Solar News

Thursday 25 February 2010

Chalmers & Co has installed a Windhager wood pellet boiler at its new high street office in Haddington, near Edinburgh

Wood pellet boiler installed in Haddington, near Edinburgh

Independent chartered surveyors and architects firm, Chalmers & Co, has installed a Windhager wood pellet boiler at its new high street office in Haddington, near Edinburgh, marking the first installation of its kind in the UK.

Suppliers of renewable energy solutions, Glendevon Energy Company Ltd, installed the Windhager BioWIN - which has a performance range of 2.9kW to 78kW - into the Georgian building. Previously the British Linen Bank, the old stone vault within the building, was converted into a pellet store and the adjacent office had a redundant hearth and flue suitable for positioning the biomass boiler. Chalmers & Co anticipate a pellet delivery two or three times a year to the office based on the size of the store and the expected demand on the boiler for heating. The BioWIN system is linked to an outdoor sensor which reads the external temperature and adjusts the heat output of the boiler in line with the weather conditions, making the most economical use of the fuel.

Commenting on the installation, Jill Hardy at Chalmers & Co said: "Although the cost of installation and the boiler equipment exceeds that of a conventional gas boiler, nearly half was funded by The Forestry Commission under the Scottish Biomass Heat Scheme and the balance of the costs are covered by an interest free loan from the Energy Saving Trust. The environmental benefits are also much greater as we are not draining the earth's finite natural resources."

Anti-wind group fall foul of Advertising Standards Agency

ScottishPower has won an Advertising Standards Agency (ASA) ruling against a Worcestershire anti-wind campaign group that claimed the health of nearby residents would be affected by the proposed 11.5MW Lenchwick wind farm near Evesham.

A newsletter composed by Vale Villagers Against Scottish Power included a diagram comparing the size of a wind turbine with local landmarks and had text stating "too Big too Near too Noisy too Costly". Smaller boxed text under the heading "4 reasons why to say NO" claimed that the proposed wind farm would "change the landscape forever" and affect house prices. It added that the "constant noise" could cause depression, sleep deprivation, headaches and memory loss. FACT House prices can be reduced by as much as 54% for properties within a 1 mile radius of a wind farm".

The ASA ruled that the evidence behind these claims could not be supported and ordered that the newsletter could not appear again in its current form. The five turbine Lenchwick wind farm development has been criticised by local MP Peter Luff in the past, who proposed a ban on building large commercial wind turbines close to homes after viewing the plans (see this NewEnergyFocus.com story).

CRC scheme will only deliver 1.4% of government carbon reduction targets, claims McKinnon & Clarke

The international project development manager for the energy and environmental services division of McKinnon & Clarke has raised doubts about whether the CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme, to be implemented in April, will make any real impact on the 2020 carbon reduction targets.

The CRC Energy Efficiency scheme is a new regulatory incentive to improve energy efficiency in large public and private sector organisations. Callum Stuart from energy consultancy firm McKinnon & Clarke claims that while the objective of the scheme is to achieve an annual reduction of 3.2 million tonnes of carbon dioxide per annum by 2020 by focusing on large businesses, it will deliver only 1.4% of the total reduction target set by the government. He also notes that the scheme will not be as simple as first hoped, with research showing that many organisations have yet to consider the significant financial implications of the legislation.

Mr Staurt said: "The reality is big organisations with a lot to gain will streak ahead and we fear that public-funded organisations may end up paying huge penalties as a result. Whilst actively encouraging energy efficiency, McKinnon & Clarke is concerned that under the CRC scheme, public-funded organisations will end up meeting the lion's share of the costs with knock-on implications for public services."

Circadian Solar appoints new business development manager

Concentrated photovoltaic technology (CPV) developer, Circadian Solar, has appointed Richard Sammut as its new business development manager.

Mr Sammut will be responsible for developing relationships with key partners and users of the company's solar energy systems and ensuring that its growth continues strongly as it moves towards full-scale commercialisation of its technology. He has 17 years' experience in technical product support, sales and marketing at engineering consultancy Ricardo UK and an additional background in project management and developing advanced technology products.

Commenting on his appointment, Mr Sammut said: "I am delighted to be joining such an innovative company at this critical point in its history. Our position at the forefront of design and engineering solutions means we have a key role to play in supporting the future of renewable energy implementation. I look forward to capitalising on my past experience to help support Circadian Solar's strategy and build on the strength of its market position."

Around 55,000 vouchers claimed under Boiler Scrappage scheme

The Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) has announced that 54,758 vouchers have been snapped up under the government's Boiler Scrappage scheme, leaving around 70,000 vouchers worth a total of £28 million still available.

The scheme, launched in January, made vouchers available for up to 125,000 households in England entitling them to £400 off the price of a renewable heating system, like a biomass boiler or a heat pump. (see this NewEnergyFocus.com story). According to DECC, all the major energy companies which sell and install boilers have now matched the offer, giving householders potentially £800 off the cost of a new efficient boiler.

Energy and climate change secretary, Ed Miliband, said: "The Boiler Scrappage scheme has proved incredibly popular and with energy companies and manufacturers offering deals as well, the government scheme has truly kick-started a national programme of boiler replacement. The scheme is helping householders to save around £200 a year off fuel bills and reduce emissions while helping to sustain work for the 130,000 installers and up to 25 UK-based boiler manufacturers throughout the economic recovery."