On-site & Micro News

Friday 05 February 2010

Joan Ruddock said that capitalising on local people’s “passion about building a low carbon future” in the UK was vital

Communities in England, Wales and Northern Ireland have won up to £500,000 each to help install new green technologies such as solar panels, hydro turbines and energy saving insulation.

The grants, awarded through the Government's Low Carbon Community Challenge (LCCC), are set to be spent on a range of measures intended to cut carbon, save money on energy bills, and enable see some communities to generate their own energy and take advantage of the recently announced Feed-in Tariffs (see this NewEnergyFocus.com story).

In total, 22 communities will benefit from the £10million Low Carbon Community Challenge grant fund. The aim of the fund is to inform government of what works at a community level to cut emissions.
Energy and Climate Change minister Joan Ruddock said that capitalising on local people's "passion about building a low carbon future" in the UK was vital.

She said: "This sort of action is vital because over a quarter of the UK's greenhouse gas emissions come from heating, lighting and powering electrical appliances in our homes. By 2050 this needs to be almost zero and we can only achieve that through the creative initiative of local communities."

England

Hook Norton in Oxfordshire, Ashton Hayes in Cheshire, Easterside in Middlesbrough, Halton near Lancaster, Whitehill-Bordon in Hampshire, Ladock and Grampound Road in Cornwall and Exmoor National park all received funds.

At Hook Norton, the money will be spent on installing a heat recovery system, solar panels, two community electric pool cars and a ground source heat pump at the local primary school, as well as install solar thermal panels on 20 homes and putting in a bio-diesel tank in the local brewery to supply bio-diesel fuel for the vehicles of 50 households.

In Easterside, solar hot water and air-source heat pumps will be fitted to 20 homes and two wind turbines will be installed in the grounds of a local primary school.

Halton is looking to install a hydro turbine into the River Lune, while at Exmoor the grant will be used to help fund wood pellet heating and solar installations in six communities, one of which is planning to install a community owned hydropower turbine.

Wales

In Wales, Cwmclydach, nr Pontypridd, South Wales the money will help pay for two small hydro turbines, while two wind turbines with a capacity of 4MW are to be installed on the Mynydd y Gwrhyd mountain to generate electricity for about 2000 homes and produce an income for 12 villages spread across Neath Port Talbot, Carmarthenshire and Powys.

At Glogue, Hermon and Llanfyrnach, near the Preselli Hills, Pembrokeshire, the LCCC money will be used to fund two wind turbines which are calculated to generate around £300,000 per year to be ploughed back into further energy saving projects.

Welsh Environment minister, Jane Davidson said: "Welsh projects make up a quarter of the Low Carbon Community winners in this phase of the competition which proves that Wales really is punching above its weight in this area.

"Cutting carbon emissions is an integral part of our One Wales agenda and I am delighted to see communities taking the initiative with innovative community projects that will enable them to do just that."

Northern Ireland

In Northern Ireland, Ballymena is to put the money towards a district heating network based on deep geothermal, biomass and residual heat technologies for public buildings and social housing as well as private residences.

And, Camphill community Glencraig, has plans to install a biomass district heating system using locally sourced wood.