A major business event aimed at promoting the benefits of renewable energy to property and land owners is to take place in Yorkshire in March.

The inaugural Yorkshire Renewables Showcase, to be held at the Askham Bryan College, near York, will bring together some of the county’s leading names in the fields of green energy, law, accountancy and finance.

The brainchild of Graham Dodds, managing director of Bainton-based renewable energy specialists Dodds Limited, the day-long event is thought to be the first of its kind in the North and will demonstrate not only renewable energy products but will also provide advice on finance and other related matters.

In addition to Dodds, the main stakeholders of the Showcase are NatWest, Hull law firm Gosschalks, Selby accountants JWP Creers, and Earthmill, the Wetherby wind turbine suppliers.

Graham Dodds said: “The Showcase will be a unique gathering of all the skills and services homeowners, commercial property owners and farmers need if they are to make the most from renewable energy.

“For example, it’s not simply a case of buying solar panels and a wind turbine and installing structures on the property. Customers deserve to know the long-term benefits as well as the short-term financial, servicing and site management requirements.

“We believe this is the first time all these skills and services have been brought together under one roof and the response to the event has already far exceeded our expectations”. He added: “Renewable energy is a major issue for property owners and especially farmers, who are already realising the huge cost savings and extra revenue streams that can be created”.

Steve Savage, Business Development Director at Gosschalks, said: “This event represents a great opportunity for anyone with an interest in renewable energy to benefit from first-hand information and practical advice from a wide range of specialists involved in the burgeoning renewable energy sector in Yorkshire.

“Gosschalks is delighted to be one of the stakeholders in what we hope will become an annual event in the county’s business calendar”.

Dodds Limited is one of the fastest growing renewable energy specialists in the Yorkshire and Humber region, employing around 50 people. The company recently relocated from Driffield six miles down the A164 to Bainton, where it has invested heavily in creating the region’s first operational renewable energy centre, where there are for public viewing working examples of solar PV (photovoltaic), solar thermal, low energy lighting and a biomass boiler.

The Showcase will be held at the Askham Bryan College Conference Centre on Wednesday 27 March (10am to 7pm). For further information or to register for the event, email info@yorkshirerenewablesshowcase.co.uk.

Ofgem chief executive Alistair Buchanan has made a stark warning to consumers that the closing of old power stations will reduce the UK’s power generation capacity and result in rising energy prices.

Renewable energy is still in its relative infancy and as such there is not yet enough of it to bridge the gap between the loss of power station capacity and the energy being used. This is going to result in Gas being imported and the bill will inevitably fall to consumers.

Mr Bunchanan stated: “We may be able to rely on renewables, clean coal and nuclear, but the government wants to ensure we can get to this vision in an orderly way.”

It is abundantly clear that there needs to be a focus on renewable energy, amongst other things, to provide a cost effective solution to the increase in energy demands.  This is echoed aptly by David Cameron’s recent comments regarding green energy, “To those who say we just can’t afford to prioritise green energy right now, my view is we can’t afford not to.”

This is inevitably going to lead to a positive step in the right direction and as the Deputy Chief Executive of Renewable UK states, “The EEF points out that the UK’s offshore wind manufacturing sector alone could generate £35 billion for the country between now and 2050. That’s why they’re joining the wind industry in calling for the Government to set a date for 2030 decarbonisation target.”

Enquire about your wind turbine project today by filling in our site assessment form.

Installing a wind turbine is a great investment…

The advantages of installing a wind turbine are myriad.  Access to clean energy, multiple avenues of potential additional income and carbon footprint reduction are some of the main ones.  So what’s the big hurry?  The simple fact of the matter is that there will never be a more advantageous time to go about installing a wind turbine than now.  Here are some of the main reasons:

Feed in Tariff

One of the major incentives for installing green energy generation devices such as wind turbines is the government Feed in Tariff initiative, or ‘FiTs’.  FiTs are a government reward scheme whereby you will be awarded a financial reward for every unit of clean energy your produce – and what’s more, it doesn’t matter whether you use the energy yourself or sell it back to the National Grid, you still get the FiTs.  The current rate for small and medium sized wind turbines is around £0.21 per kWh, so if you generate 25,000kWh in a month you’ll receive £5,250.  FiTs are index linked and payable for the next twenty years at the rate which was in effect when you registered.

However, like most good things FiTs will not last forever.  The FiTs rate will be dropping in April 2014 and will continue to drop incrementally following that.  That may seem like a long way away, however getting planning permission for a wind turbine can be a lengthy process, especially if you have to enter the appeals process.  In order to take advantage of the current FiT before it drops we’re strongly recommending that prospective turbine owners begin the process as soon as possible.

Prospective turbine owners who have planning permission and an excepted firm quote from the distribution network by December can pre-register with Ofgem to receive the current level of FiTs.  If you miss this deadline then your turbine must physically go in the ground, be commissioned and registered before April in order to qualify for the current FiT rate.

Grid Line Capacity

Wind turbines are becoming more popular and an increasingly common sight on the land.  Each turbine must be connected to the National Grid via local power lines.  Grid lines have a maximum power capacity and in many areas these lines have or are reaching that maximum capacity – this means that no more power sources (in our case, wind turbines) can be connected.  To gain the go ahead for your turbine your local grid lines must have enough spare capacity available and this is filling up rapidly.

To find out if your site is suitable for installing a wind turbine you can request a complimentary site assessment from Earthmill.  Click here to find out more.

Earthmill have long enjoyed a successful relationship with international turbine manufacturer Endurance, becoming the leading supplier of the E-3120 model in the world.  The recent partnership of Endurance and Danish turbine manufacturer Norwin has opened up a fantastic opportunity for landowners in the North of England and on the Scottish boarder.

As a result of the partnership, Earthmill will now be offering three additional wind turbine models: a 225kW, 500kW and 750kW.  These turbines will be at the medium to larger end of the turbine range, perfect for landowners with larger properties or who wish to enjoy a larger energy yield.

“The new models will be an exciting edition to our turbine range,” commented Mark Woodward, Earthmill’s Director of Sales. “With rising energy costs many farmers are looking for alternative energy options to power their businesses.  Wind power is a truly fantastic option because it’s clean and completely renewable.  Turbine owners don’t just benefit from the power generated by the turbine; there is also additional income to be had from exporting surplus energy back to the national grid and the Feed-in Tariff, which the government pays out for every kilowatt hour of clean energy you produce.”

Norwin turbines are renowned for being simplistic in design and, as a direct result, effective and reliable.  The first of the new models is already available: the 225kW model has been renamed the Endurance X-29 and Earthmill is now accepting sales enquiries.

To find out if your land is suitable for wind power generation please use our complimentary site assessment tool.

This is a very exciting week for us, and not just because our advent calendars are starting to look really empty.  We have officially announced that, as a direct result of the Norwin / Endurance partnership, we’ll be supplementing our inventory of wind turbines with some new models, including the Endurance X-29.  These are the two reasons why we’re so excited:

1. The Norwin (now Endurance) models are renowned for their reliability.  This is because the turbines carry a very simplistic, effective design.
2. The new models come in 225kW, 500kW and 750kW generation sizes, which are larger than our current turbine models.  Being able to supply mid to large sized turbines means that we can cater for a wider range of power demands, which is obviously very useful within the agricultural industry.  In essence, the new turbines can meet the needs of a much larger establishment and provide a much better opportunity for income through export to the National Grid and FiTs.

Beginning with the Endurance X-29, the 225kW wind turbine model, we are now welcoming sales enquiries about the new turbines.  What better way to enter 2013?

If you’re a landowner and would like to find out more, you can request a complimentary site assessment to find out whether your land is suitable for wind power.