DSEN News
Devon News
Regional News
National News
DSEN News:
The first round of sub group meetings for the Devon Sustainable Energy Network were held at Exeter University in June. All the meetings prompted exciting debates and the exchange of interesting views and ideas, some of which inspired the commencement of projects and partnerships to get the name of DSEN well and truly heard. If you have not received the minutes or the revised action plans following these meetings and wish to do so, please contact the secretariat for DSEN. The next round of meetings are on 13th September for Business and Renewable Energy, and 27th September for Domestic Energy and Health and Public Sector sub groups. The steering group will also meet on September 2nd. Those who attended the first round of meetings will automatically receive an agenda and details of the venue and times shortly. If you didn’t make the first meetings and wish to attend this time, please contact the DSEN secretariat at jo@devon-energy-advice.co.uk, stating which group you would like to attend. Top
A website is being developed for the Devon Sustainable Energy Network, and will be launched by the end of September. The website aims to make DSEN accessible to everyone in Devon, and to provide a medium for all the members and associates to keep up to date on the progression of the group. Each sub group will have their own page, and will be able to make contributions to the content of that page. We will send you a link once the website is up and running, and in the meantime if there is something particular you wish to see included on the website, send it to the secretariat for review. Top
Devon News:
The achievements of the Devon Energy Efficiency Advice Centre were celebrated this July at the National EEAC conference in Durham, where they won an award for most improved EEAC this year. The Devon EEAC has also recently appointed a Training Officer, Kate Dooley, to deliver energy awareness training to all parts of the community in Devon. Kate is running a training session on 26th August at the Pensions Service Office in Barnstaple for fuel poverty and energy awareness. For more details or to book a place on this course, please contact Kate on 01752 235180 or email kate@devon-energy-advice.co.uk Top
Oak Meadow wins prestigious award
Devon and Cornwall Housing Association’s eco friendly development at Oak Meadow, South Molton, has scooped yet another prestigious award. It has been voted the Best Social Housing Development of 2005 by the National Homebuilder Designer Awards sponsored by the Mail on Sunday and the NHBC. The scheme also won a Green Apple award, even before the houses were built. Oak Meadow is a scheme of 35 cutting edge houses and flats, which achieve an ecohomes rating of ‘excellent’ due to the extremely low running costs, low carbon dioxide emissions and high energy efficiency. To find out more, visit the DCHA website at www.dcha.co.uk Top
Community heating for Torridge
Torridge Council is one of the latest beneficiaries in Defra’s Community Energy scheme round which funds projects designed to link heating for housing estates and other amenities, cutting waste, reducing bills and promoting more environment-friendly energy sources. Torridge District Council has received £600,144 for a new heat network, utilising heat from the existing Holsworthy Biogas power plant to connect 52 council houses and five public buildings. More information on http://www.torridge.gov.uk/index.cfm?articleid=5899 Top
Energy savings for Torbay residents
Torbay’s Affordable Warmth Officer Jarrod Hutt has launched a new scheme aimed at keeping Torbay residents warmer in their homes and reducing their energy bills. The Save ‘n Warm scheme is funded by British Gas in partnership with Torbay Council and Miller Patterson and offers people who privately own or rent their property the chance to purchase cavity wall and loft insulation at a reduced rate. It also offers free insulation and a health and benefits check for those residents that are in receipt of benefits and privately own or rent their property. Top
Free green training for businesses
Businesses wanting to avoid damaging South Devon's environment, hold on to clients, reduce costs, and reap the benefits of new markets can learn how to achieve all that through free training. Envision, a partnership made up of the Groundwork Trust, Global Action Plan and Plymouth College of Further Education, is providing free training to firms in Objective 2 areas which includes parts of Torbay and the South Hams. For those small to medium sized firms outside those areas there are competitive rates for the training. If your company would be interested in this, contact EnVision on (0845) 111 4141. Top
Warm Up West Devon is a partnership made up of West Devon Borough Council, Devon Energy Efficiency Advice Centre, Devon Fire & Rescue Service, and others. It was launched in April this year with the aim of making homes in West Devon warmer and safer by offering insulation and safety works at little or no cost. So far the scheme has helped over 50 householders and it is hoped than more than 1000 will have had their insulation improved by April next year. For more details go to www.westdevon.gov.uk/warmupwestdevon or contact Grace Daniels on 01752 235184. Top
An energy champion scheme is underway in Devon to reach vulnerable households in rural and remote communities. The UK Fuel Poverty Strategy recognises that households in rural areas are more likely to be living in fuel poverty than those in urban areas, due to many properties being off gas and of low energy efficiency standards. This problem is often exacerbated by other issues such as poor rural transport, dispersed service provision and lack of access to specialist advice and support networks. National Energy Action has secured funding from Defra to work with four Rural Energy Champions in Devon and support the work of each of the champions with a £1,000 and an opportunity to free training City & Guilds 6176 in Energy Awareness. Each champion will organise small-scale community events and signpost vulnerable householders to energy advice. A similar initiative is being launched in October by the Devon EEAC in association with Devon Health Forum, to create Primary Care Trust energy champions. There is a training day for PCT staff on Oct 7th to relay information about grants and services available to patients in Devon, and what the PCT energy champions role will involve. Contact Jo for more information. Top
The green light has been given to plans to build a green library in Devon. South Molton is the site of the new 'one stop shop' community information centre which will incorporate a wide range of environmental features. Architects hope heating costs can be halved through the introduction of eco initiatives such as large amounts of insulation under the floor, triple glazing and draught-proofing. Heat loss will also be reduced with a timber frame and cavity insulation, working alongside condensation-reduction techniques in the form of permeable materials such as lime renders instead of concrete. For details see:
http://www.est.org.uk/aboutest/news/dailynews/index.cfm?mode=view&articleid=15013003
Regional News:
Cornwall County Council – Beacon Council open day:
Cornwall County Council will be running an open day & study tour on the 5th & 6th October 2005, to share their ideas and innovations which led to the achievement of beacon council status. Since 2001, Cornwall County Council, the five District Councils, one Borough Council and the Council of the Isles of Scilly have created a public/private sector partnership of eight local authorities, delivering a collective vision to secure a sustainable energy future for the communities of Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. The partnership has utilised initial funding from the Energy Saving Trust and Local Energy Support Programme, and work has ranged from tackling fuel poverty to large-scale renewable energy projects. To book a place at the open day, and for additional information, please contact the beacon coordinator at beacon@cornwall.gov.uk or visit www.cornwall.gov.uk/beacon Top
REvision 2020 proposes new targets for the South West
A new report for the Government Office of the South West and the Regional Assembly recommends ambitious new targets for renewable electricity, renewable heat, and on site renewable energy generation. The report builds on the work of Revision 2010 to show how the SW could supply 20% of its electricity needs by 2020, and suggests that a third could come from offshore and two-thirds from onshore renewables. For the first time a renewable heat target is proposed, with the suggestion that 500MW could be delivered by wood heating, heat pumps and solar water heating by 2020. The report suggests that a 10% on site generation standard for major new building requirements could be met cheaply. There are at least three or more RE technologies which can deliver this requirement at less than 5% additional build cost. If these targets are delivered on the ground the consultants expect the policy to support over 5,000 jobs in the South West. To download the report, go to:
www.oursouthwest.com/revision2020/index.htm
The Government Office for the South West (GOSW) has launched "Greener Events" - a guide to reducing the environmental impacts of conferences and seminars. This practical guide helps event managers and venues address issues such as reducing and offsetting carbon dioxide emissions, the use of locally produced food and the reduction of waste associated with the running and management of events. It includes a "Greener Events Checklist" to aid discussions between event managers and venue management. The guide is recommended by key organisations including the Environment Agency (SW), Sustainability South West, SW of England Regional Development Agency, SW Regional Assembly, and the SW Local Government Association. It is available at: http://www.oursouthwest.com/SusBus/Intro.html#greenerevents
National News:
Standby Britain: How it fuels our energy crisis
The Independent published an article on the 27th June stating that one million tonnes of greenhouse gases are pumped into the atmosphere every year by appliances left on standby in the UK. This wasted energy is enough to power around 600,000 homes every year, and is a significant contribution to UK emissions of climate changing gases. A press release by Friends of the Earth on Jun 23 stated: “It’s not just the UK, this is a global problem. According to a leaked draft G8 communiqué: "across the G8, standby power consumes the equivalent of the output of 24 full-scale power stations". But this passage has been removed from a subsequent draft.”
To read the full article in the Independent go to: http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/environment/article294286.ece
And for the Friends of the Earth press release visit:
http://www.foe.co.uk/resource/press_releases/appliances_on_standby_fuel_23062005.html
Energy-saving targets scrapped
Minister drops efficiency plan for older homes and postpones tougher regulations for new houses. Pledges made by Tony Blair to force house builders to improve the energy efficiency of homes are to be ditched. Proposed building regulations due to be announced this week have been watered down and some provisions dropped altogether as "unnecessary gold plating". Yvette Cooper, the housing minister, decided to drop regulations on refurbished houses altogether and postpone regulations for new buildings until next year. Ms Cooper wants to drop plans for energy efficiency improvements in existing homes which have an extension or are to be refurbished.
To read the full article please click on
http://www.guardian.co.uk/climatechange/story/0,,1530811,00.html
MoD allows wind farms to be built near military sites
The Ministry of Defence has dropped its objections to the building of wind farms in a wide area around one of its military installations in what campaigners believe could be a turning point in Britain's policy of developing wind power.
Half of all potential wind farms never reach the formal planning stage because of objections by the MoD, which has argued successfully that they pose a danger to sensitive equipment such as radars and seismic sensors.
Full article at http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/environment/article299874.ece
EU to force landlords to act on energy efficiency
A study of small businesses, commissioned by energy supplier Powergen, found that commercial property landlords and their tenants have reached a stalemate over energy efficiency measures. While both claim to value the importance of energy efficiency, landlords don't believe there is enough incentive and support for them to take significant action - leaving SME tenants feeling powerless to make important energy efficiency improvements to their premises. But a new EU directive which could come in as early as January 4, 2006, means all of the UK's estimated two million commercial properties must undergo an energy efficiency audit - at the landlord's expense. To read the full story go to: http://www.thisissouthdevon.co.uk/displayNode.jsp?nodeId=134844&command=displayContent&sourceNode
Green Moves is a website dedicated to advertising homes for sale that are more energy efficient than conventional homes. The company is supported by the Somerset Trust for Sustainable Development and the WWF One Million Sustainable Homes Campaign. They reinvest some of their income in tree planting to help offset the carbon emissions from housing. To find out more about this initiative, visit http://www.greenmoves.com Top
Leicester City, which has just been awarded Beacon Council status for sustainable energy, is one of seven Local Authorities in the UK to participate in The European Display™ Campaign so far. The campaign was designed by energy experts from 20 European towns and cities and is aimed at encouraging local authorities to publicly display the energy and environmental performances of their public buildings using the same energy label as for household appliances. The campaign is intended to arouse public interest in energy and climate issues, however complex they are, in a communicative and educational way. For more information go to www.display-campaign.org
August
27-28 – Wind Weekend: the first ever national celebration of wind energy will see wind farms across the UK opening for a fun and exciting day out. For more information go to: http://www.embracewind.com/weekend/index.html
September
7th-28th The Energy Saving Trust is holding a series of free, one day seminars for local authority and housing provider professionals interested in sustainable energy and planning. These events will include presentations, case studies, information about sources of help and a chance to discuss sustainable energy planning issues with other planning professionals. The events are taking place in Manchester, Exeter and London in September. For full details or to book your place, go to: www.est.org.uk/housingbuildings/events/
13th DSEN Business sub group meeting, 10am – 12.30pm, Senate room, Northcote House, Exeter University. DSEN Renewable Energy sub group meeting, 1.30pm – 4pm, Senate room, Northcote House, Exeter University.
13th-15th Resource05 – the Building Research Estabilshments renewable energy and low carbon technologies conference and exhibition for domestic buildings, non-domestic buildings and communities. Visit www.resource05.com for more information.
19th-21st National Energy Action annual conference and exhibition 2005, University of York – http://www.nea.org.uk/Events/Annual_conference
22nd IEA annual conference – an event looking at key questions surrounding the potential of renewable energy and the viability of nuclear power, tackling the issue of security of gas supply and asking how the industry, regulator and government can work together to deliver an optimal policy framework for future investment. For full details go to: http://www.marketforce.eu.com/index.cfm?obj=conferences.overview&confID=64
27th DSEN Domestic Energy & Health sub group meeting 10am – 12.30pm, Senate room, Northcote House, Exeter University. DSEN Public Sector sub group meeting 1.30pm – 4pm, Senate room, Northcote House, Exeter University.
30th Homes for the Future 3, Larkbere House, Exeter – An event organised by Devon Local Energy Support Team in association with the Building Research Establishment aimed at social housing landlords and housing managers which will provide information about developments in sustainable energy tailored for housing associations, including funding information. For more information regarding this, contact jo@devon-energy-advice.co.uk.
October
5th & 6th Cornwall County Council open day (see above for more info)
7th Devon Primary Care Trust energy champions training – for PCT staff to obtain information on grants and services available to vulnerable people in Devon. Contact jo@devon-energy-advice.co.uk for more information.
18th-20th BWEA annual conference and exhibition of wind, wave and tidal energy, Cardiff International Arena – http://www.bwea.com/27/index.html
24th-30th National Energy Saving Week – The Devon EEAC will be doing a series of events around the county. More information will be available nearer the time.
