“Consolidation of knowledge” was the key to success at the recent BETI training day for agricultural sector managers. Hosted by one of the participating companies, the day brought together business managers from a variety of business types who shared good business sense by seeing the benefit of incorporating sound environmental management into their business decision making.
Work with participants prior to the training day had enabled training organisers, Beds County Training, and lead trainers, the Engineering Employers’ Federation (EEF), to tailor the training to meet both the requirements of the nationally accredited CIEH (Chartered Institute of Environmental Health) certification and the needs of those taking part.
The training enabled managers to determine environmental fact from fiction and to increase their understanding of how all businesses can reduce their impact on the environment by minimising waste, energy, water and raw materials; looking for alternatives where-ever possible and recycling afterwards. Throughout the day, the simply actions that each business could benefit from were highlighted. Managers had asked that the Environment Agency, who are also key partners in BETI, explain how they could ensure compliance with three pieces of recent legislation affecting their work. Consequently, specialist advisors led sessions on the Ground Water Regulations; Nitrate Vulnerable Zones and Oil Storage Regulations.
On hand to answer questions and help in any way, the Environment Agency specialists were able to help managers avoid the most common pitfalls that could have led to them inadvertently breaking the law. The day was judged an overall success that exceeded managers expectations! As part of this unique project partnership, the managers who took part in the day will now be supported in developing an on site environmental project and disseminating the training to their staff. ©2003 - Beds & Luton Sustainable Business Partnership. All Rights Reserved. Disclaimer Business Environmental Training Initiative
What is a wood pellet?
This fuel is made from the same kind of clean sawdust that is used for pet bedding. The sawdust is heated and compressed into hard pellets and should be dust free. No binders and glues are added. If any water gets into the pellets, they fall apart very quickly so suppliers take great care to keep them dry.
Is there some form of standard for the fuel?
A new British standard has been published (number CEN335) we expect this to become an ISO standard in 2008.
What are energy crops?
Energy crops are species, which are grown specifically to burn for energy. They include willow and poplar trees, which are grown as a "short rotation coppice" (SRC) and cut every three years to provide wood fuel. Other energy crops include oil-seed rape which is crushed to provide the raw material for Biodiesel and Miscanthus
What is Miscanthus?
Miscanthus is a species of elephant grass grown for biomass. To picture what it looks like imagine a cross between pampas grass from the front garden and bamboo. This species grows to about 15ft high when it is left to dry, cut and baled. Power stations involved in co-firing are the main users of Miscanthus and grants are available to plant it under the energy crop scheme
What does "arboricultural" mean?
"Arboriculture is the selection, planting and care of individual trees, shrubs, vines, and other perennial woody plants, and the study of how they grow and respond to cultural practices and the environment. " It is usually used in reference to urban tree surgery work, as opposed to "silviculture" which is the management of whole woodlands.
What are "arboricultural arisings?"
Arboricultural arisings are material that has been produced as a result of arboriculture. They consist of tree prunings, hedge trimmings and other woody and green waste. The wood component of this potentially a valuable resource for conversion into wood fuel.
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'Social enterprise and the environment' event June 25, 2024
THIS WEBSITE WILL HELP YOU FIND PUBLICLY FUNDED SUPPORT AVAILABLE IN WALES FOR ENERGY EFFICIENCY AND SMALL-SCALE RENEWABLE ENERGY.
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Wood Energy
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Save Money Cut your electricity bill by 70%. Earn Money Earn over £800 per year with the feed in tariff. Accredited Companies We only deal with certified installers. Quick and Easy It might be worth talking to a number of different companies. One we have found helpful and consistently delivering high results in the commercial industry is Enviko, but please be your own judge.
Solar PV Cost/Savings example
This example is based on a 50kwp system with 30 degree pitch in Swindon with no grid upgrades and straight forward access. (2010)
System size: 50 kW
System cost: £75,000 +VAT
Income from FiT: £225,822 (assuming 3% RPI increase on 15.2p/kWh tariff)
Energy Savings: £106,142 (assuming unit cost = 11p/kWh)
Export Tariff Income: £15,469 (assuming inflation of 5%)
Total Profit (exc. install cost): £272,433
Benefits of Solar PV systems
Solar can help farmers reduce energy costs and generate income at the same time. A solar PV installation can substantially reduce energy costs, especially for farms running power-hungry equipment during daylight hours. Through the feed-in-tariff you can expect a return on investment of around 8% for a 25 year period, plus the savings on your electricity costs.
As a Solar PV specialist and accredited installer since 2004, we can help expedite planning applications and complete fit outs on permitted developments quickly and efficiently.
The difficulty of engaging with people has meant that Bryony isn’t sure how accurately they’re sticking to their pledges. “I’m hoping that the new scheme where you can make your own pledges will improve things” she says. “It’s a good move for this audience where people are probably already doing some of the standard pledges”.
The renewable energy industry in Wales is providing the potential for new Wood Energy Businesses to be established by entrepreneurial individuals or co-operatives. www.woodenergybusiness.co.uk A Wood Energy Business will need: 1. A guaranteed, local supply of wood or processed wood fuel 2.
The Government has set targets for the number of UK households that will have installed solar panels to their home. Contrary to popular believe the UK has over 65% of the radiation that Spain receives which is more than enough to guarantee a the function of a Solar PV system. With the Government's feed-in tariff in place that allows an income to be produced from installing solar energy the number of homes that rely soley on solar power is set to rise.