Wednesday, 2 October 2013

Back to the Future: SVEAG at the Observatory: Thursday 14th November

A preview of an important event coming up next month from the Sid Valley Energy Action Group:


Sid Valley Energy Action Group has recently been awarded a "Ready for Retrofit Grant" of £2500 for an open homes project over next 3 years, in order to promote energy efficiency and renewable energy locally.

As a result of this, the project will be launched at the Observatory on Thursday November 14th, together with a proposal to set up an Industrial Provident Society to involve as many people within the community as possible.This will be a not for profit company.

The event will be entitled "Back to the future" and will look at energy production, past and present  and this is an invitation to everybody to come along and discuss the importance of local energy production and the contribution to local sustainability.

Derek Chant


Wadebridge Renewable Energy Network (WREN) is a model to follow:

Wadebridge: Britain's first solar-powered town?

This is just part of a wider attempt to turn Cornwall into Britain's solar Texas, writes Geoffrey Lean.

Here comes the sun. . . or so Wadebridge hopes
Here comes the sun. . . or so Wadebridge hopes  Photo: Alamy
Nothing so revolutionary has happened to the Cornish town of Wadebridge since 1460, when its 17-arch crossing of the river Camel was built by a local divine, lengthening its moniker from the original Wade. For today it will launch an attempt to become Britain's first solar town.
Backed by the local MP and chamber of commerce, the scheme aims to generate a third of the electricity used by the town's 10,000 people from renewable sources – mainly the sun – by 2015, and make up to £450,000 a year for community projects from the Government's feed-in tariff.
The Wadebridge Renewable Energy Network, a not-for-profit co-operative, will put solar panels gratis on the roofs of local homes and businesses, allow them to use the free electricity, and collect the tariff for the community fund. Local landowners will be offered attractive deals to install larger arrays and a couple of wind turbines will be added to the mix. Anyone from the town can join the co-operative and decide how the money is spent. Nothing of this scale has ever been attempted in Britain before, says Dr Bridget Woodman of Exeter University, who is monitoring the project. And it is just part of a wider attempt to turn Cornwall into Britain's solar Texas. The county council has already granted planning permission for four new solar farms and has sent plans for five more out for consultation. After all, it's not going to mind getting a reputation as the sunniest place in the country.








































Wadebridge: Britain's first solar-powered town? - Telegraph
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