Merton Leads Quiet Revolution
The environmental work of Merton Council has been recognised at the Local Government Chronical Awards.
Beating local authorities from across the country, the Sustainable Environment gong went to the borough for the council's pioneering Merton Rule. The initiative requires at least 10 per cent of energy for new developments to be provided from on-site renewable energy sources.
The picture shows one of the consequences of the implementation of these planning rules in the London Borough - a Quiet Revolution wind turbine fitted on a new science block at Kings College School, Wimbledon, in the London Borough of Merton. See more information from the company about the use of wind in the urban environment.
week ending 28 March 2008
Green Sky
A Bovis Lend Lease and Arup consortium has won a £130m contract to build a “green” headquarters for broadcaster Sky Sports in west London. It is understood that Sky has asked Arup to find ways to use natural ventilation in as much of the building as possible. It is also discussing the possibility of installing wind turbines on the site.
Building 28th March 2008
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Green Reichstag
The German Reichstag will become the greenest parliament building in the world later this year, when renewable energy sources take over its entire energy supply. From late summer the building is due to swap to 100% green power sources.
Green Building 27th March 2008
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York Approvals
York councilors approved nine houses on a brown-field site to be built to eco-homes "very good" rating. At the planning meeting, councillors also approved plans for two wind turbines at Tesco, at Askham Bar. The supermarket wants to install two 10.6-metre, six kilowatt turbines.
York Press 27th March 2008
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Calderdale Farmers
A MYTHOLMROYD farmer is to install a wind turbine, which will stand 15 metres tall with 10 metre rotor blades. He hopes the £30,000 turbine will provide up to £4,000 worth of electricity each year. He will be the second farmer in Calderdale to put up a wind turbine. The project was approved by Calderdale Council's Planning Committee.
Hebden Bridge Times 27th March 2008
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Merton Gong
The environmental work of Merton Council has been recognised at the Local Government Chronical Awards. Beating local authorities from across the country, the Sustainable Environment gong went to the borough for the council's pioneering Merton Rule. The initiative requires at least 10 per cent of energy for new developments to be provided from on-site renewable energy sources.
This is Local London 27th March 2008
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Micro-CHP
British Gas has unveiled a new type of fuel cell boiler that would effectively turn your home into a micro power station. The boiler uses a method known as combined heat and power (CHP) to generate electricity and simultaneously heat a home using natural gas. British Gas is trialling the technology in 30 British homes already, and hopes it could be on sale to the rest of us by 2010.
Smart Planet 27th March 2008
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Off Grid
By 2007 there were approximately 300,000 off-grid homes in the United States alone and another 40,000 in the UK.
Independent 27th March 2008
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Permitted Development
From April 6, new rules are being brought in to allow home owners to install microgeneration equipment (which includes solar panels and ground-source heat pumps) without planning permission, so long as there is clearly no impact on others.
Telegraph 27th March 2008
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Ulster Solar School
BALLYTREA Primary School in Stewartstown will be ordering its energy sunny side up from now on. For the environmentally aware school is celebrating the completion of its latest energy project, having installed solar photovoltaic panels (PV) on the south facing roof at the back of the school.
Mid Ulster Mail 27th March 2008
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British Gas
British Gas is launching a range of wind turbines
and solar panels that will allow consumers to generate their own energy,
following a reduction in the amount of red tape surrounding the generation
of power by private households, known as "microgeneration".
Marketing Week 26th March 2008
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Solar Holiday Park
The installation of solar collectors at Tehidy Holiday Park has been carried out by Cornish renewable energy specialists Capture Energy. The equipment will help provide hot water for washing and showering for about 7,000 people during the season, and is forecast to cut the park's electricity bill by up to £2,000 a year.As well as the financial savings, the Capture Energy system will be used to promote the park to would-be visitors and enhance its existing green credentials.
This is Cornwall 26th March 2008
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East Midlands Airport
Four wind turbines will be installed at East Midlands Airport. Bosses have been told they can build the 135ft high turbines in the Castle Donington airport?s grounds.
Derbyshire Evening Telegraph 26th March 2008
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Proven’s Home Turf
Ayshire building firm William Skinner and Son will continue to incorporate renewable energy in their building plans. They have installed a 6kW Proven wind turbine at their HQ in St Quivox.
Irvine Herald 26th March 2008
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Alnwick
Northern Property Finance has bought and moved into the newly-completed Cawledge Park office development. The units are eco-friendly, made using renewable materials and with a heating system fuelled by renewable energy.
Northumberland Gazettte 25th March 2008
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Green Tips
If you are planning a lighting overhaul consider switching to a green supplier such as Good Energy which uses renewable energy sources such as wind or solar power. For the latest information on energy saving light bulbs, log on to Energy Saving Trust.
Telegraph 25th March 2008
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Ardamurchan School
In June, a lorry loaded with flat-packs will wind its way up the west of Scotland and deposit them near the village of Acharacle, on the Ardnamurchan peninsula. It’s the beginnings of an entire prefabricated school, manufactured in Austria. When finally built, it will be at the cutting edge of sustainability, boasting timber walls that absorb CO2, half-metre thick insulation, and its own wind turbine.
Guardian 25th March 2008
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Windsave
AN EXPECTED lifting of restrictive planning requirements on small wind turbines will "open up" the micro generation market according to the head of a Scottish "green energy" company which intends to float next year. The UK parliament has signalled it will allow small turbines to be erected in urban areas, and once the move is approved by the European Commission, a lifting of the current restrictions could take place as early as June.
Scotsman 25th March 2008
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Windy Leuchars
A RAILWAY station is set to go green when it becomes powered by wind energy.
First ScotRail has lodged a planning application for a 6kw wind turbine at
Leuchars station in Fife. The turbine would supply all the power for the
station building, including heating and lighting, and might generate some
excess electricity to feed into the national grid.
Scotsman 25th March 2008
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Herald 25th March 2008
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Dundee Courier 25th March 2008
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Daily Record 25th March 2008
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BBC 24th March 2008
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Northern Irish Efficiency
Energy efficiency in Northern Ireland homes has improved by 20% over the last decade - equating to an average saving of £230 per year per household, according to a report published by the Housing Executive. In environmental terms, this means a reduction of almost 3 million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions each year compared to 1996 levels. The report, however, also shows the number of those living in fuel poverty has risen to 240,000.
EnviroSolutions 24th March 2008
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David Cameron
The Tory leader has refused to be cowed by local panjandrums who ordered him to remove the wind turbine from the roof of his house last year after it was disclosed that he did not have the correct planning permission. Cameron has now submitted an application to re-erect the turbine, in the face of furious complaints from one well-connected neighbour.
Telegraph 24th March 2008
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Daily Mail 25th March 2008
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Evening Standard 25th March 2008
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Portsmouth
A total of £6.6m in government cash has been awarded to Portsmouth City Council to help homeowners repair and improve their properties. Residents will be able to carry out work such as installing central heating or renewable energy like solar power. A council spokesman said the cash would enable them to offer more financial assistance to vulnerable homeowners.
PA 24th March 2008
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London
Thom Yorke interviews Ken Livingstone: The people in the Department of Energy have done everything possible to block decentralised power. Dear old Malcolm Wicks [the energy minister] wants us all off his back, but they are totally and utterly hostile. The first London Plan forced every major development to generate 10 per cent of energy from on-site renewables. That went well, so we upped it to 20. The Olympics is obviously the biggest development. They are going to have their own on-site electricity generation by combined heat and power.
Observer 23rd March 2008
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Sunderland
SIX council-owned sites which could accommodate small to medium-size wind turbines. The Strategic Investment Plan will finance feasibility work to develop detailed business cases, and planning proposals for up to three of the most promising sites.
Sunderland Echo 22nd March 2008
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Alnwick
Design consultancy Faber Maunsell is behind the design of a carbon neutral office building in Alnwick, Northumberland on behalf of Defra. The project, Zero Energy Building Renewing Alnwick (ZEBRA), will include three 15 kilowatt wind turbines, solar thermal hot water, a bio-mass boiler – fuelled by locally-sourced woodchips – and rainwater harvesting. The building, which is due to be completed in early 2008, has been designed to limit the solar impact during summer, be naturally ventilating, and have high levels of insulation.
Yorkshire Post 22nd March 2008
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Micro-wind
The five best micro-wind turbines.
Clean Technica 21st March 2008
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Kings Lynn Hospital
Health chiefs have submitted plans to build a wind turbine on the grounds of the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in King's Lynn. Bosses at the hospital in Lynn hope to be the first public sector organisation in the country to be powered by green energy. A planning application has now been submitted to West Norfolk council to build a £1m, 80m high turbine which would have an 800kW generation capacity.
East Anglian Daily Press 21st March 2008
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Whisky Power
A £24 MILLION plan has been unveiled in Moray to turn whisky by-products into electricity. A consortium of Scotch whisky companies are behind the proposal to create a combined heat and power (CHP) plant fuelled by biomass at Rothes.
Northern Scot 21st March 2008
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