developments’, which would mean if there was clearly no impact on the local area or the environment, specific planning permission would not be required.

Rochdale News 11th Sept 2007
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Eco-toilets

TALK about spending a penny – the Isle of Wight Council has forked out more than £1 million on four high-spec, eco-friendly public toilets which will feature photo-voltaic cells, water-saving flush devices, energy-efficient lights and a wind turbine.

Times 11th Sept 2007
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BT Biomass

TELECOMS group BT has unveiled a detailed vision for the future of its Adastral Park research and development facility in Suffolk. The multi-million-pound proposal involves a renewable energy plant (burning biomass).

East Anglian Daily Press 10th Sept 2007
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Bristol Eco-houses

A Bristol-based house- builder is in the frame to construct the UK's first carbon-neutral village in Hanham. Edward Ware is among the five developers vying for the contract on the energy-efficient development, which could become a blueprint for building projects after 2016. The Clifton-based company faces competition from two of Britain's largest builders for the contract, Barratt Developments and Taylor Wimpey.

Bristol Evening Post 10th September 2007
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York Turbine

A ECO-FRIENDLY York resident is "very disappointed" that his plans to put up a wind turbine outside his house were thrown out.

York Press 10th Sept 2007
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Micro-CHP

Small power generators like micro-turbines, stirling engines, and fuel cells are potential technologies to provide CHP for residential applications. Micro-CHP systems generate 1-25 kW of electricity, while the waste heat is used for air conditioning, water heating, space heating, swimming pool heating, or dehumidification. Field trials of residential systems are being undertaken now, which could help to drive the introduction of commercial systems on a large scale in the next five years.

Gulf Coast CHP Application Center 10th Sept 2007
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Scottish Microgeneration Bill

Article by Sarah Boyack MSP: IT'S NOT been a good week for the Scottish environment. The SNP programme for government was a huge disappointment to climate change campaigners as we discovered a promised Scottish climate change bill will be delayed for at least a year. The UK government is now powering ahead with plans to deliver reductions in CO2 emissions with a draft bill published in March this year and the establishment of an independent climate change committee dedicated to implementing the Stern Report on tackling climate change. Alex Salmond's explanation rested on the requirement to produce a regulatory impact assessment - something not slowing down the SNP's bill to abolish bridge tolls. Not only has a climate change bill been kicked into the long grass, but SNP ministers said they will oppose my member's bill on energy efficiency and microgeneration. Although John Swinney, cabinet secretary for finance and sustainable development, said he is interested in the proposals, he has not guaranteed that key measures will not be dropped.

Sunday Herald 9th Sept 2007
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Eco-M&S

MARKS & Spencer will open the first of its "eco stores" in Scotland next month as part of a £200m plan to turn the company carbon neutral. Everything from energy-efficient lighting to recycled water will be introduced at the stores in Galashiels and Pollok in Glasgow. A third eco store is planned for Bournemouth. M&S said the eco shops will be powered by renewable energy. The one in Pollok will receive electricity equivalent to the output of a two megawatt turbine based on a small farm in Aberdeen, which the company is sponsoring. Gillies said the chain was keen to sponsor more small-scale Scottish farmers to supply its Scottish stores with energy generated from wind turbines or anaerobic digestion systems - those that use animal waste to generate electricity.

Scotland on Sunday 9th Sept 2007
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Edinburgh Evening News 10th Sept 2007
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Hydro

HUNDREDS of homes could be powered by an environmentally-friendly scheme harnessing hydro-electricity from a river running through some of Yorkshire's most scenic countryside. A North Yorkshire community group is masterminding the £500,000 renewable energy project – thought to be the biggest of its kind in the country – along the River Esk and its tributaries.

Yorkshire Post 8th Sept 2007
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Huddersfield

Clr Martyn Bolt, Kirklees Cabinet’s member for transport and green services will also concentrate on encouraging people to install wind turbines and solar panels.

Huddersfield Daily Examiner 7th Sept 2007
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Sheffield

FUTURE residents of an affordable and sustainable housing estate in Sheffield will have access to electric pool cars and built-in recharging points after funding was secured to help make it even more eco-friendly.

Yorkshire Post 7th Sept 2007
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North Yorkshire

County Council bosses and developers have met to inspect their ground breaking new eco-offices in Northallerton after construction completed earlier this month. The £2.7 million project, developed by Castlevale Properties and built by the Northallerton and Leeds based York House Construction, will provide over 2,000 sq ft of eco-friendly office accommodation for more than 200 of North Yorkshire County Council’s staff. A raft of green measures will also see the Council slashing its bills and cutting carbon emissions by more than 330 tons per year. Measures to improve the development’s use of water, light and heat will be supplemented by an electricity-generating wind turbine to ensure that the building is the greenest in the County Council’s portfolio.

North Yorks Council 7th Sept 2007
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Merton Downside

Letter: In last week's Eco Soundings, the UK Green Building Council was portrayed as dithering in the debate about the future of the Merton rule, whereby local authorities require developers to supply 10% of energy from on-site renewable. What matters most is cutting carbon emissions. The cheapest and most effective way of doing this is simply to use less energy. In the context of buildings this means: first design and construct buildings that are much more energy-efficient, and second, meet residual energy needs from renewable energy sources. If you set out to deliver 10% of predicted energy demand from renewables the result can be expensive and inefficient use of technology, and potentially little or no reduction in carbon emissions. That is the downside of the Merton rule.

Guardian 5th Sept 2007
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