No need to waste any more time looking for information on anaerobic digestion

Until now information on AD has been spread over different websites.

Now, England's Official Information Portal on Anaerobic Digestion, is a gateway to all the information about AD on one website. The site http://www.biogas-info.co.uk was developed by us at the NNFCC, with the support of Defra and DECC.

It will save users time because it accesses the essential introductory information and details of where to find specialist advice. Users can find the information most relevant to them, whether a member of the public, a local government planner or a farmer.

http://www.biogas-info.co.uk

To view the News & Updates item, browse to:

http://www.nnfcc.co.uk/metadot/index.pl?app=&dbview_id=2317&isa=DBRow&id=9710&op=show&iid=9710&dbview_id=2317

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Double ROC’s, Grants and Feed in Tariff’s.

For the last few years many of us have been trying to keep up with the changes to subsidies for the generation of electricity from renewable sources.
 
Obviously we need to know the income generation these subsidies provide in order to accurately model our finances, when considering installation.
 
It is even more important to be aware of the regulations regarding claiming grant funding along side these subsidies, as although they are a great incentive and incredibly helpful in generating a good return on investment, the capital costs of some renewable technologies is outside the finances of many applicants.
 
Although now changing, banks have been reluctant to invest in these new technologies until they have seen evidence of reliability and efficiency. So far it has mainly been the supermarkets providing financial support to these projects and in return claiming the Renewable Obligation Certificates and green energy for their companies.
 
The Renewables Obligation Order came into force in April 2002. It required power suppliers to obtain a specified proportion of the electricity they supply to their customers from renewable sources. This proportion started at 3% in 2003 and was to rise to 10.4% by 2010, and 15.4% by 2015. The Order was replaced on 1st April 2009 and in 2009/10 suppliers will have to present 0.097 ROCs for every MWh. The Obligation is guaranteed in law until 2027,
although in the pre-budget report Alistair Darling indicated that this would be extended until 2037.

Those generating renewable energy are entitled to receive a Renewables Obligation Certificate (ROC) for each MWh of electricity generated. These certificates can then be sold to suppliers, in order to fulfil their obligation. Suppliers are required to produce evidence of their compliance with this obligation to Ofgem. Evidence can be via Renewable Obligations Certificates (ROCs). Each ROC represents one
megawatt hour (1,000 units) of electricity generated from eligible sources. Suppliers ofelectricity can either provide certificates sufficient to cover the required percentage of their output, or they pay a ‘buyout’ price for any shortfall. All the monies received from buyout payments are distributed back to those suppliers submitting Rocs in proportion to the number they submit. The buyout price is set each year by Ofgem.
 
ROC Claiming & Values
To claim a ROC you must be accredited with Ofgem and the ROCs will be included on the  Renewables and CHP register. Frequently the purchaser of the electricity from a renewable
generating plant will also acquire the ROCs, although this is not necessarily the case. The OC market does vary and current prices per ROC are in the order of £40 to £50.
 
“Double ROCs”
From 1st April 2009, certain technologies have been entitled to additional Renewable Obligation Certificates (ROCS). These technologies are deemed to require greater financial
support to secure viability and sensible investment returns. In the case of small micro-generation plants of 50kW or less, double ROCs are available e.g. an onshore wind turbine of 50kW.

Generation Type ROCs/MWh
Onshore Wind 1
Hydro electric 1
Offshore Wind 1.5
Dedicated biomass with CHP 2
Dedicated energy crops with CHP 2
Wave 2
Tidal 2
Anaerobic Digestion 2
Solar voltaic 2
Micro-Generation (_50kW) 2

The government has indicated that it intends to review the banding structure to make any changes at planned intervals to be introduced in April 2013, April 2018, and 2023. They aim to start the process of review around two-and-a-half years before the expected implementation date.
 
Feed-in Tariffs
In November 2008, the Energy Bill received Royal Assent. Included was the introduction of a financial incentive to homes, businesses and communities to install small-scale renewable energy systems by providing a payment for the power and heat they generated.

The proposal is that the heat incentive will be introduced a year after power tariff system, and this will represent the first heat energy generation subsidy.
The scheme provides for payments not dissimilar to ROCS for electricity and heat generated by green technologies and comes into effect on 1st April 2010 for electricity and in 2011 for heat generation. It relates to installations below 5MW and so will be of particular interest to the housing, small business, and community sector.
 
Feed-in tariffs will be available for bioenergy systems, solar power, geothermal power, wind power, hydropower and marine energy technologies. The scheme will create a significant shift in the cost/benefit of smaller scale schemes with additional income now being generated from green power generation. Feed-in tariffs work by paying a guaranteed, above-market price for any electricity fed into the grid for a period of 20-25 years. They have been designed to offer returns close to 10%, thereby reducing payback times for any household investing in a PV system.
 
The Tariff system is currently going through a period of consultation. The Renewable Energy Association among others have submitted proposals to government on how the system might operate. Other than the central question as to value, one major problem is that of people delaying installation until next year. With the banding of ROCs, installations recently installed were awarded the new additional ROCs under “grandfather” rights. This may be the case with Feed-in Tariffs, and the obvious “assumption” would be that installations commissioned from
last November would be eligible. However, given their importance in overall viability, confirmation on this point is needed by the government at the earliest opportunity.
 
Power Generation as an Investment
Generating renewable power can provide an interesting investment opportunity when other options are proving to be less attractive. Given that there are grants for power generation technologies along with ROCs and Feed-in Tariffs, the rates of return and pay-back periods
begin to look particularly interesting. We are now seeing investors looking at green energy schemes as a pure investment, where investment in single turbines rather than farms provide a potentially good return with considerably less planning issues than the larger wind farm.
 
Grant Funding
The Rural Development Programme for England is not the only source of funding for renewable energy installations; it is infact an investment of last resort. However there are a number of routes to funding renewable energy through the Rural Development Programme for England.
 
The Rural Development Programme for England invited expressions of interest an Innovation Fund, in March 2009. The Innovation Fund is part of activity commissioned under the Agricultural Resource Management theme. Applications to this fund were appraised and those being invited to submit full applications have two measures to consider submitting their project to.
The first is Measure 121, Modernisation of Agricultural Holdings. This measure focuses on investments that demonstrate best practice, innovation and knowledge sharing. This measure provides investment up to 50% of the total project cost in relation to proof of need.

The second measure under which applications can be submitted is Measure 311, Diversification into non-agricultural activity. The main focus of this measure is to support farm businesses restructuring through the development of diversified activities that provide alternative income sources. This measure also provides investment of up to 50% of the total project costs dependant on the proof of need. However the level of investment is capped in line with the De minis ruling, meaning that the applicant/ business can receive no more that 500,000 Euros in any three year rolling period.
 
There is also a commissioned project R4F that will be able to assist with small investments in energy saving and generation and this is due to come online on the 28th July 2009.
 

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Feed-in tariffs


A feed-in tariff is a fixed payment to renewable energy sources for the electricity they export to the grid. Already these tariffs are used in many countries, including Germany , Spain , Australia and some US states with great success. The UK Government plans to adopt the scheme in the UK from the 1st April 2010.

How they work

Under the legislation electricity suppliers are obliged to pay a fixed price for 'green' electricity, set above the market price for fossil fuels, with the idea being that this will then stimulate a much wider take-up of micro generation as the economics become more appealing. Until recently the Government has relied on the Renewables Obligation to promote the up-take of renewable energy generation.

However this has failed to deliver on the scale intended, for two main reasons: the price that electricity companies were prepared to pay for green electricity was too low to provide a major stimulus for many to invest; and the lack of long term security of the RO, and the renumeration received per kWh of green energy, meant future uncertainty of return on your investment. With the success of the feed-in tariff in Germany and elsewhere it certainly looks like the best course of action to follow if micro generation is to become widespread.

How much will you receive per kWh?

The UK government announced in July 2009 that:

  • the price for electricity generated by solar PV will be 36.5p/kWh (pence per kilowatt hour) for small systems up to 4kW, and 28 p/kWh for systems up to 10kW 
     
  • the price for electricity generated by wind will be 23 p/kWh will be paid for electricity generated by small wind turbines between 1.5kW and 15kW
  • the feed-in tariff will replace the current ROC system that pays around 10p/kWh
  • systems installed from now until April 2010 will be eligible for both LCBP grants AND the new tariff.

We will incorporate these changes into the Power Predictor software, enabling you to perform an accurate assessment of your sites economic potential for micro renewables. Find out more about the Power Predictor.

For more info on feed-in tariffs Good Energy have compiled a detailed report on how they work and the alternative measures which can be found here.

REUK also has a page on feed-in tariffs

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Government not doing enough to deliver green revolution, survey finds

The UK public wants a green revolution, but feels the Government is not doing enough to deliver it, according to a survey by independent green energy company Ecotricity.
The nationwide survey of 1000 adults revealed overwhelming public support for new green initiatives and a concern about climate change and its impact on the planet. However, it also found a majority of people thought the current leadership was holding back urgent action on climate change and threatening the UK’s economic recovery.

The NOP survey, taken last month and published today to coincide with World Environment Day, also showed people wanted to see Britain harness the country’s own natural resources to build up a low carbon economy.

The survey found 85 per cent of people were concerned about climate change and the impact on our planet.

However, over half (58 per cent) of those surveyed thought a lack of political leadership from the Government was holding back a green revolution in Britain.

According to the survey, eight out of 10 people (79 per cent) said Britain must lead the rest of the world in a green revolution, not fall behind, and three quarters of people (75 per cent) said more investment in green technologies, such as wind and solar energy, would stimulate the UK’s flagging economy and create new jobs.

Nine out of 10 (90 per cent) thought the Government should be investing in renewable resources to create sustainable, green energy for the UK.

The survey also revealed that 60 per cent of consumers wanted to take action but felt powerless and were not clear on what actions would make the biggest difference. Meanwhile, 73 per cent felt that any actions they took would have a limited impact.

Dale Vince, founder of Ecotricity, said: “A target of Zero Carbon Britain is radical but essential. If we want sustainable living and a future worth having we should aim for nothing less. People in the UK are calling for strong leadership on green issues - the Government needs to wake up and respond to our needs.”

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Part of the solution - Climate Change, agriculture and Land Management


Our sector, representing farmers, land managers and associated businesses, is a central part of the response to the growing threat posed by climate change. We recognise the role played by agriculture and rural land use in the wider context of global sustainable development. Managing the land is the most basic of human industries, without which we would not be able to sustain all others, including our own lives. Given that we all depend upon large areas of the land for our food and, increasingly, for other renewable resources, we accept our responsibility to use our finite resources wisely, and to mitigate unwanted impacts on air quality, soil, water, habitats and wildlife.

The National Farmers’ Union (NFU), the Country Land and Business Association (CLA) and the Agricultural Industries Confederation (AIC) launched this jo int Climate Change Task Force in January 2007 to present a united stance against the serious threat that climate change poses to agricultural production and the rural sector. By working together, we demonstrate here how our sector offers part of the solution to a ma jo r public problem.

This report represents the culmination of a great deal of study and sets out our recommendations for action. In order to address climate change in the agricultural and land management sector, we believe the future priorities of our industry should be:

• directed research on the UK greenhouse gas inventory, to include: breakdown of components and emission factors more representative of land use and management; soil carbon and N2O balance; reduced or zero tillage systems; and integrated models of whole farming systems;

• delivery of best available practices for integrated nitrogen management to improve current nitrogen efficiency, with support from the fertiliser industry, agronomists, advisers and animal nutritionists;

• raising awareness of energy and carbon accounting, and promoting energy efficiency and carbon management by farmers, land managers and foresters through financial incentives; 

• removing barriers to the uptake of anaerobic digestion in order to harness methane emissions from animal manures as a source of heat and power, through education, capital and revenue-based support, cost-effective electricity grid connections, and establishment of a digestate standard; and

• realising the wider potential for the land-based industries to supply renewable energy.

Click here to view the full report

 

 

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Cornwall Farming and Sustainable Energy Conference

The Cornwall Farming and Sustainable Energy Conference took place on the 25th October 2006 at The Eden Project. The event was organised by Cornwall Agri-food Council, Cornwall Sustainable energy Partnership, the Farming Wildlife Advisory Group and Smartest Energy all working in partnership.

The event began with a welcome by the Chairman, Chris Hines (presently working for the Eden project and formerly Surfers Against Sewage) and an introduction to the issues of climate change and the need for renewable energy. A video was shown that illustrated the issues Chris had highlighted. WATCH VIDEO.

Following the introduction, Gundula Azeez of the Soil Association acquainted the audience with 'The Carbon Footprint of Western Agriculture'. Gundula explained that historically agriculture has produced about half the world's greenhouse gas emissions to date, from the ploughing of grasslands, forest clearance and degradation of soil. She also highlighted the 'On Farm' use of energy; farm machinery, milking and milk cooling, drying crops, cooling potatoes, heating and lighting pig and poultry factory farms, heating and ventilating glass house for tomatoes and out of season vegetables. She established a picture of the state of agricultural emissions to date and emphasised the need for change. VIEW PRESENTATION.

Wyn Evans, a farmer from St. Davids, Wales, finished the first session with a case study of a selection of renewable energies used on his own farm. Wyn, has spent all but three years of his life, living and working on his 150 acre Caerfai farm, which was converted to organic in 1993 and has diversified interests across cereals, potatoes, livestock and tourism. Wyn talked the audience through his different enterprises and then explained his motivation behind his use of renewable energy technologies on his farm. Beginning as a practical answer to problems renewables soon became an interest and fascination. Wyn introduced a 70 cu.m. Anaerobic Digester to the farm in 1979, various heat pumps including a ground source heat pump and a combined heat and power diesel generator, solar thermal panels and a 20KW wind turbine. Wyn finished with the benefits to the farm from these technologies and gave a wake up call to all concerning the current situation of climate change. VIEW PRESENTATION.

The second session of the event took the audience through the overarching themes of project development with presentations by various businesses involved with renewable technologies. Tim Foster of Smartest Energy opened with a presentation on renewable energy opportunities; David Edmondson from Carrick District Council gave information on successful planning applications, Ben Lundie of E2 Legal Ltd gave advice on raising finance, Simon Cowdrey of EConnect illustrated making the connection, Nick Haines of GoodEnergy explained Purchase and Supply arrangements for small generators and Tim Foster finished with the possibilities for power sales for larger generators.
 
The afternoon session consisted of eight workshops of which the audience could choose four to attend they comprised; Anaerobic Digestion (Adrian Joynt), Biodiesel (John Wilding), Biomass (Sam Whatmore), Energy Efficiency (Neil Farrington), Ground Source Heat Pumps (Robin Curtis), Hydro (Mike and Gail Fursdon), Solar Thermal (Wyn Evans) and Wind (Sue Gruzelier).  All presentation were received very well and much enthusiasm and interest was built from the discussions.
 
The event finished with closing words from Chris Hines and a prize draw from the admission tickets. Duncan Odgers, Peter Cairns, Jeanette Elston, S W Yorke and Anthony Fortescue all won prizes from the draw that were very kindly donated by The Eden Project.

Finally, we would like to thank all who contributed money towards off setting carbon emmissions from the conference. A tremendous £230.20 was raised for www.climatecare.org which offsets 30.69 tonnes of CO2.

Estimating that on average each attendee at the conference travelled 40 miles to and from the event, and with 200 attendees carbon emmissions would measure 2 tonnes. The amount of money raised would offset all the travel to and from the event as well as a further 4 tonnes of fertilizer.
 

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