News Story

May 2011
UK’s Carbon Reduction Strategy is ‘Missing a Trick’

Stamford, Lincolnshire, UK - A leading low-carbon energy expert has warned that the UK Government’s carbon reduction strategy for buildings is missing a trick in terms of easily-reached, cost-effective emissions savings.

Richard Griffin, chief executive of LowC Communities Ltd - the Lincolnshire-based low-carbon building specialist - has claimed that by focussing efforts on delivering renewable heat – i.e. heating and hot water generated by renewable sources such as biomass - building owners are failing to secure much-greater levels of carbon savings that are well within their reach.

“Although I applaud any initiatives that increase the uptake of renewable energy technologies in this country, by only focussing on heat, we really are missing a golden opportunity to make significant reductions in operational carbon emissions.” said Griffin.

“The real carbon value is in electricity - the one commodity that we’re all using more and more of, as our daily lives increasingly rely on technology.

“Put simply, there’s approximately three times as much carbon associated with electricity consumption as compared to heat. The 2010 Building Regulations deems electricity from a grid connection to emit 0.517 kg of CO2 per kWh – compared to 0.198 kg for heat produced from natural gas.

“By generating electricity from renewable fuels and capturing any waste heat produced, we can significantly boost this country’s carbon reductions.”

Griffin firmly believes that one of the solutions is to utilise renewable CHP (combined heat and power) technology, powered by readily-available, British-grown fuel such as rapeseed oil.

He continued: “This technology has already proven itself in an ever-increasing number of buildings here in the UK. What’s more, it’s cost effective to run as it already generates income from double ROCs and, should the forthcoming legislation prove positive, then the heat produced may also qualify for payments under the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI).”

“Although there are companies offering systems that run on alternative fuels such as fish oil and used cooking oil – we believe that they may not attract the same level of ROCs – if any at all. It does seem crazy to have to transport then process these fuels, whilst there’s a pure and natural renewable fuel widely available right on our doorstep in the form of rapeseed oil.

“It can be grown as a break crop using set-aside land – so it really does have no impact on the food chain – other than give the farming industry a much-needed boost.”

Griffin confirmed that, even with the right fuel choice, it’s imperative that such a system is correctly engineered and includes a thermal storage tank to allow the electricity production to take place without wasting the heat recovered from the engine’s exhaust and cooling system.

With the thermal store acting as lead boiler, heating and hot water is made available as and when it’s required, thereby minimising waste and lowering the amount of natural gas required to meet demand during exceptionally-cold periods during winter.

LowC Communities Ltd has successfully implemented this solution at a number of buildings, most recently at a new-build nursery and community building in Shefford, Bedfordshire for Bedfordshire East Schools Trust (BEST).

ENDS