Jonathan Hines from Architype, an Ashden Award winner in 2009, talks to Juliet Heller about designing buildings that are affordable, look good, and use less energy.
Architype puts this approach into practice by focusing on passivhaus techniques. Passivhaus is a rigorous approach to building, designed to radically reduce energy consumption and achieve maximum internal comfort. Passivhaus buildings save carbon simply by using less energy. Architype has recently designed two passivhaus schools in Wolverhampton which will be completed this summer. They will be the first in the country.
Jonathan Hines: "The beauty of passivhaus is that it's not about ticking boxes, it is a design tool that really works. You can aim to build a low-carbon building by adding renewables but find that the technology doesn't perform as well as you'd hoped in practice. With passivhaus you know that it works, it will get the energy down lower, and it will last for the long term".
"In the current climate of austerity measures, designing buildings well to save energy is the way to go, not spending more money on technologies that just offset carbon".
"We should be setting energy targets for buildings instead of carbon targets. This would encourage people to design buildings that use less energy in the first place, instead of relying on offsetting. The concept is an obvious one but so important: Buildings need to be designed better to improve their energy efficiency".
(pic: Jonathan Hines outside Architype's office, built to high standards of energy efficiency, constructed largely using wood and based on an existing barn).
Monday, 17 January 2011
Architype's Jonathan Hines explains why the "passivhaus" approach works best
Monday, 10 January 2011
UK gas storage at five-year low
The Observer reports that the UK's gas supplies are at their lowest levels in five years for this stage in the winter. We recently plotted a graph to show how these low levels compared with last year and highlighted the consequences of such a trend of low supplies for gas and electricity consumers. The recent milder weather has helped the situation. But as Mike comments on his own blog: "the risk to supplies still depends on what happens with the weather over the coming weeks."
See also:
Energy Security - how saving energy at home and work can help
UK National Grid issues first Gas Balancing alert of the winter
Tuesday, 28 December 2010
Energy security - how saving energy at home and work can help
Mike Pepler, our UK awards manager, recently posted an analysis of the UK gas supply situation on his own blog, you can read it here.
Using publicly available data from the National Grid, he's plotted some graphs comparing the amount of gas the UK has in storage, and comparing this winter to a year ago. Due to the cold weather, and the declining gas output from the North Sea, storage levels are much lower than they were at this point a year ago. This could present a problem if the rest of this winter is colder than average.
If supplies do run low, part of the process to deal with the situation includes a public appeal to reduce gas use. Reducing electricity use helps too, as about 40% of our electricity is generated from gas. A shortage of gas will also push up gas and electricity prices, so by taking action to reduce your energy use you can yourself some money, help improve energy security and reduce CO2 emissions, all at the same time!
Take a moment to visit some of our recent blogs about saving energy:
Nine solutions that work to combat rising fuel prices
Save energy, save money: cavity walls Click here to read the rest of this post.
Sunday, 19 December 2010
UK National Grid issues first Gas Balancing Alert of the winter
This evening the National Grid in the UK issued the first Gas Balancing Alert for the 2010/11 winter. The latest status for gas supply can be viewed on their information website.
According to the National Grid:
The purpose of the Gas Balancing Alert (GBA) is to provide a signal to the market that demand-side reduction and/or additional supplies may be required to avoid the risk of entering into a Network Gas Supply Emergency.The issuing of this alert is therefore a signal to the gas market in the UK that action needs to be taken to ensure security of supply, and in the past this action has always been successful. The action is typically large industrial gas users reducing their consumption, or new short-term supplies being acquired, either from gas storage or through extra imports.
So what does this mean for gas and electricity consumers in the UK? Domestic supply will be guaranteed, but prices will inevitably be pushed up further still. Gas prices will rise as a direct result, but also electricity prices, as over 40% of our electricity is generated by burning gas.
What can you do? Well, you could start by reading some of our past blogs on how to save energy and therefore save money:
Nine solutions that work to combat rising fuel prices
Save energy, save money: cavity walls
What should we be doing as a country? The standard industry and government response is to build more pipelines or LNG import terminals - but building facilities does not guarantee there will be gas flowing through them, as that depends on the market and the suppliers. It also doesn't help the UK balance of payments, or help cut CO2 emissions. While extra import facilities may be useful, the first action that must be taken is to reduce consumption through demand management and efficiency, as we mentioned just last week on this blog.
Mike Click here to read the rest of this post.
Friday, 17 December 2010
Existing Homes Alliance advises Green Deal: benefits would mean less CO2, more local jobs & lower energy bills
This month, the government introduced the Energy Bill into Parliament as part of its new Green Deal. The Existing Homes Alliance also recently published recommendations to ensure government efforts help the UK to refurbish its existing housing stock – to bring it in line with the UK’s commitment to cutting carbon emissions 80% by 2050.
Their recommendations cover key areas of the Green Deal. The first is finance: policies must allow the most to be made from the economic opportunities of widespread refurbishment – estimated between £5-15 billion. Secondly, the Existing Homes Alliance stresses that the government must place attention on how the work will be done - by investing in tradesmen and exploring area-based schemes for example - and done well. Shoddy work will make a dent in consumer demand for these changes. Thirdly, the government needs to focus on driving demand, regulating minimum energy performance is a necessary ‘stick’, but ‘carrots’ are also important.
Simon, our UK Business Support Manager, also works with the Existing Homes Alliance. He thinks making these changes will stimulate wider benefits:
"Creating demand for uptake of energy efficiency measures and stimulating the behaviour change that is needed to meet our carbon reduction targets is a tall order – but we can learn a lot from many of our Award winners who have worked hard to engage local communities, help them understand the issues, and take action. If, as a result of rising to this challenge, we get more local jobs, a more buoyant local economy and lower energy bills, then everyone wins."
(Pic: House on the right has been refurbished, including external wall insulation, by 2010 Award winners Northwards Housing)
Thursday, 16 December 2010
Best Ashden Moments 2010: Simon picks the publication of Power to our neighbourhoods
For me one of the best moments of 2010 was the publication of our research in June which was a culmination of a year's work and contained the wisdom of many of our UK winners.
The report drew on current best practice to demonstrate how we can cut energy bills, reduce CO2, create jobs and help secure our energy future by scaling up and replicating local sustainable energy programmes.
The work has been well received and is having a direct impact on UK policy.
Briefing paper
Executive summary
Full report
If Chris Huhne doesn't back renewables, the costs will be even higher
Ultimately, as electricity consumers, we all have to pay for the equipment that generates electricity. As we’re facing a future with rising fossil fuel prices, to build gas or coal power stations because they’re cheap is short-sighted. If we build renewable energy generation capacity, then not only do we not have to pay for fuel imports, we also have better security of supply, and will be closer to meeting out targets on CO2 emissions.
The BBC report is accompanied by a photo of a row of wind turbines out at sea. But as Anne Wheldon, our Senior Adviser, points out.
The extra cost is not just for renewable energy. Much of the extra cost will go to nuclear power, which is included in the new generation of power plants. The BBC reports that nuclear will not receive specific subsidies, but it also mentions that there will be feed-in-tariffs for nuclear. Let's make sure that the main focus is renewable electricity, otherwise we’re trading climate change for the other long-term problem of nuclear waste management.
Thursday, 9 December 2010
Chris Huhne says insulating homes "a no brainer"
Following on the same theme as yesterday's blog about nine solutions that work to combat rise in fuel prices, today the BBC reports that Energy Secretary Chris Huhne has unveiled a plan to insulate the UK's draughty housing stock.
After 2012, people will be able to approach their energy supplier for a loan to cover the cost of insulation, instead of paying in advance.
Energy Secretary Chris Huhne said the deal - which is part of the Energy Bill - would "make upgrading our nation's draughty homes a no brainer".
See also: the Green Deal "needs to be flexible" to help the fuel poor
Wednesday, 8 December 2010
Nine solutions that work to combat rising fuel prices
Jim Dale, senior risk meteorologist at British Weather Services told Bloomberg News that December may be the coldest in more than 30 years. “We are expecting a return to Arctic weather including blizzards and deep frosts from around Dec. 17.”
The Arctic weather has pushed up demand for both electricity and gas. Between 35-40% of the UK’s electricity is generated by burning gas, so the prices are linked. Since the price of gas has risen in recent days, it has also become more attractive for generators to switch to coal or oil, causing a rise in carbon emissions. (Carbon emission permits have also gone up in price.) The most expensive form of power generation is oil, so this too will have an impact on electricity prices.
The UK’s natural gas storage facilities are currently about 70% full, compared to 95% this time last year. If temperatures continue below average, we can expect to see prices go even higher, as we'll be forced to import more gas when storage runs low.
If that's not bad enough, today's Independent reports that energy prices may rise by 25% over 10 years.
The best option, of course, is to manage demand. The best way to do that is through energy efficiency and home insulation. The best people to follow are our Ashden Award winners. Here are nine inspirational approaches within the UK:
Kirklees Council, Huddersfield has rolled out free insulation to its residents.
Second Nature has developed and marketed effective roof-insulation material made from sheep's wool.
Northwards Housing, Manchester has converted housing stock into energy-efficient homes with no charge to tenants.
Leeds City Council has improved the energy efficiency of housing by over 21% since 1996.
Arun District Council, West Sussex has introduced energy efficiency throughout its operations.
Energy Agency, Ayrshire used a community fund to promote energy efficiency intensively in three local villages.
Cumbria Energy Efficiency Advice Centre provides an integrated service of advice, funding and installation for home insulation.
Community Energy Plus provides free energy efficiency advice and efficiency measures
Gloucestershire Warm and Well has linked seven local authorities with a range of organisations working on health and community support.
Thursday, 18 November 2010
The Green Deal "needs to be flexible" to help the fuel poor
With current hikes in fuel prices, the issue of lifting people out of fuel poverty is of growing concern. Fuel poverty is defined as when more than 10% of household income is spent on fuel bills. Today there are over 4.6 million people in the UK who are considered 'fuel poor'.
At an event yesterday, hosted by Eaga Charitable Trust, researchers, policy makers, and practitioners, came together to suggest how fuel poverty might be tackled in the light of predicted and continuing energy price rises.
Simon, our UK Business Support Manager, was there, and explains, here, how the solutions might work.
"Of course, the real solution lies in bringing the 26 million UK properties that are not efficient up to the energy efficiency standard of new homes."
"The current coalition government has announced the delivery of the ‘Green Deal’, which will replace programmes like Warm Front and the other of energy supplier obligations programmes that currently exist.
"What is being planned is a market-led ‘Pay As You Save’ scheme. Money for energy savings measures, like solid wall insulation, condensing boilers, or micro generation technologies, could be received in the form of a long-term loan which is paid back (in theory) by the energy savings the measures create."
"However, the ‘fly in the ointment’, for those in fuel poverty, is that taking out loans when you are already poor may not be attractive: you may use more energy as a result of having (say) central heating installed, rather than the one or two rooms you currently heat. As was discussed yesterday, paying back a loan rather than a fuel bill does not lift you out of fuel poverty."
"The Green Deal needs to be flexible enough to offer moderations to the scheme, so that it allows subsidies to be paid to poor households, so that the equations that work for those who are already in warm homes are also applicable to the fuel poor".
(pic: Ashden Award winners Kirklees Council has supported the installation of energy efficiency measures, such as this cavity wall installation, in houses across the region)
Tuesday, 26 October 2010
Gamesa invests €150 million in offshore wind in UK
Yesterday morning, the Prime Minister, David Cameron, said, "I want us to be a world leader in offshore wind energy."
A few hours later, the Spanish company, Gamesa, announced plans to base the worldwide centre of its offshore business in the UK, investing up to €150 million through 2014.
Gamesa will also create a wind turbine blade manufacturing plant, a turbine assembly plant and associated R&D centre, port logistics and operation and maintenance services at different locations across the UK.
The British Ambassador to Spain, Giles Paxman, blogs today that this is:
a terrific vote of confidence in the UK’s future leadership in wind energy.
Three simple energy-saving steps could save £2 billion
The latest research for the Energy Saving Trust claims that UK householders could save more than £2 billion every year by taking three simple energy-saving steps.
The report says that if every UK householder that was able to went and insulated their cavity walls and lofts up to 270mm, replaced old fashioned bulbs with compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) and turned their appliances off standby, owners would not only save hundreds of pounds a year on their fuel bills but also cut nearly 10 million tonnes of CO2, equivalent to taking almost 3.5 million cars off UK roads.
More on Energy Saving Week
Obama says energy efficiency will get US "quarter of the way"
Winners tackle energy saving in the community
This week is Energy Saving Week
Hat-tip: Edie.
Wednesday, 13 October 2010
Tomorrow's vote on 100th Object keeps solar in the news
The solar industry is wrapping up its most successful year ever. Solar is now the fastest growing energy industry in the U.S., employing nearly 100,000 Americans
Today's Guardian carries the news that installation levels in the UK are hitting five times what they were in 2009.
The name of the 100th object will be announced on Radio 4 tomorrow and feature in the broadcast on 22 October.
Wednesday, 6 October 2010
Obama to put solar panels back on the White House
By 1986, the Reagan administration had gutted the research and development budgets for renewable energy at the then-fledgling U.S. Department of Energy (DoE) and eliminated tax breaks for the deployment of wind turbines and solar technologies—recommitting the nation to reliance on cheap but polluting fossil fuels, often from foreign suppliers.
Yesterday it was announced that President Obama is putting solar panels back on the White House roof.
For Ashden Award winners and how solar works, see the database for case studies.
Tuesday, 5 October 2010
Ofgem says electricity traffic will double
There are two challenges here: one is preparing for the predicted doubling in electricity traffic; the other is making the energy industry greener. It is estimated that customer bills will rise by an average of £6 per year. Mike Pepler, our UK Awards manager, says,
While extra costs are sure to be unwelcome during difficult economic times, the costs of not improving the country’s gas and electricity networks could be even higher. If action is not taken to allow greater use of renewable energy and better management of energy demand, then the security of supply for the UK will be threatened.
Read more: Energy bills set to rise as Ofgem urges £32bn investment in 'rewiring' of energy networks (Daily Mail)
See Ashden Awards case studies on energy efficiency in the UK Click here to read the rest of this post.
Didcot pilots an energy source closer to home
Centrica is opening a plant at Didcot sewage works which will be the first in the UK to produce renewable gas for households to use.
Telegraph reports 'human waste is being turned into renewable gas and used to power homes for the first time'.
Learn more about biogas
Read about the Ashden Awards biogas winners
Tuesday, 28 September 2010
In 2050 most common type of British home will be 100 years old
Ashden's Senior Advisor, Dr Anne Wheldon, attended two talks on buildings and energy efficiency, at the Royal Academy of Engineering, as part of the London Design Festival. Anne reports:
"It’s often mentioned that most existing buildings will still be around in 2050, but Peter Bonfield, CEO of the Building Research Establishment put this in a way that I had not heard before.
pic: 1950s housing in Leacroft, Derbyshire
Friday, 24 September 2010
Mike aims to be self-sufficient in space and water heating
Three years ago Mike Pepler, our UK Awards Manager, and his wife Tracy, bought an eight-acre wood. This year they bought a house. Now they are going to heat the house with the logs from the wood.
"Tracy and I bought our eight-acre woodland in 2007, as it seemed like a good investment with energy prices rising, and the property price bubble had put us off buying a house at that point. Since then we've been managing the woodland to produce logs and have been selling them to friends, but now we've finally bought our own house, the first priority was to make changes so we could heat it using our own logs.
Our goals in doing this are two-fold: becoming more self-sufficient in the energy we use at home, and reducing CO2 emissions. Supplying some of our own energy needs is important to us, as we believe energy prices will continue to rise over the coming years as supplies struggle to meet demand, and the UK's energy security cannot be taken for granted. Reducing CO2 emissions is also important, as the threat of climate change affects everyone.
Achieving these two goals is not just about installing a wood stove though. Demand must be tackled first, which is why we're insulating the cavity walls and upgrading the loft insulation; the windows are already double-glazed. All the lights in the house are low energy, and we buy our electricity from Ashden Award winner Ecotricity. Because we've removed the gas boiler, we also needed an alternative for water heating in the summer, when it's too warm to light the wood stove. Rather than use the immersion heater, we're installing solar water heating to deal with this.
The end result will hopefully be that we are entirely self-sufficient in space and water heating, apart from the small amount of electricity for running water pumps, and that the only CO2 emissions will be the fuel used in our chainsaws and the vehicle to bring logs back from the wood, which is only five miles away. We'll be monitoring our savings on gas and electricity, and also the amount of wood we burn, so there'll be some results to report over the coming year."
coming soon:
- plumbing and commissioning the stove;
- solar water heating
Tuesday, 7 July 2009
From practice to policy
The Ashden Awards for Sustainable Energy commissioned the Institute for Public Policy Research to prepare this report. The full version is available on the Ashden Awards website.
Foreword
Sarah Butler-Sloss
Executive Chair and Founder
The Ashden Awards for Sustainable Energy
What can the government do to help local sustainable energy become part of the fabric of communities across the UK? The answer to this question will partly determine whether we can create a low-carbon economy and meet the ambitious targets we have set to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Some answers to this question lie in this briefing which is the result of detailed consultations with
our UK winners – businesses, local authorities, community groups and charities – who suggest ways to overcome the barriers they face in trying to deliver renewable energy, energy efficiency and other forms of local sustainable energy in their communities.
Their responses, which are based on substantial know-how and best practice in their individual fields, give us an idea of the enormous challenges ahead, but also a sense of hope that it is possible, with the political will and appropriate policies, to meet them. Although these practitioners acknowledge that there have been a few policy successes, there are also clear failures. In particular they highlight problems of funding – the amount and the lack of consistency in funding schemes – and planning barriers. They call for continuous funding streams and much stronger policy coherence to promote sustainable energy. All are unanimous in wanting to help improve on the past record and be part of a future that is much brighter.
I set up the Ashden Awards for Sustainable Energy in 2001 to reward sustainable energy champions across the UK and developing world that are bringing social and economic benefits to their communities. Since then, in addition to our annual Awards scheme, we have developed a broader support programme for our winners. In the UK our emphasis is increasingly on promoting the exemplary work of our winners and in particular helping them influence policy on sustainable energy in every way we can. This briefing is part of that effort.
The contributions made in this study show us that the government can learn a great deal by working in partnership with local providers of sustainable energy – like our Award-winners.
This briefing is aimed at policy makers at all levels and anyone else who would like to see local sustainable energy become a visible and integrated part of every community across the country, bringing all the wider social benefits that that means.
This report is the precursor for a larger research-based report we plan to publish early in 2010 which will follow up on these initial findings and recommendations.
Executive summary
This Briefing Paper draws on the experience of the winners of the Ashden Awards for Sustainable Energy to make practical policy recommendations aimed at increasing the scale and scope of sustainable energy in the UK. The paper is based on research carried out with UK winners of the Ashden Awards through an online survey of winners and in-depth interviews with a smaller group of awardees.
Local sustainable energy at the household and community level has a range of potential benefits.
The first of these is emissions reduction: 65 per cent of household CO2 emissions could be saved by distributed generation by 2050 if supportive policies were put in place. Another benefit is improved energy security through reduced demand for imported gas: almost a fifth of UK energy demand could be met through community scale generation with the right support. Community energy can also make the transition to a low carbon economy real for people, with schemes they can see and own in their own neighbourhood, helping build political support for sustainable energy policy.
Many organisations across the UK – from businesses to local authorities and charities – are actively demonstrating the benefits of local sustainable energy. However, despite their good work, the full potential of sustainable energy is far from being realised in the UK. While the energy efficiency of housing in the UK has increased in the last ten years, over four-fifths of UK houses have yet to be fully insulated. Similarly, while installed renewable energy capacity, both large-scale and local, has increased in the UK in recent years, it still accounts for only around two per cent of total UK electricity generation.
Winners of the Ashden Awards have a valuable perspective on bridging the gap between the UK’s aspirations and delivery of a sustainable energy. Many were pioneers of sustainable energy well before it became popular and have a wealth and diversity of experience to share. Some focus mainly on energy efficiency, while others are specialists in renewable energy, and within that on renewable heat and renewable electricity. Most who focus on energy efficiency work with households, whereas those who focus mostly on renewable technologies tend to work with organisations such as schools, local councils, businesses, and other institutions. Two are designers or manufacturers of renewable technologies.
Through our research, we have aimed to understand their perspectives on the policies that are working to deliver sustainable energy in the UK and those that are not, and how the barriers that remain to delivering sustainable energy could be overcome.
Mr Aitkin has benefitted from Leeds Council’s ‘Health through warmth’ scheme
Locals visit Arun council’s mobile energy efficiency advice centre, Littlehampton
Some policy interventions have clearly been successful in enabling growth in the sector. The single most important policy for Ashden Award winners has been the Energy Efficiency Commitment (EEC) and its successor the Carbon Emissions Reduction Target (CERT), placing an obligation on energy suppliers to provide funding for carbon saving measures to households. A third of Award winners that were surveyed said that many of their sustainable energy successes would not have been achieved without the programme.
The next most useful set of interventions cited were the support programmes (including funding) of the Energy Saving Trust and the Carbon Trust, along with fuel poverty programmes such as Warm Front. Another useful policy for Award winners has been the Home Energy Conservation Act – largely because it almost instantly created sustainable energy champions within local authorities with housing responsibilities, and ensured that home energy efficiency received a level of resource and political attention at the local level.
Several interviewees also highlighted the importance that building regulations, such as the Code for Sustainable Homes, have had on increasing the uptake of renewable energy and energy efficiency measures. Changes in the planning regime were also felt to have been useful, particularly the Merton rule adopted by local authorities requiring all new developments to generate 10 per cent of their energy needs from on-site renewables.
The Low Carbon Buildings Programme (LCBP) was also cited as a policy that had helped many Award winners, not always because of the capital grants it has provided (which have been problematic), but because of the requirement for training and certification.
Bike shed at Dulas, Powys, Wales – a large PV solar panel generates electricity for the building
Policy barriers
However, several existing policies and approaches have failed to meet practitioners’ needs. Funding – the amount and consistency of it – was cited as the key barrier by 80 per cent of respondents, making it difficult to plan work, and meet expectations.
The ‘stop-start’ nature of some policies has been particularly problematic. EEC/CERT and the LCBP were both cited as suffering from this flaw. Under EEC/CERT, there have been periods of inactivity when energy suppliers have hit their targets and stopped carrying out energy efficiency works. This has proved very problematic for the installation companies. The LCBP has also posed problems because funding has not been available in a continuous manner. There was concern among some interviewees that the transition from the LCBP to the introduction of the proposed feed-in tariff could cause this to happen again.
Award-winning businesses are finding it difficult to access capital, which is a significant barrier at start-up and when seeking to expand their operations. The credit crunch is exacerbating the situation. Some Award winners have experienced difficulties in securing financing for their own projects. Others fear that business may dry up as clients are unable to access finance or shift their focus away from environmental concerns.
The lack of householder engagement and interest is also clearly a significant barrier to Award winners working to reduce carbon emissions from the household sector, particularly in the absence of regulation to compel action. Levels of public engagement and awareness of sustainable energy and climate change were seen as low and further behind other countries, particularly in Europe.
Planning permission was highlighted as a significant regulatory barrier, particularly for larger-scale sustainable electricity and heat projects. Other barriers were also identified, the most significant being the difficulty faced in retrofitting homes, particularly those which are ‘hard to treat’ (i.e. those with solid walls or off the gas network). Measures for these homes attract higher costs. The complexity of connecting smaller sustainable electricity schemes to the grid was also cited as a barrier. Several interviewees have also encountered difficulties in recruiting the technical skills needed, pointing to a lack of training opportunities.
Private landlords have benefited from Arun Council’s financial help to insulate their properties
Copper piping used in the manufacture of Kensa’s ground source heat pumps, Truro, Cornwall
Policy solutions
Award winners were asked about their recommendations for future policy, the types of policies which are most needed and which ones they would prioritise to overcome the barriers facing the growth of sustainable energy in the UK.
Not surprisingly, alongside the issues of coherence and continuity, addressing the problems with funding was seen as a priority. The policies which were perceived as most likely to help in the delivery of their work were sustainable energy capital grants and a renewable heat incentive. Several other policies including energy efficiency grants, a feed-in tariff and a soft loans scheme rated a close second.
Many Award winners were keen to see a continuous funding mechanism rather than the current ‘bidding’ process which is increasingly being favoured by programmes like the Community Energy Efficiency Fund (CEEF). In particular, funding targeted locally for area based approaches, suitable for off-gas-grid and solid-walled properties, was suggested. In addition, more funding dedicated to capacity building in the sector was requested, including for technical and project design, management support and for training and skills development.
The role of local authorities and the embedding of targets at the local level were seen as an important means of improving the implementation of national sustainable energy policy. Several Award winners were keen to see targets for local authorities to create buy-in and ownership of sustainable energy implementation, accompanied by consistent financial support to ensure effective delivery. Local authorities’ role in the supply chain and their procurement capacity were also seen as integral to embedding local sustainable energy. In addition, enhanced training and resources for planning officers on sustainable energy in local authorities was seen as important.
More broadly, most Award winners thought much greater policy coherence to promote sustainable energy was necessary, with a strong, long-term policy framework needed to avoid the problems encountered by the ‘stop-start’ nature of some policy interventions to date. Many were keen to see greater connection between different policies, providing a more cohesive message to stakeholders, with for example, more integration through education, skills and training programmes, and Regional Development Agency (RDA) business support programmes.
Almost 87 per cent of Award winners stated that they would like greater involvement or input into the development of Government policy on sustainable energy. Winners favoured a range of different options for the form this input should take, including interviews and workshops. However, concerns about the efficacy of the Government’s policy consultation processes and how much influence they genuinely have on outcomes would need to be addressed.
Chipping wood to be used in a woodfuel heating system, Rural Energy Trust
Solar PV installed by Dulas Ltd at Dyfi Eco Park, Machynlleth, Powys, Wales
Conclusions and recommendations
Looking across all the areas of local sustainable energy, two common themes can be identified. One issue that was emphasised again and again is the importance of government and indeed all political parties committing to a long-term strategy, offering predictable funding flows. The other common theme was the need to develop policies that are not just about the large energy companies, but also about local and often smaller actors, including local authorities, charities and smaller companies. Award winners referred to the importance of partnerships between local authorities and charities, who are often the main intermediaries with community organisations. Government could provide briefings and help on what different partners want, how they operate and what they can offer.
The kinds of organisations that the Ashden Awards celebrate are often highly innovative and creative, but they have to work around a lack of resources and support, largely because the key policy instruments have not been tailored to their needs, but rather to those of the large energy suppliers. This makes it difficult for them to plan and deliver sustainable energy to the communities they work with in a predictable way. Hence a place should be found within the policy framework for these kinds of organisations to play a more active role and access more funding. To help ensure that happens, further research or experimentation is needed into a number of possible changes to policy including:
Energy efficiency
Renewable electricity
Renewable heat
The Ashden Awards for Sustainable Energy should continue to act as a conduit between Award winners and policy-makers to help ensure that the types of policy changes outlined above are explored fully and the voice of organisations who really deliver sustainable energy locally is heard. In the coming months, there will be invaluable opportunities to influence policy as the Government develops its plans to meet the carbon budgets set by the Committee on Climate Change, the European 2020 renewable energy target, and the Heat and Energy Saving Strategy. These opportunities should be seized to transform the prospects of sustainable energy at the local level in the UK
Installing cavity wall insulation
Making Kensa’s heat pumps, Cornwall
A PDF of this executive summary, and of the full report, is available on the Ashden Awards website.
Wednesday, 13 May 2009
UK finalists for Ashden Awards 2009 selected
On 11 June 2009, local sustainable energy champions from around the UK will compete for the Ashden Awards 2009 at a ceremony in London. Finalists offering climate change
solutions will take part – from Birmingham, Coventry, Devon, Herefordshire, Milton Keynes, Scotland, Surrey, and Yorkshire. International schemes will also be recognised for their work. The contenders will present their work to their peers and other experts at the Ashden Awards Imperial College Conference on 10 June.
This year’s eight UK finalists in four categories demonstrate massive potential for growth and replication:
UK Business Award finalists
Architects put environment at heart of building design
A firm delivering low-energy architecture in close consultation with their buildings’ end users has beaten 2006 building regulations standards by at least a third on both energy and CO2.
Business booms for carbon-cutting heat pumps
A fast-growing company has installed nearly 800 heat pumps for heating and cooling buildings in just six years. By using renewable heat from the earth they are saving tens of thousands of tonnes of CO2 per year compared with gas boilers and conventional air conditioning.
UK Charity Award finalists
Galvanising communities to adopt low-carbon lifestyle
A local Energy Agency runs the gamut of inspirational and practical support to communities, reaching households, businesses and local groups through tailored programmes.
Low carbon show-homes demonstrate how to green older houses
A network of pioneering owners of hard-to-treat, low-carbon homes shows how to reduce carbon emissions by 60%, inspiring more than 36,000 visitors.
UK Local Authority Award finalists
Insulation scheme blanketing metropolitan borough
Ward by ward, a local authority is offering to provide and install free cavity-wall and loft insulation to every home that can use it. So far the scheme has created 140 jobs and installed insulation in more than 21,000 households.
Boosting local renewable energy businesses
A county council scheme stimulating rural regeneration has created 55 jobs and safeguarded 16 more by supporting both supply and demand for renewable energy. So far it has led to 109 renewable energy installations, with a capacity of over 2 MW in SMEs, community organisations, and homes.
UK Schools Award finalists
Antarctic expedition inspires carbon-saving headteacher
The head of a 270-pupil primary school has worked with the whole school community to change behaviour and achieve sustainable carbon savings, including an overall reduction in electricity use of 48%.
Scottish school embraces sustainable energy
A 900-pupil secondary school has taken big steps to reduce energy use over the past 10 years, from auditing and changing regular building maintenance and upgrades, to installing a wind turbine and solar thermal system. Pupils enjoy cross-curricular learning on sustainable energy and lead campaigns at school and in the community.
click here for the full press release in PDF format
