Manchester
Manchester was at the heart of the industrial revolution. Now Greenpeace says it should take the lead in the next energy revolution. While national energy policy flounders, towns and local authorities can do an enormous amount to achieve the emissions reductions we so urgently need.
Greenpeace website 24th Sept 2007
Greenpeace held a regional launch of its film, The
Convenient Solution,
on Thursday 27th September 2007 at Manchester City FC – soon to be
the first UK sports stadium to be powered by its own 85m wind turbine.
Ecotricity Proposal >>
Pictured here is the Co-operative
Insurance (CIS) Tower, in Manchester –
the tallest office building outside of London, and the UK’s largest ever
solar project. The solar panels generate an amazing 180,000 units of electricity
each year – enough energy to make 9,000,000 cups of tea.
week ending 28 September 2007
Zero-carbon homes
Having earned a reputation for building energy efficient homes of sustainable construction, award-winning housebuilder Millwood Designer Homes is now taking the campaign to tackle climate change further with the launch of its first carbon neutral development, Coppice Mews in Royal Tunbridge Wells, Kent.
Easier Property 27th Sept 2007
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Biomass
MP Nicholas Soames is visiting a West Hoathly community which has completed a ground-breaking renewable energy project. The Conservative MP for Mid Sussex is joining residents at Hoathly Hill Community on Friday (September 28) to launch the green heating system. A biomass boiler, fuelled by local wood chips, provides heating and hot water for 27 homes, a barn, a community hall and kindergarten, a sculpture studio and pottery room. The final buildings were connected to the boiler this month following a year’s installation period.
EDF Press Release 27th Sept 2007
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Green Building 27th Sept 2007
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South East Assembly
Radical action is needed to deliver "greener" energy and reduce energy use in South East homes to protect the environment, says the South East England Regional Assembly. The Assembly supports a dual approach with new cleaner energy targets for power companies, alongside grants and tax breaks for residents who make their homes more energy efficient. For example, residents should be encouraged to install double-glazing, insulation or renewable energy generators such as solar panels.
South East Assembly Press Release 27th Sept 2007
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Cornwall
A windmill with blades of about ten feet in diameter could be sitting atop Helston Guildhall in the future.That is one of the possibilities if the building's owners, the town council, look favourably on moves for more renewable energy.
West Briton 27th Sept 2007
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Bath
Batheaston Primary school was named as runner-up in the Department for Education and Skills Award for Sustainable Schools category at the 2007 West of England Teaching Awards. This is because of its Space project - an environmental, ecological and energy-based venture complete with solar panels and wind turbines.
Bath Chronicle 27th Sept 2007
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Leicester
A plan to build office blocks on a key regeneration site in the city has been given the go-ahead. Six two-storey office buildings will be constructed on the 17-acre Abbey Meadows site. The buildings will have environmentally-friendly features. The offices will feature 11 per cent renewable energy with sustainable building features including improved building fabric and energy-producing boiler units.
Leicester Mercury 27th Sept 2007
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Reading
One of the town's most prominent landmarks - the GreenPark wind turbine - plays a big part in helping us shout about our ecocredentials.
Reading Chronicle 27th Sept 2007
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Grants
The Government's Low Carbon Buildings Programme provides grants of up to £2,500 to householders to help towards the costs of installing a range of low- carbon technologies, including solar electricity, or photovoltaics, solar water heating systems, micro-wind turbines, small hydro-power systems, biomass boilers and ground source heat pumps.
Telegraph 27th Sept 2007
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London policy works
City Hall's efforts to curb energy usage in London's buildings have led to real reductions in carbon emissions, helping to reduce the impact on climate change.
Edie 26th Sept 2007
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Zero-carbon Aberdeenshire
Aberdeenshire Council is holding a seminar on achieving carbon neutrality in new housing developments. The event aims to demonstrate the potential that exists within Aberdeenshire to achieve this objective. It will also help to inform the local authority about what form supplementary planning guidance should take to reduce carbon emissions from such developments.
Aberdeenshire Council 26th Sept 2007
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Devon
Renewable energy will be the focus of attention at an action day in an East Devon village next month. The Devon Association for Renewable Energy (DARE) is sponsoring the awareness event at Branscombe Village Hall. The event will include a review by the leading county council officer of Devon's strategy on renewables. There will also be advice about how to get an assessment of the best renewable energy options for a home.
Western Morning News 26th Sept 2007
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Skills
Cornwall is the first place in the UK to offer a new sustainable energy training course.The ABC level 2 certificate in sustainable energy will be delivered by the Cornwall Sustainable Building Trust (CSBT) at its Microgen Centre in Truro. The course, which has financial assistance from the Learning and Skills Council, is aimed at potential sustainable energy installers.
The Cornishman 26th Sept 2007
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Communal Carbon reductions
A devon country house which is part of the communal living movement is about to be powered by three forms of renewable energy technology.Beech Hill Community, home for 14 residents at Morchard Bishop, near Crediton, has installed a new 15m-tall wind turbine to generate electricity, four solar panels to heat water and a log-fuelled boiler to provide heating.
Exeter Express and Echo 26th Sept 2007
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A small community has been given more than £40,000 to set up a renewable energy initiative. The Beech Hill Community in Devon will be powered by its own wind turbine, solar panels and log-fuelled boiler. They have been given £35,600 from the EDF Energy Green Fund and £7,000 from the Low Carbon Buildings Programme.
BBC 27th September 2007
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Draught Proofing
It is not only one of the simplest ways to make our homes more comfortable, but is far more cost-effective at cutting fuel and carbon bills than installing a fancy wind turbine.
Independent 26th Sept 2007
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Guildford
Keeping visitors warm the ‘green’ way this winter, an environmentally friendly wood fuel heating system has been installed in Guildford’s Greenark centre, thanks to funding from Guildford Borough Council, EDF Energy and Surrey County Council.
Guildford Borough Council 25th Sept 2007
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East Sussex
An award winning green heating system – biomass boilers - at Beacon Community College in Crowborough is being highlighted this week with a visit from a group of leading local politicians.
East Sussex County Council 25th Sept 2007
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Croydon
Efforts to cut down on its urban footprint have won Croydon Council a prestigious Green Apple award. 900 residents have benefited from a joint Croydon Council/British Gas scheme which offers a £100 rebate on council tax to those improving cavity wall and roof insulation in their homes.
Croydon Advertiser 25th Sept 2007
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Norfolk Eco-town
Campaigners behind a £9bn eco-town vision for a former Norfolk airbase were given a boost after the prime minister doubled his target number for environmentally-friendly communities. Gordon Brown told the Labour party conference he was upping the number of planned eco-towns from five to 10 because of the large number of people interested in taking the plans forward.
East Anglian Daily Press 25th Sept 2007
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Manchester Revolution
Manchester was at the heart of the industrial revolution. Now it could take the lead in the next energy revolution. While national energy policy flounders, towns and local authorities can do an enormous amount to achieve the emissions reductions we so urgently need. So, as part of a series of nationwide events, we're hosting an evening of discussion (and the regional launch of our film, The Convenient Solution) at Manchester City FC – soon to be the first UK sports stadium to be powered by its own 85m wind turbine.
Greenpeace website 24th Sept 2007
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Future Cities
The first World Future Energy Summit is to take place this week against the backdrop of Masdar City - the first carbon neutral city ever to be built. The world's leading experts, innovators, scientists and advisors in the field of renewable future energy are set to converge on Abu Dhabi for the inuagural conference. Designed by world-renowned architect Sir Norman Foster, once constructed, Masdar City will be a car free metropolis, powered entirely by renewable energy.
24 Dash 24th Sept 2007
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Birmingham Efficiency
Birmingham City Council has been announced the Winner of the Corgi UK Energy Efficiency Award - Local Authorities 2007. The prestigious national award ceremony showcased the work of organisations leading the way in the Gas Industry. Every year, as the country’s biggest social landlord, Birmingham City Council services and maintains more than 150,000 gas appliances in over 63,000 homes. The council is tackling fuel poverty by replacing outdated, inefficient heating systems with energy saving central heating and band A appliances. These are condensing combination boilers which are more than 90% efficient.
24 Dash 24th Sept 2007
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Bristol Turbine
A pensioner from Portishead faces enforcement action unless he removes a wind turbine from his home. Retired Colonel Charles Baete installed the turbine last December to help reduce his carbon footprint. He has been energy efficient for the past 30 years, using solar panels, but has now been told the turbine must come down from his property in Drakes Way.
Bristol Evening Post 22nd Sept 2007
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Oxfordshire Eco-house
David Hammond, a qualified architect, has transformed his end-terrace house
built in the 19th century, into an eco home for the future. Renewable energy
initiatives and building work have reduced its annual carbon footprint by a
whopping 60 per cent.
Abingdon Herald 21st Sept 2007
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Eco-Ice Cream
A North-east ice-cream firm that has vowed to become the most environmentally-friendly in Britain is in the running for a top business award. Family-run Mackie's of Scotland ended its reliance on the national grid this summer with the commissioning of its third wind turbine at Westertown of Rothienorman.
Aberdeen Press and Journal 21st Sept 2007
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Zero Carbon
A competition created to explore the issues arising from the introduction of the Code for Sustainable Homes has revealed new concepts and ideas that challenge assumptions of carbon neutrality. The competition, Carbon Challenge 2007, shows new approaches by architects that include embodied energy and solar gain, currently not part of the calculation of carbon neutrality.
24 Dash 21st Sept 2007
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Irish Efficiency
The Irish Government is bringing in measures that will see new Irish homes improve their energy efficiency by forty percent. The draft regulations will also cut CO2 emissions by forty percent and will introduce a mandatory minimum renewable energy requirement for new homes. They'll apply to all planning applications after the 1st of July next year and to all uncompleted homes from July 2009, regardless of when planning permission was sought.
Belfast Telegraph 21st September 2007
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Business Post 21st Sept 2007
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EnviroSolutions 23rd Sept 2007
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"The fact that renewable energy is now to become mandatory for all new homes will undoubtedly mainstream a technology which can contribute greatly to a greener Irish future. I especially welcome the fact that national standards have been inspired by local authority initiatives led by Fingal, Wicklow and Dun Laoghaire Rathdown - to not only drastically increase energy efficiency levels, but also make renewable energy mandatory."
EnviroSolutions 23rd Sept 2007
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Luton
Three wind turbines in a helical deign will be fixed to the top of a proposed car park to provide a unique feature, councillors on Luton Borough Council's development control committee heard.
Bedford Today 20th Sept 2007
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Liverpool
ENVIRONMENTALLY friendly charity KIND is fighting for permission to build a 40ft wind turbine to power Liverpool’s first completely self-sustaining, eco-friendly building.
Maghull and Aintree Star 20th Sept 2007
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