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New initiative for public sector renewables development a welcome boost

£10 million Government backing for Carbon Trusts' 'Partnership for Renewables'

Wednesday 27 September 2006

BWEA, the UK’s leading renewable energy organisation, has welcomed the announcement of a new initiative from the Carbon Trust to increase the pace of development of renewables in the UK, which has been backed by £10 million funding from Defra.

The Carbon Trust's ‘Partnership for Renewables’ (PfR) will partner with private sector organisations to develop and manage onsite renewable energy projects with local authorities, health trusts and other public sector bodies. PfR plans to develop 500 MW of renewable projects, primarily 3-5 MW wind projects, over the next five years.

Meanwhile, as part of demonstrating Government’s leadership on sustainable energy and driving forward the carbon market, Environment Secretary David Milliband has announced £10 million funding for the scheme, commenting that this investment has the potential to unlock up to half a billion pounds in private investment, producing electricity equivalent to the needs of a quarter of a million homes at zero cost to the environment.

BWEA Chief Executive Maria McCaffery MBE added her welcome to the announcement, saying:

“This is will be welcome news to our members working in onshore wind who are leading the way in delivering the Government targets for renewable energy by 2010. There are many good examples of wind energy already developed on public sector land, at schools, hospitals and council buildings, and Partnerships for Renewables, aided by Defra’s support, will catalyse further development of this exciting new sector.”

Notes for editors

BWEA is the UK’s leading renewable energy association, with over 300 company members. Formed 28 years ago, BWEA is at the forefront of the development of the UK wind industry, representing the sector to Government, business, media and the public. Wind energy will be the single greatest contributor to the Government’s renewable energy targets with onshore wind alone delivering nearly half of the 2010 target.

See below for existing examples of public sector developments at schools, hospitals and councils.

The Carbon Trust works with UK business and the public sector to cut carbon emissions and develop commercial low carbon technologies.  The Partnership for Renewables (PfR) scheme will be run by Carbon Trust Enterprises Ltd ( a subsidiary of the Carbon Trust) and will partner with private sector organisations to plan, develop, construct and operate wind and other renewable energy projects on public sector land. For more information visit www.carbontrust.co.uk/enterprises or call the Carbon Trust on 0800 085 2005

The £10 million funding announced today to help fund the “Partnerships for Renewables” scheme will be divided equally across 2007/08 and 2008/09.  It forms part of the £20 million over two years announced in the 2006 Budget to help local authorities and others work in partnership with energy companies. 

Public sector developments:

Hospitals

County Antrim Area Hospital

  • Off the health facility’s campus is a 40ft wind turbine.
  • The turbine has generated more than 250,000 units of electricity.
  • Hospital hoping to save £90,000 a year (a quarter of their power bill).
  • Project cost £0.5m.  £100,000 of the money came from a grant.

Wansbeck General Hospital, Ashington, Northumberland,

  • The hospital was built in 1993 as a ‘low-energy’ hospital, with a wind-turbine situated in one of the car parks.
  • Won an award for ‘green building of the year’

Queen Elizabeth Hospital, King’s Lynn, Norfolk

  • Planning to install a wind turbine (announcement made in August 2006).
  • Decision was made in order to save costs, because of financial difficulties they are experiencing.
Councils

Kirklees Council Building (Civic Centre III), Huddersfield, West Yorkshire

  • Soon to be the first local authority in the country to install two wind turbines on the roof of the council buildings

(announcement made in July 2006).

  • The Civic Centre building already has solar panels, solar energy collectors heating water, so the wind turbines are to be installed as part of the final phase of a European-funded project called ‘ZEN’, which means Zero Emissions Neighbourhoods.’

Schools

Ashton Hayes Primary School, Chester

  • The school submitted a planning application this summer to install a wind turbine and solar panel.
  • The event is supported by the local Ashton Hayes ‘Going Carbon Neutral Project’, a village commitment to raise awareness of the environment and lower carbon dioxide emissions in the area.
  • The small wind turbine has been donated by Enterprise HBM and Windsave.

Nidderdale High School & Community College, Pateley Bridge near Harrogate

Nidderdale High School & Community College

  • Construction of the turbine was completed in July 2003.
  • The North Yorkshire County Council was approached by npower with the idea of siting a wind energy project.
  • The total cost of the project was £95,000, met entirely by grants.