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News
Green Deal training for Landlords
February 2013: Future Climate are undertaking training seminars for landlords on the Green Deal and ECO which “will help you understand how you can make the most of this new financing in keeping your properties up to date.”
Dates, times and venues for training
Monday 18 February 2013 – 9.30am to 12.30pm &1.30pm to 4.30pm – London Borough of Camden
Tuesday 19 February 2013 – 9.30am to 12.30pm – London Borough of Camden
Wednesday 20 February 2013 – 9.30am to 12.30pm and1.30pm to 4.30pm – London Borough of Camden
Thursday 21 February 2013 9.30am to 12.30pm – London Borough of Hackney
Monday 25 February 2013 9.30am to 12.30pm – London Borough of Camden
Full details on Future Climate’s website. The project is funded under DECC’s Green Deal Pioneer Places Fund.
Electricity Consumption per London Borough
February 2013: London Datastore has posted a cut-down version of DECC’s latest statistics of electricity consumption by local authority providing just the London boroughs detail (use the Excel link provided on the London Datastore webpage). A timeseries of data from 2003-2011 is made available and includes electricity consumption (GWh) per borough for domestic customers and I&C (industrial and commercial) consumers. The table also provides the number of MPANs (Meter Point Administration Number) per borough per domestic/I&C sector. For more on MPANs see the following entry on Wikipedia …and for still more see the following factsheet on Elexon’s website.
‘Londoners shouldn’t be left out in the cold’
February 2013: With National Energy Action (NEA) announcing today that there is now “a massive shortfall in funding for insulation programmes for low-income households” Labour member of the London Assembly Murad Qureshi AM writes that “with energy prices skyrocketing by up to 11 per cent this winter it is unlikely many people are unaware of this growing crisis….In London the picture is stark. Before the price hikes, well over half a million London households were fuel poor. Yet London has got a raw deal from the energy companies – and not just on pricing.” Read the full article here.
The economic value of implementing the London Plan energy policies
February 2013: “The London Plan sets out a range of energy policies which developers are required to comply with. As well as setting CO2 reduction targets for new developments, these policies support the implementation of the Mayor’s energy hierarchy: 1) using less energy; 2) supplying energy efficiently; and 3) renewable energy. Whilst the core benefits from the implementation of these policies, for example carbon dioxide savings, are routinely monitored, the economic benefits arising from implementing these policies is not quantified.”
The Mayor is therefore commissioning work to “to estimate the projected investment and number of jobs that result from completed developments which obtained planning permission from the Mayor. The job and investment projections will be informed by collecting data from a number of approved planning applications and completed developments (e.g. via site visits) to determine the costs of implementing specific measures.” Full details on the project approval document here.
City Hall responds on Boris’s climate change article
January 2013: Responding to the controversy over the Mayor’s recent musings on climate change, where he wrote about a potential link between extreme weather to the incidence of sun spots – details on all of which are set out in an earlier post – the Mayor’s environmental advisor, Matthew Pencharz, appeared on the BBC’s London Politics show on Sunday (27 Jan) to answer questions on City Hall’s carbon reduction policies. The programme can be seen here – only for the next 3 days however (fast forward to 51m30secs to the relevant section).
Whilst not directly addressing the Mayor’s comments on climate change and sun spots (the ideas for which – and substantive arguments against – are set out on the excellent ‘Skeptical Science’ website here) the interview did highlight: Continue reading…
The growth in community led energy projects in Germany
January 2013: BBC Radio 4’s environment programme, Costing the Earth, has this week looked at the energy market changes in Germany – with the planned closure in nuclear being replaced by a massive shift to renewables – and the significant role that community energy groups are playing in helping with this change. Further information on the programme – Berlin’s Big Gamble here. The programme is available as a podcast here.
A recent news report highlighted that there are “more than 80,000 German citizens have come together in some 600 energy cooperatives” and a 2012 report covering co-op groups energy projects in Germany ‘Citizens, communities and local economy in good company‘ states that these groups have invested over 800 million euros in renewable energy schemes.
The Mayor on climate science…and the responses
January 2013: The Mayor has used his latest Daily Telegraph column to consider our current winter weather period and pontificate what this means in terms of climate change saying ‘Something is up with our winter weather. Could it be the Sun is having a slow patch?’
For his column, the Mayor turns to the work of what appears to be his ‘theorist of choice’ Piers Corbyn (Boris has referenced his work twice before in July 2012 and December 2010) stating that “According to Piers, global temperature depends not on concentrations of CO2 but on the mood of our celestial orb.”
The Mayor then brings in his memories of childhood winters, moving on to referencing sun spots, both Shakespeare and JMW Turner, Aztec solar theories and the effects of something called the Maunder minimum. After all of this, Boris then goes on to say: “Now I am not for a second saying that I am convinced Piers is right; and to all those scientists and environmentalists who will go wild with indignation on the publication of this article, I say, relax. I certainly support reducing CO2 by retrofitting homes and offices – not least since that reduces fuel bills. I want cleaner vehicles. I am speaking only as a layman who observes that there is plenty of snow in our winters these days, and who wonders whether it might be time for government to start taking seriously the possibility — however remote — that Corbyn is right. If he is, that will have big implications for agriculture, tourism, transport, aviation policy and the economy as a whole. Of course it still seems a bit nuts to talk of the encroachment of a mini ice age.”
Responses to Boris’s pontifications were both rapid and comprehensive. Carbon Brief were first to come forward with a really excellent article, including contributions directly addressing points raised by Boris from experts at Imperial College, the Met Office and UCL. A really interesting read that rightly concludes that :
“Unfortunately polling data shows a significant number of people are still confused about what’s causing climate change. Fringe scientific theories receiving more attention than they warrant from some parts of the media – and some columnists – probably doesn’t help.”
Other reactions include The Guardian who reference the Carbon Brief article and Greenpeace who provide some additional analysis on Boris’s comments. The Skeptical Science blog also provides a useful contribution to the debate on the issue of solar activity and climate change. The LSE’s climate change unit also responded via the New Stateman. Meanwhile Piers Gough’s website says that “Piers was filmed by BBC Politics London Show discussion Sunday 27 Jan BBC1 11am A representative of Boris Johnson will be interviewed.” So it appears that the discussion will continue for at least a few more days…
Despite the controversies that have arisen around the Mayor’s comments, it should be mentioned that the Mayor has released comprehensive strategies on climate change mitigation and climate change adaptation in 2011.
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‘2012: London’s sustainable Games leave lasting benefits’
January 2013: The Mayor’s Environment Advisor, Matthew Pencharz, contributes a column to the C40cities ‘Expert Voices Blog’ on how ‘London’s sustainable Games will leave lasting benefits’
“The achievements have been impressive. No other Games had predicted its carbon footprint, so a new methodology had to be designed and delivered, one that included all the emissions from winning the bid to the end of the Games.
As a direct result emissions have been reduced by 400 ktCO2e equivalent to approximately 9% of the annual CO2 emissions from cars in London. The majority of this figure was achieved through reducing the impact of construction and the staging of the event. This ground-breaking methodology is available for use by future organisers of major events enabling carbon reduction on a significant scale.”
The excellent ‘Learning Legacy’ website has done a great job in compiling the knowledge gained by organisers in delivering the Olympics, on a wide array of key issues, including sustainability. Some energy and carbon outputs from this work includes:
Insulation from renewable sources and healthy to install
Combining photovoltaic panels and a living roof on the Main Press Centre
Achieving the Part L target at the Aquatics Centre
The Velodrome, the most energy efficient venue on the Olympic Park
Managing energy consumption during the Games
Carbon reduction in transport management
The Olympic Park Energy Strategy
Reducing embodied carbon through efficient design
Reducing and compensating the Games carbon footprint
Previous posts on energy issues related to the London 2012 Olympics can be viewed here.
Finally, the BBC programme ‘twenty twelve’ had an interesting take on the Olympics ‘ethically designed electric vehicle charging points’ and the ‘Olympic Park wind turbine’.
PQ on SELCHP
22 January 2013: Lyn Brown, MP for West Ham, asked the following question in relation to the South East London Combined Heat and Power plant (SELCHP):
Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions he has had on the potential effects on human health in Newham of the operation of the South East London Combined Heat and Power incinerator.
Richard Benyon: The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for North Shropshire (Mr Paterson), has not held any discussions on the potential effects on human health in Newham of the South East London Combined Heat and Power incinerator.
Energy from waste incinerators are regulated under environmental permits granted by the Environment Agency to meet the strict emissions standards of the waste incineration directive. The Environment Agency currently has no regulatory or compliance concerns regarding the performance of the South East London Combined Heat and Power incinerator and is not aware of any public health issues. Any potential effects on health would be a matter for the Environment Agency to assess in conjunction with the Health Protection Agency.
More on SELCHP here.
Brixton Energy and the Future of Community Energy Schemes
January 2013: Labour’s Shadow Energy Minister, Luciana Berger MP, recently visited the team at Brixton Energy to see the excellent work undertaken there in developing a community-led PV project. The scheme has been getting a lot of attention and was raised during a recent House of Commons debate on the Energy Bill, where it was refrenced as the kind of community energy initiative the Bill should be supporting – something which it is sorely lacking to do so at the moment.
The issue of the Energy Bill and community energy schemes – and the forthcoming Government Community Energy Strategy – was picked up again during the committee stage oral evidence sessions last week, with the Secretary of State being quizzed by another Labour Shadow Energy Minister, Tom Greatrex:
“Q 37 Tom Greatrex: I would like to ask the Secretary of State about community energy projects, because he has talked in the past about wanting to foster a community energy revolution. Will he explain why, contrary to the Select Committee’s report and other representations, he decided against increasing the threshold for the small-scale feed-in tariff above 5 MW?
Mr Davey: I know that there has been a lot of focusing on that. I would say first that community energy strategy is far wider, richer and deeper than simply that particular issue, although I know the Select Committee paid a lot of attention to it. Mr Barker and I will be publishing a consultation paper on a community energy strategy in March—I think that is the current working timetable. Mr Barker will correct me if I am wrong, but I think that we are working to March.
The Minister of State, Department of Energy and Climate Change (Gregory Barker) indicated assent.
Mr Davey: Yes. We would then hope to finalise that community energy strategy before the summer recess, or it might end up going into the autumn. The community energy strategy will cover many more issues than the one that you have identified.
Q 38 Tom Greatrex: This strategy will be after the Bill, though, so the opportunity to increase that threshold, if that were an appropriate thing to do, is therefore lost.
Mr Davey: The Bill is before the Committee. Of course, we keep those things under review, but let us be clear that the Bill’s major focus is not on community energy. It is about many other things, as we have been discussing. As you will be aware, community energy does not have to go into this Bill. As I have said, it goes much broader than the particular point that you are focusing on, important though that is.
Q 39 Tom Greatrex: But the thresholds for where the small-scale tariff and the contract for difference come in are in the Bill, are they not?
Mr Davey: Let us be clear. In our discussions on that, the vast majority of community energy schemes that we are seeing are below that threshold.
Q 40 Tom Greatrex: Because that is what the threshold is. That is why they are below it. It does not follow that they would not be—
The Chair: Just let him answer the question.
Mr Davey: To invest in bigger schemes than that, you need quite a significant amount of money. You are talking about several more millions than most of the communities will be putting in. When you get to that size of scheme, there is a question mark about how much of a community scheme it remains. There is no science here. I cannot say absolutely that that is the right threshold. There is a legitimate debate to be had about it. I am not pretending that there is not a legitimate debate, but one can slightly over-egg the pudding and not see the overall picture of what we are trying to achieve with community energy.”
Though the Minister is right with respect to London -that we have not as yet seen community-led schemes of the MW size/millions investment – there are however such projects now going ahead elsewhere in the country which are likely to be the pathfinder schemes for other similar initiatives – including ones hopefully in the capital. An excellent scheme worth mentioning is the West Mill Solar Co-op, recently launched in Oxfordshire, which is spread over 30 acres with more than 20,000 solar panels!
Posted in News, Renewable Energy
Tagged Community Initiatives, DECC, Lambeth, Photovoltaics
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Wembley Decentralised Energy Plans move forward
January 2013: An update on plans for a decentralised energy network around Wembley has become available through the following news release from energy consultancy firm Ramboll:
“London Borough of Brent and Greater London Authority have recently commissioned Ramboll Energy to develop a decentralised energy masterplan for the Wembley Regeneration Area. …The scale of regeneration, together with the nature and mix of building uses, suggests that a district heating network is likely to have a strong role to play in delivering carbon reduction to the area. The masterplan will focus on the role of district heating, but also consider the role for building level and plot level renewable technologies in locations where the heat network may not be suitable or economically viable.”
Brent have already commissioned a heat map for the borough (which is downloadable from the London Heat Map website) and an initial feasibility study for a Wembley decentralised energy project was originally undertaken in 2008 (see earlier post on this). Details for DE network are also set out in the 2011 Wembley Local Development Framework consultation sustainability report. Brent are also advancing plans for a DE network in Kilburn – see earlier post on this.
Finally, an academic study of Brent’s planning rules and decentralised energy can be viewed here.
Posted in Decentralised Energy, News
Tagged Brent, CHP, Community Heating, Decentralised Energy
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