Wednesday 4 May 2011

Warcop Green Communities Report


I've managed to hopefully get to grips with Dropbox this morning.

Here is the link to the Energy Savings Trust report for everyone to read:

Warcop Green Communities Report as a PDF

You'll see Warcop has potential to become more self sustainable regarding energy supplies, utilising a mixture of hydro, wind, PV & not forgetting woodfuel.


Subsequently we also had a follow up meeting with Neville Elstone, who spoke at SEE meeting on the same evening, from Cumbria Woodlands, whose given us a planned way forward regarding utilising Warcop's woodland resources for woodfuel etc.

From Neville's email back to WREG.

"Many thanks for taking the time to show me around the village and explain your ideas.  Woodfuel has plenty of potential to help the villagers both reduce their fuel bills and carbon foot print.

We spoke about several ways that Woodfuel could work harder within the village to help the community, this ranged from helping those who currently burn wood find sources of timber and burn it more efficiently to district heating schemes such as we saw in the film (shown at SEE meeting). The community need to decide what, from a wide range of potential opportunities they want to go for, in full knowledge that the bigger the project the greater the risk and time commitment.  Below I have set out a table which details some objectives and ways to achieve them, it’s important to remember you can start with the first ones and then move on to the next.  Please note that this could be further sub divided or other options could be added in"


Objective
Ways to achieve it
Increase knowledge about burning wood well for those with existing Woodfuel stoves and open fires
A knowledge event on how to burn wood well and where to buy it from locally
Raise awareness of the potential for burning more wood in clever ways, log batch boilers for single homes, pellet stoves etc
Through a mix of events, articles, visits and information provision
Increase the management of woodlands within the area, say a 10 mile radius
A mix of events, local promotion, visits, information provision and sign posting existing free woodland advisory services
Community owned firewood business
Obtain access to a range of woodlands or buy in timber from local owners who manage woodlands
Community owned pellet/briquette business
Obtain the interest and buy in of local sawmills, ensure the business model makes sense, balance supply of pellets with demand
Community owned district heating system
Obtain buy in from community
Obtain finance
Set up legal agreements





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