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 eNews
Issue 420 Wednesday 16 September 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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VACANCY – Building Energy Specialist
We are looking to strengthen our technical capability by recruiting a Building Energy Specialist to build on our capacity to provide robust and innovative solutions that help 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, this could be the job for you.
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 the practical problems of:
- 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 a 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.
Verdantix Summit 2015: Getting Value from Investments in Energy Innovation. London. Thu 8 Oct
The Verdantix Summit will be attended by 250 senior managers and executives and will provide comprehensive analysis of all the key issues facing energy managers. The agenda covers: how to engage with finance, business case design, the changing role of utilities, demand response, ESOS, energy performance contracts, facility energy efficiency and post-election energy and carbon policy.
Greenbuild Expo/Buildings & Energy Efficiency Event. Manchester. Tue 10 – Wed 11 Nov
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.
The National Energy Foundation is actively involved over the two days:
- On the Tuesday, our Chief Executive, Kerry Mashford, will be at the awards dinner in her capacity as one of the judges.
- Also on the Tuesday, Luke Smith will be speaking on: ‘Integrating low-energy refurbishment in the social housing sector with day-to-day repairs and maintenance’.
- On the Wednesday, Kerry will give a presentation entitled: ‘Float your boat with operational energy use data’.
- Kerry will also be participating in the Performance Gap and Fuel Poverty debates later that day.
Hope to see you there!
EMEX. ExCel, London. Wed 11 – Thu 12 Nov
EMEX is for anyone wanting to reduce their organisation’s energy consumption and it connects energy users with leading experts, policy makers, suppliers and technical solutions. The EMEX marketplace includes a free-to-attend conference programme that helps attendees control energy costs, gain industry insights, source innovations, share knowledge and stay up-to-date with the latest and upcoming legislative changes and how these are affecting businesses in the UK. A speaker from the National Energy Foundation will be presenting - to be confirmed.
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Think again on FiT changes
Electronics giant, Panasonic, which is one of Britain's major suppliers of solar panels, asks the Government to think again on its proposed changes to Feed-in Tariff rates, likening it to “pushing the bird out of the nest before it can properly fly”.
Gloomy outlook for solar post-FiT changes
Friends of the Earth reckons that the Government’s proposed cuts to Feed-in Tariffs could cost the industry 20,000 jobs and could prevent more than 1GW of solar power being installed annually.
Solar ‘slash and burn’
The Government is accused of anti-renewable 'slash and burn' in favour of expensive nuclear, fracking and one-off projects such as the Swansea Bay tidal lagoon scheme.
FiT pre-accreditation abolished
After consultation on the subject, the Government is to remove the ability to pre-accredit under the Feed-in Tariff scheme as of 1 October 2015.
FiT pre-accreditation – industry reacts
The solar industry reacts after the Government decides to axe (at short notice) the ability to pre-accredit under the Feed-in-Tariff scheme.
Scotland squares up to the Chancellor
20 Scottish academics, business leaders and professionals sign an open letter to Nicola Sturgeon urging her to reject the UK Government’s recent change of policy on zero-carbon homes.
20 local authority fuel poverty projects awarded £25m
More than 7,000 households across England are to benefit from the Government’s £25 million Central Heating Fund, the aim of which is to help tackle fuel poverty by supporting people living in homes that are not connected to the gas grid.
Latest smart meter statistics
Smart meter installation figures are released by DECC for Q2 2015. The numbers show that installations are beginning to pick up with an estimated total of 1,327,400 domestic smart meters having been installed up to 30 June 2015 by the larger energy suppliers.
Spending on Green Deal marketing
A Freedom of Information request reveals that DECC spent a total of just £6 million on publicising the Green Deal scheme throughout its life; a figure that represents less than 3% of the department’s energy efficiency budget.
Revised energy labelling in the offing
The EU Commission proposes a revised, single 'A to G' energy efficiency labelling system and suggests that all new products placed on the EU market are registered on an online database, thereby allowing greater transparency and easier policing by national authorities.
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Bring in a protected energy tariff
Labour calls on the Government to introduce a protected energy tariff for vulnerable customers – set by the regulator and aimed at those least likely to switch - and to bring to an end £1 billion of overcharging consumers.
Big Switch Event 3
The Money Saving Expert website launches its Big Switch Event 3 collective switching scheme. The public can sign up for market-leading gas and electricity deals, the closing date for which is 10pm on Thursday 17 September.
Big switch away from Big 6
A collective switching scheme prompts thousands of customers to desert the Big Six energy companies and move to renewable energy.
Gas goes down in Belfast
SSE Airtricity, a gas supply company serving greater Belfast, is to cut prices by 10% as of 1 October. This is on top of an earlier 8% price reduction in April.
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Retrofitting – reducing energy consumption and saving money
Retrofitting is one of the best ways of reducing energy consumption and saving money, and has the potential to save UK businesses between £3 billion and £5 billion a year.
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Reducing energy consumption of industrial robots
Swedish researchers have developed movement optimization techniques that could reduce the energy consumption of industrial robots by up to 40%.
PV mounting for biodiverse or extensive green roofs
A flat roof manufacturer launches a revolutionary solar PV mounting system for biodiverse or extensive green roofs. The system maximises both the energy output from the PV module and the footprint for the green roof.
Solar windows ready to go to market
The technology to make windows in buildings generate a small amount of solar power is ready for production.
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Calibrated modelling appears on the radar
Linking together all operational data streams from a building with other available external data sources and 3D analysis models, calibrated modelling can produce more accurate predictions of a building’s energy use.
How to Charge for Communal Heating
A new guide is launched that includes advice on new regulations and recommendations for metering and billing. It also covers the steps community and district heating suppliers should take to develop compliant metering systems that adhere to best practice and could help reduce energy bills.
Municipal energy - ensuring councils plan, manage and deliver on local energy
A leading local government think-tank calls for a different future for the UK’s energy markets by placing municipal energy, through local council schemes, at the heart of a fairer and greener energy market.
Robin Hood gives to the (fuel) poor
Nottingham City Council launches a not-for-profit power company, the first such council-owned energy supplier since the market was nationalised in 1948.
Big Six really committed to green?
The commitment of the Big Six energy companies to tackle climate change is called into question after they abandon their green electricity tariffs and it’s revealed that they use more coal to generate their electricity.
Thermal bridges explained
What are thermal bridges and how do they have a measurable impact on energy efficiency and thermal comfort?
Multiple benefits of energy efficiency
An overview of the literature on how to quantify the multiple benefits of energy efficiency in Europe.
Improved energy bill modelling makes mortgage affordability calculations more accurate
How mortgage lenders could estimate energy costs better and improve on those currently used in mortgage affordability calculations, thereby allowing them to better manage the risks associated with their lending, and also help prospective purchasers to better understand the real costs of the property they are about to purchase.
The latest on thermodynamic panels
Recent independent testing suggests that thermodynamic panels (which are a source of green energy providing hot water) aren't as efficient as previously thought, so are they really worth it?
Policing estate agents by the toolkit
A local authority in Wales launches a new Trading Standards toolkit to beef up the policing of estate agents, including any failure to comply with EPC regulations.
Controlling your restaurant's summer energy costs
The summer brings increased energy consumption for restaurants and it can account for as much as 8% of monthly operating expenses. However, effective technology solutions provide an opportunity to keep costs under control and increase the bottom line.
St Barts saves energy to improve care
London’s St Bartholomew’s Hospital - Europe's oldest - gets a green energy upgrade in order to cut emissions and reduce costs, with the savings going into patient care.
Family theme park continues investment in energy efficiency
Lightwater Valley theme park in Ripon continues its energy efficiency drive with the installation of carbon-neutral biomass boilers, resulting in energy savings of around £130,000.
Passiv youth haustel
Work is to begin on building a new youth hostel, which will be the largest Passivhaus building in Gloucestershire.
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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.
Powering Knowledge. London. Thu 1 Oct
A British Photovoltaic Association conference aiming to bring together Government Ministers, policy makers, the UK education sector representatives (Headmasters, Head teachers, Bursars, Facility Managers), local authorities , financiers, investors and key-players in the solar industry to discuss opportunities and barriers in deploying solar on schools.
The agenda will cover:
- Policy.
- UK market update and opportunities for the education sector.
- Technology, innovation, products and development.
- Case studies from solar schools.
- Financial solutions.
- Legal and planning.
ESOS Implementation. London. Thu 8 Oct
This free CBx evening event focuses on industry uptake of the Energy Savings Opportunity Scheme. Hear from Keith Brierley, Senior Advisor at the Environment Agency, on the implementation of ESOS so far and the learning outcomes from the process. University College London will present research on Energy Audits in complex buildings and the speakers will be joined by industry experts for a panel discussion.
Addressing the Retrofit Performance Gap. London. Wed 14 Oct
This Sustainable Homes national conference brings together experts from the sector to discuss the issues around the ‘performance gap’ and how to address them:
- Commissioning more effectively to reduce risk.
- Managing installations and ensuring quality.
- Demanding more from contractors.
- Ensuring residents and landlords maximise savings.
Retrofit and the Performance Gap. Salford. Wed 3 Dec
This Retrofit Innovation Network event will discuss what the ‘performance gap’ is, how it is shown in buildings and what issues we need to think about to ensure we deliver energy efficient buildings.
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