week ending 3 September 2010
There is no gold rush
The apparent surge in renewable energy installations under the government’s feed-in tariff incentive scheme has been exaggerated, according to industry insiders who fear erroneous reports of a “gold rush” in the sector could prompt the government to scale back the scheme. Official figures from Ofgem suggest the number of installations of renewable energy technologies such as solar panels and small scale wind turbines qualifying for the feed-in tariff scheme soared to almost 4,000 during August. The figures were hailed as evidence that the scheme, which guarantees households and businesses that install renewable energy systems payments based on the amount of energy they produce, is far exceeding expectations. However, sources within the renewable energy industry are concerned the success of the scheme is being overstated because a large number of the installations recorded by Ofgem are pre-existing installations that have simply been registered into the feed-in tariff.
Business Green 3rd Sept 2010 more >>
Highland Hydro
The Forestry Commission Scotland has named Green Highland Renewables as its development partner for a number of small-scale hydro projects in the National Forest Estate in the north-west Highlands.
New Energy Focus 3rd Sept 2010 more >>
PV Recycling
The disposal of photovoltaic cells creates an environmental problem: it is estimated that 1.4 million tons of photovoltaic modules have already been sold throughout Europe, of these some will already be waste before 2011. The volume of photovoltaic modules sold in 2010 alone amounts to a potential future waste of 600,000 tons. PV Cycle is an environmental organization which was set up in 2007 to implement a voluntary recycling scheme with manufacturers of photovoltaic cells.
Independent 3rd Sept 2010 more >>
11MW installed during August
The UK feed-in tariff is going from strength to strength, according to new government figures that suggest the number of eligible installations grew exponentially during August. Government data analysed by renewable energy installation specialist Ownergy reveals that almost 4,000 installations came online, representing nearly double the number of installations completed in July. In total the new installations will deliver 11.28MW of renewable energy capacity, again doubling the 5.5MW installed in July.
Business Green 3rd Sept 2010 more >>
Game Changers?
Has your company developed a genuinely innovative solution to an environmental challenge? Then WWF wants to hear from you. The global environmental group will next week launch a major new initiative, dubbed Green Game-Changers, which is designed to identify and promote the best sustainable business case studies from around the world.
Business Green 3rd Sept 2010 more >>
RHI Fightback?
A coalition of green, countryside and housing groups has warned energy secretary Chris Huhne not to cut subsidies for green electricity and heating as part of the government’s spending review. The 22 groups, including green energy trade body the Renewable Energy Association, the National Farmers Union and the Federation of Master Builders, said in a letter to Huhne that cutting schemes that subsidise household generation of renewable energy would jeopardise job creation, energy security and greenhouse gas targets. The move was sparked by comments from the Department of Energy and Climate Change’s minister of state, Charles Hendry, who recently said he was “closely reviewing” the £27bn renewable heat incentive (RHI) scheme due to start in April next year to encourage the take-up of green heating devices such as heat pumps, and the £8bn feed-in tariff (FIT) launched in April which pays small-scale generators of green electricity.
Guardian 3rd Sept 2010 more >>
The letter itself.
Guardian 3rd Sept 2010 more >>
Eaga goes solar
Eaga, the £250m energy efficiency company, said it is in talks to access 250,000 roofs for installing solar panels, as it revealed a 10pc increase in full-year pre-tax profits.
Telegraph 3rd Sept 2010 more >>
London Biomass
Irish renewable energy firm Kedco has received planning permission to develop a 12MW waste wood biomass-gasification facility at a site in Enfield, North London.
New Energy Focus 2nd Sept 2010 more >>
FiTs and Grants
Until recent clarification issued by DECC, many schools and community groups had been told that they could not claim feed-in tariffs unless the grants received under the Low Carbon Building Programme were paid back. “This was devastating news for many organisations who had fundraised to install microgeneration equipment such as solar panels or wind turbines, and then found that the rules had changed, and the calculations they had made before investing no longer held true,” says Cathy Debenham, Founder of YouGen. Now it has been made clear that whether the grant must be paid back or not depends on the size of the installation and the size of the grant. If the projected total income from the grant plus the feed-in tariff comes to less than the ‘de minimis’ threshold of 200,000 in a three year period then there is no need to pay back the grant.
Renewable Energy Focus 2nd Sept 2010 more >>
FiT – A tax on northerners?
Since its introduction, hardly a week has gone by without an organisation contacting us with a Blackadder-style cunning plan to make money from the new Feed-in Tariff. Fundamentally, organisations have worked out that the Government has got its sums wrong and that the tariff is far too generous if certain criteria are followed by the installers. They have calculated that panels need to be installed in the south or south-west to make a serious profit. They need to be able to install the panels quickly, at a reasonable scale and facing south. They also need to sign a 25 year agreement with the organisation or person who is having the panels installed on their land or property. If they meet these criteria, organisations have calculated that they can cover the capital costs of the installation themselves, provide free or discounted electricity and be able to start to generate a profit on their investment after six to eight years.
Business Green 2nd Sept 2010 more >>
Centrosolar
The gold rush sparked by the launch of the UK’s renewable energy feed-in tariff stepped up a notch this week after German solar specialist Centrosolar launched a UK subsidiary and obtained product UK certification for its solar panels. The Hamburg-based Centrosolar is looking to tap into increased demand across both the commercial and private sectors for photovoltaic systems in the UK following the introduction of attractive feed-in tariffs in April. The company has recruited seven-year solar industry veteran Simon Gerrard, former head of domestic sales for Solarcentury, to run its British subsidiary.
Business Green 2nd Sept 2010 more >>
Renewable Energy Focus 2nd Sept 2010 more >>
Efficiency Openings
Next month, dozens of owners of period homes throughout the country – including those in areas of planning restriction such as conservation areas and areas of outstanding natural beauty – will be throwing their doors open to show people how they have achieved energy savings of up to 80 per cent.
Telegraph 2nd Sept 2010 more >>
Garden Party with a Difference
A WORCESTERSHIRE-based provider of renewable energy systems will be among a group of green businesses aiming to show how people can lead more sustainable lives at an event organised by Prince Charles. Going Solar, the company from Neen Sollars, near Tenbury Wells, will demonstrate the benefits of switching to solar power when it exhibits at the Garden Party to Make a Difference.
Cotswold Journal 2nd Sept 2010 more >>
Solar Airport
Southampton Airport has become the first in the UK to install solar powered runway safety lights. The hi-tech devices, nicknamed Wig Wags because of their distinctive flashing patterns, are used at intersections between the runway and taxiways to safely guide aircraft and vehicles. Bosses say the new devices will save them £170,000 as they can be used in remote areas of the airport that would have otherwise required a electricity supply.
Daily Echo 2nd Sept 2010 more >>
Stockton Plans
Details of both the four-turbine wind farm and a combined heat and power (CHP) plant, proposed by County Durham-based Banks Developments, will be revealed at a public exhibition. The wind turbines are planned to be located on agricultural land with the power facility located within the Stillington Industrial Estate. The CHP can generate heat and electricity from a range of fuel sources such as wood, biomass or bio-fuel.
Evening Gazette 2nd Sept 2010 more >>
Solar Boom
The Solar Trade Association has today (September 1) welcomed figures published by Ofgem which show a surge in the number of solar photovoltaic panels installed by homeowners in August. However, while the solar energy industry body welcomed the report it stressed that there was a need for further improvement to help the UK to catch up with the rest of Europe.
New Energy Focus 1st Sept 2010 more >>
Low Carbon Economy 1st Sept 2010 more >>
Heat Pump Training
AN Oldham company is taking advantage of a training opportunity to improve the skills of their employees in the installation of air and ground-source heat pumps.
Oldham Chronicle 1st Sept 2010 more >>
Brideshead Re-heated
The Hon Simon Howard spent £160,000 on fitting an underwater ground-source heat recovery system last year at the North Yorkshire house. As a result, he has succeeded in halving Castle Howard’s annual fuel bill from £40,000 to £20,000. The environmentally-friendly system works by converting heat stored in the ground and under the castle’s three-acre lake into power, and was part-funded by a £60,000 loan from the Carbon Trust.
Telegraph 1st Sept 2010 more >>
Solar Research
Nanotechnology researchers and industry specialists are being invited to propose business-led research projects that will compete for £7million to help stimulate the next generation of solar energy harvesting technologies. The competition, launched this week by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) and the Technology Strategy Board, is designed to build upon earlier investments of £6.7 million in five research projects by the Research Councils, led by EPSRC. The EPSRC will invest up to £5 million in the new research and development projects while the Technology Strategy Board will invest £2 million.
Process & Control Today 31st Aug 2010 more >>
Sheffield Solar
Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg underlined the government support for renewable technology by opening the Sheffield Solar Farm Project. This is an array of 70m2 photovoltaic panels on the roof of the University of Sheffield’s Hicks Building and has been designed to provide a real-world test platform for photovoltaic technology and communicating the effectiveness of solar in northern latitudes.
Heating & Plumbing Monthly 31st Aug 2010 more >>
Times Higher Education Supplement 2nd Sept 2010 more >>
Portishead Transition
A COMMUNITY wind farm could be set up in Portishead as part of a drive to make the town more environmentally friendly. The Transition Portishead group, which launched a year ago to look at ways of reducing the amount of greenhouse gases the town produces, is to investigate the possibility of setting up the farm.
Bristol Evening Post 31st Aug 2010 more >>
Ross-shire Transition
Advisors working with the Alness Transition Town group have become familiar faces in the area since launching a scheme offering people free home energy checks that can help save money on hard-pressed household budgets. This Saturday, the Averon Leisure Centre will play host to an information day on different renewable energy technologies that can be installed in homes. Peter Elbourne, one of the home energy advisors and the group’s community powerdown officer, described the Saturday session as a fantastic opportunity for local people to see what renewable energy systems are available for their homes.
Ross-shire Journal 31st Aug 2010 more >>
Renewable Heat Incentive
The £27bn tax on heavy industry to fund “green boilers” for 1m British homes is expected to be radically overhauled, amid claims that the devices are expensive and unreliable at keeping houses warm. The hefty subsidy, called the Renewable Heat Incentive, is likely to raise gas bills by up to £104 for domestic consumers and £321 for industrial customers by the end of the decade. The scheme – which gives around £1,000 per year to households that generate their own green heat – was due to be introduced in spring next year.
Telegraph 31st Aug 2010 more >>
Carbon Reduction Commitment
The upcoming CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme will soon require firms and organisations which are intensive energy users to buy government permits for their carbon emissions. Revenue will be recycled back to the participants, with financial incentives for the biggest reductions in energy use funded by penalties imposed on those with the worst record. But there are concerns it will not be a level playing field, as cash-strapped public sector bodies will not be able to afford energy-saving initiatives to compete with business.
Telegraph 31st Aug 2010 more >>
CRC Optimism
The Environment Agency (EA) has today expressed optimism that the vast majority of organisations covered by the Carbon Reduction Commitment (CRC) scheme will meet the initiative’s registration, after releasing figures showing almost half the businesses and public sector bodies eligible for the scheme have now registered.
Business Green 31st Aug 2010 more >>
Zero carbon houses not ditched
The building industry has rejected accusations that it is looking to water down the government’s target of ensuring all new homes are zero carbon by 2016, insisting it remains widely committed to meeting zero-carbon standards. The Zero Carbon Hub, the body set up to administer the policy, is testing a range of definitions for what constitutes a zero-carbon home and the government is expected to deliver a decision on the final definition in the coming months. It had been widely expected that under the rules of the scheme builders would be required to deliver 70 per cent of the required emission reductions through energy efficiency and onsite renewable energy technologies, with the remaining 30 per cent achieved through payments into a fund earmarked for community-scale renewable energy projects.
Business Green 31st August 2010 more >>
Durham Eco-centre
SHEEP fleeces are insulating the roof of a new eco-community centre in one of County Durham’s most isolated areas. A small wind turbine will power a ground source heat pump at the Carlbeck Centre, in Lunedale, Teesdale, to keep visitors warm.
Northern Echo 30th Aug 2010 more >>
Bicester Eco Town
Cherwell’s plan for the eco development is that it would be self-sustaining, use renewable energy for their power needs, and that construction materials could include recycled bottles.
Oxford Times 30th Aug 2010 more >>
Zero carbon houses ditched
One of the UK’s most radical environmental policies – requiring all new homes from 2016 to be “zero carbon” – is set to be scaled back amid pressure from the housebuilding industry. Builders claim the proposals would be too expensive and impossible to implement for many flats, and would result in a slump in the rate of homes built. Now tThe Guardian has learned that the government is ready to water down the target, a move environmentalists have said would be a “travesty”.
Guardian 30th Aug 2010 more >>
Eaga wins green title
Eaga a FTSE 350 company set up in 1990 to lead government-funded initiatives to improve conditions for poor people in energy-inefficient homes, has come top of the league table for ecological sustainability in the 2010 Observer/Co-operative Asset Management Good Companies Guide. Eaga has been running the Warm Front scheme, which has provided insulation and heating improvement grants to more than 2m homes. Recently, it has begun to diversify into renewable technologies, such as solar cells that convert sunlight into electricity.
Observer 29th Aug 2010 more >>
Welsh Building Regs
The 1st of September is rapidly approaching - and from that day all new-build houses in Wales will need to conform to stricter building regulations designed to cut carbon emissions and save energy. The legislation, which was announced by the Welsh Assembly last year, and will make the principality’s regulations greener than those of England - has been implemented in stages, with developments of five or more homes needing to meet the new tighter legislation from 1 September last year.
Green Building Press 27th Aug 2010 more >>
Solar Prince
Solar panels are to be installed on the roof of Clarence House – the official residence of the Prince of Wales. Some 32 photovoltaic (PV) panels, which will be capable of producing 4,000 kilowatt hours of power a year, are due to be installed on the roof of the 170-year-old residence. This figure is equivalent to the amount of energy used by the average London household each year.
Low Carbon Economy 27th Aug 2010 more >>
Seaweed FiT
A PIONEERING Shetland seaweed business has welcomed news that the new wind turbine at the centre of their expansion plans will be eligible for the government’s new feed in tariff (FiT).
Shetland News 25th Aug 2010 more >>
Green Deal
The Government is talking to big national retailers about delivering the Green Deal, yet a new poll reveals that 84% of people would trust locally-based, specialist suppliers more than national retailers such as M&S, Tesco (15%).
YouGen 23rd Aug 2010 more >>