News Archive

week ending 18 July 2008

 

Office Quick Fixes

The government should reduce the carbon footprint of commercial buildings through a series of “quick wins”, such as switching off electrical equipment, before providing tax breaks for green refurbishment, a report says. The Greening UK Cities’ Buildings report, compiled by the All Party Urban Development Group (APUDG), will disappoint sustainability consultants and fit-out firms that expect to benefit from the incentivisation of green retrofitting. The report says that although incentives for retrofitting existing buildings were attractive in the medium to long term, the highest priority should be for users to achieve carbon cuts by turning off equipment and lights “at almost no cost”.

Building 18th July 2008 more >>

Builders attack

Housebuilders will not be able to build zero-carbon homes without a major change in government energy policy, housebuilders have told ministers. Builders alone can reach only Code levels three to four through more efficient buildings, says the Home Builders Federation. There should be a presumption that energy would be produced off-site “unless it is economically viable to do so on-site”.

Building 18th July 2008 more >>

Government Efforts

Despite planning and structural constraints, many government departments are making good progress in adapting their buildings to climate change. Report on Whitehall’s efforts to set the standard. Central government’s adoption of new technologies could foster a cultural change that will create wider positive change. Jane Vaus of the Micropower Council believes that the widespread spectacle of wind turbines and solar panels on government property would accelerate public acceptance of microgeneration. “There is no doubt that government leading by example would help,” she said. “However, even government has difficulty in putting up this kit, and problems with planning applications. Everybody is keen but there are still a lot of obstacles to overcome.”

Whitehall & Westminster World 18th July 2008 more >>

Biogas Boost

Fifty senior industry and NGO executives met Defra ministers today to discuss multi-million pound plans to make greater use of anaerobic digestion - the technology which produces energy from organic material like food waste and manure. The meeting heard that the process could produce enough electricity to power two million homes.

eGov Monitor 17th July 2008 more >>

Business Green 17th July 2008 more >>

Halifax Development

COUNCILLORS have given the go-ahead for council offices and a hotel to be included in the Broad Street development. The planning committee approved revised plans for the project on the condition that developers Miller Gregory Halifax Ltd incorporate renewable energy sources.

Halifax Evening Chronicle 17th July 2008 more >>

Tipping at Windmills

A 12-metre wind turbine at Lake View Primary School in Rainworth has been officially switched on by Sherwood MP Paddy Tipping.

Nottingham Evening Post 17th July 2008 more >>

Edinburgh put off microgen by high cost

FOUR out of five households in the Capital put off installing renewable energy sources because of perceived cost, according to a new survey. The Energy Saving Trust in Scotland carried out the research to encourage more Scots to apply for grants to help meet the cost of installing renewable sources. Edinburgh residents would install more wind turbines and solar panels at home if they knew it would lead to lower fuel bills.

Edinburgh Evening News 17th July 2008 more >>

Zero Carbon Schools

The Government’s Zero Carbon Task Force for schools has today launched a major call for evidence consultation. Ministers announced last December a long-term ambition for all new school buildings in England to produce no carbon emissions at all from their day-to-day use by 2016.

Department for Children, Schools and Families 16th July 2008 more >>

North East Grants

Businesses in Teeside and the North East of England have been offered the opportunity to apply for ‘green’ grants. Regional development agency One NorthEast, has a budget of around £40m available to assist local organisations in buying and installing renewable energy technologies. This includes technology such as micro-wind turbines, solar panels, ground source heat pumps and biomass.

QCK 16th July 2008 more >>

Leicestershire Hydro

Keith and Clare Goodwin have installed a hydro-electric turbine at a mill by their home in Bilstone, near Twycross. The device will draw power from the River Sence, which then feeds into their cottage and the mill, which has been converted into a second house on their land. The project is costing the couple £50,000. However, they hope to make money by selling surplus energy to the National Grid.

Leicester Mercury 16th July 2008 more >>

School Funding

Britain has also earmarked 110 million pounds for installing renewable energy technology in more than 200 secondary schools undergoing refurbishment over the next three years.Under a separate low carbon building programme, organisations can apply for government subsidies covering up to half the installation cost of renewable energy sources like solar panels and wind turbines.

Daily Mirror 16th July 2008 more >>

NB British Gas advertising solar panels for schools at www.generationgreen.co.uk

Islington Fund

A YEAR after Islington became the first borough in the country to launch a £3million fund to help combat climate change, more than 50 eco-friendly projects have been given the green light. Across Islington’s six square miles, solar panels, wind turbines and biomass boilers are being installed on houses, schools and businesses - meaning that Islington is set to save 400 tonnes in carbon dioxide emissions and £300,000 in electricity bills every year.

Islington Gazette 16th July 2008 more >>

Micro-Power Price a Turn-off in Glasgow

ALMOST half of Glasgow’s householders won’t install wind turbines or solar panels at home because they think they are too expensive. And in a survey of more than 1000 people, 46% said they would like “financial incentives” before installing renewable technologies to help power their homes. The research by the Energy Saving Trust in Scotland also showed just 47% of people in the city would go for a renewable technology if they knew it would lead to paying less for gas and electricity, compared to a Scottish average of 65%.

Glasgow Evening Times 16th July 2008 more >>

Eco-town loophole

Homes in “ecotowns” could generate more pollution than most existing properties because of a loophole in the plans announced by ministers. Caroline Flint, the housing minister, has said all ecohomes will have to meet at least “code level 3” of the building regulations, which reduces the maximum carbon emissions from new homes by about one quarter compared to the current standard. However the level 3 rules allow developers who build homes with electric heating a higher cap on greenhouse gas emissions than if gas heating is used. The means money can be saved on the measures needed to reduce emissions, a loophole already being exploited according to experts.

Guardian 16th July 2008 more >>

Inverness willing to switch

A survey has found most households in Inverness would install devices to harness sources of renewable power, but believe they cannot afford to do so. The Energy Saving Trust in Scotland said 88% of Inverness residents it surveyed were in favour of having solar, wind or ground heating fitted. This figure compared to a Scottish average of 65%. However, 94% of those from the Highland capital taking part in the study thought it would be too expensive.

BBC 16th July 2008 more >>

Dundee surveyed

ALMOST HALF of Dundee residents would install more renewable technologies on their homes if they knew it would lead to lower fuel bills, according to research released today. In the survey of 1056 people in Scotland, 44% of Dundee residents said they would install a renewable technology such as wind turbines and solar panels if they knew it would lead to paying less for gas and electricity. Although, the findings also showed that 45% of people living in Dundee are put off from installing solar, wind, air and ground source power because they think it is too expensive.

Dundee Courier 16th July 2008 more >>

A growing number of Scots are discovering renewable energy systems such as solar panels and ground source heat pumps (GSHP) which have found their way into nearly 3000 Scottish homes - and they look set to take off in an even bigger way, as the Scottish Government presses ahead with a grant scheme to help roll the technology out across the country.

Herald 16th July 2008 more >>

MPs criticise green building policy

In a report due to be published tomorrow 46 MPs will criticise the government’s supposedly ‘green’ building policies as ignoring the real issues in favour of easy headlines. The first report into the environmental impact of offices, shops and factories says that instead of focusing on making new buildings ‘zero carbon’, the government’s focus must shift to existing buildings, which make up 99 per cent of the current problem.

Green Building 15th July 2008 more >>

Eco-Prince

With the controversy over the government’s plans for eco-towns, Prince Charles’ plans are also models for how to build communities that really are sustainable, rather than having sustainability bolted on as a political gimmick.

Telegraph 15th July 2008 more >>

Independent 16th July 2008 more >>

Zero-Carbon Scotland

Houses would all be insulated to the highest level, and heating and power would be provided by clean home energy kit such as solar panels, wind turbines, ground-source heat pumps and biomass boilers.

Scotsman 15th July 2008 more >>

East Midlands Exhibition

Groups and companies from across the East Midlands are being invited to take part in a major environmental showcase. The East Midlands Regional Assembly is staging EXPO 2008, Acting on Climate Change, on November 19. It is a free event, open to all, to promote a low-carbon economy and help people network with experts in the field. It incorporates a range of green technologies, including rainwater harvesting, a green roof and renewable energy.

Nottingham Evening Post 14th July 2008 more >>

Mansfield School

A Mansfield School hopes to reduce its carbon emissions by up to 2.7 tonnes a year by using a 12-metre high wind turbine. It has also received a display unit that shows pupils how much energy is being generated, all courtesy of energy company E.ON.

Nottingham Evening Post 14th July 2008 more >>

Hull School

A new £4.3m eco-friendly primary school has been opened in north Hull. The school has been built with the environment in mind and includes ground-source heating and recycled rainwater. The lights and taps in the building all turn on and off automatically. The school will also be the first in the country to have two wind turbines powering it.

Green Building 14th July 2008 more >>

Anaerobic Digestion

Councils in Wales are being urged to turn food waste into energy and use anaerobic digestion (AD) technology. Speaking at conference in Cardiff (July 10) the Minister for Environment, Sustainability and Housing, Jane Davidson, said a new approach was needed to see waste as a valuable resource rather than something that needed to be disposed of as cheaply as possible.

Recycling and Waste Management News 14th July 2008 more >>

Daily Post 15th July 2008 more >>

Ipswich Turbines

A £6m project which will see Ipswich surrounded by four giant wind turbines has moved a step closer. The scheme, which features 125m-high structures, has been backed by Ipswich Borough Council, who have also agreed on three preferred development sites.

Banbury Guardian 14th July 2008 more >>

Eco-towns Swedish-style

Just 20 minutes by bus, tram or free ferry from the centre of Stockholm lies Hammarby, an eco-town of 10,000 homes that has become a favourite destination of government ministers and advisers keen to learn what makes a truly green settlement tick.

Observer 13th July 2008 more >>

Glyndebourne

The communities and local government secretary, Hazel Blears, yesterday ruled in favour of the Sussex opera house in its long battle to put up a 70-metre-high turbine on the South Downs. The £750,000 turbine, it says, will supply the opera house with clean renewable energy and reduce its carbon emissions by 70%.

Guardian 12th July 2008 more >>

Battersea Power Station

Hundreds of people took the chance to take a peek inside Battersea Power Station on a series of walking tours organised by the building’s developers, Treasury Holdings. The company recently unveiled a plan to make the area home to 7,000 people as part of a £150million revamp which would see a hotel and shops also built on the site. The plan also includes proposals for a renewable energy centre, public park and riverside walk.

South London Press 11th July 2008 more >>

Biomass CHP

Villagers turned out in force to see the unveiling of plans for a biomass CHP scheme in Middleton-in-Teesdale.

Teesdale Mercury 11th July 2008 more >>

Kings Cross Nightclub

Special features include a wind turbine and a unique dance floor - which when used by clubbers generates part of the club’s energy requirements.

London Paper 11th July 2008 more >>

Cockermouth Eco-School

HUNDREDS of people turned out at Cockermouth School on Wednesday for the opening of the town’s pioneering Eco Centre, the first of its kind in the country. The Mike Wilde Eco Centre was opened by Jim Knight MP, Minister for Schools. A wind turbine provides energy for lighting and supplementary heating if required, which reduces running costs.

Cumbrian Times and Star 11th July 2008 more >>

Arun Advice

A scheme to promote solar energy for homes and businesses is being promoted with Arun District Council’s prize from a green energy award. The council collected £15,000 for being the runner-up in the Ashden Awards for sustainable energy to recognise its existing work. These efforts will be boosted by the prize money being spent on a renewable energy support service.

Mid-Sussex Times 10th July 2008 more >>

Sustainable Building Association

AECB says the requirement for on-site generation, as currently defined, is not feasible and will cause the government`s zero carbon strategy to fail. Far too much emphasis is being placed on renewable energy supply. More effort is needed to reduce energy demand; e.g., by improving building design through insulation, draught proofing, passive solar and day lighting. More CO2 would be saved by improving the building envelope and using waste heat from the UK`s gas power stations (CHP) on existing and new urban buildings.

Property People Portal 9th July 2008 more >>

Edinburgh Community Energy Co-operative

Mark Lazarowicz MP has helped set up the Edinburgh Community Energy Cooperative, which is now carrying out a study in the possible benefits of renewable energy for parts of North Edinburgh. There will be a meeting for the local community later in the summer (Saturday 23 August, in Granton Youth Centre at 11am), but if you would like more details in the meantime, visit the website at www.edinburghcommunityenergy.btik.com

North Edinburgh News July 2008 more >>

Proven Turbine in Glasgow East

Community centre in Easterhouse benefits from renewable energy initiative.Two 15-metre tall wind turbines have been installed at the Glenburn Centre in Glenburnie Place. The

turbines will supply renewable electricity to the centre, which is also home to the Easthall Park Housing Co-operative offices.

Glasgow Housing Association Magazine June/July 2008 more >>

 

« newer older »