Small Wind could provide 3.1% of electricity demand
Small domestic wind turbines could provide the UK with 3.1% of its total electricity demand, according to a new report issued by the Energy Saving Trust (EST) powering as many as 800,000 homes. Figures produced by the EST indicated that while houses in built-up urban areas are not ideal candidates for wind power, there are 450,000 locations in the UK where turbines could justify their costs.
Photo: A Renewable Devices Swift Turbine installed in a rural setting on a wooden pole.
week ending 10 July 2009
Community Action
A fundamental behavioural change will be required of communities across the UK if legally binding targets on carbon dioxide emissions are to be met. Speaking at the launch of the Energy Saving Trust’s (EST) new Green Communities scheme, climate change minister Joan Ruddock said that community action is vital in motivating villages, towns and cities to embrace a low-carbon future.
Low Carbon Economy 10th July 2009 more >>
Anaerobic Funding
HARPER Adams will launch a new anaerobic digestion system at its Shropshire campus after winning multi-million funding. The digester will generate heat and power from farm and food waste and is projected to offset campus carbon emissions more than three times over. The university is one of three higher education institutions in England to have won a share of a pot of £10 million, set aside for ‘transformational’ projects under the new Revolving Green Fund, which was set up by the Higher Education Funding Council for England and Salix Finance.
Farmers’ Guardian 10th July 2009 more >>
Sheffield School
Seven councillors unanimously approved the proposals for a single- storey hall, including a 10m high wind turbine.
Sheffield Star 10th July 2009 more >>
Forest of Dean Turbine
STUDENTS at a Forest school are in a spin over plans for a new wind turbine on the playing fields. An application for a 17.5metre structure at Whitecross School in Lydney has been submitted to Forest of Dean District Council.
The Forester 10th July 2009 more >>
Solar Scouts
Scouts in Otley have launched a £125,000 appeal to give their base a new lease on life. The project will include an extension heated by a renewable energy and the hut’s meeting hall itself will be given a more efficient heating system that incorporates solar power.
Wharfedale Observer 10th July 2009 more >>
Croydon Turbine
With its solar panels, solar tubes and now a massive wind turbine, Virgo Fidelis is arguably Croydon’s “greenest” school. Staff and governors plan to make the popular girls-only secondary, in Central Hill, Upper Norwood, an “eco school” and make the school sustainable.
Croydon Today 10th July 2009 more >>
Solar Tower Blocks
AMBITIOUS plans to transform three crumbling 1960s tower blocks into dramatic beacons of green technology are set to be rubber-stamped this month. Giant solar panels will be installed on the towers of the Edward Woods estate, running the length of their 22 storeys, with two nine-metre wind turbines added to each roof.
London Informer 9th July 2009 more >>
Ballymena Geothermal
Ballymena could become the first town in Ireland to be powered by energy sourced from deep beneath the earth’s crust. The town is pressing ahead with plans to harness deep geothermal energy and use it to power a clean, green district heating system for the town.
Belfast Telegraph 9th July 2009 more >>
London Housing
The London Housing Design Guide draws on existing standards such as the Code for Sustainable Homes and The Mayor’s Supplementary Planning Guidance on Sustainable Design and Construction. The Guide’s vision for green housing made the following notable points: All new publicly funded homes to meet at least level 3 of the Code for Sustainable Homes; All new housing developments to provide low carbon and renewable energy generation, provided on-site where feasible.
H&V News 9th July 2009 more >>
24 Dash 9th July 2009 more >>
Peak Grants
Community groups and businesses in the Peak District have won £1,000s to develop renewable energy, organic gardening, energy efficiency and wildlife projects.
The Peak District Sustainable Development Fund has handed out grants to organisations as part of its community work. Recent grants include £41,600 to Parwich Memorial Hall Committee to help develop its new village hall with renewable energy.
Bakewell Today 9th July 2009 more >>
Small Wind
Small domestic wind turbines could provide enough clean electricity to power more than 800,000 UK homes, according to the Energy Saving Trust (EST). Previous studies have suggested that small turbines in residential areas fail to generate enough power to justify their installation. While the new work still suggests houses in dense urban areas are poor sites, it identifies 450,000 suitable domestic locations across the nation. There are currently just 2,000 such turbines. The research, which provides the most accurate picture of wind speeds in the UK yet, is available to the public via (est.org.uk) where householders can enter their postcode.
Guardian 9th July 2009 more >>
BBC 9th July 2009 more >>
BWEA Press Release 9th July 2009 more >>
Low Carbon Economy 9th July 2009 more >>
New Energy Focus 10th July 2009 more >>
The largest field test of domestic wind turbines in the UK has found that fewer locations are suitable for home installed wind turbines than previously predicted - with wind turbines in urban areas yielding particularly poor results.
Which? 9th July 2009 more >>
Small wind power is going mainstream. According to the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA), the US small wind market grew by 78% last year with many new turbines hitting the market. But more options don’t make finding the right wind power solution easy. If you are interested but not sure how to even get started, here are 9 things to know as you consider wind power.
Green by Design 9th July 2009 more >>
Turbines located in Scotland are more effective than those in the rest of the UK.
Press & Journal 10th July 2009 more >>
CHP Complexity
A complex mish-mash of UK energy policies is threatening to stall the development of combined heat and power in the UK, a top legal expert warned. Speaking at a German-British Chamber of Industry and Commerce event in London entitled ‘The Use of biomass and biogas in Combined Heat and Power Systems’, James Elwen, senior associate at law firm McGrigors, said: “There is too much strategy in the UK.” Mr Elwen went on to produce a list of 11 policies and consultations affecting CHP which included a Strategy for CHP to 2010, the Biomass Strategy, the Renewable Energy Strategy and the Carbon Energy Saving Programme.
New Energy Focus 8th July 2009 more >>
Biomass CHP
Work is set to begin on a biomass-fuelled combined heat and power (CHP) plant on the university’s campus this September which will be used as a demonstration centre to showcase the exciting work going on at Aston.
Birmingham Post 8th July 2009 more >>
Solar Campaign
A motion for solar power in the UK recently became the most supported in Parliament. 240 MPs have signed a Commons motion (EDM 689) in support of solar PV in the UK, making it the most popular Commons motion out of over 1,600 tabled to date in this Parliamentary session. The weight of MP support for the motion reflects the views of 1000s of individuals and 100s of organisations signed up to the ‘We Support Solar’ campaign.
Electrical Times 7th July 2009 more >>
Leicester – time for action
An MP has endorsed research which shows how Leicester could cut carbon dioxide emissions by 40% within 10 years. Leicester South MP Peter Soulsby is supporting research commissioned by Friends of the Earth showing how local authorities, including Leicester City Council, could meet the target by 2020 while also creating new jobs. The survey aims to find out how many jobs could be created by councils which implement green measures such as insulating homes and businesses, installing low-carbon district heating systems and fitting renewable energy sources to buildings.
Leicester Mercury 7th July 2009 more >>
Tesco Turbine
TESCO plans to build two 35ft-tall wind turbines at a superstore in south Essex. Electricity generated by the towers will be fed directly into the Tesco Extra store, at the Mayflower Retail Park, in Gardiners Link, Basildon, in a bid to cut about seven tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions a year.
Basildon Recorder 7th July 2009 more >>
Glasgow Nursery
A new nursery in the East End of Glasgow will use cutting-edge technology to make it eco-friendly. Milnbank is developing an energy-saving and efficiency programme across its 1161 properties to reduce carbon emissions by changing the attitudes of individuals and organisations towards waste reduction, energy efficiency and lifestyle. It has designed a carbon-reduction programme for the new nursery to save 40% of carbon produced during construction and 80% in running costs. An electric mini-bus, powered by renewable energy from the building, will be used to pick up and drop off children across the neighbourhood. The service will also be extended to members of the local community.
Herald 6th July 2009 more >>
Glasgow Evening Times 6th July 2009 more >>
24 Dash 7th July 2009 more >>
Best practice in harnessing microgeneration technologies
There is wide variability in the attractiveness of individual microgeneration technologies and subsidy support schemes. Solar photovoltaic shows very low levels of uptake in the absence of strong capital or energy-based support subsidies. Solar thermal accounts for the majority of all microgeneration kits now installed in Europe, but micro-CHP is a new challenger. In a supportive policy environment, heat pumps are poised to grow rapidly and deliver meaningful energy and CO2 savings. The wide-scale uptake of micro-biomass is unlikely and could only ever be driven by subsidy policy or very high retail power prices. Without a generous ‘deemed’ feed-in tariff, micro-wind can actually be detrimental to the environment. Gas-fired micro-CHP is the most acceptable alternative to conventional heating systems, especially for mains gas users.
Live PR 4th July 2009 more >>
Ainsworth Bill
The Private Member’s bill, put forward by Conservative MP Peter Ainsworth, aims to support the development of green energy by requiring a revision of the government’s microgeneration strategy, including feed-in tariffs. The bill seeks a change to permitted development rights to remove the need for planning permission to be sought for air source heat pumps, domestic-scale wind turbines and other forms of renewable technology being installed in domestic properties. The bill now goes forward to the House of Lords.
Heating & Ventilating.net 4th July 2009 more >>
Another Tesco Turbine
Bosses at the Tesco store on East Lane, Paisley, have been given planning permission to build a new wind turbine in their car park. The turbine will stand 10.6 metres high, similar to a lamppost, and is a unique design with six aluminium blades on the rotor on a vertical axis as opposed to the more traditional horizontal axis.
Paisley Daily Express 3rd July 2009 more >>
Inverclyde Academy
The building incorporates a 50kw wind turbine (the first in the UK on a monopole tower) and a 5 sq. m Photovoltaic array to provide power to the school.
Inverclyde Council 3rd July 2009 more >>