Grow your own roof
Any greenwardly mobile individual worth
their salt knows that the best way to trounce the neighbours' mini-wind turbine
is to plant a batch of sedums on the roof, according to Scotland
on Sunday on 14th Oct 2007.
The first
port of call if you want to out-green your neighbour is The
Green Roof Centre which enthusiastically suggests we “do something
worthwhile – grow a roof”, and Living
Roofs which
is campaigning to raise support from the construction industry, politicians,
local government, scientists and the general public for a solid Government
policy on green roofs in the UK. In
Japan, green roofs are seen as a way of cutting demand for air-conditioning.
While in some German cities, it’s a legal
requirement to include green roofs on new flat-roofed buildings.
In fact green roof technology is mainstream in most of Europe, but there
is currently little understanding or expertise in the UK. Green roofs can
significantly contribute to sustainability in terms of biodiversity, sustainable
drainage and thermal performance.
There are training workshops in November in London.
The house with the green roof pictured is at Redhall Gardens in Edinburgh.
week ending 19 October 2007
Merton debate
The industry was warned that it could not rely on off-site renewable energy to reduce the carbon footprint of the built environment. Arup director Chris Twinn said increasing competition for off-site renewables could threaten how much energy the industry could buy in order to fulfil low or zero carbon commitments for new developments. Speaking at a debate on the Merton Rule yesterday he said the transport sector would use its “much bigger buying power” to buy large amounts of renewables in the future.
Building 18th Oct 2007
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Salisbury zero-carbon homes
Salisbury could become a market-leader in the provision of state-of-the-art zero carbon, affordable eco-homes. The district council cabinet has commissioned council officers to carry out a feasibility and financial study aimed at building an eco-homes affordable housing project. The houses would incorporate renewable energy systems, high standards of water efficiency and natural heating.
E-Gov Monitor 18th Oct 2007
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Exeter Eco-house open day
More than 400 people turned out for a renewable energy open day in Mid Devon. Organisers of the event at Beech Hill Community, Morchard Bishop, were delighted with its success. The event was held to celebrate the successful completion of a £90,000 sustainable energy project at Beech Hill. Visitors were able to see a recently installed wind turbine, solar panels and a log boiler powering a new central heating system in the house. There is also a reed bed sewage system, compost loos and a compost area for the village.
Exeter Express & Echo 18th Oct 2007
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Bath Solar
Culverhay School in Bath has secured funding of more than £20,000 to pay for rooftop solar panels. The school is one of the first in the country to benefit from the Co-operative Group's £1 million national Green Energy for Schools scheme, which will provide free panels to 100 schools. The Co-operative's scheme provides half the cost, with match funding from the Government's Low Carbon Building Programme.
Bath Chronicle 18th Oct 2007
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Eastbourne Solar
Ocklynge is set to become one of the greenest schools in the country when free solar panels are installed under the Co-operative's £1m national Green Energy for Schools scheme, which will provide free solar panels to 100 schools. The panels, worth more than £20,000 to each school, are half funded through The Co-operative's scheme with match funding from the Government's Low Carbon Building Programme (LCBP).
Eastbourne Herald 18th Oct 2007
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Green Chips
The UK's largest chip factory is trying to cut down on its carbon footprint. McCain Foods has installed three giant wind turbines measuring 410ft.
Sky News 18th Oct 2007
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24Dash 18th Oct 2007
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Green Mortgages
Since 2000, home owners with Co-operative Bank "green mortgages" have helped fund wind turbines in India, which power 230 homes, and fuel-efficient stoves in Madagascar. These reduce the felling of forest trees for firewood and improve the indoor air quality for the users, reducing the high toll of respiratory illnesses in that country.
Telegraph 18th Oct 2007
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Green Whisky
Scotland's first new distillery for 30 years has been given the go-ahead by Moray councilors. It will be an environmentally unique distillery that uses renewable energy and other clean technologies.
Forres Gazette 17th Oct 2007
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Suffolk
A CLIMATE change action plan has been launched in Suffolk as nearly 400 delegates attended a conference to discuss ways of making the county greener. The plan, drawn up on behalf of the Suffolk - Creating the Greenest County project, seeks to reduce the county's global warming emissions and help people prepare for the impact of climate change. Actions proposed in a draft form of the plan include the adoption of a minimum renewable energy requirement and higher standards of energy efficiency for all new developments in the county.
Lowestoft Journal 17th Oct 2007
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East Anglian Daily Times 17th Oct 2007
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Fuel Cells
Hydrogen powered cars might grab the headlines, but according to fuel cell guru Jan van Dokkum it is as affordable onsite generators that fuel cells will achieve their mainstream breakthrough.
Accountancy Age 17th Oct 2007
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Hounslow
A set of environmentally-friendly street lights has been unveiled near the bus garage in Hounslow. The revolutionary lights, complete with wind turbines and solar panels, were installed on the central reservation in London Road. They are designed to generate electricity and help cut the borough's carbon emissions.
This is local London 17th Oct 2007
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Micro-wind
A gearless wind power generation device that works 10-30x more efficiently on small scales than micro-turbines. It harnesses harmonic oscillation of a material within a wind stream to move magnets within coils of wire thus generating electricity.
Ecotality Life 17th Oct 2007
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Greg Grothaus Blog Oct 2007
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Dundalk
The Dundalk 20/20 project acts as a pilot for the rest of Ireland. In a 4 km zone in the centre of the town, 20% of all heat and 20% of all electricity must come from renewable sources by 2010. This is ten years ahead of the Government target.
e-Gov Monitor 16th Oct 2007
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Green Colleges
Association of Colleges (AoC) published a document, Achieving Sustainable Colleges, setting out a vision of how colleges can become truly sustainable in the short, medium and long terms.
Guardian 16th Oct 2007
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Newcastle-under-Lyme
Pupils will be taught in one of the greenest schools in Staffordshire after being presented with a set of free solar panels. Now students and staff at Sir Thomas Boughey High, near Newcastle, hope to cut their electricity bills and reduce their carbon footprint. The solar panels have been jointly funded by The Co-operative Group's green energy for schools scheme and the Government's low carbon building programme.
The Sentinel 16th Oct 2007
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Rotherham
PIONEERING eco-homes heated and powered almost exclusively by renewable resources are ready to welcome their first owners and tenants. The development of 23 timber-framed houses in Rotherham, has been built in a position to maximise the energy provided by the heat of the sun. Wall cavities and roof insulation are much thicker than in a standard house and the roof is made up of tiles that include photovoltaic cells and apparatus to heat domestic water.
Yorkshire Post 16th Oct 2007
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A housing association has launched the largest installation
of Solarcentury’s
CompleteSolarRoof.
South Yorkshire Housing Association (SYHA)
has installed the roof on 23 new homes at Rotherham's Henley Way in South
Yorkshire, which will provide clean, renewable electricity, through a design
that looks like standard roof tiles.
New Consumer 26th Sept 2007
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Green Streets
HOMES in Edinburgh are to be given energy-saving equipment to help reduce their CO2 emissions. British Gas has launched a Green Streets initiative where £30,000 will be given to streets in eight UK cities to reduce domestic CO2 emissions. Energy-saving equipment will also be given to houses in London, Manchester, Leeds, Birmingham, Cardiff, Plymouth and Southampton. This could include energy efficient light-bulbs, cavity wall insulation, solar panels and wind turbines. The homes that lower their CO2 emissions the most in a year will be awarded £50,000 worth of energy-saving equipment to invest in a local community project.
Edinburgh Evening News 16th Oct 2007
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New Consumer 16th Oct 2007
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Homes in London waste more energy than any other city in Britain, according to a report released by British Gas today. Kingston upon Thames is the least energy-efficient borough in the capital, while Hull came top out of the 25 cities measured for energy saving.
24Dash 16th Oct 2007
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Bellway
Chief Executive: The effect of climate change is one of the main challenges facing the housebuilding industry today. In response to this, in April 2007, the Government launched the Code for Sustainable Homes which seeks to establish a target of achieving carbon neutrality in all new homes by 2016. Bellway has made significant progress during the year in reducing the Group's own impact on the environment. In the period, 326 homes were constructed to Eco Homes "Very Good" standard or higher and developments, particularly in the south of England, have commenced utilising new renewable energy. An example of this approach can be found at a development at Redhill in Surrey, where 250 homes will have their heating and hot water supplied from a biomass boiler fired by locally sourced wood chip.
PR Newswire 16th Oct 2007
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Greener Schools
LEARNING how to teach youngsters to keep on eye on their carbon footprint will become easier thanks to a new website. Teachers scratching their heads to find accessible information about local and national environmental resources can soon make use of GreenerSchools.co.uk.
Peterborough Evening Telegraph 15th Oct 2007
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Village Footprint
A VILLAGE which is setting out to reduce its global warming “footprint” is organising a survey among residents. Results of the survey, instigated by the Green Sproughton project group, will lead to an action plan being drawn up.
East Anglian Daily Press 15th Oct 2007
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Green Plymouth
Going green and using energy efficiently are the themes of a conference on sustainability which is to be held in Plymouth late this month.Students, teachers and anyone interested in reducing human impact on the environment is invited to the free event taking place at the University College Plymouth St Mark and St John on October 31. The conference will cover designing energy-efficient buildings, renewable energy, reducing climate change and sustainability in education.
Plymouth Evening Herald 15th Oct 2007
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Green Communities
Community groups from throughout Scotland will today attend the first day of a conference on developing local renewable energy projects. The Highlands and Islands Community Energy Company (HICEC) and the Sleat Community Trust have organised the three-day event at Sabhal Mor Ostaig, on Skye. Around 100 delegates will attend the conference, which will tackle topicssuch as mobilising support, project development, funding and planning regulations.
Aberdeen Press & Journal 15th Oct 2007
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Organic Shop
AN organic farm in Lytchett Matravers is mostly powered by wind turbines and solar panels and we use a unique heat recovery system.
Dorset Echo 14th Oct 2007
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Eco-homes
It is insulation that is the biggest single contribution you can make to reducing a house's carbon footprint. Anybody who is serious about reducing their carbon footprint can start making changes immediately. The article has a series of Eco-home case studies and a list of useful weblinks.
Telegraph 13th Oct 2007
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Zero-carbon office rejected
AN "ASTONISHING" office block proposal has been rejected, prompting developers to look elsewhere. Harrow based ZED Homes wanted to build their four storey, 40ft-high headquarters in Roxeth Green Avenue, South Harrow. But the eco-friendly proposal, which would have been carbon neutral and powered by solar panels and wind turbines, was rejected by Harrow Council on Wednesday, October 10, as unsuitable for the area.
This is local London 13th Oct 2007
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Energy Savings
The cost of installing energy-saving measures such as solar panels would take more than 200 years to recoup in reduced bills, according to research published today. The Energy Performance Certificates which are now required with all Home Information Packs for houses with three or more bedrooms list eight measures to secure a high rating of A or B against a poor rating of F or G. But the study from the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors shows that some of the measures, such as solar panels to heat water, would cost £5,000 to install but reduce average bills by only £24 a year and would take about 208 years to pay back.
Times 13th Oct 2007
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Micro-CHP
Micro CHP systems are an exciting home energy-producing technology currently used mostly in the UK and Europe. It is a popular and growing way to heat homes, and is seen as a way to meet progressive government objectives while saving the consumer money. It is likely that Micro CHP systems will also become more popular in the US soon because of their many benefits. In fact, given current oil and gas prices, there are currently companies studying the possibility of bringing this technology in a widespread way to the US.
Home Improvement 13th Oct 2007
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