Wendy the wind turbine
With a house and 3 acres of land at Fancy Cross, a mile West of Modbury, Jeff and Diana Booth decided they wanted to be more self-sufficient in energy, and that the time was right as prices would only continue to rise.
After overcoming some objections from a few Modbury residents, and because of their position next to AONB land, they gained planning permission and installed a 5KW Iskra AT5-1 english-built turbine, using Segen as agents.
The unit has been a great success, and produces 8,000 units per year – more than half of their total energy requirements. Any excess they sell via Npower Juice for which they are paid approximately 12p per unit. They also sell their Renewable Energy Option (ROC) Certificates – worth an additional £300+ per year.
Total installation costs were around £19K, towards which Jeff and Diana received a grant of £5K. Unfortunately, the maximum grant is currently £2.5K – but keep your eyes open for other deals.
To speak to Jeff, or to ask for a copy of his video on Wendy, call 01548 830274 or email him on wendy@highfield.tv
Renewable Energy
There has been a growing recognition that our long-term energy needs have to be met from renewable energy sources. Supplies of oil, gas and coal are fast diminishing, and nuclear power brings substantial risks and problems and is itself reliant on a finite resource.
There is also worldwide acceptance now of the dangers of ‘global warming’ (due to the greenhouse effect of increasing levels of CO2 and other gases in our atmosphere). It is recognised that we must act now to halt this increase if we are not to leave our children’s children with a legacy they cannot reverse.
Violent storms, rising temperatures, melting ice caps and raised sea levels will all have a profound effect on our natural environment, our wildlife, our lifestyle and our ability to exist on this earth.
The Government has set targets for the UK to generate 10% of its electricity from renewable sources by 2010, and 20% by 2020. These targets can only be achieved if we are all prepared to contribute to a more sustainable future by making use of renewable energy sources at a local level. Individual houses, farms, industrial units and community groups in the South Hams are all capable of tapping into natural energy sources – such as solar thermal, photovoltaic solar electric, wind power, wood, & other biofuels, ground source heat or hydroelectric power.
There is plenty of information around regarding these processes and suppliers of equipment. What have not been so readily available are good examples of local installations, and access to people who will show you what works and what doesn’t. Grassroots aims to remedy this situation by providing details of local examples of renewable energy in action
– and which ones you can visit to find out more.
For instance, if you want to find out about the practicalities and benefits of installing a wind turbine on your land, you should contact Jeff and Diana Booth about their turbine called ‘Wendy’ – see feature alongside.
Grassroots aims to regularly update this section with different examples of local renewable energy installations.
Watch this space.
To find out more about Renewable Energy options, there are any number of sources of information. The best of these both locally and nationally are listed below.
Visit www.energysavingtrust.org.uk for the Energy Saving Trust. This is a non-profit organisation that provides free impartial advice, which can help you save money and fight climate change by reducing carbon dioxide emissions from your home. To access information on the different forms of renewable energy, click on the tab 'Generate your own energy', then select from the list that includes types of renewable, available grants and information on planning permission.
SCHRI
This stands for the Scottish Community & Householder Renewables Initiative, whose website is www.saveyour20percent.org/schri Why a Scottish website when we are in the South Hams I hear you say? Well, their Factsheets on Renewable Energy are the clearest I’ve come across. Just be aware that any reference to grant aid will only apply to Scotland.
A little closer to home is West Country Energy Action, based in Plymouth. www.wcea.org.uk. They manage the Devon Energy Efficiency Advice Centre, one of 52 local advice centres funded by the Energy Saving Trust.
Call them on 0800 512 012 to:
- speak to an Energy Adviser
- for top tips on energy saving
- find out if you are eligible for a grant or discount towards home insulation
- complete a home energy check and get a free report
You can also access all the Energy Saving Trust’s webpages on renewable Energy via the WCEA website.
DARE is a partner in Renewable Energy for Devon (RE4D) – a support and advice programme for the Objective 2 districts of Devon (including the South Hams).
The organisation also sits on the steering group of the Devon Sustainable Energy Network – a strategy group which brings together key stakeholders in initiating and coordinating RE activities in Devon.
DARE also has its own detailed website on different forms of Renewable Energy (www.devondare.org )
The Carbon Trust was set up by the Government in 2001 as an independent company. Its mission is to accelerate the move to a low carbon economy by working with organisations to reduce carbon emissions and develop commercial low carbon technologies.
It is also the source of information about any government backed grants or loans in support of installing renewable energy technologies in your home or business. www.carbontrust.co.uk