week ending 20 March 2009
Renewable Scottish Heat
Renewable heat developments could lead to the creation of 2,000 jobs in Scotland, according to a new report. The IPA Economics study, commissioned by Scottish Renewables, has highlighted the potential benefits of the country’s green heat sector. If Scotland is to meet its target of generating 11 percent of its heat requirements from renewable sources by 2020, an investment of £2.5 billion will be needed in the sector.
Low Carbon Economy 19th Mar 2009 more >>
Irish feed-in tariff
Energy Minister Eamon Ryan today announced measures to encourage the on-site generation of electricity in homes and farms across Ireland. Among the measures is a guaranteed price of 19 cent per kilowatt hour of electricity produced. This competitive feed-in tariff will apply to the first 4,000 micro-generation installations countrywide over the next three years. Eligible installations include small scale wind, photovoltaic, hydro and combined heat and power.
EGov Monitor 19th Mar 2009 more >>
More Tesco Turbines
BOSSES at Tesco have revealed plans for two wind turbines at their Chesterfield Road South store in Mansfield just weeks after two were approved for their Oak Tree Lane supermarket.
Mansfield Chad 19th Mar 2009 more >>
Solar Community
A community hall in Cam is being fitted with nearly 80 solar panels which will generate all of the electricity used by the building. Installers are currently fitting the solar energy system on the roof of the Arthur S Winterbotham Memorial Hall. In a few more days the scaffolding will come down and the wraps will come off as the equipment is ready to be switched on.
Stroud Life 19th Mar 2009 more >>
Merton Rule
Merton Council welcomed members from the Spanish Federation of Local Authorities (FEMP) to the borough yesterday (Tuesday 17 March) to share with them the merits of the Merton Rule and the future of monitoring and researching carbon dioxide emissions. Representatives from Madrid, Catalonia, San Sebastian and Valladolid were keen to visit Merton, home of the renewable energy planning policy the Merton Rule, to find out more about Merton’s green initiatives, the practicalities of the Merton Rule and what the future is for reducing carbon emissions in the built environment.
Merton Council 18th Mar 2009 more >>
Baillieston Solar
ST Bridget’s Primary in Baillieston is set to become one of the greenest schools in Scotland after installing solar panels. The funding for the £20,000 panels came from a Co-operative grant, as part of the firm’s Green Energy for Schools scheme. Leading solar energy company Solarcentury will install the panels, which will generate renewable electricity and reduce the school’s reliance on fossil fuels.
Aidrie and Coatbridge Advertiser 18th Mar 2009 more >>
Stiebel Eltron
GREEN energy specialist Stiebel Eltron has achieved sales of £5m in its first year of operation in Wirral. The German company opened a base in February, 2008, to provide products for systems like air conditioning and central heating.
Liverpool Daily Post 18th Mar 2009 more >>
Renewable Village Hall
BRANSCOMBE Village Hall will soon have a new heating system. It has been successful in its application to the Low Carbon Buildings Programme Phase 2 for a £37,500 grant - which will go towards the installation of an environmentally friendly ground source heat pump and photovoltaics. The committee has also been promised a £30,000 grant by EDF Energy.
Sidmouth Herald 18th Mar 2009 more >>
Oldham Eco-homes
AN eco-friendly housing development in Oldham has scooped its first award. The 23 new homes iwhich feature wind turbines and extra insulation have been named the Best Brownfield Site at the Daily Telegraph Your New Home awards.
Oldham Evening Chronicle 18th Mar 2009 more >>
Welsh plan to tackle fuel poverty
New plans to tackle fuel poverty and reduce carbon emissions have been announced in Wales. Environment minister Jane Davidson has revealed a scheme to provide support for those living in fuel poverty, which will run alongside the Welsh Assembly’s ongoing commitment to improve energy efficiency across the board. Designed to help low-income households save energy, the new plan will see changes made to the Home Energy Efficiency Scheme.
Low Carbon Economy 17th Mar 2009 more >>
Merton City Farm
A community farm in Merton Abbey has installed a new wind turbine, solar power and a boiler fuelled by locally sourced wood to generate green energy for the farm.
Deen City Farm, in Windsor Avenue, is reducing its impact on the environment using three renewable energy technologies to provide heating and power electrical equipment. The project will save the emission of about 10 tonnes of carbon dioxide every year.
The project was launched with a farm tour with children from Merton Abbey Primary School to explain the renewable energy systems, followed by a ribbon-cutting ceremony by Councillor John Dehaney of Merton Council.
EDF Energy 17th Mar 2009 more >>
Anaerobic Digestion
With a spate of announcements on anaerobic digestion (AD) – from supermarkets using the biological process to handle their organic waste to the building of a national AD biogas network - something seems to be exercising decision makers. Are those bacteria that digest food waste at last going to be harnessed to their full potential? Dr Michael Gell examines the potential for AD to kick-start the building of an integrated biowaste infrastructure and to become one of the star technologies feeding energy into a renewables supergrid.
Climate Change Corp 17th Mar 2009 more >>
British Gas Funding
Green Streets Two will fund community schemes to increase energy efficiency or generate renewable power. Two million pounds will be up for grabs for energy and infrastructure consultants as part of the next slice of British Gas’ influential Green Streets scheme. Green Streets Two will encourage community groups to bid for the funding to spend on ideas to increase energy efficiency or generate renewable power in their area.
Building 17th Mar 2009 more >>
Doctors’ Turbine
A CONTROVERSIAL wind turbine has been given the go-ahead to power a Sheffield health centre. Planning councillors granted the application for the turbine at Birley Moor by five votes to two with one abstention – despite opposition from residents including a petition containing more than 100 signatures.
Sheffield Star 17th Mar 2009 more >>
Gloucestershire Turbines
A CONTROVERSIAL planning application for two 20-metre high wind turbines looks set to finally be approved this week. Planning bosses at South Gloucestershire Council will be making a decision on the application to build two wind turbines within the grounds of Almondsbury Sports and Social Club, near junction 16 of the M5 motorway.
South Gloucestershire Gazette 17th Mar 2009 more >>
Solar Grants
The government ran into a storm of criticism yesterday after quietly closing its grant programme for solar energy last week, which campaigners said made a mockery of its commitment to build a low-carbon economy.
Guardian 17th Mar 2009 more >>
Edinburgh Waterfront, etc
Forth Ports said its strategic joint venture with Scottish & Southern Energy to build renewable energy plants on its sites would create another platform for long-term growth.
Herald 17th Mar 2009 more >>
Cumbria Plan
CUMBRIA is commited to doing its bit to help avoid catastrophic climate change following the signing of an emissions reduction commitment. Cumbria Strategic Partnership (CSP) are signing the Cumbrian Climate Change Commitment - which combines the county’s climate change strategy as well as action plans that make 146 recommendations for cutting emissions in Cumbria. Recommendations include making buildings more energy efficient, improving public transport and boosting renewable energy production.
Westmorland Gazette 16th Mar 2009 more >>
Derby Deal
A NEW energy-saving advice centre aims to help cut carbon dioxide emissions in Derbyshire by 80%over the next four decades. The centre, which has been paid for by the Energy Saving Trust, will give councils, housing associations, businesses and transport bodies information on how to reduce their carbon footprints.
Derby Evening Telegraph 16th Mar 2009 more >>
Hull Plan
Hull City Council will put climate change and how the city should respond to global challenges at the top of its agenda when it stages a renewable energy seminar. More than 150 delegates from around the region are to attend the event, being run by the Council on 17th March.
Hull City Council 16th Mar 2009 more >>
This week’s Tesco Turbine
A WIND turbine could go up in Tesco’s car park in Richmond Drive, Skegness, if permission is granted.
Skegness Standard 16th Mar 2009 more >>
Wigan Canal Hydro Plan
British Waterways has announced a £120m partnership with The Small Hydro Company to use its 2,200-mile waterway network to generate more environmentally friendly energy – and the famous Wigan Flight is believed to be a target for the plans.
Wigan Evening Post 16th Mar 2009 more >>
Micro-CHP is go
The biannual ISH (Heating & Plumbing) exhibition in Frankfurt is the largest of its kind in Europe so boiler manufacturers and everyone else in the heating industry tend to use it as a platform to launch their new products for the next couple of years. It is also something of a barometer of the state both of individual companies and individual technologies. In which case, the sheer number of micro CHP products on show should mean that it is all about to happen. All the major boiler companies had micro CHP products on their stands.
Microchap 15th Mar 2009 more >>
Small Hydro for Lakes
UP to 50 hydro-electric schemes could be installed across the Lake District. The Lake District National Park Authority has commissioned a feasibility study to look for potential sites.
North West Evening Mail 14th Mar 2009 more >>
North West Evening Mail 17th Mar 2009 more >>
Prison Turbine
A microgeneration wind turbine will help to power the kitchens of a prison on the Isle of Wight. The 19-metre turbine at Parkhurst Prison has the capacity to generate 15 kilowatts of electricity, reports the Isle of Wight County Press.
DEA Direct 13th Mar 2009 more >>
East Midlands Plan
The latest version of the East Midlands Regional Spatial Strategy (RSS) focusses on low carbon energy generation through the use of renewable electricity and combined heat and power (CHP) plants.
New Civil Engineer 13th Mar 2009 more >>
McCain chips away
Chip-maker McCain wants to extend its investment in renewables, but may be hampered in doing so by ‘nimbyism’, its Corporate Affairs Director said. At its Whittlesey plant near Peterborough, the company is already providing 70 per cent of one factory’s emissions’ needs through renewable power. Some 60 per cent comes from three 3MW wind turbines installed in 2007, while a further 10 per cent of power comes from an anaerobic digestion pool which was opened last year. The £15m pool was opened in 2008 and produces biogas from the factory’s waste water. The water passes through it over a period of 27 days, fermenting and producing methane. The methane is harnessed, drawn off and used to fuel a gas-powered electrical generator.
Enviro Solutions 12th Mar 2009 more >>
Diss Turbine Plan
A village hall has moved a step closer to becoming more environmentally friendly after being shortlisted in a regional competition. Palgrave Community Centre, near Diss, is in line to receive thousands of pounds of funding as part of the East of England Development Agency’s (Eeda) Cut Your Carbon contest. Villagers in Palgrave applied for just under £60,000 from Eeda to erect an 11kw wind turbine at their community centre.
Diss Mercury 10th Mar 2009 more >>
Windsave Progress
Livingston-based company to supply 40,000 turbines to South Africa and save money for local councils. Windsave will install mini wind turbines on top of street lights, which will provide power to the national grid. In addition, the company has just signed a £19million deal with the South African government to supply thousands of turbines there, creating 100 new jobs in West Lothian. Around 300 people currently work at Windsave’s partner company’s Livingston factory. The first of the turbines bound for South africa will be shipped out next month.
Talent Scotland 9th Mar 2009 more >>
Certification
A heat pump supplier has become the 200th microgeneration installer to be approved under the Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS).
DEA Direct 4th Mar 2009 more >>
2,000th Proven
Small-wind turbine manufacturer Proven Energy reached a milestone yesterday as it installed its 2,000th wind turbine at a secondary school in north Norfolk. The 6kW turbine was installed by Lincolnshire-based Gladwood (BCS) at Sheringham High School during the February half term.
New Energy Focus 3rd Mar 2009 more >>