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Energy and Climate Questions to the Mayor

March 2013: This month the Mayor has been asked questions in relation to:

the number of applications to the London Energy Efficiency Fund; the Mayor’s correspondence with DECC on the ECO;  fuel poverty and health; Details of decentralised energy schemes being supported by the Mayor; visits to Brixton Energy Solar projects; energy efficiency targets in the Mayor’s London Rental Standard; fuel poor families in London – and RE:NEW delivery in the private rented sector; the Mayor’s work to plug the energy gapprogress under the RE:FIT programme in London boroughs; the level of Green Deal activity in London; Is the GLA a Green Deal provider; plans in place to spend the £5,627,342 DECC Green Deal and Fuel Poverty funding to the GLA; 2013/14 funding to the RE:FIT programme; evaluation of the RE:FIT programme;
RE:CONNECT programme budget for 2013/14; Better Building Partneship programme budget for 2013/14/; events attended by the Mayor’s Environment Advisor; Bunhill CHP scheme; attendance at the High Level Electricity Working Group; and participation on environmental issues on the Talk London website.

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FT: ‘London seeks energy supply licence’

14 March 2013: The GLA has recently approved a process to secure a junior – or ‘lite’ – electricity supply licence – the benefits of which are set out in an earlier post here.

The Mayor recently updated progress on this work stating that:

“Technical assessments of the services to be procured from the electricity market and regulatory matters needing to be addressed have been made. The GLA met Ofgem (the electricity regulator) at the beginning of February 2013 to enable a formal application for a licence.”

And the FT has today reported on this work stating: “The GLA is the first public authority to apply for a so-called Licence Lite, an electricity supply permit that would allow it to buy excess electricity from London’s boroughs and sell it back at cost price to other public bodies in the capital, such as the police or NHS hospitals.” The GLA press release is available here.

The report goes that:

“Several London boroughs run generators to power public buildings, such as Islington’s Bunhill Heat and Power project, which uses a gas-fired generator to heat homes and local swimming pools. Westminster operates two gas-fired generators in Pimlico that heat homes, businesses and three schools. Excess energy produced at these sites is returned to the National Grid through a mainstream supplier at a variable wholesale rate of about 5 pence per kWh. The GLA would offer 20 to 30 per cent more for the boroughs’ excess as a way of encouraging growth in the low-carbon energy infrastructure. Ofgem, the energy regulator, brought in Licence Lite in 2009 but no permit has yet been issued. Some blame uncertainty over the legal obligations a new supplier would face, as well as lack of interest from existing industry suppliers. Licence Lite holders are required to contract with a mainstream supplier to provide regulatory and operational support.”

A dozen London boroughs, which together are capable of producing 76MW, could benefit from the scheme, which is intended for launch in 2014, the GLA said. If the measure is a success it would also be considered for private sector energy producers in London. By raising the returns on the energy produced by small suppliers, the GLA said, the move could help attract more than £8bn of investment in electricity infrastructure in the capital up to 2025.

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‘Groundbreaking plan to use excess heat from tube system for domestic electricity supply’

8 February 2013:   Following on from the recent inauguration of the Bunhill heat and power scheme, the Islington Tribune newspaper reports that the council is looking to use waste “heat from London Underground that escapes through a vent in City Road…to supply new private homes being built nearby.” The proposal was discussed at the Council’s Executive meeting on 7 February where the borough’s Energy Strategy for 2013-16 was also set out. The papers presented at the meeting provide additional information on the heat offtake scheme:

“The network extension will be innovative by capturing waste heat from the London Underground tube tunnel vent and the electrical substations on City Road. £1m grant funding has been applied for and is now available from the European Commission (EC) to help part-fund this innovative extension of the Bunhill heat network. £2.7M council capital is required to match this funding and this is being taken forward as part of the 2013/14 budget process.”

Building on the existing Seasonal Health and Affordable Warmth (SHAW) plan, the Strategy paper additionally sets out that a borough Fuel Poverty Strategy will be developed by March 2013. Download Making Islington fairer in tough times: Energy strategy 2013 -16 here.

Also discussed at the Executive meeting were procurement details of community heating system on the Finsbury Estate.

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Islington’s new energy centre brings power to the people

December 2012: Islington have officially inaugurated their council-owned CHP system which “will produce cheaper, greener heat for hundreds of residents in the south of Islington in competition to the big utility companies.”

The press release sets out that the Bunhill Energy Centre houses a 2 MWe gas-fired Combined Heat and Power (CHP) engine which is connected to a kilometre of new district heating network taking hot water to more than 700 local homes on the Stafford Cripps, Redbrick and St Luke’s estates, as well as the newly reopened Ironmonger Row Baths, and Finsbury Leisure Centre.

The efficiency of the new system is further improved by an on-site 115 metre-cubed thermal store (the tall cylinder seen above).

The energy centre was specially designed to minimise noise and adopted a “plug and play” method of construction with all the major components manufactured and prefabricated off-site in order to reduce disruption to residents.

The energy centre and heat network will be fully owned and managed by the council, and was funded by grants from the London Development Agency and the Homes and Community Agency.  The council ownership and management of the scheme will help to maximise the benefits of the scheme for the local community and energy bill savings for residents. For more about the Bunhill Energy Centre and heat network see www.islington.gov.uk/heatnetwork

The Bunhill Energy Centre is part of Islington Council’s Decentralised Energy Programme and  marks a return to energy production for Islington Council  – for more than 70 years – from 1896-1969 – the borough had its own coal-powered station in Eden Grove, Holloway (more of which on this nice flickr post).

The launch event was covered by the BBC, and also local newspapers the Islington Tribune and the Islington Gazette.

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Islington: £3m for warming homes, energising business

March 2012: Islington Council news release issued which sets out how the cuoncil has announced how “it will take another 1,000 households out of fuel poverty before 2014 while stimulating the economy creating local jobs and apprenticeships for plumbers, electricians and roofers.
A report to the Council’s executive on 27 March will seek to approve £3m for a universal boiler scheme and insulation works that will reduce bills and put money back in residents’ pockets.
Islington Council will use the investment to attract the maximum benefit from the government’s Green Deal programme towards helping fuel poor households.
The good news comes on the back of a successful year for the council’s energy efficiency action in which over 300 council homes have received ‘A rated’ boilers, 2,300 residents have been helped with energy advice, and the energy doctor has visited over 700 households.
In addition, 1,600 households have received help through the award-winning SHINE service (Seasonal Health Interventions Network) – Islington Council and NHS Islington’s one-stop referral service including benefits checks, Telecare applications and befriending services for the elderly.
Signing off the report Kevin O’Leary, Corporate Director of Islington Council’s Environment Department said: “Taking thousands of poorer households out of fuel poverty is the key to making Islington a fairer place.
“In addition, new jobs and apprenticeships for hundreds in the construction trades are much needed by our young people who have been badly hit by recession.”
In addition to the £3m for boiler replacement, local power schemes in Bunhill and Crouch Hill will be completed in time for winter 2013, bringing cleaner, greener and cheaper energy to 750 homes and businesses in the south and north of the borough.”

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London’s first council owned energy company

8 October 2011:  The Islington Gazette reports that “The Bunhill Energy Centre, in Central Street, Clerkenwell, is due to be ready for the start of winter next year and will provide cheaper energy for more than 700 homes in the south of the borough.” Read full article here.

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Islington

Islington Energy Strategy 2013-2016 – February 2013 (or here)
Environmental Design SPD adopted  October 2012 – contains detailed guidance on key sustainable design topics including: Minimising energy use and carbon emissions and  Sustainable building standards;
Islington’s Regeneration and Employment Review Committee Report on the Council’s 40% Carbon Reduction by 2020 – June 2011
Archway Low Carbon Zone
Details of Islington’s Bunhill Energy Centre and Heat Network
including Decentralised Energy FAQ March 2011

Islington borough wide decentralised energy strategy April 2010
Promoting Zero Carbon Development Evidence Base September 2009
Islington Sustainable design and planning information including guides:

Islington Case Studies of Green Buildings in the Borough including interactive google map.
Islington’s Energy Doctor in the Community goes out in the community visiting schools, libraries, day care centres giving personalised advice, talks and practical workshops on how to save money by saving energy.
Islington Climate Change Partnership (ICCP) including the ICCP baseline study (March 2007)
Fuel poverty – report of the Regeneration Review Committee (September 2007)

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Islington DE FAQ

4 March 2011:With reference to story above, Islington have issued a short FAQ document on their decentralised energy project for the Bunhill Energy Centre and Heat Network.

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