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Nottinghamshire EcoHome Open Days in September

Fri, 30 August 2013
Preparing for a warmer winter?
Householders who are interested in ways to reduce energy use and improve comfort in their homes are invited to a series of ‘Open Homes’ days this autumn.
Tina Holt, the founder of Transition West Bridgford’s Eco House Group, is arranging visits to a number of low energy homes in the Nottingham area. It’s a great opportunity to see these houses and to talk to the owners about their experiences – and it is free!
Each home will be featured on the wbecohouses.co.uk blog over the coming weeks, and opening times through the autumn will be included as dates are finalised. Booking is simple – just email wbecohouses@gmail.com to receive the details.
Some featured homes are new builds, designed to be low energy from the outset. Others are existing homes that have undergone a low energy refurbishment, for example:
On Saturday 28th September, Roger Bell will open up his home near Southwell. This is a new build which was designed to follow Passive House principles while at the same time using many elements of standard UK construction (e.g. cavity walls). The home owners moved in at the start of winter 2012-13 so are able to share their first impressions on how the house is performing thermally – and the build itself is of course still fresh in their minds!
On Sunday 29th September, Tina will open up her own house to visitors. This is a typical 1950’s solid wall house in West Bridgford which has undergone a whole house low energy refurbishment. How did the newly insulated house stand up to its first year, including a cold winter and the hot weather in July? What was the energy use before and after? Come along and find out.
Although these two homes differ greatly in many ways, both include renewable energy technologies, ventilation systems with heat recovery and high levels of air tightness and insulation.
Now that the UK government has a scheme to reduce the cost of insulating solid wall homes (that can also be used in conjunction with savings, a Green Deal loan or other finance options) it’s a very good time to find out more!

 

 

 

 

Fantastic Home Delivers Energy Advice Across Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire

Mon, 12 August 2013

The Fantastic Home, a mobile exhibition offering energy efficiency and domestic ren

ewable advice, has visited a number of very sunny events across Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire over the last fortnight.

Beginning at a Family Fun Day in Derby, the exhibition moved on to Gunthorpe Summer Fayre, West Bridgford’s Lark in the Park and finally a summer event in Chesterfield’s Queen’s Park.

Hundreds of children (and some children-at-heart!) got a chance to have a go on our energy bike and play a game of Low Carbon Snakes and Ladders. Adults received advice on solid wall insulation, boilers, double and secondary glazing, loft and cavity wall insulation, domestic renewables, the Green Deal, ECO and more.

Over the next six weeks the exhibition will be visiting more venues across the two counties:

  • 23rd August: Swadlincote town centre
  • 1st September: Rush for Health, Rushcliffe Country Park and The Gedling Show
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Children's Climate Change Games

Mon, 29 July 2013

Children bored this summer? Download the Home Energy Saver Wordsearch, Low Carbon Countdown (a eco-twist on that old favourite Snakes and Ladders) and Use It or Lose It! Three games designed to keep them occupied and help them learn about how to tackle energy use.

 

 

 

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One Third Would Invest in Community Renewables

Mon, 29 July 2013

One third of people would consider personally investing in small-scale community renewable projects such as wind farms, solar farms or small-scale biomass plant according to a new poll by the Institute of Mechanical Engineers.

Of more than 2000 people surveyed, 25% would considering investing in Energy Bonds where the money would be used to build large energy infrastructure projects such as offshore wind.

Other significant finds included that 93% of the public is concerned about higher electricity and gas bills, 64% are worried about possible blackouts and 51% think the government should support the construction of more renewable energy sources like solar, wave and tidal power.

Dr Tim Fox, Head of Energy and Environment at the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, said: ‘Government must stop playing politics with our energy system and the environment and make clear exactly how it is going to ensure that the country’s future needs are affordably met. It is only with this clarity that energy companies will have the confidence to invest in the infrastructure needed to keep the nation warm, lit, moving and working.’

The people polled were asked about what types of technology they would favour to secure future energy supplies. Renewable energy sources like solar, wave and tidal power were the most popular, with 51% of people saying the Government should provide more support for these projects. 43% said there should be more support for offshore wind farms, 31% for onshore wind farms; while as few as 8% supported more gas-fired power stations.

www.imeche.org/news/archives/2013/06/13/energy_poll_blackouts

Rural Community Energy Fund Launches

Mon, 29 July 2013
  • Rural Community Energy Fund Launches
  • Support Available for Community Groups

The Rural Community Energy Fund (RCEF) has been launched to support rural communities in England to develop renewable energy projects which provide economic and social benefits to the community.

The fund will provide up to approximately £150,000 of funding for feasibility and pre-planning development work to help projects become investment ready: approximately £20,000 to pay for an initial investigation into the feasibility of a renewable energy project followe by an unsecured local of up to approximately £130,000 to support planning applications and develop a robust business case to attract further investment. Community groups will need to pay back a set amount on top of the loan borrowed which will be rolled back into the fund to help support even more community energy projects across rural England.

Funding can be used to support rural projects across the renewable and low carbon energy spectrum including wind, solar, biomass, heat pumps, anaerobic digestion, gas Combined Heat and Power and hydro.

Two organisations are offering help to community groups looking to apply to the fund:

 

Centre for Sustainable Energy: www.cse.org.uk/news/view/1740

Nottingham Energy Partnership: www.nottenergy.com