Den Brook Valley Wind Farm Debate Continues
For: RES – Renewable Energy Systems
Den Brook wind farm – further delays as opposition groups exaggerate wind farm noise.

The Den Brook Wind Farm, near North Tawton in Devon, was given planning permission in February 2007, after a Planning Inspector overturned West Devon Borough Council’s refusal of the nine turbines.
The developer, RES, has always gone to great lengths to ensure that the wind farm would be an asset to the local community, working closely from its Devon office with community groups and local councils throughout the development process.
Unfortunately, relief at finally getting the wind farm through planning has since been overshadowed by legal challenges, from the minority of local residents who remain opposed to the wind farm. They are using all legal avenues open to them to ensure that the construction of the wind farm is delayed for as long as possible.
Despite these attempts to thwart the project, the Planning Inspector’s decision was recently upheld by the High Court. However, during this process, the opponents of the wind farm seized upon a small error in RES’s noise data analysis, despite the fact that the impact of the error is minuscule (indeed inaudible to the human ear), and noise conditions at the site will remain well within permissible limits.
The error concerns the assessment of existing background noise measurements.  The standard used to set background noise levels involves separating the measured background noise data into two separate time periods: ‘quiet daytime’ and ‘night time’. The error occurred when some of the data was logged in the wrong time period.   The maximum difference the error makes is 0.4dB (A). In terms of human aural perception, a difference of 0.4dB(A) is of no significance. It is well accepted that the smallest subjectively perceptible difference in noise levels is around 1dB(A), even under controlled conditions. Put simply, no-one would be able to hear the difference between sound levels that are only 0.4dB(A) apart.
In keeping with RES’s policies on openness and maintaining good community relations, it believes it to be only fair that the noise data should be re-examined in public. Some people will, of course, have concerns and, in light of the level of disinformation and scaremongering that has taken place, RES thinks that the best way to reassure people is to have the issue examined at a formal process. 
In the face of growing concern about climate change and the rapidly rising price of conventional fuels, it is essential that good quality renewable energy projects like this one start contributing clean, green energy as soon as possible.  Despite this setback, RES is confident that construction of the wind farm can begin in 2009. The wind farm will soon be generating enough electricity to power the equivalent of over 10,000 homes, which is around half of West Devon’s power consumption. The wind farm will also generate a community fund of at least £27,000 per year and habitat enhancements on site will also benefit local wildlife.

Against: Den Brook Valley Judicial Review Team - Planning Permission Quashed

The Secretary of State has quashed the unlawful planning permission for the Mid Devon wind farm as a result of the Den Brook Valley Judicial Review Team’s legal actions. The application will now go back to the Planning Inspectorate to determine the next step.
The case sets a precedent that wind farm neighbours have the right to raw environmental data. As we have discovered, Renewable Energy Systems [RES] claims are not always a fair reflection of the realities of the situation.
Even though RES commissioned an independent expert, Dr Andrew Bullmore, to confirm the reliability of their noise assessment, it is now beyond any shadow of doubt that the assessment was unreliable.
RES had refused for 3 years to release the vital noise assessment data saying we weren’t capable of assessing it. Despite only having part of the data, we have already found errors amounting to a potential increase in noise levels of greater than half again those that would be perceived according to RES’ estimations.  
We have yet to receive further noise data. This, despite director of RES Rachel Ruffle, stating quite categorically that she fully understood the force of Mr Justice Mitting’s criticisms of the developer for not supplying the promised data and stating, “in similar future situations RES will make raw noise data available to any inquiry participant who seeks them”.Close neighbour Claire Hodgson used to support the development but now says, "RES’ repeated failure to provide all the information has left me with no option but to file a formal complaint.  RES said they had taken on board the Judge's criticisms, but so far there is no evidence of this. This does nothing to rebuild my trust
The developer’s worryingly defective noise assessment has cost the Council Tax Payer and local communities several hundred thousand pounds in the process of bringing to light these critical and far from miniscule errors.
Thank you everyone for your overwhelming and continuing support. We will continue to do our very best to ensure that just and democratic principles are upheld.
 For more information about the Den Brook Valley Judicial Appeal Team please visit www.denbrookvalley.co.uk 

Government rejects South West's regional low carbon new development policy in the RSS

The Secretary of State published the proposed changes to the draft South West Regional Spatial Strategy on the 30^th July (see www.gosw.gov.uk/gosw/planninghome/691545/713860/ for more details).
Despite strong leadership and two years of painstaking evidence building and discussion the region’s proposals on new build (Policy G) have been rejected out of hand.
Commenting on the proposed changes Matthew Spencer, chief executive of Regen SW, said: “We are relieved that the region’s targets on renewable electricity and renewable heat are still intact, but sad that the Government is trying to rule out the policy that will make new buildings in the south west more sustainable. Hazel Blears, the Secretary of State for Local Government appears to be unwilling to devolve power on this issue. She has dismissed the strong evidence that we could achieve early learning in low carbon building at the same time as meeting high build rates. Her proposals will raise carbon emissions in the region and make the process of setting local energy standards for new buildings longer and more expensive for local authorities.”

UK Renewable Energy Strategy Consultation 

26/06/2008 – 26/10/2008

Few people in the RE industry can have failed to notice the launch of the consultation process for the UK’s RE Strategy.

The consultation document and other links can be found at http://www.renewableconsultation.berr.gov.uk  Try the Executive Summary.

When published and approved, the Statement is likely to be the driving force behind all RE activity for several years.  Can it really be that we are looking at the beginnings of a Government policy that takes a realistic view of what we need to address Climate Change and energy security issues.

The UK Strategy is also of necessity a means of  enabling the UK to meet its share of the EU target of sourcing 20% of all energy from renewables by 2020 (including all energy supplies, heat, electricity and transport fuels).  The UK has a legal obligation to the overall EU target, but the actual UK contribution has yet to be finalised.  15% across the board is currently being proposed, and this may well be accepted.  However, the Government wants to ensure that it would have the flexibility to achieve its contribution/target in the most cost-effective way possible and that the sub-target of 10% of transport fuel being renewable is fully credible. 

Whilst the latter point is fully justified in the light of environmental and carbon saving concerns about Bioethanol and Biodiesel, we need to ensure that it is not just pure economics that determines the promotion of specific technologies.

It has been calculated that to achieve an overall 15% of all energy from RE will require 30 – 35% of electricity coming from renewables, given a 10% share of renewable transport fuel, and about 14% of all heat supplies.  The current figures for comparison would be less than 1%, less than 5%, and less than 1% respectively.  The challenge is considerable, and will require a commitment from all sectors from Government to individual citizens.

The consultation seeks views on the options for developing all RE technologies, suggesting opportunities, constraints and potentials.

Google in New Energy Scheme

Google has pledged to spend tens of millions of dollars next year on renewable electricity. The project, called Renewable Energy Cheaper Than Coal, will focus on advanced solar thermal power, wind power technologies and enhanced geothermal systems. Google said the scheme will expand into hundreds of millions of dollars-worth of “breakthrough renewable energy projects”.

The Independent

Global warming is not a future apocalypse, but a present reality for many of the world’s poorest people, according to the most hard hitting United Nations report yet on climate change.

The report also criticises Britain’s policy on climate change. The UK is the world leader on rhetoric, it says, yet “if the rest of the developed world followed the pathway envisaged in the UK’s Climate Change Bill, dangerous climate change would be inevitable.

Paul Vallely – The Independent

Brown outlines four sites for nuclear power stations.

Four sites were earmarked for the new generation of nuclear power stations yesterday as Gordon Brown gave the clearest signal so far that he will give the go-ahead in the New Year for a major expansion of Britain’s nuclear power output.

Mr Brown made it clear yesterday that a decision would be announced in January, but did not retreat from the Governments proposals “that there should be a new generation of nuclear power stations”.

Colin Brown – The Independent

DARE wins award!

Regen SW recently short listed candidates for the Category of "South West Renewable Energy Champion" to recognise the outstanding work and achievements of individuals making a real difference to the development of renewable energy in the South West.

We are pleased to announce that Paul Baker, Managing Director of DARE was short listed for this category and received his award at a recent gala dinner.

Brown Pledges to banish the plastic bag from Britain

Gordon Brown has announced he was backing the campaign to eliminate wasteful plastic bags in a wide-ranging speech setting ambitious climate change targets for Britain.

The Prime Minister said he was calling a forum of supermarkets, the British Retail Consortium and other groups urgently to assess how they could end the use of disposable bags.

Mr Brown warned that rich countries, including the US and Britain, may have to increase their targets for cuts in emissions to an unprecedented 80 per cent.

Mr Brown also said that Britain would plan for more wind farms, as well as wave and tidal schemes, to increase the use of renewable sources of energy pending the expected go-ahead for more nuclear power stations in the new year.

 Mr Browns speech was praised by environmental groups for “getting serious” about the challenge of climate change.

Less than three weeks to go before the competition closes!

The Business Commitment to the Environment (BCE) Environmental Leadership Awards is making it's final call for competition entries.

With less than three weeks to go until the competition closes, businesses are urged to take advantage of this unique opportunity to demonstrate that corporate responsibility is an integral part of their organisation, that they are innovative and ahead of the competition.

David Miliband, who presented the 2007 Awards, noted that: "The mismatch between how we use natural resources and the steps we are taking to mitigate climate change is widening. The businesses that have won awards today are examples that I will use to persuade others in the UK and internationally that addressing climate change does not damage competitiveness"

It’s free to enter and attend the Awards ceremony for any business eligible to pay corporation tax in the UK. Applicants are required to complete a simple application form which is available on the website (www.bceawards.org) before being assessed for the next stage where those selected will be visited by one of the BCE technical panel.

Those who enter can be sure that they are in good company. This years top award winner was the Co-operative Group whose integrated approach to sustainability truly demonstrates that helping the environment doesn't stop at just the businesses resource consumption.

Revealed: cover-up plan on energy target
Ministers urged to lobby for get-out on renewables
Government officials have secretly briefed ministers that Britain has no hope of getting remotely near the new European Union renewable energy target that Tony Blair signed up to in the spring - and have suggested that they find ways of wriggling out of it.

In contrast to the government's claims to be leading the world on climate change, officials within the former Department of Trade and Industry have admitted that under current policies Britain would miss the EU's 2020 target of 20% energy from renewables by a long way. And their suggestion that "statistical interpretations of the target" be used rather than new ways to reach it has infuriated environmentalists.

An internal briefing paper for ministers, a copy of which has been obtained by the Guardian, reveals that officials at the department, now the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, think the best the UK could hope for is 9% of energy from renewable sources such as wind, solar or hydro by 2020.

It says the UK "has achieved little so far on renewables" and that getting to 9%, from the current level of about 2%, would be "challenging". The paper was produced in the early summer, around the time the government published its energy white paper.

Under current policies renewables would account for only 5% of Britain's energy mix by 2020, the document says. The EU average is 7%; Germany is at 13%. It acknowledges that Germany, unlike Britain, has built a "strong and growing renewables industry".

EU leaders agreed the 20% target for the bloc in spring. The European Commission is working out how to reach this .

DBERR officials fear that Britain may end up being told to get to 16%, which it describes as "very challenging". The paper suggests a number of ways ministers could wriggle out of specific commitments. It also suggests ministers lobby certain EU commissioners and countries such as France, Germany, Poland and Italy to agree to a more flexible interpretation of the target, by including nuclear power, for example, or investment in solar farms in Africa.

Officials ask ministers to examine "what options there are for statistical interpretations of the target that would make it easier to achieve".

They suggest the target lacks credibility because it is so ambitious, while acknowledging that the Germans will be difficult to persuade because the Chancellor Angela Merkel is the champion of the 20% target and wants to commit Germany to 27%.

"These flexible options are ones that may be difficult to negotiate with some member states such as Germany, who we expect to resist approaches that may be seen to water down the renewables target," the briefing says.

Environmentalists were shocked. "This briefing reads like a 'wriggle and squirm' paper," said Andrew Simms, director of the New Economics Foundation. "It combines almost comic desperation from civil servants suddenly realising that they actually have to do something to promote renewable energy, with a breathtaking cynicism as they explore every conceivable get-out clause to escape the UK's international commitments."

A spokesman for DBERR said he would not comment on leaked documents, but added: "This government is committed to renewables and reducing emissions in line with EU targets."

The Conservative's shadow secretary of state, Alan Duncan, said: "This is a staggering revelation and shows the government has known all along it won't meet its targets but has deliberately avoided admitting it. They have been living a lie."

The Lib Dem environment spokesman, Chris Huhne, agreed: "This news confirms that the government has said yes to an EU target of 20% of renewable energy without any visible means of achieving it. If the government's policy is now to have any credibility and not be seen as a cynical attempt to woo green opinion, ministers must stop fudging and start acting."

The paper reveals an aversion to renewables on the basis of perceived cost, arguing that they are a more expensive way of reducing carbon emissions than the European Emissions Trading Scheme. It estimates that getting to 9% by 2020 could cost the economy £4bn a year.

Environmentalists reject the idea that renewables are too expensive. Even £4bn a year is only about one third of the 1% of gross domestic product rich countries were recommended to spend a year combating climate change.

The paper also reveals that carbon capture and underground storage of CO2 emissions from new coal-fired power stations is projected to make little contribution before 2020. "This is betrayal of the highest order," said Rajiv Bhatia, head of renewable energy distributor Alternergy.

Jeremy Leggett, of solar energy company Solarcentury, said: "It would not surprise me if this delay in renewables deployment was the tactical objective all along for some senior officials in DTI. Serving on the government's Renewables Advisory Board from 2003 to 2006, I witnessed what cynics could easily have mistaken for a deliberate campaign of delay, obfuscation, and the parking, if not torpedoing, of good ideas coming from industry members of the board."

Ashley Seager and Mark Milner The Guardian 13^th August 2007

Housebuilders win battle against green technologies

• Government to drop rules promoting renewables

• Planners will be unable to set environmental targets

The government is preparing to torpedo a local authority policy which has been one of the few genuine drivers of renewable energy technologies in Britain, the Guardian has learned.

The Department for Communities and Local Government is to in effect abolish the so-called "Merton rule", under pressure from housebuilders who do not want to bear the cost of adding things like solar panels to the buildings they construct or the effort of marketing them as "green".

The decision to axe the Merton rule comes a week after the Guardian revealed that officials at the business and enterprise department had admitted the country had no hope of meeting EU targets on renewables over the next 13 years and had advised ministers to find ways to wriggle out of the targets.

The Merton rule is named after the London borough that established it in 2003. It requires any new building to reduce its carbon emissions by 10% through the use of renewables. More than 150 local authorities have either introduced it or are about to. In the absence of a proper interest in renewables from central government, the Merton rule has become central to tentative steps towards a low carbon future.

But housing minister Yvette Cooper, who last year wanted all local authorities to adopt a Merton rule, will soon publish a new draft planning policy statement which outlines the abolition of the rule.

Adrian Hewitt, principal environment officer at Merton council, said: "The new draft ... on climate change confirms our absolute worst fears. The Merton rule and any mention of local authorities being able to secure a percentage of renewable energy on new buildings seems as if it's going to be airbrushed out of history like a dissident from an old Soviet photograph."

The communities and local government department is holding a "sounding board" meeting on Tuesday to discuss the new draft policy statement and will run into protest from concerned groups.

The Royal Institute of British Architects yesterday attacked the government's apparent U-turn on the Merton Rule.

RIBA president Jack Pringle said: "The RIBA strongly believes that local authorities should be free to demand higher building standards than those set nationally.

"Individual local authorities can play a huge role in driving innovation and can themselves become beacons of sustainability. If the reports are true and this ability will be lost, that will be detrimental to the government's goal of reducing carbon emissions from buildings."

On the other side of the argument is the House Builders Federation. Ms Cooper has been heavily lobbied by the group, which argues for a national, rather than local, strategy for the government's plan for new homes to be zero carbon from 2016. The federation's chairman, Stewart Baseley, wants a national strategy phased in over 10 years and says action at local level will lead to confusion and higher costs.

"Local authority political posturing for the green ground with ever-more unaffordable and potentially unachievable targets, and taking no responsibility for how these targets are to be achieved, will serve no one's interests," he said recently.

Renewable industry representatives say the Merton Rule is many times more important to them than the government's low carbon buildings programme, which provides grants but has repeatedly run out of money and had its rules changed.

The sources say that the U-turn on the Merton rule makes a mockery of the consultation: half of all respondents supported the Merton rule and only three of 324 objected to it on grounds of cost.

Tony Book, head of a company called Riomay which is involved in several solar energy projects in London, said the rule only added 3-4% to building costs.

"It has driven some really big projects here in London. The solar thermal project we are installing on the old Arsenal stadium at Highbury is the biggest of its kind in the world. It would not have been done without the Merton rule," he said.
Ashley Seager The Guardian 20^th August 07

Wind Set Fair For Green Devon Future
The coast off North Devon could become home to the world’s largest offshore wind farm if a scheme proposed for the area goes ahead

With some 350 turbines generating a total of 1,500 megawatts of clean, renewable power, the scheme entitled ‘Atlantic Array Offshore Wind Farm’, would supply enough green energy to meet the electricity consumption of more than one million homes - almost half of all households in the South West.
    The £3 billion project is the brainchild of South Molton based Farm Energy, the company that originated the London Array project in the Thames Estuary, currently the world’s largest offshore wind scheme, which received offshore consents from the DTI and Defra in December 2006.
    Farm Energy Director Peter Crone said: “Atlantic Array would be a landmark project that would see the South West taking a significant step towards a more environmentally sustainable future.
    “Every year, the wind farm would avoid the release of 2.3 million tonnes of carbon dioxide – the main gas contributing to global warming – equivalent to over five per cent of the carbon dioxide emissions generated by the South West.
    “The proposed wind farm would create hundreds of jobs – not just during construction but longer term once it is up and running. A permanent workforce of up to 100 people will be needed to operate and maintain the wind farm.
    “However, that is only part of the story. The economic benefits will go much wider as there will be opportunities for local companies during construction and there will be knock-on benefits for many other local businesses in the supply and service sectors throughout the lifetime of the project.”
    Atlantic Array would be sited some 22 kilometres north west of Ilfracombe, which is poised to become the operations and maintenance centre for the new wind farm.
    Commenting on the plans, Matthew Spencer, Chief Executive of RegenSW, the renewable energy agency for South West England, said “We welcome the news that offshore wind could play a major role in future energy generation in the South West . We hadn’t expected to see offshore wind in South West England because of the depth of our seabed, so it’s great to hear that Farm Energy is committed to making the economics of deeper water wind farms work.
    “Atlantic Array is a game-changing proposal which will have a major influence on the Government’s thinking on the best areas for offshore wind, currently assumed to be shallow water off the East of England coast and in the Irish Sea.
    “This proposal allows the South West to start playing in the big league of European renewable energy industry and is sure to stimulate new interest in the region from other companies.”
    The power from the wind farm will be transmitted to shore via submarine cables. From the landfall it will feed by way of underground cables into the existing National Grid substation at Alverdiscott some eight kilometres away.

  For more information please download the full briefing paper

Legal Challenge to Den Brook Successful Appeal
A local resident opposed Den Brook Wind Farm is taking his case to the High Court. The case will be brought against the Planning Inspectorate, West Devon Borough Council and lastly RES the company wishing to make the development in West Devon. The challenge is made under Section 288 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 and is on the reasonableness of the planning conditions relating to noise and shadow flicker and also on the Inspector's approach to planning balance
A Section 288 application can only be successful if the claim is made on a point of law. For example, a successful claim could be made on the basis that the decision made by the Inspector was not within his power or had visibly failed to take into account evidence presented to him on a particular topic. It is not the function of the court to interfere with the judgment made by the Inspector on issues of fact, and the court will not do that.
As yet the date for the one day hearing has not been set.  Once the hearing is over a judgment within a month is expected.  It is believed that even if the challenge is successful then the substance of the planning permission (turbine size and locations) is unlikely to change, rather the noise conditions could be revised. The effect of the challenge is ultimately a delay to the operation of the wind farm and therefore a delay to the production of clean, green electricity equivalent to the demand of more than 10,000 homes in West Devon and is a set back to Devon's efforts to meet its renewable energy targets.
RES believe that the grounds of the challenge are very weak and although it appears to be very similar to a challenge on a wind farm in Norfolk, the noise condition in that case was very different to that imposed on the Den Brook wind farm.  RES intend to defend the Inspectors decision rigorously and are confident that the challenge will not succeed.

Den Brook Valley Wind Farm Appeal Successful
Renewable Energy Systems (RES) has welcomed the Planning Inspectorate’s decision today to approve the nine turbine wind farm at Den Brook in Devon following a public inquiry in November last year.
The project will generate electricity equivalent to the annual needs of over 10,000 homes – or half of West Devon - and reduce emissions of carbon dioxide, the main greenhouse gas. It will also bring local benefits including a £27,000 a year community fund to be spent on local projects, a sustainable income for farmers who own the land, local sourcing of labour and materials and wildlife enhancements measures at the site.
Rachel Ruffle, Project Manager for Renewable Energy Systems, said: “We are very pleased with the Inspector’s decision. It allows the Den Brook wind farm to make a contribution to important national and regional efforts to meet renewable energy targets, cut greenhouse gas emissions and avoid the serious impacts of climate change. We are also looking forward to bringing economic and environmental benefits to the area.”
In his decision, the Inspector noted the need to tackle climate change and the benefits of the project. In discussing the potential visual effect of the wind farm he concluded; ‘I have little doubt that this location would (because of, rather than in spite of, its inherent topographical characteristics) rank highly among the landscapes most able to accommodate development mof the type, scale and extent proposed.”
Rachel Ruffle added: “We took the project to appeal because there was local public support for the project and because we were confident that we had designed a low impact wind farm that would bring benefits on a national, regional and local scale. We are delighted that this has been confirmed by the Inspector’s decision.”
Rachel Ruffle concluded; “At this stage it is too early to give any indication of when we might start work on the Den Brook wind farm. We shall be examining that, in the context of our existing programme, over the coming weeks.”

  UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Report
According to the most authoritative report on global warming to date a leap in average temperatures by 6.4C could occur in the next century.
The "six degree world" may come about 2100, if human society continues with rapid economic growth and high levels of burning fossil fuels, such an increase would render life impossible on much of the planet. The 6.4C is a global average and would mean much higher rises in higher latitudes leading to severe droughts, melting of glaciers and extreme storms. 
The most significant fact within the report was that if CO2 was to reach 550 parts per million the Earths temperature would probably rise by 3C, a temperature unsupportable by society.  The IPCC also predicts a sea level rise of 59cm by 2100. 
Britain's Environmental Secretary, David Milliband, said "The report confirms our concerns that the window of opportunity to avoid dangerous climate change is closing more quickly than previously thought. It is another nail in the coffin of the climate change deniers...(and shows) that the debate over the science of climate change is well and truly over. What's now needed is the international political commitment to take action." 
The IPCC reported that Climate Change is "unequivocally" happening, and there is "at least a nine out of ten chance" that human action is behind it. Achim Steiner, head of the UN Environmental Programme said this "marks the end of the debate...The focus now shifts to policy...We have to show leadership. If we don't, the world will be in even  deeper trouble than it is today, and the price of not acting will go up every year that passes."
Independent Saturday 3rd February 2007