Lower footprint energy production
From Seedawiki
Contents |
Introduction
Based on direct emissions, 24% of the Diamonds’ energy is delivered in the form of electricity. According to Government energy statistics 76% of the UK’s electricity is generated from fossil fuels.
The footprint of fossil electricity went down dramatically during the 1990s as generators built new power stations, using gas, an intrinsically lower carbon fuel than coal, and converting around 60% of the energy content as opposed to about 30% in old coal fired power stations.
However, burning gas still releases carbon. Moreover, the decline in North Sea gas production and the rising costs and insecurity of gas imports have recently caused a switch back to coal, and with it an unwelcome increase in the footprint of energy. The industry claims that carbon capture and storage (CCS) can allow coal to become a clean low carbon energy source. However there is as yet no working scale pilot of the technology, so this cannot yet be regarded as more than a hope.
16.5% of UK electricity is from nuclear power stations. These are approaching the end of their lives, so their contribution will decline unless new nuclear power stations are built. Despite strong Government support it is not clear that these will be commercially viable.
Under 5% of the UK’s electricity is currently generated from low or zero-carbon renewable sources such as wind, hydro, solar, tidal, geothermal and biomass (which includes timber and crops purposely grown for energy and wastes from forestry, farming, parks, gardens and food – anything organic that can be burned or digested for a fuel.)
Recognising the huge potential benefits for climate change, energy security, economic development and resilience, the Government has set a target to raise renewables from under 1.5% of the UK’s total energy mix in 2006 to 15% in 2020. and has issued a detailed consultation paper on a wide range of incentives and policy instruments to support and enable rapid development of renewables. This has modelled various scenarios.
The executive summary reports ‘This analysis suggests that – if 10% renewable transport is feasible and sustainable – then one possible scenario to deliver 15% renewable energy in the UK in 2020 might be: 10% renewable energy in transport (compared with less than 1% today), 14% in heat (less than 1% today) and 32% in electricity (less than 5% today). If sustainability concerns meant that the transport sector could not contribute 10%, and the same overall renewables target were retained, then the contribution from the other sectors would have to be higher.’
The details are still uncertain, but it is clear that government is seeking, and intending to support, a massive increase in renewables, for heat and transport use as well as electricity. The consultation takes a particular interest in local, decentralised and ‘embedded’ energy generation, because of the potential benefits for local community engagement and economic development, resilience and increased efficiency. This is explored in the Energy Savings Trust report Power in Numbers.
Government policy also now encourages combined heat and power and district heating, which helps reduce footprint by getting more benefit from energy whether it is renewable or fossil. The carbon Trust presents energy-related information, publications and useful links about CHP.
Diamonds and other places in the South East are already demonstrating a range of successful ways to develop renewables, local decentralised energy and combined heat and power.
Case studies
Slough heat and power
Slough heat and power provides the Slough Trading Estate and others with both heat and power from forestry wastes, waste wood, energy crops and non-recyclable paper and board.
Southampton district heating
Southampton district heating is a joint venture between the city council and a specialist company. Initially formed to pipe hot water from underground rocks to heat the civic centre it has grown to provide a large number of commercial and public buildings with low-carbon power, heat and cooling at competitive prices from geothermal, combined heat and power and in future biomass sources, via a hot water grid under the city centre.
Green Park wind turbine
Green Park wind turbine, next to the M4 on a business park outside Reading, is an example of ‘merchant wind power’ where a developer contracts an energy company to build and operate an installation to provide renewable power at preferential rates to the development – either voluntarily or as a way to satisfy a requirement for carbon reduction.
Guildford Hydro project
The Guildford hydro project is a partnership between Guildford council and local organisations which converted a disused water mill into … a working water mill, using a second-hand turbine (found in a field in Ireland) to produce enough energy to power 50 homes.
Westmill wind farm
Some communities are financing and developing local community renewable projects themselves. One of the very few examples within the South East is Westmill wind farm.
Reading ethanol buses
Reading has converted one route to buses fuelled by ethanol from sugar beet waste.
Goring & Streatley hydro scheme
Goring and Streatley Sustainability Group are planning to install Archimedes Screw generators at Goring Weir.
Key Priorities
| Support and encourage renewable and low carbon energy generation by: |
| * Local authority partnerships with commercial organisations (e.g. to develop heat mains and combined heat and power) |
| * Developers, voluntarily or through planning obligations or agreements |
| * Specialist energy companies in partnership with developers |
| * Local communities and cooperatives |
