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 eNews
Issue 418 Wednesday 19 August 2015
If you know someone who might be interested in receiving eNews, please forward this issue and suggest that they register here
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VACANCIES – Energy Specialist and Senior Energy Specialist
The National Energy Foundation is looking to strengthen its technical capability by recruiting an Energy Specialist and a Senior Energy Specialist (Non-domestic). The roles will build on our capacity to provide robust and innovative solutions that help to improve the use of energy in both non-domestic and domestic buildings. If you’re enthusiastic and self-motivated with excellent written and verbal communication skills and want to make a difference in the use of energy and the comfort of existing and new buildings, these jobs could be for you.
VACANCY - Volunteer Winter Project Officer (SuperHomes)
This is a three-month work placement with the SuperHomes project. The Volunteer Winter Project Officer will get hands-on experience of the type of behind-the-scenes coordination required to run a successful national event (SuperHome Open Days) and a popular content-rich website.
SuperHome 200 has arrived!
By reducing their home’s carbon emissions by 62% Sue Roberts and Richard Harding of Wallingford have qualified Glebe House for SuperHome status. SuperHomes are older homes refurbished by their owners for greater comfort, lower bills and far lower carbon emissions - at least 60% lower! Sue and Richard’s beautifully refurbished 1960s property joins the ever-growing network of green homes, 60 of which will open to the public this September as part of SuperHome Open Days. Book a SuperHome visit now.
40% DISCOUNT. Energy Performance in Property 2015. London. Fri 25 Sep
Aimed at those responsible for energy performance in property, this 2degrees masterclass focuses on working together to solve practical problems – in this case:
- How to get your CFO and senior management to take energy performance seriously.
- How to write the killer business case (including a take away-copy of a practical ‘how to’ guide).
Tickets at 40% discount are available to readers of eNews who are property owners/occupiers looking to improve their own buildings’ energy performance (rather than solution providers, consultants, etc). Book a ticket. If you register before 25 August, you qualify for 40% off the ‘Early Bird’ ticket price, which means you can attend for £150.
Greenbuild Expo returns alongside new show, Buildings & Energy Efficiency
This year, Greenbuild Expo 2015 will run alongside the new Buildings & Energy Efficiency (B&EE) Event, a show dedicated to helping businesses meet their energy efficiency objectives. Greenbuild Expo will continue its emphasis on promoting sustainable building practices and tackling some of the important issues of our time, such as building high-quality and sustainable housing, refurbishing the current stock and eradicating fuel poverty.
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Replacement Green Deal by Autumn
The Government has promised that a new energy efficiency scheme (a replacement for the Green Deal) will be in place in time for the upcoming Autumn spending review.
Government responds to CMA report
“Our number one priority is to keep bills down for hardworking families and businesses across the country” says the Government in its response to the Competition and Markets Authority’s provisional findings on the state of the UK energy market.
Public attitudes tracked
DECC releases the data from the 14th wave of its public attitudes tracking survey – what the public thinks on renewable energy, energy bills and saving energy.
'A catastrophe from start to finish'
A look back at the Green Deal and how it went from the most “ambitious home improvement programme since the Second World War” to being an over-complicated scheme which was ditched by the Government at short notice.
Businesses to miss ESOS deadline?
Research indicates that 73% of companies that qualify for ESOS have yet to start mandatory audits, and 63% are still to appoint a Lead Assessor.
Latest DECC organogram
An overview of the department’s top level structure and its senior team leaders.
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Fuel poverty schemes surveyed
Having commissioned National Energy Action to undertake online research in December 2014, DECC publishes a catalogue of 75 local health-related fuel poverty schemes in England and Wales.
Latest fuel poverty statistics
What the latest fuel poverty statistics (from 2013) tell us about our homes.
Public confusion on energy bills
A recent Uswitch survey finds that there’s widespread confusion and ignorance among consumers regarding their energy bills, with one in three not reading them and simply paying up.
Home energy saving - digitally
An online interactive 3D house provides a tour of how homeowners can save energy room by room.
A plan for tackling fuel poverty in Scotland
The Scottish government having recently committed to making energy efficiency a national infrastructure priority, this article looks at what Scotland can do to upgrade 130,000 per year and eradicate fuel poverty by 2025.
'Better light with less energy'
A cartoon look at saving energy at home with energy efficient light bulbs.
MarketWatch
A Europe-wide campaign to identify the manufacturers and retailers of household appliances that are failing to follow EU energy regulations, thereby depriving consumers of the energy savings they think they are getting, pushing up energy bills and adding to global warming.
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Retrofit for London
The Mayor of London launches a public sector housing retrofit scheme that could deliver up to £1.6 billion of home energy upgrades and improvements and lower energy bills in the capital.
Retrofit impact surveyed
Research is released on the impact on the local community of a large retrofit programme on 754 flats in three 23-storey tower blocks in London.
Lower bills for Sheffield council tenants
Council tenants in Sheffield are set to save more than £1.4 million a year on their heating bills after 6,000 heat meters are installed in homes served by a district heating system.
Bills cut for Westward
Savings from the first phase of a PV programme are in store for Westward tenants in Devon and Cornwall with a second phase planned.
PV for cathedral
Historic Gloucester Cathedral is to install 180 roof-top solar panels as part of a £6 million energy efficiency scheme.
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EnerGAware
A downloadable energy game is planned to increase energy efficiency awareness and behaviour change in social housing.
Energy storage prediction
As the market in battery energy storage begins to gather momentum, an international 'megashift' is predicted within the next 10 years.
Butterfly lessons to boost PV
Researchers at Exeter University look at mimicking the structure of the white cabbage butterfly's wings as a way of boosting output of solar panels by up to 50%.
Kite power
A British former yacht designer and his team are undertaking an ambitious project, the aim of which is to fly huge formations of kites over the sea to generate clean, affordable electricity.
Google advises on PV
Google Maps launches a service in certain parts of the US that tells you if it’s worth installing solar panels on your roof, with a roll-out across the country planned.
LED GPS comes to retail
A French supermarket is an example of how lighting is becoming part of the “internet of things” with LED bulbs being able to send location signals to customers’ or visitors’ phones, directing them to where they want to go.
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Corbyn’s policies
In a recent interview, Jeremy Corbyn discusses his belief in re-nationalisation of both the Big Six energy companies and the national grid, and his support for distributed energy and PV.
Lots of negatives for Npower
Npower’s profits fall by 60% on the back of billing problems, soaring complaints and the loss of 300,000 customers over the past year.
Cooperative Energy under pressure
Cooperative Energy also experiences customer service problems as it struggles with billing issues, mounting complaints and a website that won't accept meter readings.
'People have the power'
41 projects relating to the energy efficiency of products that have been funded through the Intelligent Energy Europe programme and which are making a difference to consumers.
'Modernising Building Energy Codes'
With buildings accounting for over 40% of primary energy consumption in some countries, this International Energy Agency report examines the action needed to improve energy efficiency in buildings in order to secure a global energy future.
0% energy efficiency business loans
Interest-free loans are available to businesses in Wales and Northern Ireland for energy efficient equipment and renewable technologies.
CHP moving up a level
New developments make CHP easier to implement and a more attractive option for building types not previously considered.
Teesside goes big on biomass
The world's largest CHP biomass plant (costing £424 million and with a capacity of 299 MW) is planned for near Middlesborough.
Tech start-ups pave the way for smart London
The Canary Wharf Group is laying the foundations for a smarter London by supporting technology start-ups that could revolutionise the efficiency of buildings across the capital.
Energy saved at corporate HQ
A short film on how Mitsubishi Electric used a range of modern energy saving measures and technology to take its 1980s headquarters building from an E to a B energy rating.
Social media giant commits to renewables 100%
Facebook is to use renewable energy to power 50% of its data centre operations by the end 2018 with the long-term aim to increase this to 100%.
Worldwide computer company goes for wind energy
Another big corporate invests in green energy as the global computer giant HP agrees a 12-year power purchase agreement for wind power for its data centre operations in Texas.
Historic university commits to green
The University of Cambridge launches its green vision with the intention of cutting its carbon emissions by 34%, as well as its use of energy and water, by 2020.
Whiskey factory goes green with AD
Global drinks firm Diageo is to generate two million cubic metres of biogas per year from its whiskey factory in Scotland, thanks to a new anaerobic digestion plant.
‘Linking Heat and Electricity Systems’
An International Energy Agency report looks at the role of co‐generation and district heating and cooling solutions for a clean energy future.
IKEA sales go totally LED
All the lightbulbs sold by IKEA worldwide (which currently number over 2.3 million per annum in the UK alone) will be LED from September.
Solar carport
The UK's largest solar carport (448 panels) goes live at a redesigned leisure centre in Nottingham.
The UK’s greenest house?
A ground-breaking new-build house in North Yorkshire uses renewable energy to generate enough electricity for itself as well as two other homes.
'Building on the Past'
A research project at Durham University looks into the relationship between culture, heritage and energy efficiency in older buildings.
Further potential of CHP
As the number of CHP schemes increases, this underexploited source of electricity could make an even bigger contribution to the production of UK electricity than the 6% it produced in 2014.
Business Energy Challenge awards
With small businesses accounting for around 99.8% of all businesses in London, the Mayor’s Business Energy Challenge recognises the excellent, innovative activities undertaken by London’s energy-conscious small businesses. Closing date: Wed 30 September.
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CAN training-day conference. Islington Assembly Hall, London. Wed 2 Sep
How Green is our Government? What the new Government’s policies mean for domestic energy efficiency, fuel poverty and climate change.
Fuel poverty: our vision for the future. Sheffield. Mon 14 – Wed 16 Sep
NEA Annual Conference focussing on six vision statements. Expert panels of speakers will explore each of these in turn, drawing upon the experience of those attending the conference.
Constructing quality homes to save lifetime costs and create better environments. London. Wed 16 Sep
This one-day Building4Quality conference will help delegates understand:
- The market for quality, low-carbon homes.
- Effective design approaches.
- How to engage the supply chain.
- Approaches to bridging the skills gap.
- Low-carbon design.
Low energy masterclasses
These free Zero Carbon Hub events will provide delegates with the latest policy updates and practical support to deliver energy-efficient new homes. They will look at commercially viable, practical examples to help deliver homes to current and future regulations. Attendees will also receive a copy of the ZCH good practice Builders’ Book, which is an easy-to-read guide on improving site processes, reducing risk and constructing high-quality, healthy homes.
Building Better Buildings. Manchester. Wed 23 Sep. 9:30 – 12:30
Join the Zero Carbon Hub and Innovate UK at this free event at the Manchester School of Architecture. The event, in collaboration with a number of leading industry partners, promises to demystify the Performance Gap and highlight the latest learning from local domestic and non-domestic Building Performance Evaluation projects.
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