Voluntary Bulb Ban Initiated

The highest wattage incandescent bulbs will no longer be available on the shelves of some high street stores across the UK from early next year as part of an effort to reduce energy use and 5m tonnes of CO2 emissions (0.9% of UK CO2 emissions).

The voluntary initiative is being backed by leading retailers, (ASDA, B&Q, The Co-operative Group, Home Retail Group (Argos and Homebase), IKEA, John Lewis, Marks & Spencer, Morrisons, Sainsbury’s, Somerfield, Tesco, Waitrose, Wickes, Woolworths, British Retail Consortium, Association of Convenience Stores and the British Hardware Federation) and energy suppliers as part of their activities through the Carbon Emissions Reduction Target (CERT).

“Retailers are committed to reducing their carbon footprint and play an active role in helping consumers reduce their own environmental impact. This is just the latest in a number of initiatives in which retailers are helping to shape consumer habits through the promotion of energy saving products. We look forward to working closely with Government and manufacturers in the lead up to the 2011 deadline to ensure the supply of energy saving light bulbs matches demand, and that they become a viable alternative to conventional light bulbs for consumers of all incomes”
Kevin Hawkins, Director General, British Retail Consortium

“We fully support the idea of phasing out inefficient lighting in favour of energy efficient light-bulbs. In most homes, lighting accounts for 10 – 15% of the electricity bill and UK households currently use £1.8 billion worth of electricity every year on lighting. An energy saving light bulb can last up to 10 times longer than a non-efficient version. Just one energy saving bulb could save up to £7 a year, fit all the lights in your house with energy saving bulbs and you could save around £600 over the lifetime of the bulbs. If everyone in the UK installed three energy saving light bulbs, we would save enough energy to power all the UK’s street lighting for a year.”
Philip Sellwood, Chief Executive, Energy Saving Trust

The government has proposed, as an illustrative schedule for the phase out of inefficient lamps, that retailers are suggested to follow:

• By January 2008, cease replacing stock of all inefficient (General Lighting Service, GLS) A-shaped incandescent lamps of energy rating higher than 100W (predominantly 150W lamps).
• By January 2009, cease selling all inefficient GLS A-shaped lamps of energy rating higher than 60W (predominantly 150W lamps, 100W lamps, plus some 75W lamps)
• By January 2010, cease selling all GLS A-shaped lamps of efficacy of energy rating higher than 40W (predominantly 60W lamps)
• By 31 December 2011, cease selling all remaining inefficient GLS A-shaped lamps and 60W "candle" and "golfball" lamps. (predominantly 40W and 25W A-shaped GLS bulbs, and 60W candles and golfballs).

Each house in the UK currently has on average 23.5 light bulbs. Lighting accounts for 19% of electricity use worldwide, and using the most efficient lighting, such as CFLs or LED lighting can reduce electricity use through lighting by up to 90%, potentially saving £120 a year per household.

“Britain is leading the way in getting rid of energy-guzzling light bulbs and helping consumers reduce their carbon footprint. Choosing energy saving light bulbs can help tackle climate change, and also cut household bills, with each bulb saving up to £60 over its lifetime. I am delighted that major companies have said they are prepared to help deliver this ambitious timetable and offer products which will help their own customers play their part in combating climate change. But there are many more energy hungry gadgets on sale in shops that waste too much energy. That’s why I want to see today’s initiative widened. I want to see more retailers, manufacturers and service providers taking action to phase out the least efficient products from their ranges, for example, certain set top boxes and TVs, and so help offer greener choices to their customers.”
Hilary Benn, Secretary of State for the Environment

This voluntary initiative will be an effective curb on carbon emissions from the home for the near future, and could potentially lead to an annual reduction of CO2 emissions of 5m tonnes (0.9% of UK CO2 emissions), equivalent to taking 1.8m cars off the roads. The benefits of this will be felt by all parties, with the negative impact being felt only by those who oppose energy efficient bulbs for whatever ideology (Matt Wright explains the most common excuses). There is one important factor to consider for the future and that is the disposal of the bulbs as they contain mercury. They are now covered under WEEE, but educating the public of the need to recycle could be a greater task than having previously asked them to buy energy saving bulbs in the first place.

The benefits far outweigh the potential negatives and could not only reduce emissions but improve the quality of life through reduced air pollution, government from the reduced adverse social impacts of power stations will also benefit financially. Energy companies and government will also be able to effectively increase renewable energy rates in percentage points in a short period of time, and as more renewable energy farms are built they will provide a greater proportion of total national usage than they would have previously. It's only a shame they didn't phase it in faster. Goodbye Bulb!

Severn Barrage Feasibility Study

Yesterday the government announced a new feasibility study will investigate the Severn Barrage, a tidal power plan that could provide about 5% of UK electricity, 17 TWh of power per year, equivalent to about 18 million tons of coal or 3 nuclear reactors. Expected output at 8640 MW during flow, or 2000 MW average power. The cost of the project which includes a 16km (10 miles) barrage from Lavernock Point to Brean Down with 200 turbines is set to exceed £14 billion and could be generating electricity by 2018.

The Severn Barrage is not a new concept to locals in the region with the concept dating back over 150 years, the last time the project was touted was in the early eighties. The building of the Severn Barrage would be an engineering feat, comparable with some of the world's biggest construction projects. The huge size and cost of most of the ideas over the years are what have kept plans firmly on the drawing board. The study will examine the social, economic and environmental aspects of the barrage. As well as the long term environmental benefits through reduced CO2 emissions, negative impacts from the project will also be addressed. Social benefits will be through the creation of up to 35 000 jobs in the construction industry and up to a further 40 000 permanent positions.

Due to the fact the UK is an island, the country has great potential for generating electricity from tidal power. To date, wave and tidal power have received very little money for development and consequently have not yet been exploited on a significant commercial basis due to doubts over their economic viability in the UK (due to the low cost of oil in 1975). Yesterday's news follows on from an announcement in February for the UK's first wave farm by the Scottish Executive in February 2007. It will be the world's largest, with a capacity of 3 MW generated by four Pelamis machines and a cost of over 4 million pounds.

"I grew up in south Wales and I remember the barrage being discussed. The idea has been around for a long time. It has got great potential for creating clean energy. It is now extremely pressing and I think we should leave no stone unturned. The price of doing nothing about changing our energy mix, how we generate our energy and not reducing our carbon footprint means several years down the track the habitat of the Severn could be affected anyway. We've got to do something. The last time this was looked at in detail was 1989. We want a serious study into its potential and to say whether this could be best realised by a barrage or lagoon."

Stephen Williams, Bristol West, Member of Parliament

"It's probably more likely than it's been for perhaps 20 years - with the threat of climate change on us, we need to look at new ways of tackling that and generating our energy. This is now being looked at but if it did go ahead, it would still be nearly 2020 probably before any power was generated - and what we're doing at the RDA is pioneering some projects in the region to try to bring other renewable technologies to fruition which can also help tackle climate change."

Jonny Boston, South West Rural Development Agency

I fully support renewable energy projects that will have an overall positive effect on the environment and can be accepted by the majority. This project is a serious way that the UK can increase the proportion of renewable energy and reduce CO2 emissions by in excess of 9m tonnes annually (about 1.5% of UK CO2 emissions). The project also has other supplementary benefits;

• Predictable source of "green" energy during lifetime of barrage
• Home-grown facility, independent of foreign uncertainties
• Flood protection for the vulnerable Severn estuary, including against global warming sea level rises
• Transport links for road and/or rail
• Better shipping and boating conditions behind the barrier
• Boost to local economy - construction industry in the short term, tourism and infrastructure in the long term
  
• Reduced turbidity (cloudiness) of water will improve the density and spread of invertebrate colonies in the estuary. This should lead to better carrying capacity for migratory fish and birds.

Whilst there are positives to such projects from one aspect we must also listen to voices from all parties who will be affected by the project. Some of the negative impacts of the project are;

• Existing ecosystems would be heavily altered, with new species moving in and perhaps dominating old species
• Some of the low-tide mud-flats would be lost, displacing some of the wading birds that make the estuary a protected area
• Lack of industry skill in the UK for a project of this size.
• Likely to stimulate silting in some areas and coastal erosion in others
• Enhance flood risk on the seawardside because only a proportion of the water that presently flows up stream will pass through the barrage leaving the remainder to rise up outside possibly raising levels by as much as a metre.
• Shipping would have to navigate locks
• Costs associated with navigating the locks would impact trade and commerce
• Severn bore weakened
• All industry discharges into the Severn (eg Avonmouth) will have to be reassessed.

Some of the voices speaking out against the project are from environmental organisations Friends of the Earth and Royal Society for the Protection of Birds.

"The Severn barrage was a bad idea in 2003 and is an even worse proposal now, not least because there are better, less damaging alternatives. Clean energy technology is developing apace and there will soon be less intrusive ways of harnessing the tides with little environmental cost. Tidal stream systems are being tested in the Bristol Channel, Scotland and Northern Ireland and could generate far more energy and cause little environmental harm. The RSPB strongly supports the development of renewables but today's white paper lacks the drive to develop the best green energy projects quickly enough."

Dr Mark Avery, Conservation director, RSPB

"We are opposed to the large Severn barrage because it would have a major negative environmental impact. Any proposal to build a barrage could face strong legal challenges on environmental grounds. It would take a long time to build, there would be high costs and it would generate a lot of carbon dioxide as it was being built. There are better alternatives available such as a tidal lagoons."

Gordon James, Campaigner, Friends of the Earth Cymru

Whatever the outcome of the feasibility study, it will continute to be a talking point for the future to come.

Image: Second Severn Bridge by David Moreau

Energy Saving Week

Energy Saving Week (Monday 22nd October through to Sunday 28th October 2007) is the Energy Saving Trust's flagship week and focuses on how we, as individuals, can make a positive difference to reducing our impact on the environment. Now in its 11th year, the overall campaign theme is "Commit to save your 20%", and they will be encouraging people to sign up to an energy saving commitment.

As more details about the week become available I will publish this information. If you are holding an event to coincide with Energy Saving Week please feel free to email me with the details.

Picture: EMSD Install Hong Kongs Largest Solar Array

A 350kW solar photovoltaic installation at the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department Headquarters has been installed on the roof of their new headquarters in Kowloon Bay. The installation, being the largest PV installation in Hong Kong, comprises of a solar array made up of more than 2,300 PV modules which together has a total area of around 3,180 m2, and a smaller system made up of PV glass laminates.

Each PV module in the solar array is constructed in the form of a rectangular panel and consists of 72 series-connected mono-crystalline silicon PV cells. The panels are mounted on supporting racks in an inclined manner and facing southwards so as to receive maximum solar irradiation during the year.

In addition to these, PV glass laminates are installed on the viewing gallery on the roof of the building. There are totally 20 sets of PV glass laminates, each consisting of 100 series-connected mono-crystalline PV cells sandwiched between two sheets of glass.