Planning for Renewable Energy in Worcestershire Research Paper

TECHNICAL RESEARCH PAPERPlanning forRenewable Energyin WorcestershireJanuary 2009

ContentsExecutive Summary...................................................................................................................................... i-iv1. Purpose.....................................................................................................................................................................12. Introduction............................................................................................................................................................. 23. Policy Context....................................................................................................................................................... 54. Community Strategies, Climate Change Strategy & Local Area Agreement.................. 95. Worcestershire's Vulnerability to Climate Change.........................................................................136. Renewable Energy and the Environment of Worcestershire...................................................157. Social Benefits of Renewable Energy in Worcestershire.......................................................... 198. Renewable Energy and the Economy of Worcestershire..........................................................209. Community and Stakeholder Consultation......................................................................................... 2210. Baseline Data and Forecasts.....................................................................................................................2511. Technological Issues for Renewable Energy in Worcestershire............................................2712. Infrastructure Requirements....................................................................................................................... 2913. Monitoring and Further Work......................................................................................................................3014. Technical Information and Glossary of Terms.................................................................................. 32Appendix ACharacteristics and Appraisal of Different Renewable Energy Technologiesin Worcestershire and Map of Broad Locations........................................................................................ 33Appendix BSummary of Different Renewable Energy Technologies in Worcestershire..............................44Appendix CExample Calculations of Renewable Electricity Generated by Different Technologies...... 51Appendix DMaps of predicted increase in risk to Worcestershire as a result of climate change...........53Appendix EEnergy Saving Trust Table of Typical Emissions from a Variety of House Types 2006..... 55Appendix FExtracts From Studies of Regional and Sub-Regional Capacity..................................................... 56Appendix GCO2 Emissions Data and Mapping and Energy Consumption Data............................................. 66Appendix HSources of further information and Grant Assistance............................................................................ 73Further Reading...........................................................................................................................................................75List of Consultees....................................................................................................................................................... 78CONTENTS ● Planning for Renewable Energy in WorcestershireTechnical Research Paper

Executive SummaryGenerating energy through renewablesources is an alternative to the burning offossil fuels. Using renewable energy hasenvironmental, social and economicbenefits.Worcestershire's potential for thegeneration of renewable energy has notbeen systematically evaluated, but it isevident that current levels of renewablegeneration in the County are significantlybelow what could theoretically beachieved. Worcestershire's land-lockedlocation precludes off-shore generation,but there is nevertheless a large potentialfor renewable energy:● The rivers, streams and watercoursesthat traverse the County could beexploited to provide hydro-electricpower;● Large areas of the County haveaverage wind speeds sufficient for thegeneration of energy from windturbines, with the greatest potential inBromsgrove and Wychavon districts;● Biomass energy has significantpotential in Worcestershire, withsubstantial existing woodland and highpotential yields from energy crops;● Solar irradiation (the amount ofsunlight falling on the ground) acrossthe County as a whole is relativelyhigh, and could deliver both electricityand hot water through the increaseduse of solar panels;● Worcestershire falls within an area thatis capable of utilising the heat of theground, air and water to contributetowards heating energy needs.● Energy from Waste' is not generallyconsidered renewable, and is notconsidered in this paper. However,organic wastes, such as farm slurry,food waste, and landfill gas isconsidered renewable and cancontribute a valuable renewable fuelsource for biomass heat and/or powergeneration, and anaerobic digestion.National and international targets are inplace to ensure that renewable energycontributes to a reduction in theemissions of carbon dioxide into theatmosphere, therefore mitigating thedamaging effects of climate change. Thetargets require a major expansion ofcurrent capacity, and Worcestershire willhave its part to play in contributing tothese goals.As a County with extensive rural areas,Worcestershire has the potential to exploitrenewable energy where conventionalgas and electricity supplies may not beavailable. In this context, renewablescould provide a viable alternative tooil-fired heating or petrol generators.A concerted effort is required from allsectors in order to achieve the greatestcarbon savings. This paper considers therole of the planning system andrenewable energy in the built environmentand seeks to establish the key facts abouteach of the technologies as they relate toWorcestershire.It is recognised that renewable energygeneration should be seen as asubstantial component of what must be acombination of measures; the paperrecommends an energy hierarchywhereby energy conservation andefficiency are the principal actions, withenergy generation being considered onlyafter these primary concerns have beenaddressed.In order to develop further policies andguidance on renewables, the paper seeksto collate relevant baseline information, toallow an informed view to be taken on theneed and support for an expansion inrenewable energy capacity.Technical Research PaperEXECUTIVE SUMMARY ● Planning for Renewable Energy in Worcestershirei

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ● Planning for Renewable Energy in WorcestershireAfter every chapter of the paper, asummary is provided, together with anysuggestions/recommendations for action.These summaries have been broughttogether and outlined below:POLICY CONTEXT●●●EFFECTIVE DEMANDMANAGEMENT ANDCONSERVATION OF ENERGYSHOULD ALWAYS BE CONSIDEREDAHEAD OF ENERGY GENERATION.AT THE LOCAL LEVEL, PROMOTIONOF RENEWABLE ENERGY SHOULDBE INTEGRATED INTO COMMUNITYSTRATEGIES, LOCALDEVELOPMENT DOCUMENTS, ANDSUSTAINABILITY APPRAISALS;REVISED TARGETS FORRENEWABLES CAPACITY WILL BEDETERMINED THROUGH PHASE 3OF THE RSS PARTIAL REVISION.LOCAL DEVELOPMENTFRAMEWORKS CAN SHAPE HOWDISTRICTS RESPOND TO THENEED TO INCREASE RENEWABLESPROVISION.COMMUNITY STRATEGIES/LOCALAREA AGREEMENT●●THERE IS SCOPE TO INCREASETHE PRESENCE OF RENEWABLEENERGY IN COMMUNITYSTRATEGY REVISIONS ANDENSURE IT IS INCLUDED IN THELOCAL AREA AGREEMENT.FURTHER RESEARCH IS NEEDEDINTO THE POTENTIAL OF THECOUNTY TO DELIVER INCREASEDRENEWABLE ENERGY, INCLUDINGTHE COMMISSIONING OF ACOMPREHENSIVE STUDY INTORESOURCE AVAILABILITY.WORCESTERSHIRE'S VULNERABILITYTO CLIMATE CHANGE●●WORCESTERSHIRE'SVULNERABILITY TO THE EFFECTSOF CLIMATE CHANGE IS HIGH ANDIS FORECAST TO INCREASE. THESEVERITY OF 2007'S FLOODINGHIGHLIGHTS THE COUNTY ASBEING AT PARTICULAR RISK.RENEWABLE ENERGY CANCONTRIBUTE TO BOTH THEMITIGATION OF, AND ADAPTATIONTO CLIMATE CHANGE BYREDUCING EMISSIONS THATCAUSE CLIMATE CHANGE AND BYPROVIDING A MORE SECUREMEANS OF SUPPLY.RENEWABLE ENERGY AND THEENVIRONMENT OF WORCESTERSHIRE●●●RENEWABLE ENERGYINSTALLATIONS CAN BEAPPROPRIATE AND JUSTIFIEDDEVELOPMENTS AT BOTH THECOMMERCIAL AND DOMESTICSCALE.RENEWABLES ARE LIKELY TOBECOME MORE COMMONPLACEFEATURES AS THE NEED FORCLEANER ENERGY ACCELERATES.IT IS VITAL TO ENSURE THATLANDSCAPE CHARACTER,HERITAGE, BIODIVERSITY ANDAMENITY CONCERNS ARECONSIDERED FROM THE OUTSETIN ANY RENEWABLES PROPOSALS.iiTechnical Research Paper

SOCIAL BENEFITS OF RENEWABLEENERGY IN WORCESTERSHIRE●●CONSIDERATION SHOULD BEGIVEN TO THE ESTABLISHMENT OFENERGY SUPPLY COMPANIES(ESCOS), TO ALLOW LOCALPEOPLE TO MAXIMISE THEBENEFITS FROM RENEWABLETECHNOLOGIES LOCATED WITHINTHEIR AREA.OPPORTUNITIES TO ENSURE THEBENEFITS OF RENEWABLEENERGY ARE COMMUNICATEDTHROUGH EDUCATION, FOREXAMPLE THROUGH THEEDUCATION FOR SUSTAINABLEDEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME,SHOULD BE MAXIMISED.RENEWABLE ENERGY AND THEECONOMY IN WORCESTERSHIRE●●DEVELOPMENT OF RENEWABLEENERGY IN WORCESTERSHIREOFFERS THE OPPORTUNITY OFSECURING REAL ECONOMICBENEFITS.THERE ARE ALREADY RENEWABLEENERGY BUSINESSES WITHIN THECOUNTY, AND ENCOURAGEMENTSHOULD BE GIVEN TO PROMOTETRAINING, EMPLOYMENT ANDBUSINESS OPPORTUNITIESARISING FROM A GROWTH INRENEWABLES.COMMUNITY AND STAKEHOLDERCONSULTATION●●PUBLIC CONSULTATION HASINDICATED AN ENTHUSIASM FORTACKLING CLIMATE CHANGE ANDINCREASING THE USE OFRENEWABLE ENERGY.AT THE LOCAL LEVEL, CONSULTINGON INDIVIDUAL PROPOSALS AT ANEARLY STAGE COULD ESTABLISHPOTENTIAL LEVELS OF SUPPORTOR OPPOSITION IN THECOMMUNITY, AND ALLOW FOR ANINFORMED DIALOGUE TO TAKEPLACE BEFORE SCHEMES AREFORMALLY SUBMITTED FORPLANNING PERMISSION.BASELINE DATA AND FORECASTS●WORCESTERSHIRE'S DOMESTICAND INDUSTRIAL & COMMERCIALEMISSIONS ARE HIGH. DOMESTICCO2 EMISSIONS, IN PARTICULAR,HAVE BEEN ESTIMATED TO BEHIGHER THAN BOTH THEREGIONAL AND NATIONALAVERAGES, AND THERE IS ARECOGNISED NEED TO REDUCETHEM. RENEWABLE ENERGY HAS AVITAL ROLE TO PLAY IN SECURINGTHESE REDUCTIONS.EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ● Planning for Renewable Energy in WorcestershireTechnical Research Paperiii

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ● Planning for Renewable Energy in WorcestershireTECHNOLOGICAL ISSUES FORRENEWABLE ENERGY INWORCESTERSHIRE●●IN ORDER TO ASCERTAIN A VIABLEINDICATION OF RENEWABLEENERGY PROSPECTS IN THECOUNTY, A DETAILED STUDY OFCAPACITY MAY BE REQUIRED,FOCUSING ON THE MOSTSUITABLE LOCATIONS ANDTECHNOLOGIES AND THEPOTENTIAL OUTPUT.POTENTIAL FOR RENEWABLEGENERATION WILL VARY BYLOCATION. APPENDICES TO THISPAPER PRESENT CONSIDERATIONSFOR APPROPRIATE AND VIABLETECHNOLOGIES.INFRASTRUCTURE REQUIREMENTS●RENEWABLE ENERGYINSTALLATIONS, ESPECIALLYTHOSE OF A LARGER SCALE, WILLREQUIRE INFRASTRUCTURE TO BEIN PLACE, OR BE PROVIDED, INORDER TO OPERATESUCCESSFULLY.MONITORING AND FURTHER WORK●●●EFFECTIVE MONITORING OFRENEWABLES DEVELOPMENTSWILL BE CRUCIAL. NATIONAL,REGIONAL AND LOCAL TARGETSCAN ONLY BE EFFECTIVE IF THEYARE MEASURABLE. LAAINDICATORS WILL ALSO PLAY ANINCREASINGLY IMPORTANT ROLEAND MAY DEPEND ON ACCURATERENEWABLES DATA.MONITORING SHOULD BE USEDEFFECTIVELY TO ENSURE THATANY RENEWABLES POLICY ISACHIEVING ITS AIMS. EFFECTIVEMONITORING WILL ENABLE EARLYACTION TO BE TAKEN, WHEREREQUIRED, TO ADDRESS ANYDEFICIENCIES THAT MAYCOMPROMISE THE POLICYOUTCOMES.A COMPREHENSIVE RESOURCEASSESSMENT OF THE COUNTY'SCAPACITY FOR RENEWABLEENERGY WOULD PROVIDE ABETTER-INFORMED PICTURE OFTHE TECHNOLOGIES AND AREASTHAT MAY BE MOST SUITABLE FORDEVELOPMENT.iv

1. Purpose1.1 This working paper is intended togive a summary of the significant issuessurrounding renewable energy in theCounty, to bring together guidance andbest practice and to help determine howfuture renewable energy policy can beshaped. The paper has been prepared inorder to guide development of the CountyMinerals & Waste DevelopmentFramework, district Local DevelopmentFrameworks and Sustainable CommunityStrategies, and to help form a response toregional planning consultations, includingPhases 2 and 3 of the partial revision ofthe West Midlands Regional SpatialStrategy (RSS).1.2 This document has no materialplanning status beyond informing planpreparation. It has been developed inconjunction with a steering group ofofficers from the County Council andDistrict Councils of Worcestershire, andhas been subject to informal consultation 1 .It is anticipated that it will be re-drafted asfurther issues are identified and furtherinformation becomes available.1.4 The paper is structured so as togive an introduction to the reasons for itsdevelopment, before looking in greaterdetail at the policy drivers that aredetermining the direction in which localplanning must progress. Following this,issues of landscape, biodiversity andheritage are discussed, in relation to thepossible tensions that may arise betweentheir designation and the need forrenewables. The social and economicimpacts of renewables are alsoconsidered. The growing prominence ofCommunity Strategies and Local AreaAgreements, and their potential to helpdeliver renewable energy, is recognised.The paper also seeks to collate currentevidence and baseline data, and presentsrelevant information in the Appendices.1.5 It should be recognised that asknowledge and experience of renewablesgrows, this paper will seek to reflectemerging best practice and will be revisedaccordingly.1. PURPOSE ● Planning for Renewable Energy in Worcestershire1.3 The main issues for local planningin the districts will be set out in the CoreStrategies of those districts, including theway in which energy matters will beaddressed. Different approaches toenergy conservation and generation canlead to very different outcomes, not justfor the environment, but also for thesocial and economic characteristics of therespective districts. The backgroundinformation and baseline data collated inthis paper should enable an informeddecision to be made over renewableenergy policy options suitable forWorcestershire.1A full list of consultees is provided at the end of thisreport.Technical Research Paper 1

2. INTRODUCTION ● Planning for Renewable Energy in Worcestershire2. Introduction2.1 It is now widely accepted that theeffects of climate change are having adramatic and negative effect on theenvironment. In addition to the recognisedsocial and environmental effects, thesignificant economic implications of failingto adapt to climate change have beenillustrated in the Stern Report 2 .2.2 Alongside the compelling evidenceof climate change, there is a need to takeaccount of falling reserves of fossil fuels,and the UK's growing dependence onimported energy. Relying on foreignsupplies of gas and oil could createincreased risk in terms of security ofsupply. Providing greater renewableenergy capacity will reduce this risk.2.3 As a key contributor to mitigatingclimate change, renewable energy formsa major part of the sustainability agendathat is now established at European,national, regional and local level.Renewable energy is defined in PPS22 3as "those energy flows that occurnaturally and repeatedly in theenvironment - from the wind, the fall ofwater, the movement of the oceans, fromthe sun and also from biomass". This istherefore the definition that should beassumed in local planning documents.The technologies involved are windpower,solar (both solar hot water andsolar photovoltaic), hydro-power,biomass, biogas, and ground/air/watersource heat pumps. Not all of thesetechnologies will be viable within all areasof Worcestershire for technological,environmental and economic reasons; adetailed summary of their characteristicsis provided at Appendices A and B.2.4 Renewable energy schemes cantake many forms and be of a variety ofscales. This paper outlines the issuessurrounding large, 'commercial scale'technologies, such as the wind turbinesseen in wind farms, as well as smaller,domestic-scale applications. Thesesmaller schemes fall under the term'microgeneration', which refers to thoseinstallations delivering electricity at 50kWor below; or heat energy at 45kW orbelow 4 .2.5 The growing importance of energyconservation and generation, and theirability to help combat climate change, hasbeen recognised in a host of policydocuments and legislation. At a Countylevel, there is scope for makingsubstantial improvements to our collectivecarbon footprint. Having a pro-active andrealistic energy policy will make a positivecontribution towards reducing emissions,whilst giving certainty to developers, andhelping to meet our national and regionaltargets.2.6 Whilst this paper is concernedprincipally with the generation ofrenewable and low-carbon energy, it isrecognised that energy conservation is,and should always be, the primarymethod of reducing emissions. Theenergy hierarchy should always beconsidered, whereby minimising thedemand for energy is the first and mostlogical step. Effective demandmanagement, together with greaterenergy efficiency, should be the firstactions in seeking to reduce emissions,but both conservation and generation arerequired in order to make the most2Technical Research Paper2The Stern Report on the Economics of Climate Change,HM Treasury (October 2006)3Planning Policy Statement 22: Renewable Energy,Department for Communities and Local Government(DCLG), (August 2004)4Section 82(8)(a) and (b), Energy Act 2004

significant positive impact. Conservationof energy falls outside the scope of thistopic paper, but is addressed throughother planning and building-controllegislation and guidance.Worcestershire's energy consumption isdrawn almost exclusively from fossil-fuelbased sources, as indicated in Table 1.In order to reduce the carbon-emissionsgenerated from this energy use, theCounty needs to move towardsincreasing the use of renewables.FIG 1. RECOMMENDED ENERGYPOLICY HIERARCHYFOR WORCESTERSHIREReduction in Energy DemandEnergy EfficiencyOn-site/Decentralised Renewable EnergyOff-site Renewable EnergyTABLE 1. WORCESTERSHIRE’S TOTALFINAL ENERGY CONSUMPTION (2006)in GWhEnergy Source Amount ProportionconsumedCoalManufactured FuelPetroleum ProductsNatural GasElectricityRenewables & WasteTotalSource: BBERR statistics, available athttp://www.berr.gov.uk/files/file48643.xlsA full district-by-district breakdown of consumption is providedat Appendix G.2.7 The benefits of renewable energyare principally environmental, but thereare also key social and economicadvantages to be gained from itsincreased use. The main reasons for theuse of renewables are:●●1941118331531127595816,7641%0%50%32%16%0%100%Unlike fossil fuels, such as coal, oil orgas, energy generated from renewablesources produces no net carbonemissions. This makes generation'cleaner'.Renewables help to diversify the UKenergy supply, contributing to energysecurity in the context of rising pricesand increasing dependence on energyexports from volatile political regions.2. INTRODUCTION ● Planning for Renewable Energy in WorcestershireLower-Carbon Fossil-fuel GenerationAdapted from the Energy Saving Trust●Development of renewablescontributes to targets set in nationaland regional policy, and is a keymechanism to ensure the UK is able tomeet its international commitments toreducing carbon dioxide emissions.Technical Research Paper 3

2. INTRODUCTION ● Planning for Renewable Energy in Worcestershire●●Renewable energy can be costeffective, especially when grantassisted,and has the potential to helpalleviate fuel poverty.Renewable energy generation canprovide valued economic activity in theplanning, production, supply andmaintenance of equipment andmaterials.2.8 There already exist successfulexamples of renewable and low-carbonenergy projects throughoutWorcestershire.●●At County Hall, a 700kWwoodchip-fuelled boiler providescentral heating, using locally-sourcedwoodfuel (see Fig. 2);A pilot project has been set up atMalvern's Chase Technology Collegeto run a boiler on a 20% bio-diesel fuelmix (see Fig. 3);●●●The Pumphouse Environment Centreuses ground-source heat pumps,photovoltaic panels and micro-windturbines;Redditch's Arrow Valley CountrysideCentre also boasts micro-windturbines, solar hot water panels, and awood-burning stove;Redhill School in Worcester, designedto be carbon-neutral, utilises groundsourceheat pumps and micro-windturbines to generate renewable energy.2.9 The projects outlined above are,however, very much the exception, anduptake of renewables in the County atboth individual building andcommunity/decentralised levels has thepotential to be greatly increased.Fig. 2. At County Hall, a 700kW woodchipfuelledboiler provides heating to the building,using locally-sourced woodfuel.Fig. 3. A pilot project has been set up atMalvern's Chase Technology College to run aboiler on a 20% bio-diesel fuel mix.●INTRODUCTION SUMMARYEFFECTIVE DEMAND MANAGEMENT AND CONSERVATION OF ENERGYSHOULD ALWAYS BE CONSIDERED AHEAD OF ENERGY GENERATION.4Technical Research Paper

3.1 An Energy White Paper, 'Meetingthe Energy Challenge' was published inMay 2007, following the draft ClimateChange Bill of March 2007. Thesedocuments build upon the previous WhitePaper, confirming objectives of securing a60% reduction in CO2 emissions by 2050;having 10% of UK electricity supplied byrenewable sources by 2010; and having20% of UK electricity supplied byrenewable sources by 2020. The draftClimate Change Bill seeks to make the60% CO2 reduction target legally binding,alongside a 26% to 32% target reductionby 2020.3.2 Planning Policy Statement 22(PPS 22): Renewable Energy - and itsaccompanying Companion Guide - formsthe principal source of guidance forplanners in developing policies forrenewable energy. The PPS, published in2004, signalled a significant shift inGovernment policy towards greaterpromotion of renewable energy projects. Itmakes clear that where viable (in terms ofenvironmental, social and economicimpacts) renewable technologies can beaccommodated throughout England. Arealistic approach is also encouraged,whereby the viability of schemes must beconsidered, and undue burdens must notbe placed on developers.563. Policy ContextNationalExtract from paragraph 5.3.64, Energy White Paper(2007)Planning Policy Statement: Planning and ClimateChange, Supplement to Planning Policy Statement 1,DCLG (December 2007)3.3 The local planning process willcontinue to play a central role in ensuringthat renewable technologies are givendue consideration. The 2007 EnergyWhite Paper states that, in spite of theincreased support for renewables andmore positive national policy, planningremains "…one of the most significantbarriers to the deployment ofrenewables." 5 A more robust local policyframework could allow for greaterprogress, by specifying firm requirementsfor decentralised supplies and clearcriteria for large schemes that may comeforward.3.4 The wider climate change agendahas included the publication of a PPS1Annex on Climate Change 6 , whichrecognises the role of renewable energyin mitigating and adapting to the effectsthat climate change is having on ourenvironment. The importance ofaddressing climate change is made clearon page 1 of the PPS by stating that it isthe policy in PPS1 that will takeprecedence over other policy whereconflicts may arise.3.5 Of particular significance at thelocal level is the requirement for localplanning authorities to "set out a targetpercentage of the energy to be used innew development to come fromdecentralised and renewable or lowcarbonenergy sources" (Section 26(i)).Crucially, LPA's must " ensure there is aclear rationale for the target and it isproperly tested".3. POLICY CONTEXT ● Planning for Renewable Energy in WorcestershireTechnical Research Paper 5

3. POLICY CONTEXT ● Planning for Renewable Energy in Worcestershire3.6 Delivering a percentage target forenergy generation in new development isan established and successful means ofsecuring reductions in carbon emissions.Many local authorities throughout thecountry have already adopted such arequirement, following the pioneeringplanning policy of the London Borough ofMerton, which became known as the'Merton Rule' 7 . It has now beenestablished at a national level that thoseauthorities without these requirementsneed to ensure that their LDFs makeprovision for such a policy:"Planning authorities should[inter alia]:- expect a proportion of theenergy supply of newdevelopment to be securedfrom decentralised or lowcarbonenergy sources".Extract from paragraph 20, PPS13.7 Merton have estimated the cost ofcomplying with the policy to be around3-4% of the overall build cost. Homeswith renewable energy technologies areable to offer an added attraction tohouse-buyers compared with other homeson the open market, and may be able tocommand premium prices.3.8 Requiring on-site renewablesensures that energy efficiency ismaximised, as it is usually cheaper toinstall energy efficiency measures thanrenewable technologies. By requiring acertain percentage of a building's carbonemissions to be met by renewables, it islogical that developers will seek tominimise these emissions from the outset.This should mean that energy efficiency isgiven greater consideration, as the targetemissions reduction will decrease in linewith the efficiency of the building.3.9 The technical appraisal of on-siterenewables schemes can be complex.Development of a toolkit that can be usedby both developers and Local AuthorityDevelopment Control officers can helpmake this process easier to understandby providing a systematic, step-by-stepguide. Such a toolkit has already beenproduced for London authorities andoffers a comprehensive guide to theprocess (see Further Reading, pages75 - 77).7"All new non residential developments above athreshold of 1,000sqm will be expected to incorporaterenewable energy production equipment to provide atleast 10% of predicted energy requirements" (PolicyPE.13, London Borough of Merton UnitaryDevelopment Plan, adopted October 2003). The rulehas since been adopted and modified by other localplanning authorities and usually incorporates bothresidential and non-residential developments.6Technical Research Paper

Regional3.10 The West Midlands RegionalSpatial Strategy (RSS), published in 2004,provides the overarching planning policyframework for the region. The RSS isundergoing a partial revision, which willallow certain topic areas, including energyissues, to be revisited. It is likely that theRSS will provide regional and subregionaltargets for renewable energygeneration. One of the purposes of thisresearch paper is to contribute to thisprocess and to help inform what anysub-regional renewable energy targetsmight be.3.11 Phase 2 of the partial revision ofthe West Midlands RSS seeks toestablish potential housing figures up to2026. The preferred option underconsideration includes the potential for36,600 new dwellings in Worcestershirebetween 2006-2026, which equates to1,830 new dwellings within the Countyper year. It is clear that this level of newhouse-building will have a significanteffect on carbon emissions, and anopportunity exists to ensure that energy isused more sustainably than in the past.Energy Saving Trust data 8 from 2006provides the average annual emissions ofCO2 from typical dwellings of varioussizes, assuming they are centrally heatedby gas. This data is reflective ofperformance as dictated by the 2006Building Regulations. If we compare theseresults with what is possible at the higherreaches of the Code for SustainableHomes 9 , then it is evident that there ispotential for substantial carbon savingsfrom new housing over the next 19 years.3.12 Alongside the future housingnumbers for the County, the RSS will alsoguide the amount of new commercial andindustrial floorspace. This sector has agreat deal to offer in terms of minimisingenergy usage and maximising use ofrenewables. Any policy in district CoreStrategies requiring provision of on-siterenewables should therefore apply to bothdomestic and commercial/industrialbuildings.3.13 Headline targets in the WestMidlands Regional Energy Strategy 10(RES) are: -●●●89Renewable generation equivalent to5% of electricity consumption by 2010and 10% by 2020.Heat from renewable sources providing250 GWh (0.3% of consumption) by2010 and 650 GWh (1% ofconsumption) by 2020.Production of 460 GWh of liquidbiofuels per year (approximately 44million litres - 2% of current dieselsales) by 2010.Paragraph 4.3, West Midlands Regional EnergyStrategy (November 2004)Data reproduced at Appendix EThe Code for Sustainable Homes, DCLG (December2006) is a "standard for key elements of design andconstruction which affect the sustainability of a newhome. It will become the single national standard forsustainable homes, used by home designers andbuilders as a guide to development, and byhome-buyers to assist in their choice of home".10West Midlands Regional Energy Strategy, WestMidlands Partnership Steering Group and WorkingGroups (November 2004)3. POLICY CONTEXT ● Planning for Renewable Energy in WorcestershireTechnical Research Paper 7

3. POLICY CONTEXT ● Planning for Renewable Energy in Worcestershire3.14 Although the regional target of 5%renewable electricity by 2010 may at firstappear to be only half of theGovernment's national target, the regionalfigure is a percentage of electricityactually used. This gives a challenging'real term' target, as the region is a netimporter of energy; whereas the nationalfigure judges renewables as a percentageof electricity generated, the regionalapproach is intended to more accuratelyreflect the true scale of the region'sneeds. It was estimated in 2004 thatWorcestershire supplied 5% of theregion's renewable electricity 11 , aproportion that could be increasedthrough greater impetus in deliveringrenewables projects.Local Development Frameworks3.15 It is through the district LocalDevelopment Frameworks (LDF) thatenergy policy will be determined at thelocal level. Climate change and energyissues will form part of Core Strategies,from which further, more detailed policiescan then develop. The detailed policiescould be in the form of Development PlanDocuments (DPDs) or SupplementaryPlanning Documents (SPDs).11Worcestershire Climate Change Strategy (2004)Sustainability Appraisals3.16 Sustainability Appraisals (SA),prepared in parallel with LocalDevelopment Documents and RegionalSpatial Strategies, are designed to ensurethat full account is taken of the social,environmental and economic effects likelyto arise from their implementation. At thelocal level, the SA forms a keymechanism to ensure that allopportunities for appropriate energyefficiency measures and renewableenergy generation are considered.3.17 Specific SA issues shouldrecognise the importance of the need toadapt to climate change and to mitigateits effects, as well as recognising theimportant role of energy efficiency andrenewables. The evolving joint SAframework for Worcestershire has thefollowing objective for the issue of energy:"Promoting energy efficiency and energygenerated from renewable energy andlow carbon sources". Appropriatedecision-making criteria must bedeveloped to provide a clear indication ofwhether or not the plan or policy complieswith these climate change and energyrequirements. Monitoring indicators arethen used to ensure that the SAobjectives are not compromised by theplan or policy.3.18 As local energy policy is furtherdeveloped, it may be necessary toreconsider SA issues to ensure theyremain in accordance with the mostup-to-date good practice.POLICY CONTEXT: SUMMARY/SUGGESTIONS● AT THE LOCAL LEVEL, PROMOTION OF RENEWABLE ENERGY SHOULD BEINTEGRATED INTO COMMUNITY STRATEGIES, LOCAL DEVELOPMENTDOCUMENTS, AND SUSTAINABILITY APPRAISALS;● REVISED TARGETS FOR RENEWABLES CAPACITY WILL BE DETERMINEDTHROUGH PHASE 3 OF THE RSS PARTIAL REVISION. LOCAL DEVELOPMENTFRAMEWORKS CAN SHAPE HOW DISTRICTS RESPOND TO THE NEED TOINCREASE RENEWABLES PROVISION.8Technical Research Paper

4. Community Strategies, Climate ChangeStrategy and Local Area Agreements4.1 Community Strategies set out along-term vision of how an area shouldprogress, in terms of social,environmental and economicdevelopment. Prepared by Local StrategicPartnerships (LSPs), they form animportant function in seekingimprovements for an area through arange of means. Whilst of significance tocommunity strategies, planning issues arejust one of a host of subjects that areaddressed, which means the strategiesare not limited in their scope, but are ableto consider the wider aspirations of thecommunity.4.2 There are opportunities not onlyfor community strategies to influence theoutcome of planning documents, but alsofor planning documents to help shape thecontent of community strategies. In thisregard, it is important to ensure thatrevisions of community strategies take fullaccount of the latest energy policy, andencourage sustainable practices. This caninclude, for instance, procurement policiesfor partner organisations dictating thatonly 'green' energy should be used ontheir premises. LSPs have a key role toplay in the promotion of renewables, andensuring they are recognised inCommunity Strategies will be central tothis role."Local planning authorities, regionalstakeholders and Local StrategicPartnerships should fostercommunity involvement inrenewable energy projects and seekto promote knowledge of andgreater acceptance by the public ofprospective renewable energydevelopments that are appropriatelylocated".Key principle (vii), PPS224.3 The Community Strategy forWorcestershire (Second Edition 2008 -2013) is a County-wide document thathelps to shape a broad range of policydevelopment, including planning policy.The Community Strategy recognises thepotential for renewable energy to play abigger role and now includes the followingPriority Outcome:To increase energy efficiency andincrease the proportion of energygenerated from renewable sources.4.4 The Community Strategy's climatechange priorities are explored in moredetail in the Worcestershire ClimateChange Strategy, which aims to raiseawareness of the issue of climate change;to reduce harmful climate change causinggas emissions across the county; and toassist adaptation to the impacts of climatechange in the county.4.5 For the purposes of preparingLocal Development Frameworks, theforemost objectives contained in theClimate Change Strategy are the need forpartners to work together, in order to:"Increase production of renewableenergy from 5% to 12.5% of regionaltargets by 2010. This means meetingthe following production targets:Electricity 155GWh by 2011Heat 30GWh by 2011Biofuel 5.5 million litres by 2011""Ensure specific policies andguidance on the exploitation ofrenewable energy resources areincluded in all strategic and localdevelopment plans."Extracts from proposed objectives, pages 24/25,Worcestershire Climate Change Strategy4. COMMUNITY STRATEGIES ● Planning for Renewable Energy in WorcestershireTechnical Research Paper 9

4. COMMUNITY STRATEGIES ● Planning for Renewable Energy in Worcestershire4.6 Achieving the objectives set out inthe Strategy will require decisive actionfrom all of the partners. Ensuring theplanning policies are in place to deliverthe desired renewables capacity will becrucial in working towards theseobjectives.30 large (150m tall to blade tip)wind turbines (2MW each)Photograph taken from 'Wind Power in the UK',Sustainable Development Commission (May2005)300 small hydro-electricityschemes (100kW each)OR4.7 The following examples providea broad indication 12 of the renewablegeneration equipment necessary todeliver the 155GWh electricityrequirement of these Climate ChangeStrategy targets:12All figures have been rounded and assume capacityfactors as follows: 30% for wind turbines; 88% forbiomass plants; 60% for hydro-electricity; and 7% forphotovoltaics. Appendix C provides further information.10 wood-chip biomass powerplants (2MW each)Photograph taken from 'A Woodfuel Strategyfor England', The Forestry Commission25,000 solar PV roofinstallations (10kW each)ORPhotograph taken from 'Planning forRenewable Energy - A Companion Guide toPPS22', ODPM (2004)Photograph taken from 'Planning forRenewable Energy - A Companion Guide toPPS22', ODPM (2004)10Technical Research Paper

As mentioned elsewhere in this paper, itis currently impossible to accuratelymeasure renewable capacity installed todate, which means it is not possible tomeasure progress against these targets.However, it is unlikely that one particulartechnology will be relied upon to deliverthe entire target. A mix of technologies,6,200 Solar PVroof installations(10kW each)37 GWh=20 small hydroelectricityschemes(100kW each)4.8 Alongside the County-levelCommunity Strategy and Climate ChangeStrategy, Worcestershire's second LocalArea Agreement (LAA) was agreed in2008. The LAA sets out the priorities forthe County, including:To increase energy efficiency andincrease the proportion of energygenerated from renewablesources.each contributing to the overall targetlevel, is more realistic, and might beachieved through many combinations ofwind, hydro, solar and biomass power.One example of how the County's targetmight be met through a combination oftechnologies is indicated below:6 large windturbines(2MW each)+ + +10 GWh31 GWh155 GWh County renewable electricity target5 biomasspower plants(2MW each)77 GWhNote: Target relates to that contained in the Worcestershire Climate Change Strategy. In above examples,values have been rounded. See Appendix C for full details, assumptions and calculations.A number of indicators are included withinthe LAA to monitor progress towardsdelivery of the priorities. Indicator NI186considers "Per capita CO2 emissions inthe LA area". An increase in renewableenergy will have a clearly beneficial effectin delivering against this indicator.4. COMMUNITY STRATEGIES ● Planning for Renewable Energy in WorcestershireTechnical Research Paper 11

4. COMMUNITY STRATEGIES ● Planning for Renewable Energy in Worcestershire4.9 Climate change is a central themein both County and District CommunityStrategies, and the Local AreaAgreement. This provides a strongdirection for renewable energy policydevelopment within Worcestershire, butthere could also be a greater emphasison the role of renewables within thesedocuments.RENEWABLE ENERGY AND COMMUNITY STRATEGIES/LOCAL AREA AGREEMENT: SUMMARY/SUGGESTIONS● THERE IS SCOPE TO INCREASE THE PRESENCE OF RENEWABLE ENERGYIN COMMUNITY STRATEGY REVISIONS AND ENSURE IT IS INCLUDED IN THELOCAL AREA AGREEMENT.● FURTHER RESEARCH IS NEEDED INTO THE POTENTIAL OF THE COUNTYTO DELIVER INCREASED RENEWABLE ENERGY, INCLUDING THECOMMISSIONING OF A COMPREHENSIVE STUDY INTO RESOURCEAVAILABILITY.12Technical Research Paper

5. Worcestershire’s Vulnerability toClimate Change5.1 Worcestershire is vulnerable to theeffects of climate change. Thisvulnerability will differ from place to place,but County-wide predictions forWorcestershire include:●●●●●An increase in average maximumtemperature of up to 4.5 o C by the2080s;More frequent very hot summers andless frequent very cold winters;Summer rainfall to decrease by up to12% by 2020s and up to 50% by2080s;Winter rainfall to increase by up to23% by 2080s;More short duration extreme weatherevents such as storms and floods.Worcestershire Climate Change Strategy5.2 Several areas of the County havebeen identified as being at particular riskfrom climate change. As part of theClimate Change Strategy, the impacts ofthe changes listed above were predictedin terms of the increased risk of flooding,subsidence and fire.5.3 The predictions 13 suggest thatflooding will be a major issue along thecourse of the rivers Avon, Salwarpe,Severn, Stour and Teme, with potentiallyserious consequences for Worcester City,as well as Upton-upon-Severn, TenburyWells, Pershore, Bewdley, and Stourporton-Severn,amongst others. In July of2007 for example, the EnvironmentAgency recorded record flood levels inTenbury, Upton and Worcester. New flooddefences in Bewdley are a visibleexample of reactive adaptation to climatechange, but proactive mitigation of effectsthrough such measures as reducingdamaging emissions, must not beoverlooked.5.4 Alongside the increased risk offlooding, climate change can also affectthe risk of subsidence and the threat ofoutdoor fire. The Climate ChangeStrategy highlights that there is aheightened risk of subsidence of gleyedsoil and clay for much of the County.5.5 An increased risk of fire has beenpredicted for Hartlebury Common,Kempsey Common, the Lickey/Clent Hills,the Malvern Hills, and the Wyre Forest.13The Impact of Climate Change on Worcestershire - GCavan 2004, for Worcestershire Climate ChangeStrategy.5. WORCESTERSHIRE’S VULNERABILITY ● Planning for Renewable Energy in WorcestershireTechnical Research Paper 13

5. WORCESTERSHIRE’S VULNERABILITY ● Planning for Renewable Energy in Worcestershire5.6 Maps indicating these predictedareas of increased risk are reproduced atAppendix D. There may also bevulnerability issues associated withrenewable energy technologies. Thereexists, for example, the potential forflooding or drought to impact upon thegrowth of energy crops. These issuesshould be identified at the earliest stageso as to ensure that schemes are 'climateproofed' from the outset. Existingagricultural growers are already facingdifficulties through droughts; the Vale ofEvesham, in particular, is becomingincreasingly at risk.Alongside the risks identified in theClimate Change Strategy, new researchsuggests that it is also crucial to plan forpotential changes to biodiversity andlandscape. 13aIn Worcestershire this may include, forexample, increased vulnerability ofhedgerow trees to drought, and theconsequent impacts on landscapecharacter; and the impacts of both winterflood events and low summer river flowson Salmonid breeding habitats.5.7 For those rural areas wheregrid-connected electricity or gas suppliesmay be unavailable or at risk undersevere weather conditions,de-centralised, off-grid renewables couldoffer a far more secure means of supply.Extreme storm events can easily disruptcentralised distribution systems. Forexample, overhead power lines can bebroken under windy conditions, andelectricity sub-stations can be overrun byflood waters.WORCESTERSHIRE'S VULNERABILITY TOCLIMATE CHANGE: SUMMARY/SUGGESTIONS● WORCESTERSHIRE'S VULNERABILITY TO THE EFFECTS OF CLIMATECHANGE IS HIGH AND IS FORECAST TO INCREASE. THE SEVERITY OF 2007'SFLOODING HIGHLIGHTS THE COUNTY AS BEING AT PARTICULAR RISK.● RENEWABLE ENERGY CAN CONTRIBUTE TO BOTH THE MITIGATION OF,AND ADAPTATION TO CLIMATE CHANGE BY REDUCING THE EMISSIONS THATCAUSE CLIMATE CHANGE AND BY PROVIDING A MORE SECURE MEANS OFSUPPLY.13aPlanning for Climate Change in WorcestershireTechnical Research Paper, Worcestershire CountyCouncil, 2008.14Technical Research Paper

6. Renewable Energy and the Environment ofWorcestershire6.1 Renewable energy schemes canhave a visual and/or environmentalimpact on their surroundings and onWorcestershire's built and naturallandscape and biodiversity. Smallermethods of micro-generation, such asroof-mounted solar hot water panels, canrepresent unobtrusive additions to thestreetscape; however, the impact of a2MW wind turbine is likely to have agreater effect, being visible from aconsiderable distance. The potentiallydamaging impacts resulting fromtechnologies can also differ. Migratorypatterns of birds, for example, may needto be considered in the siting andoperation of a large wind turbine or windfarm, whereas the installation of solarpanels on the roof of a house may requirea survey to investigate whether a bathabitat would be at risk, as bats are aprotected species.6.2 Whilst it is generally recognisedthat large-scale projects can havesignificant effects on their surroundings, itis also crucial to consider the impact ofsmaller-scale installations. This applies tomost of the technologies listed inAppendix A, and includes the need toassess the potential cumulative effect of anumber of smaller systems.14In the case of wind turbines, the SustainableDevelopment Commission suggest, in 'Wind Power in theUK' (2005) that "There is a strong case for viewing winddevelopments as temporary structures, pendinglonger-term approval on landscape grounds. As fulldecommissioning is usually possible, lasting objectionscould potentially be remedied on a case-by-case basis bythe eventual removal of the turbines at the end of theirworking lives".6.3 Cumulative impact can arise whena number of renewable energydevelopments (or the constituent parts ofa single development) combine toheighten the effect of the development(s)on an area. An area judged as suitable foraccommodating a renewable energydevelopment may not necessarily be ableto accommodate further development of asimilar type. Some renewables, such aslarge-scale wind turbines, may requireextensive ancillary structures such ascabling, access roads, maintenancebuildings and sub-stations. In combinationthese developments could result in a fargreater impact on the landscape than asolitary turbine, and this should beconsidered for any such application.Similarly, whilst the growing of biofuels orbiomass on a small scale may beaccommodated without serious change tothe landscape, the wholesale diversion offields to the growing of oilseed rape, forexample, could have dramatic impacts notonly on the landscape, but also onbiodiversity and amenity concerns. Thereis the potential for these impacts to bepositive as well as negative.6.4 It may be possible to limit theharmful effects on landscape, biodiversityor heritage by ensuring reversibility inrenewables proposals. This would allowthe site to be returned to its previous (orimproved) state after the end of its designlife or a specified period of time. This is apractice commonly encountered in theconditions of quarrying developments,and could theoretically be extended torenewable energy installations, to ensurea site is fully remediated. 146. RENEWABLE ENERGY & THE ENVIRONMENT ● Planning for Renewable Energy in WorcestershireTechnical Research Paper 15

166. RENEWABLE ENERGY & THE ENVIRONMENT ● Planning for Renewable Energy in Worcestershire6.5 Landscape, biodiversity andheritage designations exist at national,regional and local levels of policy-making,offering protection to valuable natural andbuilt environments throughout the County.For the purposes of renewable energy,PPS22 offers guidance on technologieswithin International Designated Sites;National Designations; and LocalDesignations. Each of these designationsconveys a different form of protection.There are currently two internationallydesignatedsites in the County (BredonHill in Wychavon and Lyppard GrangePonds in Worcester), both of which areSpecial Areas of Conservation (SACs). Inaddition, there are a number of SACs andRAMSAR wetland sites which fall whollyor partly within the administrativeboundaries of neighbouring Counties. Interms of national designations, there aretwo Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty(AONBs) that extend into the County, theMalvern Hills to the south-west, and theCotswolds to the south. Alongside theseprotected landscapes, a host of otherdesignations apply across the County,including numerous Sites of SpecialScientific Interest (SSSI); Special WildlifeSites (SWS); Local Nature Reserves(LNR), sites of archaeological,architectural or historic interest recordedon the Historic Environment Record etc.Full schedules of these sites can befound in each district's adopted LocalPlan or Local Development Framework.15PPS22 does not provide a definition of "small scale",but it may be assumed from the definition of "large scale"within the Companion Guide to PPS22 as "producing over0.5MW of electricity" that "small scale" is below this level.16It should be noted that the AONBs have statutoryManagement Plans in place, to which regard should behad when considering development within their areas. Inaddition, the Cotswolds AONB Conservation Board havepublished a Position Statement on the Criteria forRenewable Energy, which should be considered whenplanning renewables projects within, or close to, theCotswolds AONB.Technical Research Paper6.6 National policy in 'PPS7:Sustainable Development in Rural Areas'and 'PPS9: Biodiversity and GeologicalConservation' dictates how these varioussites are to be protected. It is not possibleto generalise the type of development thatwill or will not be appropriate within oradjacent to these sites, as each schememust be considered on its merits, againstset criteria.6.7 The Government has stated inPPS22 that development that willadversely affect internationally-designatedsites will not be permissible unless thereare "imperative reasons of overridingpublic interest, including those of a socialor economic nature".6.8 For nationally-designated sites,the objectives of designation should notbe compromised, and if "significantadverse affects" are identified then thesemust be "clearly outweighed by theenvironmental, social and economicbenefits". Of particular relevance withinWorcestershire, it is stated that Areas ofOutstanding Natural Beauty should beable to accommodate small-scaledevelopments 15 , providing theenvironment is not significantlycompromised 16 .6.9 Local designations are insufficientin themselves to preclude renewables,and criteria-based policies should beused to make a judgment in these areas.Examples of such designations in theCounty include Local Nature Reservesand Special Wildlife Sites.

6.10 Green belt designation covers asubstantial area of Worcestershire.Development within the green belt mustbe judged against the principles of'Planning Policy Guidance Note 2: GreenBelts', in which there is a generalpresumption against development. Anyharm to the green belt must beoutweighed by very special circumstancesif a scheme is to be approved. PPS22states that these very specialcircumstances "may include the widerenvironmental benefits associated withincreased production of energy fromrenewable sources".6.11 The sensitivity of the County'shistoric environment (historic buildings,buried archaeology and historiclandscapes) must also be consideredwhen looking to accommodate bothenergy-efficiency measures andrenewable technologies. Guidance fromEnglish Heritage 17 suggests that forlarge-scale installations, issues of visualdominance, scale, intervisibility betweenfeatures, vistas and sight lines,movement, sound or light effects, andunaltered settings must be given dueconsideration when assessing siting anddesign. English Heritage also state thatwhen considering projects or planningapplications, consideration "should extendto both designated and significantundesignated sites and areas".Proposals for renewable energy schemesshould take into account any potentialimpact upon buried archaeologicalremains. These may exist as earthworksin pasture or be completely buried andinvisible. They are a 'finite and nonrenewableresource' (PPG16, para 6).17Wind Energy and the Historic Environment (October2005); Biomass Energy and the Historic Environment,English Heritage (December 2006).The risk is of direct damage ordestruction or an effect uponenvironmental conditions below ground(i.e affecting the local water table) whichmay degrade the long term survival ofremains. Such remains are protectedunder the planning system via PPG16and local plan policies, and dependingon scale and potential impact, anyproposals may be subject to the need fora Desk-based Assessment, Evaluation ora watching brief. Advice on specificproposals can be sought from the CountyHistoric Environment and ArchaeologyService.6.12 Listed buildings are designatedbecause of their special architectural orhistoric interest, and any changes thatcould threaten this special interest areunlikely to be allowed. This couldpotentially include certain renewableenergy technologies. Similarly, buildingswithin conservation areas are subject totighter planning controls. Alterations,especially those visible from the front ofthe building, may be resisted. Sensitivedesign is necessary to achieve workablesolutions for protected historic buildings,and this includes the need to ensure thattheir setting is not compromised.Scheduled Ancient Monuments (SAMs)and Registered Parks and Gardens willalso require a sensitive approach if theircharacter is to be maintained.6. RENEWABLE ENERGY & THE ENVIRONMENT ● Planning for Renewable Energy in WorcestershireTechnical Research Paper 17

186. RENEWABLE ENERGY & THE ENVIRONMENT ● Planning for Renewable Energy in Worcestershire6.13 At a domestic scale, the provisionsof The Town and Country Planning(General Permitted Development)(Amendment) (England) Order 2008 allowfor most types of small-scale householdermicrogeneration to be developed withoutthe need for planning permission (subjectto specified limits to maintain amenity).This amendment arose from reformsrecommended in the 2007 Planning WhitePaper, as a means of avoiding theconfusion over the need for planningpermission, and to foster greater uptakeof householder renewables. Therelaxations do not extend to listedbuildings (any material alterations willrequire listed building consent) or to someparts of buildings within conservationareas". The English Heritage publicationMicrogeneration in the HistoricEnvironment provides further guidance oninstalling small-scale renewables inhistoric buildings.18Extract from paragraph 7.24, Planning for aSustainable Future: White Paper (May 2007)19'A New Look at the Landscapes of Worcestershire' -Worcestershire Landscape Character Assessment,Environmental Policy Team, Worcestershire CountyCouncil (2004)Technical Research Paper6.14 The 2007 Planning White Paperhas considered permitted developmentrights as a whole, and not just in terms ofdomestic applications. The Governmenthas stated its intent to, wherever possible:"extend permitted development rights onmicrogeneration to other types of landuse including commercial and agriculturaldevelopment".6.15 It is envisaged that as part of thedistrict LDF process, greater attention canbe paid to minimising and resolvingpossible conflicts between the need forrenewables and the protection oflandscape and heritage assets. This couldbe achieved through the development ofclearer guidelines and criteria for differenttypes of renewable energy development.Possible means by which an assessmentmethodology may be developed includethe Worcestershire Landscape CharacterAssessment 19 , which divides the Countyinto a number of different landscapetypes, and can be used to assesssensitivity to change; and revisions toConservation Area Appraisals thatconsider the management of change.RENEWABLE ENERGY AND THE ENVIRONMENT OFWORCESTERSHIRE: SUMMARY/SUGGESTIONS● RENEWABLE ENERGY INSTALLATIONS CAN BE APPROPRIATE ANDJUSTIFIED DEVELOPMENTS AT BOTH THE COMMERCIAL AND DOMESTICSCALE.● RENEWABLES ARE LIKELY TO BECOME MORE COMMONPLACE FEATURESAS THE NEED FOR CLEANER ENERGY ACCELERATES.● IT IS VITAL TO ENSURE THAT LANDSCAPE CHARACTER, HERITAGE,BIODIVERSITY AND AMENITY CONCERNS ARE CONSIDERED FROM THEOUTSET IN ANY RENEWABLES PROPOSALS.

7. Social benefits of Renewable Energyin Worcestershire7.1 Renewable energy can bring realbenefits to local communities. Althoughthe capital cost of installing somerenewable energy technologies can behigh, the running costs - especially ofwind, water and solar technologies - canbe lower than conventional fossil fuels.Whilst being primarily an economicbenefit, this can help reduce fuel poverty.Grant assistance can further help to makerenewables more financially attractive.Further information on grants is providedat Appendix H.7.2 Community ownership orinvestment in renewable energyinstallations can provide benefits to localpeople 20 . By setting up an energy supplycompany (ESCO), residents local to theproposed development can directly investin the installation, helping to fund design,construction and running costs. In return,investors are eligible for a share in anyprofits generated by the sale of renewableenergy.7.3 Encouraging young people to takea responsible attitude towards sustainabledevelopment is seen as crucial incombating climate change.Worcestershire County Council'sEducation for Sustainable Development(ESD) team works across the County'sschools to communicate the need for,among other things, renewable energy.The ESD team have stated that:"Worcestershire County Councilrecognises that climate change andenergy is the greatest threat facingus in the 21st century. This themeunderlies all of our ESD work withschools".Draft Strategic Overview of ESD atWorcestershire County Council7.4 Educating children through ESDon the issues surrounding renewableenergy is just one part of a much widerneed for effective education across thewhole community. People must beproperly informed in order to be able tocomment effectively on projects that mayconcern them. Misinformation can bedamaging and can portray renewables intoo positive or too negative a way.Objective information can be cascadedfrom local authorities, local strategicpartnerships, and national organisations,as well as groups such as Act on Energy.7. SOCIAL BENEFITS ● Planning for Renewable Energy in Worcestershire20Case study 2B, PPS22SOCIAL BENEFITS OF RENEWABLE ENERGY INWORCESTERSHIRE: SUMMARY/SUGGESTIONS● CONSIDERATION SHOULD BE GIVEN TO THE ESTABLISHMENT OF ENERGYSUPPLY COMPANIES (ESCOS), TO ALLOW LOCAL PEOPLE TO MAXIMISE THEBENEFITS FROM RENEWABLE TECHNOLOGIES LOCATED WITHIN THEIRAREA.● OPPORTUNITIES TO ENSURE THE BENEFITS OF RENEWABLE ENERGY ARECOMMUNICATED THROUGH EDUCATION, FOR EXAMPLE THROUGH THEEDUCATION FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME, SHOULD BEMAXIMISED.Technical Research Paper 19

8. RENEWABLE ENERGY AND THE ECONOMY ● Planning for Renewable Energy in Worcestershire8. Renewable Energy and the Economy ofWorcestershire8.1 Development of renewable energypresents significant opportunities for theWorcestershire economy in job creation,business growth, and agriculturaldiversification, amongst other benefits.8.2 In rural communities notconnected to mains gas or electricity,homes and businesses may rely uponcostlier forms of energy including oil andliquefied petroleum gas (LPG). Movingtowards renewable forms of energy couldreduce this reliance on costlier fossilfuels. For business in particular,installation of renewable energies canhelp to improve the so-called 'greencredentials' of companies.8.3 A growth in renewables will requirea commensurate growth in renewablesdesigners, manufacturers, suppliers,distributors, retailers, maintenanceengineers, etc. Whilst some of thisbusiness growth may fall outside theCounty, by encouraging Worcestershire'sdevelopment in renewables there is abetter chance that local people and localcompanies may benefit. Approximately£15-19 billion of capital expenditure wouldbe required nationally to meet the 2020renewable energy aspirations of theEnergy White Paper 21 . With theassumption that economic activity relatedto renewables will remain constantthroughout this period, between 17,000and 35,000 jobs could be sustained bythe industry at the national level. Theseestimates have been set conservativelyand do not take into account recentgovernment policy including the Code forSustainable Homes or the ClimateChange Bill. Furthermore, research hasshown that for every £40,000 invested inrenewable energy, one job is created 22 .The opportunity exists for Worcestershireto capitalise on this growing market.8.4 In rural areas, the establishment ofrenewable energies can offer benefits notonly through the provision of employmentopportunities, but also through supportinglandowners in both the agricultural andforestry industries. By stimulating thedemand for renewable energy, it isevident that the expansion of therenewables market within Worcestershirewill present economic opportunities forinward investment and employment, aswell as in skills and training.8.6 As an example, development ofbiomass heating or biomass CHP couldcreate the following opportunities:●●●●●●●●●Installation and maintenance ofheating/CHP systems;Transportation - waste materials, woodmaterials;Agriculture - short rotation coppicing(willow/miscanthus);Facility staff - administration,management, handling, maintenance;Construction;Specialist skills - arboriculture, treesurgeons, etc;Technical advisors;Professionals - Architects, designers;Research and development.21Renewable Supply Chain Gap Analysis, DTI (2004)20Technical Research Paper22West Midlands Regional Energy Strategy (November2004)

8.10 The economicbenefits of renewableenergy can extend farbeyond the developer of aproject. There are a seriesof linked benefits that canbe traced along a supplychain. The example hereindicates some of thepotential opportunitiesarising from a renewablesenergy installation (in thiscase a wind turbine):8.11 Biomass or biomass-CHPschemes currently provide the greatestopportunity for employment and trainingfrom the installation and maintenance ofthe technologies and the supply chainsfor fuels. In Worcestershire, woodlandshave traditionally formed part of the localeconomy through a variety of arenasincluding the timber industry, recreationalopportunities and wood burning for heat.In Herefordshire and Worcestershire thewoodland industry is estimated to supportin the region of 5,000 jobs in processing,manufacturing and other industries 23 , withscope for this to increase as uptake ofbiomass fuels progresses.23West Midlands Forestry Industries Profiles, ForestryCommissionEXAMPLE OF A SUPPLY CHAIN PYRAMID FORWIND TECHNOLOGYTier 0Tier 1Tier 2Tier 3Tier 4Tier 5Examples:Tier 0: Developer, turnkey contractor, operatorTier 1: Suppliers of wind turbine, electricalsystems,foundation and services etcTier 2: For wind turbine: suppliers of rotor,nacelle, tower, electronics and controlsystems and a sub-category of microturbinesTier 3: For the rotor: turbine blades, pitchcontrol,bearings, nub and rotor shaftTier 4: For turbine blades: bolts and bladesTier 5: For blades: blade material, resin andmouldsRenewable Supply Chain Gap Analysis,DTI (2004)8.15 If Worcestershire is to takeadvantage of the potential opportunitiesthat an increased demand for renewableenergy will create then it will benecessary to address skills shortages.There is an opportunity to increase theskills base of the local workforce and toincrease the training infrastructure foryoung people, helping to deliver keyobjectives of the Economic Strategy forWorcestershire 2004-2014. One keymechanism for achieving this is throughthe development of partnerships with localtraining and education providers.RENEWABLE ENERGY AND THE ECONOMY INWORCESTERSHIRE: SUMMARY/SUGGESTIONS● DEVELOPMENT OF RENEWABLE ENERGY IN WORCESTERSHIRE OFFERSTHE OPPORTUNITY OF SECURING REAL ECONOMIC BENEFITS.● THERE ARE ALREADY RENEWABLE ENERGY BUSINESSES WITHIN THECOUNTY, AND ENCOURAGEMENT SHOULD BE GIVEN TO PROMOTE TRAINING,EMPLOYMENT AND BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES ARISING FROM A GROWTH INRENEWABLES.8. RENEWABLE ENERGY AND THE ECONOMY ● Planning for Renewable Energy in WorcestershireTechnical Research Paper 21

9. COMMUNITY & STAKEHOLDER ● Planning for Renewable Energy in Worcestershire9. Community and Stakeholder Consultation9.1 A national survey was conductedon behalf of the Department of Trade andIndustry on 'Renewable EnergyAwareness and Attitudes' in May 2006 24 .85% of respondents supported the use ofrenewable energy, with 78% supportingthe Government's policy of generating10% of electricity needs from renewablesby 2010.9.2 The Worcestershire Citizens'Panel Survey of June 2007 includedquestions on climate change, energyefficiency and renewable energy. Theresults indicate a clear desire to helpaddress climate change and to increasethe use of renewable energy. The resultsshow that, for Worcestershire residents:90% either support or stronglysupport the generation of renewableenergy within Worcestershire (Q12).51% consider it a high priority thatnew development has a minimumamount of its energy generatedrenewably on-site, with just 9%feeling this is a low priority (Q13c).65% consider improving energyefficiency in existing buildings to bea high priority. Only 4% feel this is alow priority (Q13a).69% consider it a high priority toconstruct extremely energy efficientbuildings. 4% feel this is a lowpriority (Q13b).23% consider the installation oflarge wind turbines/wind farms tobe a high priority, whereas 33% seethis as a low priority.46% consider generating hydroelectricityfrom the County's riversand streams to be a high priority,with 11% feeling this is a lowpriority.These results provide a useful indicationnot only of people's general support forrenewables, but also of the kind ofrenewables technologies that they favour.The responses indicated that people feeldifferently about building-mountedrenewables depending on whether they'remounted on homes or on offices/industrialbuildings. In the case of both solar panelsand micro-wind turbines, residentialbuildings received fewer responsesstating their installation was a 'highpriority' than offices/industrial buildings(see Figs 1 and 2). These responsesunderline the necessity of ensuring thatresidential amenity remains a keyconsideration in planning for renewables.However, it must be recognised thatunder a revised householder permitteddevelopment scheme, certainmicrogeneration technologies will fallbeyond local authority developmentcontrol.24Renewable Energy Awareness and Attitudes Research(DTI/NOP tracker survey published 24 May 2006)22Technical Research Paper

Fig.1 – Responses to Questions 13(d) & (e), Worcestershire Citizens’ Panel, June 2007Fig.2 – Responses to Questions 13(f) & (g), Worcestershire Citizens’ Panel, June 20079. COMMUNITY & STAKEHOLDER ● Planning for Renewable Energy in WorcestershireTechnical Research Paper 23

9. COMMUNITY & STAKEHOLDER ● Planning for Renewable Energy in Worcestershire9.3 In order to avoid misconceptionsof renewable energy technologies, it isimportant to provide a clear indication ofwhat each type of installation could mean,not merely in terms of the energygenerated, but also in terms of theimpacts it may have on people's lives. Asmentioned elsewhere in this report, thelandscape, biodiversity and heritageimpacts of renewables are significantconsiderations when judging howappropriate a particular scheme may be.It is equally important to ensure that otherlocalised issues of concern are given dueconsideration. There may be anxiety overnoise pollution, smell, shadow flicker,traffic impacts, etc. The information atAppendices A and B seeks to provide abalanced account of the technologies andtheir impacts.Community engagement from an earlystage should concentrate on providingaccurate and appropriate information tohelp people to develop informed opinions.As with many other developmentproposals, misinformation can be verydamaging to potential schemes, andensuring reliable information is availablefrom the outset can help avoid theseissues. It is anticipated that as awarenessfor environmental issues grows, theninformation on renewables will reachwider audiences, and appropriatechannels should be explored forcommunicating this message. This coulddraw upon the resources of the LocalStrategic Partnerships at both County andDistrict level.9.4 Community support will be of greatbenefit when planning/progressing arenewables scheme. Early consultationshould enable an informed view to betaken. It may be possible for local peopleto become directly involved in a proposal,through investment; there exist examplesthroughout the country of communityownedor part-owned renewable energyschemes, whereby people invest a stakein the project's development and runningcosts, and receive a share of any profitsfrom the sale of electricity, etc. This offersan innovative approach to helpcommunities devise and deliverrenewable energy schemes in theirlocality.9.5 Schemes often involve extensiveconsultation exercises and, as with anyplanning application, comments onrenewable energy schemes submitted toLPAs may be made by anybodyconcerned. If a scheme is larger than50MW capacity, then responsibility fordetermining the scheme rests with centralgovernment. It should be recognised thatonly the very largest schemes will fallwithin this category (see Section 4 andAppendix C for capacity examples).COMMUNITY AND STAKEHOLDER CONSULTATION:SUMMARY/SUGGESTIONS● PUBLIC CONSULTATION HAS INDICATED AN ENTHUSIASM FOR TACKLINGCLIMATE CHANGE AND INCREASING THE USE OF RENEWABLE ENERGY.● AT THE LOCAL LEVEL, CONSULTING ON INDIVIDUAL PROPOSALS AT ANEARLY STAGE COULD ESTABLISH POTENTIAL LEVELS OF SUPPORT OROPPOSITION IN THE COMMUNITY, AND ALLOW FOR AN INFORMED DIALOGUETO TAKE PLACE BEFORE SCHEMES ARE FORMALLY SUBMITTED FORPLANNING PERMISSION.24Technical Research Paper

10. Baseline Data and Forecasts10.1 Worcestershire County and DistrictCouncils have a role to play in helping tocreate more sustainable patterns ofenergy use. In order to arrive at anenergy policy that can make a meaningfulcontribution to reducing emissions,existing policy must be considered, alongwith any relevant baseline information, aswell as issues emerging fromconsultation.10.2 Whilst there exists a wealth ofdata used to monitor particular aspects ofclimate change and renewable energyprovision at global, European, national,and regional level, there is relatively littleavailable at the sub-regional and locallevel. For the purposes of LocalDevelopment Frameworks, theinformation must be of a relevant andmeasurable scale, and ideally specific tothe District concerned. Other districtpolicy documents, and especially theassociated Sustainability Appraisals, canprovide useful sources of baselineinformation.10.3 Emissions data from the NationalAtmospheric Emissions Inventory hasbeen mapped at County level in order toidentify those areas responsible for thelargest proportion of emissions. However,this mapping shows CO2 emissionsacross all sectors, meaning that isolatingthose emissions resulting solely from theresidential sector is not possible. Thesemaps, reproduced as part of Appendix G,provide an indication of the change inemissions (from all sectors) between2002 and 2004, and show that whilstsome areas of the County have improved,there have also been marked increases inother areas. These patterns are generallyconcentrated not only on city/towncentres, but also around the major roadtransport corridors.10.4 Defra estimates that domestic CO2emissions for the County areapproximately 1,398,000 tonnes perannum 25 , which equates to roughly 2.6tonnes of CO2 per capita. This is slightlyhigher than the Regional and UKaverages, at 2.4 and 2.5 tonnes percapita, respectively 26 . Domestic CO2emissions account for around 28% ofWorcestershire's total CO2 output, withindustrial and commercial emissionsaccounting for around 30%. The greatestcontributing sector is road transport, with40% of the county's total CO2 emissions.10.5 Whilst the significance of roadtransport emissions is recognised,considering methods for reducing theseemissions is beyond the scope of thisdocument. This issue will, however, beconsidered elsewhere in national, regionaland local policy. Specifically, reference ismade to more sustainable travel optionsin the Worcestershire Local TransportPlan 2 (2006-11).10.6 It is in the domestic and industrial& commercial sectors that this documentmay seek to improve emissions, includingthrough greater use of renewable energy.Provisions requiring on-site renewableenergy generation for residential andcertain non-residential development havebeen implemented successfully, includingin the London Borough of Merton.10. BASELINE DATA AND FORECASTS ● Planning for Renewable Energy in Worcestershire25End User Local and Regional Estimates of CarbonEmissions, DEFRA (2005)26Averages calculated from Defra estimates, as above.Technical Research Paper 25

10. BASELINE DATA AND FORECASTS ● Planning for Renewable Energy in Worcestershire10.7 Domestic emissions will be due, ina large part, to the existing housingstock's poor energy performance.Measures to encourage greater energyefficiency in existing properties may beconsidered, including retro-fittinginsulation, etc., in other documents withinLDFs. However, new properties can moreeasily allow for the integration of energysaving and energy generation measures.10.8 The Defra emissions data bysector referred to above is a generallyreliable indicator of CO2 output resultingfrom housing. It must be noted, however,that the methodology behind this data hasbeen refined over the past few years, andmay continue to be refined. Whilst it isbeneficial to have more accurate data,this continual process of modificationcauses certain problems, and directcomparisons to assess trends are notalways possible. Nevertheless, we mustcollate the best and most relevant dataavailable, and this has been included aspart of the appendices to this document.10.9 Current average householdemissions for typical modern homes arepublished by the Energy Saving Trust,and are reproduced at Appendix E. Thedata suggests a range of emissionsdepending on house size, ranging from2,278kg of CO2 per year for aone-bedroom flat, to 8,260kg of CO2 peryear for a four-bedroom detached house.10.10 In order to understand thepossible methods of generatingrenewable or low-carbon energy, thecharacteristics of the County's resourcesmust be assessed. The principaltechnologies likely to be considered willbe wind-power, solar (both solar hot waterand solar photovoltaic), hydro-power,biomass, and ground/air/water sourceheat pumps. Each of these technologieshas different requirements in order tooperate effectively. Resource capacitydata within the County (for example windspeed and direction, biomass crop yield,water flow rates along rivers and streams,etc.) remains to a certain extent unknown,although there is partial coverage byexisting regional surveys, principallyRenewable Energy Prospects for theWest Midlands 27 . Appendix F containsextracts of those elements relevant toWorcestershire.27Renewable Energy Prospects for the West Midlands,Final Report, Halcrow Group Ltd for GOWM (November2001)BASELINE DATA AND FORECASTS:SUMMARY/SUGGESTIONS● WORCESTERSHIRE'S DOMESTIC AND INDUSTRIAL & COMMERCIALEMISSIONS ARE HIGH. DOMESTIC CO2 EMISSIONS, IN PARTICULAR, HAVEBEEN ESTIMATED TO BE HIGHER THAN BOTH THE REGIONAL AND NATIONALAVERAGES, AND THERE IS A RECOGNISED NEED TO REDUCE THEM.RENEWABLE ENERGY HAS A VITAL ROLE TO PLAY IN SECURING THESEREDUCTIONS.26Technical Research Paper

11. Technological Issues for Renewable Energyin Worcestershire11.1 When considering the type ofrenewable generation technology whichmay be most appropriate in a givenlocation, there are many factors whichmust be taken into account, including thepolicy and community issues referred toelsewhere in this paper. A technologicalassessment of renewables is alsorequired in order to understand what willor will not make an effective contributionto reducing emissions. A more detaileddescription of each technology is providedat Appendices A and B.11.2 It is worth noting that CO2emissions resulting from electricity areconsiderably higher than those from gasor oil. For example, for a typical domesticheating system, CO2 emissions arecalculated as: 0.27 kg/kWh for oil; 0.194kg/kWh for gas; and 0.46 kg/kWh forelectricity 28 . This is because the electricityused in the home or workplace must begenerated (usually off-site and from fossilfuels), and this results in significant CO2emissions. It is thus more efficient (inemissions terms) to heat water using gasthan it is to heat it with electricity. Thismeans that more renewable energy isrequired to offset electrical usage thangas. The Department of Trade andIndustry give the following example toshow the relative benefits of each:4m2 solar water heating offsets1,600kWh gas;20m2 photovoltaics offsets1,600kWh electricity11.4 The greatest reduction in CO2 willbe achieved through a holistic approach,whereby energy is considered in all itsforms and across all sectors. As stated inthe introduction, this paper is concernedprimarily with energy generation ratherthan conservation. However, it isimportant to recognise the range ofexisting built stock, and to appreciate thatretro-fitting renewables and making existinghomes and businesses more energyefficient could yield massive emissionssavings. It is stated in the Government'sconsultation 'Building a Greener Future:Towards Zero Carbon Development', that"…by 2050 as much as one third of thetotal housing stock will have been builtbetween then and now." This illustratesnot only the scale of the challenge toinfluence that third of all housing that is tobe built, but also the two-thirds of existinghousing that could be upgraded.28Figures taken from the University of Strathclyde'sEnergy Systems Research Unit. Information availableat: http://www.esru.strath.ac.uk/EandE/Web_sites/01-02/heat_pump/auxiliary.html#top411. TECHNOLOGICAL ISSUES ● Planning for Renewable Energy in WorcestershireTechnical Research Paper 27

11. TECHNOLOGICAL ISSUES ● Planning for Renewable Energy in Worcestershire11.5 It is important to recognise thatrenewable energy measures will varyaccording to the needs and constraints ofeach particular site. A broad range ofenergy technologies may be possible,and meeting the targets set bothnationally and locally is unlikely to lead tolarge wind turbines occupying everyavailable site in the County. The scale ofeach renewable energy installation shouldbe suited to its particular circumstances.As envisaged by the Government's'Building a Greener Future: Towards ZeroCarbon Development' 29 consultation,future energy requirements "will requiresome form of low or zero carbon energyuse … This could be at the developmentlevel (e.g. CHP) or at the building level(e.g. solar hot water heating)".29Building a Greener Future: Towards Zero CarbonDevelopment, Consultation, DCLG (Dec 2006-Mar2007)11.6 As stated in the West MidlandsRSS, "the location of renewable energyfacilities is a cross-boundary, sub-regionaland regional issue". In considering thepotential that could be offered byrenewables, it may be necessary to lookbeyond administrative boundaries.Renewable energy is likely to beaddressed on a sub-regional basis in thePhase 3 revision of the RSS, and thispaper will be revised in line with itsoutcomes.TECHNOLOGICAL ISSUES FOR RENEWABLE ENERGY INWORCESTERSHIRE: SUMMARY/SUGGESTIONS● IN ORDER TO ASCERTAIN A VIABLE INDICATION OF RENEWABLE ENERGYPROSPECTS IN THE COUNTY, A DETAILED STUDY OF CAPACITY MAY BEREQUIRED, FOCUSING ON THE MOST SUITABLE LOCATIONS ANDTECHNOLOGIES AND THE POTENTIAL OUTPUT.● POTENTIAL FOR RENEWABLE GENERATION WILL VARY BY LOCATION.APPENDICES TO THIS PAPER PRESENT CONSIDERATIONS FOR APPROPRIATEAND VIABLE TECHNOLOGIES.28Technical Research Paper

12. Infrastructure Requirements12.1 Large-scale renewable energytechnologies require appropriateinfrastructure to operate successfully. Thisinfrastructure may already exist and havesufficient capacity to facilitate therenewable energy technology, or it mayneed to be upgraded or even introducedas a direct result of the new energydevelopment.12.2 Renewable energy installationswill have different infrastructurerequirements depending on thetechnology employed, the location andoperating conditions. Whilst a site maysatisfy a number of important criteria indetermining where a technology may bemost suitable, if the necessaryinfrastructure is not available, or cannotbe made available, then the developmentcannot be successful. Some of theinfrastructure provisions that maygenerally be expected to be required are:Access to the site for constructionand maintenanceSome potential renewables sites may,by their nature, be remote. Sites forwind turbines, for example, will requireadequate road transport links at theconstruction stage to enable largeheavy goods vehicles to transportmaterials and plant. Further accesswill be required for maintenance andpossibly decommissioning.30Paragraph 38 of the Technical Annex withinthe Companion Guide to PPS22, ODPM (2004)Grid connectionLarge-scale (and some small-scale)renewables should be connected tothe national electricity distributionnetwork. This enables excesselectricity generated to be fed backinto the grid, whereas it mightotherwise be lost. It may be that apotential site is a considerabledistance from the network, or that theexisting network is unable to handlethe extra capacity. In these instances,it may be necessary for networkimprovements or extensions. The costof any extensions can be prohibitivelyhigh, especially where power cablesmust pass through difficult terrain, andthis should be considered at theoutset. Electricity sub-stations will havea maximum capacity that could limitthe connection of larger-scalerenewables.Access to fuel/fuel storageWhere biomass is concerned, areliable fuel source must be identifiedto supply the plant into the future. Foreconomic and environmental reasons,this fuel should ideally be sourced fromwithin 25 miles of the biomassfacility 30 . Beyond this distance, thebenefits of biomass begin to decrease.A further consideration is to ensure asuitable fuel store is available that canaccommodate the required volume ofbiomass, and can be accessed fordeliveries by the supplier.Appendix A provides further informationon likely infrastructure considerations foreach technology.INFRASTRUCTURE REQUIREMENTS:SUMMARY/SUGGESTIONS● RENEWABLE ENERGY INSTALLATIONS, ESPECIALLY THOSE OF A LARGERSCALE, WILL REQUIRE INFRASTRUCTURE TO BE IN PLACE, OR BE PROVIDED,IN ORDER TO OPERATE SUCCESSFULLY.12. INFRASTRUCTURE REQUIREMENTS ● Planning for Renewable Energy in WorcestershireTechnical Research Paper 29

13. MONITORING ● Planning for Renewable Energy in Worcestershire13. Monitoring and Further Work13.1 Monitoring will be undertaken onan annual basis to see how anyrenewable energy policy is working. It willbe important to understand anyshortcomings or missed targets, and thereasons for these, in further refining thepolicy content.13.2 As and when new national and/orregional energy policy is published, thepolicies within the LDF must seek toreflect this.13.3 As part of the local developmentframework, an Annual Monitoring Report(AMR) is produced. PPS12 31 states atparagraph 4.48 that the AMR shouldreport on, inter-alia:i) whether policies and related targetsor milestones in local developmentdocuments have been met or progress isbeing made towards meeting them or,where they are not being met or not ontrack to being achieved, the reasons why;ii) what impact the policies are havingin respect of national, regional and localpolicy targets and any other targetsidentified in local developmentdocuments.iii) the extent to which any localdevelopment order, where adopted, isachieving its purposes;iv) whether the policies in the localdevelopment document need adjusting orreplacing because they are not workingas intended;13.4 One of the challenges of energypolicy is to ensure it is measurable.Developments which meet the criteria forrenewable energy generation will need tobe recorded, together with the type ofgenerating technology employed, and theamount of energy generated/carbonsaved. This information will allow for adetailed pattern to emerge of theparticular technologies that are mostcommonly used, and may highlight whereany market weaknesses exist. Thisinformation could be used to furtherdevelop the policy, and may lead toincreased targets in the future.13.5 As suggested above, baselinedata, indicators and milestones must bedevised for the purpose of monitoring.This will not necessarily mean a wholehost of new information-gatheringrequirements, as some data that isalready collected can be used for thispurpose. One example of this is themonitoring of domestic CO2 emissionsper capita, which are provided annuallydown to district level.13.6 Monitoring of certain dataconcerning renewables, such as designedcapacity, or number of micro-turbinesinstalled, is likely to require input at thedevelopment control stage. This couldhave resource implications fordevelopment control officers that will needto be considered.v) whether the policies need changingto reflect changes in national or regionalpolicy; andvi) if policies or proposals needchanging, the actions needed to achievethis.31Planning Policy Statement 12: Local DevelopmentFrameworks Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (nowDepartment for Communities and Local Government)200430Technical Research Paper

13.7 This research paper provides anoutline of the key planning issues forrenewables. Further work will be requiredto give a more accurate picture of thetechnologies and locations that may beappropriate for development, and to givea better understanding of the resourcecapacity within the County.13.8 As mentioned elsewhere in thispaper, a comprehensive assessment ofcapacity may be required, based on arobust methodology, to give a fullerpicture of the County's likely resource.Any capacity study would need to takeinto account not only the physicalpossibilities afforded by potentialrenewables (including the practicalities ofworking with new or proposedinfrastructure) but also the policy andwider planning issues identified in thispaper.13.9 In order to produce as complete astudy as possible, it would be preferableto involve key stakeholders from an earlystage, including energy providers andsupply companies. This would help toensure that the study was based on arealistic understanding of market forcesand economic feasibility.MONITORING AND FURTHER WORK:SUMMARY/SUGGESTIONS● EFFECTIVE MONITORING OF RENEWABLES DEVELOPMENTS WILL BECRUCIAL. NATIONAL, REGIONAL AND LOCAL TARGETS CAN ONLY BEEFFECTIVE IF THEY ARE MEASURABLE. LAA INDICATORS WILL ALSO PLAY ANINCREASINGLY IMPORTANT ROLE AND MAY DEPEND ON ACCURATERENEWABLES DATA.● MONITORING SHOULD BE USED EFFECTIVELY TO ENSURE THAT ANYRENEWABLES POLICY IS ACHIEVING ITS AIMS. EFFECTIVE MONITORING WILLENABLE EARLY ACTION TO BE TAKEN, WHERE REQUIRED, TO ADDRESS ANYDEFICIENCIES THAT MAY COMPROMISE THE POLICY OUTCOMES.● A COMPREHENSIVE RESOURCE ASSESSMENT OF THE COUNTY'SCAPACITY FOR RENEWABLE ENERGY WOULD PROVIDE A BETTER-INFORMEDPICTURE OF THE TECHNOLOGIES AND AREAS THAT MAY BE MOST SUITABLEFOR DEVELOPMENT.13. MONITORING ● Planning for Renewable Energy in WorcestershireTechnical Research Paper 31

14. TECHNICAL INFORMATION & GLOSSARY ● Planning for Renewable Energy in Worcestershire14. Technical Information and Glossary of TermsCarbon (C) /Carbon Dioxide (CO2)Watt (W)Kilowatt (kW)Megawatt (MW)Gigawatt (GW)Kilowatt-hour (kWh)Manufactured FuelSustainability/Sustainable DevelopmentCarbon FootprintBuilding RegulationsLow-carbon developmentTECHNICAL INFORMATION AND GLOSSARY OF TERMSEmissions savings can be expressed in terms of eitherCarbon or Carbon Dioxide, and for clarity it is worth makingclear the difference between the two. Carbon Dioxide (CO2)is Carbon (C) mixed with Oxygen (O2). CO2 is 3.67 timesheavier than Carbon, which means that to save 100 tonnesof carbon emissions would be far more significant (3.67times) than saving 100 tonnes of CO2.Unit of power, equal to one joule of energy per second.One thousand watts. Typically, 1kW represents the energyused by a 1-bar electric fire left on for 1 hour.One million watts (1,000kW). One megawatt of power issufficient to supply the electrical needs of 1,000 averagehomes.One thousand million watts (1000,000kW).Unit of energy: 1 kilowatt of power for one hour.Includes all manufactured solid fuels, benzole, tars, cokeoven gas and blast furnace gas (DTI).The Government defines sustainable development as"enabling people throughout the world to satisfy their basicneeds and enjoy a better quality of life withoutcompromising the quality of life of future generations". Itseeks to balance environmental, social and economiceffects.The total set of greenhouse gas emissions caused by anindividual or organisation, event or product. It should beexpressed in carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e).Building Regulations exist to ensure the health and safety ofpeople in and around buildings, and the energy effciency ofbuildings. Practical guidance on ways to comply with thefunctional requirements in the Building Regulations isoutlined in a series of "Approved Documents" published byCommunities and Local Government.A low carbon development is one that achieves a reductionin carbon emissions of 50% or more from energy use onsite, on an annual basis.32Technical Research Paper

Appendix A. Characteristics and Appraisal ofdifferent Renewable Energy technologies inWorcestershireLarge-Scale Wind TurbinesLarge-scale wind power, in the form ofsingle wind turbines, or groupings ofturbines in wind farms, currently has thegreatest potential to help the UK meet itsnational energy targets. However, at theCounty level, it may not be the mostappropriate means of delivering onemerging regional/sub-regional targets,for reasons of technical viability, andenvironmental/social/economicacceptability.As a land-locked County, Worcestershireevidently has less capacity to generatewind energy than some coastalauthorities. The practical and policyconstraints that apply across the Countywill require any potential siting of largeturbines to be carefully evaluated againsta clear set of criteria.Technical ConstraintsThe primary technical constraint whenlooking at wind power will be theavailability of a sufficient wind resource.This means that information on the windspeed and 'wind profile' of any potentialsite should be available. Wind profilesprovide details on the direction of thewind, and the different times in which itblows in particular directions. Thesuccessful operation of wind turbinesrelies on an average wind speed inexcess of 6m/s (optimum speed is in therange 13-25m/s). Below this threshold,the mechanics of the turbines do notallow them to work efficiently, althoughthe minimum operational wind speed isgradually decreasing.The 2001 study 'Renewable EnergyProspects for the West Midlands' includedsome large-scale wind mapping thatcharted those areas with sufficientaverage windspeed for turbines tooperate (see Appendix F). Based on thismapping, it seems Worcestershire haslarge areas capable of delivering windpower, predominantly in a belt stretchingfrom the centre of the County to the southand the east. The maps show thatapproximately half of the County iscovered by 'planning constraints',although it would be incorrect to assumethat these are absolute constraints towind development. It is important to notethat any wind speed mapping must not beused to categorically exclude future sites.One of the Government's key principles inPPS22 makes clear that to exclude apotential renewable resource based solelyon "assumptions about the technical orcommercial feasibility" is unacceptable,and that "Technological change can meanthat sites currently excluded as locationsfor particular types of renewable energydevelopment may in future be suitable". 32For this reason, wind turbines and windfarms proposed in areas outside of thoseidentified on the wind resource mapcannot be excluded from consideration,but it is recognised that in the currentmarket, with current technologies, thelikelihood of development proposalscoming forward in these areas is minimal.The West Midlands Regional Urban WindCapacity Study (June 2004) confirmedthat wind speed is the principalconsideration when looking for potentialsites, stating that "As a rule, developersuse this data as a guide and supplementit with on-site data prior to assessing thedeliverability of sites".APPENDIX A ● Planning for Renewable Energy in Worcestershire32Paragraph 1(v), Key Principles, Planning PolicyStatement 22: Renewable Energy, DCLG (2004)Technical Research Paper 33

APPENDIX A ● Planning for Renewable Energy in WorcestershireBeyond average wind speed, othertechnical constraints exist that wouldneed to be overcome before developingwind turbines. Access to any potential siteis crucial not only in allowing the deliveryand construction of the turbine(s), butalso to allow maintenance and repair, asand when required. The current logisticsinvolved in turbine development meanthat access must be available for largevehicles. Similarly, for turbines to beconnected to the national grid (which willalmost certainly be the case for largescalewind), adequate provision mustexist to allow connection to thedistribution network. It may not bepossible to connect particularly remoteand/or awkward locations to the gridsystem. In itself, this can be a majorconstraint; many potential sites thatsatisfy other technical and/orenvironmental criteria will be relativelyisolated, and actually erecting theturbines could be so problematic as toeffectively prevent projects going forward.Potential funding assistance forwind-power projects could be securedthrough the Regional DevelopmentAgency (RDA), which is keen to promoterenewables and low-carbon technology inthe Rural Regeneration Zone, whichincludes Bewdley and its surrounds withinits boundary. The RDA states that"…investment in wind power wouldenable local businesses to benefit fromrenewable energy, which would in turnincrease the security and diversity of theZone's energy supply and reduce carbonemissions". (Rural Regeneration ZoneAnnual Report 2005-06, Advantage WestMidlands).Environmental designations apply overlarge areas of the County. Whenconsidering sites for large wind turbines,the purposes of these designations mustbe taken into account. The wind resourcemapping referred to above has collatedtogether these designations to form whatit terms 'planning constraints', as anindicator of those areas unlikely to besuitable for wind energy developments.The mapping has excluded these areas,together with the urban areas, to arrive atan area of 'deliverable resource'.Accepting this methodology leaves almostall of north Worcestershire as unsuitablefor wind energy development. Thisapproach appears outdated, and is notnecessarily consistent with that of PPS22,which states that the various levels ofdesignation can possibly accommodaterenewables, subject to certain criteria. Forinternationally and nationally-designatedsites, the onus is on the developer toprove that the potential development willnot compromise the objectives of thedesignation. It is the responsibility of theLPA to set out criteria-based policiesthrough which acceptability in thesedesignations can be decided. Localdesignations alone are not consideredsufficient reason for refusing renewableenergy development, and criteria-basedpolicies should again be employed.In addition to landscape impacts, thereare several other factors that will be ofimportance in assessing the viability ofwind turbines in any given area. Amongthese are noise; shadow flicker; vibration;effects on radar and TV interference; andwildlife. A DTI study 33 investigated thenoise associated with wind turbines, andconcluded that "Noise from the wind farmshould be limited to 5dB(A) abovebackground for both day- and night-time… remembering that the background levelof each period may be different". Furtherdetails of these issues - which may betermed amenity considerations - can befound in the Sustainable DevelopmentCommission's 2005 publication 'WindPower in the UK.34Technical Research Paper33Paragraph 21, The Assessment and Rating of Noisefrom Wind Farms, report to DTI (September 1996)

Domestic Micro Wind TurbinesDomestic wind power has receivedsignificant media exposure in recentyears, and its profile has undoubtedlybeen raised. Small turbines form part of asuite of micro-generation technologiesthat are increasingly gaining support fromhouseholders. The Government hasintroduced policy initiatives andgrant-funding measures to encourage thetake-up of micro-generation, but untilrecently the advice could appear toconflict with the system of developmentcontrol. The householder consents reviewis likely to lead to some forms of domesticmicro-generation gaining furtheracceptance as permitted development.Small-scale wind turbines are onlysuitable in areas where the wind flow islargely uninterrupted, and is of a sufficientaverage speed. This can effectivelypreclude many locations in built-up urbanareas. The effect on neighbouringproperties must not cause a loss ofamenity, be it through noise, visual blight,vibration, or shadow flicker.The initial financial outlay for small-scalewind turbines can be significant (in theorder of £2,000 for a 400W installation 34 ),and because the generating potential isrelatively low, the repayment period canbe long.As a largely rural County, Worcestershirecould potentially make extensive use ofmicro wind turbines, particularly in thoselocations that are not connected to thenational grid.34Paragraph 1(v), Key Principles, Planning PolicyStatement 22: Renewable Energy, DCLG (2004)Biomass/Biomass CHPThe use of biomass heat and/or powerplants as a means of generatingrenewable energy involves the burning ofplant matter in order to create heat and/orelectricity. The CO2 absorbed by theplants during their life is equal to orgreater than that released duringcombustion, ostensibly making theprocess carbon neutral. Transport andprocessing emissions must be kept aslow as possible in order to ensure that theprocess is sustainable. The DTI's 'UKEnergy in Brief 2006' states that domesticand industrial wood, together withco-firing of power stations, provided25.7% of renewable energy used in theUK during 2005.Combined heat and power (CHP) usesthe heat from energy generation thatwould otherwise be wasted as a means ofspace heating. CHP can be powered byconventional fuels such as gas, orrenewable biomass. CHP is most suitablefor mixed-use developments, due to itscharacteristics of being most efficientwhen supplying a constant demand(rather than, say, the predominantlyevening demand of most households).Biomass is sourced from either forestsand woodlands (short-rotation-coppice -willow or poplar harvested regularly -timber off-cuts, waste arisings, low valuewood from thinnings etc.); or from energycrops such as miscanthus grass.A key benefit of biomass is its versatility,in terms of both the variety of sources offuel, and the variety of end uses for theheat and/or energy generated. TheGovernment has stated that "There are arange of sources of renewable heat, butbiomass is the only fuel that can be usedover the whole range - from verysmall-scale domestic units to large-scaledistrict heating systems". (Extract fromparagraph 5.4, UK Biomass Strategy,2007).APPENDIX A ● Planning for Renewable Energy in WorcestershireTechnical Research Paper 35

APPENDIX A ● Planning for Renewable Energy in WorcestershireBiomass is still in its infancy, but therealready exist successfully operatingexamples, including a boiler at CountyHall in Worcester that operates on woodchips. In order to be a viable technology,the biomass boiler must have access to areliable fuel supply chain. This must bebased around locally-sourced biomass inorder to remain low-carbon. Thecharacteristics of biomass fuels are suchthat relatively large quantities are requiredto match the generating capacity ofconventional fuels. Because biomass isstored on-site, there needs to beadequate storage space for the product,which could be difficult to accommodatein homes with little outside space.According to the Biomass Energy Centre,"For a primary central heating system fora domestic house a fuel store of at least5-6 m3 is recommended, preferably largerfor wood chips. This may require fillingonce or twice a year for pellets, or four tosix times for wood chips". There mustalso be convenient access for deliveriesof the fuel to the store.A functioning woodfuel supply chain iscritical to the establishment and continuedsuccess of biomass installations. Gaps inthe supply chain should be addressedand interventions made where necessary.This extends beyond issues simply ofsourcing and delivering the biomass, andincludes a lack of specialist personnel(installers/engineers, etc) and, linked tothis, a lack of training. Supply-chainissues are often funding-related, andmeans of assistance should be explored.Biomass and wood energy is beingpublicised by a variety of bodies, and isgaining recognition as a viable energytechnology. Local authorities can play akey role in ensuring full consideration isgiven to biomass as an energy source.Indeed, one of the goals of the WestMidlands Wood Energy Strategy Review2006 is to "Lobby county councils andplanning departments to obtain arequirement that all new housing andbusiness developments consider woodfuel or combined heat and power plants".Emissions from biomass-powered plantshave been demonstrated to be well withinacceptable limits (Effects of RenewableEnergy Wood Fuel for Electricity andHeat, Stack Emissions, Air Quality andHealth, DTI New & Renewable Energyprogramme). Local air quality aroundbiomass plants will be monitored by thelocal authority or the Environment Agencyto ensure that levels remain acceptable.Because biomass generation relies on theuse of a boiler to generate electricity,considerable water resources may berequired. This means that biomass plantsshould incorporate high standards ofwater conservation and water recycling,and also that sites for biomass mayideally be situated in close proximity to anavailable water resource. TheEnvironment Agency will be able toprovide guidance on acceptable waterusage, and can advise on whether anabstraction license is required.Green Infrastructure is increasingly beingrecognised in Worcestershire as a meansof ensuring multiple environmental andsocial benefits. The importance of GreenInfrastructure can also extend torenewable energy, as there is thepotential for new and existing woodland tocontribute biomass resources.36Technical Research Paper

Forests and WoodlandThe potential of forests and woodland asa source of biomass energy is dependenton a number of factors. These are chieflythe availability of sufficient wood arisings;the ownership of the woodland; and theeconomic viability, which will depend on acontinuing market demand.There is a sizeable amount of wastewood arising from the management ofwoodlands, which together with unwantedwood from parks, hedges, etc., could forma vast potential resource in the Countythat could make a significant contributionto generating renewable energy andreducing carbon emissions.Sustainable woodland management canalso provide a significant increase in thequantity of low value wood, such as thatarising from thinning. Where the demandfor biomass fuel is the driver for bringingunder-managed woodland intosustainable management, this can lead towider benefits to biodiversity andrecreation, as well as economicadvantages.Biomass has significant potential incommunity/district heating schemes,although there are no known schemes ofthis nature currently operating withinWorcestershire. District heat networksare unlikely to be retrofitted withinexisting developments, but can beintegrated into new developments at thedesign stage, and successful examplesexist such as at Hoathly Hill Community,West Sussex.Land ownership issues could present adifficulty when establishing wood energysources. Across Herefordshire &Worcestershire, 15% of woodland over 2hectares is under the ownership of theForestry Commission, who have taken aparticularly pro-active approach towardsthe possibilities of biomass for energygeneration. This does, however, leave aremainder of 85% that is owned byothers, made up of one or more of thefollowing groups: personal; privateforestry or timber business; other privatebusiness; local authority; other publicbodies; charitable organisations; and/orcommunity ownership or common land.The Government has signalled thatalongside the benefits of biomassproduction, creating more managedwoodland would also benefit theenvironment, stating that: "Expanding thetotal area of woodland and bringingundermanaged woodland back intomanagement will also improve localbiodiversity". (Extract from paragraph 3.4,UK Biomass Strategy 2007)The Regional Forestry Framework,Growing our Future, aims to move woodenergy from a minor activity to arecognised niche market, and to make asignificant contribution to West Midlandsenergy supply for business, public sectorand domestic markets. These aims arebeing taken forward in Worcestershirethrough the Growing our Future DeliveryPlan 2006-2009.There already exists a local driver in theCounty in the form of the Wyre ForestStudy Group, which was set up as one offour pilot projects to investigate marketdevelopment. The group recommended"A Wood Energy Project to develop asustainable heat system based on usingwood fuel. This will be included in thedesign of the new Visitor Centre withfurther examples in the wider communitysuch as heating systems in CommunityHalls. It is hoped that success here willcreate a market for these wood productsthat will result from the woodlandreversion process throughout Wyre".(Management of Wyre Forest, WyreForest Study Group, Richard Boles).APPENDIX A ● Planning for Renewable Energy in WorcestershireTechnical Research Paper 37

APPENDIX A ● Planning for Renewable Energy in WorcestershireIt should be noted that in the 'WestMidlands Non-Food Crops Opportunities'Draft report of July 2007, it states that:"…it is proposed to review the RuralRegeneration Zone plans to firmly alignenergy linked actions with priorities suchas renewable energy for off gas gridareas; for biomass digestion andcombustion CHP projects in publicbuildings; and links to the production ofenergy crops".Short Rotation Coppice (SRC) andEnergy CropsCrops grown specifically for biomassenergy generation include short-rotationwillow or poplar coppice, and miscanthusgrass. The crops are typically harvestedon a one-year cycle (Miscanthus) or athree-year cycle (short rotation coppicewillow). In terms of baseline information, itis difficult to assess the current level ofenergy crop production in the County.One reason for this is that NaturalEngland have received no applications forEnergy Crop Scheme (ECS) plantinggrants from within Worcestershire, whichwould be the natural means by whichuptake could be monitored.There is an obvious loss in the field areaavailable for food crops in developing thisresource, but moving to energy crops canrepresent a more viable use for farmland.Indeed, energy crops and their associatedsupply chains can help to ensure a strongrural economy, much of which will dependon agricultural diversification. The NFUhave asserted that significant energycould be generated from bioenergy cropswithout compromising food production,but this will have to be carefullyconsidered and could be affected by anincrease in the price of food imports.The UK Biomass Strategy has recognisedthe potential for negative effects arisingfrom the changes in land use fromagriculture to energy crops, and it statesthat: "We are keenly aware of theenvironmental risks from unsustainableproduction and damaging changes of landuse. We fully support the EU approach oflinking potential increases in biofueltargets to sustainability criteria. It is38Technical Research Paper

acknowledged that increasing the supplyof biomass will have implications for landuse, biodiversity, the environment and thelandscape." (Extract from page 6, UKBiomass Strategy, 2007). It should berecognised that whilst land is being usedfor the growing of energy crops, foodcrops cannot be grown; and the growingof energy crops can be water-intensive,which could have implications in thecontext of water shortages. Conversely,saturation from flooding could destroy anyenergy crops within a flood plain, and thiswill also need to be considered at theplanning stages.Regional encouragement for the use ofSRC is found in the West MidlandsRegional Spatial Strategy (RPG11) ofJune 2004, which includes PolicyQE8.A(vii), stating that:"Development plans, other strategies andprogrammes should encourage tree coverin the region to be increased, where it isappropriate to the character of the area,taking account of the Regional ForestryFramework, and in ways that reinforceand support the Spatial Strategy by:[inter alia]vii) promoting, where appropriate,opportunities for short rotation coppiceas a raw material and where this canprovide a renewable energy resource".The 2001 Halcrow study referred to atpage 27 indicates the potential capacityfrom energy crops throughout the region,based on a network of approximately5x5km grid-squares. Relevant extractsare reproduced at Appendix F.Defra released mapping in May 2007 toprovide a broad indication of the ability ofdifferent areas to support the growth ofenergy crops 35 . The mapping is at aregional scale, and shows the probableyield of energy crops in terms of beinghigh, medium, or low. Defra has alsocarried out landscape modelling of thelikely impact of energy crops, in terms oftheir effect on the landscape. This studyprovides a rating of locations, at aregional scale, as either neutral;potentially beneficial; or potentiallyadverse. As discussed elsewherelandscape impact at the regional andlocal level will be an importantconsideration when looking to developenergy crops. Certain types of biomasswill be inappropriate in certain landscapeswithin the County, and the WorcestershireLandscape Character Assessment shouldbe used to help inform decision-making.It is worth noting that the root systems ofenergy crops can be deep. This can bepositive in terms of enhancing soil quality,and requiring relatively less ploughingthan conventional food crops. However,there may also be negative effects, suchas the disturbance of archaeologicalremains. 36Some locations within Worcestershire aredesignated 'smoke-free zones', and withinthese zones biomass boilers that are noton the register of 'exempt appliances' willnot be permitted. For more informationseehttp://www.uksmokecontrolareas.co.ukAPPENDIX A ● Planning for Renewable Energy in Worcestershire3536See http://www.defra.gov.uk/farm/crops/industrial/energy/opportunities/jca/106.htm for further information.Biomass Energy and the Historic Environment,English Heritage (2006)Technical Research Paper 39

APPENDIX A ● Planning for Renewable Energy in WorcestershireSolar Hot WaterSolar water heating is a proventechnology, whereby the sun's energy isused to supplement the hot water in abuilding. The technical requirements forsolar hot water (SHW) are minimal. Asuitable, broadly south-facing surface isrequired on which to mount the collectorsystem, and a separate hot water tank isneeded, which may be difficult toaccommodate. This effectively excludesmost flats from using the technology.There are no noise or vibrationimplications of SHW, apart from thoseassociated with installation andmaintenance. Visually, SHW involves alarge black area of collector plates (eitherflat-plate, or the more efficient - and moreexpensive - evacuated tubes). Thesurface area can vary, but typicalinstallations are in the order of 3-5m2,with a relatively shallow depth. Typicalsystems should allow households to save1,000-2,000kWh of energy per year 37 .Typical costs are £1800 - £2700 perstandard domestic system; and £700 persquare metre for commercial systems.Solar PhotovoltaicSolar photovoltaic (PV) panels sharemany of the characteristics of solar hotwater panels. Again, a south-facing(preferably sloping) surface, such as aroof, is needed. In appearance, bothrequire a large surface area of blackpanels, although PV plates are nowavailable in a variety of sizes, and can bemade into roof tiles. PV panels are also ofshallower depth than those used forSHW, as the technology does not requirecirculation space for water/liquid. Themain drawbacks of PV as a renewabletechnology are that the panels produce arelatively low amount of electrical energy,and the costs, although falling, remainhigh. According to the Energy SavingTrust, a typical domestic PV system of1kWp may be 10m2, and generate800kWh of energy. Installed costs may bein the region of £4,000-6,000, which is asubstantial sum for the averagehouseholder; indeed, the House of Lordsreport Renewable Energy: Practicalities' 38 ,states that "…without a major reduction inunit cost they are unlikely to contributesignificantly to the United Kingdom'selectricity needs". In the non-domesticsector, it has been suggested that solarpanels may be a viable alternative to'prestige' claddings on office buildings.Whilst this design solution may well beacceptable, its scope is likely to beextremely limited in Worcestershire.Data suggests that irradiation in theCounty is good 39 , with average productionof 2.4kWh per day for a 1kW systemlocated in Worcester city. Irradiation levelsat other towns in the County are providedat Appendix F.The domestic cost for PV isapproximately £5000 per kW for roofmounted,with a higher cost for roofintegrated.Non-domestic costs areapproximately £4000 per kW forroof-mounted, again with higher costs forbuilding-integrated.373839Renewable Energy Sources in Rural Environments,The Energy Saving Trust (March 2004)Renewable Energy: Practicalities, House of LordsScience and Technology Committee, July 2004European Commission Joint Research Centre, 2007,data available at: http://re.jrc.ec.europa.eu/pvgis/apps/pvest.php?lang=en&map=europe40Technical Research Paper

Ground/Water/Air Source HeatPumpsGround source heat pumps (GSHP)extract the heat energy storedunderground and use it to contribute toheating water, either through directlycirculating water underground, or throughcirculating an intermediary fluid. A suitablearea of land adjacent to the building isrequired in which the pipework can beburied. This can be done eitherhorizontally (in which case a large landarea will be needed), or vertically in adeep bore (depth of 15m-150m), whichcan be more expensive. One of theprincipal benefits of the systems is thatthey do not require any externalconditions (e.g. strong direct sunlight) inorder to work efficiently. Due to thenear-constant temperature of the earth(c.10-12oC) at a depth of around 2m, thesystem can be used all year round,although it is unlikely to produce sufficientoutput to be the sole source of heat,especially during the winter. Typical costsfor a horizontal system are £800 - £900per kW; for a vertical system, costs maybe in the region of £1000 - £1500 per kWAs a technology that requires excavations(either vertical or horizontal), there existsa risk with GSHP that archaeologicalremains could be disturbed or destroyedduring installation/maintenance. Theinstallation of GSHP is being included ashouseholder permitted development,meaning that planning permission wouldnot be needed, which could consequentlyreduce the likelihood of proposals beingreferred to archaeological officers foradvice. It is therefore suggested thathouseholders choosing to install a GSHPsystem take reasonable care that therewill be no adverse archaeological impactsarising from the installation. If in anydoubt, consultation with professionaladvisors is recommended.Water-source heat pumps employ asimilar principle to ground-source, butextract the heat energy from a body ofwater instead of from the ground. Thismethod is unlikely to deliver significantreturns County-wide, as it depends on asuitable body of water (such as a lake)being in close proximity to the buildingusing the heat. Water-source systems arealso less efficient during winter months(susceptible to freezing, etc).Air-source heat pumps extract heatenergy from the air outside a building andtransfer it to be used as space heatinginside. The air temperature in the WestMidlands is probably insufficient toprovide any major heating gains, but thesystem also allows cool air to becirculated inside a building, which canprovide a more sustainable alternative toair-conditioning.Ground, water and air-source heat pumpsall rely on a small input of energy topower the pumping mechanism. The'coefficient of performance' determinesthe relationship between the energyrequired to be input, and the energy gainsfrom the system. For ground source, thisequates to a ratio of approximately 3-4units of heat energy received for everysingle unit of energy to run the system.Air-source pumps are less efficient.GeothermalGeothermal heat is extracted from theearth to provide direct heat energy, in theform of hot springs, etc. However, it isunlikely that this will be a suitable methodof energy generation in the County, as thetemperatures below the earth are too low.According to the Halcrow study, "…thegeological structure of the region is suchthat temperatures are not sufficientlyelevated near to the surface to allow theuse of geothermal heat".APPENDIX A ● Planning for Renewable Energy in WorcestershireTechnical Research Paper 41

APPENDIX A ● Planning for Renewable Energy in WorcestershireLarge/Small-Scale Hydro-PowerGeneration from tidal power is notpossible in a County so far from the sea.However, the rivers running through theCounty, together with the various streamsand brooks, have the potential to providea valuable source of renewable energy.The West Midlands Energy Strategystates that "For reasons of topography allhydro developments in the Region will besmall scale and, for the most part, "run ofriver" systems. The resource within theregion is therefore very limited" Extractfrom Page 53, West Midlands RegionalEnergy Strategy (October 2004)Micro-hydro schemes, with an output of100kW or less, are more likely to have astronger potential, but are unlikely tomake a significant contribution to overallelectricity generation. Disused water-millsare perhaps the most obvious opportunityfor the use of hydro-power, but newfacilities could also be installed, subject toenvironmental criteria, throughout theCounty.It is worth noting that some hydro-powerschemes can have beneficial effects inflood-prone areas. The Companion Guideto PPS22 states that certain schemescould have secondary potential for"reducing flooding and/or flood risk", andcontinues to advise that "hydro schemescan help to regulate river flows andminimise flooding".Any development of a river-basedrenewable energy scheme couldpotentially have damaging effects onflaura and fauna, as well as havinglandscape impacts. Furthermore,interfering with the flow of anywatercourse requires a sound knowledgeof any implications, both upstream anddownstream, which may arise from theworks. The Regional Energy Strategyconsiders that "It is likely that all hydrodevelopments in the Region will beincorporated into existing weirs and sowill not involve the construction ofimpoundment dams or long penstocks".Extract from Page 53, West MidlandsRegional Energy Strategy (October 2004)42Technical Research Paper

Biogas (Anaerobic Digestion)Biogas is a renewable fuel generatedthrough the processing of biodegradablewastes. If the waste is not biodegradable,it is not considered renewable; thus,many incinerators which generate energyfrom burning waste are beyond theconsideration of national renewablespolicy or the guidance in this paper 40 .Issues relating to non-renewable energyfrom-wastewill be addressed through theCounty Council's Waste DevelopmentFramework.Landfill GasNationally, landfill gas provides by far thelargest contribution to renewable energygeneration, accounting for 33.5% of allrenewable energy generated in 2005(according to DTI's UK Energy in Brief,2006). In Worcestershire, there arecurrently energy from landfill generatorsat Throckmorton, Martley andBromsgrove, with a total combinedinstalled capacity of 4.85MW. Thiscurrently represents the largest renewablegenerating capacity in the County, butlandfill gas cannot be expected to providea long-term energy source, as bestpractice in waste management will seethe resource being depleted in futureyears.40It should be noted that the EU does not consider wastecombustion to be 'renewable'. It does allow that thebiodegradable fraction of industrial and municipal wastecan justifiably constitute 'biomass', but states that "theincineration of non-separated municipal waste shouldnot be promoted under a future support system forrenewable energy sources, if such promotion were toundermine the [waste] hierarchy" (Paragraph 8 andArticle 2(b), Directive 2001/77/EC).Sewage SludgeAccording to the 'Renewable EnergyProspects in the West Midlands' report,sewage sludge could yield 10.7GWh/year of electricity in Worcestershire,based on a County population of 538,000generating 13,450 tonnes of sludge peryear.The Companion Guide to PPS22 states atparagraph 3 that: "Energy from AD is alsoeffectively carbon neutral in that thecarbon it releases is approximately equalto the carbon absorbed from theatmosphere by the plants which constitutethe origin of the organic waste"."A study conducted for Defra in 2005 byAEA Technology (AEAT) and FutureEnergy Solutions concluded that the mainchallenge to anaerobic digestion in theUK was an economic one, resulting frommarket failure. Public intervention maytherefore be necessary to pump-primeearly adopters of the technology and todisseminate knowledge of its potential".(Extract from paragraph 140, DEFRADraft Rural Development Programme2007-2013)Farm SlurryOrganic farm wastes (animal slurry) canbe processed to produce a gas that canthen be used to generate renewable heatand/or power. Anaerobic digestors can beoperated on the relatively small, 'on-farm'scale to provide localised energy for thefarm estate, or can be operated as 'centralised' anaerobic digestion, whichtakes in slurry from many different farms.Using slurry in this way can haveenvironmental benefits beyond simplyreducing carbon emissions, includingavoiding the pollution watercourses.APPENDIX A ● Planning for Renewable Energy in WorcestershireTechnical Research Paper 43

APPENDIX B ● Planning for Renewable Energy in WorcestershireAppendix B. Summary of Different RenewableEnergy Technologies in WorcestershireOpportunitiesLarge potential capacity from proventechnology.National planning policy suggeststurbines may be able to beaccommodated on green belt land, if thegeneration of renewable energy isconsidered to constitute very specialcircumstances, and any harm to thegreen belt's purposes is overrided.Strong private sector investmentpotential - not dependent on publicsector funding. Potential economicbenefits to the County in terms of jobcreation in manufacturing, maintenance,etc. examples of turbine businesses inCounty beginning to emerge.Community benefits, including possibilityof direct investment and return onexported electricity.Not reliant on supply / transportation /storage of fuel stock.LARGE-SCALE WIND TURBINESConstraintsRestricted to locations with suitable windspeed/direction/flow. Indicative windmapping suggests majority of Countyhas insufficient windspeed forcommercially-viable turbines.Landscape / heritage designations,including AONB; Green Belt; SSSI;RIGS; SWS; LNRs; Common Land;AGLV; SAMs; Listed Buildings;Conservation Areas; Parks & Gardens.Public perception of noise / radiation /wildlife impacts.Connectivity to national grid may not betechnically or financially possible.Access for installation/maintenance maynot be feasible.Potential to be a valuable diversificationof agricultural land.Installation can be removed whendecommissioned with minimal trace.Significant embodied energy inconstruction/transportation of equipment;Payback period has been suggested asbetween 3-10 months (DTI/SustainableDev. Commission) or just over one year(HoL Science & Tech. C'tee).44Technical Research Paper

OpportunitiesFew planning obstacles (fewer withrevised GPDO).Grants may be available.*Long-term cost savings.Awareness-raising.Opportunity to feed back surpluselectricity into national grid, with 'twowaymetering'.DOMESTIC MICRO WIND TURBINESConstraintsMinimal power generationSub-optimal wind-speedPoor urban performance as airflow isinterrupted by buildings, etc.Potentially contentiousUnsuitable in some areas (CA/listedbuildings)* See: http://www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/housingbuildings/funding/database/ fordetails of grants for various renewable energy technologies for different building types(homes, public & private sector, community etc)APPENDIX B ● Planning for Renewable Energy in WorcestershireTechnical Research Paper 45

APPENDIX B ● Planning for Renewable Energy in WorcestershireOpportunitiesSignificant potential woodfuel resource(see Strategy, FC etc).Halcrow study suggests formula forenergy crops of 'all set-aside land + 10%of arable land'.Long-term local job creation: production,distribution, installation, maintenance,etc.Suitable for large buildings and housingdevelopmentsSuccessful example exists in County(WCC boiler).Power can be supplied continuously -not dependent on weather conditions,etc.Funding streams have been identified,e.g. within Wyre Forest LandscapeStrategy.LARGE SCALE BIOMASS/CHPConstraintsEnd-user must be close to sourceBoiler systems physically larger andmore expensive than fossil fuelequivalentsBiomass fuel must be stored at the pointof usageDelivery must be arranged andscheduledInappropriate for flats unless oncombined district heating scheme, dueto space constraints.More suited to supplying heat thanpower - electrical output can be low.Likely to be reliant on road deliveries,which could be delayed or cancelled inextreme winter weather conditions,which would be when the fuel wasneeded most.Marches Wood Energy Network &Midlands Wood Fuel Ltd alreadyestablished and operational inWorcestershire. Developing wood-fuelprocess/delivery mechanism basedaround wood fuel 'depots' on farms.Energy crop grants are available fromDEFRA under the England RuralDevelopment Programme (Energy CropsScheme).Limited availability of contractors toundertake harvesting/processing.Creation of smoke may have air qualityimplications and may not be suitable in'smoke-free zones'.*See Research note on woodfuel in Wyre Forest:http://www.english-nature.org.uk/pubs/publication/PDF/RIN711.pdf46Technical Research Paper

OpportunitiesSignificant potential woodfuel resource(see Strategy, FC etc).Halcrow study suggests formula forenergy crops of 'all set-aside land + 10%of arable land'.Long-term local job creation: production,distribution, installation, maintenance,etc.Suitable for large buildings and housingdevelopmentsPower can be supplied continuously -not dependent on weather conditions,etc.Biomass systems are most efficientwhen supplying a constant load,throughout the day and night, such as ina mixed-use development.DOMESTIC-SCALE BIOMASS/CHPConstraintsDomestic-scale biomass CHP is probablyunlikely, but biomass heating isappropriate and is used successfully inEurope.End-user must be close to sourceBoiler systems physically larger andmore expensive than fossil fuelequivalentsBiomass fuel must be stored at the pointof usageDelivery must be arranged andscheduledNot generally appropriate for singledwellings (see above)Inappropriate for flats unless oncombined district heating scheme, due tospace constraints.More suited to supplying heat thanpower - electrical output can be low.APPENDIX B ● Planning for Renewable Energy in WorcestershireLikely to be reliant on road deliveries,which could be delayed or cancelled inextreme winter weather conditions,which would be when the fuel wasneeded most.Requires flue that extends above roofline.Biomass boiler requires more frequentcleaning than gas or oil boilers.More suited to supplying continuousloads (rather than, for example, theprimarily evening-only requirements ofmost housing).Technical Research Paper 47

APPENDIX B ● Planning for Renewable Energy in WorcestershireSOLAR HOT WATER (SHW) / PHOTOVOLTAICS (PV)OpportunitiesConsistent supply of sunlight.Homeowner grants may be available.Solar Hot water can be cost efficient (inthe region of £1800-£2700 per system)SHW Can supply 50% of hot waterdemand for low density housing,meaning a 10% carbon saving.Visual impact is minimal and planningrestraints would not normally applyunless on a listed building or withinconservation area.PV could meet 50%+ of electricitydemand in new housing. (DTIconference) and save around 0.5 tonnesof CO 2 per year.ConstraintsRelatively low power generation.Even minimal shading can dramaticallyreduce performance (Halcrow).Photovoltaics expensive. Scope forhigh-profile office users to incorporatePV panels as 'status' cladding is minimalin Worcestershire.SHW requires hot water storagecylinder. Space is needed for this, andmany properties are designed forcombi-boilers, which do not needstorage.Inappropriate for flatted developments,as the roof area per dwelling is low, andonly the top floors would receivebenefits.48Technical Research Paper

GROUND/AIR/WATER SOURCE HEAT PUMPSOpportunitiesEconomic alternative to electric heatingfor schools, etc.Suitable for off-grid, remote buildings.Grant assistance may be available.Can also be designed to providesummer cooling.Minimal visual impact once installed.ConstraintsVaries according to source.For ground-source, land must be suitablystable and free of underground utilities,and must be accessible to plant.Dependant on further power source todrive pump, although there is anopportunity for this source to berenewable.Can provide heat but not power.Initial cost may be prohibitive.More suited to under-floor heating, whichis a rarity and is expensive to install.Can remove the need for gas in abuilding- safer and reduces expense ofannual safety checks.APPENDIX B ● Planning for Renewable Energy in WorcestershireTechnical Research Paper 49

APPENDIX B ● Planning for Renewable Energy in WorcestershireLARGE/SMALL-SCALE HYDRO-POWEROpportunitiesRivers including the Arrow, Avon,Severn, Stour, and Teme, run throughthe County, as well as numeroustributaries, brooks, etc, with potential tooffer reliable source of renewableenergy.Topography.BIOGASConstraintsDependent on water running pastparticular location. Majority of buildingsnot in this position.Potential landscape impactsAdditional regulations (such asEnvironment Agency's extraction licence,and the need for an EIA) may bedisincentive.Large-scale schemes involving dam(s)are unlikely and would require a suitablevalley, massive investment anddisruption.Small scale systems have a high capitalcost (£20-25k for a typical 5kW domesticscheme).OpportunitiesValuable source of energy from waste.ConstraintsNot all biogas recognised as trulyrenewable energy source by EU.Prevents dangerous build-ups of gas orleakages of atmospheric pollutants.Sewage sludge could yield 10.7GWh/year of electricity in the County,based on a population of 538,000generating 13,450 tonnes of sludge peryear. (Halcrow)Can be produced from agricultural &food waste (with a potentiallyvaluable fertiliser by-product).50Technical Research Paper

Appendix C. Example calculations of AnnualRenewable Electricity generated by differenttechnologiesFor the purposes of providing an estimateof how the renewable energy targetsmight be achieved, the followingassumptions and calculations have beenused.To calculate the annual electricitygeneration, in GWh, for each technology,the installed capacity is multiplied by thenumber of hours in a year, and multipliedagain by the 'capacity factor'. Thecapacity factor takes account of real-worldscenarios, by ensuring that calculationsinclude the sub-optimal average operationCalculation:Installed Capacityin GW(to convert from KW to GW,multiply by 0.000001to convert from MW to GW,multyply by 0.0001)=XNumber of hoursper year24 x 365= 8760Electricity generated per yearof the apparatus (e.g. wind turbines willnot always be operating at full capacitydue to wind speeds being too weak or toostrong). With the exception of windturbines, the capacity factors for eachtechnology have been taken from SouthEast Energy Statistics, which is led by theGovernment Office for the South East andfunded through the South East EnglandDevelopment Agency and the South EastEngland Regional Assembly. The capacityfactor for wind turbines has been takenfrom the Companion Guide to PPS22.XCapacity Factorof Appliancee.g. 30% or 0.3APPENDIX C ● Planning for Renewable Energy in WorcestershireSolar PV:The figure for solar photovoltaics (PV) isbased upon a case-study example withinthe Companion Guide to PPS22, whichillustrates a school building fitted with10kW of photovoltaic tiles, which equatesto 0.00001GW. It is considered that suchan installation would be viable on manylarger-scale public and private sectorbuildings throughout the County. Thecapacity factor for solar PV has beencalculated as 0.07.Each solar array of this scale wouldproduce0.00001 X 8760 X 0.07 =0.006132 GWh/year.To supply the entire renewable electricitytarget for the County, the number of solarPV arrays of this scale required would be155 / 0.006132 =25,277.234 ~ 25,300 solar PV arraysTechnical Research Paper 51

APPENDIX C ● Planning for Renewable Energy in WorcestershireHydro-Electricity:The hydro-electricity example has beenbased on individual installations of100kW, which is 0.0001GW. This figure istaken from the lower range provided inthe Companion Guide to PPS22, whichstates (p.125) that: "there are a largenumber of sites with a potential in therange of 100kW (0.1MW) to 500kW(0.5MW) … which could be economicallydeveloped as grid connected schemes".The capacity factor for hydro-electricschemes is 0.6.Each hydro-power scheme of thisscale would produce:0.0001 X 8760 X 0.6 =0.5256 GWh/year.To supply the entire renewable electricitytarget for the County, the number ofhydro-electric schemes of this scalerequired would be:155 / 0.5256 =294.90 ~ 300 hydro-electric schemesLarge-scale Wind Turbines:The wind turbines are assumed to havean installed capacity of 2MW (0.002GW)each, which is a commonly-used measurefor large-scale turbines, and is referred toin the Companion Guide to PPS22. Thecapacity factor for wind turbines is 0.3.Each wind turbine of this scale wouldproduce:0.002 X 8760 X 0.3 =5.256 GWh/year.To supply the entire renewable electricitytarget for the County, the number ofhydro-electric schemes of this scalerequired would be:155 / 5.256 =29.490 ~ 30 large turbinesBiomass Plants:Biomass plants are assumed to have aninstalled capacity of 2MW (0.002GW),which has been taken from industryfigures for an AWM-supported scheme inthe West Midlands, which can be viewedat http://www.talbotts.co.uk/bpower.htm. Itis recognised that the capacity of biomassplants can vary enormously, but for thepurposes of this example the 2MW hasbeen used. The capacity factor forcontinuous-load biomass is 0.88.Each biomass plant would produce:0.002 X 8760 X 0.88 =15.418 GWh/year.To supply the entire renewable electricitytarget for the County, the number ofbiomass plants of this scale requiredwould be:155 / 15.418 =10.053 ~ 10 biomass plants52Technical Research Paper

Appendix D. Maps of Predicted Increase in Riskto Worcestershire as a result of Climate ChangeMAP OF INCREASED RISK OF FLOODING INWORCESTERSHIREAdapted from The Impact of Climate Change on Worcestershire -G Cavan 2004, in Worcestershire Climate Change StrategyMAP OF INCREASED RISK OF SUBSIDENCE INWORCESTERSHIREAPPENDIX D ● Planning for Renewable Energy in WorcestershireAdapted from The Impact of Climate Change on Worcestershire -G Cavan 2004, in Worcestershire Climate Change StrategyTechnical Research Paper 53

APPENDIX D ● Planning for Renewable Energy in WorcestershireMAP OF INCREASED RISK OF FIREIN WORCESTERSHIREAdapted from The Impact of Climate Change on Worcestershire -G Cavan 2004, in Worcestershire Climate Change Strategy54Technical Research Paper

Appendix E. Energy Saving Trust table oftypical emissions from a variety of house types(Assuming gas central heating) 2006saving (kg/yr)10% CO210% energysaving (kWh/yr)Total (kgCO2/yr)Total (kWh/yr)kWh/m2CookingLights &AppliancesHeatingProperty Type m2 Bedrooms kWh/yr kgCO2/yr kWh/yr kgCO2/yr kWh/yr kgCO2/yrFlat 42 1 7,865 1,494 1,466 630 807 153 241 10138 2,278 1013.8 227.8Flat 61 2 11,423 2,170 2,129 916 1,173 223 241 14725 3,309 1472.5 330.9Flat 89 3 16,666 3,167 3,107 1,336 1,711 325 241 21483 4,827 2148.3 482.7Mid Terraced House 63 2 11,693 2,222 2,109 907 1,008 192 235 14810 3,320 1481.0 332.0Mid Terraced House 79 3 14,663 2,786 2,645 1,137 1,264 240 235 18571 4,163 1857.1 416.3End Terraced House 63 2 15,138 2,876 2,117 910 1,008 192 290 18264 3,978 1826.4 397.8End Terraced House 79 3 18,983 3,607 2,655 1,142 1,264 240 290 22903 4,989 2290.3 498.9Semi-Detached House 77 2 18,373 3,491 2,589 1,113 1,136 216 287 22098 4,820 2209.8 482.0Semi-Detached House 89 3 21,236 4,035 2,992 1,287 1,314 250 287 25542 5,571 2554.2 557.1Semi-Detached House 102 4 24,338 4,624 3,429 1,475 1,505 286 287 29272 6,385 2927.2 638.5Detached House 90 2 24,412 4,638 3,091 1,329 1,199 228 319 28702 6,195 2870.2 619.Detached House 104 3 28,209 5,360 3,572 1,536 1,386 263 319 33167 7,159 3316.7 715.9Detached House 120 4 32,549 6,184 4,121 1,772 1,599 304 319 38269 8,260 3826.9 826.0This data is for new build dwellings built to Building Regulations 2006Energy consumption includes Space and Water heating, Cooking, Lighting and Appliances. Energy use modelled using BREDEM-12 andassumes stock average dwelling characteristics, standard heating pattern and occupancy.Grey shading indicates base case dwelling.Assume a carbon conversion factor of:-Gas 0.1 Electricity 0.49 kgCO2/kWh 3 kgCO2/kWhSource:- Guidelines for company reporting on greenhouse gas emissions, DefraBRE on behalf of EST 21/02/2006APPENDIX E ● Planning for Renewable Energy in WorcestershireTechnical Research Paper 55

APPENDIX F ● Planning for Renewable Energy in WorcestershireAppendix F. Extracts from Studies of Regionaland Sub-Regional capacityTechnologyTHEORETICAL, ECONOMIC AND DELIVERABLE RESOURCE INHEREFORDSHIRE AND WORCESTERSHIRETheoretical Resource(GWh)Economic Resource(GWh)Deliverable Resource(GWh)Deliverable Resource(MW)Wind Large - Potential 67,976 46,704 15,591 7,119Current Generation(GWh)Planned InstalledCapacity (Inc. NFFOcontracts & DTI FieldTrial) (GWh)New Generation(GWh)Large- Probable 67,976 3,896 1,054 401 1,054Small ~ ~ ~ ~ ~Biomass Energy Crops 521 22 22 3 22Agricultural 104 6 6 1 2 4Forestry 38 17 17 2 17Wastes 463 106 51 7 108 -57Sewage Gas 14 2 2 0 2Landfill Gas 124 90 90 11 28 8 54Solar Photovoltaic 318 ~ 2 2 0 2Hydro Micro/Small 3 2 2 0 1 1Total 69,562 4,140 1,246 427 28 119 1,0991998 Consumption(population based) 3,458 3,458 3,4582010 Consumption (estimated) 3,973 3,973 3,973Resource as a % of 1998Consumption 2011% 120% 36%Resource as a % of 2010Consumption 1751% 104% 31%Symbol "~" Negligible (less than half of the final digit shown)The Total row only includes the wind resource that is "probable"Adapted from Table 7.5, 'Theoretical, Economic and Deliverable Resource in Herefordshire andWorcestershire', in 'Renewable Energy Prospects in the West Midlands'.56Technical Research Paper

MAP OF DELIVERABLE WIND RESOURCEIN WORCESTERSHIREAdapted from Figure D.9, 'Deliverable Wind Resource in Hereford and Worcestershire', in'Renewable Energy Prospects in the West Midlands'.WORCESTERSHIRE WIND SPEED AT 10mABOVE GROUND LEVELAPPENDIX F ● Planning for Renewable Energy in WorcestershireTechnical Research Paper 57

APPENDIX F ● Planning for Renewable Energy in WorcestershireWORCESTERSHIRE WIND SPEED AT 25mABOVE GROUND LEVELWORCESTERSHIRE WIND SPEED AT 45mABOVE GROUND LEVEL58Technical Research Paper

SOLAR IRRADIANCE AT DIFFERENTLOCATIONS WITHIN WORCESTERSHIRETown/CityKidderminsterBromsgroveRedditchEveshamWorcesterGreat MalvernGlasgowManchesterFor comparisonSolar Irradiance (KWH/Year)859860861863864872787843APPENDIX F ● Planning for Renewable Energy in WorcestershireBirminghamLondon855878Source: European Commission Joint Research Centre, 2007, data available at:http://re.jrc.ec.europa.eu/pvgis/apps/pvest.php?lang=en&map=europeTechnical Research Paper 59

APPENDIX F ● Planning for Renewable Energy in WorcestershireMAP OF POTENTIAL GENERATION FROM ENERGY CROPSIN THE WEST MIDLANDSAdapted from Figure A2: 'Potential Generation from Energy Crops',from 'Renewable energy Prospects in the West Midlands'MAP OF UPTAKE OF ENERGY CROP SCHEMES IN THEWEST MIDLANDSTaken from ‘West Midlands Joint Character Areas’ DEFRA, 200760Technical Research Paper

MAP OF UPTAKE OF ENERGY CROP SCHEMES IN THEWEST MIDLANDS - WORCESTERSHIRE EXTRACT OFABOVE MAPTaken from ‘West Midlands Joint Character Areas’ DEFRA, 2007MAP OF POTENTIAL YEILD FROM MISCANTHUS CROPS IN THEWEST MIDLANDS ILLUSTRATING HIGH POTENTIAL YEILD ACROSSMOST OF WORCESTERSHIREAPPENDIX F ● Planning for Renewable Energy in WorcestershireTaken from DEFRA, 2007Technical Research Paper 61

APPENDIX F ● Planning for Renewable Energy in WorcestershireMAP OF POTENTIAL YEILD FROM SHORT ROTATION COPPICE IN THEWEST MIDLANDS ILLUSTRATING HIGH POTENTIAL YEILD ACROSSWORCESTERSHIRETaken from DEFRA, 200762Technical Research Paper

FORESTRY COMMISSION WOODLAND OPPORTUNITIES MAP: PRIORITY FORWOODLAND PLANTING BASED ON DATA FROM THEMES: LANDSCAPE,BIODIVERSITY, CULTURAL, HERITAGE AND ACCESSAPPENDIX F ● Planning for Renewable Energy in WorcestershireTechnical Research Paper 63

APPENDIX F ● Planning for Renewable Energy in WorcestershireFORESTRY COMMISSION ANCIENT WOODLAND RESTORATION MAP64Technical Research Paper

DISTRIBUTION OF WOODLAND OF OVER 2 HECTARESIN WORCESTERSHIRE, BY OWNERSHIPSource: Adapted from Forestry Commission National Inventory of Woodland and Trees -County Report for Hereford & Worcester (2002)APPENDIX F ● Planning for Renewable Energy in WorcestershireTechnical Research Paper 65

APPENDIX G ● Planning for Renewable Energy in WorcestershireAppendix G. CO2 Emmissions data andmapping and energy consumption dataCO2 EMMISSIONS IN WORCESTERSHIRE IN 2002 (ALL SECTORS)CO2 EMMISSIONS IN WORCESTERSHIRE IN 2003 (ALL SECTORS)66Technical Research Paper

CO2 EMMISSIONS IN WORCESTERSHIRE IN 2004 (ALL SECTORS)LOCATIONS OF THE 5 HIGHEST EMITTING SITES OF CO2IN WORCESTERSHIREAPPENDIX G ● Planning for Renewable Energy in WorcestershireTechnical Research Paper 67

APPENDIX G ● Planning for Renewable Energy in WorcestershireTHE 5 MOST SIGNIFICANT INCREASES AND 5 MOST SIGNIFICANTREDUCTIONS OF CO2 EMISSIONS IN WORCESTERSHIREBETWEEN 2002 AND 2003CHANGE IN CO2 EMISSIONS IN WORCESTERSHIREBETWEEN 2002 AND 2003 (ALL SECTORS)68Technical Research Paper

CHANGE IN CO2 EMISSIONS IN WORCESTERSHIREBETWEEN 2003 AND 2004 (ALL SECTORS)APPENDIX G ● Planning for Renewable Energy in WorcestershireTechnical Research Paper 69

APPENDIX G ● Planning for Renewable Energy in WorcestershireLocal Authority AreaBromsgrove DistrictMalvern Hills DistrictRedditch BoroughWorcester CityWychavon DistrictWyre Forest DistrictWorcestershireCounty TotalEND USER LOCAL AND REGIONAL ESTIMATES OFCO2 EMISSIONS, 2006, DEFRADomestic251196189244308244CO2 Emissions, (KT CO2 ) 2006Industrial &Commercial161171351252512225RoadTransport52835687116582145Land-UseChange92222286Total9497456286131429619Domesticper capitaCO2(tonnes)2.72.72.42.62.62.51432 1672 1814 69 4983 2.6http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/statistics/globatmos/download/regionalrpt/local-regionalco2emissions05-06.xls70Technical Research Paper

TOTAL FINAL ENERGY CONSUMPTION AT LOCAL AUTHORITY LEVEL, 2006, IN GWhCoal ManufacturedFuelsPetroleum Products Natural Gas ElectricityConsumingSectorIndustry &CommercialDomesticIndustryDomesticIndustry &CommercialDomesticRailTotalTotalRoadTransportTotalIndustry &CommercialDomesticTotalIndustry &CommercialDomesticTotalTotalIndustry &CommercialDomesticTransportTotalRenewables &WasteBromsgrove 6.1 7.7 13.8 0.0 0.5 0.5 109.8 38.2 1891.6 24.1 2063.6 193.3 720.5 913.8 158.2 191.4 349.6 6.0 3346.3 472.4 958.3 1915.7Malvern Hills 15.4 17.8 33.3 0.0 1.1 1.1 217.6 102.4 1276.6 8.2 1604.7 114.6 363.0 477.6 150.4 172.0 322.4 12.0 2451.1 510.1 656.3 1264.8Redditch 73.9 3.8 77.8 5.5 0.2 5.8 431.4 13.0 314.4 0.0 758.8 262.4 559.7 822.1 280.6 147.8 428.4 14.4 2107.2 1068.3 724.4 314.4Worcester 1.8 0.3 2.2 5.6 74.2 79.9 95.2 20.3 418.1 4.9 538.5 266.0 621.5 887.4 309.8 178.4 488.2 3.2 1999.3 681.6 894.8 422.9Wychavon 33.2 23.1 56.3 5.5 11.6 17.0 369.6 130.3 2086.5 71.9 2658.4 690.0 628.3 1318.3 453.2 263.3 716.5 18.0 4784.6 1569.6 1056.6 2158.4Wyre Forest 2.2 8.0 10.2 0.4 6.2 6.5 138.0 39.3 526.2 2.4 706.0 234.1 657.7 891.8 259.1 195.2 454.3 5.3 2074.1 639.2 906.3 528.7County Total(rounded) 133 61 194 17 94 111 1362 344 6513 112 8331 1760 3551 5311 1611 1148 2759 58 16,764 4941 5197 6625Figures may not total due to rounding. Source: adapted from DBERR table, http://www.berr.gov.uk/files/file48643.xlsAPPENDIX G ● Planning for Renewable Energy in WorcestershireTechnical Research Paper 71

APPENDIX G ● Planning for Renewable Energy in WorcestershireDWELLINGTYPE *1 bed flat2 bed flat3 bed flat2 bed house(average)3 bed house(average)4 bed house(average)NO. OF NEWDWELLINGS2011-2026†196 446,4882945392280266TOTAL CO2EMISSIONS2011-20261,002,62724,1351,794,5761,531,8801,947,918TARGET 10%CO2 SAVINGS2011-202644,649100,2632,414179,458153,188194,792EQUIVALENTRENEWABLE ENERGYCAPACITY PERDWELLING (KWH)1013.81472.52148.3209725053377Total CO2 Emissions Savings 2011-2026 674,764 AverageCapacityper dwelling2,138 kWh†The numbers for each dwelling type have been assumed from the proportions from pasttrends (2005/06 figures) taken forward to the allocations in the draft RSS revision Option 1.* EST break down emissions data into 4 house types (mid-terraced; end-terraced; semidetached;and detached). The average figures have been calculated from each of these toarrive at a general figure for each district house type.n.b. EST do not provide data for 1-bed houses. For the purposes of this table, the nine1-bed houses calculated to be built between 2011-2026 have been apportioned to the 2-bedflat category.72Technical Research Paper

Appendix H. Sources of Further Informationand Grant AssistanceThere are a variety of national and localbodies providing renewable energy adviceand services to householders,businesses, and the public sector. Thefollowing selection is not exhaustive, butrepresents some of the relevant contactsfor Worcestershire.The Energy Saving Trust provides anational source of advice forhouseholders on most aspects ofday-to-day energy saving.21 Dartmouth Street, London SW1H 9BPTel: 020 7222 0101Fax: 020 7654 2460Web: www.energysavingtrust.org.ukThe Carbon Trust is the equivalentorganisation for public, not for profit andprivate sector organisations.The Carbon Trust, 8th Floor, 3 Clement'sInn, London WC2A 2AZTel: 0800 085 2005Fax: 020 7170 7020Email: customercentre@carbontrust.co.ukWeb: www.carbontrust.co.ukEnergy West Midlands is the regionalenergy agency responsible for producingthe Regional Energy Strategy.Energy West Midlands, RegionalPartnership Centre, 3rd Floor, AlbertHouse, Quay Place, 92-93 Edward Street,Birmingham B1 2RATel: 0121 245 0200Fax: 0121 245 0201Email: a.smith@wmra.gov.ukWeb: www.energywm.org.ukThe Marches Energy Agency seeks topromote energy efficiency, renewableenergy and sustainability throughoutShropshire, Worcestershire andHerefordshire.Marches Energy Agency, 23 Swan Hill,Shrewsbury SY1 1NNTel: 01743 246007Email: info@mea.org.ukWeb: www.mea.org.ukAct on Energy provides advice onenergy conservation for householders andsmall businesses in Warwickshire,Worcestershire and Coventry.Act on Energy, 29 Wellesbourne House,Walton Road, Wellesbourne,Warwickshire CV35 9JBTel: 01789 842898Fax: 01789 842963Email: advice@actonenergy.org.ukWeb: www.actonenergy.org.ukWorcestershire County Council'sGreen DirectorySustainability Team, WorcestershireCounty Council, County Hall, WorcesterWR5 2NPTel: 01905 766855Email:sustainability@worcestershire.gov.ukWeb:http://worcestershire.whub.org.uk/home/wcc-sustainability-directory-welcome.htmAPPENDIX H ● Planning for Renewable Energy in WorcestershireTechnical Research Paper 73

APPENDIX H ● Planning for Renewable Energy in WorcestershireGrant AssistanceIt is recognised that the capital costs associated withrenewable energy installations can be high for bothprivate householders and larger-scale operators. Incertain circumstances, grant assistance andspecialist low-cost or interest-free loans can help toovercome this.For householders, the Energy SavingTrust offers an interactive search tool to findpotential sources of grant-aid. This can be accessedon its website, at:http://www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/proxy/view/full/2019/grantsandofferssearchOther, more specific grants may be available foractivities connected to renewables, for example forfarmers/ landowners growing energy crops. Whilstsome grant aid is delivered on a long-term basis,other grants may be one-offs or time limited, or maybe on a 'first come, first serve' basis until funds areexhausted. It is worth investigating what kind(s) ofgrant may be available, by contacting theorganisations listed above, and by looking to centralgovernment departments concerned with renewableenergy:http://www.defra.gov.uk http://www.berr.gov.ukEuropean funding from the Rural DevelopmentProgramme for England (RDPE) is administeredthrough the regional development agency,Advantage West Midlands. The RDPE includessupport for 'Environmental Technologies', which canoffer financial assistance to qualifying renewableenergy projects in rural areas.74Technical Research Paper

Further ReadingThe Assessment and Rating of Noise from Wind Farms - Report to DTI (September 1996)The Community Strategy for Worcester 2007-2012, Worcester AllianceA Community Strategy for the Wyre Forest District 2004-2014, The Wyre Forest MattersPartnership (February 2004)A New Look at the Landscapes of Worcestershire - Worcestershire Landscape CharacterAssessment, Environmental Policy Team, Worcestershire County Council (2004)Assessment and development of fuelwood uses for products from SSSI and ancient woodlandconservation management at Wyre Forest, Worcestershire/Shropshire -English NatureResearch Reports, No 711, Heartwoods Ltd in conjunction with Marches Wood Energy NetworkLtd & Forestry Commission Research Agency (September 2006)Bromsgrove Sustainable Community Strategy 2007 - 2010, Bromsgrove PartnershipChanges to Permitted Development Consultation Paper 1: Permitted Development Rightsfor Householder Microgeneration, DCLG (April 2007)Draft Climate Change Bill, HM Government (March 2007)Code for Sustainable Homes - A step-change in sustainable home building practice, DCLG(December 2006)Cotswolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty Management Plan, Cotswold AONBPartnership (2004)Creating Value from Renewable Materials - A strategy for non-food crops and uses, TwoYear Progress Report, Defra (November 2006)Design Quality Supplementary Planning Guidance, Wyre Forest District Council (July 2004)Directive 2001/77/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 September 2001on the promotion of electricity produced from renewable energy sources in the internalelectricitymarket (September 2001)FURTHER READING ● Planning for Renewable Energy in WorcestershireDomestic Installation of Microgeneration Equipment Final Report - Review of the relatedPermitted Development Regulations, DCLG (April 2007)Energy Act 2004, The Stationery Office (2004)Energy Measures Report, DBERR (September 2007)Energy White Paper - Our Energy Future - Creating a Low Carbon Economy, Department ofTrade and Industry (2003)The Government's Response to the Biomass Task Force Report, DTI/DEFRA (April 2006)Growing our Future - The West Midlands Regional Forestry Framework, ForestryCommission (October 2004)Technical Research Paper 75

FURTHER READING ● Planning for Renewable Energy in WorcestershireGrow with Wyre - Wyre Forest Landscape Partnership Application to Heritage Lottery Fundfor a Stage 1 Grant (30th September 2006)Heat Mapping and Decentralised Energy Feasibility Study Phase 1: Data Gathering andMapping - Halcrow Group Ltd for Advantage West Midlands (April 2008).Integrating renewable energy into new developments: Toolkit for planners, developers andconsultants, London Renewables/Greater London Authority (September 2004)The Malvern Hills Area of Outstanding Beauty Management Plan 2004-2009, Malvern HillsAONB Joint Advisory Committee (2004)Meeting the Energy Challenge - A White Paper on Energy, Department of Trade and Industry(May 2007)Microgeneration in the Historic Environment, English Heritage (2008)NHBC Guide to Renewable Energy (May 2007) National House-Building CouncilOur Energy Challenge - Power from the people - Microgeneration Strategy, DTI (March 2006)Partnership Towards Excellence - The Sustainable Community Strategy for Worcestershire,Second Edition 2008 - 2013, The Worcestershire Partnership (2008)Planning Policy Guidance Note 2: Green Belts, DCLG (January 1995)Planning Policy Statement: Planning and Climate Change - Supplement to Planning PolicyStatement 1, DCLG (December 2007)Planning Policy Statement 9: Biodiversity and Geological Conservation, DCLG(August 2005)Planning Policy Statement 22: Renewable Energy, DCLG (August 2004)Preliminary Position Statement on Miscanthus Planting, Cotswolds Conservation Board(September 2006)Borough of Redditch Community Strategy, Redditch Partnership (April 2003)Renewable Energy: Practicalities - Volume I: Report, House of Lords Science and TechnologyCommittee (July 2004)Renewable Energy and Climate Change in Worcestershire, Marches Energy Agency (2004)Renewable Energy and Its Impact on Rural Development and Sustainability in the UK, ADASConsulting Ltd/University of Newcastle (2003)Renewable Energy Prospects for the West Midlands - Final Report, Halcrow Group Ltd forGovernment Office for the West Midlands (November 2001)Report to Cotswolds Conservation Board on Renewable Energy in the Cotswolds AONB,Severn Wye Energy Agency (2006)Report to English Nature & Heartwoods on the Potential for Wood Energy Associated withthe Wyre Forest, Marches Wood Energy Network Limited (6 February 2006)76Technical Research Paper

Rural Regeneration Zone Annual Report 2005-06, Advantage West Midlands (June 2006)The Stern Report on the Economics of Climate Change, HM Treasury (October 2006)Shaping the future together - Draft Wychavon Community Strategy 2007 - 2010, WychavonCommunity Plan Core Group (May 2007)Statement on Criteria for Renewable Energy Projects, Cotswolds Conservation BoardA strategy for non-food crops and uses - Creating value from renewable materials, Defra(November 2004)Sustainable Community Strategy for the Malvern Hills District 2006-2021 - Draft forConsultation, Vision 21UK Biomass Strategy, Defra (May 2007)UK Energy Sector Indicators 2007 - A supplement to the Fourth Annual Report on progresstowards the 2003 Energy White Paper goals, DTI (June 2007)Using the 'Merton Rule' Report of a TCPA survey of local authority planning departments inEngland, Town and Country Planning Association (July 2006)Wind Power in the UK - A guide to the key issues surrounding onshore wind power developmentin the UK, Sustainable Development Commission (May 2005)West Midlands Non-Food Crops Opportunities/Mapping Study Draft final report,Commissioned by Advantage West Midlands (July 2007)West Midlands Regional Energy Strategy, West Midlands Partnership Steering Group andWorking Groups (November 2004)West Midlands Regional Energy Strategy Monitoring Report, West Midlands RegionalObservatory (April 2006)West Midlands Regional Spatial Strategy, Government Office for the West Midlands (June2004)FURTHER READING ● Planning for Renewable Energy in WorcestershireThe West Midlands Regional Urban Wind Capacity Study (June 2004) TNEI/GOWM/AWMWest Midlands Wood Energy Strategy Review 2006, WM Woodland & Forestry Forum WoodEnergy Task GroupWind Energy and the Historic Environment, English Heritage (October 2005)Wood for Energy - Energising the West Midlands for the 21st Century, Forestry CommissionWorcestershire Climate Change Strategy, Worcestershire Climate Change Group (October 2004)Worcestershire County Structure Plan 1996-2011, Worcestershire County Council (June 2001)The Worcestershire Local Area Agreement 2006-2009, The Worcestershire Partnership (April 2006)Worcestershire Local Transport Plan 2, 2006-11 (March 2006), Worcestershire County CouncilTechnical Research Paper 77

LIST OF CONSULTEES ● Planning for Renewable Energy in WorcestershireList of ConsulteesThe following bodies have been consulted as part of the development of thisresearch paper.Advantage West MidlandsBioenergy WMBritish Hydropower AssociationBromsgrove LPACotswolds AONBEON UKEvesham CollegeHeartwoodsMalvern Hills AONBMalvern Hills Vision 21National Energy FoundationNational TrustRedditch LPAWood Energy Task GroupWorcester BoschAF Hill & SonBiomass Energy CentreBritish Wind Energy AssociationChris Day AssociatesCountrywide FarmersEnergy West MidlandsH&W Chamber of CommerceHome Builders FederationMalvern Hills LPAMarches Energy AgencyNFU West MidlandsNISPRural HubWCC Property ServicesWorcester LPAWorcestershire Biodiversity PartnershipWyre Forest LPAWychavon LPAWorcestershire Young FarmersIn addition, this draft has been circulated among the Worcestershire PartnershipEnvironment Group, membership of which aims to represent key stakeholders with anenvironmental interest in Worcestershire, including English Heritage, District LSPs,Government Office for the West Midlands, the Environment Agency and Natural England.78Technical Research Paper

This document can be made available in other languages(including British Sign Language) and alternative formats(large print, audio tape, computer disk and Braille) on requestfrom Strategic Planning on telephone number 01905 766097.Planning, Economy & Performance DirectorateWorcestershire County CouncilCounty HallSpetchley RoadWorcester WR5 2NPwww.worcestershire.gov.uk