ROOF Blog

Energy secretary Ed Miliband is to announce new legislation to meet UK targets on energy emissions. The biggest investment is expected to be in renewable energy –  wind farms and nuclear power stations –  but energy companies will pass on the cost which is estimated to add £230 to household energy bills.

Meanwhile, Scotland would be 100 per cent renewable in the 20 years, according to a report The power of Scotland renewed. Renewable energy could meet between 60 and 143 per cent of Scotland’s annual electricity demand by 2030 by investing in grid upgrades, interconnections and electricity storage, the report says.

The Confederation of Business Industry has said that delays in the planning system are discouraging major investment in renewable energy. It said little progress has been made in quickening up the planning process and that business was being prevented from investing in the new low-carbon technology. It wants the government to publish national policy statements to boost investor confidence.

More help to improve household’s energy efficiency will be made available as the government increases its carbon emissions reduction target scheme and introduces a new community energy saving programme. The schemes will take the energy efficiency improvement budget to £3.5 billion by the end of 2012.

Energy efficiency and environmental standards are becoming an important factor for buyers of new-built homes, a survey for New Homes Marketing Board has found. The ‘green factor’ is now one of the top three criteria for people buying a new house, overtaking traditional benefits such as location and value for money. Top of the list is the provision of a garden or outside space at 51 per cent, followed by a garage or private off-street parking at 47 per cent.

An eco-village in South Gloucestershire, which has been billed as England’s first large scale zero carbon development, has been given full planning permission. Hanham Hall, a development between Barratt Developments and the Homes and Communities Agency will have 195 zero-carbon homes built to the highest level 6 standards, and will be run day to day by a community owned and run trust.

Heat generated for homes and businesses is going to waste, when it could be harnessed for use, a report by the Institution of Civil Engineers said. While traditional electricity disposes of the excess heat, the ICE suggests ‘combined heat and power’ technology would capture and reuse the waste heat produced by power plants, and transfer it back into use in the form of hot water and heating. The ICE said it had highlighted two main areas which had a number of large power plants close to urban areas where the excess heat could be piped back to homes to replace gas or electrical heating and hot water.

Just one in six British households trusts a tradesperson’s green guidance in energy efficiency a poll from the Energy Saving Trust has found. More than half suspect tradespeople of using guidance to gain extra work. The trust is calling for new standards and training on energy efficiency and clearer guidance for tradespeople and consumers.

A study by the North West regional design panel has found that quality design can help weather the economic storm, and could even add up to 20 per cent in rents and capital value.  The research urges planners and developers to pay greater attention to ‘cost-neutral’ aspects of good design, looking at the ‘whole life’ costs of a development, and ensure resources are targeted to add value. The study added that sustainability and energy efficiency were becoming increasingly significant factors in competitive markets.

Two London regeneration projects – Albert Basin and Elephant & Castle – have been named as two of the 16 founding projects of the international climate positive development programme, launched by Bill Clinton at an environmental summit in South Korea today. The project aims to reduce net greenhouse gas emissions by having developers and local government work in partnership to come up with innovations for clean energy and waste management.