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GENERATING CLEAN ENERGY AT HOCKERTON

The innovative environmental housing scheme, Hockerton Housing Project (HHP) in Nottinghamshire launched their new renewable energy systems by holding an event on Saturday 14th September with over 50 invited guests. Visitors included locals, promoters and installers of renewable energy systems and others involved with the project. Pete Rajan, on behalf of the Project, formally opened the event, welcomed the guests and gave a short presentation about the significance of renewables to the Project: “This is a significant day for us. Ever since we first planned these houses to be ultra energy efficient homes we aspired to make them as autonomous as possible. So as well as providing our own water and treating our own waste we intended to produce our own clean electricity. Today is an opportunity to celebrate the achievement of two significant steps towards our goal - The installation of a wind generator and photovoltaic solar arrays. Together these complimentary forms of energy production should meet all our electricity requirements.

Mr Rajan gave particular thanks to Powergen and the governments Energy Technology Support Unit for grants to purchase and install the photovoltaic arrays, Scottish Power’s ‘Green Energy Fund’ for a grant towards cost of the wind turbine, East Midlands Electricity for assisting with connections to the National Grid, and to Newark & Sherwood District Council for the foresight to develop a policy for the installation of small wind turbines.

Mr Rajan then introduced the guest speaker, Professor Peter Smith from Sheffield Hallam University, School of Construction and Vice President for Sustainable Development, Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA). Professor Smith gave a short speech reflecting upon the need for renewable energy in the wider context. Below is a short extract (full version can be obtained by clicking here).

The message is clear. If really serious things are to be done it’s up to individuals and groups to drive home the message by their actions rather than words, actions such as this ground breaking development. You might say that the scale of the gulf between the business as usual market centric attitude that won the day in South Africa and the policy shift that will be necessary to stabilize the planet is represented in microcosm by the current state of housing. On the one hand there is the developer’s doll’s house executive home aesthetic spreading like a virus across the nation and, on the other, Hockerton and Bedzed [see ‘notes’]. As I see it, Hockerton symbolizes the ultimate sustainable net zero energy solution in a rural setting and the Beddington Zero Energy Development (Bedzed) in outer London the urban equivalent. These are the cutting edge and prototypes for the future.

At present housing alone accounts for around 28% of all CO₂ emissions in England and Wales. You [at HHP] have demonstrated that housing, far from being part of the problem can be part of the solution. Not only is the energy demand of buildings like this a tiny fraction of that of a conventional home, you have the potential to create a net energy surplus. Millions of homes could, if the conditions were right, become micro-power stations through the use of PVs and small scale wind etc.

After the speeches, guests were then offered guided tours by project members, followed by an exhibition and chance to mingle more informally.

General background to Renewable Energy Systems at Hockerton Housing Project

HHP erected a 5kW wind turbine earlier this year and in August 2002 complimented this with the installation of a 7.65kW array of photovoltaics (generation of electricity from solar power). The HHP wind turbine is one of very few examples in the UK of a community owned wind turbine, whereby the owners are supplied directly with the 'clean' renewable energy produced. The photovoltaic system has been funded through a DTI photovoltaic domestic field trial grant, part of a rolling programme of Government funding for photovoltaics. Minister for Energy, Brian Wilson, announced £20 million for the first phase of the major PV demonstration programme on 26th March 2002. Previous to this announcement the Government has provided £5.4 million, which has helped develop 500 solar powered homes and £4.2 million for 18 solar powered public buildings

The wind turbine is expected to produce around 12,000kWhrs annually with the wind conditions on site, whilst the roof-mounted photovoltaics a further 6,000kWhrs. Both systems are grid linked, which will allow for both import of energy during periods of supply shortfall, and export for periods of excess energy production. The excess exported will offset the imported energy from the grid. The energy generated will not only be used to provide energy to the homes, but also to power the jointly owned electric car – a wind/solar powered car!

It is due to the very low energy requirements of the homes at HHP (about 10% of an average UK home) that enables these renewable energy systems to produce enough to completely offset the occupant’s energy use. This means that the homes are expected to not be responsible for any emissions of polluting ‘greenhouse gases’, notably CO₂, identified as being responsible for global warming and climate change. This qualifies the HHP development as meeting a number of the highest environmental housing standards in the UK, namely, Zero CO₂ and Autonomous (see notes for definitions).

HHP’s determination for the wind turbine has already had a significant local and regional impact on renewable energy policy. A milestone was reached in the planning process with HHP’s local planning authority, Newark and Sherwood District Council by the creation of a supplementary planning guidance (SPG) on wind energy. The local authority energy advisory service said “The SPG was proposed initially as a reaction to a specific application (the Hockerton Housing Project) which generated concern from elected members that existing national policy guidance was not sufficient to enable them to fairly consider the application”. The council went onto to approve the application after this SPG was in place. In 2001, the East Midlands Regional Assembly commissioned a study on the potential for sustainable energy in the East Midlands; one of its conclusions was, “Developers of new build should be encouraged to construct low or zero CO₂ emission developments. The Regional Energy Steering Group should disseminate information about existing developments in the Region, such as the Hockerton Housing Project, to help raise awareness about the practical measures that can be taken by developers.” Since the wind turbine was installed the project has received several requests to view the wind turbine by others considering applying for their own wind turbine.

The achievement of installing the wind turbine has not been without some difficulties, particularly with the planning process. In all, four applications and two appeals were lodged with the Newark & Sherwood District council over a five year period. In all but one case the planning officers recommended approval, but each application was rejected by elected councillors (apart from the  final one). There were two main concerns; noise and visual intrusion. On the subject of visual intrusion, the Director of Development and Planning, Mr Chris Perret, wrote in his recommendation for planning approval - “although I accept that the proposed wind turbine will be visible in the landscape, I do not consider it to be visually detrimental to the surrounding area or nearby residents due to its reduced size. PPG22 states that it is almost impossible for a turbine to be sited without causing any visual intrusion, but that the intrusion should be weighed against Government policies for reducing greenhouse gases.” In contrast planning permission for the photovoltaics was granted in just 4 weeks from registration!

It is planned that others interested in renewable systems will be helped by the installation of the HHP wind turbine and photovoltaics. Visitors on guided tours of the Project will benefit from seeing practical working examples of a renewables supplying all the electrical needs of domestic dwellings; of which there are currently very few examples. Energy aspects are a main area of interest with visitors and it is hoped that they will be encouraged to adopt similar schemes. The additional experience gained by project members in managing this renewable energy system will be fed back into educating others. The DTI monitoring of photovoltaics will hopefully also be helpful in increasing understanding of how best to use these systems.

The occupants of houses have set out to meet both personal and global responsibilities to live in a more sustainable way. The use of renewable energies in the daily running of the Hockerton Housing Project, demonstrates that ordinary families and individuals can take responsibility for and significantly reduce the output of greenhouse gases that contribute to global warming.

HHP was awarded over £11,095 from ScottishPower’s Green Energy Fund towards the cost of installing the wind turbine. Hammy Smillie, ScottishPower’s business and community relations director, said: “Not only will this project be an excellent example of how to make use of renewable energy in the home, it will also give the families the opportunity to contribute towards helping the environment. On a practical level, by using renewable technologies as a power source, the Hockerton Housing Project will save money and set a leading example in the UK.”

NOTES

1.      The independent Green Energy Trust was created in May 2000 to administer ScottishPower’s Green Energy Fund, which has been developed to support the government’s target of achieving a twenty percent reduction in CO₂ emissions by 2010. The Green Energy Fund extends ScottishPower’s long-term commitment to the environment to make a positive contribution to the world about us.  These are projects that would not otherwise happen without the support of ScottishPower’s Green Energy customers. ScottishPower is independently recognised as a champion of green environmental policies and has been accredited with top awards including The Environment Award accredited by Utility week in December 2000. ScottishPower’s optional Green Energy Tariff funds the Green Energy Trust, where a small premium of four pence a day is included as part of a customer’s utility bill. All the monies generated by the Green Energy Tariff are invested in the ScottishPower Green Energy Fund and used to help finance renewable energy projects. The Scottish Power Green Energy Trust is always looking for submissions for further renewable technology community-based projects. The Trust will consider all projects from across the UK that will have a positive impact on their local communities and the environment. Funding of up to 50% can be granted to successful projects. To obtain a project submission pack, please contact: The Secretary, ScottishPower Green Energy Trust, Zone 23, Cathcart Business Park, Spean Street, Glasgow G44 4BE. Interested parties who wish to find out more information about the Green Energy tariff should visit www.scottishpower.co.uk/greenenergy  or call 0845 27 27 111/0845 272 12 12.

2.      Situated in Hackbridge, South London, the Beddington Zero Energy Development (BedZED) consists of 82 homes and 2,500m² of workspace and community facilities. The development uses state of the art techniques in energy efficiency and water efficiency. It meets all its energy demands from renewable sources generated on site. Wastewater is treated on site and recycled for toilet flushing and irrigation. A Green Transport Plan has been incorporated into the scheme from concept stage offering carbon-neutral motoring as well as carbon-neutral homes and offices. The Peabody Trust Housing Association with co-developers BioRegional Development Group and architect, Bill Dunster Associates, are developing the project. All construction materials are carefully selected for low impact, with extensive use of recycled materials, local materials, low embodied energy materials and FSC certified timber.

3.      Contact for further information on the PV Major Demonstration Project is Energy Saving Trust, Kirk Archibald on 020 7222 0101, website www.solarpvgrants.co.uk