News archive
week ending 15 January 2010
District Heating
The government’s gradual unveiling of its definition for zero carbon, which will apply to all new houses by 2016, includes plans to offset further carbon emissions using on- and off-site solutions. One of the main off-site solutions is district heating.
Building 15th Jan 2010 more >>
Wales
There could be an opportunity to create manufacturing jobs in new technologies such as micro renewables - small domestic-scale devices - and wave generation devices, in Wales.
BBC 14th Jan 2010 more >>
Low Carbon Winners
Winners of a £1 million prize to reduce carbon emissions in their community were announced yesterday evening. NESTA’s Big Green Challenge awarded £300,000 each to three community projects based in Brecon, the Isle of Eigg and Ludlow.
Low Carbon Economy 14th Jan 2010 more >>
Brecon Power
A UK scheme to generate power from mountain streams is one of three winners of a £1m prize for saving carbon emissions at the local level. The prize is awarded by the lottery-funded body Nesta, which encourages innovation in the UK. The Green Valleys project in Wales’ Brecon Beacons currently generates power from 10 wild mountain streams. The eventual aim of the venture is to make the Brecon area a net exporter of electricity.
BBC 14th Jan 2010 more >>
Gaia Wind
Gaia-Wind has been included in the recently published transition list of small wind turbines eligible for the UK Government’s forthcoming MicroGeneration Certification Scheme The MCS certification has replaced the Clear Skies scheme in the UK, which gives consumers a guarantee that the products listed have conformed and been rigorously tested against robust criteria and the new national standards. Gaia-Wind is completing final tests with the accreditation body TUV-Nel and expects to achieve full certification before June 2010.
All Media Scotland 14th Jan 2010 more >>
Eigg Laid
Two years ago Eigg did not even have mains electricity. Now the tiny Scottish island, population 95, has won a UK-wide award for its leap forward in harnessing renewable energy and its approach to tackling climate change. Among the measures it has adopted are using spent cooking oil from the local ferry in its community vehicles, and running public conveniences by solar power. Eigg was yesterday among three groups each receiving a £300,000 share of a £1 million prize offered by the Big Green Challenge, a competition organised by the National Endowment for Science Technology and the Arts to reduce carbon emissions. Sharing the jackpot were The Green Valleys, a project based in the Brecon Beacons, and the Household Energy Service, based in Ludlow, Shropshire. Low Carbon West Oxford received £100,000 as runner-up. Eigg managed the greatest decrease in CO2 emissions, with a cut of 32 per cent.
Times 14th Jan 2010 more >>
Herald 14th Jan 2010 more >>
BBC 13th Jan 2010 more >>
Guardian 13th Jan 2010 more >>
Scottish Scrappage
The Scottish Government has not ruled out bringing in a boiler scrappage scheme, Communities Minister Alex Neil has insisted. But he said the Holyrood administration would target its efforts on those people who are suffering from fuel poverty. The Scottish Government has faced calls from both small businesses and opposition politicians to establish a boiler scrappage scheme, after Chancellor Alistair Darling announced one was being set up for England and Wales.
Herald 14th Jan 2010 more >>
See motion SM-3 5491 by Sarah Boyack MSP: urges the Scottish Government to implement a boiler scrappage similar scheme across Scotland, given the reported estimates of £11 million in Barnett consequentials being available, and considers that this decision would be of significant benefit to 12,000 homes in Scotland that would be eligible for such a scheme and would create jobs in the Scottish plumbing industry.
Scottish Parliament 15th Jan 2010 more >>
Nottingham Solar
TWO green entrepreneurs are to speak at an environmental business seminar next week at the University of Nottingham. Renewable energy company Sasie Ltd’s managing director Mo Kelly, will be one of the speakers. The firm installs solar panels, rain-water harvesters and wind turbines.
Nottingham Evening Post 13th Jan 2010 more >>
North West Winners
The £2 million Carbon Challenge Fund (CFF) was set up in May last year by the Northwest Development Agency (NWDA) to support enterprises that will lower the carbon footprint of the area. Among the successful bidders for £100,000 of funding each were the hydroelectric company Water Power Enterprises, energy-efficient air-conditioning makers Diodes Zetex Semiconductors Ltd and a sewage treatment plant owned by United Utilities.
Low Carbon Economy 13th Jan 2010 more >>
Fuel Poverty
AT least 25 per cent of people in Copeland are said to be living in ‘fuel poverty’. This is when a household needs to spend more than 10 per cent of its income on fuel to maintain warmth in the home (21 degrees for main living area and 18 degrees for other occupied rooms).
Whitehaven News 13th Jan 2010 more >>
Ship Heat
She’s one of the oldest Clydebuilt vessels still afloat, but Glasgow’s Tall Ship is getting a 21st-century makeover that puts her leagues ahead of modern competition. The Glenlee will be one of the first structures in Scotland to benefit from technology that draws heat from river water, cutting energy bills and reducing harmful emissions to near zero. A £200,000 water source heat pump is to be fitted by April, and engineers say it will shave 75% off the vessel’s annual heating bills while saving the equivalent of six double-decker bus loads of carbon emissions.
Herald 13th Jan 2010 more >>
Cumbria Vision
Cumbria is poised to make a substantial contribution towards the UK’s renewable energy targets and create thousands of new jobs in the process, according to a study commissioned by regional economic regeneration body Cumbria Vision. Smaller hydro, geothermal, biomass and solar developments may generate a modest amount of energy but could support thousands of jobs, especially as homes begin to supply their own heat and power from heat pumps, solar panels and other built in devices,” he added. Sir Martin also claimed that there was also scope for “greening” of existing skills as fossil fuel industries switch to new sources, along with scope for new jobs as a result of further research and development.
New Energy Focus 13th Jan 2010 more >>
Durham Geothermal
A pioneering plan for a giant central heating system to harness heat from deep underground is being developed in County Durham. Scientists and engineers led by Newcastle University plan a twin borehole system to allow continual cycling of warm groundwater through rocks up to 1,000m deep. Water at around 30 C will be brought to the surface and passed through a heat exchanger before being sent back underground for reheating.
New Civil Engineer 13th Jan 2010 more >>
FEARS have been raised about plans for a power station in Leith that would feature a smoke stack up to 100 metres high. The new biomass plant, which would convert woodchip and other natural materials into energy, has been earmarked for Imperial Dock near Ocean Terminal. But local campaigners are worried that the size of the development will become a blot on the landscape and lead to a redesign of plans to develop the waterfront. Plans for the development have been drawn up by Forth Energy, a firm comprising Forth Ports and Scottish & Southern Energy.
Edinburgh Evening News 12th Jan 2010 more >>
Boiler Scrappage Scheme
Baxi Q&A: UK home heating specialist Baxi has compiled a list of questions and answers to help you.
Real Wire 12th Jan 2010 more >>
Eco School Heat Pump
AN ECO school has installed its latest way to cut electricity bills by hundreds of pounds.Turners Hill school nursery, the Turners Hill Tots, on the school site in Church Road have installed a heat pump to replace the old standard electric heater. The new system, an air to air heat pump, is the third piece of energy saving equipment to be installed at the school in the last few years. The school has won green awards for its wind turbines and solar panels.
East Grinstead Observer 12th Jan 2010 more >>
GSHP
Coventry based ground source heat pump (GSHP) installer Geothermal International has welcomed a new report which suggests that more than one million GSHP systems could be installed in the UK in the next decade. The Environment Agency’s report calls on the government to offer more financial incentives to home-owners and businesses to take up this form of heating and cooling through the forthcoming Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI).
New Energy Focus 12th Jan 2010 more >>
Boston AD
Demolition and construction contractors CLS Civil Engineering Ltd has secured a contract to design and construct Staples Vegetables’ anaerobic digestion (AD) plant near Boston in Lincolnshire.
New Energy Focus 12th Jan 2010 more >>
“Pathetic” Boiler Scheme
Environmental campaigner Friends of the Earth (FoE) has welcomed the launch of the Boiler Scrappage Scheme but claimed it will not reach enough households – it is “pathetically small”.
New Energy Focus 12th Jan 2010 more >>
Methane Injection Guidelines
The Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) has published guidance to inform producers of biogas of the legal, technical and regulatory requirements of injecting renewable gas into Britain’s gas grid.
New Energy Focus 12th Jan 2010 more >>
Fife Plan
A report on ‘Growing Fife’s Future - The Renewable Energy Opportunity’ was launched by the local authority’s development services at Tullis Russell on Friday (January 8). It highlights the commitment made by companies in the area to help create jobs and reduce carbon emissions. One of the companies committed to meeting Fife’s targets is papermaker Tullis Russell, which intends to install a new £200 million biomass Combined Heat and Power (CHP) system to replace its coal fired boilers at its mill in Markinch. The company claims the 50MW plant could supply enough electricity to power all the homes in Glenrothes, Kirkcaldy and Dunfermline.
New Energy Focus 11th Jan 2010 more >>
The first Fife Renewable Energy Knowledge Exchange event held on Monday 11th January 2010 was heralded as a huge success with over 50 delegates gathered to hear presentations from academia, industry and the public sector.
Fife Council 12th Jan 2010 more >>
AD can meet 10% of UK energy
A recently formed association representing the anaerobic digestion sector has claimed that AD could provide two thirds of the UK’s renewable energy target by 2020, arguing no other technology is capable of doing the same. The Anaerobic Digestion and Biogas Association (ADBA) was launched in September 2009 with the aim of developing biogas as one of the UK’s major sources of energy within 10 years.
New Energy Focus 11th Jan 2010 more >>
Northumberland ASHP
When George Bowlt was looking for a reliable heating system for his converted farm buildings in the beautiful but rugged Northumberland countryside, he looked at all traditional and renewable options before settling on the Ecodan air source heat pump system from Mitsubishi Electric.
Plumbing Park 11th Jan 2010 more >>
Derbyshire Windfall Plan
SPONDON could win a major £500,000 windfall after residents put the community forward to come up with ground-breaking ideas to cut the UK’s carbon footprint. The Government is searching for 20 communities to help develop new ways of tackling climate change. More than 500 places in the country have put their name into the mix and 10 have already been chosen
Derby Telegraph 11th Jan 2010 more >>
It’s Scotland’s Insulation
Letter from Chief Exec of Scottish Builders Federation: I fully endorse the WWFs call for every house in Scotland to be given free loft and wall insulation to help meet the ambitious targets for cutting carbon emissions laid down in the Climate Change (Scotland) Act. The Scottish Governments own figures show that for Scotlands housing stock to achieve the intended 42% cut in emissions by 2020 it will cost 1.6 billion per year.
Sunday Herald 10th Jan 2010 more >>
Super Kettles?
AN AMERICAN invention that turns waste heat into electricity by operating like a “super-kettle”, has been licensed by a Scottish energy company, which aims to turn over 40 million within the next three years by manufacturing the devices for the European market. Thistle Energy a spin-out company from family-owned Thistle Generators in Bothwell, Lanarkshire will initially sell Electra Therm’s “green machine” in the UK but also has plans to assemble it in Scotland before the end of the year.
Scotland on Sunday 10th Jan 2010 more >>
Combined Internet and Heat Scheme
WHEN Telecity began planning its third internet data centre in Paris, one of the first things it did was to look for partners. In addition to finding customers and hiring a firm to build the facility, it wanted someone to take the centres biggest waste product heat. The internet boom has led to huge growth in demand for the services of data centres. They are like giant warehouses that house row after row of the computer servers that power the digital economy.
Sunday Times 10th Jan 2010 more >>
Green Restaurant
A CROFTER has been given £165,000 of taxpayers’ cash to create a “green” restaurant. Richard Leparoux will open a four-star guest house and restaurant - thanks to Scottish Rural Development Programme grant aid. The house, at Uig, on the Isle of Lewis, will use renewable energy on-site.
Sunday Mail 10th Jan 2010 more >>
Heat Pumps and Scrappage
The Government’s announcement of a Boiler Scrappage Scheme for England which has just been launched offers a £400 incentive to households looking to upgrade their old heating system. The cash is available to anyone who replaces a G-rated boiler with a modern boiler, or a renewable heating unit. What many homeowners might not realise is that if they look at alternatives to gas, such as the award-winning Ecodan air source heat pump, then they can also qualify for a £900 grant against installation.
Ajax World 8th Jan 2010 more >>
NAREC
The European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) will be providing £300 million to initiatives in the North East, in order to create as well as maintain jobs and businesses in the region. The New And Renewable Energy Centre (NAREC) in the North East of England has been awarded £495,000 from ERDF, in order to support renewable energy microgeneration initiatives.
Better Generation 8th Jan 2010 more >>
Smartest Energy
SmartestEnergy, purchaser and supplier of independently generated electricity to the commercial sector, is now directly responsible for 13 per cent of renewable electricity entering the UK grid – making it the leader in independently generated green power.
Green Wise 8th Jan 2010 more >>
More Merton Housing
Merton Council has given the go-ahead to a brand new housing development in Mitcham, which is all set to transform the former Roan industrial estate. In line with the borough’s pioneering environmental planning policy, the Merton Rule, and the London Plan, the development includes on-site energy generation from renewable sources which will reduce carbon emissions by 20%.
Merton Borough Council 7th Jan 2010 more >>
Home Generation
The government is offering grants and subsidies of up to £3,400 to people making their own power - but what are your options and is it worth it?
MSN Money 6th Jan 2010 more >>
In the run up to the April launch of the Clean Energy Cashback Scheme (often referred to as a Feed in Tariff) for small scale renewables and microgeneration we will be keeping an eye out on all the news to keep you informed on what’s going on with the scheme. We’ll be the first with the news and opinion on what each development means for you, the consumer. We won’t be afraid to pull any punches when it comes to holding politicians to account and ensuring they deliver on promises too.
Clean Energy Caskback November 2009 more >>
