Work has started on an environmentally-friendly energy centre at NHS Grampian’s new health campus at Foresterhill in Aberdeen. The centre is expected to reduce the hospital’s carbon dioxide emissions by almost a fifth and cut costs by about £2million a year. It will include a new natural gas turbine CHP (combined heat and power) unit, a biomass steam boiler using woodchips and two dual fuel boilers using gas and light oil.
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Campaigners have renewed calls for Glyndebourne Opera House to abandon plans to build a wind turbine in its grounds in the Sussex Downs. A 70m (230ft) turbine to power the music venue near Lewes, East Sussex, was approved by the government in July. Click here for full story

Heineken UK is to reduce its carbon footprint by 30,000 tonnes a year — the equivalent of taking 21,650 cars off the road — after investing £35m in two new biomass plants at its Manchester and Tadcaster breweries. The biomass plants burn locally sourced wood chip to generate steam and electricity and will have the capability to burn spent grain at a later date. Click here for full story

Farmers, foresters and local authorities can from today apply for £1.5 million grants to help develop the supply of biomass, such as wood chips or energy crops like miscanthus, in England through round three of the Bio-energy Infrastructure Scheme. Energy and Climate Change Minister, Lord Hunt said: “As we approach Copenhagen we need to encourage business to invest in renewable energy. We have a target to get 15% of all energy from renewable sources by 2020, and biomass can make a significant contribution. We funded 75 projects in round two of this scheme and we will continue to work to ensure that the supply chain is in place to create a thriving bio-energy market in England, which is good for the environment and good for business.” Click here for full story

A £22.5m facility which would turn manure and household waste into energy has been given the go-ahead in South Lanarkshire. The biogas plant will form part of Scotland's first green commercial and industrial park, just off the M74. Click here for full story

The renewable energy company will be online this week to answer your questions on wind power and 'green gas'. Click here for full story

Britain lacks the skilled engineers and workers to develop green technology like wind turbines the new president of Bosch UK said this week. Peter Fouquet urged the government to act in support of green technology through legislation or incentives for builders to use small scale renewables. He drew attention to European examples where building regulations specify a percentage of energy in new houses must come from solar power, heat pumps or other renewable energy sources. Click here for full story

Ed Miliband's hopes of having a key government policy on renewable energy in place before the Copenhagen summit have been dashed by internal wrangling over the final levels at which so-called "feed-in tariffs" (FITs) will be set. Officials at Miliband's department of energy and climate change (DECC) have admitted that the announcement – originally due around now – will not come until January. Click here for full story

British company, Ecotricity is now producing biogas, nicknamed "green gas," created from renewable sources, making them the world's first green electricity company. The biogas process breaks down food waste and other material that is normally dumped into landfill or is incinerated. Each year, Britain wastes around 18 million tonnes of food, which could produce enough biogas to supply over 700,000 homes. Click here for full story

The first energy tariff in the UK to pay back customers with microgeneration systems has been launched. Good Energy will pay households on its HotROCs scheme 4.5 pence per kilowatt-hour for any excess power they produce though their microgeneration systems and consumer watchdog Which? has recommended the product. The firm currently only offers the deal to owners of solar water heating technology, but it expects to add heat pumps, biomass and micro-CHP to its utility bill tariffs in the near future. Click here for full story

A number of Scottish homeowners may be set to benefit from the introduction of air source heat pump green building products into their properties. New grants for the devices will be offered to some of the country's rural residents, with the Energy Assistance Package launched by Scottish ministers set to provide the funding. Alex Neil, housing and communities minister at the Scottish government, commented that the financial support should help with the costs of energy bills. Click here for full story

They keep our homes warm in style, and are a renewable energy source to boot. What's not to like about wood-burning stoves, asks Dominic Murphy in The Guardian. Click here for full story

Following Royal Assent for the Green Energy Bill, which requires the Government to publish a new Microgeneration Strategy within 12 months of it becoming law, the Microgeneration Manifesto today sets out a blueprint of measures for inclusion. The Manifesto was launched at the Micropower Council 5th Birthday reception in the House of Commons following the Queens speech and was addressed by the Energy Minister, Lord Hunt. Click here for full story

An Energy Centre planned for the 2012 Olympic Park in London is expected to make use of renewable energy resources once it is complete. It is hoped that the building will help to heat the site by adopting biomass boilers and biofuels. Meanwhile, the construction of the centre is also said to have a sustainable focus, with recycled materials set to be used in the building process. Click here for full story

The majority of new buildings constructed in the European Union and those undergoing significant renovation must prove their high energy efficiency as of December 31, 2020, the EU agreed Tuesday (17 November). Buildings currently generate 36 percent of CO2 emissions in the EU and account for 40 percent of energy consumption in the union. Click here for full story

Housing and Planning Minister John Healey has today launched measures to cut carbon emissions by overhauling the planning system. In proposals published today (17 November) for consultation, homeowners, developers and businesses will be able to install their own on-site wind turbines, and air source heat pumps without the expense and red tape of planning permission. The new rules would also allow councils and electric car drivers to install electric car charger points on streets and in car parks without needing to make a planning application. Click here for full story

Schools, stadiums and railway stations could see quick installation of renewable technologies under government proposals … Wind turbines up to 15 metres high could be put up in industrial estates or farmland without planning permission under plans published by the government today. Changes to the planning system would also make it easier for new solar roofs to go up on stadiums, schools and railway stations or for offices to be re-clad in solar panels, the Department for Communities and Local Government said. Click here for full story

This consultation seeks views on Government proposals to introduce permitted development rights for small scale renewable and low carbon technologies in domestic and non-domestic settings. It also seeks views on introducing permitted development rights and deemed advertisement consent in relation to electric vehicle charging infrastructure. Closing date 9 February 2010. Click here for full story

Expanding its on-site wind power portfolio sprinkled throughout the UK and Germany, Ford of Europe has added two wind turbines, each with a height of 150 meters, to supply a significant amount of electricity for its Genk plant in Belgium. Five years ago, Ford’s Dagenham Diesel Centre in the UK became the first automotive plant to meet all its electricity needs from on-site turbines. The automaker says a third turbine will come online next year, following the installation of a new 1.4/1.6-litre Duratorq TDCi engine production line, which will allow the plant to be 100 percent powered by wind. Click here for full story

Developers proposing community scale renewable energy projects can expect to enjoy significant public support, according to new research to be released later today by the UK's Green Building Council (GBC). The survey of over 1,000 adults was undertaken by research firm Icaro Consulting on behalf of the GBC and the government-backed Zero Carbon Hub body, which is responsible for delivering on the UK's zero carbon building strategy. Click here for full story

If every built infrastructure facing south has solar panels installed, the UK would have all the electric power it needs, an energy expert has claimed. Speaking ahead of the conference Solar Flair 2009, the New and Renewable Energy Centre’s (NaREC) chief technology officer, Tim Bruton, reported the business opportunities that solar power could bring to the country. He highlighted that the solar industry, forecasted to grow up to £28 billion in the following five years, is becoming more sustainable and accessible, and ultimately cheaper to use. Click here for full story

Flaws in the UK’s supply chain could threaten the UK's ambitions to scale up the use of biomass for power generation, according to a report from independent research group, Verdantix. The UK currently has a target to generate 15 per cent of its renewable energy using biomass by 2020. Plans by companies such as Drax Group and MGT Power to bring in seven large-scale biomass power generation facilities are expected to aid this goal, as are government incentives for public sector organisations to invest in small-scale biomass boilers. Click here for full story

Dignitaries visited Blenheim Palace to congratulate the Duke of Marlborough on gaining a prestigious green award. The Woodstock palace became the 2,000th member of the Green Tourism Business Scheme (GTBS) in a special ceremony carried out by Witney MP David Cameron. Click here for full story

Britain is set to plunder the lungs of the world to feed its growing hunger for wood to burn in power stations. A series of biomass-fired plants are being built in the UK that will trigger a 150 per cent surge in timber imports from 20 million tonnes today to 50 million tonnes by 2015, according to the Forestry Commission. British power plants are already shipping wood from Canada, Brazil, Scandinavia and South Korea. Click here for full story

Two biomass plants are due to be built in Caithness within the next 12 to 18 months at a cost of £35 million, it was confirmed. The combined heat and power plants will be constructed at Georgemas and Forss as part of a £300m investment package which has been launched by London-based private equity firm Invicta Capital. Click here for full story

Mayor says 10,000 homes could benefit from £9.5m cash for energy saving measures such as loft and cavity wall insulation. Residents in parts of nine London boroughs will be able to get a free whole-home “carbon makeover” under plans announced by Boris Johnson. As well as fitting energy efficient light bulbs and standby switches, the LDA will subsidise the installation of loft and cavity wall insulation for those who can pay and provide it free for those on benefits. 10,000 domestic properties could benefit from the £9.5m cash injection from the mayor and London Development Agency (LDA) which will go towards a trial. Click here for full story

Invicta Capital has launched a fund aiming to raise 300 million pounds ($498 million) to invest in nine biomass plants in Scotland that will produce up to 90 megawatts of energy, it said on Monday. While Invicta has raised 1.3 billion pounds on previous projects since it was founded in 2001, the new scheme will be the first to target institutional money in addition to high net worth individuals.

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A plan that sees biomass as integral to helping Scotland meet its target of 11% of heat coming from renewable sources by 2020 was published by the Scottish Government yesterday (November 5). The Scottish Government hopes that the Renewable Heat Action Plan will drive growth in renewable heating by using district heating schemes in urban areas and biomass or heat pumps in more remote rural locations. Click here for full story

Britain is on the brink of an energy revolution. It will transform not only how we heat and light our homes, but also how we live, and even how we think. If you prepare for the energy revolution now, you could make money while saving your conscience and the planet. Last year, the UK government became the first in the world to commit to an 80% reduction in carbon emissions by 2050. This, say scientists, will give us at least a fighting chance of avoiding disastrous climate change. Click here for full story

A Bill seeking to define ‘green' energy and promote the development of micro-generation edged closer to becoming legislation when it cleared its third reading in the House of Lords yesterday (November 5). However, while industry body the Micropower Council welcomed the Bill, it criticised the Government for failing to take "action it promised it would take four years ago," and blamed the delay in simplifying the planning process for the loss of "several hundred jobs" at Scottish micro wind company Windsave. Click here for full story

German poultry producers have for some years enjoyed government subsidies helping them invest in solar panels and wind turbines. This has resulted in the German landscape becoming increasingly dotted with mirrored roofs, as the poultry sector becomes a significant generator of green energy. Back in the UK, the lack of a similar scheme has been a major obstacle for producers wishing to use their roof space. But as Damian Baker of RenEnergy, Norwich, points out, this is set to change next April with the launch of the new Feed In Tariffs (FITS). Click here for full story

Your newspapers and magazines are recycled, your light bulbs are low energy and your weekly bottle collection is embarrassingly better than your neighbour’s. But there is still one environmental chore that makes even the most die-hard eco warrior wince. Kitchen waste recycling — to compost or not to compost — is messy, smelly and all too attractive to vermin. Yet recycling food waste could provide an alternative source of low-carbon energy. Shanks, formerly a landfill company, has begun building its first anaerobic digestion plant, capable of generating enough renewable electricity to power up to 3,000 homes. Click here for full story

A supermarket plan to use out-of-date meat to help power thousands of homes was described as 'macabre' by animal rights activists. Non-meat eaters would be horrified to know that their electricity was being produced by the method - known as anaerobic digestion - according to Vegetarians International Voice for Animals. Click here for full story

Nottingham is leading the country in creating its own renewable energy. But a "low-carbon revolution" is still needed to meet tough national targets over the next decade. The city generated four per cent of its own energy from renewable sources and waste in 2006 – more than five times higher than the next best city. Nottingham City Council owns Enviroenergy, which uses heat from Eastcroft incinerator to supply heat – through the district heating system – and electricity to city customers. Click here for full story

Waste glass, plastic and metal are to be converted into clean energy as the go-ahead was given by the Government for a new plant in Peterborough. Waste glass, plastic and metal are to be converted into clean energy as the go-ahead was given by the Government for a new plant in Peterborough. Energy and Climate Change Minister David Kidney today granted consent to Peterborough Renewable Energy Ltd for the construction of the 80MW energy from waste and biomass fuelled power station at Storey’s Bar Gate. 1
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Trade bodies have re-affirmed the need for the proposed feed-in tariff subsidies for solar PV to be raised by 10p in an attempt to boost the industry and argued that the government should support solar as a ‘natural source' ahead of other technologies. Addressing the Energy and Climate Change committee today (November 4 2009) for its inquiry on low carbon technologies at Westminster, chief executive of the UK PV manufacturer's association, Derry Newman, re-iterated that the proposed Feed-in Tariff (FiTs) rates need to be set higher across the board to allow for a higher rate of return. Click here for full story

A revolutionary wind turbine for the domestic market, which could provide 750 jobs, is likely to be manufactured in Scotland rather than abroad, after a last-minute change of attitude by Scottish Enterprise. The move follows a report on Monday in The Times that Renewable Devices of Midlothian, a wind energy design company which has succeeded in manufacturing a noiseless and energy-efficient domestic turbine, had failed to win backing from the Scottish government agency, whose remit is to support new enterprise and create jobs. Click here for full story

The company behind the UK's first nappy recycling facility has announced it is to partner with waste-to-energy firm Verus Energy to generate power from the waste processed at its planned West Midlands site.Knowaste said it would use a bacteria-based process to break down the nappy and other sanitation waste collected at the facility to generate biogases such as methane. The gases will be captured and burned, generating energy that will help power the plant and be sold to the grid.

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A Saddleworth beauty spot could be at the centre of a revolutionary scheme to produce electricity to power local homes. Experts believe a substantial amount of energy could help fill the coffers for local community initiatives by harnessing power from water in Dovestone reservoir. The idea moved a step closer when councillor Ken Hulme told Saddleworth Parish Council that technical teams and engineers believed the scheme was “eminently feasible.” Click here for full story

Up to 750 new Scottish jobs are in danger of going abroad because of a “Catch 22” stand-off over European regulations which rule out Scottish Enterprise funding for a company making revolutionary noiseless wind turbines. Neither the Scottish jobs agency nor private investors involved are willing to step in without a written guarantee from each other — but neither will issue one first. The turbine firm, based just outside Edinburgh in Midlothian, wants to build a Scottish factory but now fears it may have to accept an offer from a major European firm to make them in Germany, despite securing promised backing from one of the world’s biggest financial firms to site the factory in Scotland. Click here for full story