NEWS
540 WELSH HOMES MORE ENERGY EFFICIENT Social landlords to promote Green Deal scheme
funding of almost £5.3m announced by Environment Minister, John Griffiths. Installation work is expected to be completed by July.
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Some of the properties will be used as demonstration homes, to show people how the Green Deal scheme could help them make similar improvements to their own home.
The Green Deal scheme helps people make energy home improvements, like fitting insulation and double glazing, to make their home more comfortable and to help to reduce energy bills. It lets the homeowner pay for some or all of the improvements over time through their electricity bill. Repayments will be no more than what a typical household should save in energy costs – so the short term bill will be no higher than current levels but will have longer term savings. Minister John Griffiths said: “A continuing upward trend in fuel prices has a direct effect on fuel poverty and means we must do all we can to ensure that Welsh homes are fit for the future and more efficient for people to keep warm. “The UK Government’s welfare reforms will have a huge and damaging effect on Wales, hitting the most vulnerable in our communities through to low-middle income families.
homes on 13 social housing estates are having money saving, energy efficient improvements thanks to
“We are committed to taking action that makes a real, sustainable difference to people across Wales. Some of the homes being fitted out with these improvements will be open to the public, offering a good opportunity for people to see how their own home could benefit from similar improvements. “The Green Deal scheme is an example of sustainability in action – it brings social benefits, it supports the economy and it protects our environment.” Thirteen projects will receive grants of between £45,000 and £780,000. Installation of improvements will be done by Welsh-based firms, or those that have offices here, helping to sustain Wales’ growing green economy A total of £2,379,249 is being granted to thirteen projects. The Welsh Government is providing £1,732,249.5 and £647,000 is coming from the UK Government’s Department of Energy & Climate Change. The rest of the funds are provided by social landlords, and through the new ECO scheme for energy companies. The registered social landlords receiving funds are: Coastal Housing, Melin Homes, United Welsh, Merthyr Valleys Homes, Cartrefi Cymunedol Gwynedd, Bron Afon, Aelwyd, Cartrefi Conwy, West Wales Housing Association, RCT Homes and Family Homes.
It is not possible to list the properties due to benefit by area as some landlords operate over a number of local authorities.
www.gov.uk/green-deal-energy-saving- measures
• news • news • news • news • news • news • news • STREAMLINE
EVALUATES VOLTAGE OPTIMISATION EFFICIENCY IN NHS HOSPITAL Streamline Power has been awarded a research grant to determine the effectiveness of ultra-low voltage optimisation as an energy efficiency measure.
This is one of six research projects designed to maximise energy savings in UK buildings, funded in the first wave of the ‘Invest in Innovative Refurbishment’ programme, funded by the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) and supported by the UK’s innovation agency, the Technology Strategy Board. The research has three
goals: • To improve public understanding of voltage optimisation
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• To help buyers specify and select the most appropriate voltage optimisation equipment for their facilities
• To increase energy savings in non-domestic buildings
The project will reduce voltage lower than is the norm in two separate buildings (one old and one new) and examine the performance of electrical equipment in low voltage conditions. Streamline Power will assess how low the voltage can be reduced safely and whether energy savings can be increased significantly by taking the voltage down to the legal minimum. The live research on working buildings will be supplemented by laboratory testing on a range of electrical equipment at the Tony Davies High Voltage
PUBLIC SECTOR SUSTAINABILITY • VOLUME 3 ISSUE 3
Laboratory (University of Southampton), which will also begin examining the effects of stable, low voltage on electrical equipment life. For updates as the research progresses, follow @VO_Research_UK on Twitter. Call Streamline Power on 02381 230230 for more information on the project.
HIGHER PROFILE FOR LOCAL AUTHORITIES NEEDED TO TACKLE CLIMATE CHANGE A lack of focus on the role of local authorities in tackling climate change has been highlighted in a report published by the Scottish Parliament’s Local Government and
Regeneration Committee. The report, which examines the Scottish Government’s plans to tackle climate change in the coming years – known
as the Draft Second Climate Change Report on Proposals and Policies (RPP2) – notes the part which local authorities play both as consumers and suppliers of services.
The Committee also noted the key role which local authorities have in influencing behaviour and it called on the Scottish Government to ensure that the role of local authorities in tackling climate change is properly recognised.
RPP2 was published by the Scottish Government in January 2013 and sets out how the Scottish Government will meet climate change targets from 2013-2027. A copy of the Committee’s report can be found at:
www.scottish.parliament.uk/ parliamentarybusiness/Curr entCommittees/
29852.aspx
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