week ending 24 December 2010
Aberdeen CHP Scheme extended
More people will have access greener, cheaper heating thanks to further funding from the Scottish Government. Funding of £1 million pounds is to be pumped into an extension to the Aberdeen district heating scheme, which cuts emissions and helps tackle fuel poverty for people living in multi-storey flats. And five small businesses around Scotland, including a ski range and holiday accommodation, have been awarded grants totalling £300,000 under the Scottish Biomass Heat Scheme to install renewable heating systems.
Scottish Government 23rd Dec 2010 more >>
PV Certification
A new name is set to enter into the U.K. solar module market, after AU Optronics (AUO) became the latest manufacturer to receive the Microgeneration Certification Scheme. The certification, which is a prerequisite in order to sell PV systems in the UK under the feed-in tariff, has been awarded to AUO’s multi-crystalline EcoDuo PM 220 module.
PV Tech 23rd Dec 2010 more >>
Microgeneration Jobs
The government has unveiled its new proposals to facilitate wider installation of microgeneration technology, which could create new civil engineering jobs.
Career Structure 23rd Dec 2010 more >>
Nottinghamshire & Derbyshire Partnership
Gedling Borough Council is to host a prestigious conference on Friday 7 January, which aims to help enable local authorities in the region to respond to the issues raised by climate change and explore how they might develop renewable energy schemes of their own. Gedling’s Civic Centre will play host to 80 delegates from 19 local authorities for the annual conference of the Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire Local Authorities’ Energy Partnership (LAEP). Key note speaker, Stephen Cirell, a former Programme Director of Green Cornwall with more than 25 years experience, will be giving a briefing on climate change and his recent experience of establishing a programme to generate renewable energy in Cornwall.
Gedling Borough Council 23rd Dec 2010 more >>
Green Deal Bill
The government’s Energy Bill has received an unopposed second reading in the House of Lords. Published in parliament on December 9th, the bill lays out wide-ranging measures to boost the generation of low carbon electricity and security of supply in the UK. Energy and climate change minister Lord Marland said during the reading the bill would place an obligation on energy companies to cut their carbon emissions, the Press Association reports. Commenting on the Green Deal, Lord Marland was reported as saying: “The Green Deal will help reduce energy bills for the long term and make our houses more energy efficient.”
Low Carbon Economy 23rd Dec 2010 more >>
Geothermal Dosh
The Department of Energy and Climate Change has announced the three projects which will share £1.1 million from the second round of the Deep Geothermal Challenge Fund. Keele University was the biggest beneficiary from the latest round of funding, receiving £500,000 for a renewable energy project to drill a 1,200m bore hole to provide power for its sustainable campus. Some £400,000 was granted to a project run by Newcastle and Durham University at the Science Central development in the middle of Newcastle. The funds will go towards the drilling, hydraulic testing and geophysical logging of a 2km bore hole at the site. Cofely District Energy Limited received the remaining £200,000 of funding to contribute towards the refit of the deep geothermal well in Southampton.
Low Carbon Economy 23rd Dec 2010 more >>
Business Green 22nd Dec 2010 more >>
Scientists have been awarded £40,000 to drill deep below Newcastle as part of a renewable energy project. The Department of Energy and Climate Change funding will go to a £1m scheme for a 2,000m geothermal borehole below Science Central, in the city centre. It is hoped the Newcastle and Durham universities project will bring up hot water at a temperature of 80C (176F). The hope is that the water could be used to heat the site and surrounding buildings.
BBC 23rd Dec 2010 more >>
Eaga Appointment
RICHARD Rodgers, a divisional managing director at Newcastle environmental services giant Eaga, has been appointed to the board of the utility regulator. The prestigious appointment to the board of the utility regulator was made by Finance Minister Sammy Wilson following a process led by the Commissioner for Public Appointments for Northern Ireland. The utility regulator is the independent non-ministerial government department responsible for regulating the electricity and gas industries, as well as water and sewerage services in Northern Ireland. It is a key body in protecting the interests of consumers with regard to both price and quality of service.
Newcastle Journal 23rd Dec 2010 more >>
Terrace Retrofit
Work has just been completed on creating the region’s most environmentally friendly terraced house. Isos Housing Group has led the ‘Retrofit for the Future’ programme at the house on Cardonnel Street in North Shields, North Tyneside, which has seen the property gutted and completely refurbished with 21st century, environmentally sound technology. The previously hard-to-heat house will now cost Fay only £1 for every £5 she used to spend on energy bills.
24 Dash 22nd Dec 2010 more >>
Green Deal
Plans to reduce the carbon footprint of homes across the country will bring greater energy security and protect pensioners from fuel poverty, peers heard today. But consumers will have to pay for modifications, which include insulation and double-glazing, with the savings they would otherwise make from lower energy bills, the House of Lords was told.
24 Dash 22nd Dec 2010 more >>
Warm Front
The Coalition Government has recently announced a suspension of the Warm Front scheme. Warm Front provides grants towards heating and insulation. We expect the scheme to return in April 2011, with revised eligibility criteria.
Guildford Borough Council 22nd Dec 2010 more >>
Devon Solar
PLANS have been unveiled for a revolutionary £40 million solar energy farm complex and holiday village on the old Yelland power station site near Barnstaple. The eco-friendly scheme would see acres of solar panels atop 30ft high canopies, sheltering zero carbon holiday accommodation, landscaped facilities plus a photovoltaic solar panel factory, visitor centre and showroom.
Devon 24 22nd Dec 2010 more >>
Truro Solar
Plans to create a solar park near Truro will go on show to the public today. The development, earmarked for Park Farm near Malpas on the outskirts of the Cornish city, would provide enough renewable electricity to power more than 600 homes. It would use PhotoVoltaic panels to harness the sun’s energy before converting it to green energy.
This is Cornwall 22nd Dec 2010 more >>
Coalition Microgeneration Strategy
Climate Change Minister Greg Barker today launched a formal consultation document on the coalition’s Microgeneration Strategy. When coupled with the roll out of smart meters and the Green Deal – the coalition’s national energy efficiency programme - small scale power generation could help to reduce bills and make people more energy self sufficient. The Strategy will investigate how to overcome the barriers to increase consumer confidence and sustainably grow the industry following confirmation of financial support in the Spending Review through the Renewable Heat Incentive and Feed In Tariffs.
DECC 22nd Dec 2010 more >>
Utility Week 22nd Dec 2010 more >>
Rapid 23rd Dec 2010 more >>
The strategy aims to 1. Provide policy certainty and clarity 2. Set up a government-industry contact group 3. Raise market awareness of microgeneration 4. Review Energy Performance Certificates 5. Improve design and commissioning 6. Support each technology in the most appropriate way 7. Improve governance and openness of MCS 8. Up-skill the existing building services industry 9. Provide free impartial independent advice 10. Ensure microgeneration is available to all and disadvantages none.
Business Green 22nd Dec 2010 more >>
Increased spending on advertising for solar panels and small-scale wind turbines, an overhaul of the certification scheme for microgeneration technologies, and major new skills development programmes could be on the cards with the launch today of the government’s latest consultation on its microgeneration strategy. The 14-page document, which will be open for consultation until March, addresses the non-financial barriers to the rollout of small-scale renewable energy technologies, such as solar panels, micro wind turbines and ground source heat pumps, and puts forward a range of proposals for accelerating deployment of these green technologies.
Business Green 22nd Dec 2010 more >>
Chief Executive of the Micropower Council Dave Sowden said: “We have already seen extraordinary growth in microgeneration power generation solutions thanks to the introduction of the feed in tariff earlier this year, and look forward to similar incentives being extended to renewable heating and hot water systems next June.” “Today’s welcome proposals will help the industry grow with proper attention to quality, technology and skills development, whilst making it all much easier for consumers.”
Platts 22nd Dec 2010 more >>
The Engineer 22nd Dec 2010 more >>
Microgeneration Blog 22nd Dec 2010 more >>
Edie 22nd Dec 2010 more >>
Greenwise Business 22nd Dec 2010 more >>
Oil Fired Up 22nd Dec 2010 more >>
Feed-in Tariffs – the Way Forward
The way forward for UK feed-in-tariffs until march 2015 position paper by the micropower council.
Micro Power Council 21 December 2010 more >>
The Micropower Council (MPC) today submitted to the Department for Energy and Climate Change its member approved ‘FIT policy position paper’.
24 Dash 22nd Dec 2010 more >>
Plymouth School Turbine
A SCHOOLS campus is set to get a wind turbine that will stand nearly 24 metres high to the tip of its blades. The turbine at Wood View campus in Tamerton Foliot Road will generate up to 11kW of energy, according to the applicants Interserve, the company which was involved in building the learning community and now manages it.
Plymouth Herald 21st Dec 2010 more >>
Zero Carbon Commercial Buildings
Commercial buildings in the UK will be zero carbon from the year 2019, housing minister Grant Shapps has announced.
Low Carbon Economy 21st Dec 2010 more >>
Zero Carbon Definition
The government is edging closer to publishing a workable definition of ’zero carbon’ with the launch of a new report setting out recommendations to ensure all new homes are zero carbon from 2016. The report, from the Zero Carbon Hub taskforce and commissioned by housing minister Grant Shapps, outlined how the target can be achieved in practical terms. The report, worked on by bodies including the WWF and the UK Green Building Council, comes ahead of a working definition of zero carbon, which Shapps promised to deliver by the summer but is still awaited by the industry.
BD Online 21st Dec 2010 more >>
DCLG Press Release 20th Dec 2010 more >>
24 Dash 20th Dec 2010 more >>
Grant Shapps Parliamentary Statement.
24 Dash 20th Dec 2010 more >>
Proven get MCS
Leading small wind turbine manufacturer, Proven Energy is delighted to announce that its flagship wind turbine, the Proven 35-2, is now fully certified through MCS (Microgeneration Certification Scheme). This testing is an industry requirement created to assist customers in making an informed decision when selecting a wind turbine and is a fundamental requirement for end users to access the UK Feed in Tariff (FITs) scheme.
Process & Control Technology 21st Dec 2010 more >>
Dartmoor Hydro
The UK’s first hydrodynamic screw generator, modeled on the ancient ‘Archimedes Screw’, is providing power for the River Dart Country Park near Ashburton in Devon. With no adverse affect on the river’s protected and diverse wildlife, the renewable energy generated by this innovative installation is sufficient to power the entire site for more than eight months of the year, even generating excess to export back to the electricity grid when the river is in full flow.
Process & Control Technology 20th Dec 2010 more >>
Sustainable Communities Act
The Sustainable Communities Act was born out of a grassroots movement of people. These people were concerned about the alarming rate of national decline of their communities, with pubs, post offices, shops and services closing at a disturbing pace. The full extent of this decline was documented in the new economics foundation “Ghost Town Britain” reports of 2001 and 2002.
Left Foot Forward 20th Dec 2010 more >>
Stoke-on-Trent Solar Showroom
HOLDCROFT Heating has moved into new premises to pave the way for further expansion. The family business has relocated from Ford Green Road to Moorland Road in Burslem – a move which has allowed the creation of a showroom for renewable energy products such as solar panels.
This is Staffordshire 20th Dec 2010 more >>
Heat Pumps
When an off-gas farmhouse in rural Norfolk needed a new heating system, the owner and tenant agreed that energy efficient low carbon warmth was the way forward, rather than a replacement oil-fired boiler. And Dimplex SmartRad fan convector radiators with a Dimplex air source heat pump offered a straightforward retrofit solution.
Heating and Plumbing Monthly 20th Dec 2010 more >>
Scottish Training
Installers in Scotland are now able to benefit from a wide range of courses from Kingspan Renewables specialising in renewable energy technologies. The training facility, based at South Lanarkshire College, Glasgow, is aimed at tradesmen looking to boost their earning potential through an in depth understanding of solar thermal, heat pumps and unvented hot water systems as well as industry-standard accreditations. Kingspan Renewables training provides experienced heating, plumbing and building professionals with all the expertise needed to facilitate high quality renewable energy installations. By becoming qualified to install renewable technologies, installers can bolster their customer offering and maximise their earnings.
Heating & Plumbing Monthly 20th Dec 2010 more >>
Sustainable Consumption
A report this week by the Sustainable Consumption Roundtable envisages a future where households generate their electricity at home, using wind, solar and heat energy – but only if the government bought panels and turbines in large quantities for public buildings, so costs fall. “Then we could all afford them,” says Alan Knight, the group’s chairman. “To install a generator or solar panel today you need specialist help. You should be able to buy one at B&Q [the UK equivalent of Home Depot - James] and stick it in yourself.”
Solar Energy House 17th Dec 2010 more >>
Biomass Heating
The development of biomass heating in the UK has “inbuilt limitations” but is part of the answer to reducing the county’s dependence on fossil fuels, according to one expert. Will Rolls, information officer at the Biomass Energy Centre, made the comments following a series of reports in the New York Times, which followed the progress of the Swedish city of Kristianstad as it virtually eliminated the use of fossil fuels for heating.
Low Carbon Economy 17th Dec 2010 more >>
And a Merry Xmas to all our readers!