Energy, Building and Design for Life

The group is concerned with the positive things that can be done to make our homes, our communities and Lancaster as a whole more Energy resilient in an age of peak oil and climate change.

Our homes account for about 25% of our CO2 emissions. Most of the Energy we use is derived from fossil fuels and we are subject to the current and future volatile changes in price and supply.

There are so many good ideas to share, discuss and act upon. If you are interested in joining in or even just coming along for the tea, biscuits, alcohol, etc...you will be warmly welcomed.

 

The group contact is Paul on paulmartyn@onetel.com

 

Here's some news from Stephen Allen - 'Finding out how you're using energy in your home is a great starting point to lowering your use and saving money. To help you figure out where you can cut your energy consumption Lancaster Library, located on Market Square in the city centre, has several of the latest energy meters which you can borrow for free. Just ask the Librarians at the information desk and they'll help you out. Each meter comes with a full set of instructions about how these neat little devices simply attach and quickly tell you where all your Watts are going. '

Ofgem Project Discovery Report on UK Energy Supplies available

Ofgem has today(Feb 2010) published its report on Britain's energy situation:

The Project Discovery Report paints a very challenging picture of the energy future we all have to face. Steeply rising consumer energy prices as every country competes to secure its own supplies; decommissioning of existing old powerstations and diminishing national and world reserves of oil and gas pose huge problems that will mean massive changes for us all if we are going to be able to keep the power on and reduce carbon emmissions.

Rightly, there is an amazing amount of debate whenever a planning proposal for a new wind farm or nuclear plant is raised. It is however, worth reminding ourselves that we have to address the issues arising from a situation of seemingly unending growth in demand for energy in a climate of increasing competition for diminishing resources at the same time as trying to reduce CO2 emmisions in response to the challenges of climate change.

The early meetings of this group highlighted three essential steps: Reduce how much we need; Reduce how much we use; Generate as much as possible from renewable sources. These three things are not a panacea but as individual households, communities and as a country it is essential as a way to help build resilience in the face of ever more steeply rising energy prices and the threat to security of supply. The irony is that the longer we put off getting these kind of measures in place, the more expensive they become - a point not lost in the Ofgem report.

If you'd like a detailed analysis of energy issues and how different sources contribute to what we use nationally see David Mackay's book "Sustainable Energy without the Hot Air" (free to download in pdf) or his lecture on the same subject available as a pod cast from Warwick University Nov 09.

Do you have a renewable energy system installed?

If you'd like to help share information and be willing to talk to people about your experiences with:

Ground source heat pumps

Solar Thermal water heating

Micro Hydro

Air Source Heat pumps

Solar PV

or any other renewable system you may have, please get in touch so that we can add you to a resource contact list: Please email Steve

Advice and information is also available from the Energy Savings Trust on a range of renewables and the feed-in tariffs that apply.

Boiler Scrappage Scheme

One of the group members is looking into information on different boiler types.

Information on the governments boiler scrappage scheme is linked here.

A flavour of some of the things discussed in meetings :

  • discussion of visits to local examples of energy saving/renewable energy projects
  • a presentation to the group by the EST "Green Communities" initiative
  • Issues related to and local resources and suppliers
      • Solar Thermal Water heating
      • Using biomass and wood burning stoves for space and water heating
      • integrating systems to increase resilience

  • Collecting together Web resources

  • Sharing skills and local supply and installer information

 

New Community Scale Renewable Energy Projects Group

A new group to develop community scale renewable energy projects has now been established with a new web page. You wi'll find information on Wind Energy, Biogas Digesters, the green bond idea and other projects... as they develop. It is hoped that this will free up time in the Buildings, Energy and Design for life group meetings .

Details of the next meetings can be found on the Whats On Page

TCL Large Scale Renewable Energy Projects

TCL Wind Energy Page

TCL Biogas Page

Group Meeting Notest:

Meeting Notes from October(09/09/09)

 

Click here for Energy Info and Resources


The group contact is Steve Jenkins, email steve@guiver.plus.com