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The following post covers all the different types of Renewable Energy discussed at last month’s sustainability meeting, as well as drawing together additional information and links to other official sites. There is a lot of detail included, so do use the Index to find the information that is relevant to your own situation.

Twenty four people  attended the meeting, which was extremely informative and produced some probing questions about the facts behind renewable energy (RE): the pros, cons and implications for individuals and communities.

The meeting, which had been set up by Robert Gosling, was as a result of comments and returned questionnaires from his own open meeting in May. John Youatt who used to be a planner for PDNP led the meeting, more recently he has been assisting Sustainable Youlgreave.

Jim Dixon, Chief Executive of Peak District National Park Authority has kindly said that when our community holds any future meetings he will be pleased to attend or send the right people to help.

Index

1. Solar & PV Panels
a. PV Panels
b. Solar Panels
2. Feed in Tariffs and Renewable Heat Initiatives
3. Rent your roof
4. Heat Pumps
5. Wind Power
6. Biomass Heating
7. Anaerobic Digestion
8. Hydro Power
9. Planning Regulations

1a.  Solar & PV Panels

Please click on this link to find out about the new government proposals regarding PV Feed in Tariffs – announced October 31st 2011.

Solar thermal or hot water panels and, solar electric (photovoltaic or PV), what does this mean?

Solar thermal is the capture of heat into fluids in tubes placed on roofs transferred to a storage tank. Solar electric or photovoltaics (PV) is the conversion of sunlight and daylight (refracted sunlight) into direct electric current (DC), through silica cells in panels on roofs or on the ground. ‘On-grid’, the current is then converted into alternating current (AC) at 240v, to be used on site, with any spare sold to the national grid at a guaranteed price. ‘Off grid’, the direct current can be fed to batteries, eg on a remote building such as a field barn or a remote road sign.

How does it work in practice?
A Company with a certificate installs approved panels or a heat pump for you. A Government-backed contract guarantees you a price, currently 43.3p for every kilowatt hour you generate and 3.1p on top of that for every kilowatt you sell back to the grid.

Do I need a south facing roof?
You’ll need a roof or wall that faces within 90 degrees of south, and isn’t overshadowed by trees or buildings. If the surface is in shadow for parts of the day, your system will generate less energy. Another option is to install an array on supports in a field or garden.

Is anyone else doing it in Youlgreave?
There are several houses in Youlgreave with solar thermal and PV. One householder is applying for permission for PV panels on a building in the grounds of a listed building. At least two farmers and four more households are considering, or have ordered, solar PV. There are at least two air source heat pumps and two ground source heat pumps in our valley. John Youatt had his panels installed on 18th July.

Who will offer impartial advice?
The Energy Saving Trust (EST) has a very comprehensive website and the Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS) offer lists of approved products and installers, it is only by using one of the MCS approved installers that you are entitled to the FiTs etc .  You can call the MCS help desk: 0207 090 1082 or the EST on 0800 512 012

1b.  Solar panels for Hot Water

These panels have been around for many years, but the take up for them has been limited because the economic return is less attractive, unless there are 4-6 people living in the house. However when the RHI comes in the situation may change.

2. Feed in Tariffs (FiTs) and
Renewable Heat Initiative (RHI)

Government ministers decided that energy captured at small scale and locally should be paid for with Feed in Tariffs (FiTs) or with a payment for heat called the Renewable Heat Incentive. FiT’s cover most forms of renewable electricity generation which became available in 2010 whilst RHI covers heating.

How each one works

FiT’s
1. From electricity generated by your RE source, ie PV, wind, hydro etc
a. Most of it you use yourself
b. What is not used goes back to the National Grid via your existing cable
c. If you need more electricity, because you are not generating enough i.e it’s night-time, then you buy & receive your electricity in exactly the same way as you do today.
A simple guide.

Payments
The figures below are for PV tariffs, tariffs for other forms of RE tariffs, see the Ofgem tables.

1. You will be paid for all the electricity you produce, even if you use it yourself. Currently at 43.3p.
2. You will also be paid 3.1p for all your surplus electricity that you export into the grid
3. You pay the Energy Company for any additional power you need to use.

RHI
1. From your renewable heat system i.e thermal solar panels, heat pumps, biomass boilers etc
2. An estimate is made about how much heat your system will produce.
3. You get paid a fixed amount based on that estimate by OFGEM.

There is an interim scheme to support renewable heat installations before the RHI starts for residential installations in 2012 called the ‘Renewable Heat Premium Payment’

A simple guide
Frequently asked questions from the Department of Energy and their publication on RHI.

3. “Rent” your roof

Some energy companies will “rent” your roof. In practice this means that they will supply, free of charge the PV panels, so that you get free electricity via a 20-25 year contract, there may be implications, both positive and negative when selling your home within the contract period. If you don’t have the capital to outlay outright for the panels and are intending to stay in your home or it is a public building this may be a viable option.

4. Heat pumps

Heat pumps are compressors (like fridges) that squeeze the heat out of air, ground or water to give you hot air or hot water. They also work effectively when the outside temperature is freezing.

5. Wind Turbines

For a wind turbine to be of any benefit you need a wind speed of 4 metres per second at the height of the turbine. So generally wind turbines are only effective in exposed rural locations. The desk study wind information for any area of one square kilometre is available here.

The Energy Saving Trust has recently completed the most comprehensive field trial of domestic scale wind turbines to date. Click here to find out whether your home may be able to generate electricity from the wind.

6. Biomass Heating

These systems generally burn wood pellets, chips, logs, certain energy crops, clean industrial residues and certain agricultural residues to power room stoves, central and hot water boilers.

Although the combustion of biomass releases carbon dioxide to the atmosphere, this is offset by the carbon dioxide absorbed in the original growth of the biomass. As long as new plants continue to grow in place of those used for fuel, the process is sustainable.

If a landowner/farmer has his own wood, then on average you get about 4 tonnes per hectare per year from sustainable harvesting.

7. Anaerobic Digestion

This has been researched with a group of farmers in Youlgreave. Anaerobic Digestion (AD) is the process where plant and animal material is converted into useful products by micro-organisms in the absence of air. Biomass is put inside sealed tanks and naturally occurring micro-organisms digest it, releasing methane that can be used to provide clean renewable energy. The material left over at the end of the process is rich in nutrients so it can be used as fertiliser and soil conditioners. Almost any biomass can be processed in AD; including food waste, energy crops, crop residues, slurry, manure and sewage sludge. AD installations can accept waste from our homes, supermarkets, industry and farms, meaning less waste goes to landfill. However, woody biomass cannot be used in AD because the micro-organisms can’t breakdown the lignin, the compound that gives wood its strength.

8. Hydro Power

The Haddon estate owns the river that runs through Youlgreave. Their first turbine has been generating 35 kW hr at Alport Mill and a 3 further sites are possible but as Parwich has no suitable river this option was not pursued.

9 Planning

Permitted development rights
In England and Scotland, changes to permitted development rights for renewable technologies have lifted the requirements for planning permission for most domestic microgeneration technologies.

Note that the permitted development rights are not extended to Listed Buildings which are covered by other planning regulations.

Always check with your local authority to find out if you require planning permission or not, as each property has a different planning history and it is vital to check that development rights are still in place on the property. The information on this page is for guidance only.

Solar PV and solar thermal (roof mounted), including roofs in conservation areas:
Permitted unless:
1. panels protrude more then 200mm when installed.

Solar PV and solar thermal (stand alone):
Permitted unless:
1. more than 4 metres in height
2. installed less than 5 metres away from any boundary
3. above a maximum area of array of 9m2
4. situated on a wall within any part of the curtilage of the dwelling house and would be visible from a highway in Conservation Areas and World Heritage Sites.

Wood burning boilers and stoves, and CHP:
Permitted unless:
1.  flue exceeds 1m above the roof height (excluding the chimney)
2.  installed on the principal elevation and visible from a road in buildings in Conservation Areas and World Heritage Sites.

Ground source heat pumps:  Permitted

Water source heat pumps:  Permitted

Micro and small wind:
Due to legal technicalities the current statutory instrument (SI) does not cover micro or small wind. Once these issues have been resolved, it is expected that roof mounted and free standing wind turbines will be permitted at detached properties that are not in conservation areas. Further legislation is expected later this year.  Until then, you must consult with your local authority regarding planning permission.

Air source heat pumps:
Air source heat pumps are in a similar situation to micro wind. Once the legal technicalities have been resolved, it is expected that air source heat pumps will be permitted developments. Again, further legislation is expected later this year.  Until then, you must consult with your local authority regarding planning permission.
The above information regarding planning permission was taken from the Energy Saving Trust.

Clarification on Solar Panels in Conservation Areas

Some websites can be misleading and do not show the updated Act (below) which treats conservation and non-conservation areas in exactly the same way.
The amendment below (made law on 1st October 2008) to the Town & Country Planning Act 2008 lifted the earlier restrictions regarding roof mounted solar panels in conservation areas.

Installation of Domestic Microgeneration Equipment 
3. In paragraph A.1. of Part 40 (installation of domestic microgeneration equipment) of Schedule 2 to the 1995 Order, omit “or roof slope” from sub-paragraphs (c)(i) and (c)(ii).

To read the updated section of this Act sent in by Peak Park Planners, click here.

Finally, the Inspectors report on the new Local Development Framework or LDF has been published and the National Park Authority intends to formally adopt the plan at the Authority meeting on 7 October 2011.