Energy
The Energy Group will focus on energy use in the home and workplace, looking firstly at ways of reducing energy usage and secondly, at how future needs may be met from renewable sources.
The Energy Group is convened by Philip Revell.
The Dunbar Carbon Neutral project will be launched shortly in conjunction with Dunbar Community Development Company, Community Windpower Ltd. the local Community Councils and Schools. We are currently seeking to recruit a project administrator who will be based in the Dunbar Carbon Neutral shop which will be opening shortly in West Port.
Notes from Meeting on 12 March 2008
Carbon Calculators
The Centre for Alternative Technology has a very easy to use Carbon Calculator which will give you a quick assessment of your current carbon footprint and allow you to see the changes you can make to most easily reduce it.
You could also try the Energy Saving Trust’s Home Energy Check.
‘Zero Carbon Britain’ project
The Centre for Alternative Technology’s strategy for eliminating emissions from fossil fuels in 20 years can be downloaded from here.
As part of this, they need volunteers to implement the energy reductions needed at the household level - in line with annually reducing personal carbon allowances (Tradeable Energy Quotas). If you are interested in taking part in this experiment, which involves taking weekly readings of electricity and gas meters, recording fuel purchases and any train journeys and flights and recording this in a spreadsheet which they will send you, then simply send an email to: zcb.signup@cat.org.uk explaining that you are involved with Sustaining Dunbar and would like to participate.
It would also be useful to find out about energy consumption in a range of households across Dunbar for, say, a month in the summer and a month in the winter so that we can start building a picture of energy consumption in different housetypes and so that households can see how they compare with others. Let Philip know if you would be interested in taking part.
Climate Change
The Royal Society has produced this overview of the current state of scientific understanding of climate change to help non-experts better understand some of the debates in this complex area of science.
Community Action for Energy Conference
Philip and other members of the Energy Group attended the Community Action for Energy Conference in November 2007. Philip produced this report.
Low Energy Lightbulbs
Appeal to Local House Builders: In January 2008 Mark James sent this letter to all Dunbar housebuilders asking them to install low energy light bulbs. He has had no replies as yet.
Simon Lee recommends these low-energy bulbs. He says: “These LED spotlamps run on about 1 watt. The light that some of the cheaper ones give off is ‘colder’ (blue-whiter), and not quite as bright as the typical spotlight, but you can get them coloured too, and some manufacturers claim they’ll last for 50,000 hours. As far as I know you can get them at 240V and 12V (if your lights run from a transformer).”
Trough Oil
Philip Revell recommends reading this short piece about an alternative way of looking at ‘peak oil’: Trough Oil
Comments»
The ‘Powerpod’ is booked for the community for Friday 7 March 08, for outside the J M Birthplace museum.
This is basically a trailler fitted out with solar panels, solar thermal panels, a wind turbine and many gadget to demonstrate sustainble and renewable methods of energy generation. A team from Edinburgh University have a grant to do outreach work with the PP for secondary schools and communities.
Ceri, Project Manager at Community Windpower Limited reports that their efforts over the past few weeks have been to arrange the finance and various legal agreements necessary in order that they can get Aikengall built. She continues: “Hopefully this should all come together at the end of this week which will free up some time to re-focus on the Dunbar Carbon Neutral Project - realistically this is most likely to be in the New Year once Christmas is out of the way.”
Community Windpower’s Aikengall project will be starting on site in a couple of weeks and they will then be looking for premises in Dunbar and to progress their Dunbar Carbon Neutral plans. I am hoping to set up a meeting with them in the next month to discuss how we can best work together.
Hi. Slightly urgent request!!
I wonder if someone from sustaining dunbar can email me - I’m conducting a series of interviews on communities active of peak oil / climate change - to create twenty 500-word case studies - for SEAD (Scottish Education and Action for Development) based in Edinburgh for 27th MARCH. I have been working on creating a carbon reduction model too, in Stirling, - and it’s been really interesting hearing the other successful projects’ stories.
My email is rachellnunn@yahoo.co.uk - I would be REALLY grateful for some help on this! My phone is 07758 784732
I see the Aikengall Windfarm construction is underway. Whilst it is supposed to be a move towards sustainable energy, it comes at a price. Check out the damage it is doing to the environment in an area of special scientific interest. A huge road has been carved out of the hill side, right above a gorge that has got some very rare species of plants, moss, etc. It will be extended right across the moorland where the habitat of many creatures will be damaged, and where peat that takes thousands of years to establish itself is going to be dug out. This is not the green picture we were sold when the decision to approve it was agreed. Here’s a couple of pictures.
http://www.flickr.com/search/?q=aikengall&w=all