George Square CHP
Members of the Edinburgh Community Energy Co-operative visiting the Edinburgh University Combined Heat and Power Scheme.
The picture shows the CHP engine for the George Square scheme - the University’s third CHP project completed in 2005. This replaced 50-year-old steam boilers with a trigeneration system to heat and cool the George Square Campus.
week ending 27 February 2009
Scottish climb down
EMISSIONS targets for new buildings have been watered down by the Scottish Government because of the financial pressures of the economic crisis. Experts had advised Holyrood to bring in new standards for non-domestic buildings that would require carbon emissions to be
slashed by 50 per cent from 2010. However, it was announced yesterday that greenhouse gas emission would only have to be cut by 30 per cent. Green groups criticised the decision. However, the Scottish Government said pressures on developers had to be considered because of the economic crisis.
Scotsman 28th Feb 2009 more >>
Kilmarnock School
GALSTON’S new green primary and nursery school was officially opened by Scottish government minister Fiona Hyslop on Monday. Built at a cost of almost £9m, the building benefits from a range of green power generation and recycling features, including a wind turbine with a 6KW output, a 55,000 litre capacity grey water tank and solar cells with a 4.16kw output. There are also ground-source heat pumps, comprising 24x100metre-deep boreholes, with a 171kw output.
Kilmarnock Standard 27th Feb 2009 more >>
Solar price cut
Solar panel manufacture has passed a “major” milestone, according to an industry figure and scientist. First Solar has announced that it has brought the cost of producing solar modules below $1 (70p) per watt of generating capacity.
Low Carbon Economy 26th Feb 2009 more >>
Biomass Grants
Welsh renewable energy company Dulas has said it has grants funding available to help organisations switch their buildings to biomass heating systems. The firm says it can provide funding for up to 25% of the costs of wood-fuelled heating boilers, including wood chip, pellet and log-burning systems, after securing funds from a biomass capital grant scheme.
New Energy Focus 25th Feb 2009 more >>
Majority would consider solar
Householders would be influenced to buy solar panels if the feed-in tariff rate was higher than the grid electricity purchase price, new research has suggested. A survey, carried out by a graduate of the Powys-based Centre for Alternative Technology (CAT), has revealed that 90% of consumers would “consider” investing in solar photovoltaics for their homes, if the feed-in tariff was 50p per unit or above.
New Energy Focus 25th Feb 2009 more >>
Cumbrian Grants
A rural development office will open in Wigton’s Market Hall tomorrow as the base for a team working across rural north Cumbria. Six staff will be delivering an £8 million programme of grant aid, training and advice for farmers, foresters, small rural businesses and rural communities over the next four years as part of the Rural Development Programme for England (RDPE). “We will be concentrating on small grants for projects such as renewable energy installations, business expansion, new food and forestry products and sustainable, community-led tourism.”
Carlisle News and Star 24th Feb 2009 more >>
A NEW rural development programme which will deliver £8m worth of grant aid, training and advice for farmers, foresters, small rural businesses and rural communities in mid and south Cumbria was launched yesterday.
North West Evening Mail 24th Feb 2009 more >>
Doncaster Digestion
A Doncaster-based food processing firm is set to build a £12 million green energy plant in the town. Prosper De Mulder (PDM) said it has won planning permission for an anaerobic digestion plant, which will recycle food waste and process biodegradable waste to capture enough methane to produce 2mw per hour of renewable electricity, and produce
Bridlington Free Press 24th Feb 2009 more >>
Solasyphon
A Belfast plumbing and heating company has made a major breakthrough by securing an order for its innovative energy-saving solar device from an international manufacturer. Willis Renewable Energy said its Solasyphon water heating system, which was launched last year, was now to be supplied to Apricus, which is headquartered in Connecticut. The main selling point of Solasyphon is that it can be fitted to existing water heaters without expensive outlay on installing a new boiler.
Belfast Telegraph 25th Feb 2009 more >>
Welsh Plan
A new plan to lessen reliance on fossil fuels and increase the use of renewable, low-carbon energy sources in Wales emerged today from Welsh Assembly Environment Minister, Jane Davidson. It comes hard on the heels of the announcement of £26 million of new funding for anaerobic digestion and the use of strategic capital investment funding for wood energy projects in schools and hospitals. All developments hold the promise of the farming industry playing a key role in the generation of greener fuels. The new Bioenergy Action Plan for Wales aims to generate at least 5 terawatt hours of electricity – about 20 per cent of our current needs – from renewable biomass by 2020.
Farmers Guardian 24th Feb 2009 more >>
Low carbon economy 25th Feb 2009 more >>
Fuel Poverty
Failure by the UK government to place energy efficiency at the centre of its plans to tackle fuel poverty has had a negative impact, according to Consumer Focus. Jonathon Stearn, a campaigner for the organisation, has suggested that energy efficiency has been overlooked by the government as a result of changing prices.
Low Carbon Economy 24th Feb 2009 more >>
Solar Progress
The price of solar panels could fall by as much as 40 per cent by the end of the year as huge increases in polysilicon supplies lead to a sizable fall in production costs for solar panel manufacturers.
Business Green 23rd Feb 2009 more >>
Climate Progress 24th Feb 2009 more >>
Wind Dam
Wind Dam’s scalable structure is ideal for cities and means it can be used on tall buildings of varying sizes, where it can efficiently generate a large amount of energy from the smallest amount of wind – an important point for cities, where wind speeds are often lower.
This is Cornwall 23rd Feb 2009 more >>
Licence to Chill
The new polar station built on the South Pole by the International Polar Foundation, is a multi-million pound space-age building which will become the home and laboratory for scientists studying the earth’s atmosphere and piecing together information on weather and climate change. Wind Turbine manufacturer Proven Energy have installed eight windmills at the site which will power everything from kettles to laptops. The turbines are worth around £300,000.
Glasgow Evening Times 23rd Feb 2009 more >>
Doncaster Plan
CITY centre living is set to come to Doncaster as part of ambitious plans to transform a former working men’s club into apartments, with 79 eco-friendly apartments and a 6,000sq ft of offices built in two blocks near the town centre. The scheme complete with five wind turbines on the roof to supply electricity.
Doncaster Free Press 21st Feb 2009 more >>
Renewable Skills
A TRAINING course to help communities understand how they can develop their own green renewable energy systems is to take place in the north east. Community Renewable Energy (CoRE), which works with communities to set up systems, is developing the accredited course after receiving £10,000 funding from the Big Lottery’s Awards for All fund.
News Guardian 21st Feb 2009 more >>
Anaerobic Plan
In the UK, plans to build more than 1,000 anaerobic digesters to turn unwanted food and farm waste into energy and fertiliser have been unveiled. Anaerobic digesters break down organic waste naturally into a solid that can be used as fertiliser and a gas that can be burnt to generate heat and electricity.
Enviro Solutions 17th Feb 2009 more >>