week ending 11 July 2008
Glasgow East
HubSports, an environmentally friendly sports hall complete with its own wind turbine generator, gives people of all ages the chance to get active and improve their lifestyles.
Glasgow Evening Times 10th July 2008 more >>
Eco-nightclub
Welcome to Surya -- self-styled “world’s first ecological nightclub” where cyclists and walkers get free admission to a club with dancefloor so high-tech it generates its own electricity when people move on it.
Mirror 10th July 2008 more >>
Daily Mail 10th July 2008 more >>
University Footprint
Around £600,000 a £13.5m project budget will be invested in alternative energy, in solar panel and wind turbine technology. Replacing 1960s single-glazed windows and thinly insulated walls with heat efficient glazed panels will cut University heating bills and carbon emissions by reducing energy wastage, making the towers up to three times more energy efficient.
University of Derby 9th July 2008 more >>
Ipswich
Three sites in Ipswich are being earmarked for potential wind turbines under plans approved by Ipswich Borough Council’s Executive committee. The Council will invite commercial developers to consider constructing one or two wind turbines at land around Thorrington Hall, at Ravenswood (either side of the A14) and at the Bury Road park and ride site.
Ipswich Council 9th July 2008 more >>
Renewable Castle
EVERY public building in the Borders could be powered by renewable energy. Scottish Government Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth, John Swinney, made the statement after switching on a pioneering renewable energy scheme at Floors Castle near Kelso – one of the biggest tourist attractions in the region. He believes the wood-fuelled heating system unveiled is important in the country’s bid to cut carbon emissions, blamed for climate change, as well as creating local jobs.
Border Telegraph 9th July 2008 more >>
London
Mayor of London Boris Johnson has expanded the city’s Low Carbon Zone scheme, launched by his predecessor Ken Livingston. Six new zones will join the four existing projects in Barking, Wembley, Elephant and Castle and Mitcham. Work on the new zones is expected to start early next year.
Enviro Solution 9th July 2008 more >>
Companies
Hampshire-based microgeneration company Segen has acquired Lancashire firm Woosh Energy as it seeks to strengthen its operations in the north of England.
New Energy Focus 9th July 2008 more >>
Local Authorities
Over the past few years, local councils have been increasingly taking on the mantle of addressing the causes of climate change, through energy efficiency initiatives, renewable energy considerations in planning and development and even through the showcasing of eco-homes or landmark installations of wind turbines and photovoltaic panels. However, while many of these actions are successful in providing a visible commitment to environmental responsibility and broader sustainable development, the time has come for local authorities to look inwards and provide greater accountability for their own contributions to climate change.
Public Servant Daily 8th July 2008 more >>
Olympic Contract
The contract to build, finance, and operate Energy Centres for the Olympic Park and Stratford City has been awarded. Elyo, a subsidiary of SUEZ Energy Services, have won the contract and will invest more than £90m of private investment in the project. Two Energy Centres - one in the west of the Park and the other within the Stratford City development - will be built, together with around 16km of energy networks. The new infrastructure will provide an efficient power, heating and cooling system across the site for the Games and for the new buildings and communities that will develop after 2012.
London 2012 8th July 2008 more >>
Small-scale Generators
A scheme that will significantly increase the volume of renewable energy available to major energy consuming businesses has been welcomed by energy minister Malcolm Wicks. The Local Community Renewable Generation Initiative (LCRGI), launched at the Houses of Parliament last night by energy and climate risk advisory firm, Utilyx, will help increase the number of small scale generation projects in the UK by providing a framework for would-be generators, developers, investors and customers to work together.
Response Source 8th July 2008 more >>
Asda Turbine
Asda has announced public consultations on plans to build a 125m wind turbine at its distribution centre in Falkirk. The original application was turned down by councillors in December because of concerns about the potential visual impact and lack of community benefit.
BBC 8th July 2008 more >>
Meacher
A FORMER environment minister and Oldham MP is set to fit his house with air-heat pumps and a woodchip burner as the price of oil continues to rise. Oldham West and Royton MP Michael Meacher said the move is not only environmentally friendly but will prove financially sound.
The Labour MP wanted to install solar panels at his home but the house faces the wrong way.
Oldham Evening Chronicle 8th July 2008 more >>
Derry
Derry City Council services which are moving to the Waterside are to be housed in a state-of-the-art, environmentally friendly building fit for the 21st century. The building is expected to incorporate high energy efficiency standards and renewable energy technologies for lighting and heating to help cut carbon emissions by up to 20 per cent by 2020.
Derry Journal 8th July 2008 more >>
Teesdale Biomass
Detailed plans to connect up to 100 houses in Teesdale to a revolutionary Biomass district heating scheme have been unveiled.
Teesdale Mercury 8th July 2008 more >>
Welsh Permitted Development
ROOFTOP wind turbines and solar panels could become more popular on South Wales houses if a Welsh Assembly Government plan is given the go-ahead. Minister for housing and environment Jane Davidson wants to cut red tape and make it easier for homeowners to erect renewable energy sources on their properties. She believes the idea, which includes scrapping the need for planning permission, will help tackle climate change – which she dubbed “one of the greatest challenges facing the world”.
South Wales Echo 8th July 2008 more >>
Eco-home open day
A total of 14 environmentally friendly homes in Brighton and Hove were opened to the public over the weekend through the Eco open houses scheme, an event co-ordinated by the city council, Low Carbon Trust and Brighton Permaculture Trust. The idea was to inspire people to start reducing the carbon footprint of their homes through demonstrating practical steps others have taken, from simple measures such as draught-proofing to building from new.
Green Builder 7th July 2008 more >>
Essex
WORK has started to transform a former explosives factory in Pitsea into a £2.2million heritage centre. The new eco-friendly tourist attraction in Wat Tyler Country Park is due to open in 2009. It will be powered by renewable energy and include green features such as rainwater recycling.
Essex Echo 7th July 2008 more >>
Oswestry Renewables
COMMUNITIES in Oswestry’s Rural Regeneration Zone now have access to funding of more than £750,000 to develop renewable energy schemes. The Zone, initially set up by Advantage West Midlands to tackle issues in the rural Midlands, last week launched Co-operative FiRE, a £780,000 rolling fund to encourage communities to develop schemes which involve renewable energy.
Border Counties Advertizer 7th July 2008 more >>
Ipswich Pioneers
FOUR giant wind turbines are in the pipeline for Ipswich as part of a bid to make the town an eco-pioneer. At a total cost of up to £6million, the giant structures will stand at key entrances to Ipswich.
East Anglian Daily Times 7th July 2008 more >>
Evening Star 5th July 2008 more >>
Blackburn Turbine
A MAN is bidding to beat spiralling energy costs after installing a wind turbine at his Blackburn home to generate his own electricty. The internet entrepreneur is testing out the technology on his own home, before implementing his plans to build a new business installing them in other houses. He said he had received no complaints from his neighbours, and that he had not applied for planning consent because the government is expected to scrap the need for permission for home green-energy sources. But the council said that he would have to submit a planning application to keep the turbine as the government had not acted yet.
Lancashire Telegraph 6th July 2008 more >>
School Turbine
COUNCIL planners have given the thumbs-up for a wind turbine at a Portland school. But they want a review in two years’ time to be sure that noise by the turbine does not cause a problem for people living nearby.
Dorset Echo 6th July 2008 more >>
Hartlepool Tesco
Tesco has applied for permission to build a on-site 30ft high wind turbine to power a substantial part of its Hartlepool store. The company said that electricity generated by the six kilowatt machine, to be built in the store’s car park, will be fed into the store to reduce its consumption and its carbon footprint.
Hartlepool Mail 4th July 2008 more >>
Billingham Renewable Growth
ACCELERATING demand for small-scale renewable energy installations has driven a five-fold increase in turnover and doubled staff in only 12 months at Billingham-based AAG Swepco, which said it would see sales of almost £7m this year. The company, which has its headquarters on Teesside and specialises in renewable power installations in public buildings, put the spectacular growth down to tougher green regulations governing construction in the public sector, but said householders needed bigger financial incentives to switch to low-carbon systems, which can cost up to £11,000.
Newcastle Evening Gazette 4th July 2008 more >>