News

Feed-in tariffs - announcement on 1st February 2010

On 1st February 2010, the Government made a further announcement on the nature of Feed-in Tariffs. The Department for Energy and Climate Change issued a Press Release with some clarification.

Press Release - Cash Rewards for Low Carbon Electricity and Heating.

To provide further clarification, we have provided our own notes of the new rules. Please visit our Feed-in tariffs page, for clearer information on the new rules.

We can now supply and install 50 kW turbines!

We have added a further range of turbines to our portfolio. We can now supply and install 50 kW turbines. For more details, visit this page.

The Women in Business Awards 2010

We are delighted to announce that Christine Griffiths has been entered in the ‘Mentor of the Year’ category of the Women in Business Awards 2010. The awards are organised by SouthWestBusiness.co.uk, a website run by The Citizen and the Gloucestershire Echo, a web site targeted at the regions's business leaders. The stated aim of the Women in Business Awards is to recognise the achievements of Gloucestershire's women entrepreneurs.

The ‘Mentor of the Year’ category is sponsored by BusinessLink and the stated rules are : “This award will go to the woman who has demonstrated the skills of being a mentor, who has gone the extra mile in supporting a colleague or business and has made a difference to their life or business. The judges will be interested in the details of what has happened as a result of their/your mentorship, this maybe for one or several different people or businesses. ”

Ecobuild

Ecobuild is the world’s biggest event for sustainable design, construction and the built environment.

Combining an 850 exhibitor-strong product showcase with more than 100 free conference and seminar sessions and dozens of interactive educational attractions, Ecobuild connects formal learning with practical experience, and with products and suppliers. It will be held at Earls Court between Tuesday 2nd March and Thursday 4th March 2010.

You can register for a feee invitation, by visiting the website at www.ecobuild.co.uk - and click on the "Register" button at the right end of the main menu.

Energy Now Expo 2010

Banner for energynow expo

Energy Now Expo is a two day exhibition and conference showcasing the latest renewable energy technologies and services available to farmers and rural landowners. This inaugural event will take place on 17 and 18 February 2010 at the Three Counties Showground in Malvern, Worcestershire.

You can visit the exhibition free of charge, by visiting the website at www.energynowexpo.co.uk - and click on the "Register FOC as a visitor" button.

Feed-in tariff

Feed-in tariffs is a complex area and is constantly changing. The plan is to have FiTs in place by April 2010.

Because it is complex and ever-changing, we have created a separate page, specifically about Feed-in Tariffs, here on our site to help you with the latest information. Consultations are still taking place, so the figures and rules are likely to change between now and April 2010.

Open Day at Pilning

More than 50 farmers and landowners from across the South West of England attended the Aeolus Power Ltd Open Day in Pilning, near Bristol on Thursday 24 September 2009.

Christine Griffiths, Managing Director of Aeolus Power Ltd says, “Our Open Day was a tremendous success bringing together farmers considering the purchase of a wind turbine with the turbine suppliers, grant providers and farmers who have been through the process. The purchase of a wind turbine is a serious decision, and at Aeolus Power we believe in providing as much information and guidance as possible so that the a potential turbine purchaser can make an informed choice.”

There's more detail about the Open Day on a separate page.

New web sites help with information on Feed in Tariffs

The following web sites help people and companies benefit from the forthcoming electricity and heat tariffs. The most visible aspect is an information website for each (www.FITariffs.co.uk and www.RHIncentive.co.uk). These provide information on the tariffs from the energy user’s point of view.

Energy Saving Trust field trial of domestic wind turbines

The Energy Saving Trust's field trial of domestic wind turbines is the most comprehensive technical monitoring exercise of domestic small-scale wind turbines undertaken to date in the UK.

The trial was launched in January 2007 to monitor the in-situ performance of 57 turbines installed at UK homes for a period of at least 12 months. The Energy Saving Trust identified participants from a selection of grant recipients and sites put forward by wind turbine manufacturers.

The findings illustrate that turbine performance is highly dependent upon the local wind speed so it is vital to accurately predict the wind speed before installing a domestic small-scale turbine. The report also discusses the technical factors that impact the performance of domestic small-scale wind turbines, including installation and proper siting.

A copy of the report can be downloaded from the web site. This link leads to the page - it is worth seeing the whole web site, so we haven't linked to just the report, but to the correct page, to allow you to explore other items on the Trust's web site.

Rural Enterprise Gateway

Rural Enterprise Gateway (REG) aims to improve the economic performance and competitiveness of farming and land-based industries by giving people the support, skills and information needed to develop their businesses and find solutions to business problems in a rapidly changing economic, political and physical climate. Alongside offering a package of support to farming and other rural businesses, it is your Gateway to information, advice and support.

REG is delivered through the Business Link network across the South West of England. The project is supported by the South West Regional Development Agency and financed by the Rural Development Programme for England (RDPE), an EU and government funded programme. REG support for fisheries and related businesses is funded from the South West Regional Development Agency.

The project is also a gateway to other initiatives that help rural businesses develop ideas and expertise across the region and make the most of the wide range of support available to them. Please click here for more information about the Rural Enterprise Gateway project.

Rural Development Programme for England (RDPE)

The web site mentioned in the preceding News item also links to the web site for the Rural Development Programme for England (RDPE)

The RDPE is worth £3.9 billion nationally and is jointly funded by the European Commission and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra). It highlights 4 priorities for rural development with a view to safeguarding and enhancing our rural environment and fostering competitive and sustainable businesses and thriving rural communities.

The following link takes you to a page which discusses sources of finance and provides links according to the region you live in. Please click here for more information about the Rural Development Programme for England.

Greenwise

We receive a regular newsletter from GreenWise. GreenWise is an independent daily information service for businesses - large and small - that want to learn more about the opportunities and challenges of moving to a low carbon economy.

It is worth a look - you can subscribe yourselves by clicking here. There's a 'Subscribe' button on the page.

Embrace Wind

BWEA have created a web site, dedicated to explaining the benefits of wind power. Visit http://www.embracewind.com to find out more.

As part of this new strategy, they have also organised a Wind Week. Are you ready for Wind Week 2009? Wind Week 2009, organised by the British Wind Energy Association, is a great event for all the family. Following last year's successful Wind Weekend, BWEA extended the celebration to nine days, starting Sat 13th June until Sun 21st. Wind farms up and down the country will be opening their gates to welcome you.

Find out more about this event at http://www.embracewind.com/whatis.html

New Brochure

We have just updated our brochure and it is available to download as a PDF.

E.ON launches Sustainable Energy Fund for green communities across UK

Leading energy company E.ON has launched a Sustainable Energy Fund for green-thinking community groups across the UK, offering grants and advice for sustainable improvement energy projects. The fund replaces E.ON's SOURCE fund which helped many charities and community groups across England, Scotland and Wales lower their carbon footprint.

E.ON Sustainable Energy Fund is now open for new applications and is backed up by a dedicated web resource which provides top tips on energy efficiency and sustainability. The next deadline is June 12th 2009.

Tony Jenkin Jones, Community Relations Executive for E.ON, said: "Previous projects have ranged from a solar panelled water heater for a café at a monkey sanctuary, to a community swimming pool on Islay, Scotland, which uses waste heat from the nearby distillery for warmth - and everything in between!"

"If you have a sustainable improvement project in mind which is educational and beneficial to all local groups, and you can show energy efficient steps that you've already taken, then get involved now and find out how we can help your green dream come true."

E.ON's Sustainable Energy Fund is backed up by the Sustainable Energy Fund web site which contains full details of how to apply for a grant. To access it go to www.eon-uk.com/sustainableenergyfund. You can also view the press release.

Picking up speed: is the time right to invest in small wind?

Owners and employees of small businesses need to be aware of their energy consumption, and using a small wind turbine is an efficient way to cut energy bills. And enhance the environmental profile of your business, as consumers look for goods and services that are produced in a green way. If you run, or are part of, a small to medium-sized enterprise (SME) then the following article from the Green Wise web site will be of interest to you.

GreenWise is an independent daily information service for businesses - large and small - that want to learn more about the opportunities and challenges of moving to a low carbon economy. The article is on their website and you can view it by following this link.

Cornish primary school cuts energy costs with microgeneration

A primary school, St Columb Minor School, near Newquay in Cornwall, is saving 15% of its energy costs thanks to microgeneration equipment including a small wind turbine, solar PV and solar thermal panels. Aeolus Power supplied the wind turbine and it was installed by our installer, Dan Ledger of Capture Energy.

You can read all about the installation and the school's Sustainability Action Plan, on the New Energy Focus web site. New Energy Focus is a web site that features news on renewable and low carbon energy in the UK.

Feed-in Tariffs: a good FIT for the UK

The government is planning to introduce a Feed-in Tariff, an extra payment for green energy generators. Good Energy is releasing its analysis on Feed-in Tariffs which evaluates the FIT models that may be introduced in the UK. The report is available at Feed-in Tariffs for the UK.

Good Energy run a Blog and would welcome feedback on FIT. You can visit their blog at Green Energy Republic where you can tell them your thoughts or ask any questions you might have about FITs.

If you'd like an introduction to Feed-in Tariffs read the background information at FIT press release.

Carbon Trust online wind estimator

At the beginning of March 2009, the Carbon Trust launched a new online tool to help businesses and consumers considering installing a wind turbine to work out how much power it could generate alongside the cost and carbon savings. The tool will help ensure that small-scale turbines are installed in locations where they will deliver the most carbon and cost savings.

By inputting a postcode, details about the surrounding landscape and the type of turbine, users can now calculate the annual mean wind speed as well as the likely energy generation and carbon savings. The 'Wind Yield Estimation Tool' is freely available on the Carbon Trust website and can be accessed here: www.carbontrust.co.uk/wind-estimator.

This site requires you to create an account and register details. If you go to our Documents page, then you can download a document which provides the output power figures for our turbines, over a range of windspeeds.

National Animal Welfare Trust Cornwall

We have installed a new turbine at the National Animal Welfare Trust in Cornwall. They have just opened a new centre in Hayle, in Cornwall and part of the development included a commitment to green energy. We fitted a 6 kW turbine on a 9 m tower. The expected annual output is approximately 10,000 kWh. As part of the service we supplied, we arranged LBCP Phase 2 Grant Funding. This is an interesting Case Study about that particular installation. Click the PDF icon below to view the Case Study.

Case Study for National Animal Welfare Trust

They have made a movie of their new centre, which features occasional glimpses of the turbine in action. Click on the embedded movie below to view it.

Case studies

We have produced a number of Case Studies on various installations we have completed recently. They are on the Documents page, but we've also put them here to make them easy to find.

BWEA Small Wind Systems UK Market Report - 2008.

The BWEA Small Wind Systems UK Market Report - 2008 is the first of its kind in Europe and draws on contributions from across the UK micro- and small-wind industry. The report assesses the current size and dynamic of the UK small wind system sector and offers indications towards future market development. Its content aims to provide an introduction to small wind system technology, give industry greater clarity as to current UK and export market, as well as support policy development within national Government.

You can read the report by clicking on this link. The image on the front page of the report shows one of our installations.

Shell Springboard

It’s not only big business and government that can respond to the challenge of climate change. After all, there are over 4 million small businesses in the UK, who are smart, quick and full of ideas. Shell Springboard are offering a financial boost of up to £40,000 for a small number of UK businesses who submit the most compelling plans for a product or service which helps combat climate change. They are now starting on their 4th round of funding and applications are open to small business, located in the UK.

There is more information on the Shell Springboard web site.

Testimonials

We all like to be appreciated and we really like it when someone takes the time to contact us and say how satisfied they are. This letter was received from one of our happy customers; it also provides some useful insight into owning a turbine.

Flagship development has set sustainability benchmark

A new business centre in Okehampton boasts green credentials in a project partly funded by the South West Regional Development Agency (SWRDA). The Agency is keen to lead the South-West region towards a low-carbon, resource-efficient economy and this centre is seen as an important test.

The project was developed by West Devon Borough Council, which owns and manages the centre. The South West Regional Development Agency (SWRDA) has invested heavily in this project, to the tune of £1.35 million, with an eye on its recent ambitious commitment to make all of its investments net zero-carbon by 2013 and lead on the development of a low-carbon economy in the region.

We provided the wind turbine for this new business centre. You can read more about the centre on the Westcountry Business web site.

Stiff sea breeze blows away school's electricity bill

There is a very good article in the The Times about an installation we have recently completed at a school in Cornwall. An important aspect of this installation is the position of the school, on a windswept headland, so wind power makes a lot of sense. You can read the article online at the TimesOnline web site.

Sustainabilitylive! 2008

This show was at the NEC, in Birmingham, over three days, from 20th to 22nd May 2008. We had a stand at the show and it proved to be a great success. We particularly enjoyed meeting existing customers and encouragiing future customers.

The picture below shows Christine on our stand, with Gavin Kerr, from Proven Energy.

Our stand at Sustainability Live 2008

The next picture is also of our stand, but this one shows Craig Sams, from EcoEnerg, also with Gavin Kerr, from Proven Energy. Craig is one of our installers; EcoEnerg are based in Staindrop in County Durham.

Our stand at Sustainability Live 2008

Microgeneration Certification Scheme

The Clear Skies certification scheme has now been replaced by the Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS). BRE Global are running a certification scheme for Microgeneration products and we are among the first installers in the UK to be approved under this new scheme. We have received Certificate MCS 1017, which means that we are certified for "Supply, Design, Install, Set to work, Commissioning and Handover of Micro and Small Wind Systems". For more details of MCS, visit BRE Global's pages at Green Book Live.

We can now use the official logo for the scheme on our literature and on our web site. This is what the logo looks like :

Microgeneration Certification Scheme logo

Wind turbine helps cut Environment Agency's carbon footprint

The following article appeared on the thisiscornwall.co.uk web site :

Launceston's Environment Agency depot has switched to clean energy by installing its own wind turbine.

Local MP Dan Rogerson came to the depot to unveil an interpretation board, explaining how the turbine works. At more than 60ft high, it produces 15,000 kilowatts of power a year, and should reduce the Agency's electricity bill by 40%.Mr Rogerson said: "It's great to see the Environment Agency leading the way by producing some of their own energy.

"I'm proud that our office in Cornwall is the first in the country to take this initiative, and is now among the greenest government buildings in the country.

"Large wind farms can be controversial, so it's important that we take the opportunity wherever possible to generate clean power on a small scale."

Further information is also on the Environment Agency web site

Green Book Live

Green Book Live is a free online database designed to help specifiers and end users identify products and services that can help to reduce their impact on the environment. It is organised and run by BRE Ltd.

As part of the Microgeneration Certification Scheme, BRE have added a Case Study that tells the story behind Aeolus Power Ltd. This appears as a PDF file on their site. You can either download it here by clicking on the icon below

or you can visit the Green Book Live site and view the page that describes us.

Microgeneration Certification Scheme

Christine was recently presented with the certificate from BRE in Watford.

and this is the certificate in more detail :

Llandidrod Wells

We have also completed the following installations :

6kw x 15m mast - Sydling St, Nicholas, Dorset
6kw x 15m mast - Crediton, Devon
2.5kw x 9m mast - torquay, Devon
6kw x 15m mast - Llandrindod Wells, powys
6kw x 15m mast - Stratford-on-Avon
6kw x 15m mast - South Brent, Devon (on Dartmoor National Park)
6kw x 9m mast - Trellech, Mon.

The Spark

The Spark magazine is a free quarterly magazine about positive change for the West of England, especially the Bristol, Bath, Stroud, Taunton and Glastonbury area. It's packed full of information about personal, social and global change.

They've just launched a new section called planet spark, concentrating on how we move to a more ethical and sustainable world. As part of this section, they featured an interview with Christine, on the topic of wind turbines. This is a PDF of the article. You can also visit The Spark web site, where you can download a PDF of the whole magazine..

Prices

As Aeolus Power have now become South/South West Stockholders for Proven Energy, we are able to buy in sufficient quantities to obtain a discount, which we are happy to pass on to our customers. View our Price list.

targetNeutral

We have registered our two company vehicles with a scheme run by BP, offsetting the carbon emissions produced by the vehicles. The scheme is called targetNeutral and supports projects that reduce global CO2 emissions.

Find out more about targetNeutral : making a positive step towards conserving our environment.

Daily Telegraph

In the Daily Telegraph on 17th March 2007, there was a pull-out feature called "Saving Places", working with the Energy Saving Trust. There is a lovely picture of the house - only a little bit about the turbines.

If you go to the following link, it takes you to a picture gallery, with Previous and Next buttons, and each picture is about saving energy. All the pictures are attractive, featuring many beautiful spots in the UK. We are on page 13 of the slide-show.

Foxhole Farm

New installations

We have completed the installation of 2 new turbines in the last few weeks - a 6kW on a 15m mast at Wellington in Somerset and a 6kW on a 9m mast at Lanlivery in Cornwall. Both are working well and we would be happy to supply details if anyone is interested.

Soapbox: Home wind turbines

The piece in the Evening Post about our entry to the Evening Post Business Awards resulted in a letter written by S Jackson of Clifton. You can read the letter here :

SOAPBOX: HOME WIND TURBINES. There is a nice picture of Christine to accompany the letter.

We felt the need to reply, not least because we don't sell the turbines criticised in the letter. Our letter was published by the Evening post

TURBINES ARE AN OLD WAY THAT STILL WORKS

Here's my reply in full :

In reply to Mr. Jackson of Clifton letter as the "lady hoping to save money by installing wind turbines" I should like to make a couple of points.

I wholly agree with the points made with regard to small building mounted wind turbines - which is why we do not and have never sold them. The reasons for this are that they are "horizontal axis turbines". The propeller blades turn horizontally - and these turbines dislike turbulent wind. Therefore in an urban environment Ð Mr. Jackson is quite correct in his assumption that the majority of small building mounted wind turbines create vibration, noise and relatively little (if any) electricity.

However, there are companies at present working on the manufacturing of a 1kW building mounted Vertical Axis Wind turbine - these - because the blades are vertical work most effectively in turbulent air - making them ideal for the urban environment.

Secondly, the wind turbine in the photograph was manufactured by Proven Energy in Scotland (not a typically underdeveloped country) and is a 6kW turbine on a free standing 9m mast- I most definitely would not want this attached to my house and as can be seen in the photograph - we are in a "country" environment - and if Mr. Jackson would like to visit us - I would be delighted to show him exactly how much electricity our turbine produces.

In addition - since our turbine was installed approx 8 months ago we have produced almost 4,500 kWhrs of electricity - and have exported over 1,000 kW to the national grid (for which I am paid 7.5p per kilowatt).

Undoubtedly, wind turbines are not the answer to all our electricity problems - but for people with a large electricity consumption in the country they certainly offer an alternative.

And finally I cannot help but argue with this "whizzo" ideas - there is evidence of windmills in England from as early as the 12th century - a website Mr. Jackson may be interested in is www.windmillworld.com

I look forward to his comments.

Christine Griffiths
Aeolus Power Ltd.
www.aeoluspower.co.uk

The Independent

This piece was published in the Independent on Saturday 21st October 2006. It got a lot right. Christine Griffiths - check. Wind turbines -check. Gloucestershire - check. Company name - Aqueous Power. No! Aeolus Power. Aeolus was the God of the four winds. Aqueous? What sort of word is that for a wind turbine? A water turbine, maybe.

http://money.independent.co.uk/personal_finance/invest_save/article1914549.ece

So, if you saw the article and have searched on Google for Aqueous Power, then you've come to the right place - just that our name is Aeolus Power.

New convert puts faith in the wind

Two years ago, Christine Griffiths bought a grade 2-listed Gloucestershire farmhouse, and was shocked when the electricity bills began arriving. Her first plan was to use solar technology to reduce the farm's energy consumption, but her local authority said the building's listed status precluded the installation of panels of photovoltaic cells. It was then that she began investigating a wind turbine.

By the end of last year, work on a 9m wind turbine in Christine's orchard had been completed. When the wind blows well, the turbine can produce 6kW of power an hour, easily enough to make the farm self-sufficient. Excess electricity is sold back to Christine's local electricity company, through the normal mains grid connection. She also buys power when the turbine is not producing enough.

"We paid around £18,000 to install the turbine, but we got a £5,000 grant from the Government towards that cost," Christine says. "We reckon we'll break even in 10 years or so, but if we sell up before then, the drastically reduced electricity bills we now have would be a major selling point."

Christine has become such a convert to wind power that earlier this year she launched her own company Aqueous Power, which installs wind turbines across the South of England. Christine believes wind power is currently best-suited to rural locations, but expects new technology to make turbines possible for city dwellers soon.

source: The Independent, Saturday 21st October 2006