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Items by greenadmin

Permalink for 'Green_Electricity/2012/04/17/Electric_cars_%e2%80%93_update'

Electric cars – update

Posted: April 17th, 2012, 12:23pm EDT by greenadmin

Some green news hit the wires this week which – to be honest – didn’t register as much of a surprise here at Green Electricity.

The headline? “Electric cars cheaper to run, less polluting” according to a new report by the UCS (Union of Concerned Scientists). Now, there are likely to be some who would believe an electric car could be costly to run – after all, they’ve only been on the road for a relatively short while – and the technology will surely maximise their battery life as time goes on. But it’s official – even at this early stage the electric car is a money saver and pollution-buster.

The UCS report states that the saving is”750USD to 1,200USD a year based on 11,000 miles of driving”. So in this age of financial prudence – a saving like that isn’t one to be overlooked.

By the way – for some interesting posts on the experimental side of electric vehicles, check out [experimentalev.wordpress.com]

Big Six commit to best energy deals.

Posted: April 11th, 2012, 5:46am EDT by greenadmin

Great news regarding energy bills today folks, it would seem that the Big Six energy firms have finally agreed to let customers know if they are paying too much for their energy. And they’re even going to show you how to switch to the best energy deal.

Gas and electricity companies will write to their customers every year advising them of the best deals for their household. The more vulnerable customers i.e. those affected by unaffordable heating bills will be contacted twice a year if they’re involved in the warm front scheme.

The new plan also means that the customer will be offered the best deal available when their contract ends or if they phone up and enquire about the best deal for their usage.

The new agreement will be getting announced today by Nick Clegg during his speech at Canary Wharf.

All of the Big Six are believed to have signed up to the deal meaning that around 99% of the population will benefit. Whilst at the moment as many as 70% of people in the UK are on the wrong energy deal.

One company has already been trialling a similar scheme; SSE has been working with a similar idea since October. An SSE representative said: “These Government measures fit well with SSE’s own commitments.”

However some critics feel that we are relying heavily on the energy companies to tell customers about the cheapest energy deals. uSwitch said: “Companies must not be allowed to make assumptions about which tariff is right for customers.” Apparently uSwitch feels the deal doesn’t go far enough as the energy companies will only be sharing information of their own deals which may not necessarily be the cheapest.

Via the Independent.co.uk

Boiler cover considerations

Posted: March 14th, 2012, 6:40am EDT by greenadmin

Energy Efficiency in the home is an often overlooked aspect of green messaging . The energy that is lost through wastage each and every day is frustrating an unnecessary – saving cash on our bills is possible. Sadly, many of the systems that heat our homes are not particularly efficient – particularly our boilers.

Boilers are an integral aspect of our home heating and hot water generation, and therefore determine a large degree of our energy efficiency. Ensuring that your boiler is working as efficiently as possible in the process of heating our homes is vital. Unfortunately, as im sure you’re all too well aware, boilers can be rather temperamental beasts and require a little looking after to ensure that they are working properly.

Got an old boiler? Best think of a change

Boiler cover has to be a serious consideration for our homes – most providers offer a range of options for cover, at differing price ranges. For example, SSE Home Services offer a basic boiler cover package that includes an initial visual inspection of your boiler and a 5 year inspection period, to more detailed packages offering an annual boiler and central heating service, unlimited callouts, parts and labour and a priority ticket to get you up the queue – there are decisions for us to make – depending on how comfortable you are with your boiler system.

For more information on boiler efficiency, see these great resources:

Energy efficient boilers – DirectGov UK – [www.direct.gov.uk]
Gas Safe Register – emergency contacts and safety information – [www.gassaferegister.co.uk]
Heating and hot water – Energy Saving Trust – [www.energysavingtrust.org.uk]

Permalink for 'Green_Electricity/2012/03/06/Wrexham_to_join_the_world%e2%80%99s_solar_power_elite'

Wrexham to join the world’s solar power elite

Posted: March 6th, 2012, 6:34am EST by greenadmin

Wrexham is not exactly somewhere that you would normally associate with sunshine yet they are about to join cities like Freiburg (Germany), Sacramento (California), and Desert City (Abu Dhabi) as a centre for solar power.

The town in north Wales actually has one of the largest solar panel factories in Europe courtesy of SHARP and in the last month they have installed around 30,000 solar panels on 3,000 council homes. There are also plans to fit six schools and a number of other public buildings with the solar panels to generate another 90kW of solar power.

In an interesting turn of events the council shipped in scaffolding from the surrounding areas to help ensure that they would qualify for the higher pre 4th of March Solar Incentive rate. However this does all hinge on the Government losing their appeal.

Wrexham council have borrowed close to £28 million to help fund the scheme that will eventually generate 5MW of power by equipping one property in every three with solar panels.

The scheme looks to be of particular benefit to council housing tenants as they pay approximately £70 per week for their home and these solar installations are expected to save them around £200-£300 a year on energy bills. The council is also confident that given the electricity they will generate there is a £1m a year profit to be made from the feed-in tariff. This will in turn allow Wrexham to increase their housing budget by almost 10% that is to be re-invested in public housing.

The scheme is expected to help bring an end to fuel poverty in Wrexham and benefit the community as a whole including schools and old people, not to mention a CO2 reduction of about 3,000 tonnes a year.

The investment has allowed Wrexham to jump to top end of the league table for emission reductions and they’re expecting to have reduced 2005’s figures by 70% which could be the largest cuts of anywhere in Britain.

Has Russia turned off the tap on Europe?

Posted: February 16th, 2012, 7:27am EST by greenadmin

A worrying trend is occurring as wholesale energy prices are on the rise again. In fact this time the wholesale prices for gas and electricity have reached a 6 year high.

The London stock market has shown an increase of 28% taking it up to $520 per 1000 cubic metres.

The sharp increase in gas prices has been caused by the rapid onset of severe frost throughout Europe. This has resulted in what many believe to be reduced supplies of gas from Russian energy giant Gazprom. As you can imagine the rapid change in weather coupled with an increase in prices has certainly caused some panic.

Not to mention the fact that electricity supply prices in France have actually doubled to around the 140euro per MWh. This is due to an increase in demand which may soon reach its highest ever levels.

Some news agencies have already reported that Gazprom decreased their supply of natural gas to Europe to cover the increased in internal fuel requirements.

Interestingly Russia appears to be somewhat bewildered about all the talk of a decrease in supply; in fact Russia claims that in light of the ongoing frost issues they have actually increased gas supply to Europe.

The big question is who’s telling the truth?

What has happened to the FiT

Posted: February 8th, 2012, 6:05am EST by greenadmin

In light of the recent legal debates regarding the FiT, Ministers have came out claiming it was a necessity to slash the subsidies as quickly as they did, because the cost of the panels has nearly halved in the past year. This is a much faster drop than was envisaged when the plan was put in place.

In 2010 the average domestic solar installation cost around £15,000 but this dropped to almost £8,000 in 2011 and is expected to hit £6,000 in the coming months.

The UK Energy Minister is expected to be announcing a reformation of the feed-in tariffs so that the subsidies gradually reduce in relation to the cost of the panels and installation.

This is very similar to current German system the idea is to ensure that the rate of return is maintained at around 5%. The common consensus is that 5% is enough of a return to give everyone the necessary incentive i.e. purchasers, installers and manufacturers.

The original allocation for the scheme was around £860m but this is expected to be increased to around £1bn. The tariffs are actually paid by additions to energy bills and not from public funds however the concern is that without some kind of slowdown on the scheme people bills could increase far too quickly.

Originally, the tariffs were allocated about £860m but this is likely to be increased to about £1bn. The tariffs are paid by additions to energy bills, not from the public purse, but the Treasury has limited the amount that can be spent on them because of fears that bills would rise too fast unless there is a brake.

The additional cash is being siphoned from large scale renewable projects that have been completed under budget.

One of the main reasons for current state of flux regarding the FiT is the massive investment in China that has resulted in hundreds of solar panel factories aimed solely for exports, thus driving down the cost of solar panels in the UK.

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SSE exceed 1GW renewable energy generating capacity….

Posted: January 31st, 2012, 7:14am EST by greenadmin

Good news for SSE this month as they have hit a huge milestone in their production of renewable energy. SSE has managed to build enough onshore wind farms throughout the UK to generate power for 700,000 homes.

It is believed that the generating capacity of the SSE wind farms has now exceeded 1GW.
This news comes even as SSE are looking to increase generating capacity even further by building onshore farms in Northern Ireland, Ireland and Scotland.

The Chief Executive of SSE Ian Marchant has made it clear he wants to continue to grow capacity “significantly” in the coming months.

In the past 6 years SSE’s onshore generating capacity has increased massively from 40MW to exceed their more conventional hydro electric capacity, of 1,150MW.

And with construction work ongoing in Northern Ireland, Ireland and Scotland it is expected that the generating capacity of SSE is only going to increase in coming months.

The real question is what are the rest of the big six energy companies doing to follow this example?

SSE is clearly betting big on the renewable future of the UK, do they know something the others don’t? Or are the others just working away quietly whilst SSE courts all the publicity?

Please feel free to share your thoughts and ideas on this ….

Source BBC News

Could the Olympics change your views on energy???

Posted: January 17th, 2012, 1:53pm EST by greenadmin

I read a fantastic article on the Business Green Industry Voice Blog today about how the London Olympics has the potential to make some permanent changes regarding Londoners approach to a more sustainable way of life. As it says in the blog post “It is easier to get people to think about changing their behaviour when their normal routines are disrupted.”

The main disruptions look like they will form around transport givenm that there is to be an expected influx of around 5.3 million visitors over the 100 day affair. In fact on some of the more heavily scheduled days this will create a staggering 855,000 fan trips. So with over 100 miles of Londons roads being shut off as the official Olympic Network things could get interesting.

Read the full post and let us know what you think.

Would you change your travel habits permanently?

Scotland set for renewables push in 2012…

Posted: January 10th, 2012, 6:19am EST by greenadmin

It looks set to be another booming year for renewables in Scotland, especially with the reputation as a welcome home for green energy investment starting to grow. In fact initial figures are showing that there is a pipeline of around £46 billion of investment for renewables in Scotland which should generate up to 17GW of renewable energy capacity.

Fergus Ewing – Scotland’s Energy minister has said he is “relentlessly positive” regarding 2012.

It is believed that such a large scale investment in renewable energy will not only create jobs throughout Scotland and further strengthen the renewable industry there but it will also put Scotland even further on its way to being able to create 100% of its electricity from renewable energy sources by 2020.

In fact, figures showed that in the first quarter of 2011 Scotland had generated 94% of 2010’s entire output. Now that is a massive increase in generating power and the Scots are expecting at least the same again.

This relationship between Scotland and renewable energy has risen from the realisation that Scotland is almost perfect for wind and wave energy generation. There is an abundance of rugged coastline and flat tree-less land and when you add that to a co-operative Government it almost becomes the perfect place to build a renewable energy industry.

How do you feel about Scotland being a hub of renewable activity?

Saving energy over winter

Posted: December 15th, 2011, 5:28am EST by greenadmin

Hi all,

Well I think it’s fair to say that winter is definitely upon us now…. And with winter comes the cold and with the cold comes high heating bills. But fear not because the lovely folks at Videojug have provided us with a great video that shows exactly how to seal up your home and make sure you’re not wasting any energy.

Highland wind farm is online

Posted: November 21st, 2011, 6:24am EST by greenadmin

A new wind farm in the Scottish Highlands has finally been connected to the national grid, with the first two turbines now online and generating electricity. This is good news for SSE as it means they are beginning to see a return on what is expected to be a £100 million investment.

The wind farm will be home to 35 turbines in total that once complete will generate around 180GWh a year. At the moment 15 of the 35 wind towers have been erected and the full site is expected to be operational by the end of this financial year.

SSE’s Managing Director of Renewables Jim Smith said “As the UK’s leading generator of electricity from renewable sources, SSE is committed to helping increase the amount of renewable electricity generation in the UK, and the export of electricity at Gordonbush is a step towards achieving this.”
Source: www.SSE.com

Images

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Scotland get £100m to spend on green energy

Posted: November 19th, 2011, 11:34am EST by greenadmin

The Scottish government has been given an additional £100m to spend on renewable energy after a deal was put in place between Holyrood and Westminster.

Scotland has been granted permission to invest around half of the funds available in the UK’s fossil fuel levy on renewable energy sources such as wind farms.

However, while this money is of course a step in the right direction, things are apparently not as rosy as they seem, with Holyrood Finance Secretary John Swinney saying that the move is ‘long overdue’ and that “For too long Scotland’s money has been sitting unspent in an Ofgem account in London”.

Apparently the Scottish government have been submitting proposals to try to encourage the UK government to release the spending allowance, but all we can say is better late than never. Let the renewable energy spending commence!

Hopefully the government can use some of it to ensure renewable energy prices are affordable so it will be achievable for the majority of Scottish homes in future.

Here’s hoping this means wind farms and solar panels are cemented into Scotland’s future!

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The ‘Green Deal’ could create 250,000 jobs

Posted: November 18th, 2011, 11:31am EST by greenadmin

The governments plans to install energy saving measures in over 20.5 million houses within the next 20 years could help boost the economy as well as the environment – with the possibility of 250,000 construction job posts to be created.

The housing plans are part of the governments ‘Green Deal’ to reduce carbon emmisions, and will be the biggest home renovation programme since World War 2, if it is to go ahead.

Energy company’s are also predicted to roll out their own Green Deal packages for homeowners, aimed at helping to reduce carbon emmisions.

This change could help improve the environment across the board, and with the government involving this many homes it is bound to make an impact – as well as creating jobs in the meantime. Just another of the numerous reasons it’s good to be green. What do you think of the Green Deal’s home renovation strategy and the fact that it could create more construction jobs in a tough economy?

Permalink for 'Green_Electricity/2011/11/11/Scotland%e2%80%99s_new_energy_boom.'

Scotland’s new energy boom.

Posted: November 11th, 2011, 7:10am EST by greenadmin

Granite could be the latest renewable feather in Scotlands growing energy cap. It’s always been plentiful in Scotland and Aberdeen is internationally known as the ‘Granite City’.

However a new level of excitement is surrounding this grey rock as there are many who believe it could bring about a second energy boom and go a long way to further strengthening Scotland’s place on the energy map.

I know what your thinking…. How can a rock generate energy?

Well….About four miles straight down from the earths surface, the temperature rises by around 150°C. However, the interesting bit is that where there is granite rock, the temperature can rise by as much as 210°C. This is the temperature that can create hot springs, the likes of which have been used for bathing. But scientists now believe that these same “hot rocks” can provide a valuable source for electricity generation. Most importantly if this source was proven efficient it is yet another feasible renewable energy source for Scotland.

Estimates have shown that a demonstrative geothermal energy plant could be constructed somewhere between Aberdeen and Peterhead, and would generate approximately £750 million of investment in its first 10 years of operation.

However the whole project is relying on whether or not the subterranean granite can generate enough power to keep the plant running.

If not…we could always use another spa resort.

News: fears over wind farm rejections

Posted: November 7th, 2011, 12:11pm EST by greenadmin

Here’s a BBC report we didn’t want to read – local councils are refusing planning for new wind turbine farms at an ‘alarming rate‘ according to RenewableUK, an industry body.

The organisation has reported that approvals are at their lowest in five years, and were taking than usual to clear.

With wind energy rising above 10% of the UK’s total energy consumption this year, these reports are not encouraging – and at this rate are unlikely to keep the UK going in the right direction.

What do you think about this report on the approval processes required for wind farms.

Green power plants a realistic goal

Posted: November 4th, 2011, 11:52am EDT by greenadmin

Research at Tel Aviv University have found that green power plants could be around in the near future, with the technology behind hybrid cars leading the way.

Currently methods using highly expensive solar power (retained by turning sunlight into hot steam) would provide an opportunity for green fuel, but it’s production costs are too high compared to ordinary fuel. However, researchers at the university are working on other ways to create energy while reducing damage to the environment, by using a gas turbine which is powered by hot air instead of steam – a cheaper option.

Who knows, this discovery may point to a greener future if it gets take up from leading energy companies. I know I would definitely be interested in a more environmentally form of fuel, even if it was a little more expensive than the costs we are experiencing now.

Many energy suppliers are now investigating the possibility of green energy, and with UK energy prices remaining high, the opportunity to lower the costs of energy production is likely to be welcomed when the technology is available.

What do you think about the possibility of ‘green power plants’?

Climate change targets met

Posted: November 3rd, 2011, 1:26pm EDT by greenadmin

It’s always good to hear about energy saving initiatives that are actually making a difference, which is why it’s so encouraging to hear that the Climate Change Agreement (CCA) helped companies which use high levels of energy save 28.5 million tonnes of carbon last year.

The agreement was tax based, and offered high energy companies a 65% discount if they could meet set energy saving targets. Amongst the businesses succesful in this initiative, it was ompanies in the spirits industry who were first to meet targets. I’ll toast to that!

SSE to give energy market a jolt….

Posted: October 13th, 2011, 6:22am EDT by greenadmin

SSE (Scottish & Southern Energy) is the parent company for Southern Electric, Scottish Hydro, SWALEC and Atlantic. And it would appear that they are attempting to give the energy market a shock by trying to make it easier for smaller companies to gain a foothold in their particularly competitive market.

SSE one of the biggest energy supplier’s in the UK is looking forward to auctioning off its entire electricity supply on the wholesale market. Industry expertsare saying that this is going to change the way that the entire energy market operates.

This is the first time that one of the ‘Big Six’ energy companies has made such an announcement. SSEsaid they believe this should go a long way to helping other smaller companies move into the marketplace faster.

SSEsaid the initial plan is to sell about 25% of their power on the open market by November. However their larger goal is to be selling 100% of their energy on the market by the end of their financial year.

The question is: Will this really make much difference to the energy industry?

We’d love to get some opinion on this, so please feel free to leave your comments or get in touch.

SSE launch ‘POWERFUEL’ tariff for electric car owners

Posted: October 12th, 2011, 12:29pm EDT by greenadmin

SSE launched ‘POWERFUEL’ today – their latest energy product designed especially for electric car owners.

SSE is one of the largest energy companies in the UK. It is involved in the generation, transmission, distribution and supply of electricityas well as the distribution and supply of gas. They are also the leading generator of electricity from renewable resources.

SSE supplies energy to over 10 million customers through its retail brands, Southern Electric, SWALEC, Scottish Hydro Electric and Atlantic.

Customers also have the option to sign up to POLAR a new membership scheme offering electric vehicle owners the ability to ‘charge where you are’ at a number of points available throughout the country.

A high-tech Homecharge wallbox, fully installed and safety checked.
Access to POLAR’s public network of over 4,000 charging points.
An iPhone/ iPad app showing chargepoint locations and availability.
Access to discounted and green EV tariffs.
A range of member benefits including discounts on parking, hotels and restaurants.

Orkney Islands are the envy of Europe

Posted: September 21st, 2011, 9:05am EDT by greenadmin

The Orkney Islands have long been defined by their weather and harsh conditions, and these days things are no different there’s still few trees or crops and the weather is still pretty dismal. However as shown time and again the harshest conditions can bring the greatest innovations.

The Orkneys have found themselves home to a generation of eco-pioneers intent on using the uniquely harsh weather found around the Orkneys to produce renewable energy. So even though the islands are on the outskirts of Britain they are at the heart of what is making the UK a global leader in the race for renewable energy technology.

The renewable industry is bringing life back to these islands with new jobs, growing communities and a strong supply chain. Companies like the European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC) are huge in the wave and tidal sector. In fact they are one of the few companies to offer developers the opportunity to test full scale prototypes in the sea. Not to mention the fact that these companies are now employing graduates from the islands and allowing existing businesses to grow.

A large part of the success can be attributed to the support of the local people, who are definitely on board with the exciting new direction their islands are taking. It would appear that things are definitely looking bright for the Orkneys, with the promise of jobs, international investment and to cap it all a £3m investment in the old naval base should help to continue the growth of the Orkneys.

5 Star Energy From SSE

Posted: September 13th, 2011, 10:56am EDT by greenadmin

SSE (Scottish & Southern Energy)was named the only 5 star energy company in Britain according to Consumer Focus’s report on customer complaints about the big 6 energy companies. The SSE Group (Scottish Hydro, SWALEC, Southern Electric and Atlantic) remained the company with the fewest complaints for the 4^th quarter in a row, receiving just 36 complaints per 100,000 customers between the months of April and June. However EDF were ranked dead last with 126 complaints per 100,000.

It is believed that EDF’s fall to the bottom of the table can be partially attributed to their introduction of a new billing system, however it is still the worst rating anyone has had since Npower received 1 star last winter.

Overall there was a fall in complaints during the Spring quarter, with Npower showing the biggest improvement overtaking Scottish Power and EDF for 4^th place in the table.

The two main factors used for deciding a companies rating is; the number of complaints per 100,000 customers and the weighting applied by Consumer Focus for each complaint. The complaints are taken from a number of sources such as the Energy Ombudsman, Consumer Direct and Consumer Focus’ own facilities.

Energy debate and ideas on TED

Posted: September 1st, 2011, 7:17am EDT by greenadmin

TED is one of the great idea resources on the web – with inspirational talks on a variety topics. Of course, our primary interest is in energy and there are a number of great talks on TED around this topic in the ‘A Greener Future’ section, including this great debate on nuclear energy between Stewart Brand and Mark Z. Jacobson.

Check out some of these videos on TED and let us know you’re favourites.

Renewable energy at home…..

Posted: August 18th, 2011, 11:35am EDT by greenadmin

During a period when energy prices are so high that many households can’t afford to turn the heating on, the idea that you can even partially power your own home, cut bills and as a by-product cut emissions seems almost too good to be true

But the technology to do so is with us now and is proving to be increasingly popular, handily Ethical Consumers magazine recently issued a buying guide that investigated the main options: Biomass boilers, Solar water heaters and heat pumps.

So a little background….

The ground source heat pump works by using the energy that is forever present underground. It uses a long coiled pipe filled with liquid buried under your garden. The pipe transfers the energy from underground to its heat exchanger which in turn makes hot water for heating and general household use.

A heat pump system can match around 75% of a households heating and hot water needs, and the savings are roughly £70 a year when compared to an average condensing gas boiler unit.

The downside however is substantial as the pumps cost between £9,000 and £17,000 plus you have to bury the unit which is quite a bit of work. However many feel that saving 750Kg of CO2 emissions is worth it.

Biomass boilers are able to offer the biggest carbon savings, reducing the average household’s emissions by nearly a tonne a year. However it’s not all good news as these boilers cost around £11,000 and are the size of fridge-freezer, you will also have to make room for the storage attachment that allows it to be automatically topped up.

The carbon saving comes from the fact that the boilers run on wood and although CO2 is released through the burning so long as new tree’s are growing in place of the ones being used for fuel the process will continue to be viable. However there have been concerns raised as many groups believe that sustainable sources of wood are becoming harder to find and therefore the system could no longer be beneficial. Oh and they usually work out around £40 more expensive than a standard condensing boiler.

By far the cheapest renewable technology available at the moment is the solar hot water system which averages around £5000 to install. And whilst the savings to be made are nothing to shout about, financially you should save around £60 a year and make an adequate reduction to your CO2 emissions. There are no real downsides as mentioned it’s cheap to install and doesn’t take up much space. A solar unit about the size of an average window is fitted to the roof which then feeds a hot water cylinder inside the home.

Due to relatively low installation costs we would recommend opting for the solar heater as in a market where technology is constantly improving you don’t want to shell out a fortune and find yourself behind the times.

SSE windfarm still going strong…

Posted: July 27th, 2011, 10:40am EDT by greenadmin

Scottish and Southern Energy’s Clyde wind farm has been generating green electricity without a hitch for over a month now, and progress is said to be steady. The site will eventually be home to 152 turbines and should hopefully be completed by 2012, with the first of the 3 sections finished by the end of 2011.

SSE were only able to get things started after coming to an agreement with NATs, the air traffic control body operating in the area. It is believed they had some concerns about the safety of aircraft flying over the area whilst a new radar site is being installed.

SSE are said to be extremely excited about the project and are looking forward to its completion their Chief Operating Officer stated “Clyde is an important project for SSE and for the achievement of wider renewable energy targets and first generation of electricity from the wind farm is a key milestone.”

However it’s not just SSE who is benefiting, the energy giants have invested over £500 million in the project and more than £200 million of that has found its way to Scottish companies via contracts for work.

Another huge bonus for Scotland is that the project has created more than 200 construction jobs until its completion and then a minimum of 30 people will be employed to help maintain and operate the site.

The project is being hailed as a huge step towards Scotland reaching its renewable energy targets with the site expected to have sufficient capacity to power 275,000 homes.

Wales Gets First Full Tidal Power Project

Posted: July 26th, 2011, 4:58am EDT by greenadmin

Another bit of good news about renewable energy in Wales, with the country’s first full-scale tidal stream energy generator picking up a £6.4 million grant from the European Regional Development Fund which should see it operational by 2012. The developer of the DeltaStream device, Tidal Energy Ltd, have managed to secure around £11 million in total to produce and deploy it.

Tidal Energy will be working alongside Cranfield University on the deployment as they have been involved in the research and development of the project over the past few years, and the university will monitor the performance and overall functionality of the DeltaStream. The DeltaStream was developed by Richard Ayre and operates from the seabed without requiring a positive anchoring system.

Reaction to the news has been positive, with the First Minister of Wales suggesting it will create a significant number of green jobs in the country as well has helping Wales to meet its future renewable energy targets. The DeltaStream will initially undergo a year long demonstration period where it will power homes in St.Davids to allow the viability of the device to be assessed.

Scottish Marine Energy Developments

Posted: July 19th, 2011, 5:32am EDT by greenadmin

Scotland’s ambitious green energy drive was given a boost this week as the wave energy development firm Aquamarine Power unveiled their latest cutting edge hydro electric wave energy technology. Dubbed the Oyster 800, the device is capable of generating 250% more power than the first ‘Oyster 1’ device at only one third of the cost. Oyster 1 was connected to the grid at the end of 2009 and to date has contributed over 6000 working hours at the European Marine Energy Centre in Orkney.

The Oyster 800 is set to be deployed over the next two years, with the EMEC transporting the device to sea before connecting it to an on shore hydro electric plant. The developments are staggering considering the short timeframe between the initial deployment of the original Oyster device and this new and improved design, and it could prove a significant step towards the country’s goal of a near total dependence on renewable energy.

The CEO of Aquamarine Power has hinted at further improvements in the future, aiming to reduce the production costs of the Oyster 800 and making the device cost competitive over the next few years. The output of the device is fairly impressive, with the company claiming that a farm of just 20 of the devices would provide enough power for 15,000 homes, and the reliability of marine power makes it the ideal partner to Scotland’s extensive wind power program. With investments from some top companies, notably Scottish electric company SSE, the future looks bright for the technology.

The apparent goal for the marine power industry in the short to medium term appears to be development and the reduction of production costs to allow the industry to become a truly viable competitor to the nuclear and onshore wind industries. Stephen Wyatt from The Carbon Trust has hinted at a bright future for the UK marine energy sector should they continue to develop at this impressive rate. The UK already has a notable lead in the marine energy sector, and Wyatt has suggested that they could corner up to a quarter of the global marine energy market. With the right investment and support they predict that the sector could be worth up to £76 billion to the UK economy by 2050, generating almost 70,000 jobs.

Scottish Hydro Arena to open in 2013…

Posted: June 13th, 2011, 11:31am EDT by greenadmin

Scottish Hydro has pulled off quite a coup today, after plans were announced for Glasgow’s newest cutting-edge events venue. Scottish Hydro managed to secure a 10 year deal where-by the venue shall be named the Scottish Hydro Arena.

Artists impression of the Clydeside Scottish Hydro Arena

Forecasts show that the new 12,000 seat venue should contribute around £131 million a year to Scotland’s economy after it opens its doors in 2013.

The Arena is looking to host around 140 events a year from music to sports, and should hopefully attract over a million visitors, which would make it one of the worlds most attended venues.

In essence Scottish Hydro will be sponsoring the building, to the tune of £1.5 million per year for the next 10 years.

Chief Executive of the SECC has said the arena will host an “unrivalled programme of world-class events” and that “To be partnering with a successful and established FTSE top 30 UK brand with Scottish roots is part of our commitment to working with the best in the business.”

Lets just hope it doesn’t put the bills up !!!

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Scotland May Follow Germany’s No Nuclear Plan

Posted: May 31st, 2011, 12:20pm EDT by greenadmin

The recent decision in Germany to begin completely phasing out nuclear dependancy has sparked a rather heated debate within Scottish politics. With Germany having declared plans to shut all their nuclear power stations by 2022, they will be by far the largest industrial power to have taken this step. Moreover it would seem that if the SNP have their way then Scotland will be following suit.

A prominent SNP politician has been quoted as saying it demonstrates the same “route that Scotland wishes to go down”. The Nationalist MSP’s were all over the announcement as soon as it was made with the Energy Minister Fergus Ewing claiming that the decision in Germany “adds further weight” to the SNP’s plans for Scotland to be entirely dependent on renewables within 10 years.

That being said its not all positive from Scotland the Scottish Conservative’s energy spokesman Jackson Carlaw has said that the plan for Scotland to be nuclear free by 2020 shows “extreme recklessness” and if a shortfall in energy should occur then we would be forced to buy nuclear energy from England.

It appears from all the back and forth between the two parties, that it comes down to a question of, will renewables be able to meet the demands that nuclear energy currently satisfies, within the rather ambitious time scale that the SNP have set?

As it stands at the moment it seems the SNP have been unable to provide any assurances as to whether renewables will be able to meet this demand or even how they intend to go about implementing what is certainly an ambitious idea.

Personally, I think it would be a good idea to see how the Germans get on first, and use their experiences to help decide what the best choice is for our nation.

Energy sources in the UK: Renewables and Nuclear in mix

Posted: May 31st, 2011, 6:49am EDT by greenadmin

Recently at Green Electricity blog we’ve been thinking alot about the mix of energy sources here in the UK – specifically where the energy mix might be heading in the future. We’re sure that in the wake of the German decision to choose a future based on renewables, many of you are having similar thoughts! Anyway, we apologise in advance for the rather rambling nature of this post – but sometimes its good to spill out thoughts and see what happens!

Germany chooses a non-nuclear future

Germany has decided to rethink its entire energy strategy without nuclear Power

Nuclear option So, where does the German decision leave the UK? Where do the majority people stand on nuclear power playing a major part of the UK energy solution? A recent Populus poll for the Financial Times seemed to indicate that the UK population would broadly support the continued use of nuclear power:

The Populus survey found more than eight in 10 people were either fully supportive of nuclear as the best way to tackle climate change or thought it might have a role to play in the UK’s future energy mix. Only 16 per cent opposed it under any circumstances. These are about the same figures Populus has found every time it has asked the question since 2007.

However, as The Low Carbon Kid has pointed out:

“Would you be cross if a new generation of nuclear power stations in the UK was to go ahead?” 89% said yes and only 11% said no.

Also, we came across a rather interesting survey from Deloitte in 2005 (PDF), in which 49% of respondents answered that they opposed nuclear power on principle – would this be alot higher now in the wake of Fukushima? In the same report 92% of respondents answered YES to the question: “Do you think the government should do more to explore alternative power generation technologies to reduce carbon dioxide emissions/greenhouse gases?”

Renewables in the UK energy mix

One major fear of those who are supportive of the nuclear power option would be the potential cost to the consumer of a renewables-only energy mix. They would argue that the cost to replace the energy deficit left by abandoning nuclear with renewable power sources would be too great. And what if wind power or other sources are unable to fill the gap? Would we see a return to Coal power?

As always, these are interesting times in energy supply. There are a number of issues to be discussed:

How do you think the future mix of energy energy supply could be shaped?
What is the best balance of energy sources going forward?
Should the UK follow German example and scrap nuclear as an option?
What would this mean for consumers? Higher bills and energy shortages?

We would be very interested to hear your thoughts in the comments.

The Populus/FT poll ‘British attitudes to new nuclear power stations’ can be downloaded here.

Resources on the UK energy mix – nuclear and renewable:

4 Free Ways To Keep Your Home Green

Posted: May 27th, 2011, 6:03am EDT by greenadmin

OK, there are loads of guides out there to help people be more energy efficient and reduce their carbon footprint, but today we’re going back to basics to look at a few simple (and more importantly free) things which you can do to make your home a little Greener. Obviously the big things like better insulation, more efficient appliances and low flow toilets are some of the most important changes which can be made, but while you’re saving up the pennies for that new refrigerator here are a few things you can try

1. Reduce your use of plastic bags – Yes, this is a fairly obvious step and most people will be aware that the massive amount of plastic bags manufactured each year has a negative impact on the environment, however I will bet that 90% of people reading this have an ever-growing collection of polythene bags in a cupboard or a drawer in their kitchen. Despite being the main instigator of the problem most supermarkets are trying to tackle the number of plastic bags issued to customers by encouraging people to recycle ones they’ve used previously. The next time you’re doing your weekly shop, make an effort not to have to say “sorry, I forgot” when you’re asked if you have your own bags!

2. Save water – Outside of installing low flow toilets and showers there are plenty of simple behavioural changes people can make to save on their water usage. Things like not leaving the tap running when you’re washing the dishes, using a bucket and sponge to wash your car instead of the hose, and only running the washing machine when you have a full load are such simple changes to make. The Water : Use It Wisely site has a fantastic ‘100 ways to save water‘ list which is well worth a read. I was surprised at how many things I would never have thought of.

3. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle – A fantastic term used on the Recycling Guide website. You can reduce by simply being selective about the items you buy and the items you throw away. Looking for items with reduced packaging or buying a multi purpose cleaner instead of separate ones for each room can make a big difference, while old toys and clothes can be passed on to friends or charity shops. Look to reuse as many things as possible, jars can be used to store home cooked food, carrier bags can be used multiple times and old car tyres can be given to local garages who will be able to recycle them. Recycle by using your bins properly, buying products which can either be recycled or are made from recycled materials, and make better use of local recycling facilities instead of just taking everything to the local skip.

4. Find A Greener Energy Supplier – There are plenty of energy companies out there, but you should be searching for those who make good use of renewable energy sources and are as green as possible. With most people sticking with the same company year after year this is one method that could end up saving you some money, so it’s worth looking into. Companies like Southern Electric also offer iPhone applications to monitor your energy usage so you know what you’re using every day.

Germany Joins Offshore Wind Energy Race

Posted: May 25th, 2011, 6:41am EDT by greenadmin

The first of Germany’s planned offshore wind farms is now in operation, the first of several planned in their effort to generate 20-25,000 megawatts by 2030. The wind farm, located just off the German coast in the Baltic sea, contains 21 of Siemens 2.3 megawatt turbines and covers around 2.5 square miles with the entire farm capable of supplying clean energy to at least 50,000 homes.

With the catchy name EnBW Baltic 1, it’s the first in a series of Siemens built wind farms with EnBW Baltic 2 up next. It’s a big increase on it’s predecessor and is due to have 80 turbines with individual capacities of 3.6 Megawatts, and if completed as expected in 2013 it will be capable of supplying some of the cheapest electricity to around 340,000 households.

Siemens is also contracted to build another 3 offshore wind farms in Germany this year, with Borkum Riffgat, Borkum Riffgrund 1 and Dan Tysk all scheduled for the near future which should help bring the total German offshore wind output up to around 1050 Megawatts

New electric cars

Posted: May 18th, 2011, 6:17am EDT by greenadmin

There was a lot of media coverage last year in the run up to the first electric car, but initially there were only a few models being talked about, with Nissan’s Leaf getting most of the attention.

A few short months in and things have moved on quite a bit already, with the Volvo C30 looking impressive in its online promotional material, and then there’s the nippy looking Peugot iOn looking good, with exciting sounding vehicles like the Audi R8 e-tron and Renault Fluence Z.E. in the pipeline, plus others.

Have you seen any electric cars in action yet? Or, even better – do you own one yourself? If so, please let us know in the comments…

Electricity demand and hydro generation

Posted: May 9th, 2011, 11:27am EDT by greenadmin

There was a programme on recently called something like Secret Life Of The National Grid – it was a repeat from late last year, but still fascinating to watch. Perhaps one of the most surprising things in the documentary was how much things like television shows affect the demand for power. Not the power needed to keep televisions switched on, but for the kettles being boiled to make cups of tea afterwards. The electricity people have to keep a pretty fine balance between generating enough and not generating too much – luckily there are ways of getting more at short notice, and by the flick of a switch, somewhere water cascades down and more electricity is generated. hydro power is an interesting subjec, but how many of us know how it actually works? Videos like this one are good on the basics, but I reckon it would take a degree in physics to fully understand the magic of hydro:

In Scotland, renewables continue to be an important part of the energy mix, and time goes on Scottish hydro and wind power are likely to form a greater part of the energy scene.

Energy companies, technology and communications

Posted: April 19th, 2011, 6:15am EDT by greenadmin

If you think about how how much technological advance there’s been in the past two or three decades, it’s soon pretty clear that the greatest moves forward have been concentrated in certain areas – for instance, while trains still run on diesel or electricity like they did 30 years ago (and are late like they were 30 years ago, and a bit grubby) look at what computers have done in the meantime:

1981 – the release of the IBM PC. Shipped with 16k or 64k RAM, which seems almost unbelievable these days since sixty four thousand bytes is a drop in the ocean compared to four billion you’d get with a mid-range laptop now.

2011 – the PC is down in sales, being overtaken by laptops, netbooks and tables, and the PC itself is much changed since 1981 – modern versions have all the electronic gubbins in the screen, so no need even for a box beside the screen. And the computer can do all kinds of things now, from helping out SETI to playing old episodes of Star Trek. Computers are now merging with mobile phones too – your iphone or HTC Wildfire is (of course) a way more powerful computer than anything IBM were selling in 1981.

And with the revolution in computers comes a revolution in communications – the only way companies could two-way communicate with customers in 1981 would be:

By fixed line telephone
By letter
Face to face

Or maybe by smoke signals if anyone knew how to use them. In 2011 the armoury of communications channels includes:

SMS
email
mobile telephone
voicemail
facebook
company website contact form
twitter

And there are probably others, but Twitter is a big one right now – it’s used partly as a way of giving out info – news, offers etc but it’s also used as a customer services tool. One challenge for companies – whether they’re energy companies or otherwise, is how to use Twitter effectively – in on etweet I saw that someone was complaining to an energy company about a hole in the road – but of course the energy company don’t own the infrastructure, so are unable to help. This is the difference between Tweets and phonecalls – a Tweet costs nothing so potentially there are a lot of people out there to communicate with. Obviously Twitter is just one communication medium out of many – we’ll see how it develops and matures over time as a mode of customer services.

Preventing Boiler Breakdowns

Posted: April 12th, 2011, 5:01am EDT by greenadmin

The data has been collated following the coldest winter in the UK since 1979, and experts have claimed over 30% of the boilers which broke down throughout this winter coud have been avoided if they had been properly and regularly maintained. The main problems encountered by homeowners were frozen fuel lines, sludge in the systems and a general lack of servicing which led to large numbers of people being left without heat or hot water for extended periods. It seems that a high proportion of the boilers had not had a full service for a number of years and the unusually cold weather stressed the systems beyond what they could handle, leading to the breakdowns.

The following advice is offered by industry experts to help prevent issues in the future:

Ensure your initial central heating installation is carried out by a reputable company

Get your boiler regularly serviced by a reputable company, with oil lines being replaced every couple of years and the boiler is configured using an electronic gas analyser

Ensure any water which has entered into the tank is closely monitored

Remove any sludge from the heating system

Perform regular checks on the level of oil in your tanks to make sure it isn’t left empty, which can lead to the the lines needing bled through

Make sure your tanks are filled at the beginning of autumn to prevent a shortage during the colder days in winter

Green news roundup…

Posted: March 30th, 2011, 10:42am EDT by greenadmin

Green news roundup:

Obama sends in robots to help with Fukishima cleanup, according to this report in the Guardian.

Nick Clegg reckons that the oft-talked about next generation of power stations might not get built due to increased safety standards and the resultant costs involved, in this Telegraph report.

Where did all the bees go? This Independent story may have the answer, or if not the answer, the best question yet.

30 million smart meters by 2019 for UK, reports BusinessGreen.

Clean, endless electricity

Posted: March 22nd, 2011, 12:35pm EDT by greenadmin

“It’s clean, and it’s endless…”

Fascinating video from the Guardian’s excellent Energy/ Environment pages. Sadly no embed code so link is here.

Solar energy in the UK took a bit of a bump this week as it emerged the government plans to reduce feed-in tariffs by a large amount – although the long term effect of this is unknowable since over time the equipment price is bound to reduce.

Of course renewables aren’t just on a small scale any more – Scottish power gas companies make their electricity from a mix of sources including hydro power, and so on.

One of the most interesting thing in the video is where the guy says how much of the desert would need to be given over to solar in order for all our electricity to be provided. Spoiler warning: percentage wise, not a lot!