Energy & Environmental Management articles from March 2003

Energy & Environmental Management archives from March 2003

White paper, green vision ... the low carbon future. (News).(Energy White Paper)
March 1, 2003... February 24--'Green Monday'--saw the Government finally publish its Energy White Paper. "The UK will lead the world in developing cleaner, greener energy to benefit generations to come," lauded DTI Secretary Patricia Hewitt. Immediately...

Fresh focus on results. (News).(sustainable development report)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... The Government's third annual report on sustainable development--Achieving a Better Quality of Life--reveals mixed results. Secretary of State Margaret Beckett said: "Now is the time to step up all our efforts--we still have much to do." ...

Good business strategy. (News).(corporate social responsibility)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... The Government will develop a strategy to promote sustainable production and consumption to combat environmental damage and boost economic efficiency, Environment Secretary Margaret Beckett has said. Speaking at a conference on corporate social...

Readers' survey. (News).
March 1, 2003... Many of the recent changes to this magazine were stimulated by a telephone survey of readers, and February's Energy White Paper is an appropriate point to review again where the magazine is going. This issue therefore includes a pull-out survey...

Retail chief is EST choice. (News).(Philip Sellwood appointed chief of Energy Saving Trust)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Philip Sellwood, 49, an executive with Marks & Spencer for more than 20 years, is the new chief of the Energy Saving Trust. He was chosen from more than 150 applicants and succeeds Dr Eoin Lees. Among Sellwood's achievements at M&S were the...

The Prime Minister showed his commitment to putting sustainable development at the heart of Government policy and hailed a "step change in the UK's energy strategy over the next 50 years" with the launch of the third annual Quality of Life Report and the Energy White Paper. (News).(Tony Blair)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... The Prime Minister showed his commitment to putting sustainable development at the heart of Government policy and hailed a "step change in the UK's energy strategy over the next 50 years" with the launch of the third annual Quality of Life...

70m [pounds sterling] for innovation. (News).(Carbon Trust's Low Carbon Innovation Programme)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Tony Blair announced a 70 million [pounds sterling] investment injection in low carbon projects through the Carbon Trust's Low Carbon Innovation Programme. Examples are: * Carbon Vision--14m [pounds sterling] for R&D into low carbon...

Call to action. (News).(ministerial group for Energy White Paper)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Environment Secretary Margaret Beckett and Trade Secretary Patricia Hewitt will co-chair a new ministerial group which will oversee the Energy White Paper's implementation, backed by "a new Sustainable Energy Policy Network, bringing together...

Emissions market growing. (News).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... The voluntary UK carbon emissions market has seen 6 million [pounds sterling] of trade since starting last April--accounting for 1.2m tonnes of C[O.sub.2] equivalent. The scheme enables companies that cut emissions above Government-agreed...

New wind chief. (News).(Alan Moore new chairman of the British Wind Energy Association)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Alan Moore, managing director of National Wind Power, has been elected chairman of the British Wind Energy Association which represents more than 236 companies active in the wind industry, including almost all wind farms now generating...

Gas traps--new study. (News).(research carbon dioxide)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... The Department of Trade and Industry has commissioned Future Energy Solutions to study carbon dioxide (C[O.sub.2]) capture and storage in the UK. The gas can be used to enhance the recovery of oil and gas from nearly depleted underground...

Next stage for communities. (News).(Sustainable Communities Programme)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... The innovative Sustainable Communities Programme came to an end on 31 January after three years, having worked with 60 community groups, contributing to the building of community centres, numerous community rooms and gardens, setting up...

New funds for incubators. (News).(new funding for low carbon technology incubators from the Carbon Trust)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Low carbon technology incubators in the UK may benefit from new funding following a call for outline expressions of interest from the Carbon Trust. Organisations such as universities, science parks and established business incubation centres,...

Rewiring Britain--the challenge. (Energy News).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Britain's new energy policy and the expectation that more and more renewables will be installed means that there are unprecendented challenges for getting electricity from its place of generation to where it is needed. This is particularly the...

Plugging the holes in the grid. (Energy News).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... On average, 7% of all electricity that is transported across the networks is lost each year--that's 12 [pounds sterling] of the average customers' bill. Ofgem has set out three possible ways to reduce these losses, totalling 600m [pounds...

The knowledge is out there. (Web Directory).(useful web sites)
March 1, 2003... Energy efficiency (cont.) www.esta.org.uk/ The Energy Systems Trading Association focuses on demand side energy efficiency in buildings, building services and process services. www.natenergy.org.uk/ The National Energy Foundation helps...

Britain seeks sea power again. (Renewables).(developing tidal power)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... The UK could become a major sea power again, as the Government is funding more research and development in tide and wave power. Inverness-based Wavegen is getting 2.1 million [pounds sterling] to develop a larger wave energy prototype,...

High-rise Flats.(wind farm being constructed)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Britain's third offshore wind farm development, 8km off the North Wales coast, which will produce enough electricity to power 50,000 homes, has been given the go-ahead. Once completed, the Rhyl Flats wind farm will comprise up to 30 turbines,...

Hot rocks.(report of the Geothermal Energy Association )(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Geothermal energy production has expanded 50% over the past decade and is now serving over 47m people worldwide, according to the U.S. Geothermal Energy Association (GEA). At the beginning of the century, 21 countries produced electricity this...

100m [pounds sterling] four renewables. (Renewables).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Any household or not-for-profit organisation in England and Wales can now apply for a new grant to fund the installation of renewable energy. The scheme covers solar thermal (or solar hot water), wind, small-scale hydro, biomass (automated wood...

Wind energy landmark. (Renewables).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... The wind blew in January on the 1,000th turbine to be commissioned in the UK. The UK's achievement was celebrated by the British Wind Energy Association (BWEA), but is modest by comparison with Germany's almost 14,000 machines and Denmark's...

New landfill criteria. (EU News).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Strict new maximum pollution leaching limits will apply to landfilled wastes, as now agreed by the EU for implementation of the 1999 landfill directive. The limits apply to the three different types of waste dumped in landfill: hazardous,...

Solar soaring. (EU News).(increase usage of solar collectors )(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... The number of solar thermal collectors installed in Europe tripled in the past decade, according to the European Renewable Energy Council. The total capacity in Europe by 2000 was 10.9m [m.sup.2]. Germany leads with 3.3m [m.sup.2].

Buildings efficiency--major changes on the way. (EU News).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... The new EU Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPD), published in January, has far-reaching implications for the owners, operators and developers of buildings in the UK. It should become law within three years. Key provisions of the...

Newcastle quickly up to speed. (Transport News).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Get 'Up to Speed'--that's the message of a new TransportEnergy campaign aimed at encouraging public sector organisations to switch to clean fuels and use emission reduction technologies, in the way that Newcastle City Council is doing. ...

Low price gas. (Transport News).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Petrol prices are rising, so it's now even more sensible to convert vehicles to run on liquefied petroleum gas, says Energy Minister Brian Wilson. "LPG is half the price of petrol. It emits fewer greenhouse gases and is therefore one of the...

Lower sulphur for latest road fuel. (Transport News).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Much lower amounts of sulphur in petrol and diesel will be permitted by 2005, with a total phase in of "sulphur free" fuels by 2009, the European Parliament has said. There will be a maximum level of 50 parts per million by January 1, 2005,...

Life cycle advice for SMEs. (Environment).(small and medium sized enterprises and environmental law)
March 1, 2003... Small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) in the electrical and electronic equipment sectors were invited in February by the Environment Agency to receive expert help in producing Life Cycle Assessments (LCA) for products that they manufacture...

Housing awards for Leeds. (Environment).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Leeds City Council's Department of Housing and Environmental Services has won two of the 10 annual National Home Improvement Council's (NHIC) awards. The first award was for Prescription for Health, a scheme to reduce the number of people...

Ignorant of law. (Environment).(survey of environmental law abuses)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Most small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the UK ignore environmental law, according to a survey carried out for NetRegs, and must pull their socks up. They may generate about 60% of commercial waste and cause 80% of pollution...

The energy to deliver solutions. (Energy: Advertisement Feature).(services of Elyo (UK) Industrial)(Advertisement)
March 1, 2003... Elyo (UK) Industrial are leading the way in delivering a diverse range of energy and utility service solutions for industrial companies. The acquisition of BP Energy last year now puts them in a leading position in the industrial marketplace....

60m [pounds sterling] invested in sustainable education: Cornwall, home of the Eden Project, is undergoing a renaissance, and sees itself as becoming a beacon for the sustainablility sector. This is reflected in a new educational development that builds for the future ... (Feature).
March 1, 2003... A transformation in higher education is underway in Cornwall. The European Union and the UK government have invested more than 60 million [pounds sterling] in new higher education facilities in the county, including a state-of-the-art...

Environmental management--from Acorns to a new British Standard: the Acorn trust. (Best Practice).
March 1, 2003... Any organisation attempting to grapple with the complexities of environmental management must do so within the context of a range of other pressing business issues--for example, managing the day to day operations and winning new orders. ...

Builders leave home buyers in the dark. (Best Practice).(are not giving homebuyers enough information about energy efficiency of new homes)
March 1, 2003... Homebuyers are not being given the information they need and are legally entitled to about the energy efficiency of brand new homes, according to the National Energy Services (NES) and De Montfort University. Undercover researchers...

Worst practice guide: a second extract from John Pooley's 'Worst Practice' Guide to energy and environmental management which appears in full at www.oursouthwest.com. (Feature).
March 1, 2003... 6. Planning Environmental management is like any other management technique. It needs structure and it needs planning. So if we are to excel in bad practice we need to know how to tackle planning issues. Key worst practice guidance:...

Peterborough: developing environmental capital: Peterborough is home to a substantial, growing cluster of environmentally orientated businesses and organisations. (Focus on Peterborough: Advertisement Feature).
March 1, 2003... Since the early 1980s--when Greater Peterborough began attracting and encouraging into the area businesses that offer real, distinct environmental value--its credibility as a national centre for environmental expertise and capability has grown...

Closing the loop on WEEE: Peterborough City Council's waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) reprocessing facility will be up and running from April 2003--two years ahead of implementation of the WEEE Directive in the UK. (Focus on Peterborough).
March 1, 2003... The scheme (initially stimulated by Encluster) will provide separate collection services for old electrical and electronic items from domestic properties and retail stores and will monitor the cost effectiveness of these and other methods of...

Leading the way ... (Focus on Peterborough).(companies in Peterborough England's environment cluster offer various products and skills)
March 1, 2003... From biodegradable plastics production to combustion technology research, the companies in Peterborough's environment cluster offer products and skills which are being exported around the world. There are a number of companies with...

Developing a green building standard. (Focus on Peterborough).(Interview)
March 1, 2003... Peterborough architectural specification consultancy, ASWS, is currently developing a proprietary tool for the construction industry, the National Green Specification (NGS), with BRE and other partners. Its chief proponent, Brian Murphy,...

Renewable energy. (Focus on Peterborough).(Peter Brotherhood Ltd.)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Peterborough-based Peter Brotherhood was the first British company to manufacture a megawatt-class wind turbine--which is installed in Northern Ireland. The company has over IGW of installed waste-to-energy steam turbines worldwide which...

Peterborough's specialist shares renewable energy know-how with America. (Focus on Peterborough).(Ian Arbon)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... A key figure in the Greater Peterborough environment sector is a distinguished lecturer in the American Society of Mechanical Engineers lecture programme--the first European-based member ever to be selected for the programme. Ian Arbon,...

Supporting joined--up thinking: Peterborough Environment City Trust (PECT) was set up in 1992 to implement practically Peterborough's Environment City status. It is building on its considerable reputation with a number of new, innovative projects. (Focus on Peterborough).
March 1, 2003... The Greener Futures project was devised by PECT along with the Environment Agency and will set up a national framework for providing sustainability education and data. Greener Futures is a web-based educational resource for schools. It is...

Supply chain innovation is the key: energy efficiency--a pre-condition for business survival. (Best Practice).
March 1, 2003... Energy use in much of the UK's manufacturing industry is inefficient and wastes profits. However, an increasing number of businesses have recognised that energy efficiency is not only an important financial element of cost-reduction and...

Fridges on the move. (Feature).(the UK is reporting a reduction of the backlog of stored fridges and freezers)
March 1, 2003... The end is in sight for the UK's fridge mountains. As specialist recycling facilities are coming on-line across the country, and the backlog of stored fridges and freezers begins to decline, the Government can reflect on the lessons learned....

Going forward with low carbon technologies. (Feature).(a discussion of Carbon Trust's research study)
March 1, 2003... In January this year, Carbon Trust published a research study identifying those technologies which, it believes, offer the greatest UK carbon-saving potential in the short-to-medium term, and also where investment, through Carbon Trust's Low...

Addressing agenda 21.(government's grants for photovoltaic systems excessively large)
March 1, 2003... Energy policy has been in the news recently, with the announcement of the Clear Skies Initiative and with the Government deciding that we should not build any more nuclear power stations at least for the time being, welcome these policies but I...

Incineration--time to comply. (Feature).(Waste Incineration Regulations)
March 1, 2003... The Waste Incineration Regulations came into force on 28 December 2002. Together with directions issued at the same time to the Environment Agency and the Local Authorities, who are the regulators, they transpose the Waste Incineration...

Events diary. (Resources).(Calendar)
March 1, 2003... 13-16 (March: International Sustainability Indicators Network (ISIN), second annual meeting, Toronto, Canada 19 March: Monitoring and Targeting conference, Hilton Coventry, organised by ESTA, sponsored by Carbon Trust. Topics include impact...

Upgrading your computers. (Resources).(Computer Aid International ships old computers to developing countries)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Every year in the UK 1.5 million computers are dumped in landfill sites and 1.5 million more kept in storage unused. Yet in the developing world 99% of schoolchildren graduate from high school not having seen or touched a computer in the...

Join the et2003 debate. (Resources).(a discussion of the et2003 environmental technology and management services exhibition)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Some of the leading figures in the environmental arena will be taking part in a debate on the opening day of et2003 (8-10 April), the UK's premier environmental technology and management services exhibition at the NEC, Birmingham. Business and...

Policy websites. (Resources).
March 1, 2003... Involved in formulating or executing environmental policy? The following websites are available to help you: International Institute for Sustainable Development--for environment and development policy makers: www.iisd.ca/linkages/. ...

EA's plan. (Resources).
March 1, 2003... Copies of the Government's Statutory Guidance on the direction of the Environment Agency's work in England over the next five years are available from Environment Agency Sponsorship Division, Defra, 5/D10, Ashdown House, 123 Victoria Street,...

Warming to the idea. (Resources).(a discussion of the 'Warming to the Idea' climate impacts study)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... The South West climate impacts scoping study "Warming to the Idea" was launched in January at Bristol Zoo, by Environment Minister Michael Meacher. For a copy see www.oursouthwest.com/climate or www.ukcip.org.uk/sub_uk_pub/sub_uk_ pub.html. ...

New from BRE. (Resources).(energy news briefs)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... * "Put very simply, condensing boilers reduce carbon emissions, reduce fuel bills and reduce fuel poverty." So says Sam Kennedy, programme manager for the Housing Energy Efficiency Best Practice Programme. Common misconceptions about condensing...

Small is profitable. (Resources).
March 1, 2003... Small Is Profitable: The Hidden Economic Benefits of Making Electrical Resources the Right Size describes 207 ways in which the size of 'electrical resources'--devices that make, save, or store electricity--affects their economic value. It...

Renewables policy. (Resources).(IEA Renewables Information)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... IEA Renewables Information is a new annual title to provide reliable statistics on renewable energy in OECD member countries. It is a comprehensive volume of basic statistics compiled by the IEA on electricity and heat production, supply and...

Degree days--December 2002 & January 2003. (Resources).(Illustration)
March 1, 2003... Degree Days--December 2002 & January 2003 Thames South Southern South Severn Valley Eastern Western Valley 20 yr. avg 294 317 305 ...

Energising renewables. (focus on renewable energy).(government and business working together)
March 1, 2003... The Government's recent energy White Paper, Our Energy Future--Creating a Low Carbon Economy, re-iterated the target of 10% electricity from renewables by 2010; set the aspiration to double this by the end of the following decade; and, adopted...

The changing electricity landscape. (focus on renewable energy).(wind power plants)
March 1, 2003... The UK's latest wind farm, Moel Maelogen in North Wales, which includes the UK's 1,000th turbine, has been a long time coming for its developers, who as long as 1998 realised that wind power could help revitalise their ailing farm business....

Return to the source ... for low carbon energy. (focus on renewable energy).(green technologies in Britain and Europe)(review continued in the next edition)
March 1, 2003... At the beginning of February the Government released a groundbreaking report from the Prime Minister's Policy Unit, concluding that it is feasible to replace fossil-fuels with low-carbon technologies. Among those technologies, the report places...

Powering the renewable future. (focus on renewable energy).
March 1, 2003... Delivering the energy we need without contributing to global warming is a challenge we must win. The White Paper on Energy sets out the Government's energy policy over the next five decades. The Renewable Power Association welcomed it as a...

Where now for bio-fuels? Low tech, trusted solutions are part of the new attitude towards biofuel development. (focus on renewable energy).
March 1, 2003... Last year Britain's supposed flagship of the biofuel industry, ARBRE, collapsed. And, in January, so did Border Biofuels, a company based in Energy Minister Brian Wilson's own constituency of Arran. Border Biofuels tried to build a hi-tech...

Planning for sustainable energy technologies. (focus on renewable energy).
March 1, 2003... The UK Business Council for Sustainable Energy (UKBCSE) brings together the key players in the energy sector to develop an effective dialogue with Government that can help strengthen the UK's strategic agenda for sustainable energy. The...

Going to work on a tree: how will the road vehicles of the future be powered? Many visionaries see silent, hydrogen/fuel cell powered vehicles cruising the traffic lanes. But is this accurate? What are the timescales? And how would the hydrogen be derived? (focus on renewable energy).
March 1, 2003... A new report from the Energy Saving Trust, Institute for European Environmental Policy (IEEP) and National Society for Clean Air and Environmental Protection (NSCA) attempts to answer these road fuel questions from an environmental perspective....

Tuning in to the long-term view of renewables. (focus on renewable energy).
March 1, 2003... The proportionally higher cost of energy produced by renewable sources has hindered the growth of the renewables market in the UK. The new Renewables Obligation (RO), that became law on 1 April 2002, and replaces the Non-Fossil Fuel Obligation...

Greening the grid: it's been over three years since you could sign up for green electricity. How are the various schemes going? (focus on renewable energy).
March 1, 2003... Most suppliers now offer green tarrifs, and many have special rates for business customers, which are negotiable and can often be cheaper than conventional electricity. This is because of the effect of the Climate Change Levy. While this is...