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Posts Tagged ‘environment’

A little Tuesday polar bear action…

Posted by ericww on January 25, 2011

Polar Bear (Sow And Cub), Arctic National Wild...

Image via Wikipedia

JUST spotted this story on the BBC website… really amazing!… A polar bear swam continuously for over nine days, covering 687km (426 miles), a new study has revealed.  Scientists studying bears around the Beaufort sea, north of Alaska, claim this endurance feat could be a result of climate change.

Polar bears are known to swim between land and sea ice floes to hunt seals.  But the researchers say that increased sea ice melts push polar bears to swim greater distances, risking their own health and future generations.

If you want to read more, you’ll need to visit the source of this story here … sadly, my limited ‘editorial’ budget doesn’t cover such journalistic forays :-)

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Steely determination leads to first ever Climate Week

Posted by ericww on January 18, 2011

David and Victoria Beckham in Silverston Circu...

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Not before time, 2011 sees the first ever Climate Week and its associated Climate Week Awards.  The week itself runs from 21 to 27 March and the main driving force behind getting this event going is Kevin Steele.

Steele is a consummate and entrepreneurial social and environmental campaigner with an impressive track record and CV.  He was the first CEO of Enterprise Insight (now Enterprise UK), which brought together the Institute of Directors (IoD), the Confederation of British Industry (CBI), the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) and the Federation of Small Business (FSB) around one Board table, and spearheaded initiatives such as Make Your Mark and Global Entrepreneurship Week.  Other credits to his name include co-founding National Family Week and conceiving the Trade Justice Movement.

And, when it comes to reeling big brands and corporate partners into the equation, Steele is a tenacious deal maker.  Case in point for Climate Week is Tesco, which is the week’s headline partner (other supporting brands are: Aviva, EDF Energy, Kelloggs and RBS).

So what’s on offer?  Pleasingly, the Week has begun to embrace the idea of pulling ‘green’ topics into the consumer mainstream (see a multitude of Home Zero Home posts passim for various blathering on this approach to taking eco messages to the masses).

Among the first shots in Climate Week’s communications activity is research that identifies the iconic personalities who are most likely to inspire people to do greener things.

According to the research, undertaken by Millward Brown to mark the launch of the Climate Week Awards, David Beckham is more likely to inspire us to save the planet than green fan Leonardo DiCaprio.

The research found a strong correlation between familiarity and green influence, showing that celebrities who are not actively ‘green’, like Beckham, still have tremendous potential to wade in on environmental issues. This also explains why, amongst female celebrities, X Factor judge Cheryl Cole beat known environmentalist Gwyneth Paltrow to be the woman most likely to make people more eco-friendly.

The Climate Week Awards will celebrate inspiring achievements by the greenest businesses, communities and people in the UK. Everyone will have the chance to influence the way society combats climate change by running an event for Climate Week, entering for an award or voting for their own Climate Week Hero

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Gaviotas: Colombia’s eco-village is a lesson for the world

Posted by ericww on October 1, 2010

A FEW weeks ago, HRH Prince Charles conducted a one-week tour of Britain’s finest examples of sustainable living and sustainability in action.  The tour was the focal point activity of the Prince’s START initiative, which aims to help people across the country lead more sustainable lives and to show what a more energy efficient, cleaner and healthier future could look like.

One of the stops on the tour was the former mill town of Todmorden in the Pennines.  Over the past few years, Todmorden has been hailed as Britain’s greenest town.  It’s a great example of how the community has come together and transformed local food production and translated wider global environmental issues into a meaningful agenda that is relevant to the community.

It’s great to shine a big spotlight on this kind of ground-up, community-based activity and there are definitely good green lessons for us all in the story of Todmorden.  And, thankfully, it’s not an isolated example of sustainable living.  There is now a growing movement gathering real traction that is inspiring more and more people and communities in Britain to do their own green thing.

But, while we celebrate positive action on our doorstep, it’s vital we look further afield to see what can be learnt from other countries.  Whereas Todmorden can justifiably lay claim to being Britain’s Greenest Town, the Colombian village of Gaviotas is a very worthy candidate for Green Capital of the World.  It’s a big shout if you’ve never heard of the place. And I only ‘discovered’ it myself recently thanks to a great Colombian friend of mine, Sebastian Franco.

In a nutshell, Gaviotas was founded in 1971 by a visionary eco-pioneer Paolo Lugari who assembled a group of engineers and scientists in an attempt to create a mode of sustainable living in one of the least hospitable political and geographical climates in South America.

Sustainable living is in the DNA of Gaviotas, which generates its own energy from a variety of renewable sources, has tackled local food production and distribution at prices the local community can afford, and has also successfully identified and tapped natural water resources.  Everything is part of, and contributing to, a big ecological plan; even the children’s roundabouts in playgrounds are used to generate power that in turn helps pump the town’s water supplies.

Fortunately, thanks to Google and Google Earth, Gaviotas is accessible to anyone interested in finding out more, and I hope this post prompts you to take a look!  It’s a fascinating story that has captured the attention of many, including the American author, professor and journalist Alan H. Weisman, who wrote about it first in 1995 and than again in 1999 in his book “Gaviotas: A Village to Reinvent the World” (still in print and available on Amazon, published by Chelsea Green Publishing).

Gaviotas and Todmorden are of course not isolated examples of communities working together to tackle big global environmental challenges.  There are scores if not hundreds.  The common thread running through all the best examples, however, is the power of the  community itself.  To achieve real lasting impact, it is at a community level where the good work is achieved.  What a shame then that all these ‘dots’ of great action can’t be somehow joined up on a big, green global map, so that ideas can be shared and inspiration found?  Maybe we should encourage communities to identify and build links with their Eco-Twin Town?…

A long time ago in a previous job I was lucky enough to be involved in something called the Twin Town Awards, run by a now defunct Government quango called the Local Government Information Bureau (LGIB).  I was working for the Royal Mail at the time and my employer was the main sponsor of the annual event.  The Twin Town Awards celebrated the best examples of  communities in Britain that ‘twinned’ with their counterparts in other countries, built good links and had jointly done something worthy of recognition.  It gave a context to the road signs outside most towns and and cities in Britain such as: “Welcome to Northampton… Twinned with…Poitiers, France and Marberg Germany” etc.

It was a good scheme, designed in the post-war era, to foster good relations between nations and encourage education and community interaction.  Perhaps we could blow off the dust from something like this and encourage towns, villages and cities all over the world to identify and build links with their ecological ‘twin’ and in so doing spread and share the best practice that was happening in Gaviotas 40 year ago much more quickly.  Todmorden and Gaviotas would be an ideal first match.

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Prince of solar power is simply delighted about sustainability

Posted by ericww on September 4, 2010

Charles, Prince of Wales outside the White Hou...

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HRH The Prince of Wales, who recently came out of the solar power closet in favour of installing renewable energy sources at his London Clarence House residence, is scheduled to go on a five-day tour of Britain next week to highlight examples of communities and individuals starting to live more sustainably.

Part of the START initiative, the Royal Tour will include visits to a community-run city farm in Newcastle, a town-wide ‘grow your own’ project in Yorkshire, and an energy savings company in Nottingham as well as three national START festivals, two START Living Shops and a civic dinner in Manchester. The tour will begin in Glasgow on 6 September, before heading to Edinburgh, Carmarthen, Bristol, Newcastle, Todmorden, Manchester, Nottingham, and Birmingham, finishing in London on 10 September.

The Prince will be travelling on the Royal Train, which runs on bio-fuel, and he will host a series of meetings and receptions between station stops. The Duchess of Cornwall will join the tour for the Bristol and London visits.

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“£1 billion” free solar offer comes with buyout option

Posted by ericww on August 23, 2010

AMID all the current interest in obtaining free installation of solar PV panels IF you have a suitable south-facing roof on your home, another company has entered the fray with a compelling offer to consumers.

HomeSun, the free power company, is looking for 100,000 homes to install solar panels for free over the next 3 years, 2000 of which will be in the next 12 months, it says.

This offer, announced on 5 August, has produced a staggering response – with more than 40,000 customer enquiries flooding into the company, 80 per cent via the HomeSun website, where a simple tool helps people identify whether their home is suitable for the free offer or an alternate paid-for system.

HomeSun is one of a number of companies making similar free offers to homeowners – but its simple buyout scheme allows customers anytime within the 25-year contract term to pay for the cost of the equipment, based on monthly residual valuation model.

Bill Sneyd, HomeSun’s Chief Operating Officer told Home Zero Home: “We make it very simple for our customers and we are very upfront about explaining that it is simple to pay for the equipment at anytime during the contract should they wish, or if their financial circumstances change to make this possible.

“The buyout price is determined with a starting retail cost of the equipment, which for the larger 3.5kWp system in our free offer averages out at around £15,000, so using that as the day one valuation, the cost to buyout is this figure less £50 per month for each month the contract has been in force.”

Mr Sneyd gave Home Zero Home this example:

  • Customer A’s solar PV equipment is installed by HomeSun at their home on a south-facing, unshaded roof.  They benefit from cheaper electricity immediately and feel good about being a  ‘green’ energy early adopter.
  • The retail cost of the equipment on day one of the 25 year contract (300 months) is £15,000.
  • After ten years (120 months), Customer A decides they would like to take up HomeSun’s option to buy the equipment, and in turn get the benefit of the Feed-in-Tariff (FiT) revenue directly.
  • HomeSun establishes the buyout price of the equipment to be £15,000 minus £50 X 120 months (£6,000) = £9,000 and communicates this to Customer A.
  • Customers A pays £9,000 to HomeSun and the contract is terminated.

HomeSun operates on an increasingly familiar business model (becoming known as the ‘rent a roof’ model) whereby they install the solar PV kit for free and then maintain it for 25 years as part of a contract with the homeowner.  Costs for solar PV equipment (typically a 3kwh system) vary and Home Zero Home has been quoted prices from £11,000 to £16,000 but prices should decrease in time.

In turn, over the contract term, the companies recoup the initial investment in the equipment and generate an ongoing revenue from the UK’s generous Feed-in-Tariff (FiT), which was introduced in April this year.

The Feed-in-Tariff is enshrined in law and ensures that electricity companies pay a fee per unit of electricity for the energy generated in homes from renewable sources, such as solar.  Such tariffs are commonplace in other countries, such as Germany where they were introduced in 2000, and are used as an incentive to encourage take-up and use of renewable energy technologies and in turn decrease carbon emissions.

The benefits to homeowners who take up offers such as HomeSun’s are: the chance to be an early adopter in the green energy revolution; zero upfront cost outlay on the equipment; and cheaper electricity bills – approximately a 30 per cent plus decrease depending on particular usage factors and the quality of your home insulation.  Indeed, Home Zero Home would highly recommend that you survey and improve your home’s insulation at the same time as installing any renewable energy source.  That way, you will maximise energy efficiency and utility savings.

HomeSun’s contract, like those offered by Isis Solar and A Shade Greener, transfer with ownership should you move home within the 25-year term, passing to the new owner once a sale is completed – and a solar powered home is potentially a positive factor in making a property attractive to a purchaser.

Daniel Green, CEO at HomeSun, said at the time of launch of HomeSun’s offer: “Solar power is natural, free and clean – and it’s the price which has slowed widespread take-up.  We are changing that – today is the beginning of a new era as HomeSun takes solar power out into the mainstream. As oil becomes the new tobacco, more and more people are looking for a clean & renewable solution – but it has to be a head and heart decision.   Finally, with HomeSun, solar makes sense both financially and environmentally.”

To find whether you qualify for free installation contact a HomeSun consultant on 0844 770 9922 or visit www.homesun.com


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‘Do your homework’ on free solar power offers, says Consumer Focus

Posted by ericww on August 12, 2010

HOMEOWNERS have been advised to thoroughly research free solar power installation schemes before signing up.  That’s the message from the Government’s consumer champion, Consumer Focus.  But, according to the Centre for Sustainable Energy, there are “perfectly reasonable” deals out there, which could save householders the approximately £11,000 up front investment in the latest solar PV panels for producing cheaper green electricity in the home.

The guidance comes after a spate of offers from companies offering free solar power for homeowners, reported in the national media in recent weeks (see previous Home Zero Home posts about Isis Solar Limited and other companies).  The service offered by companies providing free solar panels is a legitimate business model which could provide a way for consumers to save money on electricity bills and produce green energy, without having to pay for the solar panel kit. The companies benefit by getting money for the electricity that is produced (through the Government’s Feed-in Tariffs introduced in April 2010)  by the solar panels, while the homeowner gets free electricity.

Liz Laine, energy expert at Consumer Focus, said:

“Free solar panels could cut consumers electricity bills and allow them to produce green energy at no cost, but customers need to go into these deals with their eyes open. These long-term contracts need to be considered carefully.  Asking the right questions and getting legal advice could help customers avoid the potential pitfalls of these schemes.”

Simon Roberts, Chief Executive at CSE, said:

We’re sure there are perfectly reasonable deals out there, but before agreeing to let someone install a small electricity generating station on the roof of your home, householders and community organisations should be asking the right questions about the risks and liabilities.”

A free factsheet from Consumer Focus is available to download here.


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Everyone’s ‘talking’ about solar power

Posted by ericww on August 6, 2010

SUDDENLY it’s difficult to avoid news stories in the Press and on TV and radio about solar power.  The recent boom in media interest kicked off in The Times on 28 July, 2010, which reported the launch of a new company, Isis Solar, which is offering to fit solar panels to 18,000 homes in the UK for free.

Another company, HomeSun, waded in this week with a similar offer, reported on Sky News and in the Daily Express.  And that follows previous offers from companies such as A Shade Greener.  Here, we have captured and linked the main news items discussing these various offers and the companies behind them.

When Home Zero Home launched last year (one year ago this month in fact) we felt we were pretty late to the party with regards looking at green issues, and in particular steps people can take in the home to become ‘greener,’ save energy and perhaps save money as well.  But, even then, you wouldn’t find too many major news outlets covering stories about solar power… not in a positive way anyway.

So, it’s good to see that solar power has made it to the top of the news agenda at last.  Here’s our pick of the latest stories, in case you missed them or need to catch up:

Sky News (05 August, 2010)… HomeSun wants to enable people to produce their own power by offering their system in return for a share of the savings they make on their electricity bills

Media kick-off: The Times reported "free solar power" for the people on 28 July, 210

Daily Express (05 August, 2010)… BLAZING relentlessly in the heavens, 93 million miles above the surface of the Earth, it’s our greatest untapped resource

Bloomberg (05 August, 2010)… The U.K., known for rain and gray skies, enjoyed record installations of solar panels in July after the government guaranteed prices for electricity from renewable energy up to 10 times market rates

Solar Power Portal (05 August, 2010)… Joining the likes of ‘A Shade Greener,’ renewable energy provider ISIS Solar has revealed that it will install an initial 18,000 solar systems, for FREE in the south of the UK. Many more companies are expected to follow suit as the year progresses, taking advantage of the UK’s generous feed-in tariff, while providing free renewable electricity for the homes it selects.

PV-tech.org (05 August, 2010)… Taking advantage of the UK’s feed-in tariff, Oxford-based ISIS Solar said it will install 18,000 rooftop solar systems, free of charge. The company will begin by installing the systems in the south of the country, but will move north as the year progresses, reports PV-Tech’s UK-based sister site.

The Sunday Times (31 July, 2010)… bills could jump sharply this year. Isis Solar, an alternative-energy firm…outweigh the upfront costs. The Isis Solar deal came as British Gas announced…fed back to the national grid. Isis saidsolar panels generally produce enough to cover…

Mail on Sunday (31 July, 2010)… British Gas customers and consumer groups have reacted angrily after the utilities giant’s profits almost doubled while millions of people struggle to pay bills.  Customers are being urged to take action by switching to a cheaper fuel deal before winter

Daily Mail (28 July, 2010)… Thousands of homeowners are being offered the chance to loan their roofs to a solar power firm in return for cheaper electricity bills.  Householders who agree to having the panels installed free of charge will see their bills fall by up to two thirds

The Times (28 July, 2010)… the chance to rent their roofs to a solar power company in exchange for cheaper electricity bills. The company, Isis Solar, will pay for solar panels to be…average household electricity bill. Isis Solar, which plans to install a 3.3…


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Posted in Media, Solar power | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment »

FAQ: Isis Solar’s “free power” offer explained…

Posted by ericww on August 1, 2010

FREE solar power for your home is a tempting offer – especially as it promises to potentially cut energy bills by up to two thirds.  But as exciting as that sounds, it does raise many questions… So Home Zero Home decided to put some of these questions to Lawrence Buckley, Managing Director of Isis Solar Limited.  Here’s what he had to say about his company’s offer:

How does this free solar PV offer work?

LB: “If you own a house with a clear south-facing roof that is un-shaded you may be eligible for ISIS solar’s offer of free solar power.  ISIS solar will install, operate and maintain a 3kW solar system on your roof. You can use all of the electricity it generates and never have to pay us anything.”

How much will it cost?

LB: “Nothing. ISIS own the system and there is no charge to you ever. ISIS makes its money from the Governments new Feed in Tariff.  The Feed in Tariff was introduced by the government to encourage the renewable generation of electricity. The scheme guarantees a minimum payment for renewable electricity generated and exported for 25 years. These payments are made in addition to the electricity generated by the solar installation.”

Find out more about Feed in Tariffs here

How much will I save?

LB: “It depends on how much you currently pay and when you use electricity but we think £300 a year would be typical. Our consultants will be happy to provide you with a personalised quote.” www.isis-solar.com

Is England sunny enough?

LB: “Yes. England has about the same amount of sunshine as Germany, a country with 10,000 MegaWatts of solar panels installed.  The system will produce more electricity in the summer than winter but even on the darkest days it will work.”

Will I notice a difference?

LB: “Only to your bills. Your lights will glow just as bright, your shower just as hot. Your energy supply will remain the same quality and power as it is today.”

What happens if I sell my home?

LB: “The solar panels remain on the property. We think a house with its own free, clean electricity supply is an attractive prospect for a buyer.”

Can I just buy a system instead?

LB: “If you prefer, ISIS Solar is happy to sell you a system to meet your needs. Please contact our consultants to receive a quote. You can call us on: 0800 112 31 00″

If you have any more questions not answered here, leave a reply and HZH will find out the answers for you!


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Posted in Eco business, Solar power | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 14 Comments »

Green boost in UK pre-budget report

Posted by ericww on December 12, 2009

It’s not been generally received with huge applause, but UK Labour Chancellor of the Exchequer Alastair Darling’s Pre-Budget report this week did contain at least a nod of additional support to the renewable energy and environment agendas through tax savings and additional funding….

Energency efficiency

The Government will set aside £200 million from April to help with energy efficiency, which includes £150 million to help 75,000 of the most vulnerable households through the Warm Front scheme and £50 million to fund the greener boiler incentive for 125,000 homes.  The Warm Front scheme is delivered by Newcastle-based eaga plc through a contract with the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC)

Energy discounts and payouts

Energy companies are asked to provide discounts to a further one million homes in financial difficulty. From April people with a home with a wind turbine or solar panels who send power back to the national grid will receive an average tax-free payment of £900 a year. Electric vehicles are to be exempted from company car tax, and electric vans from a van benefit charge, for five years.

Carbon

£160 million investment in low-carbon and renewable projects, through the Innovation Investment Fund and the Carbon Trust’s venture capital scheme.

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Zero living in a box?

Posted by ericww on October 14, 2009

091012-professionalThe 2009 Lifecycle Building Challenge awards in the US has unveiled the recipients of its top gongs, which this year are all very ‘modular’ in style.  Now, at Home Zero Home we’re not qualified architects (although we hang out with one or two now and again), but we are pretty sure that the term ‘modular’ could mean ‘box’ in this particular instance.  We’re not suggesting this is an issue, however.  The winning designs look really cool, especially the wood-constructed example pictured here.

The six winning buildings or projects are selected based on how they tackle reducing environmental and energy impacts.  The competition is intended to spur innovation and highlight best practices that could be put to use by the building industry in ways to help it reduce the more than 88 million tons of constrution- and demolition-related debris sent to U.S. landfills each year, according to official US estimates.

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