From 1st April 2008, organisations can apply for 50% of the cost for installing approved microgeneration technologies (1)

Grants for the installation of microgeneration technologies are available to public sector buildings (including schools, hospitals, housing associations and local authorities) and charitable bodies.

(1) The revised funding levels will not apply to projects that have submitted their application before the 1^st April 2008. For further questions please see BERR website

Green Grants Machine
where you can get information on all the latest funding schemes
to enable your company to become more environmentally friendly
Search our FREE green funding database to find grants, loans and awards available to help your business go green and save on energy bills.
You can also sign u to email alerts to let you know when new funding becomes available.

Renewable Energy

Green Renewable energy uses natural resources such as sunlight, wind, tides and geothermal heat, which are naturally replenished.

Why run your business on renewable energy?

Switching to a renewable energy source makes sound economic sense for your business.
Installing renewable equipment such as solar heating, a biomass boiler or a ground source heat pump can lower your operating costs. It is also an effective way to cut your carbon emissions.
Another benefit of using renewable energy is that it can improve your reputation as a socially responsible business. And upgrading to new equipment needn’t be expensive.

Did you know that you can get renewable energy Interest Free loans from the Carbon Trust?

They can offer an interest free loan to small or medium sized businesses to help cover the cost. You can borrow from £5,000 to £100,000 – with the repayments based on the savings- you stand to make by using less energy. for more info...

Solar Thermal - Solar Water Heating Collectors

Solar energy can be captured by solar panels. These panels absorb the energy from the sun and transfer it to heat water. Solar Power Solar water heating systems are the most popular form of solar energy used in the UK. The system is connected to the hot water system. Solar water heating systems can provide over half of a household's hot water requirements over the year. There are 2 types of solar water heating collector: flat plate and evacuated tubes.
More information on solar water heating collectors

Solar Electricity - Photovoltaic (PV) Panels

Solar energy can be captured by solar panels. Photovoltaic (PV) or solar electric panels transform the solar radiation directly into electricity. PV or solar electric offer the ability to generate electricity in a clean, quiet and renewable way. The variety of applications for solar electric are numerous. Photovoltaic (PV) cells are used in simple applications e.g. calculators and watches and also for domestic and larger applications. Large PV systems can be integrated into buildings to generate electricity for export to the national grid.
More information on photovoltaic (solar electric) panels

Biomass - Wood fuel/pellets burning stoves/boilers

In order not to increase the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere it is important that the wood burned as a fuel comes from sustainable sources. This means that as trees are felled to be use as a fuel, more trees should be planted. That way, the carbon released during the combustion of the wood is reabsorbed by the new trees growing and the process is carbon neutral. Wood can be used as logs, wood chip and wood pellets in wood/pellet burning stoves or wood chip/pellet boilers for space and water heating.
More information on wood heating

Heat from the Sun - Ground Source Heat Pumps

When the sun shines on the ground its heat energy is absorbed. Ground source heat pumps extract this energy, to use for space heating. So strictly speaking, the energy source that is used for ground source heat pumps is the sun and not the heat from the earth.
More information on ground source heat pump

Wind Power - Wind Turbines

The power of wind has been used for many years to produce mechanical power for milling grain and pumping water. In recent times wind turbine technology harness wind to generate electricity. The electricity is then exported either to the grid for use locally or to power a stand alone application. This renewable source of energy has great potential in both onshore and offshore wind farms. Wind power is one of the cleanest and safest of all the renewable commercial methods of generating electricity.
More information on wind power

Hydropower - Water Wheels

The energy potential of moving water has been harnessed for thousands of years, originally using water wheels to drive mills and machinery. Hydropower currently produces 2% of the UK electricity needs. Whilst most of this comes from large dam projects installed many years ago, there is still an untapped small hydropower potential in certain parts of the UK.
More information on hydropower

More information at National Energy Foundation
"Promoting a better use of energy to counter CLimate Change"

Eco Jargon Busting
Learn the meaning behind the eco words used in the energy world.

Funding news - 11/04/2008

Applications Invited For £4 Million Bio-Energy Grant Fund

Climate Change Minister Phil Woolas has announced a £4 million fund to support the installation of biomass-fuelled heating and combined heat and power projects, including anaerobic digesters.

Applications are invited from industrial, commercial and community sectors, which can include public and private limited companies, smaller business such as clubs shops or farms, offices, recycling centres, stately homes, larger businesses like breweries and airports, and schools, colleges, local authorities and charities.

Phil Woolas, said:

"We have to take serious steps to tackle climate change by reducing our carbon footprint. As almost half of our CO2 emissions are the result of heating buildings or water or for industrial processes, switching our dependence on fossil fuels to more energy efficient equipment makes sense.

"Funding to support the installation of biomass-fuelled heat boilers and combined heat and power plants can really make a difference and I invite all those who are eligible to apply."

Full details, including the guidance notes and application forms, are available at the Bio-energy Capital Grants website (opens a new window).

Defra (opens a new window).

Source: Defra, 09/04/08

http://www.defra.gov.uk/farm/crops/industrial/energy/capital-grants.htm

Fighting climate change in homes and communities

A range of initiatives to make homes greener were today set out by Environment Secretary Hilary Benn, who urged the need to take the fight against climate change into our homes and living rooms.

Part of the package includes the ACT ON CO₂ Advice Line – a one stop shop for free, tailored, impartial advice from the Energy Saving Trust on how to reduce your carbon footprint.

The Government is providing the Energy Saving Trust with more than £100 million over the next three years to deliver a broader programme for green homes. Over the next 12 months, a network of one stop advice centres will be rolled out across the country.

To demonstrate how communities can live a low carbon lifestyle the Green Neighbourhoods initiative will give a green makeover to up to 100 neighbourhoods in England with an aim to reduce their carbon footprints by more than 60 per cent.

This initiative will be delivered by the Energy Saving Trust and backed by potentially more than £10 million over the next three years from the Government’s domestic Environmental Transformation Fund.

To receive funding, neighbourhood groups will need to join together and commit substantial levels of funding from their own resources to help transform the environmental performance of a street or local area. This will demonstrate to others what can be achieved and how much money householders can save in the longer term by working together and taking a holistic approach to energy saving.

The CERT (Carbon Emissions Reduction Target) scheme, which came into effect yesterday, doubles previous obligations by energy companies to help people make their homes more energy efficient and reduce household emissions. The total investment is estimated at around £1 billion a year for three years. Forty per cent of the work to reduce emissions will be targeted at the over 70s and people on low incomes.

It is estimated that once all the measures are installed under the CERT scheme it will save 4.2MtCO₂/year – the equivalent of removing 1.45 million cars from the road.

· People can call the ACT ON CO₂ Advice line on 0800 512 012, or visit the Energy Saving Trust website at www.energysavingtrust.org.uk