Author Archives: Admin

‘Why I’m lending my voice to community renewable schemes’

December 2011: Guardian posted article by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall about the energyshare initiative, created to help support and promote community-led sustainable energy projects. Energyshare – together with funding from British Gas – have just finalised (yesterday) their current competition, allowing supporters to  vote for their favourite community energy project, with winners being awarded up to £100,000 funding. Four projects have been selected – none unfortunately in London – but all worth reading about! Further information here.

Posted in News, Uncategorized | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Dial-a-Ride vehicles trialling biodiesel

December 2011: Transport for London (TfL)is to use an “environmentally friendly biofuel in 12 of its Dial-a-Ride vehicles in a year-long trial…The biodiesel, which will be supplied by Argent Energy, is a renewable, clean-burning fuel made from used cooking oil from the catering industry and tallow, which is a residue from the meat processing industry.” Further information on TfL press release here.

For further information on the use of  biofuels in London, see the following posts. Further information on Scottish based Argent Energy here.

Posted in News | Tagged , | Leave a comment

RHI FAQ

December 2011: Ofgem question and answer factsheet providing assistance to applicants who intend to apply for the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) Scheme.

Posted in Library | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

‘1m homes in London and South-East hit by fuel poverty’

3 December 2011: The Evening Standard reports on revised estimates released by Consumer Focus on the number of households deemed to be suffering from ‘fuel poverty’. The data referred to in the article doesn’t appear to be available on Consumer Focus’s website as yet, however the following BBC article provides a summary of the estimates which suggests that the proportion of fuel poor households in London has risen from 13.3% in 2009 to 17.8% in 2011.

Posted in News | Tagged | Leave a comment

Surrey Canal Decentralised Energy Project

December 2011: An article on the Guardian’s website includes some information a major new mixed development (shops, business space, 2,400 homes and a new ‘Sporting Village’ based around Millwall Football Club) planned for Lewisham – Surrey Canal – which is planned to form part of a district heating scheme using waste heat from the nearby SELCHP waste to energy plant.

A proposed heat network route from SELCHP is also being examined by neighbouring borough Southwark, to supply heat to a number of nearby estates (details previously posted here and here): the power station is currently wasting enough waste heat to supply both these routes and more development sites should they come along.

More information on the energy strategy for the Surrey Canal development can be found in the following energy assessment for the site submitted as part of the planning application. (Direct link above – the full planning application can be viewed here – the energy assessment is saved under ‘Supporting Reports Vol.1’).

Posted in News | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Low Carbon Loan Launch

December 2011: Haringey Council will launch the Muswell Hill Low Carbon Loan at on Saturday 3 December 2011. The Low Carbon Loan scheme offer homeowners in the Muswell Hill Low Carbon Zone low interest loans, repayable over 10 – 25 years, to install larger energy saving measures or even a whole house retrofit.

Applicants will receive a free in depth Energy Audit and Retrofit Plan until the end of March 2012. Further information here.

Posted in News | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Haringey DE and retrofit studies

December 2011: As part of the work undertaken for the EST Local Carbon Framework’s pilot, Haringey – one of the 9 pilot areas (the only one in London however) – has developed five areas of study of interest to the borough looking at:

  1. Housing retrofit potential in North London – a detailed report for which can be downloaded here .
  2. Solar Power on Council buildings the outputs of which include:
  3. Green enterprise in the Upper Lee Valley – which produced the Upper Lee Valley low carbon economy report (PDF 6.2MB)
  4. Selling electricity from Combined Heat and Power Schemes – which looks at Haringey potentially acquiring a “Lite Supply Licence” which would allow a district heating operator to sell electricity at retail rates to consumers with fewer risks and complexities (report here)
  5. Producing guidance for Decentralised Energy Schemes – the purpose of which was to gain an understanding of the potential for district heating networks in the borough based on heat loads and likely capital costs and cash flows, and set up organisational structures to oversee a strategic approach to delivering DE networks.
Posted in Library, News | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Local Carbon Frameworks Evaluation Published

December 2011: An EST led pilot programme for DECC “…the Local Carbon Framework (LCF) pilots programme has sought to develop demonstrable lessons about how councils can integrate measures to combat climate change into their core business. These lessons also provide a practical basis for the development of a new Council Framework for Climate Change. This Framework will seek to act as a local action plan on delivering carbon emissions, encapsulating the varying portfolios of carbon reduction measures relevant to individual or grouped councils.”

Download an Evaluation of the Local Carbon Framework Pilots here
and the Local Carbon Framework pilot: Baseline data and methodology review here.

More on the LCF can be found on DECC’s website here and the Local Government Association website here. The London Borough of Haringey was one of the 9 pilot areas, more of which can be found on the haringey2040.org.uk website.

Posted in Library | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Local authority Green Deal delivery model

December 2011: EST financing and delivery model to enable local authorities working with the private sector, to use the incoming Green Deal legislation so as to achieve their low carbon targets across both private and social housing so creating jobs and reducing fuel poverty.

Posted in Library | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Local authority large scale retrofit: A review of finance models

December 2011: EST guide reviewing the characteristics of the various approaches to large scale retrofit finance that are currently being developed and deployed, and to draw up a features and benefits matrix, such that any local authority can understand which model may be most appropriate for their own circumstances.

Posted in Library | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

EST Local authority funding guide

December 2011: Energy Saving Trust funding guide aimed at local authority officers who are considering developing and delivering low carbon schemes and are assessing their options for financing these projects. This guide covers a range of options and aims to highlight theopportunities available. This guide is not an exhaustive list and other options may be available.

Posted in Library, News | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Local Councils and the Green Deal

December 2011: An interim report investigating whether Local Councils could increase the equity of Green Deal implementation, and also how such a role can best be supported. Download here.

Posted in Library, News | Tagged , | Leave a comment