Plumb Center public trade show at St Pierre Park Hotel on 15 May 2012

April 30th, 2012 by Events

(click on image to download PDF banner to your computer)

The Plumb Center trade show open to the public takes place on Tuesday 15 May 2012 from 2 pm to 9 pm in La Fontaine Suite at the St Pierre Park Hotel, Rohais, St Peter Port, Guernsey.

The Trade Show with 25 suppliers attending wishes to make ‘Renewable more do-able in Guernsey’.

The following companies will be represented: Aqualisa, Bristan, Coram Showers, Drayton, Glow Worm, Grant UK, Grundfos, Heatrae Sadia, Honeywell, Ideal Standard, Speedfit, Kingspan Environmental, Kingspan Renewables, Mira Showers, Myson, Pegler, Polypipe, Saniflo, Sentinel Water and Energy Solutions, Twyford, Uponor, Vaillant, Yorkshire Copper tube.

Join Plumb Center and some of its key suppliers to hear about the latest in industry technology.

At the trade show you will also have an opportunity to enter a competition to win a Hitachi C22 HD camcorder.

If you would like to attend the trade show please register your details with Su Yeoman by calling 01752 604342 or email su.yeoman @ wolseley.co.uk

PwC survey of power companies views about future energy supply

April 24th, 2012 by PwC

(click on report cover to go to download page)

European power industry fears of fuel poverty increasing significantly in the next 20 years exceed that of North America, Asia and Africa according to a new survey by PwC.

As the global power industry confronts the challenge of energy affordability, efficiency, and security policies and investments not meeting demands, PwC’s 12th Global Power & Utilities report – ‘The shape of power to come’, surveyed the views of 72 power and utilities companies’ in 43 countries. Continue reading

Britain and the USA to collaborate on floating wind turbine technology

April 23rd, 2012 by HM Government Department of Energy and Climate Change

Energy Ministers from 23 of the world’s leading economies will gather in London on 25 and 26 April 2012 for the third Clean Energy Ministerial (CEM3) conference to accelerate the transition to clean energy technologies.

The Clean Energy Ministerial will be co-chaired by UK Energy Secretary Edward Davey and US Energy Secretary Dr Steven Chu.

At this meeting Britain and the United States will sign an agreement to collaborate on the development of floating wind turbine technology to generate power in deep waters currently off limits to conventional turbines but where the wind is much stronger.

Energy Secretary Edward Davey said “Britain has more wind turbines installed around its shores than any other country in the world and our market is rated year after year as the most attractive market among investors. Continue reading

Engineers indispensable to our prosperity in a changing climate

April 20th, 2012 by University of Leicester

Professor Julia King (left), Vice-Chancellor of Aston University, keynote speaker at the Engineering Professors' Council's annual congress at the University of Leicester on April 17 with Congress organiser Professor Helen Atkinson, head of Mechanics and Materials Group in the University of Leicester's Engineering Department (click image to expand - image courtesy of University of Leicester)

Professor Julia King, Vice-Chancellor of Aston University, gave the keynote lecture at the Engineering Professors’ Council‘s annual congress at the University of Leicester on 17 April 2012.

She explained that the UK’s task of reducing emissions will contribute to a surge in engineering jobs through ‘green growth’

Her lecture, “Climate Change, Green Growth, Opportunities for Engineering and Manufacturing” examined how the UK Government’s pledge to reduce carbon emissions by 80% by 2050 will create new opportunities for engineering research and development. Continue reading

Environmental impact of the Web

April 19th, 2012 by admin

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Ipsos Mori research shows British public strongly support wind power

April 19th, 2012 by RenewableUK

A wind turbine generates electricity during the strong winds in western Europe during early January 2012 (click image to expand - ©RLLord)

New research by Ipsos MORI for RenewableUK, the trade and professional body for the UK wind and marine renewables industries, shows that 67% of internet-connected British adults are in favour of the use of wind power in the UK, with 28% “strongly in favour”.

Eight percent are opposed with only 3% suggesting that they are “strongly opposed”.

These figures provide more evidence to show that while there is small but vocal anti-wind energy contingent, a majority of the public support the UK’s abundant wind resources. Continue reading

Transport fuels from waste wood

April 19th, 2012 by Lulea University of Technology

A new gasification test facility at the Energy Technology Centre (ETC) in Piteå, Sweden is using pulverised forest residues made up of stumps, bark and twigs in an eight metre high IVAB - manufactured gasifier to produce high-quality synthesis gas intended for transport fuels.

“We use low-quality forest residues, such as tree stumps and the tops of trees, which the wood and paper industry cannot use. People often talk of the need to pretreat these materials or to use them with charcoal to produce synthesis gas effectively. We have shown how to use forest residues directly, and this is an important aspect of our success,” said Magnus Marklund, CEO of ETC.

Magnus Marklund, CEO of ETC, and Fredrick Weiland, research engineer at the ETC (click image to expand - image courtesy of Luleå University of Technology)

Continue reading

Project to develop European-wide infrastructure for biofuel research

April 19th, 2012 by Aston University

Aston University Bioenergy Research Group (BERG) is involved in a €10.84 million project to develop a European wide research infrastructure for producing biofuels.

BERG has been awarded €510,000 of research funds to develop the network, as part of the €10.84 million BRISK research project from the European Commission Seventh Framework Programme (FP7).

The four-year initiative aims to develop a European research infrastructure capable of delivering marketable biofuel products. This includes production of biofuels by thermochemical processes, including gasification, combustion, pyrolysis and hydrothermal processing. Continue reading

Habitat provided by sea wind farms can enhance some fish populations

April 13th, 2012 by Technical University of Denmark

DTU Aqua Staff conduct research at the Danish Horns Rev 1 wind farm on fish populations (click image to expand - image courtesy of Claus Stenberg)

The first Danish study into how one of the worlds largest wind farms affects marine life is now completed. It shows that the wind turbines and the fish live quite happily together. Indeed some species of fish have actually increased in number.

As work is just beginning on Denmark’s newest and so far largest offshore wind farm off the island of Anholt, comes some hopefully good news for all fish in the area.

A new report from the Danish wind-park Horns Rev 1, one of the world’s largest offshore wind farms, shows that offshore wind farms and fish can live together in harmony. Continue reading

Vallourec develops new system for anchoring offshore wind turbines

March 31st, 2012 by Vallourec

Vallourec's Preon Marine patented tube system is designed to anchor offshore wind turbines to the seabed (click image to expand - image courtesy of Vallourec)

Vallourec, with 22,000 employees and €5.3 billion in sales, has developed a patented PREON® marine tubes system, which is designed to anchor offshore wind turbines to the seabed.

Developed by Vallourec’s research and development teams, this technology means that offshore wind turbine foundations can be installed with less effort, noise and at a lower depth, compared to the two existing solutions.

The area needed to install the PREON® marine system is considerably smaller than that of the “gravity system” based on concrete foundations. The lighter system with a smaller external pile diameter is drilled approximately 20 metres into the seabed, compared with the usual 60 metres of systems with anchoring piles. Continue reading