week ending 5 December 2008
National Trust
National Trust sites at both ends of England have been able to cut back their carbon use by installing new energy saving technology with help from the National Trust’s Green Energy Fund in partnership with npower. Buildings within the Borrowdale valley, an area of spectacular Lake District landscape acquired by the National Trust throughout the 20th Century, are now sitting firmly in the 21st century following the installation of a state of the art heating system. Meanwhile, two 19th century houses located on the Isle of Wight have installed small scale renewable energy systems, reducing their carbon footprint on the island.
Green Building 4th Dec 2008 more >>
Denbighshire Renewables
FARMERS are being urged to opt for more renewable energy sources as concern about the environment grows. Denbighshire landowner Richard Williams is convinced renewables are a good investment – and he’s aiming to put his beliefs into practice. The Wrexham-based lawyer is looking at the feasibility of introducing green power onto his own estate opposite Moel Arthur, near Prion, and hopes to have new systems up and running by next year.
Daily Post 4th Dec 2008 more >>
Aylesbury funding
Up to £50,000 will be available to applicants to use for a wide range of projects, including renewable energy.
Bucks Herald 4th Dec 2008 more >>
Polystyrene walls
South Close Developments (SCD) is the only company in the North-East to specialise in construction using the revolutionary low-energy building system called ICF (insulated concrete form). It’s a dull name for an exciting idea – using interlocking polystyrene building blocks which are then filled with concrete to make a strong and well-insulated sandwich.
Hexham Courant 4th Dec 2008 more >>
Micro-CHP set for take off
Micro combined heat and power (micro-CHP) systems could be installed into 12 to 18 million homes, but the fledgling market must be careful not to “over-hype” the product, according to the head of innovation at energy giant e.on. Speaking during a debate on the future of the micro-CHP market at the Combined Heat and Power Association’s annual conference Charles Bradshaw-Smith said micro-CHP offered huge potential, but training, industry standards and installation had to be approached correctly. Expectations are mounting regarding micro-CHP with Baxi planning to make its unit commercially available in the second quarter of 2009 through a preferred supplier deal with British Gas. Around 10 other manufacturers are at advanced stages of product development.
H&V News 4th Dec 2008 more >>
Ten ways to save the planet
10 ways to save the world and includes solar energy, combined heat and power, and super-efficient homes (citing the PassivHaus movement as a leading example) alongside broader technology such as wind power, biogas stoves and electric cars.
H&V News 3rd Dec 2008 more >>
New Scientist 2nd Dec 2008 more >>
Incentives
Sarah Boyack: we need fiscal incentives for householders and businesses to improve the energy efficiency of new and existing housing stock and ensure that micro-generation technologies such as solar water heaters and mini wind turbines become widely available and used. People in England are far ahead of us. They have that power, through council tax reductions to promote area-based schemes where local authorities are able to work together to give people the insulation which will see them saving on their utility bills. We need the same opportunities in Scotland.
Scotsman 4th Dec 2008 more >>
Fenland Turbine
ELM C of E Primary School will be going green in the New Year when a wind turbine is installed on the school field. The Co-operative Green Energy for Schools scheme has given a £10,000 grant towards the £28,000 cost of the turbine, with another £14,000 coming from the Government’s Low Carbon Building Programme.
Fenland Citizen 3rd Dec 2008 more >>
Orkney Turbine
AN ISLAND community has secured a lottery windfall of more than £675,000 to help it develop green energy plans, including buying its own wind turbine. Islanders on Eday, Orkney, intend to buy a 900kW turbine to generate electricity that will be sold to the national grid.
Scotsman 3rd Dec 2008 more >>
EU Funding
Green groups have welcomed a European Commission proposal to release billions of euros of structural funding to pay for the installation of solar panels and double-glazing in homes across Europe. The Commission will on Wednesday ask member states to change funding rules to allow local authorities to use EU regional funds to pay for energy-saving measures in low-income households. Current regulations restrict funding for household energy-efficiency to the new member states in eastern Europe. Even there, EU money can only be used in communal areas of shared social housing.
FT 3rd Dec 2008 more >>
Penryn Cafe
The cafe used pioneering techniques of eco-development with wind turbines, solar panels and super insulation.
This is Cornwall 2nd Dec 2008 more >>
Inverness Turbine
AN £8000 wind turbine could be installed at Inverness’s travellers site to help cut residents’ energy bills.
Inverness Courier 2nd Dec 2008 more >>
Companies Urged to go Renewable
North East Companies are being urged to follow in the footsteps of Kincardineshire food ingredients company MacPhie who have installed as biomass boiler, and plan three turbines.
Press and Journal 1st Dec 2008 more >>
Pump Turbine
A Forest of Dean pump company is bidding to build a 37-metre wind turbine. SPP Pumps in Coleford wants to put up the turbine at its manufacturing site at the Mushet Industrial Park.
The Forester 1st Dec 2008 more >>
Council Turbine
A towering 60ft wind turbine could be installed outside a town council building to provide it with electricity. North Hykeham Town Council is looking to build a £43,000, 18.3m-tall turbine to power its offices in Fen Lane.
Lincolnshire Echo 1st Dec 2008 more >>
Sutton Sustainability
An environmental group has drawn up plans to make Sutton a model for environmental living. A draft sustainability action plan, created by BioRegional will show Sutton Council how it can improve its environmental credentials.
This is local London 1st Dec 2008 more >>
Totnes Solar Row
A ROW over a green scheme to install solar panels as part of a £6million Totnes town centre homes scheme is hotting up amid accusations of ‘eco-ignorance’. South Hams Council has just refused to pay half the £45,000 cost of installing the environmentally friendly panels in the mix of rented and private houses being built in the town centre. But now the ultra green group Transition Town Totnes has stepped in, claiming that its members have been left ‘shocked’ by the council decision.
Herald Express 1st Dec 2008 more >>
Green Building 1st Dec 2008 more >>
Eco-Village
A TEES VALLEY company is helping an entire community take a 60% lower-carbon challenge. The Energy Saving Trust, based in Billingham, has chosen Middleton-in-Teesdale as one of just four green communities in England for its Green Communities Campaign and award-winning Stokesley firm Wall Transform will join a list of contractors helping turn the community into a low-carbon zone. The project, in partnership with Community Energy Solutions (CES), will teach residents how to make their homes more energy efficient, including those living in properties with solid walls in off-gas areas. Wall Transform recently won British Board of Aggregate (BBA) accreditation for its eco-friendly wall insulator made from recycled rubber tyres.
Newcastle Evening Gazette 1st Dec 2008 more >>
Turner Report
The energy-saving policies in the report were welcomed by Philip Sellwood, chief executive of the Energy Saving Trust, who called for a long-term strategy from the Government to reduce power use. He said: “Along with a rapid rollout of Smart Meters and fixing feed-in tariffs, micro-generation will become an affordable reality. “Ongoing investment in the advice we give to householders and communities to help them make best use of the help on offer will mean that an 80 per cent reduction in household carbon emissions by 2050 is achievable.
Independent 1st Dec 2008 more >>
AECB attack
The Sustainable Building Association (AECB) has criticised The Standard Assessment Procedure (SAP) as inaccurate and says it promotes expensive technology at the expense of cheaper but more effective products. The association has predicted this will lead to at least half a billion pounds of inappropriate spending on microgeneration technologies.
H&V News 1st Dec 2008 more >>
Irish Geothermal
A spin-off of civil engineering firm Liffey Developments is spending 100 million on building a system that will use geothermal energy to provide heating and hot water to 60,000 homes. The Irish Times reports that Geothermal Energy (GT Energy) has announced that it intends developing a district heating network on Dublin’s south-side in the first project of its kind in Ireland or Britain.
Envirosolutions 1st Dec 2008 more >>
Ecotricity
Ecotricity’s plans include mini-wind turbines for domestic use, a network of wind-powered power points for electric cars, and even an electric tractor. Dale Vince’s home sounds like a showroom for sustainable energy: solar thermal panels, air-source heat pump.
Independent 30th Nov 2008 more >>
Green B&Q
The grand opening of New Malden’s flagship green store on Shannon Corner is expected to take place in January. The old New Malden and Wimbledon B&Q stores have merged to create the new, environmentally-friendly superstore. A wind turbine, the largest integrated turbine on any UK building, will generate the store’s electricity while an under-floor geothermal system will provide heating. Photovoltaic panels will convert solar energy into electricity and solar thermal water will provide heating for the toilets and coffee shop.
This is Local London 29th Nov 2008 more >>
Hydro Power
A new hydro station to power more than 1,700 homes is to be built near Crianlarich, Perthshire. The station, which will be operated by Scottish and Southern Energy, will have a capacity of 2.5 Megawatts and will be powered by the Allt Coire Chaorach.
BBC 29th Nov 2008 more >>
Microgeneration
Only £6 per household is spent on renewable energy, including micro-generation. It is estimated that less than one per cent of households have invested in micro-generation and the government’s decision to reduce the level of grants available can only make micro-generation an uneconomic option for even more households.
Natural Choices 28th Nov 2008 more >>
Dutch Micro-CHP
Eneco, GasTerra and the municipality of Ameland have announced that they will start a field test encompassing the installation of 100 micro combined heat and power systems on the island of Ameland in the Netherlands.
IStock Analyst 28th Nov 2008 more >>
Fuel cell Micro-CHP
Fuel cell specialist Ceres Power has announced that it has successfully designed and built a 1kW combined heat and power product as part of its plan to commercialise its “electro-chemical engine” micro-CHP system for households.
New Energy Focus 27th Nov 2008 more >>
H&V News 27th Nov 2008 more >>
Huntingdonshire
As part of Huntingdonshire District Council’s commitment to tackling climate change and encouraging residents to be energy efficient, the council is proposing to purchase two properties and turn them into green show homes.
Huntingdonshire District Council 27th Nov 2008 more >>