Renewable Energy

[djmaxliving]

As Scotland seems to be leading the way in green resources with the biggest wind farm in the EU and the may benefits which come with using green resource why not start a thread.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/8059807.stm

Power (New Build), MOTHERWELL £4.50m

Detail Planning. Wind farm of 3 wind turbines each being 80 metres to the hub and having a maximum tip height of 120 metres. Each turbine will have an output of 1.5 MW. Scheme will include access tracks and a substation. Additional Information: Client will provide further information to the council in relation to landscaping and visual issues for the scheme. A decision from planning is expected June/July 2009. Once planning consent has been obtained for the scheme the client will look to start procurement procedures for contractor services. Birnie Hill Windfarm, Birniehill Road, Hareshaw.

Near to where i live.

[djmaxliving]

Scotland stands firm against nuclear

Good for scotland, keep it up.

International think tank The Centre for International Governance Innovation backed the Scottish National Party’s position that more sustainable alternatives should be sought.

The UK Government last week revealed 11 proposed locations for new nuclear power stations. While the announcement was described by the construction industry as a “sign of progress”, the Scottish National Party remained defiant that no nuclear new builds would take place north of the border.

Energy secretary Ed Miliband called on Scottish government ministers to rethink their stance on the issue. He said the construction of two new atomic plants north of the border would create 9,000 construction jobs and pump £5.6 billion into the Scottish economy.

But in a report entitled The British Nuclear Industry: Status and Prospects, the CIGI warned that a stronger focus on sustainable energy alternatives would be better and more cost-effective than new nuclear capacity.

Report author Ian Davis – former executive director of the British American Security Information Council – said: “The Government’s obsession with nuclear power is undermining and marginalizing more efficient and safer technologies - the real energy solutions.

“A much more prudent path would see a stronger focus on delivering more sustainable methods of generating electricity and on absolute reductions in UK energy demand, along the lines of what is being proposed in Scotland.”

The cross-border row began raging after SNP ministers vowed to use their control over planning applications to block any new plants in Scotland.

In its 2007 election manifesto, the SNP stated: “An SNP government will not give the go-ahead for new nuclear power stations. We will invest instead in developing Scotland’s extensive renewable energy potential.”

The UK proposals form part of the Government’s plan to build a new generation of nuclear power stations to help close what has been described as a “generation gap” expected as existing nuclear and coal-fired stations shutdown.

The Nuclear Industry Association described the announcement as a “sign of progress” for the Government’s ambitious new build programme.

The list of potential locations is: Dungeness in Kent; Sizewell in Suffolk; Hartlepool in Cleveland; Heysham in Lancashire; Sellafield in Cumbria; Braystones in Cumbria; Kirksanton in Cumbria; Wylfa Peninsula in Anglesey; Oldbury in Gloucestershire; Hinkley Point in Somerset and Bradwell in Essex.

The sites were nominated by the energy giants EDF, E.ON and RWE and the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority, which owns some nuclear sites, and have been initially approved by the Government.

The Government wants to build about 10 plants over a 15-year period at a cost of about £30 billion. Site-specific licensing is expected to begin in 2011, with work to start on the plants from 2013. Each reactor will take at least five years to build.

[djmaxliving]

Govt approves extension of £300m Whitelee Windfarm

First minister Alex Salmond said the site, which has 140 turbines and is Europe’s largest onshore wind farm, would be allowed to have a further 36 turbines installed.

The extension would take the total power generation of the farm from 322 megawatts to 452 megawatts – enough to power 250,000 homes.

Mr Salmond made the announcement of the site’s extension when he carried out the switch-on, connecting the turbines there to the national grid.

As well as the physical construction of the turbines, the project has also included the construction of a 90 km “floating” road network – made of stone constructed on layers of geogrid so as to not break the surface of the land or disrupt natural water courses – and the connection of over 970 km of cables to link the turbines to the national grid.

A £2 million state-of-the-art visitor centre is also being built.

At its peak, more than 500 people were working on-site and more than 1.82 million working hours have been spent constructing the windfarm.

[gweilo]

Further to Mo posting the Glasgow Canal Partnership press release on the Glasgow Canals Regeneration Thread I came across this small article (see below) on the web listing all 11 examplers for the Scottish Sustainable Communities Initiative . The list was announced at the Lighthouse last night but they don't appear to have anything noted on their website:

Michael Donnelly, Planning Resource, 21 May 2009

The Scottish Government has named eleven housing projects as exemplar "low-carbon communities of the future."
Backed by a support package worth £400,000, the projects have been selected to further the objectives of the Scottish Sustainable Communities Initiative (SSCI).

SSCI seeks to achieve and set high quality design, quality and environmental standards for new housing-led developments.

The projects are:

• An Camas Mor, Aviemore, Rothiemurchus Estate
• Craigmillar, Edinburgh, PARC Craigmillar
• Grandhome and Whitestripes, Aberdeen, The Grandhome Trust
• Knockroon, Cumnock, The Prince's Foundation for the Built Environment
• Ladyfield, Dumfries, The Crichton Trust
• Lochgelly, Fife, Fife Council
• Maryhill Locks, Glasgow, Glasgow Canal Regeneration Partnership
• Raploch, Stirling, Raploch URC
• Speirs Locks, Glasgow, Glasgow Canal Regeneration Partnership
• Tornagrain, near Inverness, Moray Estates
• Whitecross, near Linlithgow, Morston Assets Ltd

Cabinet secretary for health and wellbeing Nicola Sturgeon said: "It is vital for our long term economic and social success that we create communities which provide new homes in the right place, of the right type and which contribute to reducing energy demand and impact on the environment.

"The quality and number of entries received is very encouraging and I look forward to seeing how the selected projects develop going forward."

[legslikeaspider]

I saw this article the other day and whilst David Bellamy is a bit of a bore these days, I thought he made some very interesting points. I like the idea of Scotland becoming a place where renewable installations are manufactured - a potentially great use for derelict shipyards and also a product that we could export to other countries. IMO, Scotland has the capacity to be a world leader in renewable technology - we've got the ideal geography to test out new bits of kit and are well enough located to transport big bits of equipment to the rest of Europe and beyond. Moreover, with reasonable investment in energy infrastructure, I would think that we might be able to export the energy generated around Scotland's coasts to the rest of Europe. Everyone's a winner. Why is taking so long for government to get behind all these projects? The big windfarm at Eaglesham should be just one of many, although I'd far prefer to see investment in tidal and wave power.


From the beeb

Botanist Professor David Bellamy has urged Scotland to stop building wind farms and instead focus on schemes that harness tidal energy.

His comments came as the final section of the £300m Whitelee development in East Renfrewshire came on stream.

Prof Bellamy, who has campaigned against wind farms since 1996, said turbines posed a risk to wild birds.

He described efforts to generate tidal power in the Pentland Firth as "absolutely wonderful".

Efforts to encourage companies to develop tidal energy schemes in the firth between the Scottish mainland and Orkney are being led in part by the Scottish Government.

Opponents to wind turbines say they kill birds and bats that fly into the blades.

Prof Bellamy told the BBC Scotland news website that for environmental reasons and during a recession wind power was too expensive and wrong.

He added that if people wanted to help combat climate change they should wear an extra layer of clothing in winter.

The scientist said: "Scotland is a beautiful country that should not be covered in wind farms.

"I could never understand why years ago the rig yards and ship yards were not reopened and used for developing tidal power. That would have created thousands of jobs in Scotland and made it a world leader in tidal energy."

On plans to harness tidal energy in the Pentland Firth, he said: "It's absolutely wonderful. That would create lots of jobs."

Prof Bellamy has co-signed an open letter with bird and anti-wind farm campaigner Mark Duchamp criticising the RSPB's stance on wind turbines.

In the letter, they claim the wild bird conservation charity's opposition to wind schemes had weakened.

Project assessment

RSPB Scotland said it carefully considered every application to build a farm and demanded developers to make detailed assessments of potential threats to birds.

A spokesman said the organisation opposed wind projects it deemed to be a risk, or where they felt the developer had made an insufficient assessment.

Whitelee - Europe's largest onshore wind farm - first began producing electricity in January 2008.

Developer ScottishPower Renewables estimates the wind farm can generate enough energy to power 180,000 homes.

The firm wants to add 81 more turbines to the site. The application for the first 36 of them is being considered by the Scottish Government.

The development is made up of 140 turbines, across an area about the size of Glasgow city centre, each standing at 110m high.

[maccoinnich]

Um, professor, tidal isn't exactly impact free on marine life. The reality is that no one has up come up with a way of generating power without some negative impact on the environment. But the one thing we can be confident on is that the biggest threat to birds, plants, humans, etc is global warming. And dealing with that is going require a mixture of tidal, solar wave, wind, hydro, and—as I'm increasingly, albeit reluctantly, convinced—nuclear.

[leadensky]

Originally Posted by maccoinnich

Um, professor, tidal isn't exactly impact free on marine life. The reality is that no one has up come up with a way of generating power without some negative impact on the environment. But the one thing we can be confident on is that the biggest threat to birds, plants, humans, etc is global warming. And dealing with that is going require a mixture of tidal, solar wave, wind, hydro, and—as I'm increasingly, albeit reluctantly, convinced—nuclear.

cracking rebuttle professor maccoinnich, you should be on question time.

And also the RSPB says wind farms are NOT a threat to wild birds:

RSPB calls for more UK wind farms

Countries like Spain and Denmark use wind power far more than the UK
There should be a significant increase in the number of wind farms built onshore in the UK, the RSPB has said.

It called for an end to the "needless delays" that beset wind farm projects, after a study said more turbines could be built without harming wildlife.

It would be "disastrous" if the vast potential of wind power in the UK was wasted, the charity added

continues at http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7959912.stm

Whatever you think about Alex Salmond and the SNP, I'm happy they're sticking to their guns on this one.

[M_Riaz]

Biomass Heat Scheme

20/05/2009

More businesses will be able to feel the warmth of renewable heating that cuts emissions.

Twenty six projects across Scotland have been awarded a share of 1.6 million under the Scottish Biomass Heat Scheme to install biomass heating systems and district heating systems in small businesses like hotels and offices.

The news comes as a new round of the Scottish Biomass Heat Scheme is open to applications from today.

An extra £1.3 million of European funding has been allocated - on top of the original £2 million, the total available under the Scheme is £3.3 million.

Energy Minister Jim Mather said:

"Almost half of the energy used in Scotland goes towards heating and hot water.

"Scotland must lead the fight against climate change and our ambition is to become the green energy capital of Europe. To do that, we need to build a viable renewable heat sector.

"We have the forestry resource and the skills and there is a huge opportunity for Scottish business to use more biomass heating, especially in areas not connected to the gas grid. Business can reduce emissions and potentially cut costs, while creating new green jobs and supporting rural economies.

"The use of more woodfuel will help build a more sustainable economy and contribute to a low carbon Scotland."

In total, the projects will install approximately 7 Megawatts of renewable heat energy.

The Scottish Biomass Heat Scheme is managed in partnership between Scottish Government and Forestry Commission Scotland. The scheme is targeted at businesses, specifically small and medium sized enterprises. The scheme will also encourage the development of district heating demonstrators from private developers.

The maximum grant available is 100,000 pounds, although additional support for district heating projects may be considered on a case-by-case basis.

The closing date for applications is September 4, 2009.

scotland.gov.uk

[legslikeaspider]

Originally Posted by maccoinnich

Um, professor, tidal isn't exactly impact free on marine life. The reality is that no one has up come up with a way of generating power without some negative impact on the environment. But the one thing we can be confident on is that the biggest threat to birds, plants, humans, etc is global warming. And dealing with that is going require a mixture of tidal, solar wave, wind, hydro, and—as I'm increasingly, albeit reluctantly, convinced—nuclear.

Fair point there, my learned friend. Obviously, there will always be some kind of environmental price to power generation. I would have thought that one of the great advantages of tidal is that the amount of power generated is much more predictable than wind power. My understanding is that there are great gluts of power when the wind blows hard but there is insufficient storage capacity across the national grid to hang on to said power for times when the wind is less strong. Of course, this might be rectified by investing in power infrastructure but I would have thought there was a balance to be struck between 'ruining' wild landscapes with giant wind turbines and putting tidal generators on possibly fragile seabeds.

[maccoinnich]

By the way 'Professor' was directed at Bellamy, not you or anyone else, in case that wasn't obvious.

[legslikeaspider]

don't worry, I understood. is he a professor the same way Gillian McKeith is a 'Dr'?

[crusty_bint]

wonder whats sparked prof bellamy's u-turn on turbines? wouldnt be anything to do with the huge profits to be made in opening up the RSPB's huge tracts of donated land to turbine installation would it...

the location of these farms is so sensitive on so many levels as they cover such massive areas. should we really be opening up our national/regional parks and sanctuaries to what is effectively an industrial process and becoming industrial landscapes? and thats without getting into the issues surrounding the geologic impact of each and every individual turbine. im, obviously, very much in favour of a switch to green energy production (waves wee green flag) but its going to be a difficult balance to strike.

Macc, your spot on with your recipe for energy production techniques. I think it would be mad not to invest in nuclear, despite its drawbacks, and ignoring the trident hypocrisy. I would also love to see a national programme of converting roofs into solar panels (as opposed to the tack-on ones), perhaps through a lease type arrangement, with the utilities owning and maintaining the generation/conversion equipment, this time with structural issues aside...

when are we ever going to get fusion going

[djmaxliving]

I think the risks involved with Nuclear power are too big and the after costs are not cheap by any means. Where on the other hand green power have no health risk or very little can do the job with fewer objections and better advantages than nuclear has any day plus cost much less money. Here is a question for you what would you do rather have in you back garden a wind mill or a N power plant you tell me.

[M_Riaz]

Item 13 (5 pages)

Modernising the Planning System:
Implementation of Scottish Planning Policy (SPP) 6 – Renewable Energy

Purpose of Report:
To advise Committee of the need for an operational protocol to aid implementation of the
requirements of Scottish Planning Policy 6 – Renewable Energy.

Recommendation:
That Committee:

1. Approves the operational protocol for SPP 6; and
2. Refers this report to the Planning Applications Committee, for information.

1. BACKGROUND
1.1 SPP 6 – Renewable Energy was published in March 2007 and provides planning
guidance on a range of renewable energies. It also sets specific targets for new
developments for the reduction of CO2 emissions, namely that ”..all future (planning)
applications proposing development with a total cumulative floorspace of 500 sq metres
or more should incorporate on-site low and zero carbon (LZC) equipment contributing at
least 15% reduction in CO2 emissions beyond the 2007 building regulations carbon
dioxide emissions standard.”

[maccoinnich]

If they're not exaggerating, this is pretty exciting. 'mon the low carbon economy.

Hydro’s potential to power all Scots homes in a decade
DAVID ROSS, Highland Correspondent June 30 2009

Scotland could be generating enough hydro power to meet the equivalent needs of every household in the country in less than 10 years.

The claim was made yesterday as Scottish and Southern Energy (SSE) unveiled plans for two new large-scale pumped storage hydro electric schemes in the Great Glen, which could increase Scotland's hydro capacity by more than 70%.

They would be the first pumped storage schemes to be developed in Britain since work began on the Dinorwig scheme in Wales in 1974, which became the largest in the UK. Ben Cruachan at Loch Awe was the last new one to be built in Scotland, opening in 1965, but 10 years later the conventional scheme at Foyers on Loch Ness re-opened as a pump storage station.

The announcement came yesterday as the queen officially opened SSE's giant £150m 100MW Glendoe hydro scheme in the hills above Loch Ness, which is capable of providing enough power for every household in Glasgow. But all that can be seen is the 12.7 million cubic metres of water held at a reservoir behind a massive dam.

...continues at the Herald.

[Boards]

Scotland 4 teh win ( copyright TBD )

[AshAshAsh]

Excellent news, keep it up.

[legslikeaspider]

Originally Posted by maccoinnich

If they're not exaggerating, this is pretty exciting. 'mon the low carbon economy.



...continues at the Herald.

Now, I'm fully prepared to be corrected here, but I always thought schemes such as at Ben Cruachan were a 'cheat' in terms of low carbon generation? They refill the reservoir by pumping water (using electricity from elsewhere in the national grid) back up the hill at times of low demand (and hence low cost). Presumably, there's still a large carbon cost associated with electricity needed to pump the water back uphill? Further, because of the nature of these plants, they are better suited for dealing with surges in electricity demand than for continual generation.

[maccoinnich]

You can't really turn a coal powered station on or off, so they're producing energy through the night, whether it's needed or not. So if a pumped storage scheme uses that energy to push the water uphill, it's still lower carbon, because it delivers energy when it's most needed (during the Corrie ad break). So it doesn't generate any net electricity itself, but it does make the high carbon generation that bit more efficient.

But if they're using power from wind or wave or another hydro schemes to pump it back up the hill at night, then it's totally low carbon.

[M_Riaz]

Connecting seven proposed wind farms into the Scottish electricity network
South West Scotland Renewables Connection Project

A complex and challenging multi-disciplinary project to define, and assess the environmental effects of, a major energy infrastructure project of national importance

http://www.swsproject.com/

South West Scotland Renewables Connection Project
(SWS Project)

South West Scotland Renewables Connection Project
(SWS Project)
SP Transmission Ltd has made a series of applications under Section 37 of the Electricity Act 1989 and the Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1997, for a number of new overhead transmission lines and underground cables, with associated substation works, required to connect seven proposed wind farms to the electricity network. The seven wind farms requiring connection are: Kyle; Dersalloch; Brockloch Rig; Pencloe; Afton; Whiteside Hill and Ulzieside.

The SWS Project

The Project comprises a number of individual connections from the wind farms and also new SPT infrastructure required to collect the energy generated and then transport it back to the national electricity network. The individual connections and associated new substations are outlined below: