Ecofirst Archive News
To celebrate the Summer Solstice, the longest day of the year, npower has just launched an integrated one-stop-shop solution to householders, offering information, supply, installation and electricity generation management, called npower solar. Ecofirst is delighted to announce that it has been chosen as npower's Appointed Installation Contractor and will be handling the practical issues of site assessments and installation.
npower’s top 5 reasons for developing this solar initiative are:
Lower your household electricity bills: often by around 60%1
Solar PV panels work even when it is cloudy: even on cloudy days, solar roof panels capture the sun’s rays and convert them into electricity
Improve the value of your property: by installing solar PV you could improve the value of your property through better energy performance recognised by the new 'Home Information Pack'
Help reduce your carbon footprint by generating your own ‘green’ solar electricity with pollution free, renewable energy
Sell your excess electricity: npower runs a buy-back scheme whereby they will purchase any excess electricity that you export back onto the grid, at the same price as the follow-on unit tariff rate.
npower is offering householders a complete solar PV solution including information, installation, import/export and service (terms and conditions apply). For more information, call 0800 316 14912 or visit www.npower.com/solar.
1Figure includes Renewable Obligation Certificate payment. Source: npower Environment & Renewables Team, June 2007
2Telephone calls may be monitored and recorded for training and security purposes. Lines are open Monday to Friday 8am-8pm and Saturday 9am-5pm.
New Government Grants Available
We now have more clarity on the grants which will be available once the new government grants from the Low Carbon Building Programme for HouseHolders start again on 29th May 2007. In summary, the following are the changes to the new grants available compared to the previous ones.
Abolition of monthly cap
£2,500 maximum limit on grants per household
Advance planning permission required
Shorter grant offer periods
Tighter policy on extensions
Re-designed application form
For more information please see http://www.lowcarbonbuildings.org.uk/how/householders/
Energy White Paper
There were differing but distinctly lukewarm responses to the Government’s Energy White Paper from the renewables sector. The British Wind Energy Association welcomed the renewables obligation banding but said that they were “deeply disappointed” that the Government had not set a 20% renewable electricity target and said that it had “ducked the issue” of how to meet new EU 2020 renewables target. Whilst welcoming some of the improvements to existing renewable electricity policy Regen SW was “disappointed that it did not fill the big gaps in financial support to offshore renewables or renewable heat. The Renewable Energy Association described the White Paper as “isolated initiatives in search of a policy” and also highlighted the additional work needed to meet the European targets for renewable energy. To read the Energy White Paper go to: http://www.gnn.gov.uk/enviroment/
Budget 2007
The Chancellor announced a number of green measures in his budget on 21 March. Amongst these was an increase of £6m in the funds available through the Low Carbon Buildings Programme, which may alleviate some of the problems being encountered with obtaining grants. He also stated that the Government intends that following the introduction of Energy Performance Certificates this year a market should develop in energy efficient homes. He gave more details about his intention that all new homes in England and Wales will be zero carbon within a decade. There will be an exemption of Stamp Duty for zero carbon homes costing less than £500,000 starting in Oct but this will be limited to 30 September, 2012. For more details see: http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/ for the press release, alternatively the full report in pdf format.
DEFRA Environmental Action Fund Project
Read the latest research carried out by the Sponge Sustainability Network for this project has found about public attitudes to sustainability and renewable energy. These findings point to the majority of respondents supporting wanting to see sustainable features installed on new houses, perceptions that houses with modern technologies are worth paying more for (£5-10,000) and that they would be prepared to pay more for such houses” Read more at The Desirability of Sustainable Homes.
The Future of Water in the South?
The Environment Agency published a consultation paper on 30 Jan floating the idea of making water meters compulsory to millions of households across southern England in three years time. Typically, water metering reduces consumption by 10% and is needed to head off increasing demands on water reserves from development in the south, coupled with forecast reductions in rainfall. This looks a good time to start considering rainwater harvesting, particularly in new build houses. The Environment Agency’s press release can be found at http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/news/1690982
Recently, Ecofirst was highly commended at the ReGen South West England Green Energy 2006 annual awards ceremony in Weston-super-Mare in the category of “Best Business Innovation” with “Highly Commended”.
The EU takes the lead
On 11 Jan, the EU Commission published a wide ranging initiative to put the EU in the lead of efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. It set out its target of limiting emissions to cap temperature rise to 2 deg C above pre-industrialisation levels. While admitting the difficulties involved. The EU would like to see the developed nations agree to a target reduction of 30% of 1990 levels of emissions, but in any event wants to commit EU Member States to 20% by 2020. Will the Member States follow where the EU leads?? Find out more @ http://europa.eu/
Big Business catches the Green Bug
Stuart Rose, Chief Executive of Marks and Spencer announced on 15 January, that M&S are investing £200m in efforts to reduce its contribution to climate change and waste. It has set itself the target of becoming carbon neutral by 2012. For more, see: http://www2.marksandspencer.com/
Energy Security
Once again, European countries were treated to a possible view of the future when Russia they turned off gas supplies through the “Friendship” pipeline through Belarus on 8 January in a dispute between the two countries. This forced Germany and Poland, as the two largest consumers of Russian gas were forced to rely on emergency reserves. Not for nothing is the EU concerned with the issue of energy security for European Member States.
Drought
The Times reported on 9 January research that the unusually dry winters of 2004/5 may not be so unusual but a return to a prolonged pattern experienced from 1890 – 1909. It is the last 50 years which might have been unusually kind. Despite the heavier than average rainfall of the last 4 months, 13 million people are still on hosepipe bans. And did you know that last year boasted many of the hottest temperatures in UK since records began in the 17th Century? Time to take you own initiative with rainwater harvesting to become self sufficient?
Stern Report
Sir Nicholas Stern, the government’s chief economic adviser, unveiled his report on climate change on 30 October. This concluded that climate change is a major threat which needs to be addressed now, made an assessment of its economic impact, and outlined how we could act to tackle the risks and make the most of the opportunities. Since then, he has been travelling the world, particularly China and India to promote his findings and gather support.
You can find a summary of his report at http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/
Shortly afterwards, The Times released a survey comparing peoples’ green ideals and values with what they actually do which made for interesting reading: for instance, 70% said that they used low energy lighting whereas only 26% of the lights sold last year were of this type. So, we have a long way to go!
Going Green Becomes Political
Both the Labour and Conservative parties have been vying with each other to demonstrate their green credentials. The Environment Secretary, David Miliband, introduced the idea of giving everyone personal carbon credits. This is not the first mention of this and, though far from certain, if the idea took off it would mean a real incentive for those who embrace a low carbon lifestyle.
The Shadow Chancellor, Osborne, in a wide ranging speech to the CBI set out some of the Conservatives’ green ideas. Among other things he talked about a new carbon levy targeting new green taxes to make companies “pay as you burn, not pay as you earn”, and he made the point that “…last winter we paid the price for lack of gas liberalisation in Europe”. Read more at: http://www.conservatives.com/
The Chancellor made his Pre-Budget Statement on 6 December. Two things (among many) caught my eye. He stated that within the next few months he will announce measures to make all new-build houses carbon neutral within 10 years. And Householders who use microgeneration technology to produce their own power will not be subject to tax on any power they produce in excess of their own requirements which is sold back to the power companies. Legislation will be introduced in the Finance Bill 2007 to ensure that this is the case. The accountants Deloitte see this as an encouragement to householders to generate their own energy. Read more at: http://www.ukbudget.co.uk/ or http://news.google.com/
What seems certain is that the issue of carbon emissions is gathering momentum and is now a mainstream concern which will not go away.
Winds of Change at Co-Op
Scottish Power has signed a deal to supply green energy to thousands of the Co-operative Group's sites. The three-year contract, worth more than £100 million, will supply the Co-op with 100% renewable-produced energy. The company claims it will provide power to 4,500 Co-op outlets throughout the UK. The deal comes after the two companies joined together to build a wind farm in Cambridgeshire, which opened earlier this year. Scottish Power, the UK's biggest generator and developer of wind energy, claims the deal is one of the biggest of its kind.
(Reported on the BBC website during the week commencing 1st October 2006)
Virgin to Help Save the Earth
Virgin boss Sir Richard Branson has committed £1.6bn over ten years to help fight global warming. He will hand over all the profits from the Virgin Group's transport business to support the cause saying, "We are very pleased today to be making a commitment to invest 100% of all future proceeds to the Virgin Group from our transportation interest into tackling global warming. Our generation has inherited an incredibly beautiful world from our parents and they from their parents. We must not be the generation responsible for irreversibly damaging the environment." He said the profits from Virgin's train and airline business would be invested in efforts to find renewable, sustainable energy sources. The aim would be to help wean the world off oil and coal.
(Widely reported during the week commencing 18th September 2006)
He'll Be Back!
The state of California is embarking on a groundbreaking effort to curb global warming, following an agreement by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and the state legislature to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 25% by 2020. The deal sets California far apart from the Bush administration, which has even questioned the very existence of global warming. Like others, Mr Schwarzenegger argues that fighting global warming makes good business as well as environmental sense. The deal is a political coup for Mr Schwarzenegger as he faces a race for re-election in November.
(Paraphrased from an article in The Independent by Andrew Gumbel on 1st September 2006)
Government Plans Household Energy Carbon Cap
The government plans to impose a limit on the amount of carbon emitted by every household in the country, starting in five years time. This will extend existing legislation through which energy suppliers commit to meeting efficiency targets; and is intended to offset incentives for suppliers to increase energy sales year on year. Critics of the plans argue that costs incurred will be transferred on to consumers, with energy companies claiming they would have to adopt a punitive charging policy for heavy users of gas and electricity who refuse to adopt energy saving measures.
(Taken from an article in the Daily Telegraph by Charles Clover on 17th July 2006)
Small Changes Can Make a Big Difference
"We must all - governments, businesses and individuals - play our part by changing behaviour. If enough of us do, even small changes can make a big difference. If every UK household installed just three energy efficient light bulbs, the electricity saved would supply all our street lighting."
(Rt Hon. Tony Blair MP, from the foreword to the government's Energy Review, released 11th July 2006)
