Monthly Archives: January 2012

Camden Council to cancel 1,000 solar panels

January 2012: “Cllr Sean Birch said: “We had signed a contract to install solar panels in 1,000 street properties, and the fact that the government has changed the goal posts means this is not going to happen now. The council is going to be worse off because we were going to be generating revenues from the electricity at a time when money is scarce.” Read full Ham & High article here.

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Funding for London biomass schemes

January 2012: DECC’s Bio-energy Capital Grants Scheme supported “biomass-fuelled heat, and combined heat and power projects in the industrial, commercial and community sectors in England.” A spreadsheet has just been released providing details of projects supported by rounds 1, 3, 4, 5 and 6 of the scheme.  Projects are not listed with any specific geographic information however from a quick review it appears that only 4 of the 215 schemes supported appear to be in London, which are:

  • Hale Village in Tottenham (entry 161 on the spreadsheet)
  • A school in Sutton (entry 178)
  • An unspecified London fire station (entry 180)
  • East Barnet School (entry 197)
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London faces rising temperatures

January 2012: The Government published the UK Climate Change Risk Assessment (CCRA) on 25 January 2012, the first assessment of its kind for the UK which highlights the top 100 challenges to the UK faces as a result of a changing climate. Amongst the many changes predicted in the assessment, a number are directly in relation to London, specifically:

  • On average, hot weather accounts for around 1100 premature deaths a year in the UK. By the 2050s, this figure is projected to increase by between 580 and 5900, with the greatest risk in London and southern England.
  • Summer overheating is projected to emerge as a significant risk, potentially contributing to heat-related health problems. In London, for instance, the number of days in an average year when temperatures rise above 26°C is projected to increase from the current figure of 18 to between 27 and 121 by the 2080s.

The Evening Standard summarised the findings thus: London ‘facing killer summers in climate peril’!

Chapter 5 of the London Climate Change Adaptation Strategy (issued in October 2011) focuses specifically on the issue of overheating in London as a result of climate change and commits to taking forward a number of actions including:

  • working  with boroughs to identify opportunities for combined cooling, heat and power and other forms of low-carbon cooling and
  • promoting ‘cool roof technology’ (highly reflective, well-insulated roofs) in London to reduce demand for mechanical cooling.
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Largest solar scheme on social housing in London

January 2012:  Ascham Homes’  and Waltham Forest are working together to install solar PV on 1,000 homes by March 2012 to create the largest solar scheme on social housing in London. Tenants in homes with the solar PV scheme installed can use the electricity being generated from their system for free. Read the full news release here.

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Tottenham Biomass District Heating scheme

25 January 2012: An update has been provided on – as this news release says – is the UK’s first biomass district heating scheme. Hale Village in Tottenham, London, comprises 2220 homes, which  will receive heat and hot water via a biomass boiler district heating network using wood pellets. Read more here.

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Camden Climate Change Alliance

January 2012: The Camden Climate Change Alliance (CCCA) was formed by Camden Council in 2008 to help organisations in the borough committed to reducing their carbon dioxide emissions.  The  Alliance  membership has grown from 125 to 172 (38% increase) from Nov 2010 to Nov 2011 and theAlliance is on track to meet its 10% reduction target by end 2012. An estimated 7.8% decrease in carbon emissions was achieved from 2008/9 to2010/11. Read the Alliance’s recent annual report at betterclimateforcamden.org. Further information is also provided in a report to Camden’s Environment Committee here.

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Plans for a Future London Riverside heat network set out

January 2012: A draft  London Riverside Opportunity Area Planning Framework (LROAPF) has just been published by the GLA, working with the London boroughs of Newham, Barking and Dagenham and Havering.

The LROAPF area covers over 3,000 hectares of east London, encompassing parts of each of the three boroughs.  The draft states that “Sustainability is an important theme that runs through the document. London Riverside is already part of a wider Green Enterprise District and home to a more concentrated Sustainable Industries District. Energy, waste and water are dealt with in some detail and the way they are inter-connected is brought out.”

The OAPF technical appendices include an energy strategy identifying a number of key opportunities for decentralised energy production in the region. The development of these satellite district-heating networks, which could  interconnect over time, and hence  supply London Riverside with locally produced low to zero carbon and waste energy sources. The OAPF suggests that “In the longer term, the aspiration is to develop a district heating network across London Riverside to supply the heating requirements of existing and future development. (illustrated below)

The concept of an East London heat network follows from work carried out by the London Development Agency (LDA) in relation to the development of the London Thames Gateway Heat Network (LTGHN).

Plans for the decentralised energy network are set out in the main LROAPF consultation draft and also in the Energy Strategy contained in Technical Appendix 5. The closing dates for comments is 10 February 2012.

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‘London faces £500 million shortfall in share of fuel poverty and climate change funds’

20 January 2012: London Councils have responded to the Government’s Green Deal consultation stating that “London needs a fair share of government Green Deal cash to help people afford home improvements such as solid wall insulation. To date less than five per cent of the national pot to help support ‘retro-fitting’ (upgrading the energy-efficiency of existing homes) has been spent in London, despite the capital housing 13 per cent of the population. Funds for carbon saving and affordable warmth schemes available under the government’s new Green Deal should be allocated on a regional basis, says London Councils.”

Councillor Catherine West, chair of London Councils Transport and Environment Committee, said:
“The Green Deal is vital to London, good for the environment and good for people’s pockets. It can help us to tackle the growing problem of fuel poverty in London, but the government’s proposals exclude many of the people that need help most.

“London has a very high proportion of homes that are hard to treat and families living in fuel poverty. To make the Green Deal a success nationally we have to make it work in London, but we can only do that with our fair share of the available money.”

Read the full release here along with London Councils submission to the Green Deal consultation.

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Energy Efficient Breakfast Events

January 2012: The Carbon Trust is hosting an Energy Efficient Breakfast for local businesses in the London Boroughs of  Camden, Westminster, Southwark and Lambeth, in partnership with Camden Council on 27 March 2012. Registration and breakfast will open at 7:30 am, the session will start at 8 am, and will finish at 10:00 am with an optional carbon surgery with the trainer for half an hour afterwards. Further details on  the content of the event and how to register posted on the Carbon Trust’s website.

A further event in Sutton is also being held on 6 March 2012.

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20% off home energy assessments in Haringey

January 2012: VICTERI (Victorian Terrace Energy Reduction Initiative), a local not-for-profit organisation, is offering a 20% discount on home energy assessments to the first 12 Haringey residents to sign up. The home assessment will provide home owners with:

  • Advice on how to cut high fuel bills
  • Remedies for draughts and cold rooms
  • Assessment of suitability for solar electricity and solar hot water panels
  • A report with recommendations for action, including approximate costs

The discounted price of £80 is available until 31 January 2012. For further information go to the VICTERI website

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Energise Barnet powering ahead

January 2012: Energise Barnet has recently been awarded £37,500 as part of Barnet Council’s Big Society Innovation Bank, a £600,000 fund created to help kick-start citizen- and community-led projects. Further details can be viewed here.

Nigel Farren of Energise Barnet has also been selected as the only London representative on a newly formed ‘Community Energy Contact Group’ convened by Energy Minister Greg Barker. The first meeting of the Group took place in December with Nigel joining  eight other community groups and organisations from across the UK who will help DECC understand the issues and opportunities facing communities setting up local renewable energy initiatives. Further details on Energise Barnet’s involvement in the Group can be read on the following news report.

DECC have stated they welcome feedback and suggestions on community energy initiatives as well as notable case studies  which should be sent to alison.bailey@decc.gsi.gov.uk. DECC are also seeking guidance from community groups via a short survey posted on their Community Energy Online website.

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Smart Grid Project Launched

24 January 2012: “Energy management company Honeywell  today announced a smart grid project that will help connect up to 30 commercial and industrial buildings in the Thames Valley area west of London, and temporarily reduce electricity consumption when overall use spikes. This will help alleviate the potential for future transmission and distribution bottlenecks as the peak demand for energy grows. It will also enable building operators to decrease their energy use, utility bills and carbon dioxide emissions.” Read full news release here.

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