GREEN REVIEW
A Renewable Force for nearly 160 years
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enewable energy is often associated with new technology including wind and solar and has been in the public eye in recent years linked to government initiatives and feed in tariffs. thought when thinking about renewable energy, but it has been effectively producing re- newable power for hundreds of years and is now in the spotlight for a new genera- tion looking at the energy mix needed to meet targets. A company who has been at the forefront of the hydro in- dustry for nearly 160 years part in the regeneration of hydropower in Scotland is
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Gilbert Gilkes and Gordon Ltd (Gilkes). Established in 1853, Gilkes is an international company which designs and manufactures hydroelectric turbines in the UK and for over 80 countries around the world. The company moved to Kendal, Cumbria in 1856 and is still based on the same site to this day, but now have over 1000 units produced for the United Kingdom alone and as a result of the growth of hydroelectricity in the UK, Gilkes has recently opened a dedicated service centre in and existing customers in Scotland.
During the history of hydro- power Gilkes has been part
of some key events including producing the ‘Vortex’ reac- tion turbine in 1856 for Sir Crompton dynamo to pro- vide electric light to Cragside - vate house in the UK to have hydroelectric powered light- ing. Gilkes also produced a turbine for the Balmoral Es- tate, which was installed in 1927 for King George VI to provide motive power for the estate sawmill. This installa- tion itself was a rehabilitation of a previous Gilkes hydro in- stallation installed in 1900 for Queen Victoria.
Historically large houses, farms and remote commu- nities had a hydro turbine to generate electricity, back then
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