Chorlton & Whalley Range - Community Index

14
The Energy Revolution
Climate change, the recession, it’s easy to get quite down hearted but it’s
not all doom and gloom. Our politicians should be doing more and we need
to be telling them so, but we can’t just sit around and wait, we need to take
control ourselves. Energy is one area where we can do just that.
The cheapest and easiest way
to make a difference is to
stop wasting the energy we
buy. For example, we heat
our homes, businesses and
community buildings but much
of it escapes through windows
and walls and we still have
to pay for it! The best place
to go for advice and lots
of free incentives is www.
energysavingtrust.org.uk (or
call 0800 512 012).
Next we can start thinking
about where we get our
energy from and that’s where
renewable energy comes in.
It’s about harnessing free
or low cost and low impact
energy from the sun, wind,
wood, water, ground and
air, to provide hot water
and heat for buildings,
and electricity to power
equipment and machinery.
There are many technologies
available in all shapes and
sizes, including solar thermal
Useful links
Energy Saving Trust
www.energysavingtrust.org.uk 0800 512 012
Manchester Carbon Innovation Fund
www.manchester.gov.uk/climatechange
Foundation
www.climatefund.org.uk
and photovoltaics (PV),
heat pumps, wind turbines,
biomass boilers and micro
hydro.
Renewable energy has lots of
benefits. For one, you don’t
pay for sunlight or air, and
may even be able to sell the
power or heat you generate
but don’t need. Emissions
of carbon are reduced and
communities become more
resilient to hikes in energy
prices, which will only get
bigger as we reach and go
beyond ‘peak oil’ (see box).
The cost of installing
renewable energy can be a
sticking point but doesn’t
have to be a show stopper.
Once you’ve done what you
can to limit energy use,
renewable technologies can
be designed to match what is
needed. There is support and
funding available too, such as:
Manchester Carbon Innovation
Fund www.manchester.gov.
uk/climatechange offers up to
£10,000 to community groups,
businesses and householders.
Foundation, A climate Fund
for the Northwest www.
climatefund.org.uk will
contribute up to £50,000 for
low carbon projects.
Low Carbon Buildings
Programme www.
lowcarbonbuildingsphase2.
Peak oil
Peak oil is the moment
when half of the world’s
oil reserves have been
used up (estimated to
occur sometime between
2010 and 2015). Transition
City Manchester is raising
awareness of peak oil and
climate change across
Manchester. Contact
transitioncitymanchester@
googlemail.com
Low Carbon Buildings Programme
www.lowcarbonbuildingsphase2.org.uk
Feed-in-tariff information
www.fitariffs.co.uk
Centre for Alternative Technology
www.cat.org.uk
Renewables 4 Communities
www.renewables4communities.org.uk