Crucial role of energy productivity in electricity generation capacity

October 23rd, 2015 by Richard Lord

Trevor Hutchings of the WWF-UK speaks at the Business for the Environment Conference in London in September 2015 (click image to expand – ©RLLord)

Trevor Hutchings, Director of Advocacy at the WWF-UK, and formerly leading the low carbon economy programme at the UK government’s Department of Energy & Climate Change, had the last word at the B4E Climate Summit conference in London in September 2015 by making a clarion call to conference delegates to promote the need and opportunity for energy efficiency and energy productivity.

He praised the fact that in many countries economic growth had been decoupled from carbon emissions but recognised that although momentum for energy productivity was building, the pace and scale of progress wasn’t rapid enough.

He highlighted the huge opportunities for improved energy efficiency in the UK economy.

“Energy efficiency should be an infrastructure priority,” he said.

Implementing cost-effective energy efficiencies, such as the installation of energy efficient street lighting, could represent a saving of 10% of the UK’s overall energy consumption, which would displace the need for some new power stations. Continue reading

Final phase of the Belle Greve Wastewater programme underway

May 1st, 2015 by Guernsey Water

High density polyethylene pipes coming out of the Pipelife Norway AS factory in Stathelle (click image to expand)

As part of the final phase of Guernsey Water’s upgrade of the island’s wastewater facilities, over two and a half miles of pipe in nine sections are making their journey from Norway,

Pipelife Norway AS manufactured the purpose-built, high density polyethylene pipes in Stathelle on a fjord, where the pipes are stored temporarily in preparation for their seven-day journey to the island.

Mark Walker, Capital Delivery Manager at Guernsey Water, said “the pipes will arrive in Guernsey in early May and will, subject to formal agreement, be temporarily moored at Soldiers’ Bay, where they will be fitted with concrete collars in preparation for being placed on the seabed via a controlled sinking operation.” Continue reading

Replacing insulating petrochemical spray foams with wood foams

March 14th, 2014 by Fraunhofer Institute for Wood Research

This wood foamed board is a natural product made from sustainable raw materials. (click image to expand © Fraunhofer WKI)

Fraunhofer scientists are developing environmentally benign insulation foam made from sustainably sourced wood that could replace insulation foam made from petrochemical plastics.

Climate protection is now a mandatory consideration for building contractors in Germany. In October 2013 the German federal government tightened up its Energy Saving Ordinance (EnEV) by decreeing that in future properties will have to consume even less energy than before.

The key to meeting these stringent requirements lies in the way walls and roofs are insulated to prevent heat loss.

Buildings are insulated by lining their facades with materials that reduce the transfer of heat to the outside environment.

Traditionally the construction industry uses hardboards or expandable foams based on petrochemical plastics because they are good insulators that are affordable and easy to produce. Continue reading

Improving home energy efficiency a remedy for rising energy bills

March 12th, 2014 by UK Green Building Council

The UK Green Building Council is urging the UK Chancellor George Osborne to make energy efficiency of homes a top infrastructure priority in his 19 March 2014 budget.

The Council states that the UK needs to retrofit one million homes each year for the next 25 years to curb rising energy bills, reduce the occurrence of  fuel poverty, and lower carbon emissions.

Home energy consumption accounts for about 25% of the UK’s total carbon emissions.

Improving these properties offers an opportunity to stimulate investment and growth in construction, help create thousands of jobs, and export opportunities for a world-leading energy Continue reading

Guernsey Water’s Le Truchot work closes one Weighbridge roundabout lane until 26 January 2014

January 15th, 2014 by Guernsey Water

Guernsey Water‘s wastewater flooding alleviation project at Le Truchot commenced on Tuesday 14 January 2014.

The project incorporates traffic management arrangements and the relocation of the taxi rank.

The traffic management arrangements will consist of limiting the Weighbridge Roundabout to a single traffic lane while work on the roundabout and carriageways is undertaken.

Despite this restricted access, one carriageway will remain operational at all times. These arrangements are planned to run from 14 to 26 January 2014.

Once these works are complete, both carriageways will be reopened and work will move to the taxi rank area at Le Truchot/Lower Pollet. Continue reading

Rohais emergency closure from 6 pm on 27 December for a few hours

December 27th, 2013 by Guernsey Water

Guernsey Water is closing the Rohais on the evening of 27 December 2013 from 6 pm due to a sewer blockage near the junction with Courtil St Jacques.

The work, which is expected to take no more than a few hours, will involve the jetting of the sewer in order to clear it out and allow sewage to flow freely.

Failure to clear the sewer could result in sewage flooding at nearby properties.

The closure will be carried out in liaison with the States of Guernsey Environment Department and the Guernsey Police, and the road will be re-opened as soon as the work is completed.

Guernsey Water would like to apologise for any inconvenience caused by this emergency closure.

‘Sustainable Neighbourhoods’ book published by Island Press

September 13th, 2013 by Island Press

(click book cover to go to book publisher’s website)

‘The Hidden Potential of Sustainable Neighborhoods: Lessons from Low-Carbon Communities’ provides data for architects, urban designers, and planners to identify the strengths and weaknesses of low-carbon community projects.

Harrison Fraker, who is Professor of Architecture and Urban Design and the William Wurster Dean Emeritus of the College of Environmental Design at the University of California, Berkeley, argues that to create sustainable communities we need integrated whole-system design, and his case studies show just how successful it can be.

He focuses on the neighborhood scale (from city block to district) because it has the potential to become its own micro Continue reading

Lihou House on Lihou Island to reopen on 5 August 2013

July 23rd, 2013 by Lihou Charitable Trust

Lihou House on Lihou Island (click image to expand – image courtesy of The Lihou Charitable Trust)

Guernsey residents raised £60,000 to replace the roof of Lihou House on Lihou Island off Guernsey’s west coast.

Richard Curtis, Lihou Charitable Trust warden, is grateful to all those who helped make the replacement of the roof possible by fundraising and donating their time.

“We’ve had quiz nights, tea and coffee open days on Lihou island, a duck race, a summer ball, and many donations from individuals and companies, which have gone towards paying for this costly but vital project,” Richard Curtis said.

“Money was also raised through the sponsorship of a group that completed the grueling Three Peaks Challenge in July 2012.”

Guernsey Roofing began work to replace the roof on Monday 22 July 2013, and because of the work, Lihou House will not be accessible until Monday 5 August 2013. Continue reading

Plumbing, heating and renewable energy trade show at St Pierre Park Hotel on Tuesday 14 May 2013

May 11th, 2013 by Events

The Plumb Center invites you to attend the 2013 Channel Islands Trade Show for plumbing, heating, and renewable energy on Tuesday 14 May 2013 in La Fontaine Suite of St Pierre Park Hotel, Rohais, St Peter Port, Guernsey.

(please click image to download it as a PDF file to your computer)

Doors open at 2 pm and the event closes at 9 pm.

If you would like to attend please register your details with Su.yeoman@wolseley.co.uk or call 01752 604342. Continue reading

Guernsey Water raw water main installation requires traffic lights at Les Banques from 7 to 26 May 2013

May 7th, 2013 by Guernsey Water

Guernsey Water will be laying a raw water main under Les Banques, St Sampsons from Barker’s Quarry to the grassy area on the coastline.

Traffic lights control traffic flow from Barker’s Quarry to the grassy area along Les Banques (click map to expand – ©States of Guernsey)

This work will necessitate the use of temporary traffic lights on the coast road from 7 May to 26 May 2013.

The main-laying is part of the project to replace the Marais Stream clean water pumping station, which collects raw water from more than 25% of the Island’s total catchment area and is then pumped into the Longue Hougue reservoir for Continue reading