Construction industry faces "quantum change" to hit carbon targets

The construction industry faces a “quantum change” if it is to meet the low carbon agenda, according to an industry report published today. The Innovation and Growth Team (IGT), which is drawn from the construction industry, was tasked by the government to consider how the construction sector could meet the low carbon agenda. The report […]

Marks and Spencer switches from road to rail to cut CO2

Marks and Spencer plans to cut 800 tonnes of CO2 emissions a year by distributing 300,000 products by train. The retailer has announced it will use rail instead of road for clothing and home products on the 350-mile route between its distribution centres in Daventry and Falkirk. The move is the latest strand of M&S’s […]

SSE pushes ahead with Shetland renewables plan

Scottish and Southern Energy is to push ahead with a renewable overhaul of Shetland despite missing out on a multi-million pound grant from Ofgem this week. The Northern Isles New Energy Solutions project (NINES) was submitted to Ofgem in a bid to win a slice of the £500m Low Carbon Networks Fund, but lost out […]

Energy revamp saves historic hall

Residents in a Hereford village have prevented soaring energy bills from shutting down their 126-year-old village hall. Goodrich hall was losing approximately 75% of its heat through poor insulation, pushing its annual electricity bills to £1800. But following the installation of solar thermal and solar photovoltaic panels and two air source heat pumps, the hall’s […]

Poor take-up of free insulation offers

Just 12% of people eligible for free insulation grants from their energy companies are taking up the offer, new research has revealed. A survey by the New Policy Institute found that there are 5.2m households across the UK that could claim the grants, which would save them around £260 a year on their energy bills. […]

Offshore wind is ‘poster child’ for UK renewables

The boss of Scottish and Southern Energy has said that Scotland is “rubbing its hands” as the country outpaces England and Wales in the renewable energy stakes. Mr Marchant said the demise of England’s regional development agencies proved to be a game-changer for Scotland, because of the opportunity it presents to gain a competitive advantage […]

Global oil players meet to identify technology gaps

Global offshore players will meet in Aberdeen tomorrow to draw up a blueprint to meet the oil industry’s biggest technology challenges. BP, Kuwait Oil, Statoil, Total, Maersk and Tullow will be among the organisations gathering to identify technology gaps in the sector. The meeting is being convened by the ITF, a not-for-profit organisation that acts […]

ENA welcomes Ofgem low carbon awards

Ofgem’s awards of £62m to four low carbon projects have been welcomed by the Energy Networks Association. The ENA represents the ‘wires and pipes’ transmission and distribution network operators for electricity and gas in the UK and Ireland. Its chief executive David Smith said: “The funding of research and development projects for the networks is […]

Bright sparks bag £62m Ofgem funding

Ofgem has handed out the first payments from its £500m Low Carbon Networks Fund. Four projects will share £62m to get their initiatives from the drawing board to the marketplace. The four funding winners are CE Electric, UK Power Networks, Central Networks and Western Power Distribution. Ofgem and an independent panel of energy experts felt […]

New UK nuclear player now up and running

Scottish and Southern Energy and its nuclear partners GDF Suez and Iberdrola today officially unveiled their joint venture company NuGeneration. NuGen intends to build a nuclear station of up to 3.6GW in West Cumbria on land approved for nuclear development in the government’s draft National Policy Statement. NuGen now plans to prepare detailed proposals for […]