Green Energy Republic

Coverage of our Delabole re-power

More progress down at Delabole...

 

 

 

 
  

Photos by Cheslyn Edwards 

Zero Carbon Britain – It Can Be Done

Britain has the potential, skills, and natural resources to lead the world in carbon reduction.

On October 16th our CEO Juliet Davenport will be speaking at this year’s Bristol Schumacher Conference, arguably one of the most crucial in its 33-year history. Bringing together major players in the renewable sector, this event will be addressing the huge promise of a Zero Carbon Britain – from Aspiration into Action.

Most people have almost no idea just how well endowed Britain is with renewable energy or that, as the Centre for Alternative Technology’s recent report shows, a zero carbon Britain is actually possible. The purpose of the 2010 Schumacher Conference is to open our eyes to these very real possibilities.

Juliet will be joined by two fellow leaders in the renewable field: Peter Harper, Head of Research and Innovation at the Centre for Alternative Technology and author of its major new report Zero Carbon Britain 2030; and Jacquline McGlade, Executive Director of the hugely influential European Environment Agency in Copenhagen.

Each speaker will be articulating their pathway to shifting the UK from where it is today to a brighter, greener, zero carbon future. Juliet will describe how Good Energy is applying its innovative thinking to identify the changes the UK needs to make to the process which takes power from a windy hilltop to a light switch at home; ranging from smart grids and demand side management to the true cost of energy – environmental as well as financial.

Juliet’s vision of the future looks very different to what we see today: energy companies will be transformed from leviathans to enablers and, maybe, by 2050, they will all look like Good Energy.

“The approach of powering down (reducing demand) and powering up (building a new, zero carbon energy infrastructure)...is the logical, achievable next step forward...a move towards entrepreneurship, resilience, connectedness and stability. It offers a return to scale, a bringing home of the impacts of our actions, and a shift to a world that we can hand on to our grandchildren with relief and pride, and with a twinkle in our eyes,” says Rob Hopkins, co-founder of Transition Towns 

For anyone interested in a sustainable future this is not an event to be missed. Book your ticket here.

Good Energy's weekly news digest

Axe looms for top green quangos
A Cabinet Office list which was leaked to The Daily Telegraph this week reveals that the UK's most powerful green quangos are still in danger of being scrapped or merged as part of the Government’s upcoming spending review. Defra emerges as the department most affected by the proposed cuts, with more than 50 bodies set to be abolished. The list reveals that the Renewable Advisory Board is facing the axe, while the Carbon Trust, the Environment Agency and the Energy Savings Trust are still under review.

Our CEO Juliet Davenport, a RAB member, spoke to Business Green about the issue, commenting, "As times change, Government quangos need to change too. The Renewable Advisory Board has done some excellent work historically but going forward its existence is neither here nor there. What is important is that the Government listens to and engages with the renewable industry to deliver the goal of decarbonising the energy sector … [and] deliver the renewable renaissance Chris Huhne talked about at the party conference."

Our Managing Director Barney Rhys Jones added: "Activists and campaign groups need to seize the initiative to ensure that the 'big society' delivers on its potential but as yet undefined promise. Big society is the idea driving many of these cost saving measures – so we must play an active role in defining what follows. As it looks unlikely the government will spend much money on it, volunteers with ideas will be welcome to fill the vacuum."

Green businesses leap to defend DECC from Treasury takeover
Chris Huhne has been fighting the Treasury this week in an attempt to maintain the integrity of his climate department. Our CEO Juliet Davenport joined other green business and trade body representatives this week to warn that controversial proposals to move the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) to the Treasury would undermine the effectiveness of the department and represent a “backward step” for the UK’s low-carbon economy.

“If the Government is serious about achieving any of its targets on renewable energy and climate change, it would be mad to put DECC in with the Treasury. The Treasury has undermined work on climate change for the past 10 years and we have only just begun to see progress [since DECC was formed],” Juliet said.

“If DECC needs to share offices with anyone it would make far more sense to put DECC and the Department of Transport together as meeting EU targets on emissions will require the UK to electrify our transport system, something they could work together on,” she added.

No Fair Deal for Energy Entrepreneurs
After many months of campaigning on behalf of our microgeneration early adopters for a fairer deal on the Feed-in Tariff we at last got an answer from Chris Huhne. Unfortunately it wasn’t the answer we were pressing for. “I considered the issue carefully on a value-for-money basis,” Chris Huhne said, “and I am afraid that the advice from my officials was clearly that we cannot introduce retrospection in such cases because it does not represent value for money. We are trying to introduce new schemes in future, and therefore, sadly, the only incentive and payback that people get is the warm glow of being pioneers.”

Good Energy CEO Juliet Davenport commented to The Guardian on the decision saying: “The UK microgeneration industry owes its existence to these early adopters who installed their own generation equipment because they wanted to make a difference to climate change. Many invested their life savings in such schemes because they believed it was the right thing to do – they deserve to be recognised and rewarded for their entrepreneurial attitude, not penalised.”

The world’s largest wind farm opens off the coast of Kent
Britain is set to generate more energy from offshore wind than the rest of the planet put together, after the opening of the world’s largest ocean wind farm off the coast of Kent. And it is great to see a world leading development from the UK.

The UK is determined to get out of the "dunce corner" on renewables, Energy Secretary Chris Huhne said on Thursday as he officially opened the wind farm. The 100-turbine Thanet wind farm will produce enough electricity to supply the equivalent of more than 200,000 homes a year, and brings the UK's total power from onshore and offshore wind to more than 5GW - enough to power all the homes in Scotland.

Chris Huhne spoke of his goal for the UK to go through a “renewable renaissance without parallel in Europe” at the Liberal Democrat party conference this week. Bold developments in renewable energy provision such as Thanet wind farm are vital to achieving a homegrown future.

Turbine giants take on slow wind challenge
Encouraging news this week that wind farm developers could soon receive a major boost with the emergence of a new generation of wind turbines that promise to deliver outputs even at low wind speeds.

Vestas announced yesterday that it has received its first European order for the much-hyped V112 turbine – specifically designed to operate in less windy conditions – while US engineering giant General Electric (GE) this week unveiled two new turbine designs which the company claims will lead to increased energy output at low speeds.

A low carbon future depends on continued innovation in the renewable energy sector to allow us to tap into local resources with a variety of technologies.

The first Delabole turbine going up in the mist at 06:30am

 

Biomass boiler burns beacon of sustainability

There was quite a buzz at St. Mary’s Primary School in Timsbury, Somerset, this week as the pupils and teachers celebrated the school’s new eco-friendly, carbon neutral heating system. 

St. Mary’s is the first primary school in the country to install a biomass boiler with the help of Good Energy. Earlier this year, Good Energy’s electricity tariff was certified by the independent Green Energy Supply Scheme. One of the requirements of the Scheme is that a minimum of 50kg of CO2 is abated for each customer each year, and Good Energy has chosen to do this through investing in renewable heat projects which benefit the community. The biomass boiler at St. Mary’s Primary School is the first such project, and to celebrate, Good Energy’s CEO Juliet Davenport and local MP Jacob Rees-Mogg joined some reception pupils and headteacher Sue Heal, at the school last week.

The biomass boiler will heat the entire school in these coming autumn and winter months. It is powered by carbon neutral and locally-sourced wood pellets and is such a good system that over the next seven years, the school will have saved 280 tonnes of C02 - the equivalent to driving 30 times around the world in an average car!

As headteacher Sue Heal says, the school aspires “to raise environmentally aware pupils, regardless of their age.” The council also has wider plans to improve environmental sustainability at numerous schools throughout the area, contributing towards its key priority of tackling the causes and effects of climate change. Jacob Rees-Mogg, local MP, said: “Good Energy’s commitment to the Government’s targets of reducing C02, by funding schemes such as the biomass boiler project, demonstrates to all schools, businesses and communities throughout the South West how we all have a part to play.”

Watch this space for further information about out renewable heat projects.

We’re getting behind the We Support Solar Campaign

After last week’s disappointing comment from Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change Chris Huhne that the Feed-in Tariff scheme wouldn’t be amended to reward early-adopters equally, further concerns are looming over the safety of both the FiT and RHI in the upcoming spending review.

We’ve signed an open letter from our friends at We Support Solar to Chris Huhne asking him to protect FiT from spending cuts.

The We Support Solar campaign shares our belief that solar power should be an important part of the renewable energy mix in the UK – and campaigned to make sure  that FiT payments for generating solar electricity were strong enough to enable solar power generation to take off in the UK. It’s determined to ensure that generation from PV technology becomes a significant part of this country’s energy network.

You can read the letter here - please show your support by adding your name and sending this on to anyone else you think will be interested. It’s vitally important that we apply pressure and show strong support for PV at this crucial time. Together we do this.

Surf’s Up: the Museum of British Surfing joins Good Energy as an Affiliate Partner

   
Good Energy is proud to have a wide range of Affiliate Partners who share our goal of changing the way energy is made and used in the UK. In order to demonstrate the great work that others are doing to help the UK reach a 100% renewable future we’re showcasing a few of  them on our blog.


  
First up in the Affiliate spotlight is new partner the Museum of British Surfing. Founder and director Peter Robinson has spent more than a decade researching the UK’s surfing history and curating the collection, which includes almost 200 surfboards, some dating back to more than two centuries ago. Green Energy Republic spoke to him about how the Museum’s mission aligns with Good Energy’s.

1. What is the Museum of British Surfing?

The Museum of British Surfing is the national registered charity established to celebrate and preserve UK surf heritage. The Museum will be based in Braunton, North Devon and is due to open next summer thanks to a £250,000 funding package. It has a vast collection of surfboards and memorabilia tracing more than two centuries of the nation’s involvement with this ancient water sport. We're also looking to the present and future and are keen to encourage youth volunteering and involvement too. The plan is to create a carbon neutral building that will reflect the charity’s core aims to encourage the preservation of the natural environment – especially the coast and sea.

2.  Why did the Museum decide to become an Affiliate Partner of Good Energy and is there any part of our mission that particularly resonates with you?

It is one of our aims to become carbon neutral and Good Energy is, as far we're aware, the only truly 'green' energy supplier out there. We like the fact you don't just pay lip service to the environment - you do exactly what you describe when it comes to renewable energy. It's a clear and simple message.

3. Is renewable energy an important part of the Museum’s mission?

Yes, we plan to install sustainable energy technologies such as solar, air source heat, grey water collection and re-use at our museum. The main focus is on making sure we can achieve carbon neutral status, but if we can put renewable electricity back into the grid that will be a good thing.

4. Do surfing and the environment go hand-in-hand?

Absolutely, every time we surf we walk across beaches and enter the sea - and where we are based is an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Everything from global warming and sea level rise, to marine and land based pollution have a big effect on our wonderful pastime. The wave in our new logo is to get the message across that the focus needs to be on the wave, not the surfer, and we must all act to protect our environment or we face the possibility of future generations not being able to surf.

Below: Left, Chairman of the charity’s trustees, Richard Gregory with Founder and Director, Peter Robinson. Photo, Rob Tibbles www.robtibbles.com

 

 

No Fair Deal for Energy Entrepreneurs

After many months of campaigning on behalf of our microgeneration early adopters for a fairer deal on the Feed-in Tariff, at last we’ve got an answer from Chris Huhne, the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change. Unfortunately it’s not the answer we were hoping for.

Following a query on the issue from Caroline Lucas, MP (Green Party) during Energy & Climate Change Question Time last week, Chris Huhne said: “I considered the issue carefully on a value-for-money basis, and I am afraid that the advice from my officials was clearly that we cannot introduce retrospection in such cases because it does not represent value for money. We are trying to introduce new schemes in future, and therefore, sadly, the only incentive and payback that people get is the warm glow of being pioneers.”

This was disappointing given the level of support our campaign received from both Lib Dems and Conservatives when they were in opposition: 97 MPs signed an Early Day Motion calling for pre-July 2009 early adopters to be rewarded equally for their hard work and innovation. (Under the current FiT scheme those who installed their technology before July 5th 2009 receive a much lower payment (9p a unit) than those who were accredited after that date (up to 41.3p)). The then Conservative opposition committed, in writing, to reviewing Government policy in this area and 80% of Liberal Democrat MPs, including leading members who are now in Government, backed the campaign.

As our founder and CEO, Juliet Davenport, told the Guardian yesterday: “The UK microgeneration industry owes its existence to these early adopters who installed their own generation equipment because they wanted to make a difference to climate change. Many invested their life savings in such schemes because they believed it was the right thing to do – and they deserve to be recognised and rewarded for their entrepreneurial attitude, not penalised.”

Juliet revisited the issue in an article in Business Green last week which highlighted that many of those eligible for FiT still haven’t registered and could be in danger of missing out.

Good Energy will therefore continue to pay microgenerators on our HomeGen scheme who had their systems installed before 1st February 2010, and aren’t eligible for the higher FiT rate, 15p a unit until April 2011.

Chris Huhne’s decision now heightens the debate around the future of the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI). Juliet Davenport added: “Now we know the Government isn't going to do anything on the feed-in tariff for the early-adopters, we need a prompt decision about the RHI. In view of the Government’s decision, early-adopters of renewable heat will likely be deterred from any new investment in case they get the same treatment.”

Microgeneration has a key role to play in helping the UK reach a 100% renewable future by 2050, and we hope the Government will do more to encourage and aid – rather than obstruct – our community of homegrown energy pioneers. 

Read the Government’s official response to the decision here.

Good Energy's weekly news digest

To help you keep up to date with this week’s events we’ve gathered together some of the top energy related news stories. You can follow us on twitter too.

Early adopters of solar panels and wind turbines could miss out on feed-in tariff payments

Why aren’t more early adopters of microgeneration registering for the Feed-in Tariff? An estimated 6,000 pre-existing installations accredited under the Renewable Obligation are eligible for FiT but to date only 2,500 have registered. Our CEO and founder, Juliet Davenport, wrote an article this week highlighting what she thinks is the reason for the problem – and calling for a fairer deal for all. Read the full article here.

We must be more prepared: Environment Secretary, Caroline Spelman says that Climate change is inevitable
 
Firstly, there came a stark warning from business lobby group the CBI that climate scientists and the government must better communicate the risks associated with climate change in order for businesses to make the changes necessary to cope with rising temperatures and extreme weather. Then came Caroline Spelman’s warning that Britain must focus on ”adapting to the ‘inevitable’ impacts of climate change such as floods, droughts and rising sea levels”. At Good Energy we believe that adapting to the unavoidable climate consequences is important, but shouldn’t detract from the imperative need to reduce our carbon emissions.
 
Amid concerns for the future of RHI, Chris Huhne indicates it is safer than we think

Recently there has been much speculation that the RHI will be a victim of the comprehensive spending review – especially after the reports issued last week on the unreliability of heat pumps – therefore undermining the Government’s claim to be the “greenest ever”. Last week Good Energy’s Commercial Director, Chris Welby, wrote a blog on why the RHI and Feed-in Tariffs must be kept amidst these growing concerns. This week however there was better news when Chris Huhne told a committee that heat measures are essential to hitting the 2020 renewables targets and the RHI is a lot safer than we think.

Greens slam coalition's "greenest government" pledge

Members of the Green Party have been stacking up evidence against the coalition’s claim of being “the greenest government ever”. Caroline Lucas has slammed the Liberal Democrats' U-turn on new nuclear and reiterated her disapproval of plans to scrap the Sustainable Development Commission and the Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution.

And finally ….

Dirty money

Not only has the Mafia been reported this week as laundering dirty money by investing in clean energy, but last year the World Bank invested record amounts of money in the dirtiest fossil fuel – coal – despite international targets and commitments to reducing carbon emissions.