Green Energy Blog

Orkney Islands are the envy of Europe

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.

 

 

SSE windfarm still going strong...

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.  

 

Is renewable energy right for your home?

Green energy technologies like solar panels, biomass heaters and wind turbines can offer an excellent alternative to the more common fossil fuels and can help reduce your homes CO₂ output.

Investing in a renewable energy system these days, is essentially buying energy at current prices in order to protect from future increases. So if fuel prices rise, your outlay would be recouped even sooner.

Now before you rush out and invest in one of these systems, it’s a good idea to find out your current energy usage and do as much as you can to reduce it. As a lower energy requirement means a smaller and therefore cheaper renewable/low carbon energy system would be sufficient.

Green energy technology can supply our homes with power for lighting, electronic devices and even the pumps in our heating systems.

Solar photovoltaic (PV) technology:

Solar modules work by converting sunlight into electricity for use in the home or to export to the national grid. Basic domestic solar units are around 2.2 kW in size, and can provide approximately 1,850 kWh a year. This is over 40% of the electricity used by an average household. This technology is one of the easiest to install, has no actual moving parts and the government Feed-in Tariff payments actually help to make it a reasonable investment.

Wind turbines

Small-scale wind turbines can be either integrated into the local electricity grid or operate as an off-grid device, charging batteries when excess electricity is generated. Location is paramount, on a good site domestic wind turbines are an excellent option in terms of actual energy output. Ideally the site should have a minimum average yearly wind speed of at least 5 metres per second with a clear flow of wind.

Wood fuelled heating

A wood fuelled system is a strong option to consider if you have no available access to natural gas as a fuel but you do have plenty of space for both the boiler and fuel storage. Recently more people have been choosing to replace oil or coal based heating systems with a wood fuelled system.

Choosing the right option

In order to choose the most suitable renewable energy technology for your requirements, you need to check your energy bills to find out how much you are actually using.  It’s also worth finding out how much you are paying per unit (kWh) of electricity and heating fuel you use. This information will make it easier for you to calculate the savings you can expect by installing a renewable energy system.

Scottish Hydro to name new Clydeside Arena...

Plans were confirmed today, for the latest state-of-the-art addition to Scotland’s entertainment venue line-up. A 12,000 seat, arena style venue shall sit on the Clydeside along with the existing SECC and Clyde Auditorium.

The energy company Scottish Hydro have purchased the naming rights for the venue, which will open in early 2013 as the Scottish Hydro Arena. The deal is believed to be £1.5 million per annum for the next 10 years.

The new arena has been designed by award winning architect Sir Norman Foster of Foster & Partners Architects. And if initial reports are to be believed, the venue is going be living up to some ambitious plans, as management intend for it to hold around 140 major events a year ranging from sport to music.

Chief Executive of Scottish and Southern Energy Ian Marchant certainly seems proud of the deal stating “The Scottish Hydro Arena is a significant investment for us and shows the strength of our commitment to Scotland….. This exciting partnership will enable us to provide an array of attractive benefits to our customers and staff right across the country, bringing an entertainment experience to Glasgow we are all very proud of.”

If the figures shown at the moment are to be believed then the venue could be fantastic for Scotland. Forecasts are claiming the venue should bring approximately 1 million visitors generating £131 million a year for the Scottish economy.

Keep up-to-date with the plans online at http://www.hydro.co.uk/

Scotland May Follow Germany's No Nuclear Plan

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.

Scottish Firms Urged To Change

Businesses in Scotland are being urged to replace the burning of fossil fuels with wood burning for heating purposes in a campaign led Usewoodfuel Scotland. Some advantages with wood burning include the reduction of energy bills, a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions and offer the chance for businesses to support local suppliers in the area.

The campaign hopes to increase the demand for renewable timber resources and heating systems that are run by using wood fuel by offering incentives. Businesses that change over could be eligible for payments from the UK government’s “Renewable Heat Incentive”.

Forestry Commission Scotland has stated that the burning of wood fuels can save up to 500,000 tonnes of CO2 every year and that the demand for wood fuel in Scotland has increased 300% in recent years. 

 

Preventing Boiler Breakdowns

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

The green finger points at...

 

I call it the green finger - the attention placed on the ecological / environmental efforts of certain organisations and industries:  supermarkets, car manufacturers, fashion labels. 

Now, most of these will happily have the green finger pointed at them because it gives them a chance to show their environmental commitment, and it's a way for one organisation to steal a lead on the others - the benefits of competition.

But some industries, it seems, don't get prodded by the green finger too much - you don't hear an awful lot about green hospitals for instance, although this article on green news has some info.

There's no doubt about the future - one day all business, all human endeavour will be carbon neutral - this won't happen because of ideology - it'll happen because in the end there'll be no better way of doing things. Of course some industries area goint to turn green faster than others - that's to be expected - and nobody expects to see Formula 1 running on electricity or hydrogen just yet - although that day will surely arrive at some point.

What industries do you think are currently striving for greenness the most?

 

 

 

carbon offsetting and the green electric life

 

Do you carbon offset?

Personally, I don't. I can't even remember the last time I was on an aeroplane* and I don't own a car. Anyway that's enough use of the first person proniun for one blog post - what about you?

There are various ways to get a picture of your carbon footprint, and it's always worth having a look as it gets you thinking about this stuff in a more involved and personal way.

If your carbon output is heavier than you'd like it to be you can then think about ways to reduce. But it's not a game of piety or guilt - it's about everyone doing their bit. If your job involves a lot of travel, then it's hardly your fault if your carbon footprint is wider. However, if you leave your television on standby instead of switching it off - there's something you can do right there!

* As for aeroplanes, the question that there's no answer to is this - if you go on a plane, then however much CO2 is arguably what you're responsible for, right? Well, what if you don't go on the plane, and as it passes above, contrail white against the blue sky, NOBODY'S IN THE SEAT? Every single unoccupied aeroplane seat is therefore a waste. And how do we apportion the carbon for the seat occupied for nobody?

Anyway, 3 ways to reduce your carbon footprint

Don't leave the telly on standby instead of switching it off

Find an energy company who can provide you with a smart monitor

Start cheking out the carbon reduction and green websites for tips. Some of these can save a bit of dosh as well as the environmentt, so it's all good.

 

 

 

Energy futures

The recent events in Japan have naturally opened up a debate in the broadsheets about nuclear power and whether the benefits (cheap, no carbon) are outweighed by the potential for accidents like Chernobyl, which happened almost exactly 25 years ago.

There are no easy answers, of course. Climate change from burning stuff or the worry about acts of God like what's been in the news this weekend.

My guess has always been that nuclear is a transitional technology, and that when humankind has learnt to fully harness solar, wind and sea power, then we'll look back at nuclear as well as coal burning like carthorses in the age of engines.

Until then, hopefully we can continue to learn to make nuclear as safe as possible for everyone concerned.