New Build & Energy
PHOTOVOLTAICS
As part of our support to Friends of the Earth Sierra Leone, we have been corresponding with enthusiasts/experts on the FOE climate list.
New standards for building regulations are an imperative - campaign details to follow
New green buildings. Innovations could include:
- configuring buildings to be heated, cooled, ventilated and lighted more efficientl
- specifying green and recycled construction materials
- buying renewable energy while harnessing solar, wind, geothermal and biomass energy
- exploiting available and emerging energy technologies.
A report from the International Panel on Climate Change (April 2007) warns that new buildings will need to be built to cope with higher temperatures and that climate change will produce more subsidence.
Combined heat and power (CHP). This is an obvious inclusion into the Local Development Framework that is currently being written. Following good practice from Woking we can predict CHP to go into a Kingston central car park in the near future.
All new large scale commercial enterprises should include:
- Combined Heat and Power; and
- Passive measures to avoid air conditioning.
as a basic requirement under land use planning requirements in Kingston.
Kingston FOE has submitted policy proposals on energy for core strategies as part of the Local Development Framework consultation in 2007.
FOE Statements on Wind Power Efficiencey, Decentralisation and International Infrastructure (August 2007)
Nick Rau, Renewables Campaigner for Friends of the Earth said: “The suggestion that wind farms are being subsidised to stand idle is completely incorrect as wind farms only make money for the energy they generate. Energy from wind is still a shamefully under-utilised resource: In Germany more than 5% of electricity comes from wind power, compared with less than 1% in the UK, where we have stronger and more consistent winds. UK wind turbines produce almost twice as much power as those on the continent. We must cut our CO2 emissions. Wind power can and will replace significant amounts of fossil fuel generation.”
FOE: Wind turbines only make money if they generate electricity, so suggesting they are being subsidised to stand idle is nonsense. (Green energy is promoted through Renewable Obligation Certificates – these are awarded for each unit of electricity generated)
FOE: The European Countries that are demonstrating particular success in increasing electricity from renewables are Germany, Denmark, and Spain – all of who have rapidly growing wind sectors. Germany has 20 000 turbines compared to only 2000 in the UK FOE favours the support system known as 'feed-in tariffs' which is more economical and has been so successful in promoting wind in Germany.
FOE: Many of our power stations are 40 years old. Replacing ageing infrastructure will inevitably increase costs, as will rising oil and gas prices. This criticism also fails to recognise the environmental cost of pollution from fossil fuels. The Stern Review clearly recommended early investment in sustainable technology to tackle climate change, and warned that waiting would be much more expensive.
FOE: Variability of wind is not a problem – this can be predicted, and we need to have plenty of backup in case a major energy plant goes offline.
National Grid have stated that they could cope with 20% of electricity coming from renewable sources.
The majority of our target of 20% renewable electricity by 2020 will come from wind, onshore and offshore.
FOE: Our electricity infrastructure is aging and old coal and gas plants are being shut down. It needs replacing, giving us the perfect opportunity to switch to cleaner renewable energy sources. Decentralised energy strengthens the grid and lessens the risk of power failure. We should also be building a European Grid to allow mega wind projects in the North Sea and solar electricity from North Africa.
