News Alert

Wondering how to further reduce your energy bills? Have a look at the HOBBS report for a few ideas.

Monday, June 27, 2011

Community Climate Action Network - news

Marches Energy Agency (MEA) have two exciting pieces of news for anyone interested in local community renewable projects

1) Low Carbon Planning Events - NEW DATE ADDED IN NOTTINGHAMSHIRE

***NEW*** Friday 7th October – Bowbridge Primary School, Newark, Nottinghamshire. Flier attached.
Saturday 8th October – County Hall, Matlock, Derbyshire. Flier attached.
Friday 28th October, Corby, Northamptonshire
Saturday 29th October, The Queens Building, DeMontfort University, Leicester

Pre-booking essential, email kirsty.mitchell@cse.org.uk.

FREE to anyone living in the East Midlands

MEA is very excited to be working with the Centre for Sustainable Energy to run these free events. They will help community groups, individuals and councillors engage with local planning and low-carbon development – and help you understand how you can generate local, renewable energy. If you or your group is interested in community-owned renewables then this is the workshop for you!

It will feature the PlanLoCaL model, a large-scale model of a town demonstrating how renewable energy technologies work, and the PlanLoCaL films, which include case studies and information on how to set up community-owned renewable energy projects. There will be a local keynote speaker at each event to provide a local context.

Interactive, practical sessions will focus on how communities can get involved in local plan making, different kinds of renewable energy technologies, climate change adaptation, community engagement, and funding issues. All community groups represented will receive a comprehensive handout pack, including DVDs.

Email ccan@mea.org.uk for a flier or details.

Funded by Groundwork East Midlands.

Email kirsty.mitchell@cse.org.uk to book your free place.


2) Support Local Groups on Energy Share - JUST A FEW DAYS LEFT

Have you supported your local Energy Share project(s) yet?

Edwalton Primary School is the closest to us here in West Bridgford - and one of the team leading this project is Jerome, a member of the West Bridgford Eco House Group. Just go to http://www.energyshare.com/edwalton-primary-school and click on the red button to support this project.

Or are you near Beeston and would like to support their Energy Share bid? http://www.energyshare.com/greening-beeston/

Search by postcode for other local projects you might like to support - there are more than 100 in the Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire area!

Sunday, June 19, 2011

Eco Houses Under Construction - First Event

The first in the series of at least 8 free events will be held on Zero Carbon Britain Day:

Saturday 16th July, 12.30pm
West Bridgford, Nottingham
Talk by Steve Day, Fabric Architects

Steve is in charge of the eco-refurbishment design and will give an overview of the key aspects of this ultra-low energy refurbishment. His talk will include the “fabric first” approach and an introduction to the kind of work needed to achieve or move towards Passive House standard. From 1.30pm onwards there will be the opportunity to visit the house in its “pre-refurbishment” state for those who wish to do so. To reserve your place(s) and to receive details of the venue, email info@wbecohouses.co.uk.

The second event will be held the following weekend when architect Mike Siebert of Ecologic Homes Ltd. will talk about achieving a low cost, high code new build using timber frame. The frame arrives in early July and should be up by the date of the event! To receive full details of this or any future event, email info@wbecohouses.co.uk.

To see what other projects Transition West Bridgford has to offer, go to www.transitionwb.co.uk.

The Eco Houses Under Construction project is funded by Climate East Midlands, East Midlands Improvement and Efficiency Partnership and Communities and Local Government with a Growing Climate Friendly Communities grant. It is delivered by the charity Groundwork East Midlands.

The Eco House Group is also supported by Rushcliffe Borough Council.

Thursday, June 09, 2011

Eco Houses Under Construction

This summer’s project, Eco Houses Under Construction, is now underway!

Following the interest in Eco House Open Days here and across the UK, Tina Holt and Julie Lygo decided to organise a series of open house days with a difference.

In July 2011, Julie’s eco house is due to “arrive” on site, in the form of timber frame panels ready to assemble. Tina’s 1950’s brick house with no cavity walls or insulation of any sort is already firmly on site, but essential maintenance and extension work is due to start in July as well. In the next few months, both houses will become well-insulated and highly energy efficient – the aim is to achieve at least Code 5 for the new build and to come close to EnerPHit (Passive House retrofit standard) for the refurbishment.

We will arrange a series of open days when the eco features of these houses can be seen and discussed before they disappear for ever beneath a tidy surface of cladding or plaster. Experts will be brought in to talk and answer questions about the products installed and the methods used as the work progresses. Julie and Tina will be on hand to give the “home owner’s view” of the pros and cons.

Email info@wbecohouses.co.uk to be added to the Eco House Group email list and to be first to receive details of the events as they are organised.

A project like this could not easily be undertaken without funding, to bring in experts at weekends and for the Public Liability Insurance needed to allow members of the public into the houses once the work is underway. We were very fortunate to be successful in our bid for a Growing Climate Friendly Communities grant, and are very grateful to Groundwork East Midlands for their support.

The Eco Houses Under Construction project is funded by Climate East Midlands, East Midlands Improvement and Efficiency Partnership and Communities and Local Government with a Growing Climate Friendly Communities grant. It is delivered by the charity Groundwork East Midlands.

The Eco House Group has been supported by Rushcliffe Borough Council since it started in 2010.





Tuesday, June 07, 2011

Help our local eco-school!

One member of the Eco House Group has just sent me this invitation to help a local eco-school win a bid to get some solar panels. It's only a case of following the link below and clicking a button. If you can spare a minute, please do!

Edwalton school, 3 times green flag eco-school has just been shortlisted for the winner of the Times Educational Supplement sustainable school of the year award. The school has also just become the First Primary School in Britain to be awarded with interim accredithation by 'Specialist Schools and Academies Trust' for Rural Dimension - March 2011. Edwalton has a long and proud tradition of environmental awareness and the children reflect these values in their caring attitudes towards nature, animals and others.

None of these wonderful green accolades however come with funding, Edwalton like most other schools has had to absorb significant cuts in it’s budget this year. To help fund the school farm and the schools continued commitment to environmental suitability the school is bidding to win funding for solar panels from the energyshare fund.

You can help! To get through to the next round of the funding application the school has to collect supporters, all you need to do is visit the schools energyshare page and click the red ‘support this group’ button. The deadline is the 30th of June.