News
Neilston Development Trust Powerdown report published!
Added by Melanie MacRae on 06 October 2011
The Neilston Development Trust have recently published their Powerdown network report for 201. The Powerdown network is co-ordinated by Community Energy Scotland, with support from Development Trusts Association Scotland and aims to support communities undertaking projects involving fossil fuel reduction.
The aim of the Neilston community project was to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by helping local households find ways to reduce their carbon footprint (reduce energy use, waste, consumption and sustainable use of resources). After establishing the procedures for their carbon footprint and home visits, Neilston began to offer other ways of providing assistance, including free loans of energy monitors, Kitchen Canny Challenge, and door-knocking campaigns for carbon surveys and to generate HEC referrals to our local Energy Saving Scotland advice centre. A copy of the full report can be found here
Well done Neilston!
The full report can be viewed here
Community Powerdown Networking Event Announced
Added by Melanie MacRae on 30 May 2011
Community Energy Scotland is pleased to announce the first of a series of events aimed and sharing knowledge and experience amongst low carbon community projects. The Community Powerdown event to be held in the Perth Concert Hall on 22nd /23rd June will cover car sharing schemes, hydrogen and electric vehicles, energy efficiency and local food production from a variety of speakers including community groups who have done it for themselves.
Attendees at the event will also have an exciting oppportunity to visit the new Hydrogen Office in Methil. Places for the event are limited to 50 but we would be glad to hear from those community group undertaking low carbon projects who are keen to share experiences . The event is free to Community Powerdown members and open to other community groups who are delivering low carbon projects for a small fee of £35 .
For more information please Contact Melanie MacRae, Community Powerdown Network Coordinator on 07917 597 009 or email at melanie.macrae@communityenergyscotland.org.uk
Booking is essential and places must be booked by Thursday 9th June
WestWheels - A Car when you need one not when you dont!
Added by Melanie MacRae on 19 May 2011
PRESS RELEASE
Monday May 23rd
Mallaig Pier 11am – 11.15am
Mallaig Fishermen’s Mission 11.15am – 11.45am
Car Clubs are a new innovative way of cutting the costs of car ownership and helping the environment. Members are able to book out a car for use when they need it while the club takes on the responsibility for ownership, maintenance and insurance.
Due to initiatives from residents of the Small Isles and Knoydart, Mallaig has been chosen as one of the sites for a car club which is being launched on Monday by Cllr Allan Henderson and the Mallaig Harbour Master James MacLean.
Funding from the Scottish Government via Transform Scotland has allowed the purchase of two cars, a Ford Focus and a Ford Fusion. During the initial 5 month trial period membership is being offered at £10 with a deposit of £50. Cars can then be booked out at either an hourly or daily rate. Bookings are on the internet and bills are sent out on return.
A good take up of this opportunity will help us to make it permanent. An estimated minimum of 25 members is needed to secure the project for the future. For those not needing a car on a daily basis the club offers the prospect of giving up private car ownership altogether. Data from a study at Findhorn showed that members saved from £1,000 to £3,500 per year.
The Mallaig community has been actively supportive of the project. Mallaig Harbour Authority has provided a car parking space on the pier for convenient collection and the Fisherman’s Mission has supported the launch with refreshments. Morar Motors will be used by the project for maintenance for the cars and have provided useful advice.
The Mallaig project has been financed through Carplus, a charity promoting alternatives to private car use. More details are available on www.carplus.org.uk
Full Time Project Officer required for Carluke Development Trust
Added by Melanie MacRae on 08 May 2011
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Full Time Project Officer required |
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Based in Carluke Fixed term contract ending 31 March 2012 37.5 Hours per week Weekly Salary £480 |
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Part Time Energy Advisors (2 posts) required |
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Based in Carluke Fixed term contract ending 31 March 2012 22 Hours per week Weekly salary £250 |
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For further details Email: jean@douglas28.wanadoo.co.uk Closing date 13 May 2011 |
New Communities......
Added by Melanie MacRae on 08 May 2011
Five new communities have joined Community Energy Scotland’s Powerdown Network. We would like to warmly welcome these communities and look forward to the year of networking ahead. The five communities are Rosneath Peninsular Development Trust, Moffat CAN, Carluke Development Trust, LEAP based in Lochwinnoch and Sustainable Uist.
Lochwinnoch LEAPs forward
Added by Mo Cloonan on 25 April 2011
Lochwinnoch LEAP forward! - Recruitment of new Energy Advisors
The Lochwinnoch Kilbarchan and Howwood based LEAP programme has been awarded funding from the Climate challenge fund for the 2011-2012 year. The programme is currently recruiting for part time Energy Advisors - please click here and see the advert in the related files for more details.
Knoydart Electric Quad Put Through Paces
Seven community members in Knoydart last week passed their City and Guilds in “ATV (All Terrain Vehicles) Sit Astride” course. The course was delivered by trainers from Borders College who have extensive experience in training agricultural students and others in the safe handling of all terrain vehicles. They were particularly interested in delivering the course in Knoydart as it was also an opportunity for them to assist us in evaluating the performance of the electric quad purchased as part of our Climate Challenge funded projects.
You can't power down Community PowerDown
Last week Brora hosted what might be the last of the network meetings for a group who have been achieving powerful carbon saving results in 25 communities across Scotland.
The groups, collectively known as Community Powerdown (CPD), have been funded by the Climate Challenge Fund through Keep Scotland Beautiful and the networking has been coordinated by Community Energy Scotland supported by Development Trust Association Scotland. This funding stream finishes at the end of next month, however all the groups have applied to CCF for funding to continue their great work for another year.
The main aim of CPD is to work towards carbon reduction and they’ve been achieving this from Unst in Shetland to Langholm in the Borders. The methods have been as varied as the locations but all have had the main themes of energy reduction & renewable energy, local food sourcing & growing and recycling.
“It has been a great week of sharing and support. The success of Community Powerdown has been the networking links between CPD officers. Not having to reinvent the wheel has enabled rapid progress in these groups delivering their aims” said Carola Bell, chair of one of the participating groups Galson Trust, on Lewis and chair of Community Energy Scotland.
Last week the groups had talks on potential solutions to ‘hard to heat’ homes, how a cluster of heat pumps installed in houses in Westray has increased comfort AND lowered energy costs for householders, how working with the local Energy Saving Scotland advice centres had provided better results for householders and how the Community Transport Association can support communities with gaps in public transport.
Throughout all themes, awareness raising and education has been a key element.
Catrine Community Trust held a ‘Soup/Takeaway’ food challenge evening. Participants made soup and compared it to equivalent tinned varieties. And in the space of time it took to order and collect a takeaway from a local village, the community had also made a tasty stir fry to show just how easy an option homemade local food is.
“We hope we will have the opportunity to continue to support the exciting work of these groups through to 2012” said Wendy Reid of DTAS. The Scottish Government will announce next month which community groups will receive the further funding from the Climate Challenge Fund.
ENDS
Notes to Editors
The Climate Challenge Fund forms part of the Scottish Government’s Sustainable Action Fund. It is administered by Keep Scotland Beautiful and made funding of £27.4million available to communities across the three financial years 2008-11. The Fund has now been extended to 31st March 2012, with an additional £10.3 million available to community groups from the draft Scottish Government budget.
CES is the only Scotland-wide body dedicated to supporting community-based organisations wishing to benefit from renewable energy. The charity aims to build confidence, resilience and wealth at community level in Scotland through sustainable energy development.
DATS is the national body for development trusts in Scotland enabling communities to make their own plans and aspirations a reality.
For further information contact Helen Houston, Community Powerdown Coordinator, Community Energy Scotland Helen.houston@communityenergyscotland.org.uk 01349 860124
Officers from all over Scotland visiting a Hydro project under development in Golspie last week as part of the Community Powerdown conference in Brora
Officers sharing ideas on best practice of community engagement last week as part of the Community Powerdown Conference in Brora
Officers being shown the community garden, part of the GREAN project in Glospie last week as part of the Community Powerdown conference in Brora
Neilston Powerdown Project Lights Up Bowling Club!
The Crofthead Bowling club in Neilston is going green, thanks to help from the village’s Powerdown Project team. The team have been working with club members, discussing some new ideas on energy efficiency and conservation, and to also help improve the energy efficiency of the club itself.
NEILSTON POWERDOWN ENERGY MONITOR SAVES OVER £2,000K FOR A RESIDENT
This month (December 2010) the Powerdown team heard from village resident Mr. Davie “Potter” Taylor, who signed up recently for our free Owl Energy Monitor loan scheme. The monitors, that are available for a month’s loan, free of charge, from the Powerdown team, can sit anywhere in your home, showing how much your home appliances and energy use is costing you.
Mr. Taylor, a local artist and potter, had been canny enough to take advantage of the monitor scheme, and was surprised when we mentioned that the readings on the monitor looked higher than usual. This was concerning enough for him to take a trip around his house, checking what was switched on. And it was worth his efforts too, as he eventually found that, unbeknown to him, an immersion heater had been accidently left on, potentially costing him a fortune in the process.
He received an estimated bill from his energy provider at this stage, and it was three times his usual expected reading, amounting to thousands of pounds that he would have unknowingly been liable for.
Once he got over this shock (and made sure the heater was now off!) Mr. Taylor was delighted that the use of the energy monitor managed to highlight this problem early enough so that he wouldn’t have to pay the full bill, we estimated that it would have cause him over 2000k in a year. The project officer Mr. Jonas Cromwell said that this what the project is about to help residents to identify ways to save money by making their home energy efficient, changing behaviours in the way they use energy and help reduce the carbon dioxide emissions sent into the atmosphere.
“Thanks to the Neilston Powerdown project I can worry a bit less about paying the bills this time around,” Mr. Taylor, who’s artwork can be view at www.dtaylorart.bigcartel.com happily confirmed, “and concentrate on finishing a few more of my paintings.”
To see what’s on offer in the village and to take advantage of our great savings, both to your pocket and the environment, please contact the Powerdown team as soon as possible. With proposed Government spending cuts on their way, and the Powerdown project with only months left to run, now is the time to take advantage of these great deals. Sign up today for your free use of an energy monitor, and find out exactly how much those Christmas tree lights are costing you!
At their Annual Conference and Exhibition held in Clydebank on 3rd to 5th November, Energy Action Scotland selected a Westray community project as the best energy-saving project in Scotland in 2010. Meghan McEwen and Colin Risbridger, representing Westray Development Trust and Energy Action Westray respectively, received the award certificate and the prize of £1,500 from Sir Robert Smith MP, honorary Vice President of Energy Action Scotland.
The Award encourages entries where people in lower income or disadvantaged communities have been helped to make energy savings in their homes. The judges selected the winners from entries by community and voluntary groups, local authorities, housing associations and other organisations involved in energy efficiency across Scotland. On the judging panel were Patrick Harvie MSP; Howard Marshall, Scottish representative of the National Insulation Association; and Archie Stoddart, Head of the Fuel Poverty Team in the Scottish Government.
Norman Kerr, Director, Energy Action Scotland said: “Many congratulations to all the winners. They demonstrate that so much essential work is being done in communities to help people who have struggled to heat their homes at an affordable price. It is our hope that, by highlighting these examples, others can benefit from their experience.” He highlighted that the Westray project operates in a remote area with high levels of fuel poverty, housing stock that is hard to treat and where the cost of living is higher due to additional transportation costs.
The project which addressed heating difficulties in Westray houses, encouraged householders to volunteer for National Home Energy Rating (NHER) assessments of their houses. With funding from BIG Lottery and Scottish Power Energy People Trust surveys were completed by WDT. The information obtained was provided to EAW who modelled the data using NHER software provided by the Climate Challenge Fund. Over 50% of Westray properties have now been completed and many have “fuel poverty” problems (defined by the Scottish Government as using more than 10% of disposable income spent on energy requirements). Direct remedial action followed with funding from an Energy Efficiency Design Award to undertake improvements to nine hard to treat houses. This involved insulating, draft proofing and the installation of ground source heat pumps to lift the occupants out of fuel poverty. In one case heating costs went from £17 per day using storage heaters to £2.50 per day with a ground source heat pump.
The information and confidence gained in this project led to further work by EAW under Power Down on a bulk purchase scheme whereby a further 11 households are now installing heat pumps and for 69 households receiving free DIY loft insulation supported by EON/Homebase where existing levels were less than 60mm. The remaining households with more 60mm but less than 160mm are being offered free insulation under the Home Insulation Scheme.
The judges felt that this project in Westray had clearly demonstrated a whole community focus and engagement. The success may be attributed to householder involvement, to finding out actual levels of fuel poverty in Westray and to then taking practical steps to remedy this.
It is hoped that this could be the beginning of a larger effort. Energy Action Westray has an aim to eradicate fuel poverty by 2016 in line with the government targets and urge anyone in Westray in need of assistance with their heating bills to get in touch with the Powerdown worker Meghan McEwen sooner rather than later.
Big Weigh In at Knoydart
Knoydart Community Garden Weighs In at nearly 1 tonne of produce!
Gardeners at the Knoydart Community Garden have been recording yields of fruit and vegetables over the summer in a notebook in the polytunnel. Whilst there are still quite a few “heavy” crops to be harvested (leeks, cabbages, sprouts, leeks, late tatties and winter salads)... the tally to the end of October 2010 weighed in at almost 1 tonne of produce!
Soft fruit and courgettes gave the biggest yields at 314kg and 134kg respectively but collecting information by weight only hides the huge variety of produce picked and eaten – which included over 200 “bags” or “handfuls” of more fragile items like lettuce, greens, radishes, herbs, beans, strawberries and tomatoes. When “shop bought” these types of salad products are also often chill-delivered and highly packaged adding to their potential carbon footprint.
Indoor growing helped with produce which in the past would have likely been imported from overseas – like cucumbers – 7kg weighed in – but additionally “30” individual cucumbers jotted down in the book. Other crops which did well from polytunnel protection were tomatoes, sweetcorn, peppers, chillies, herbs and salads. Having only got the cover onto the tunnel in late May, we were a bit late for squashes this year, but one family still managed to grow five mammoth pumpkins for Halloween. 
These figures don’t take into account the garden yields from those growing in their own backyards at home and for inevitable “pick and eat” down at the garden so are likely to be a considerable under-estimate.
“With the carbon costs of production and distribution of food stuffs and taking into account the additional freight charges for getting produce to remote communities like ours, this represents a huge saving in both carbon and in cash,” says Powerdown Officer, Gwen Barrell.
“Overall 20 individuals have been involved at the garden on a weekly basis with their own “plots” alongside many many more helping with the community parts of the garden and taking advantage of pick your own, and gifts of “gluts”. We reckon more than half the community has been involved in one way or another with this project, either in addition to their own gardening at home, or as their main gardening activity.”
The garden is operating very sustainably – with composting, wormeries and mulching all being used to great effect to prevent the degredation of the soil or the need to import bags of compost. Bags and tubs for harvesting are all recycled. Plants, produce, seeds, pots, planters and so –on are re-used, gifted and swapped. And it goes without saying that hints and tips are freely given and received!!
More info: gwen@knoydart.org Tel 01687 462242
BBC Visit Stronsay
Press Release
12/11/10
Stronsay Eco Club Visits BBC Autumnwatch
Before leaving Stronsay after a month of filming the Grey seal pupping season, the BBC Autumnwatch crew opened their doors to their temporary studio in the Fishmart on Stronsay for the Children’s’ Eco club.
Marion Macleod, who was the Stronsay Development Trust’s Community Powerdown Officer before going on maternity leave, sourced funding for the Eco club from the Climate Challenge Fund as part of the Stronsay Green Island project.
The children have enjoyed educational and fun sessions in the Community greenhouse since the club started in August. They have planted their own plot of vegetables and soft fruit and already harvested some of it. Other activities have included outdoor survival skills, beach combing and craft making.
As a final session before the club takes a break during the dark winter months, the children were in the fortunate position to be able to meet with the wildlife film maker Gordon Buchanan and the rest of the crew from the BBC, to learn about all aspects of the Grey seal, look at the equipment used for filming and have an exclusive preview of the footage due to be shown on BBC Autumn Watch the following night.
All the children had a very interesting time as it is not every day that a film crew comes to the island and a wildlife one to boot.
Marion Macleod and the Eco club volunteers Elspeth Middleton and Pam Rose were delighted at getting such an opportunity for the children and now look forward to many fun sessions in the spring time.
Contact: Marion Macleod 07919550943
Photos supplied:
1. The Eco club children in the Fishmart with Gordon Buchanan and some of the live webcam crew.
Eco fair and powerdown week at Catrine
Added by Heather Robertson on 09 November 2010
Catrine Community Eco Fair Week
13th - 19th November
Workshop Timetable
The Institute, Catrine
Day & Time Workshop Time
Monday 15th November Grow Your Own
Chocolate Night 1 – 3pm
7 – 9pm
Tuesday 16th November Pamper Night 7 – 9pm
Wednesday 17th November Kitchen Canny
Takeaway Night 2 – 3pm
7 – 9pm
Thursday 18th November Grow Your Own 10 – 12pm
Friday 19th November Eco Lantern Parade 6pm
Wednesday 24th November Gok Wan Style Fashion Night 6 – 9pm
Transition Shetland
Added by Colin Dickie on 30 September 2010
Public meeting - 4 October, 7pm
Islesburgh Community Centre
- All welcome -
Anyone interested in how Shetland is going to prepare itself for the world when cheap fuel is a thing of the past can come along to a second meeting of the Transition Shetland network being held at Isleburgh community centre at 7pm on 4 October.
Northmavine Powerdown officer Colin Dickie will be attending the meeting to talk about the work he is doing running energy audits, developing small scale hydro schemes and other energy projects.
The group held its inaugural meeting in late August and the small attendance was more than made up for by the enthusiasm expressed by those who were there, with discussion ranging across the subjects of growing our own food, to renewable energy and transport.
The group decided the most important initial effort had to be to grow the group itself, with everyone pledging to bring along at least one extra person to the October meeting.
Some of the group also attended the SIC environment forum on 16 September where they met Vicki Ferguson, of the Federation of City Farms and Community Gardens; Bob Bull, of Growing Communities; and Ian Welsh of the Allotment Regeneration Initiative.
Vicki and Bob are both involved in transition initiatives in Stirling and the Black Isle respectively and recommended focussing on building a strong group prior to anything else.
The Black Isle group has received £100,000 from the Scottish government’s Climate Challenge Fund to support its activities, which include two community gardens, an energy group that has purchased smart meters for measuring electricity consumption and the Highland Food Challenge that encourages people to buy local food.
http://www.shetland-news.co.uk/classifieds/Transition%20Shetland%20-%20Public%20meeting.htm
Grow your own vegetable baskets!
New allotment project is underway
Press release: Walkerburn Community Development Trust
Wild foraging helps Langholm’s green bid
LANGHOLM is among 25 communities in Scotland celebrating being nominated for a green award.
Chef John Crouch prepares locally sourced ingredients at the Langholm Initiative Community Powerdown project’s food forage event From harnessing renewable energy from sources such as wind, water and wood to schemes to enable people to grow and source more food locally, the Community Powerdown consortium has blazed an inspiring trail of projects from the Borders to the Shetlands.
The communities’ pioneering efforts have earned national recognition by being nominated for the Scottish Green awards, being held next Thursday at the Glasgow Science Centre.
In Langholm, to encourage people to eat more local food, two wild foraging and cookery events were organised. Participants learned to skin a rabbit and gather wild ingredients to cook delicious seasonal dishes from hedgerows, woodland, pasture and moorland.
A campaign to boost energy efficiency is up and running, with two energy efficiency advisers carrying out surveys of homes and dispensing free advice to help householders cut bills and carbon footprints.
Consortium co-ordinator Helen Houston said the initiative and experience of Powerdown officers working in communities in Scotland has been key to their success.
“What unites all these projects is the fact they have been conceived and born within the communities themselves. Their role is to nurture these projects and bring them to fruition.
“Communities are reaping rewards in a number of ways. Strides have been made in cutting household energy use and bills, increasing community provision of hydro, solar, biomass and wind power, slashing food miles by boosting skills and places where people can grow delicious produce and greening transport.”
Langholm Community Powerdown officer Jonathan Kneeshaw is delighted his team’s work had been recognised.
“We are planning to further develop the food and energy theme with a significant presence at Langholm show this Saturday. There will be demonstrations of apple pressing, preserving and cooking produce and the opportunity to find out more on saving energy, the ‘love food, hate waste’ campaign and home composting.”
The projects in Langholm and elsewhere are funded by the Scottish government’s climate challenge fund. Community Powerdown is the brainchild of Community Energy Scotland which came up with the plan to enable communities to join forces to reduce use of fossil fuels, like coal and oil. It is estimated that the project will bring about a reduction of 200,000kWh of fossil fuel consumption between 2009 and 2011.
The Scottish Green Awards were created by Scottish Business Insider in association with ScottishPower to promote Scotland as a country that encourages sustainability, tackles climate change and is committed to improving energy efficiency.
TV broadcaster Jackie Bird will host the awards and guest speaker is Tim Smit, founder and chief executive of the Eden Project in Cornwall.
A wild food foraging event is being held by chef John Crouch in Canonbie next Wednesday. The event is free and includes soup.
POWERDOWN NOMINATED FOR NATIONAL HONOURS
Press Release
23/09/10
LOCAL groups working to reduce carbon in 25 communities across Scotland are celebrating being nominated for a prestigious green award.
From harnessing renewable energy from sources such as wind, water and wood to schemes to enable people to grow and source more food locally, the Community Powerdown consortium has blazed an inspiring trail on a raft of projects from the Borders to the tip of the Shetland Isles.
Now the communities’ pioneering efforts have earned national recognition by being nominated for the Scottish Green Awards, which take place on Thursday 30 September at the Glasgow Science Centre.
According to the consortium’s coordinator Helen Houston, the initiative and experience of Powerdown officers working in communities across the country has been key to their success.
“What unites all these projects is the fact they have been conceived and born within the communities themselves,” she said. “The role of the Powerdown officers is to nurture these projects and bring them to fruition.
“Communities are now reaping rewards in a wide range of ways. Great strides have been made in areas such as cutting household energy use - and bills - increasing community provision of hydro, solar, biomass and wind power, slashing food miles by boosting skills and facilities for people to grow delicious produce locally and greening local transport.
“The nomination is testament to all the hard work and dedication of Powerdown officers, whose combined energy and motivation has enabled communities to take great strides in cutting their carbon footprints and boosting local resilience.”
Community Powerdown is the brainchild of staff from Community Energy Scotland, who came up with a masterplan to enable communities across Scotland to join forces in a pioneering drive to reduce use of fossil fuels like coal and oil. It is estimated that the project will bring about a reduction of 200,000kWh of fossil fuel consumption between 2009 and 2011.
Within Orkney the communities in Rousay Egilsay and Wyre, Stronsay, Eday, and Westray have benefitted from having Community Powerdown Officers appointed to their communities.
As a direct result of these appointments Rousay, Egilsay and Wyre were awarded almost £40,000 for their Affordable Warmth project, bringing energy efficiency advice, insulation through grant funding and thermal imaging to the homes on the island; and almost £70,000 towards a community gardening project to provide allotments and polytunnel access as well as an educational garden for members of the community.
Stronsay Development Trust were awarded £52.000 to bring forward a Community Greenhouse project. The project is up and running since July and incorporates 11 already productive plots in their Keder Greenhouse . Some of this produce were used for the "local food cafe" during the Stronsay Green Festival held in the beginning of September. The Festival also incorporated craft workshops encouraging use of natural and recyclable materials.
A children’s Eco club has also been set up through the project. Children between the ages of 7 and 12 meet weekly and work their own plot in the Community Greenhouse whilst enjoying a variation educational activities.
Eday carbon reduction project has audited our community owned buildings and identified areas where carbon emissions can be reduced in excess of targeted amounts. They have obtained funding for a community bike store and workshop including bikes and have funded a small scale community growing project. Currently work is in progress to make the island even more sustainable through the off grid housing project and local food project. In addition the project has overseen the home insulation scheme on Eday and are working on additional ways to reduce domestic carbon emissions through energy efficiency.
The Scottish Green Awards were created by Scottish Business Insider in association with ScottishPower to promote Scotland as a country that encourages sustainability, tackles climate change and is committed to improving energy efficiency.
TV broadcaster Jackie Bird will host the awards and guest speaker is Tim Smith, founder and chief executive of the Eden Project in Cornwall.
Notes to editors:
1. For further information on the Community Powerdown consortium go to www.communitypowerdown or contact Helen Houston on 01349860124 e-mail: Helen.Houston@communityenergyscotland.org.uk
2. More information on the Scottish green Awards and a full list of nominations is available at www.scottishgreenawards.co.uk
Orkney contacts:
Marion Macleod, Stronsay, 01857 616 354
Michelle Koster, Rousay 01856 821420
Stephen Walters, Eday 01857 622293
Powerdown Nominated for National Honours
Local groups working to reduce carbon in 25 communities across Scotland are celebrating being nominated for a prestigious green award.
From harnessing renewable energy from sources including wind, water and wood to schemes enabling people to grow and find more food locally, the Community Powerdown consortium has blazed an inspiring trail. Among the projects are community driven developments on Jura.
Newly appointed officer Powerdown Officer Rob Tìgeir has been working with Jura Development Trust to continue the work to insulate the village hall and develop a fire wood supply chain on the island. The work includes raising awareness of the benefits of reducing energy use and finding renewable sources. Upcoming events include a seminar on using wood as fuel on 23 October and chainsaw training in November.
Now the communities’ pioneering efforts have earned national recognition by being nominated for the Scottish Green Awards, which take place on Thursday 30 September at the Glasgow Science Centre.
According to the consortium’s coordinator Helen Houston, the initiative and experience of Powerdown officers working in communities across the country has been key to their success.
“What unites all these projects is the fact they have been conceived and born within the communities themselves,” she said. “The role of the Powerdown officers is to nurture these projects and bring them to fruition."
“The nomination is testament to all the hard work and dedication of Powerdown officers, whose combined energy and motivation has enabled communities to take great strides in cutting their carbon footprints and boosting local resilience.”
Community Powerdown is the brainchild of staff from Community Energy Scotland, who came up with a masterplan to enable communities across Scotland to join forces in a pioneering drive to reduce use of fossil fuels like coal and oil. It is estimated that the project will bring about a reduction of 200,000kWh of fossil fuel consumption between 2009 and 2011.
The Scottish Green Awards were created by Scottish Business Insider in association with ScottishPower to promote Scotland as a country that encourages sustainability, tackles climate change and is committed to improving energy efficiency.
TV broadcaster Jackie Bird will host the awards and guest speaker is Tim Smit, founder and chief executive of the Eden Project in Cornwall.
Notes to editors:
1. For further information on the Community Powerdown consortium go to www.communitypowerdown.org.uk or contact Helen Houston on 01349860124 e-mail: Helen.Houston@communityenergyscotland.org.uk
2. More information on the Scottish green Awards and a full list of nominations is available at www.scottishgreenawards.co.uk
3. For more information on Jura Powerdown projects contact Rob Tìgeir at jurapowerdown@gmail.com or on 01496820039
Remote community in west Highlands uses eco quad bike
An electric quad bike that is recharged using power from a hydro scheme is being used by a community in one of the remotest areas of Scotland.
Knoydart in the west Highlands is not connected to the National Grid or national roads network.
The community-run Knoydart Foundation has been using the quad and its trailer for other "green" projects.
They include collecting horse manure for a wormery composter and visiting an eco-friendly campsite.
Knoydart's electric quad, community garden and energy projects are part of the Community Powerdown Initiative, a Scotland-wide scheme backed by the Climate Challenge Fund.
The foundation is one of 25 communities in a consortium working together on carbon reduction projects and nominated for an honour in the forthcoming Scottish Green Awards.
'Real hassle'
Gwen Barrell, Knoydart Powerdown officer, said the quad overcomes problems getting fossil fuel to the area.
She said: "We've wanted to trial an electric vehicle for some time.
"It's a real hassle bringing fuel into Knoydart - particularly petrol - and given that we have surplus electricity from our own hydro scheme it made perfect sense to look at electric vehicles. The electric quad is already proving to be leaner, greener, cheaper and easier."
The project officer added: "The rough tracks and hilliness of the area make most standard vehicles a bit of a non starter here and as most electric vehicles are designed for city use they wouldn't last five minutes on our tracks.
"So looking at an electric quad seemed a good place to start - handy for jobs which you can't do on a push bike or on foot, but designed for more rugged terrain."
Ranger Tommy McManmon uses the bike to visit Knoydart's eco-campsite where people can camp on an area of beach where facilities include a compost toilet.
He said: "Campers were fascinated to see the vehicle in action, and doubly impressed when they realised that all the electricity which charges it comes from a hydro source."
Taken from BBC website
POWERDOWN NOMINATED FOR NATIONAL HONOURS
15 September 2010
Knoydart Garden Produce and Craft Open Day
Giant Courgettes On Show @
Knoydart Powerdown’s Community Garden Project held a successful open day on Saturday 4th September. Competitions for fruit and vegetables; preserves made from local berries; homebaking and crafts from recycled materials all featured in our judging tent. Entries were received from members of the community aged 7 to 70 (ish!)
The Community garden was open to visitors – with much admiration of the efforts that people have made in growing vegetables and getting the project up and running.
Saturday September 4th is also “National Eat Venison Day” and we were treated to burgers made from local venison and hand-made sausages from the local butcher. September 4th was also the launch day of Scottish Food and Drink Fortnight and to support this and our open day, Knoydart Pottery and Tea Room relocated to the garden serving cakes and homebaking – using a wide range of local products.
A raffle was held for a fantastic cake made by plot-holder Karin Mills – on a garden theme – along with a number of other garden related prizes.
Local crafts were also on exhibition and for sale – including pottery, knitting and woodturning; along with a fantastic selection of homebaking and preserves.
The newly received electric quad bike was also on display at the garden for people to have a look at – but given how busy the event was we didn’t have the space to ride it around.
“It was amazing to see just how much productivity there has been – not only in terms of the huge amounts of produce grown – reducing food miles – but in terms of wider use of the products in recipes and the huge amount of recipe sharing that has been going on...” says Gwen Barrell, Community Powerdown Officer.
“Since starting with my plot at the community garden I eat at least 2 or 3 main meals a week with zero food miles attached! I’m also getting into preserving produce for the winter months,” says Cath, plot holder at Knoydart Community Garden.
The weather was glorious for the open day, but since then the gardeners have been sitting out the first of our autumn storms and looking forward to seaweed being washed up onto the beach for mulching over the winter... a gardener’s work is never done.
More info, and any number of courgette recipes available from gwen@knoydart.org tel 01687 462242 – Knoydart Foundation - become our friend on Facebook
Woodland Fungi Guided Walk
Knoydart Powerdown in conjunction with Knoydart Foundation Ranger Service held an extremely successful guided walk and talk on Woodland Fungi on 2nd September.
Renewables Event in Alness
30 August 2010
An event is being held this weekend in Alness to give local people more information about the different renewable energy technologies that can be installed in their homes.
It is being organised by Alness Transition Town Group as part of their home energy advice service and will be starting in the Averon Leisure Centre at 12 noon on Saturday 4th September.
The event will feature local installers and expert and impartial advice from the Energy Saving Trust.
This will then be followed by a tour led by Community Energy Scotland of some of the local community buildings that are already benefitting from renewable technologies, including the wind turbine at Alness Golf Club and the biomass boiler at the Heritage Centre.
The event is completely free to attend and everyone who comes has a chance to win a solar-powered outdoor LED light (worth £100) or one of ten solar chargers (worth £45 each).
There will also be a chance to find out more about the home energy advice service, which includes tips on setting central heating programmers and identifying energy-guzzling appliances.
The Home Energy Advisors can also help you access grants for insulation or more efficient heating systems and they’re available to visit anyone living in or around Alness, Evanton and Invergordon.
Peter Elbourne, one of the Home Energy Advisors and the group’s Community Powerdown Officer, is looking forward to the event:
“It is going to be a fantastic opportunity for local people to see what renewable energy systems are available for their homes. Virtually every type of renewable can be found in the community buildings in Alness and visiting some of them on our whistle-stop tour will be a great way to find out more about them.”
If you would like more information about the event or to book a free home energy visit, get in touch with Alness Transition Town Group (01349 884896, 07920 437526, energy@transitiontownalness.org.uk).
The home energy advice service is funded by the Scottish Government’s Climate Challenge Fund, which is also supporting Alness Transition Town Group’s involvement in Community Powerdown.
Willow Basketry Workshop
Tutor - Catherine Davies
Introduction to basketry for beginners
Saturday and Sunday 18th and 19th September 2010
10.00 – 4.30 Inverie Village Hall
Places limited to 8
£40 towards, tuition, materials, refreshments, lunch
A two day course which is designed to give you a good grounding in the techniques of traditional basketry using willow. If you have made a basket before this is a good refresher course. At the end of the course you will have made a beautiful, strong basket that you will love and can take home with you. Catherine has been teaching basketry for many years and will be passing on lots of information about willow growing and where to get tools and books for basketry.
“Time spent making the basket, is time spent only on you and can be quite meditative. Everyone should make one basket in their lives; to take a plant and turn it into something practical as well as beautiful without using anything else is quite special. Forget everything else for two days and just weave”
Catherine Davies and Pascal Carr are basket makers living in Central Scotland. Their willow baskets are handmade with different coloured varieties of willow grown organically on their croft on the Isle of Eigg Whilst visiting they will also be giving us some advice on growing willow for basket making in the future. www.all-about-willow.co.uk
This course is subsidised by Knoydart Forest Trust and Community Powerdown.
Further info from Karen Purvis or Gwen Barrell
To book; please contact Gwen gwen@knoydart.org 462242
Stronsay Green Festival
Stronsay Community Hall 3-5th of September
“Come and join us in a weekend of Craft Workshops, Drama Performance, Food and Fun for adults and children alike!”
September 3rd - “Isle of Egg - Drama Night with Eco Drama” 7.30 pm
Island of Egg is a place where dreams come true…
A fable inspired by the true story of Eigg, an island off the west coast of Scotland. Through interactive storytelling, live music, eco gadgets and humorous characters, Eco Drama brings to life an uplifting story.
September 4th and 5th – Craft Workshops 10.30 am-4.30 pm
The craft workshops focus on using recycled and natural materials. There will be a chance to learn to make your own paper, spinning, weaving and making other useful things with what you may already have in your home. (Bring along materials if you like!)
A café will be open from 11-2.30 in the hall serving soup, homemade rolls, salads, baking etc. (Menu using as many local ingredients as possible.)
Come along for something to eat!
Transformation in Lybster
SEAVIEW HOUSE SUCCESS STORY
When in late 2009 the Latheron Lybster & Clyth Community Development Company moved into the somewhat dilapidated Seaview House, the former childrens’ care home and subsequent social housing council flats, on the Harbour Road in Lybster little did it foresee how successful it would become in such a short time.
The ground around the Community Business and Energy Resource Centre of Seaview House has been transformed ahead of schedule to include a number of allotments and two large polytunnels with produce boxes. Substantial amounts of fruit and vegetables are now becoming available for those who use these facilities to produce their own. Some of this is the result of gardening classes held in springtime for those who wanted encouragement and training to grow their own. Classes are due to start again soon. In addition, further classes on Community First Aid, Arts and Crafts (from re-cycled materials) and Healthy Cooking (to be known as “Seed to Saucepan”) are to be held in the conference room in the near future.
One of the beneficiaries of the allotments and polytunnels is 8 years old Calvin Forbes.
Calvin was so inspired by a visit to Seaview House that he decided he was going to grow his own vegetables. He ‘negotiated’ a piece of ground off his ‘Papa’ George over at Forse. His granddad was happy to oblige but then Calvin decide he needed a shed similar to what the folks at Seaview had. Again Papa was all for helping him but Calvin wanted to do it himself. He went to the wood yard and got his materials and then under supervision from his granddad made his shed complete with tools and the all important chair!
He is growing cabbage, carrots, beetroot and lettuce and “can’t wait to be able to eat them.”
Calvin now has plans for a polytunnel made from recycled bottles. He requires around 1500 clear plastic 2 litre bottles. If you would like to help this enterprising youngster meet his target then please contact any of the following: Calvin’s mum Lorraine : Anne Sutherland, Community Powerdown Officer, Seaview House : Eric Larnach, Resource Centre Manager, Seaview House. 01593 721 283
It isn’t just all about allotments and polytunnels at Seaview. Home Energy Awareness has a big part to play in the work of the company and after a very successful campaign in Lybster in 2009 a second campaign, in association with the Energy Saving Trust, has been carried out for the rest of SE Caithness. All of this work is fully recognised by the statutory bodies and a variety of community groups across Highland, indeed so successful was the 2009 Lybster Campaign that the Energy Saving Trust has put it forward to the parliamentary working group in Edinburgh as an example of good practice.
None of the above would have been possible if it were not for a variety of funding from the following sources, namely: The Climate Challenge Fund; Leader; Community Energy Scotland and Highland Council. Also vitally important in the success story has been the work carried out by a dedicated team of volunteers to whom the company is eternally grateful, for without that input the scheme would not have been as successful as has been.
With a mission statement to promote the economic and social well being of the local community through providing services that are accessible and responsive to the community’s needs and to work within the community to promote benefit for all, the company is now very soundly on course to meet these aims.
Seaview House Community Resource Centre is open any week day for anyone who wants to visit and be shown around. Either Eric or Anne can be contacted by phone or by e mail ericlarnach@btconnect.com or anne.sutherland17@yahoo.co.uk to arrange a visit.
When You go Down to the Woods Today - Surprise
PRESS RELEASE
6th August for Immediate use
Foraging for food in and around Langholm
People in and around Langholm will be able to take part in two exciting local food foraging events in August. The events aim to demonstrate the vast variety of food that can be found in the local countryside. There will be the opportunity to learn how to identify the foods available, where they can be found and how they can be turned into a tasty meal. In a recent reconnaissance of one of the foraging routes over 25 different types of food where found ranging from brambles and apples to sorrel, plantain, hazel nuts, cleavers and even nettles.
The first event “What You Can Find to Eat in the Wood” will take place at on Tuesday 17th August in the Galaside Wood. People will forage food in the wood under the expert guidance of chef John Crouch. At lunchtime John will demonstrate how the food can prepared and turned into a tasty meal. Soup and light refreshments will be available. The event coincides with the opening of the new improvements to the Galaside wood. There will also be the opportunity to search for wildlife under the guidance of Moorland education officer Cat Barlow and Dumfries & Galloway Biodiversity Officer Peter Norman. Meet at the Sports Centre cark Park at 10.00Hrs.
The second event “Foraging For Food on the Moor” will take place on Saturday 21st August. A guided walk will take place to forage for food up on the Langholm Moor. There will be the opportunity to meet a number of game experts on route who will demonstrate what food can be found in the countryside locally. The walk will finish at the golf club, where chef John Crouch will demonstrate how to prepare and cook a number of recipes using the local ingredients that have been collected. Recipe cards and tips for climate friendly menus will be available for people to take away and use at home. Soup and light refreshments will be available. The event will start at the Kilngreen car park at 11.00hrs. Those wishing to attend just the cooking and tasting demonstration can make their way to the golf club for 13.30Hrs.
The events are part of the “How We Can Eat Local and Why We Should” project run by the Community Powerdown team at the Langholm Initiative and funded by the Climate Challenge Fund. The project aims to encourage people to eat local seasonal produce to reduce their carbon footprint. The food we eat accounts for 20% of UK greenhouse gas emissions.
Anybody requiring more information about the events can contact the Powerdown Team at the Langholm Initiative by phone on 013873 80914.
The wrigglers are out in force in Knoydart
Getting a bit obsessed with compost and wormeries....
Knoydart Community Garden is flourishing after only a few months of concerted activity. Community members have plots crammed with vegetables, and the polytunnel is full of tomatoes, cucumbers, squashes, salads with hardly an inch to spare. We’re recording all our harvesting in a big notebook in the polytunnel and it’s amazing how much has already been scoffed.
Two weekends in July have been devoted to getting a few other jobs done amid the tending, harvesting and weeding. A compost demonstration zone is being built up using reclaimed timber, showing a variety of different compost methods. The communal wheelbarrows are in big demand particularly for raiding the horse manure heap!
Back in April the community enthusiastically joined in with Natural Scotland’s “Peat Free Compost” campaign with promotional material delivered to every household, leading to gardeners clubbing together to order a pallet of peat-free compost. Not content with this huge stride forward, for 2011 we want to reduce the carbon footprint of our potting compost further by making our own.
So we’ve become obsessed with worms and wormeries....
As a bit of summer holiday project local children set up mini wormery demonstrators using recycled pop bottles. We went digging for earthworms and for manure worms with great success. The children were fascinated to discover that worms like vegetables, pizza and biscuits but don’t like to be fed curry or dairy products.
Our second step was to set up a medium sized wormery in plastic trays. Getting the worms by post didn’t phase the postie at all and he kept a special eye out for them coming off the ferry so as to deliver them first on his round so they didn’t sit in a hot van. The worms live in a bed of rotted horse manure and are fed a diet of vegetable peelings and other kitchen scraps, creating a rich compost of worm casts. The method is different from regular composting but not at all difficult.
Our third step is to build a veritable worm palace in the garden – Andy – one of the plotholders and local joiner is constructing it out of “bits of wood” and this one will become home to thousands and thousands of wrigglers– and our “factory” for compost production
Hopefully by next Spring we’ll have our own home-grown “black gold” potting compost created from the wormery. There are huge benefits here – reducing food waste going to landfill and reducing the transport costs of bringing in potting compost by road and sea and of course contributing to the growing of next year’s veg....
And knowing Knoydart, once the seed of an idea is planted, it really takes root. Once one person has a wormery everyone will want one. By this time next year we’ll probably have a worm fanciers association up and running.... it’ll make a change from talking about chickens.
Inspired? Here’s some resources and links
To make your own wormery out of old pop bottles– great activity for children http://www.ltscotland.org.uk/earlyyears/resources/supportmaterials/countrysideranger.asp
A few websites for how to set up wormeries (there are heaps more... search for vermiculture for some really specialist sites!)
www.wormcity.co.uk
www.wigglywigglers.co.uk
www.wormdigest.org
You don’t need to buy an expensive plastic wormery - if anyone wants plans for a “build your own” wormery out of “bits of old wood” email me and I’ll send you plans gwen@knoydart.org
Stronsay Green Festival
3-5th of September
Island Resources - Our ancestors relied on them- So why shouldn't we make the most of them?
Our own resources are all around us. Some we throw away, some might be waiting to be rediscovered and some are right on our door step!
Come and join us in a weekend of Craft workshops, Drama Performance, Food and Fun!
The craft workshops will focus solely on using recycled and natural materials. A chance to learn to make your own paper, spinning, weaving and other useful things that can be made with what you may already have in your home.
Friday 3rd Eco Drama Performance of "Isle of Egg" 7.30 Community Hall, Stronsay
Saturday- Sunday 4th and 5th Craft Workshops and Local food Cafe in Community Hall
Greenhouse Arrives in Stronsay
Stronsay Development Trust is delighted to announce that through the work of Community Powerdown, a successful start has been made to their Green Island Project which received funding from the Climate Challenge Fund earlier this year.
During a surprisingly quiet spell of weather at the end of June the 24m x 8m Keder Greenhouse was successfully erected on the south side of Monceur Memorial Church, Stronsay.
A gardener, Robin Graham, has been appointed for five months. Robin will be working on the project until the end of October this year.
The Powerdown Officer, Marion Macleod, explains: “The greenhouse has been divided into 11 separate plots. One plot is for the children who will take part in the Eco club starting in late August. There they will learn to grow plants and experiment with their own produce amongst other activities.
The remaining 10 plots have been shared out between Stronsay residents. There are currently 13 people either sharing or individually working 9 of the plots leaving one vacant for anyone who may be interested and I would be delighted to hear from any other people who are considering having or sharing a plot. “
There are already plants sprouting in the greenhouse and we are looking forward to a productive late summer and autumn growing season.
Contact: Marion Macleod 01857 616 354 or 07919550943
Photos supplied:
1. Marion Macleod and Robin Graham outside Greenhouse.
2. Plot holders working in greenhouse getting ground ready.
Calvins Story
News From Ardoch
Press Release – 10th June 2010
Energy Advisor
Householders in Braco and Greenloaning have been given a boost in their efforts to reduce their energy consumption by the appointment of local resident Scot Corrigan as an energy advisor, a post made possible by funding from the Scottish Government’s Climate Challenge Fund.
The energy advisor will assist householders in implementing measures aimed at reducing their energy consumption by an average of 10% for a total carbon dioxide reduction of over 100 tonnes per year. To help achieve this target Scot will be making house visits when he will run full home energy audits. These will be useful in showing simple measures that householders can take to not only reduce their carbon dioxide emissions but also save money. Any householders wanting a free home energy audit should contact Scot or Mike Wilson, the Powerdown Officer on 01786 880934 or mob. 07826773669.
Oil Buying Club
There has been considerable interest among Braco and Greenloaning householders in the idea of setting up an oil buying club in the area. If you are interested and have not already contacted Mike Wilson then please do so quickly on the numbers shown above and keep an eye out for notification of a meeting in Braco Hall to discuss this issue in detail.
Notes to editors
"Community Powerdown” is a consortium of 25 community groups, Community Energy Scotland and the Development Trust Association Scotland (DTAS) set up to help communities tackle climate change by reducing their carbon dioxide emissions. This is the largest Climate Challenge Fund award since its inception in 2008, and highlights the significance of the Powerdown program.
Ardoch Development Trust is delighted to be one of the original 27 community groups to win funding. The Trust has set up a Powerdown Project website that can be accessed via www.ardochtrust.org.uk
Please see the news and events page at this website for details of upcoming events.
OWL Wise Knoydart Pupils
Inverie Primary School Knoydart have been busy working on all sorts of topics this year – including renewable energy. The pupils have adopted an “OWL” monitor to use in school and as part of their “eco school” initiative, Powerdown Officer, Gwen Barrell, helped them set it the OWL using some games and activities to “test” out how it worked and which appliances in school were “power hungry”. “It’s amazing how quickly the children got to grips with the OWL meter and started devising their own experiments not only to see how much appliances were using; but also did some impromptu maths working out the cost per unit too!” says Gwen. Over the school holidays children have the chance to get involved in the community garden; another of our carbon reduction schemes and are keen to get a wormery set up at school next term.
Alternative Technology
This term we did a topic about Renewable Energy. In it we did lots of experiments such as making model water turbines, paper windmills, solar cookers and a mini
Pelamis. My favourite one was making the solar cookers. The P3s made them following the instructions and the rest of us designed our own. Freya’s and
Caitlin’s worked the best and their cooker got up to 61 degrees. I made mine by getting a small cardboard box and putting black paper on top. That was to absorb
the sunshine and heat. I made a hole in the middle of the box and put a magnifying glass over the top. Next I got a tin foil cake case and put some chocolate in it. Next I
put it in the box right beneath the magnifying glass. All of our designs worked as the chocolate melted really fast.
We also drew renewable characters that showed the different kinds of renewable energies- hydro, wave, tidal, geothermal, bio and solar. Gwen came in and we did lots of stuff with her. She showed us an owl meter and talked about how it worked and what its job was.
Did you know?
• That if a cooker has 4 rings and 2 ovens on all at the same time it uses 10,000
watts? A low energy light bulb uses only 7 watts!
• That Pelamis wave machines can be 120 metres long and 4 metres wide?
• That Pit’s turbine can spin round 25 times a second?
• That a wind turbine’s blades can be 65 metres long?
Callum aged eight
New Starts in Langholm
New Langholm Community Powerdown Team
PEOPLE in and around Langholm are getting a helping hand to save cash and energy through two pioneering projects kicking off in the area.
The Langholm Initiative has received £ 67,507 of funding from the Scottish Government’s Climate Challenge Fund to help local communities cut their carbon footprint.
The first project is a Carbon Reduction & Energy Efficiency Campaign. Two new Energy Efficiency Advisors, David Wilson and Heather Chambers, will be carrying out energy surveys of homes to help people choose the best ways for them to cut their fuel bills and reduce carbon emissions.
The second project “How We Can Eat Local and Why We Should” will focus on growing and foraging for local food. A number of special events will be held in late summer / autumn to demonstrate how to forage for food, prepare and cook it and preserve surpluses which can be used in winter.
New Community Powerdown Officer Jonathan Kneeshaw said: ‘This is great news for the local community. It will provide people with ideas, skills and knowledge to reduce fuel bills, have warmer homes, use local produce and combat climate change.’
Anybody wishing to know more about the projects or arrange to have an energy survey should can contact the Powerdown Team at the Langholm Initiative by phone on 013873 80914.
Community Powerdown on Mull & Iona
Community Powerdown are helping keep Mull & Iona homes warm this winter. We now have an insulator prepared to come to our islands. Twenty homes have already upgraded for the same price as the mainland with several qualifying for free insulation. “We have even managed to gain help with getting loft flooring installed above the new insulation” says James Hilder of the Community Trust.
“They were most efficient and we were delighted with the work, and we qualified for free installation!” said Mrs Brown of Pennyghael.
So if you want to keep warm and toasty this winter on Mull or Iona, call Tim Capper now for a free, no obligation visit and quotation, on 01681700254.
Neilstons Renewables Night
Renewable Energy Night
The Powerdown team organised yet another successful evening workshop on
Tuesday 8th June and attendance was high as interested villagers were given
a presentation on the various renewable technologies available. All in attendance
agreed that it was a well organised, interesting and well executed event, and that
they had left with a much better understanding of ways to generate their own energy.
From the feedback received, the event seems to have been pitched just about right,
with interested householders learning more about the various technologies available,
what methods would best suit their individual needs, feed-in tariffs (where they would
receive payment from energy suppliers for generating their own energy) and any
available grants etc.
Subjects covered on the night included Heat Source Pumps, Micro Hydro, Wind Turbines,
Solar Water Heating and Photo Voltaic panels.
A small raffle was also drawn on the night, with a prize awarded to one lucky winner
from amongst the attendees, and a larger draw was also made to include all in the village who
have so far completed their Home Energy Check forms.
And don’t worry if you missed out this time as we’ll have another draw at a later date for all
who have complete their HEC forms; which are still being distributed around the village and
are also available for collection from The Bank if you haven’t yet received yours.
Renewable Energy Night
The Powerdown team organised yet another successful evening workshop on
Tuesday 8th June and attendance was high as interested villagers were given
a presentation on the various renewable technologies available. All in attendance
agreed that it was a well organised, interesting and well executed event, and that
they had left with a much better understanding of ways to generate their own energy.
From the feedback received, the event seems to have been pitched just about right,
with interested householders learning more about the various technologies available,
what methods would best suit their individual needs, feed-in tariffs (where they would
receive payment from energy suppliers for generating their own energy) and any
available grants etc.
Subjects covered on the night included Heat Source Pumps, Micro Hydro, Wind Turbines,
Solar Water Heating and Photo Voltaic panels.
A small raffle was also drawn on the night, with a prize awarded to one lucky winner
from amongst the attendees, and a larger draw was also made to include all in the village who
have so far completed their Home Energy Check forms.
And don’t worry if you missed out this time as we’ll have another draw at a later date for all
who have complete their HEC forms; which are still being distributed around the village and
are also available for collection from The Bank if you haven’t yet received yours.
NEILSTON RESIDENTS LEARN ABOUT THEIR CARBON FOOTPRINT.
Neilston Cattle Show
Unst Allotments Press Release
Powerdown man making life a little cleaner and greener in Northmavine
Added by Colin Dickie on 20 May 2010
Perhaps every Shetland community should have a Colin Dickie. Not only will he save you money, he helps the dirty Lerwick power station burn a little less diesel and belch a little less pollution while it keeps Shetland’s lights on.
His mission is to make life in Northmavine a bit better for its 800 inhabitants by cutting their elec tricity and oil bills, making old houses cosier and encouraging innovative renewable energy schemes to earn money for the community. And he has a big idea that could open up money-spinning possibilities for the parish by overcoming the problems caused by the lack of a subsea power cable from Shetland to the National Grid – a weakness which has stopped any more wind turbines selling power into the islands’ grid because it cannot cope with the fluctuations in their output. These positive activities come with his position as the Powerdown officer with Northmavine Com munity Development Company, funded for two years by the Scottish government to reduce the area’s carbon footprint by as much as 15 per cent. But he has also found himself involved, reluctantly at first, in the drive to boost local food production in the parish which appears to be a craze among locals of all ages with a clamour for plots in the 12 community polytunnels which are going up. Having been in the job for over a year now, based at the NCDC’s offices in an old house at Barnafield, near Collafirth, Colin is past half way in his contract. But there is so much good work to be done it would be unfortunate for the job to end before Northmavine has finished shaping itself a more sustainable future. As if he did not have enough on his plate he also hopes to spend time in Fair Isle helping the new part-time Powerdown officer there, Angela Wiseman. The only other Powerdown officer is Mike Smith who works part-time in Unst. At the age of 34 Colin has already been around and done a lot since growing up in Cullivoe and qualifying as a chemical engineer. At one point he and his brother had created the biggest rock-crushing company in the UK from small beginnings in Gutcher before the recession killed the construction industry stone dead and the boys’ company with it. He used to lecture at the fisheries college in Scalloway and once embarked on a venture with local IT entrepreneur Ken Beer and a billionaire in the United States to revolutionise communications at sea for merchant navy shipping at a time when making calls and sending data via satellite was hideously expensive. Unfortunately it never quite got off the ground. High on his lengthy To Do list is this exciting idea of his which could see Northmavine folk act together as a community to help lead the country in wasting less energy while making money from gener ating their own power. Firstly, he hopes to persuade Scottish and Southern Energy to trial a so-called smart grid system in the parish using grants which are to be made available from the fossil fuel fund for renewables research. A smart grid seeks to even-out the peaks and troughs in people’s use of electricity, partly by offering much cheaper power when demand is low. It can also remotely switch on power-thirsty appliances, like washing machines, when demand is low and switch them off at peak times. With little industry in North mavine to place heavy demand on the power system, Mr Dickie believes it might be possible to get the consumption level enough that SSE could accept more renewable energy generators being plumbed into the grid – cue money-making ventures for the community. The emphasis would be put on hydro power which is a far smoother and constant source of power and which can be regulated to help meet rises in demand, which would suit the grid. Hydro, of course, is nothing new in Shetland, having been channelled by our ancestors in hundreds of burn-side mills and more recently in Foula for power. Northmavine is a land of lochs and burns, already supplying the North Mainland and Sullom Voe with its water. Tests done for Community Energy Scot land by consultants IT Power on two burns have shown they could generate a total of 62 kiloWatts from micro-hydro schemes, poten tially earning nearly £57,000 a year for the community. “It could make a real difference,” Colin said. The best source is reckoned to be the Burn of the Twa Roes at Collafirth. Such regular income could be crucial to the future of NCDC, enabling it to continue doing good work for the community’s benefit, keeping on the other full-time worker, the NCDC co-ordinator and Shetland Times columnist Maree Hay, and part-timer Marie Smith. “There’s a lot of ‘ifs’ there,” Colin admits, not least if he can get the population of Northmavine to change their lifelong habits of simply using electricity when they wish. “It’s a long shot – a very long shot,” he says of the ambitious plan. “But you have to keep trying.” If Viking Energy ever does get its windfarm the advent of a power cable to the mainland would remove the barrier to all renewable sources in Shetland. NCDC is also looking into tiny water power schemes, nano-hydro, which allows people to harness a small burn next to their house to produce perhaps 2-5kW – enough to heat their homes instead of erecting a wind turbine to do it. Colin said the technology was already well developed and had the added advantage over wind turbines of being more robust and reliable. He is hoping to get money for a trial this summer. Away from the glamorous business of renewables, his basic task is to carry out home energy audits of many of the 330 houses in Northmavine with the aim of measuring heat loss and electricity usage to help people cut their electricity and fuel bills. It is time-consuming but, he says, very worth while. So far he has done approach ing 70 homes after discarding the hopeless one-size-fits-all national questionnaire he was given and devising a more suitable one. The owners of an old house he surveyed a few weeks ago should be able to save £676 a year due to better loft insulation (100 per cent grant-funded), underlay for the carpets which sat on concrete floors and by fitting better windows, although they couldn’t afford to replace them all. Colin told inter national delegates at a conference in Scalloway last month that the house had been losing 47,058 kiloWatt-hours of energy of which almost half (20,590kW) was escaping through the roof which had no insulation at all. Many householders in Shetland now have digital meters for measur ing and monitoring how much power they are using and what it costs them, allowing people to figure out for themselves where to cut down. They can be borrowed from Shetland Amenity Trust and some power companies have been offering them free to customers. NCDC lends them out too. One person Colin spoke to on Friday claimed they had halved their elec tricity bill after the meter readings made them change their behaviour, such as switching off unnecessary electric fires and making sure doors are shut. They had been prompted into action after receiving a whop ping bill. “It was a big eye-opener to them how much they had been using.” Eventually, once more audits have been done, NCDC hopes to buy non-granted-aided materials like underlay and curtain lining in bulk to make it cheaper for those in the community who need it. Even residents in modern houses can save money and cut waste. In one Northmavine household the power consumption never dipped below 600 Watts all day partly due to plasma screen TVs and hi-fis being left sitting on standby. It was “money thrown away”, he said, which we are always being told about but don’t take seriously. “They know all this but after I showed them what it really means in their circumstances, that’s when they listened.” He also showed me a home-made gauge for outdoor oil tanks which are available from NCDC to help people learn how much their heating oil is costing at different periods. He says some are using old boilers which are less than 70 per cent efficient and need to be upgraded. The polytunnel revolution is shaping up to be a heart-warming story for the future with huge interest and demand for plots in the 12 polytunnels, which measure 10 metres by four metres, and are going up very soon, the first in North Roe this month with others to follow in Ollaberry, Gluss, Sullom, Hillswick and Eshaness. Colin said he had been overwhelmed by the enthusiasm for growing food which he admits to having had little interest in to begin with. He was amazed to discover that folk in Northmavine already pro duce at least 60 types of fruit and vegetable but perhaps the most satisfying aspect of the project is not the prospect of more bountiful and exotic harvests but the strong desire many people have to be involved just to be out and about among other people in the district, using the polytunnel as an unlikely social hub. Even better is the mixing of the generations with grandparents asking if they can take their grandchildren along so they can pass on their old self-sufficiency skills and knowledge, having been missed out on by the generation in between which saw no need for the old ways. “I think that’s a great thing to be promoting,” Colin says. So far Scottish Sea Farms has donated four tonnes of plastic walk ways and feed pipes which will be used in constructing the tunnels, covered by polycarbonate sheeting 10mm thick, which is the tough material that bullet-proof glass is made from and should be far more resistant to the wild Shetland weather than polythene. The whole project is being paid for by the Climate Challenge Fund. In return for allowing use of their ground for polytunnels the land owners get a free plot inside while everyone else has to pay a small annual fee. So, will every community get a Colin Dickie to help repeat his success across the isles? There is no sign of it but perhaps Shetland Charitable Trust or one of its power companies like Viking Energy or Shetland Heat and Power could fund a team of Powerdown mission aries to turn Shetland into a ground-breaking low carbon community, making life cosier and cheaper at home and healthier for the planet.
Green Plated Jura
JURA COMMUNITY GROUPS LOOK FORWARD
TO A WARMER WINTER
Community groups on Jura are looking forward to a warmer winter this year thanks to an award from the Climate Challenge Fund. The £126,000 grant, awarded to the Jura Hall Committee, will enable the community to ‘green plate’ their village hall, providing a highly energy-efficient community space which can be used all year round.
“The hall is the main focal point for community life on Jura”, explains Iain Mulholland, Vice-Chair of the Jura Hall Organising Committee, “The existing building was built as a drill hall for the first world war and has been used for community gatherings for nearly 100 years. The design of the building is very inefficient, with a lot of draughts and nothing but air between the thin internal and external cladding, which makes it very difficult to heat in the winter months.”
“A number of community groups wrote to us saying that they would like to be able to use the hall all year round, but it’s currently too cold for them to do so in the winter. This award will allow us to provide a much more useable space for the community and provide a practical example of how energy efficiency measures can drastically improve community facilities.”
The award follows a recent energy audit of the village hall by Community Energy Scotland which showed the need for improved energy efficiency in the building, and reflects the community’s desire to become more energy efficient.
“During our Powerdown Event last October the residents of Jura expressed the desire to tackle climate change both as individuals and as a community”, explains Kirsten Gow, Powerdown Project Officer for the Jura Development Trust, who worked with the village hall organising committee on the bid.
“This project provides us with an excellent focus for wider carbon-saving initiatives on the island and provides real benefits to everyone on the island by improving this important community facility. It also paves the way for us to look at how we can incorporate renewable energy technology into the improved hall to help us further reduce the island’s carbon footprint."
EDITORS NOTES
• For more information contact Kirsten on 07549 150 084 or at jurapowerdown@yahoo.co.uk
• The Powerdown consortium is funded by the Scottish Government’s Climate Challenge Fund and is made up of 25 mainly rural communities, all working to reduce carbon emissions in their area.
• The Powerdown Consortium is administered by Community Energy Scotland.
PowerDown to Power up: Community Driven Tidal Turbine Project for Sound of Sanda
Yet another proof of the way Argyll’s communities are not just taking responsibility for themselves, but are stepping into the pioneering of new technologies to combat climate change and develop sustainability.
The South Kintyre Development Trust (SKDT) has announced that it has been awarded £25,000 funding from the Climate Challenge Fund to investigate the potential for deploying tidal turbines in the Sound of Sanda.
The funding will be used to carry out a feasibility study and to train the trust’s staff and members.
SKDT is a member of the Community Powerdown project, a Scotland wide network of communities working to reduce their carbon footprint.
The trust’s Powerdown project officer, Malcolm McMillan, explains, ‘It is very much being done with an eye on the future – helping the community take the lead in using the renewable energy resources we have. I’m delighted the Climate Challenge Fund has funded a study into this pioneering technology’.
The feasibility study will be carried out by marine energy developer, Aquamarine Power, who will also be carrying out a workshop on implementing the deployment of tidal energy devices.
Aquamarine Power is a leading marine energy device developer based in Edinburgh, with extensive experience of consenting and site development for wave and tidal energy projects in Scotland. Last year they successfully installed their full-scale ‘Oyster’ wave energy converter at the European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC) in Orkney.
The feasibility study will carry out an analysis of tidal resources in the area and identify key environmental and socio-economic constraints.
The workshop will raise awareness and build capacity within the local community enabling the project to be progressed.
The results of the feasibility study will be presented at the training workshop, being held on the 28th April in Aqualibrium, Campbeltown. The results will also be available on the development trusts website and will be on display at an Environmental Fair to be held in late June.
Green Party welcomes Ardoch Development Trust climate challenge grant
LOCAL Greens welcomed the recent announcement that Ardoch Development Trust will receive £19,030 to fund an energy advisor through the Climate Challenge Fund.
Hilary Charles, Scottish Green Party candidate for Ochil and South Perthshire, said: “The success of the Ardoch Development Trust is a fantastic example of how may more local communities can come together and tackle the climate change issues that challenge us all.
“This particular project will not only save local residents money but also build a stronger community and reduce climate-busting emissions. It is simply a win-win situation for all.”
She continued: “The Climate Challenge Fund has been one of the great successes of Greens in the Scottish Parliament and I am delighted the Green MSPs were able to persuade Scottish ministers to fund community ideas like Ardoch Powerdown Project.
“The map of Scotland is covered with 232 extraordinary and diverse projects it has funded, including the Campaign to reopen Blackford Railway Station Again (COBRA), and more than £27m has been invested. This money has laid the groundwork for sustainable jobs across the country, for greener and more fulfilling ways of living and for low-carbon communities.
“Greens at Holyrood are making a difference already and Westminster desperately needs Green voices arguing for sustainable jobs and stronger communities.”
Isle of Gigha Heritage Trust
“The community is absolutely delighted with this announcement as the Climate Challenge Fund once more supports the Isle of Gigha Heritage Trust in its work towards reducing the local community’s carbon emissions” said Remi Wassermann, Community Powerdown Officer for the Isle of Gigha Heritage Trust.
An interpretation/display Board will be installed at the bottom of the existing community owned wind farm access track in order to provide information on the monthly wind energy output with number of households electricity consumption equivalent and average wind speed. The interpretation part of the board will relate the history of wind and other renewable energy generation on the island which predated the existing wind farm, the story of the Dancing Ladies and what are the plans for the future of Gigha in relation to renewable energy, carbon emissions and energy efficiency.
The Board itself will be using electricity from the nearby wind farm and will therefore be carbon neutral (excluding its manufacture).
“The interpretation/display board will enable the community and any visitors to understand and remember the impact renewable energy can have on the way our daily electricity is produced whilst preserving our environment and cut carbon emissions”.
The scheme will also involve the organisation of activities for both the community and the local primary school which has 23 pupils covering energy efficiency, renewable energy, recycling/composting, sustainable transport and horticulture/local food production.
“This scheme will provide a comprehensive information package covering several climate change issues associated with the everyday life of the local community members and will contribute to reduce the local carbon footprint”.
The activities will involve local and regional organisations to provide the level of expertise required and to make sure that they are appropriate for the local community issues associated with climate change. “The activities which will be organised will involve workshops, lessons, games and shows so that the scheme will involve the wider community of Gigha and that the word will be widespread locally” said Remi Wassermann.
10 energy monitors will also be purchased with the grant awarded and will be lent to tenants and householders on Gigha in order to monitor domestic energy consumption, find ways to reduce it and therefore also reduce the resulting carbon emissions.
Two worm composters will be purchased and installed in the local primary school for the pupils to learn about composting by putting some of their kitchen waste in it and then use the nutrient reach compost around the school area.
Through behaviour change and potential installation of renewable energy systems (Solar Thermal, PV panels...) resulting from the awareness raising activities which will be delivered, this Community Powerdown project has the potential to save almost 18 tonnes per year.
For further information please contact:
Remi Wassermann – Project Officer
Tel.: 01583 505133
Email: remi@gigha/org.uk
LLCCDC – PRESS RELEASE – April 2010
Burn's green shoots
WALKERBURN gardeners won't have to dig deep after landing a government windfall this week.
A bid to create village allotments has won an £80,000 grant to kick start the project.
The Walkerburn Community Development Trust found out yesterday (Thursday) that their application for cash from the Climate Challenge Fund was successful.
A field to the east of the village has been set aside for the project.
And once planning permission has been secured from Scottish Borders Councilthe spades will come out.
Derek Russell, Walkerburn's Community Powerdown Officer who coordinated the project, says the allotments will be an asset to the village.
He told the Peeblesshire News: "We are delighted to have been awarded this money.
"The allotments will help to reduce Walkerburn's dependence upon basic produce from further afield and so reduce the community's carbon footprint.
"At least one plot is intended to be a community plot where folks who do not want a whole plot can get involved and work together to raise their fruit and vegetables.
"As well as allowing local residents the opportunity to grow their own produce, the project will enable much more than this - an important aspect is the development of a programme to train those without the knowledge and skills to cultivate and use their own produce."
The was further eco joy with Peebles based environmental group Tweedgreen also picking up £67,392 from the grant to aid in their attempts to reduce the town's carbon footprint.
New Green Job for Lauder
Powerdown Projects in Lauder
The Lauderdale Development Trust (LDT) announces the Home Energy Carbon Reduction Project designed to reduce carbon emissions and improve energy efficiency has received the Phase 2 grant funding from Climate Challenge Fund (CCF). The award will be used to support the operating costs of the project including recruitment of an Energy Efficiency Officer, purchase of equipment and contracted services and continued community consultation and education exercises. Kimberly Shaw-Walker, Development Worker, will continue to manage the progression of the projects and liase with both the local community as well as the 25 other communities across Scotland conducting similar projects.
• The Lauderdale Development Trust (LDT) has contracted Kimberly Shaw-Walker as Development Worker to manage and progress various Powerdown projects and to investigate additional initiatives to benefit the community.
• In the initial stages, the project focused on promoting participation, conducting community consultation events, analysing community needs to design a customer service based project, assess local carbon footprint to assess targets in line with UK carbon strategy.
• Phase 2 of the project is to work with a minimum of 170 households in the community to reduce carbon emissions of 45+ tonnes. Pending no significant delay, project is scheduled to be completed in March 2011.
• All projects are designed to primarily benefit the Lauderdale area (Lauder, Oxton and Blainslie), although everyone benefits from conservation and environmental efforts.
• The facilities will be developed and constructed in the Lauderdale Burgh with the view to inter-agency cooperation across the Scottish Borders
• The purpose of the Powerdown Project is is to bring the urgent issues of energy vulnerabilities to communities and their policy makers, through education, outreach and research, and to offer alternative and viable responses to address energy consumption, production and distribution.
• The Lauderdale Development Trust’s goal in these projects is to further their mission to work with the people in Lauderdale to improve their quality of life through the sustainable development of the economic, environmental and social resources of Lauderdale in the interest of those who live, work and visit the area.
If you would like more information about the Lauderdale Development Trust (LDT), the Leader Leisure Centre or the Lauderdale Burgh please contact [01578722833] or go to www.lauderdaledevtrust.org.uk
For further information please contact:
Kimberly Shaw-Walker,
Message line. 07772190905 Email: powerdown@lauderdaledevtrust.org.uk
Powerdown Greening Up Stronsay
Stronsay Development Trust (SDT) is delighted to announce their successful bid to the Climate Challenge Fund. They will be receiving £52900 towards their Green Island Project.
The project includes the erection of a communally shared poly greenhouse sited centrally on the island. The approx 192 m2 greenhouse will be divided into individual plots and will give residents a unique opportunity to grow out of season fruit and vegetables under cover and away from the sometimes harsh maritime climate that we have in Orkney. The produce will be for own use but also used for community events and other smaller food projects. It is hoped that this will increase the current supply of fruit and vegetables on Stronsay with such produce that is mostly impossible to grow outdoors on an exposed island. It will also extend the growing season and offer early and later crops.
Events and training are also important parts of the project to maximise the benefits to those involved and the community at large.
Julia Crocker, Chair of the SDT says this is a wonderful opportunity for Stronsay to have a pathfinder project. I am particularly pleased that this will provide learning opportunities for all ages and will be such a worthwhile long term legacy of the hard work that Marion has put in under the Powerdown consortium.
Part of the funding is also the set up of an Eco/growing youth club to give youngsters, out of school hours, an opportunity to get involved in the Natural world and have their own growing plot.
Community Powerdown Officer Marion Macleod says: “We are very excited about receiving this funding and grateful to the Climate Challenge Fund for their support to our community.”
Marion continues:” We hope the greenhouse will help promote an interesting growing and eating local food and pave the way for a more self sustained island in the future. I look forward to a successful start of this project in the next few months.
The greenhouse will support one temporary post. A gardener/project co ordinator will be employed part time for 5 months to work with the greenhouse group and the practical workings of the greenhouse.
Notes:
• The Community Powerdown Consortium comprises 26 communities across Scotland and was formed by Community Energy Scotland (CES) and Development Trust Association Scotland (DTAS) at the beginning of 2009.
• • Each community has identified a range of projects that it wishes to see advanced under the Community Powerdown initiative including:
• energy auditing of local housing stock
• development of local food markets to reduce food miles
• reducing local transport emissions
• waste reduction through reducing/reusing/recycling
Contact: Marion Macleod phone: 01857 616 354
Email: powerdown.stronsay@gmail.com
Community Powerdown Strikes it Rich
POWERDOWN communities are celebrating after exciting projects to boost local skills, create green jobs and cut carbon netted almost £800,000 in new funding.
The 25-strong Powerdown consortium, which links communities from the Northern Isles to the Borders, received the cash boost from the Climate Challenge Fund for a range of innovative schemes.
Growing food locally, exploring the potential for community energy and projects to help householders reduce energy use are among the Powerdown successes announced by Scotland’s Environment Secretary Richard Lochead.
The cash will enable the appointment of home energy advisors on the Isle of Jura and in Ardoch in Perthshire. “Help will soon be on hand for householders in Braco and Greenloaning keen to cut their energy consumption,” said Mike Wilson of the Ardoch Community Powerdown Project, which received £19,030. “Our new advisor will be able to help local people dramatically cut their carbon footprint as well as their bills.”
In South Kintyre, a grant of £25,801 will fund an exploration into the potential for a community tidal power scheme in the Sound of Sanda.
Powerdown officer Malcolm Macmillan stressed the importance of building capacity in the community to enable local people to play a key role and reap maximum community benefit from future renewable energy developments.
“A feasibility study has been commissioned to assess the potential tidal resource of the Mull of Kintyre,” he explained. “We’ll be holding a workshop in the community where the results of that study will be presented and local people will get free training in progressing projects like this and gaining the necessary consents.
“It is very much being done with an eye on the future; helping the community take the lead in using the renewable energy resources we have. I’m delighted the Climate Challenge Fund has funded a study into this pioneering technology.”
A number of Powerdown communities have received funding for projects to help grow fresh food locally, including Walkerburn in the Borders where just over £80,000 was granted to set up allotments in the town.
Derek Russell, Walkerburn’s community powerdown officer explained: “New allotments will help to reduce Walkerburn’s dependence upon basic produce from further afield, reducing the community’s carbon footprint.
“There are major health benefits to be gained from producing your own local, fresh produce. At least one plot at Walkerburn is intended to be a community plot where people who do not want a whole plot can get involved and work together to raise their fruit and vegetables. Training will help beginners get up to speed with the skills and knowledge needed to cultivate and use their own produce.”
On the Knoydart peninsula in the West Highlands, new life is being breathed into a historic market garden. Twelve plots have been allocated at the site in Inverie, and a part-time community gardener is helping restore the garden and teach people gardening skills. A total of £45,643 was awarded, which will enable the remote community to dramatically reduce food miles by growing their own fresh fruit and vegetables.
Community powerdown coordinator Helen Houston said the consortium’s projects had attracted a total of £783,397 of funding from this round of Climate Challenge Funding.
“The success is testament to the imagination, enthusiasm and sheer hard work of people in the Powerdown communities,” she said. “Through Community Powerdown diverse communities have joined forces to share knowledge and experience and motivate each other and this approach is reaping real benefits.”
Environment secretary Richard Lochead said: “The Climate Challenge Fund (CCF) has captured the imagination of communities all over Scotland and demonstrated nation-wide commitment to reduce carbon footprint. I congratulate communities for the innovative methods that have been displayed throughout the seven rounds of CCF.
“Since CCF launched it has attracted huge interest and I am very encouraged by the high level and quality of applications. We have tapped into communities desire to do more to help the environment and I look forward to seeing what will be achieved long-term through this exceptional fund.
“CCF has empowered 232 communities to tackle their carbon emissions at local levels, which after today is now estimated to be a reduction of 691,028 tonnes of carbon, the equivalent of 225,000 cars off Scotland’s roads or filling Murrayfield Stadium 345 times. We believe that tailored approaches reflecting local needs delivers best results and we have seen some truly inspirational ideas brought to the table.”
Walkerburn Community Allotments Grant Success
Added by Derek Russell on 01 April 2010
Double Cash Boost for Shetland Powerdown Projects
Two Powerdown communities in Shetland are to benefit from grants under the latest round of funding from the Climate Challenge Fund (CCF) which promotes lower carbon dioxide emissions.
Among the successful applicants for CCF funding is the Unst Partnership, which will receive £18,820 to put towards purchasing six polytunnels and equipment for the community allotment scheme.
The polytunnels are to be based at Baltasound primary school, although they will be for all of the community to use to grow their own fresh fruit and vegetables. They will reduce carbon outputs in the community by an estimated 3.16 tonnes.
While their construction is subject to planning permission, it is hoped they will be up and running this year. Local organic vegetable growing company Urge (Unst Regeneration Growers Enterprise Ltd) is also on hand to advise people on what to grow and how.
Gordon Thomson of the Unst Partnership explained: “It’s really to encourage people who may not have the space outside their house to grow their own veg.” He also said the funding was received thanks to the efforts of Community Powerdown officer Mike Smith .
Northmavine Community Development Company was awarded £41,821 to build 12 community polytunnels. It is hoped this will cut the community’s emissions by 30 tonnes.
Growing our own on Orkney Island
Residents of Rousay, Egilsay and Wyre are celebrating the news of their latest cash boost of almost £70,000 to help them develop an allotment site and a community garden.
The award has been made by the Scottish Government’s Climate Challenge Fund to help reduce food miles through community gardening and so reduce their carbon footprint by up to 25 tonnes of carbon pollution per year.
The new allotment site and a Community Garden will help develop the 3 islands’ self reliance for fruit and vegetables and save on carbon pollution associated with the forced growing of crops and the subsequent transport to their final destinations.
“We are thrilled with this result and very grateful to the Climate Challenge Fund for once again supporting our community.” said Michelle Koster, the Rousay, Egilsay and Wyre Development Trust’s Community Powerdown Officer. “The gardens will provide a community venture, where home growing can be supported and encouraged and where those of us who are learning about fruit and vegetable growing can come along and learn new ideas and answers from those who are more experienced.”
The Community Garden at the school will provide a venue to teach the school children about home growing their own vegetables and fruit and will also allow members of the community to share their knowledge with those who are less green- fingered.
The project allows for the employment of a gardener who will be able to provide hands-on, practical demonstrations in the basic principles involved in crop germination, growth and development, as well as activities in which the whole community can be involved. A polytunnel will be used to sow and bring on seedlings for free distribution amongst the community.
The garden will be readily accessible to the less agile so that all members of the community can partake of the knowledge and learning on offer. Skills required for a successful crop can be developed with the aim that produce from this garden can be used in the children’s school meals, weekly lunch club and at community events.
The allotment site will be in a prominent position when arriving on the island of Rousay, adjacent to the houses at the pier. A survey conducted during July and August 2009 resulted in two-thirds of the households in the area expressing an interest in allotment gardening.
Each of the allotments will have a small shed and composting bin. There will also be a community shed where a number of sets of gardening tools and equipment will be available to allotment owners for their communal use.
“As Orkney’s environment is not conducive to growing many crops above ground, a polytunnel will be constructed at the two sites to significantly increase the variety and type of fruits and vegetables grown. These can include those usually grown in warmer climates, where again the “food miles” journeys of those bought in the shops are high, resulting in large carbon footprints.” Michelle explained.
To help raise awareness of the benefits of composting, the Master Composting team from Orkney Zero Waste have agreed to visit the islands during Composting Awareness Week, 2-8 May.
The Community Gardening for Rousay, Egilsay and Wyre project will be launched in the next few weeks with a viewing of “The Power of Community”. Based in the early 1990s, this is the story of Cuba’s need to create a low energy society. It is described as a story not just of individual achievement, but of a collective mobilisation of an entire society to meet an enormous challenge.
Residents of Rousay, Egilsay and Wyre were awarded almost £40,000 by the Climate Challenge Fund in December last year for their Affordable Warmth project which was launched in January. Community Powerdown projects aim to save over 100 tonnes of carbon pollution per year from these 3 islands alone.
Notes:
• The Community Powerdown Consortium comprises 26 communities across Scotland and was formed by Community Energy Scotland (CES) and Development Trust Association Scotland(DTAS) at the beginning of 2009.
• • Each community has identified a range of projects that it wishes to see advanced under the Community Powerdown initiative including:
• energy auditing of local housing stock
• development of local food markets to reduce food miles
• reducing local transport emissions
• waste reduction through reducing/reusing/recycling
The Power of Powerdown
17 Community Powerdown groups have been awarded funding in the latest round of the Climate Challenge Fund. The total grants awarded were £783,397. The smallest award of £1,368 was to Ullapool Community Trust for an awareness raising campaign and the largest award of £126,735 went to Isle of Jura Development Trust for energy efficiency, wood fuel and awareness raising projects.
By sharing knowledge, information and skills Powerdown groups have generated a high percentage of successful bids to the Climate Challenge Fund.
As a result of the awards there will be a minimum of 12 part-time green jobs created within the Powerdown communities. The new workers will be involved in activities which will produce significant reductions in CO2 emissions.
Community Powerdown was originally conceived by Community Energy Scotland as a way of helping communities to detach their development from the use of fossil fuels. Community Energy Scotland was successful in applying to the Scottish Government's Climate Challenge Fund to appoint a Community Powerdown officer in 26 communities across Scotland and they are all now working hard to develop their community's own Powerdown plans. Photo shows the river where the Northmavine group in Shetland are looking to develop a micro-hydro scheme for future energy supply.
Goat curry lowers food miles in Knoydart
Cuban Night – Knoydart Recipes
We held a great Cuban Night in the Village Hall on March 20th 2010 – Food and a showing of the film “Power of Community” about Cuba’s response to “peak oil”
Recipes.... in case anyone else doing similar!
Knoydart Goat Curry
1.5kg of Knoydart Goat shoulder - diced
2 onions, four cloves garlic, 2 red chillies, 2 tables spoons medium curry powder, half a lime, tablespoon stock powder/ stock cube
Fry off the diced shoulder, then the onions, chillies and garlic with the curry powder. Chuck it all into a casserole and put on medium oven for 3 hours to really cook down.
Just before serving add tin of coconut milk and fish out the lime.
Moros y Christianos - Cuban rice and black beans
http://www.astray.com/recipes/?show=Moros%20y%20christianos%20(moors%20and%20christians)
This recipe works fine – we used tinned black beans – a bit quicker – and we didn’t use the bacon so that this could be a vegetarian option. There are loads of recipe ideas on this website if you click back to the Cuban list.
Jerk Chicken
2lb chicken pieces
Marinade in the following overnight:
1tbs Italian seasoning, 2 tbs brown sugar, 2 tbsp oil, 2 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tsp ground cinnamon, 1 tsp thyme, salt and pepper, 1 large onion – chopped very fine, 5 cloves garlic.
Then either grill or cook in the oven whilst your goat casserole is in (about 1 hour)
Candied Sweet Potatoes
1 kg sweet potatoes. Butter, sugar, nutmeg.
Peel and chop potatoes into thick slices. Boil till just cooked. Layer in a tin with butter, sugar and grated nutmeg. Add a little water. Pop in oven 40mins. Top shelf whilst your casserole cooking.
Torticas des Coco – Coconut Cookies
2 egg whites and 1 cup white sugar to make meringue.
Fold in ½ cup chopped walnuts, 2 cups cornflakes, 1 cup dessicated coconut, ½ teaspoon vanilla.
Put teaspoonsful on greased baking sheet. 325 degrees F for 15-20 minutes.
Ponche Habana – Havana Punch for kids (spice up with rum for grown ups!)
1 cup water
¼ cup honey
¼ tsp nutmeg
½ tsp cinnamon
4 cloves
Heat all the above in a small pan for 15 minutes, cool and sieve.
To this mixture add: 2 cans ginger ale, 1 ½ cups pineapple juice, 2 cups orange juice, 1 quart lemonade and ¼ cup freshly squeezed lime.
Delicious.
There’s also Cuba Libre (basically dark rum and coke, with lime juice and ice added)
Power from the burns
Added by Colin Dickie on 24 March 2010
|
Knoydart - Cuban Evening
Knoydart Powerdown Project held a “Cuban Food and Film” night on March 20th with a fantastic range of Cuban food and drinks and a screening of the film “Power of Community” – a inspiring look at how Cuba responded to its oil crisis
When the Soviet Union collapsed in 1990, Cuba's economy went into a tailspin. With imports of oil cut by more than half – and food by 80 percent – people were desperate. This film tells of the hardships and struggles as well as the community and creativity of the Cuban people during this difficult time. Cubans share how they transitioned from a highly mechanized, industrial agricultural system to one using organic methods of farming and local, urban gardens. It is an unusual look into the Cuban culture during this economic crisis, which they call "The Special Period." The film opens with a short history of Peak Oil, a term for the time in our history when world oil production will reach its all-time peak and begin to decline forever. Cuba, the only country that has faced such a crisis – the massive reduction of fossil fuels – is an example of options and hope
“After a busy morning volunteering in our own Community Garden, and of course, taking in some of the rugby on the last day of the six nations, it was great to sit down with other members of the community for locally cooked food using Cuban recipes – including Knoydart Goat Curry with lime and coconut! What people found inspiring was the way the film showed just how much could be achieved by people working together. “ said Gwen Barrell, Knoydart’s Powerdown Officer. “Thanks to all who came along, cooked, washed up...” A few folk who couldn’t make it have asked to borrow the film and for copies of the recipes.
Neilston is blazing!!
NEILSTON UP FOR POWERDOWN: MEET YOUR COMMUNITY ENERGY AWARENESS ADVISORS.
THE village of Neilston is blazing the trail to a cheaper, greener future.
Residents are being given a helping hand towards making their homes cosy and more energy efficient.
Three new energy awareness advisors have been appointed to provide householders with all the advice they need to help them save money and help the environment.
The project is being spearheaded by the Neilston Development Trust Community Powerdown Project, which received funding from the Climate Challenge Fund to provide the support.
Project officer, Jonas Cromwell said: “This is a real milestone for our work in Neilston.
“It is great to have been able to appoint such a lovely bunch of advisors and I am sure local people will benefit greatly from their expertise.
“Team members are fully trained and will be effective in bringing energy efficiency to the heart of the community by visiting residents.
“Guiding people through is a very effective way of helping people, including the elderly and vulnerable, boost the comfort of their homes and save money.”
“In the next few weeks the advisors will be on the streets knocking on doors to carry out home energy checks and provide you with simple, no cost or low cost energy measures, which can save you hundreds of pounds,” Mr Cromwell added.
“They can give you impartial advice on your fuel bills, heating systems and controls, draught proofing, low cost insulation measures, energy saving housekeeping tips and grants available for insulation and micro renewable energy generation.”
ENDS
1) For further information contact:
The Powerdown Team
At The Bank, 84 Main Street, Neilston, Glasgow, G78 3EA
Tel 0141 5611201
Neilston Up For Powerdown
Neilston Development Trust invite you, your family and friends to.....
Neilston Up For Powerdown
a fun packed day celebrating low carbon community life on
Saturday March 20th
11-4pm (with an evening lantern parade and ceilidh 6.45-11pm)
Neilston Development Trust, are organising a big outdoors marquee/street based event in support of our "Sustainable Neilston"/carbon footprint reduction challenges.
Up for Powerdown is also an opportunity to celebrate community life. A lively daytime programme of events, workshops, information and street-based demos and activities will be followed by a lantern parade through the village and a ’low-carbon family-ceilidh and celebration in the evening.
Experts will be on hand to answer all your questions on everything from gardening to underfloor heating. Don’t miss the “light-hearted” but useful Gardeners Question time (with our own Monty Don!). Lots of hands on activities for all ages including a chance to make and plant up your own planter – for free!; plus demos and tuition in skateboarding, street-dance on the High St (a road closure has been arranged for the day!).
Highlights include the visual and aural spectacle of the Horse Box Orchestra and Puppet Show); don’t miss the premier of Planet Fantastic by the Primary 6 pupils of St Thomas’s and Neilston Primary School with the Walking Theatre Co); hear the first public rendition of “Going Green in Neilston” written and performed for the event by local band the Skunnered (and featuring the P6 pupils of the local primary schools as backing vocals!). CDs of the song will be available for purchase on the day!
and...
Don’t miss the magical low-carbon lantern parade in the evening as we make our way round Neilston accompanied by the Neilston and District Pipe Band and the visiting Demon Drummers and get ready for an evening-finale of great local music at the Low carbon Ceilidh (delicious light supper included!). Ceilidh tickets £8; £5 seniors; family ticket (2 adults plus children) £20. Contact Laura at 0797 417 1830 or laura.carswell@neilstontrust.co.uk for more info.. Ceilidh tickets from Laura or www.tickets-scotland.com..
BIG news for the Shapinsay Development Trust
One of the deliverables here on Shapinsay received a tremendous boost recently. The project to install a 900 kW community owned wind turbine has been granted a massive £435,000 from the BIG lottery fund. Success in securing this award was essential to ensuring that the project proceeds and would not have been achieved without our Community Powerdown Officer whose input was crucial in finalising the application to the BIG lottery. By installing this turbine we intend to secure huge benefits for both our community and the environment with the turbine estimated to achieve a whopping reduction of around 58,000 tonnes of carbon emissions over its life time.
Sheila Garson, Shapinsay Development Trust chairwoman said:
“This is great news for the people of Shapinsay as the funds generated by the wind turbine will help ensure the future sustainability of their community on many fronts. The challenges the community will face in taking forward the turbine and subsequent projects will ensure that our most valued community assets, our people, will grow along with the physical and financial assets held by the community.”
There were three other island Trusts within Orkney pursuing similar projects who were also successful in their recent applications to the BIG lottery, two of whom are also Powerdown communities. In the true sprit of Powerdown these Trusts have been and will continue to work together to make these turbines a reality for their communities, sharing knowledge and reducing costs as they do so.
Help to Powerdown in Alness
Alness Transition Town Group welcomes two new members to work on its Home Energy Project. Adrian Farrell, originally from Ireland, has a background in environmental science, including a masters degree in Environmental Management. Claire Pratley joins us from Leeds, where she has run a highly successful energy efficiency advisory service since 2007.
Both Adrian and Clare will be working three days a week as Home Energy Advisors. The scheme is supported by the Scottish Government’s Climate Challenge Fund, which is already funding Alness Transiaiton Towns' Community Powerdown project. Community Powerdown Officer, Peter Elbourne, will be also be working as a part-time Home Energy Advisor.
The three Home Energy Advisors are now available to visit homes in Alness and the surrounding area. We are able to offer personalised advice on how to reduce energy consumption in your home, including help setting central heating programmers and identifying energy-guzzling appliances. For more information, or to make an appointment, get in touch with us on 01349 884896 or email powerdown@transitiontownalness.org.uk
Powerdowner on Green Bike
Sustainable transport for Shetland came another step closer today with the procurement of an electric scooter for the Community Powerdown Officer in Unst, Mike Smith. With a remit to reduce the islands reliance upon fossil fuels, Mike will now be able to go about his daily business without producing carbon emissions, whilst raising awareness of this more environmentally friendly way to travel.
The scooter, an S4 Thunderbolt supplied by Charge Limited based in Edinburgh, has been funded by the Shetland Islands Council’s Economic Development Department and the Government’s Climate Challenge Fund. With the kind permission of the Inter Islands Ferries Service and Northlink Ferries, Mike will be able to charge the scooter whilst on both ferry services, thus allowing him to attend meetings throughout Shetland and further afield. The scooter has a range of up to 100 miles when fully charged.
The Community Powerdown Project is a consortium of 25 community groups throughout Scotland whose remit is to reduce our carbon footprint and encourage behavioural change with regards to energy awareness and usage. Unst’s electric scooter project will add to the many other communities already investigating sustainable transport systems, ranging from electric scooters and quads to cars and community mini-buses. It will also form the basis of Unst’s participation in the Shetland wide Sustainable Transport Demonstration Project, run by the Council, Highlands and Islands Enterprise and Community Energy Scotland. This demonstration project will see the establishment of an electrical charging infrastructure throughout the islands in a bid to make electrical transport a reality for Shetland.
At the end of the Powerdown programme, in March 31st 2011, it is proposed that the Unst scooter will be used as a research and development vehicle in partnership with renewable energy company, Pure Energy Centre in the development of a hydrogen based transport system for the island.
If you would like any further information on the scooter or any part of the transport project, please contact Mike at unstpowerdown@btinternet.com or on 07966 056884
BIG LOTTERY BRINGS BIG SUCCESS TO SHAPINSAY
One of the deliverables here on Shapinsay received a tremendous boost recently. The project to install a 900 kW community owned wind turbine has been granted a massive £435,000 from the BIG lottery fund. Success in securing this award was essential to ensuring that the project proceeds and would not have been achieved without our Community Powerdown Officer whose input was crucial in finalising the application to the BIG lottery. By installing this turbine we intend to secure huge benefits for both our community and the environment with the turbine estimated to achieve a whopping reduction of around 58,000 tonnes of carbon emissions over its life time.
Shapinsay was one of four island Trusts within Orkney who were successful in their recent applications to the BIG lottery, two of whom are also Powerdown communities. In the true sprit of Powerdown these Trusts have been and will continue to work together to make these turbines a reality for their communities, sharing knowledge and reducing costs as they do so.
Knoydart Raises Funds from Recycled “Stuff” and Garden Gluts
Not content with raising over £1000 for the Haiti Earthquake appeal earlier this month at an auction of “junk”, the community of Knoydart (approximately 100 people) is continuing to raise funds from donated items.
On Saturday 27th February a second hand book sale raised over £150 for Amnesty International, with the surplus books being “recycled” again for a forthcoming village hall fundraiser. At the book sale, pupils from Inverie Primary School raised over £200 for Oxfam by making four different soups from vegetables donated from local gardens.
“The sales go down really well – recycling goods locally whilst raising funds for good causes. We had tables and tables full of really good quality books and dvds . And FOUR kinds of soup – what cafe could offer that? Shopping for bargains, lunch, catching up with neighbours - all good Saturday morning activities. It just goes to show that “reducing your carbon footprint” isn’t about giving things up... just changing the ways we do things.”
More “recycling” events are planned. The next is on March 6th when a “Garden Swap Shop” is being held at our Community Garden. Tools, plant-pots, seeds, old gardening magazines, and “top tips” will be traded amongst local gardeners and wannabe gardeners who are getting their sleeves rolled up ready for the forthcoming growing season.
In Knoydart the Plots Thicken
In Knoydart the
Plots thicken...
With the help of the tractor, Bob, Liz and Tommy have been starting to rotovate the plots for individual growing. These should be done by the end of February and be ready for people to get started.
There are 13 plots of about 50 sq metres
Subject to board approval, the annual rate is going to be £25 (that’s less than 50p a week) payable each year in September. For this year, it’s going to be £10 from now(ish) till the next “year” starts in September 2010
If you want one you need to contact Gwen (at home, in the office, by phone, email, carrier pigeon or whatever) and have a look at the chart of plots and give your preferences for where you’d like to go. Hopefully people can just choose one; if there’s competition for particular spots we’ll resort to a raffle.
If more than 13 people come forward between now & the deadline of 12th March, we will create some more.
If all 13 are allocated by the 12th March and then people come forward after that then we might be able to create some more. For further information email Gwen at: gwen@knoydart.org
Alness Welcomes visit from MP
Fact finding visit to Alness from John Thurso MP. John was interested to find out about the concept behind the Community Powerdown project. Helen gave John a briefing on the Climate Challenge Fund and how Community Powerdown has been enabled through funding from this Scottish Government’s funding stream. Peter explained the benefits of being able to network and share information amongst the 25 Powerdown project officers who are attached to community groups from Unst in the north to Langholm in the south.
There was much discussion about climate change, peak oil and fuel poverty and John has offered his support when needed.
John has strong ties to many community groups and was interested to hear about the CARES scheme which is delivered by Community Energy Scotland on behalf of the Scottish Government.
The meeting took place in the Westend Community Centre and before leaving Jennifer gave John a tour of the Centre. The Centre which re-opened three years ago after a substantial renovation and extension is heated by a ground source heat pump.
Isles Residents Find Out How To Get Affordable Warmth
Added by Michelle Koster on 17 February 2010
A total of 65 residents from Rousay, Egilsay and Wyre in the Orkney Islands attended the launch events of the local Development Trust’s Powerdown project for Affordable Warmth on 12/13 January. “Attending each of the 3 islands was very important to us” said Powerdown Officer Michelle Koster. “As the Rousay, Egilsay and Wyre Development Trust represents a 3 island communities we wanted to make sure everyone had access to the launch events so that they could find out what the project was all about.”
Accompanied by Elizabeth Wright and Jill Spence of the Orkney Energy Agency, Michelle introduced the project, in which money has been secured by the Trust from the Climate Challenge Fund so that every home in the community can be offered a full energy assessment, to help them identify where the heat is being lost from their home.
Liz and Jill then explained the different grants which were available to homeowners and those renting in the private sector. These include the Scottish Governments Energy Assistance Package; the Carbon Emissions Reduction Target; the Microgeneration Certification Scheme; as well as introducing the new Orkney Action for Warmer Homes grants.
A free prize draw was held where the names of everyone who attended the events were entered. Mrs Irene Mainland, was the winner of a new Eco Kettle. “I have already had the energy assessment carried out at my home, and we are really pleased with the results. There were a few areas identified where the insulation needs to be increased”.
The recommended level of insulation in ceilings is now 270mm.
One of the presentations was to the Rousay Community School, a Gold Award Eco School, where Michelle took the children through an Energy Quiz for an Energy Savvy School. “They all did extremely well, although quite a few of them admitted to leaving their bedroom lights on that morning” Michelle explained.
Having just come through the cold snowy spell the messages were warmly welcomed in the community.
For further information on the Affordable Warmth project or the Powerdown Initiative in Rousay, Egilsay and Wyre contact Michelle or the Development Trust. For further free energy advice in general, householders can call the Energy Savings Trust Advice Centre on 0800 512012, or drop in at the Orkney Energy Agency, above the new Travel Centre in Kirkwall.
Unst - Saving CO2
Through the Community Powerdown Project, Unst Partnership’s officer, Mike Smith intends to develop a Re-use centre to replace the Charity Shop which was closed when the Royal Air Force left the island in 2006.
This project will significantly increase the quantity of waste diverted from landfill into recycling and reuse, and reduce usage of the islands community skips, whilst lending a new lease of life to, and retaining the embedded value of, currently unwanted items. The savings from this project are twofold; it will reduce the island’s carbon footprint in refuse transport costs and lessen the island’s contribution to greenhouse gas emissions from an already overstretched land-fill.
The Unst Partnership Community Powerdown Officer, Mike Smith intends to develop a Community Allotment Scheme in collaboration with the island’s market gardeners, URGE.
This project is designed to show how small scale food production can educate the island’s inhabitants regarding food production, significantly reduce waste, food miles and greenhouse gases, whilst providing a strong sense of ownership within the community.
Energy efficiency will be at the forefront of the proposed development to the Youth Hostel at Uyeasound, Unst. The Unst Youth Hostel Trust, are working with the Islands Powerdown Officer, Mike Smith and Community Energy Scotland toward an energy efficiency and renewable energy development.
Community Energy Scotland will provide renewable energy in the form of a Wind2Heat wind turbine whilst improving the insulation of the building with the windows being upgraded to double glazing through funding from the Climate Challenge Fund. This will increase the energy efficiency of the building and make the building more sustainable.
I am also in the process of putting together a funding application to CCf for renewable energy education resources for the local Junior High School in Baltasound. This will enable me to address the issue of energy efficiency within the Unst community and encourage a change of behaviour toward energy usage, carbon reduction and climate change. I am also trying to get the drama group, Eco-Drama to visit the islands next summer to further raise the communities energy awareness.
South Kintyre walks the talks
COMMUNITY NETWORK LEADS THE WAY 18 December 2009
WHILE international climate change talks in Copenhagen become ever more thorny, west Highland communities are playing a frontline role in cooperating to cut emissions.
A network of 26 communities across Scotland is working on slashing CO2 output in their towns and villages by an ambitious 42,000 tonnes.
Now half way through its life the Community Powerdown consortium, funded by the Scottish Government’s Climate Challenge Fund, is seeing a a host of innovative projects coming to fruition.
In Tiree an island-owned wind turbine is to be used to power a community electric vehicle, while Knoydart has seen its hydro electricity scheme revamped and the community is exploring the feasability of using an electric quad to get around the peninsula’s remote and rugged terrain.
In South Kintyre local Powerdown officer Malcolm Macmillan is working with the Energy Savings Trust to try and insulate as many homes as possible this winter.
The community trust is exploring the possibility of harnessing tidal energy from the Sound of Sanda, and has applied to the Climate Challenge Fund for money to carry out a feasability study.
“This is very much a community project; we feel very strongly that maximum community benefit will be achieved through projects which involve people from the area from the outset,” Mr McMillan said.
“South Kintyre is rich in wind and tidal resources and taking advantage of the clean energy on our doorsteps will put our towns and villages ahead of the game when it comes to the tough carbon cuts needed to tackle climate change.
“We have also helped the community-run Kintyre Recycling Company and have secured £68,000 worth of funding for a pilot biodiesel plant. This will convert waste vegetable oil into road fuel for the recycling company’s vehicles, creating two new jobs and making Kintyre recycling more sustainable and saving 22 tonnes of carbon dioxide a year for the life of the project.”
Powerdown officers have also been helping cook up an antidote to the festive bloat, which can see food travelling thousands if not tens of thousands of miles to the table only for much of it then to be wasted.
Polytunnels, community gardens and allotments are sprouting up in communities, enabling people to grown their own Christmas vegetables.
Community Powerdown coordinator Helen Houston said: “It is fantastic to see how communities across the country are working both with each other and with a diverse range of partners at grassroots level.
“Since the project began earlier this year, the cooperative spirit and hard graft of the Powerdown officers has really started to reap dividends.
“The international spotlight has been on Copenhagen; but whatever the outcome of the negotiations it is vital that communities cooperate and pull together. Powerdown means exactly that - cutting waste of energy and reducing the levels of damaging greenhouse gases being discharged into the atmosphere.
“The momentum and enthusiasm of local communities working in collaboration with Powerdown officers within them is proving truly inspirational.”
Community Powerdown was conceived by Community Energy Scotland, which is working throughout Scotland to develop community renewable energy projects. It instigated the creation of a consortium with the Development Trust Association Scotland and 26 community keen to cut carbon outputs. The Community Powerdown programme is co-ordinated by Community Energy Scotland from its Dingwall base.
The consortium secured £1.5 million from the Scottish Government’s Climate Challenge Fund to support carbon reduction projects and effect behavioural changes within the participating communities.
Notes to editors:
1. For further information or to arrange interviews/ pictures in any of the Powerdown communities please contact Helen Houston on 07786020629 or 01349860124 or Catriona Ross on 01463 871 056.
2. For more details of the project and regular updates subscribe to the RSS feed on http://www.communitypowerdown.org.uk/news.asp
3. For more information on Community Energy Scotland, visit www.communityenergyscotland.org.uk
On 17 Dec 2009, at 09:20, Malcolm McMillan wrote:
COMMUNITY POWERDOWN LEADS THE WAY
COMMUNITY NETWORK LEADS THE WAY
WHILE international climate change talks in Copenhagen become ever more thorny, communities across Scotland are playing a frontline role in cooperating to cut emissions.
A network of 26 communities from the Shetland Isle to the Borders is working on slashing CO2 output in their towns and villages by an ambitious 42,000 tonnes.
Now half way through its life the Community Powerdown consortium, funded by the Scottish Government’s Climate Challenge Fund, is seeing a host of innovative projects coming to fruition.
In Tiree an island-owned wind turbine is to be used to power a community electric vehicle, while Knoydart has seen its hydro electricity scheme revamped and the community is exploring the feasability of using an electric quad to get around the peninsula’s remote and rugged terrain.
In Northmavine in Shetland Community Powerdown Officer Colin Dickie is rushed off his feet by requests from householders for home energy audits and advice to help them use electricity more efficiently. People living near burns are being encouraged to explore the potential for using ‘nano hydro’ schemes to generate electricity. Islanders are also involved in a pioneering scheme to use recycled fish farm materials to build polytunnels which will enable them to grow fresh food locally, cutting food miles and improving health.
Powerdown officers have also been helping cook up an antidote to the festive bloat, which can see food travelling thousands if not tens of thousands of miles to the table only for much of it then to be wasted.
For example in Alness locals are growing ever increasing amounts of sprouts and other Christmas vegetables on their allotments, while in the Borders town of Walkerburn Powerdown officer Derek Russell has teamed up with a health professional he was sharing office space with to support the production of locally grown food to extend the present distribution of freshly grown food in local communities.
In Kirknewton near Edinburgh, locals having been making imaginative Christmas gifts with a difference from recycled materials.
Community Powerdown coordinator Helen Houston said: “It is fantastic to see how communities across the country are working both with each other and with a diverse range of partners at grassroots level.
“Since the project began earlier this year, the cooperative spirit and hard graft of the Powerdown officers has really started to reap dividends.
“The international spotlight has been on Copenhagen; but whatever the result of the negotiations it is vital that communities cooperate and pull together. Powerdown means exactly that - cutting waste of energy and reducing the levels of damaging greenhouse gases being discharged into the atmosphere.
“The momentum and enthusiasm of local communities working in collaboration with Powerdown officers within them is proving truly inspirational.”
Community Powerdown was conceived by Community Energy Scotland, which is working throughout Scotland to develop community renewable energy projects. It instigated the creation of a consortium with the Development Trust Association Scotland and 26 community keen to cut carbon outputs. The Community Powerdown programme is co-ordinated by Community Energy Scotland from its Dingwall base.
The consortium secured £1.5 million from the Scottish Government’s Climate Challenge Fund to support carbon reduction projects and effect behavioural changes within the participating communities.
Notes to editors:
1. For further information or to arrange interviews/ pictures or filming in any of the Powerdown communities please contact
2. For more details of the project and regular updates subscribe to the RSS feed on http://www.communitypowerdown.org.uk/news.asp
3. For more information on Community Energy Scotland, visit www.communityenergyscotland.org.uk
Energy Efficiency in Kirknewton
ARE YOU SPENDING TOO MUCH MONEY ON YOUR HEATING BILLS?
Kirknewton Community Development Trust has teamed up with The Energy Saving Scotland advice centre, funded by the Scottish Government, and McSense to help local residents in Kirknewton save money on their heating bills, energy and carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. Look out for your special offer on cavity wall and loft insulation which will be arriving in the post in the next couple of weeks. Cavity wall installation can save you around £115 per year! You'll be helping to prevent climate change too by saving more than half a tonne of carbon dioxide (CO2) per year. If your home was built between 1930 and 1980 it most likely has cavity walls which may not have been insulated yet. If you don't have any insulation in your loft, loft insulation can save you around £150 per year. You'll also save around tonne of carbon dioxide (CO2) per year. The recommended thickness for loft insulation is 27cm (10.5”). Even if you already have an inch or two of insulation in your loft it could still be worth your while getting it topped up to the recommended level. The Energy Saving Scotland advice centre offers free and impartial advice on home energy saving measures such as loft and cavity all insulation. You can call The Energy Saving Scotland Advice Centre for free and impartial advice on home energy saving on 0800 512 012.Lisa Morton, Kirknewton Powerdown Co-ordinator, can be contacted on 07825
Powerdown help needed
Added by Colin Dickie on 08 December 2009
Northmavine powerdown officer Colin Dickie, employed by Northmavine Community Development Company, is getting some very useful results from his home energy audits locally.
Although many houses are fairly well insulated, most people are increasingly concerned over the increasing cost of heating. Colin’s tailored reports allow householders to see exactly where they are using electricity and how much they are wasting.
He said: “By taking a free loan of our energy meters, people can see for themselves which appliances are using the most electricity, which are essential and which are not. I can also give a breakdown of where the heat escapes from each individual house, and recommend steps to help reduce losses.”
As a result of the home energy audits, some people in Northmavine have already taken advantage of insulation grants and this has made a huge impact on their living conditions. Grant levels vary, but can be as much as 100 per cent in some cases, so they are well worth looking into.
Other simple measures, like using thick curtains to cut down on drafts and heat loss from windows, is having a significant impact on people’s comfort and on their pocket.
The success of this project to date, has resulted in much more work than anticipated and Colin is getting bogged down in writing up reports, as well as progressing other exciting projects. He is therefore looking for some part-time help to get round more houses and clear his backlog. Training will be provided and competitive rates paid. Anyone interested should contact Colin at the NCDC office on (01806) 544222.
Jura Event
Electric cars. Wind turbines. Local food production. Using our local wood supply more effectively. Making bio fuel out of seaweed. ‘Farming’ water. These are just some of the ideas which were scribbled on the ‘big ideas’ boards at our first Jura Powerdown event at the beginning of October.
It was great to see so many of you there and to be able to highlight what we are already doing on Jura as well as look at the opportunities available for us in the current ‘eco revolution’. There is clearly an interest in using renewable energy technology on Jura. Many people are interested in pursuing the idea of a community renewable power project to generate income for the community or provide our own electricity, several would like to look at making use of renewable energy in community buildings and their own homes, and a number of people are interested in making better use of the forestry we have on Jura to heat our homes and community buildings as a greener alternative to coal and oil (or electricity from coal and oil-powered power stations).
All of these are good ideas, but they are also real possibilities for Jura. And many of your big ideas could help us to not only use the resources we have more efficiently and so live more sustainably on the planet, but also provide job and community income opportunities on the island which could help sustain Jura’s economy.
So, where do we go from here? Well, I’d like to encourage you to continue to talk to me about your big ideas for Jura and I will be organising more events in the future so that we can make sure that you get a chance to have your say on how we should take any big ideas forward. In the mean time there are plenty of small changes we can make individually to save money and lower your carbon footprint. It might be as simple as switching your TV off standby when you are not using it, or it could be by asking me for more information starting to investigate how you could be using renewable energy in your own home.
So, it just remains for me to thank you everyone who helped make the first Jura Powerdown event the success it was. From those who helped with the smooth running of the event and Small Isles School of their fantastic display, to those of you who came along with your big ideas.
And the winners were:
Having earned their raffle tickets by completing quizzes and filling out questionnaires, the following are the lucky prize winners from the Powerdown Prize draw:
Louise Muir (recycled clothes pegs); Sue Petit (worm juice); Mary Keith (computer power-down device and water powered calculator); Ann Macleod (dryer balls); Drew Billimore (recydled bag); Frank Tunisse (garden-in-a-box); Chloe Billimore (penguin torch); Anne Peche (TV power-down device); George Campbell (solar power charger and batteries); Sharon Hoverty (recycled pencil case and pens); Alison Smith (6-in-1 solar fun kit).
Knoydart working in Partnership
Reducing Carbon Footprint
One of the single greatest contributions to greenhouse gases in Knoydart is from use of fossil fuels for space and water heating. Burning just one tonne of coal creates 2.5 tonnes of carbon dioxide. Burning oil for heating also has high carbon emissions. It is estimated that for every 1000 litres of oil that is about 2.5 tonnes too. However, if your boiler is old or inefficient, or your home is not as well insulated as it could be, you could be burning too much fuel, costing more to your pocket and the environment.
Converting from fossil fuels to renewable resources can have a big impact on your carbon footprint, but if you can’t convert, making your home more energy efficient will both save you money and reduce your impact on the environment.
We are working with the Energy Savings Advice Centre Scotland to carry out FREE Home Energy Surveys. Finlay Taylor, our local outreach officer, visited Knoydart last month and managed to carry out 8 surveys and is willing to come over again to carry out more. Sorry to those of you who had requested a survey but couldn’t be fitted in on this visit.
You can book an appointment direct with him on 01397 705712 or freephone 0800 512012, or through Gwen in the office. The Home Energy Survey is a necessary first step if you want to try and access any grants.
Powerdown in Galson
Ecodrama group tour schools throughout the Western Isles
The week beginning the 2nd of November saw Eco Drama hit the Western Isles! Schools throughout the islands were able to get a taste of how to lower their carbon footprint, the benefits of renewable energy and the importance of recycling from the Isle of Egg show and Eco Gadgets or Recycling Heroes workshops.
The week was co-funded and organised by Galson Estate Trust (through Community Powerdown), The Energy Advisory Service and Community Energy Scotland. Ecodrama was set up in 2008 in response to environmental issues which are arising in our everyday lives.
Eco Drama visited Airidhantium on Tuesday Morning, Barvas Tuesday afternoon and Lionel on Wednesday Morning all schools thoroughly enjoyed the visit and a child from Airidhantium said:
“They showed us lots of ways to save energy. They showed us a car powered by water, a boat powered by steam and a windmill powered by solar panels. They were really funny! They even made an invention called the sci-cycle!
They were teaching us about how Eigg survived with oil loss on the island. Their ferry was damaged in a terrible storm. They started to figure out ways of not using oil by turning the lights off at night to save energy on the island. Then they started to build solar panels and generators to keep their electricity going. It was very clever of such a small island to do this. They worked as a team.
We enjoyed our morning because it was fun and entertaining for us and we learnt lots of useful information about recycling and how to be eco friendly.”
Other pupils said:
“Firstly they told us their names and then they got boxes and polystyrene and made the Isle of Egg. It looked really cool.”
"I learned that there's different ways to get energy and that people on Egg are very independent. They make amazing things from very little. They're very smart."
"I learned about an eco island that we could make too. I also learned to sing. It was awesome!"
The whole week was a great success and the schools, the organisers and the drama group all enjoyed the visits. It is hoped that these visits will encourage the schools, and the children, to endorse the sorts of messages given out, as well as help schools to reach their Eco School targets.
Nano-hydro in Northmavine
If you live near a burn or would like to know more information regarding hydro, give me a call.
Peter found this article
IDC Addresses the CO2 in Santa’s Sack
As Santa squeezes down the chimneys of millions of households on Christmas Eve, he won't just be leaving sooty footprints in the front room. Leading product design consultancy, IDC (Industrial Design Consultancy), has just completed a Carbon Footprint Analysis of the top gifts likely to be on Christmas lists this year. The analysis creates estimates of the carbon dioxide emissions associated with all the stages from a product’s life, the materials it is made from, the manufacturing processes, transport, and the energy used by the product.
The results have revealed widely different carbon emissions, which should help consumers become more aware about the environmental impact of products. With growing consumer concern about carbon emissions, product designers and manufacturers are under growing pressure to start a new generation of more environmentally-friendly products.
But as IDC’s MD, Stephen Knowles explains, “Research shows that around 80% of the environmental impact of products is determined by the decisions made by the designers of the product. So while consumers can influence emissions with their buying decisions, the real breakthroughs occur when marketers, designers and engineers work together to create greener products with unique sales propositions.”
IDC’s Christmas list included the following products, which rung in at a total of 327 kgCO2*: V.Smile Baby 93 kgCO2 Philips Blender 62 kgCO2 Optimus Prime Helmet 42 kgCO2 Iggle Piggle 37 kgCO2 IPod nano 31 kgCO2 Trivial Pursuit ‘90s 21 kgCO2 Picoo Z 18 kgCO2 Gold Chain 15 kgCO2 Book: Happy Slapped by a Jellyfish 8 kgCO2
Devices with electronics gave the biggest carbon footprints, due to the great amount of energy required to produce the components and batteries and the energy they consume in use. At the other end of the scale, paper goods such as books and board games gave relatively small emissions.
The success of the Carbon Trust’s carbon labelling trial on many household products again signals the importance of environmentally-savvy product design. The Carbon Trust reports that the label trial was received so positively that it could soon become the norm.
As a successful product design consultancy, IDC is fully aware of the need to consider carbon footprint and the impact of products’ life cycles and is undertaking a number of initiatives in the field of sustainable design.
Despite the CO2 figures, product manufacturers can rest knowing that gifts may still be the lesser source of CO2 at Christmas, when you consider the energy required to cook the Christmas dinner, operate the Christmas lights and all the transport emissions from visiting relatives during the festive season
Press and Journal article on successful CCF bids
Added by Peter Elbourne on 02 December 2009
www.pressandjournal.co.uk/Article.aspx/1507874
Follow this link for an article that mentions our two projects!
Kirknewton Recycled Christmas Crafts Event
Kirknewton Community Development Trust, Kirknewton WRI and Bits and Bobs Edinburgh are holding a recycled Christmas crafts evening in Kirknewton Church Hall at 19.30 on Thursday 3rd December. Lisa Morton, Powerdown Co-ordinator, Kirknewton Community Development Trust says "This is a really fun low-cost way to prepare for Christmas and do a bit of recycling at the same time. We will be making Christmas crakers and decorations from beautiful recycled materails that would otherwise have been spending Christmas in a landfill site". For more information contact:
Lisa Morton
Powerdown Coordinator
Kirknewton Community Development Trust
lisakirknewton@gmail.com
07825 265 041
Kirknewton's Carbon Cutting Community Consultation Event!
Kirknewton Community Development Trust are holding a community consultation at Kirknewton Primary School on Saturday 21st November 2009 from 12.00 to 16.00. The event aims to bring together local people to share ideas and actions for reducing our community's carbon footprint. Community Powerdown Coordinator, Lisa Morton says “Local people are already doing a lot of things to reduce their carbon footprints, this event will celebrate this. The Climate Challenge Fund has given us a unique opportunity to really move forward and make Kirknewton an exemplary low-carbon community and I think local people will embrace this challenge”.
Local children will be able to take part in craft activities using reused and recycled materials provided by Bits and Bobs Edinburgh. Bits and Bobs Edinburgh is a social enterprise employing people with learning disabilities that reuses 'waste' materials for use in arts and crafts preventing these materials from being sent to landfill.
The event will also feature a thermal image gallery of buildings around the village. The images will be taken by Thermal Imaging UK using a heat sensitive camera. Thermal images actually allow people to see the heat escaping from buildings.
For more information contact:
Lisa Morton
Community Powerdown Coordinator
Kirknewton Community Development Trust
07825 265 041
Christmas Bazaar - Knoydart
Knoydart community is holding its annual Christmas Bazaar this Saturday November 21st in the village hall with locally made crafts, homebaking and local charity merchandise. Inverie Primary School is putting on homemade soup and bread.
Knoydart Powerdown Project will be running a stall at the Bazaar with mulled wine and a raffle for an “Winter Warmer Eco Hamper”. Funds raised on this stall will be going towards Solar Aid – a charity which supports communities in African and South American Countries to invest in solar power.
The average kerosene lamp, used widely across the developing world, creates around a tonne of carbon over seven years. Replacing these lamps with solar lanterns will lead to significant reductions in carbon emissions. (from Solar Aid Website)
Community Powerdown project officer Gwen Barrell said, “We have had a lot of interest in solar thermal panels in Knoydart, but at this time of year, when days are short, people’s interest can wane. It’s worth remembering that it’s coming up to the longest day in the world in the southern hemisphere, where there is huge potential for solar energy, but widespread poverty.
One of the solar lanterns costs about £15 and can radically change a family’s life – enabling children to study in the evenings; and getting rid of dangerous kerosene lamps. That’s a massive impact for a small investment. Solar Aid projects also assist poor communities to set up small businesses, light schools, power water pumps etc etc through direct aid and micro-finance initiatives.”
The Winter Warmer Eco Hamper will contain:
Fair Trade wine and chocolate, mulled wine spices, eco bag, compostable Fair Trade party plates, Energy Savings Gadgets, some of my home made plum and ginger jam, a nice homemade hot water bottle cover....
Check out www.solar-aid.org
Car Club for Knoydart
Car Club Meeting - Knoydart
Learn what a car club can do for you.
Ask questions and share opinions
Help shape the project to best suit the needs of your community.
Where: Inverie Village Hall, Knoydart
November 30th 2009
Time: 11.30 am
The Isle of Eigg Heritage Trust has received funding from the
Climate Challenge Fund to research the feasibility of a car
club for the Mallaig area.
A car club provides its members with quick and easy access
to a car for short-term hire. Members can make use of car
club vehicles as and when they need them. All they have to
do is:
● Book – for as little as half an hour at a time, using
telephone or internet. The booking can be made well
ahead of time or with a few minutes notice.
● Unlock – cars are located at designated parking bays in
the local area and accessed using the member’s smart
card.
● Drive – once inside the driver takes the key from the
glove box and drives away, returning the car at the end
of the journey. It is possible to extend the booking if
necessary.
● Pay – pay-as-you-go charges include fuel, insurance and
maintenance costs.
The project started because some Eigg residents, and those
living on other islands and in Knoydart, were looking for
a way to reduce the costs of owning a car for use on the
mainland. And, because Eigg residents are working to reduce
their carbon footprint, they were also keen to look at options
for reducing the number of cars they use on the mainland, or
to replace them with cars with lower CO2 emissions.
Rather than just set something up which benefited Small
Isles residents, funding has allowed us to extend this
research to see whether people living in the wider Mallaig,
Morar, Arisaig and Knoydart areas might also benefit.
SOS - Catrine
Village SOS, an initiative by Big Lottery Fund and the BBC to inspire a revival in rural communities, aims to fund six rural villages across the UK to develop new business ventures that will breathe new life into their areas, create new jobs and improve the quality of life for local people.
Catrine is one of the five Scottish Villages who will go forward to the final in March where the winner will get £400k to develop their business into a reality and be filmed by the BBC for broadcast at the end of 2010.
Catrine Community Renewables CCR is based in Catrine, East Ayrshire. Catrine Community Trust wants to establish a recycling facility for used cooking oil. The project would convert waste oil to create transport fuel and fuel for generators to be installed at various businesses and community venues. This would create jobs and training opportunities locally while also reducing the area’s carbon footprint. Phase two of this project includes the creation of a hydro-electric plant and visitor centre. The trust would also like to use the profits to buy small electric cars for community use.
Powerdown Officer with Catrine Community Trust, Hugh Hutchison said: “I am still in shock...this news will give the whole village a lift. Catrine has always tried to lead the way through innovation, gas was piped through our streets two years before London and this should regenerate that kind of spirit.Our bio-fuel project aims to continue this tradition, taking a waste product which most people wouldn’t think twice about throwing away and using it to create a nice wee sustainable business for our village. We would also be able to re-establish ourselves firmly on the tourist map.”
The Price of Christmas
An average Christmas in the UK can generate as much as 3 million tonnes of waste including:
• Around 160,000 tonnes of food waste
• Over 80 square kilometres of wrapping paper (enough to cover an area the size of Guernsey)
• 6 million trees
• 80,000 tonnes of old clothes & textiles
• The Royal Mail estimates it will deliver approximately 150,000 cards and parcels every day in the run-up to Christmas (that adds up to a massive 1 billion for the UK alone – most of which just end up in the bin)
Not to mention the increase in energy usage from new electrical appliances and Christmas lights!!
Christmas Dinner
Spreading the Word
Lisa Morton from the Kirknewton Powerdown project recently gave a presentation about Powerdown. To view the presentation click on "Area based Approaches To Retro-fit".
Tattie Evening in Stronsay
Community Powerdown in Stronsay will be holding an event in Stronsay on the 7th of November in the Community Hall in conjunction with Bonfire Night. The event is named “Tattie Evening” and is a celebration of our most common vegetable, the potato. It is also the first in a series of awareness raising events that will be held on the island during the duration of Community Powerdown which is funded by the Climate Challenge Fund. This first event is focusing on the reduction of “food miles” caused by produce being transported to the island.
Community Powerdown Officer Marion Macleod says: "The Climate Challenge Fund has given us a unique opportunity to work on lowering our carbon footprint by a variety of measures; one being by focusing on local food production. By celebrating and exploring the diversity of this best loved and sometimes under estimated vegetable I’m hoping it will lead to a greater interest in food being produced on the island."
There will also be an opportunity for residents to express their opinions on what’s happening on the island in general.
Contact: Marion Macleod
phone: 01857 616 354
email: powerdown.stronsay@gmail.com
Kirknewton could Get Green Streets!!
Kirknewton CDT short listed for British Gas Green Streets Funding Award!
The British Gas Green Streets fund is offering a maximum of £100,000 for projects to that will improve the energy efficiency of at lease one community building and 20 residential homes. Kirknewton CDT is one of five groups in Scotland whose have been short listed for funding from the original twelve submissions. The Kirknewton project would involve firstly thorough research into what measures can give the greatest energy efficiency gains for the best price. Two house types in the village would be targeted by the scheme for energy efficiency measures former MOD houses and heritage homes. These types of homes would be targeted because they tend to suffer from low levels of performance in terms of insulation and are often not suitable from the insulation measure being promoted as part of larger government campaigns e.g. for cavity wall insulation. Households with greatest need would be targeted. These homes would be also assessed for suitability for installing renewable technologies e.g. solar thermal water heating. This scheme would run alongside a wider scheme to promote loft insulation. A service of loft emptying, storage and refilling would be offered to local people employing local people to encourage people to get their lofts insulated. A limited number of homes in the village would also have suitable renewable technology installed under the scheme. The performance of all insulation and renewable technologies would be monitor. I is hoped that community income can be generated by setting up renewable electricity generation schemes and selling energy to the grid e.g. micro hydro (see below) to eventually expand the scheme more widely within the village.
taste the wild
Go wild for a new cooking experience
Published at 21:50, Wednesday, 14 October 2009
CATCH your food and then cook it, is the objective behind a special event taking place on Langholm moor tomorrow.
A joint project between moorland education officer Cat Barlow and Powerdown officer Annette Paterson of the Langholm Initiative is looking at making the most of wild foods available in the countryside.
Participants can learn to minimise food miles and cut the cost of their weekly shop by learning what 'foods for free' can be found.
The event is led by wild food expert and Cumbrian chef John Crouch.
The event starts with a forage for wild food on Langholm moor searching for delicious treats such as cranberries, sorrel, blackberries, mint, elderberry, hazelnuts and wild garlic.
The moorland forage is followed by a cooking demonstration/tasting combining the wild food finds with locally-caught game provided by the moorland gamekeepers.
Meet at the Eskdale sports centre at 4pm for the forage and the cookery demonstration at 7pm.
People are asked to book for this free event because places on the minibus are limited. If you want to go to the food forage and enjoy some soup made using moorland ingredients with some locally-baked bread, stay on for the cooking demonstration and taste some of John’s treats.
Contact Cat or Annette at the Langholm Initiative on 013873 80914 for more information.
The project is being part-financed by the Scottish government and the European Community, Dumfries and Galloway LEADER 2007-2013 programme, Scottish Natural Heritage and the climate challenge fund.
Jura looks at a sustainable future
Jura’s first ever Powerdown event has been hailed as a success following an afternoon of fun and games with a serious message. A large number of the island’s 210 residents turned out to last Saturday’s event to celebrate the green initiatives already taking place on the island and to generate ideas about how Jura could further reduce its carbon footprint.
Pupils from Small Isles Primary School proudly showed off the work they have been doing to achieve eco-schools status, offering samples of carrots grown in the school garden to demonstrate how tasty locally-grown food can be. The event also highlighted the way renewable energy is already being used on the island including hydro electric systems, small-scale wind turbines and even Jura’s own solar-powered lighthouse.
The event also provided an opportunity for people on Jura to take a look at how other areas are benefitting from community renewable energy projects and to have their say about what they would like to see on Jura.
Kirsten Gow, the Powerdown Project Officer for Jura, explained, “We’ve had a positive response to the idea of a community renewable project on Jura, as well as interest in other energy saving opportunities such as turning off the street lights during anti-social hours and developing a supply chain for locally-sourced, sustainably managed wood for fuel.”
“The turnout at the event demonstrates that people on Jura are keen to look at ways we can make the most of the opportunities presented by renewable technologies in order to live more sustainably, both on the planet and on the island itself.”
The Jura Development Trust, who manage the Powerdown project on Jura, also used the event to promote energy efficiency on the island, with Eamon King from the Energy Saving Trust on hand to provide information and advice to householders.
For more information contact Kirsten on 07549 150 084 or at jurapowerdown@yahoo.co.uk
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Walkerburn Insulation Campaign
Added by Derek Russell on 15 October 2009
Both of these measures can normally be done quickly and easily without any extra work being required.
Powerdown eco song
An ECO song written by a Neilston band is set to feature some of the area's youngsters.
The Skunnered recently recorded 'Going Green in Neilston' especially for a celebration of Neilston Powerdown which will be held later this year.
And P6 pupils from the St Thomas and Neilston primary schools will lay down their vocals for the chorus of the song later this month.
Chas Cunningham, who helps organise the annual Neilston Live! festival, co-wrote the song with his band mates and he has told the News of how the song came about.
He said: "Laura Carswell, of the Neilston Development Trust (NDT), contacted me to see what we could do for Neilston Powerdown which could also involve kids in the area.
"She then asked me if we could come up with a song that is suitable for school kids and is about going green in Neilston.
"The song concentrates on things like switching off lights when they aren't being used, recycling rubbish and digging your own garden to grow fruit and vegetables.
"It is the first time we have written a children's song but we have deliberately written the song this way, it is not a typical kind of song for us.
"When we go to the schools the plan is to record the P6s singing the chorus and we hope to have them playing home made recycled instruments such as milk bottle tops and empty baked bean tins.
"We hope it inspires the kids and we are very happy to have written it.
"It is very different from our other songs and we hope the kids enjoy participating on it."
The song was recorded at Barrhead's Standing Stone Studio and Chas said the song is not a profit making venture.
Laura Carswell, vice chair of the NDT, reckons the song is a great way to get youngsters thinking about green issues.
She told the News: "Neilston Development Trust are delighted to have commisioned the Skunnered to write and produce the Neilston Powerdown song.
"The band's songwriting and musical skills and sense of fun have been a great addition to the project and helped us come up with a great way of involving the village's school children and motivating them to Powerdown."
Polytunnels propsal
Added by Colin Dickie on 09 October 2009
The Northmavine Community Development Company is currently applying for funding to build 12 community Polytunnels in Northmavine and would like to hear from folk in the area who would be interested in “hosting” as structure.
Unst - a STEP ahead
Fuel Poverty in Unst at almost 50%
Over the last few weeks, Shellstep student Bobby Macaulay, working for Unst Powerdown Officer Mike Smith, has been collating the results from his survey designed to gauge levels of fuel poverty along with interest in renewable energy projects of the people of Unst. Powerdown is a nationwide project, funded to almost £1.5m by the Climate Challenge Fund to reduce peoples reliance on fossil fuels whilst educating the need for behavioural change toward energy usage.
Some very interesting figures were obtained from the survey which showed 49% of the Unst population were in fuel poverty. This relates to a Shetland average of 32%, and 22% for the rest of Scotland. Income is the main contributing factor for this figure with an Unst average household income of just £12,500 compared to the rest of Shetland at £22,750.
The survey will be used as a baseline for future Powerdown projects. With 71% of respondents supporting a community education scheme, 86% behind renewable energies for public buildings and a massive 89% behind an island recycling centre it clearly show the need for Powerdown to provide greater education and uptake in renewable energy systems.
All the results, together with an Energy Saving Trust Home Energy Check form have been sent to Shetlands Energy Saving Trusts Outreach Officer for, Steven Coutts who will assess which households would benefit from more information and who is eligible for an Energy Assistance Package.
The prize draw for an ‘A’ rated kitchen appliance took place today with local energy saver Leslie Smith adjudicating. The lucky recipient of a new washing machine, supplied from George Robertson Electricals in Lerwick was Mr James Moatt of Havly, Baltasound.
Kirknewton Insulation Campaign
Kirknewton Community Development Trust has teamed up with The Energy Saving Scotland advice centre, funded by the Scottish Government, and McSense to help local residents in Kirknewton save money on their heating bills, energy and carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. A special offer on cavity wall and loft insulation will be sent out to all local residents in the next couple of weeks.
Cavity wall installation can save you around £115 per year! You'll be helping to prevent climate change too by saving more than half a tonne of carbon dioxide (CO2) per year. If your home was built between 1930 and 1980 it most likely has cavity walls which may not have been insulated yet.
If you don't have any insulation in your loft, loft insulation can save you around £150 per year. You'll also save around tonne of carbon dioxide emissions (CO2) per year. The recommended thickness for loft insulation is 27cm (10.5”). Even if you already have an inch or two of insulation in your loft it could still be worth your while getting it topped up to the recommended level.
The Energy Saving Scotland advice centre offers free and impartial advice on home energy saving measures such as loft and cavity wall insulation. You can call The Energy Saving Scotland Advice Centre for free and impartial advice on home energy saving on 0800 512 012.
Lisa Morton, Kirknewton Powerdown
Co-ordinator, can be contacted on 07825
265 041 or lisakirknewton@gmail.com
Food Jamboree
Leg Power for Community Power
On Yer Bike
Tiree - Taking the Heat
People on Tiree are used to making the most of the sun and solar hot water is another opportunity to do this. Roof mounted solar heaters really work. Even in mainland Scotland, where the sunniness is only about 30%, a 4m2 panel can supply half of a typical family’s hot water. On Tiree with higher sunshine hours we can expect even better performance.
Direct and diffuse solar radiation - both are useful for solar heating
Solar Meeting Monday October 5th 2009
Discuss the different types of solar and share info on what is working well
• Find out about the existing solar hot water panels on Tiree
• Discuss merits of a grant vs DIY or a local installer
• Collect information on grants, different panels and registered installers
Tiree Rural Centre, Monday 5th October 7.30 pm
Things to consider:
1. Cost. Still expensive at up to £4,000 for an average property but grants are available. This includes installation, pipe work and a new cylinder if needed. Payback is over several years so it is worth shopping around or considering a DIY fit. On the plus side you will save every year on your electric bill, improve your home’s value and reduce your carbon footprint.
2. Is your hot water cylinder solar ready? If your hot water tank is fitted with a solar coil (a spiral of copper to shed the heat collected by the solar panel) the installation will be cheaper by around £750. The size of the hot water tank needs to be matched to your hot water usage and the size of panel to be fitted or you could be paying extra to boost the temperature of the water.
3. Orientation of your roof and location of your plumbing. Ideally the tank will be located as near as possible to the panel. The panel will work best on a roof that faces south east through to south west.
4. Getting a grant. Grants of 30% are available but require the work to be undertaken by an accredited installer.
5. Accredited installers. The list of accredited installers is updated every fortnight at www.energysavingtrust.org/homerenewables. Due to our remote location people on Tiree have used non-accredited installers as smaller operators are competent but have not completed the expensive accreditation process.
6. Getting a group deal. Come along to the meeting on Monday 5th Oct to find out more and see if there is enough interest to negotiate a better deal if an installer is doing more than one job in the Island.
Frances’s normal working hours are 8.30 to 4.30 Monday and Tuesday and 8.30 to 12.30 on Wednesdays. She can be found at the Rural Centre or phone her on 220677 or 07775 354789 or email her at powerdowntrd@tireebroadband.com
Alness Green and Easy Food Fair
Added by Peter Elbourne on 24 September 2009
Residents of Alness turned out in force on Saturday 19th Sep for the Green and Easy Food Fair at the Averon Centre. Over 175 people came along to join in with the celebration of local food and environmentally-friendly growing and eating.
A wide range of food and growing-related stalls and fun activities for both adults and children showed the easy steps that can be taken to grow or buy locally and to cook at home. The event was jointly organised by Ross-shire Waste Action Network (RoWAN) and Alness Transition Town Group.
A highlight was the cooking demonstration and Ready Steady Cook competition where Councillor Mike Finlayson and Highland Council Ward Manager Helen Ross made pizzas against the clock.
Caroline Eccles from RoWAN commented “Many people are now making their own pizzas rather than buying ready-made. Our very willing contestants showed just how easy it is to make them at home and save on all that packaging and energy, not to mention money. At the sampling session the audience also confirmed how much tastier home cooked food can be.”
Plenty of information was available to help people to reduce their carbon footprint, for example by composting at home, growing vegetables and reducing the amount of food that we waste. The average household in Scotland currently throws away food worth £430 a year, £550 for a family with children. Alness Transition Town Group also took the opportunity to gather opinions at the event on plans for transforming Alness into a low-carbon community, where energy use is reduced to a minimum.
Peter Elbourne, Community Powerdown Officer with Alness Transition Town Group, said “This was the first event for our group and we were delighted by the turnout. We are looking forward to developing the many ideas that people had to reduce energy use in our community.”
The organisers would like to thank Easter Ross Organics and the Allotment Society for bringing along their fantastic vegetables and those local producers that contributed raffle prizes. Anyone that missed the event who would like more information can find out more from either RoWAN (www.rowan.org.uk, 01349 867063) or Alness Transition Town Group (www.transitiontownalness.org.uk 01349 884896).
“Made in Ardoch” event on 26th September.
London Spotlight for Powerdown
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