week ending 18 June 2010
Scottish Wood
Forest businesses have welcomed the Scottish Government’s acknowledgement that wood has a huge role to play in the move towards a low-carbon economy, and in particular producing renewable heat.
New Energy Focus 18th June 2010 more >>
South Wales AD
A POWER plant fuelled by farmyard waste has been met with a sniff of disapproval by village councillors. The anaerobic digester, which produces biogas from animal poo, is proposed for Kittle Hill Dairy Farm in Gower. Plans include four digester tanks, a storage tank, a waste reception building, two weighbridges, gas engine units, a transformer, car park, and an education centre. But the scheme has caused concern among Gower residents which was echoed by members of Pennard Community Council.
South Wales Evening Post 17th June 2010 more >>
CO2 Sense Yorkshire
CO2Sense Yorkshire, the Yorkshire Forward-funded low carbon consultancy organisation, has launched the free initiative in a bid to encourage companies to come together to share advice and evidence of good environmental practices. More than 20 networks have already been established in areas such as anaerobic digestion, carbon capture and storage, improving resource efficiency, and renewable energy.
Green Grants Machine 17th June 2010 more >>
Scottish Biomass Grants
A final application round of the £3.3 million Scottish Biomass Heat Scheme has been launched. Through the Scottish Government-backed fund, SMEs can grab grants worth up to £100,000 to cover 50% of the capital cost towards installing a new biomass heating system. This final application window is available to organisations that are ineligible for funding through the Scottish Rural Development Plan (SRDP) and Community and Renewable Energy Scheme (CARES).
Green Grants Machine 17th June 2010 more >>
Welsh solar island
A three-year project to improve facilities on the bird sanctuary of Skomer island is being officially launched by the first minister. The power for the buildings is all being provided by solar panels and wind turbines.
BBC 17th June 2010 more >>
Solar Durham
County Durham glass processor Romag has been awarded a £10.2 million contract to supply micro-renewables distribution company Community Energy Solutions (CES) with 2000 solar PV systems for distribution around the North East, Yorkshire and Humberside.
New Energy Focus 16th June 2010 more >>
PVs are go
Solar photovoltaic (PV) technology has already made a huge impact in some European countries, particularly Belgium, Italy and Germany. Since 2002, the European solar PV market has grown by 48% each year, making it the fastest growing energy technology. But as the forthcoming UK PV conference will highlight, there is now a solid business foundation for solar PV in the UK too: Feed-in Tariffs (FiTs).
New Energy Focus 16th June 2010 more >>
Blackpool AD
A BLACKPOOL firm’s dream of bringing about a “rural energy revolution” has taken a huge step forward. The new AD plants use crops from fields surrounding the participating farms to create biogas which is then used to generate electricity. It aims to initially supply power to its customers in North Cumbria.
Blackpool Gazette 16th June 2010 more >>
Solar PV Conference
Solarplaza has confirmed the speaker programme for the UK PV Conference, and can now offer a sneak preview of the solar industry event, which will take place in London on June 22 2010. Conference participants can expect a range of new perspectives on the UK solar industry, which is set for substantial growth in the wake of the feed-in tariffs (FITs) introduced on April 1 2010. The prestigious line-up of speakers includes internationally renowned solar energy experts Hermann Scheer and Jeremy Leggett.
Electrical Times 16th June 2010 more >>
AD Trade Show
UK AD & Biogas 2010 is the first ever trade show in the UK focusing solely on anaerobic digestion and biogas and will open its doors on 7-8 July this year at the NEC in Birmingham.
Edie 16th June 2010 more >>
Zero Carbon Britain
Britain could cut greenhouse gas emissions to zero in 20 years, creating new jobs in the process, if a range of controversial measures are introduced - including a call for an 80pc reduction in livestock numbers.
Eastern Daily Press 16th June 2010 more >>
The vision of Zero Carbon Britain in 2030 is set out in a report published today by the Centre for Alternative Technology (CAT), and backed by organisations including four universities and the Met Office, and experts including Sir John Haughton, former co-chair of the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. In just two decades it claims the nation can eliminate greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to 637m tonnes of carbon dioxide in 2007. Ninety percent of this would be achieved by eliminating the most wasteful uses of energy, increasing renewable electricity and heating, and transforming land use and farming. The remaining 10% or 67m tonnes would be “offset” by capturing the equivalent emissions from the atmosphere by growing willow, ash, pine, oak and other trees on land freed up by almost abolishing animal grazing. Despite setting more ambitious timetables than demanded of Britain, the pace and scale of transition is “entirely possible”, said Viki Johnson of the New Economics Foundation and one of the report’s authors. “The solutions exist, what has been missing to date is the political will to implement them.”
Guardian 16th June 2010 more >>
ITN 16th June 2010 more >>
Greenwise Business 16th June 2010 more >>
24Dash 16th June 2010 more >>
Liverpool Daily Post 16th June 2010 more >>
The Advertiser 16th June 2010 more >>
Low Carbon Economy 16th June 2010 more >>
Bristol Evening Post 17th June 2010 more >>
Download the report here: http://www.zcb2030.org/
Audio of presentation to Transition Town Network.
Indy Media 14th June 2010 more >>
Zero Carbon Housing
The vast majority of people in the UK’s property sector are sceptical about the industry’s ability to achieve demanding government targets requiring all new homes to meet zero-carbon standards by 2016. That is the conclusion of a major new survey of 7,000 people from across the property and construction sectors, which found that 76 per cent regarded the government’s zero-carbon home target as “unrealistic”.
Business Green 15th June 2010 more >>
Eco-Accrington
NEW eco-classroom is to be built at a school in Hyndburn complete with grass roof and powered by a wind turbine. The new facility, which will be paid for in part by a £25,000 grant, will be built at the new Accrington Academy next to a pond, separate from the main building in Queen’s Road West.
This is Lancashire 15th June 2010 more >>
Solar Cooling
The blueprint for a clever new system that can provide homes with both space heating and air conditioning from a low-cost thermal energy source has been unveiled by the award-winning new product development team at Industrial Design Consultancy Ltd. (IDC). The unique system is powered from solar thermal panels and uses jet-pump technology to deliver cooling during sunny periods. The company and its partners are now seeking investors to turn the prototype into a commercially available product which is estimated to save the average consumer over £650* per year in energy bills, and cut annual carbon output by 2*tonnes.
British Design Innovation 15th June 2010 more >>
Microgeneration Installation
Renewable energy systems provider and installer, Microgeneration Limited, has acquired building engineering services company, H W Smith & Son (Contracting) Limited, to create a “one stop shop” service for customers to have access to qualified advisors on the most suitable renewable energy solution for their premises, through to installation and support.
New Energy Focus 15th June 2010 more >>
Scottish Biomass
The Forestry Commission Scotland has launched a series of energy forestry trials to help maximise Scotland’s capacity to generate renewable energy from woodfuel. Five sites in Scotland will run pilots for a period of 20 years to help provide landowners and managers with information to help them establish successful woodfuel supply businesses.
New Energy Focus 15th June 2010 more >>
Local Authorities
The Renewable Energy Association (REA) has claimed that giving local authorities the power to sell the renewable electricity they generate would be a positive step to overcoming planning permission hurdles. These comments came in response to a joint Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) and Welsh Assembly Government (WAG) consultation, entitled ‘Allowing Local Authorities to Sell Electricity: consultation on making regulations under The Local Government Act 1976 and The Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973’, which proposed permitting local authorities to develop and sell renewable electricity and heat.
New Energy Focus 15th June 2010 more >>
Huddersfield School
The new £7.4m school, which opened in November last year, includes features such as solar panels, a wind turbine and a system to recycle water.
Huddersfield Examiner 15th june 2010 more >>
Small wind and radar
VITAL RADAR systems at airfields such as RAF Leuchars could suffer interference if people are allowed to put up domestic wind turbines, the Ministry of Defence has warned. It has told the Scottish Government that its proposals to make it easier to install power generation equipment are risky as the maximum size of the blades is almost 40% too big.
Dundee Courier 15th June 2010 more >>
Energy Efficient Fast Food
A new energy efficient fast food restaurant in Wagh usel, Germany, uses renewable energy sources to supply a third of its power. Burger King made a pioneering step Monday by opening its first energy efficient restaurant. Located in Wagh usel, a town in southwestern Germany, the new restaurant was developed in conjunction with Wirsol Solar AG which utilized state-of-the-art technology and renewable energy sources in order to supply a third of the power needed by the restaurant.
Independent 15th June 2010 more >>
Welsh Planning Policy
Updated national planning policy with an increased focus on tackling climate change has been unveiled by Welsh environment minister Jane Davidson. The minister has launched the second edition of Planning Policy Wales which highlights the important role the planning system has to play in ensuring a sustainable future for Wales and takes on board the introduction of local development plans.
eGov monitor 14th June 2010 more >>
New Energy Focus 15th June 2010 more >>
Truro Business Park
Cornwall council yesterday (June 10) granted planning consent for a wind monitoring mast to be erected at a site near Truro, which is set to house several renewable energy schemes including a wind turbine and a biomass power plant. The Environment Agency is backing the ‘Wheal Jane Masterplan’, which aims to develop a sustainable earth science business cluster, incorporating a single wind turbine, two small-scale hydro-power schemes, ground source geothermal heating, a biomass power plant and a photovoltaic solar farm.
New Energy Focus 14th June 2010 more >>
Solar Europe
The period from 2010 to 2012 is shaping up to be one of significant transformation for the Europe photovoltaic (PV) industry as it confronts regulatory incentive revisions, expanding market development opportunities and scaling competition from better financed and more robust power players. Europe PV markets are forecasted to add as much as 15.5 GW from 2010 to 2012 at an average of 5 GW per year. In the longer term, the PV sector in Europe is expected to maintain its growth trajectory from an expected 6.3 GW in 2010 toward 101 GW of installed capacity by 2025, according to a new IHS Emerging Energy Research market study: Europe Solar PV Markets and Strategies: 2010-2025.
IHS 14th June 2010 more >>
Killingholme CHP
RESIDENTS have been told they have nothing to fear from a renewable power plant proposed for North Killingholme. As reported, energy firm Blue-NG is planning to build what it is described as “the world’s most efficient energy generator” on the site of the old Killingholme airfield. The combined heat and power plant would be built alongside the existing gas pressure reduction station and fuelled by locally-sourced vegetable oil from oilseed rape and waste cooking oils.
Grimsby Telegraph 14th June 2010 more >>
Gambia Solar Project
Among those landing at the airport next week will be the fifth contingent of staff and students from the University of Strathclyde. Instead of suitcases crammed with holiday clothes and duty-free, their cargo will contain all the equipment required to power two schools, putting in place the final jigsaw piece for the first cluster of schools and medical facilities targeted by The Gambia Solar Project, a university initiative funded entirely by charitable donations that provides sustainable solar power to impoverished rural communities. Electrical engineering students first powered a school in the Gambian village of Sambel Kunda in 2006, which was twinned with a primary school in Stirlingshire. This created a ripple effect of demand met by teams from the university who have jetted out every summer since.
Herald 14th June 2010 more >>
Bolton School Turbine
BOLTON is set to get its first school powered by wind energy. Planning chiefs have given Gates Primary School, in Bristle Hall Way, Westhoughton, the go-ahead for the £60,000 project which will see an 18-metre high turbine built in the school grounds.
This is Lancashire 14th June 2010 more >>
Micro CHP intermittency role
The intermittency of renewables, and wind in particular, demands flexibility of response for operation from other suppliers on the grid. The successful combination of cogeneration and renewables is attracting increasing attention. In Germany, micro combined heat and power (CHP) has been identified as the solution to balancing wind in the network. LichtBlick is the largest independent energy supplier in Germany and has announced its goal to place 100 000 micro CHP systems with an electric output of 20 kW each into homes and buildings in Germany. The property owner will be provided with the cogeneration unit and a heat storage unit and be guaranteed that the home will be supplied with heat as required.
Power Services 14th June 2010 more >>
See also:
The Danish Experience: Successfully Managing Renewables and Cogeneration in a smarter grid structure. 2nd June 2010 more >>
How Smart Grids and Micro-CHP Work Together, 2nd June 2010. more >>
Cogen and Smart Grid 2nd June 2010 more >>
South Wales AD
A PLAN to convert thousands of tonnes of food waste, chicken litter and manure into electricity at a Kittle farm has got under the noses of the Gower Society. But the applicant and farmer, Kelvin Layton, has urged the society, and other objectors to do more research.
South Wales Evening Post 14th June 2010 more >>
Scottish Efficiency Delay
A plan to help householders and business save energy and money in Scotland has been delayed for the sixth time, sparking outrage from opposition politicians and environmental groups. The Sunday Herald can reveal that the Scottish government’s long-awaited energy efficiency action plan - meant to boost home insulation, aid the installation of smart meters and kick-start small-scale renewable and heat technologies - has been postponed until the autumn. The delay calls into doubt the commitment of Scottish ministers to cutting climate pollution, say critics. And it undermines their efforts to promote Scotland’s “world-leading” targets to tackle climate change on the international stage, they claim.
Sunday Herald 13th June 2010 more >>
Zero Carbon Expense
CHRIS ENDSOR has a problem. His firm, Miller Homes, has just built some of Britain’s greenest houses, stacked to the rafters with environmental gadgets and gizmos. Now that he is trying to sell them, however, he is on course to make a loss. The four bedroom properties for sale at Merton Rise in Basingstoke look much like any other new homes. But inside they are loaded with insulation and equipped with a boiler that is powered by biomass. The roofs are fitted with 35 square metres of solar panels. The houses also have a ventilation system that recycles heat from the kitchen and bathroom round the rest of the house. These are zero-carbon homes. By 2016, all new houses are supposed to be built to these standards. The only trouble is that housebuyers do not seem willing to pay any premium for all the extras.
Sunday Times 13th June 2010 more >>
Todmorden Microgeneration
Harmsworth Townley, an award-winning small family business based in White Hart Fold which specialises in engineering, power and renewable energy products, is using the Better Business Environment Forum (BBEF) to gear up to the challenges and opportunities of a low carbon agenda.
Todmorden News 12th June 2010 more >>