The future’s green for the North East

A new initiative to springboard the North East into a greener future has taken the next step this week which could see solar panels installed on public buildings throughout the region. Representatives from the North East’s local councils and fire and rescue services (FRS) met yesterday at the National Renewable Energy Centre (Narec) to identify ways to introduce photovoltaic (PV) technology to public buildings. The North East Improvement and Efficiency Partnership (NEIEP) spearheaded the scheme to help guide the region towards reducing its carbon emissions and energy costs. NEIEP provided funding for the installation of solar panels onto one building owned by every council and Fire and Rescue Service (FRS) in the North East. The panels’ solar photovoltaic (PV) technology allows each authority to generate its own green electricity from natural sunlight. For each unit of electricity generated they will receive payment from their energy supplier and can even sell any excess energy back to the national grid. These payments are in addition to the large potential savings from a reduction in fuel bills to power the building. In order to ensure that each authority is in the best position to expand this technology in its own area, NEIEP has appointed Narec as technical advisors for the project. At the event this Tuesday, Narec met with climate officers from all authorities to further their understanding of PV and other micro generation technologies which could be used in other residential and commercial buildings , and to view examples of the energy saving equipment installed on Narec’s own buildings in Blyth, Northumberland.The project aim is to expand knowledge of the technologies’ benefits throughout the public sector, in order that future project planning includes the facility for renewable technology. Eventually it is hoped that this attitude will filter to the private sector and individuals throughout the region. In a typical domestic setting alone, homeowners could save around £830 per year through using the appliances to generate their own electricity. Martin Ryan, Director of NEIEP, said: “This is a great initiative which has potentially huge benefits for the North East. It is great to see every local authority and FRS working to help reduce the region’s impact on the environment. Renewable energies are becoming increasingly important and we are proud to be involved in this pioneering project, which is a huge step forward for the region’s green credentials.” Steven Caseley, Director of Distributed Energy at Narec, said: “We are very pleased to be working with NEIEP on this flagship project for the North East. Both the public and private sectors must have confidence in these new technologies before making the move to generating their own electricity. It is therefore vital that we increase the understanding of each technology to ensure its optimum application and integration with other power sources in the longer term.” To find out more about the project, contact Bill Kirkup, Project Manager, at Bill.Kirkup@northeastcouncils.gov.uk.

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