RDES News - RD Energy Solutions

RDES were initially commissioned to provide feasibility work into embedded wind energy opportunities. The preferred option was identified and RDES then undertook all wind turbine planning works. Once consent was provided RDES submitted grant funding application and proceeded with a turn key installation. RDES Carried out a full service including:-

– Feasibility Study

– Planning works (including Landscape and Visual works)

– Full design

– Turbine procurement

– Installation, testing and commissioning

Key Facts:

• Estimated Generation – 216MWh / annum
• Will provide around 25% of the total site demand
• Carbon Offset – 122 tonnes / annum
• Annual energy saving/return using FIT £50,000 / annum
• Gross installed Cost of £420,000 (grant funding of £100,000)
• Payback including grant funding of 6.3 years

Small-scale wind developments and biomass projects have emerged as the best options for generating renewable energy on North Uist and Berneray, according to a feasibility study.

The report was commissioned by the North Uist Partnership, an organisation set up in 2001 to look at sustainable community development.

The report comes prefaced by the stark reminder that the Western Isles have the highest percentage of households in fuel poverty in the UK, at 34%.

RD Energy Solutions have singled out a number of sites with wind power potential on the island.

They include a suggestion to site two medium-scale turbines at Criongrabhal, near Clachan, one small-scale turbine at Kallin harbour and one small turbine at Solas Co-op. Two medium-scale turbines would cost about £2million, and generate enough power per year to fuel more than 1,000 homes.

That power would be exported to the grid under a long-term purchase agreement and offset 2,500 tonnes of carbon dioxide per year, leaving North Uist carbon-neutral as far as electricity use is concerned.

The report looks at the feasibility of using woodchip boilers in Trianaid residential home, Langass Hatchery, Paible School and local hotels. There is also the potential for residents to buy logs which could be used to reduce domestic heating costs.

Wood from the Gleann Drolla plantation in the north-west of the island could be used in the short to medium term, with other options, such as coppicing and growing other biomass crops, required later on to increase supply. Wave energy is also seen as a possibility in the future, when shoreline devices still under development become financially viable.

The development of larger wind and marine options would require regional upgrades to the Western Isles grid network, and this could take several years.

RD Energy spokesman Ian McLean said: “The biomass opportunities are more readily achievable and North Uist could follow several other mainland communities in developing a local biomass fuel supply company.”

A public meeting to discuss the report will be held in Lochmaddy Hall on Monday, February 16. Meanwhile copies of the report are available for public viewing at Taigh Chearsabhagh and the Claddach Kirkibost Centre.

RD Energy Solutions have recently carried out an initial feasibility and detailed environmental feasibility for a wind turbine up to 300 feet high to possibly be built on Wester Gourdie industrial estate in Dundee to provide electricity for a fruit and vegetable cold store.

Dundee Cold Stores Ltd is proposing to submit a planning application for what is described as a “medium-scale wind turbine” by its warehouse to the east of Smeaton Road.

The report to the development quality committee explaind, “A specific type of turbine has not been selected at this stage but it is expected to range from approximately 66m (216ft) from ground to blade tip to 91m (298ft) depending on the type and brand chosen.”

There is no indication in the report of the possible timescale for a planning application.

RD Energy Solutions contacted the council on behalf of the company, providing details of the proposal and the environmental issues it may raise.

However, the report to councillors stated, “On the basis of the information submitted, it has been concluded that the proposal is not likely to give rise to any significant environmental effects.

“Accordingly, it is considered that the submission of a formal environmental statement is not required in this case.”

The Wester Gourdie plant was built in 1970 and run until 2001 by Christian Salvesen when it was taken over by Alpine Cold Stores.

Fears that it might close in 2007 were allayed when it was sold to newly- established Dundee Cold Stores.

It is used by many local farmers, with peas, beans, raspberries and blackcurrants foremost among the crops frozen there, and it has been acknowledged as one of the best vegetable processing centres in the UK.

Education Secretary Fiona Hyslop recently announced measures to make Scotland’s schools greener whilst visiting Sanderson’s Wynd Primary School (shown below) in Tranent, East Lothian one of RD Energy Solutions installation sites.

The initiative hopes to boost the use of renewables in schools and also improve energy efficiency.

A report by watchdogs Audit Scotland last year said councils needed to do more to ensure environmental sustainability is a key factor in the design of schools.

The Energy Efficiency Unit, of the Enterprise, Energy & Tourism Directorate, is funding two Schools Renewables Development Officers (SRDOs) to promote uptake of micro-renewables in schools to reduce carbon emissions and energy costs and raise awareness of sustainable energy issue.

The SRDOs, who are now in place, will work with every local authority to help them identify renewable potential in their schools. This initiative will seek to maximise the uptake by authorities of the UK Low Carbon Building Programme (LCBP) which provides 50 per cent funding for the installation costs of a range of renewable technologies. The SRDOs will also assist authorities to explore funding potential.

A web portal, hosted on the Scottish Government website, will present advice and guidance on design issues, relevant regulations and specific additional funding that may be available to assist them in developing sustainable schools.

Although the design of low to zero carbon new school buildings may result in slightly higher initial capital construction costs, whole life costs should be lower so there is a clear incentive for authorities to build sustainable schools.

The Carbon Trust, which helps organisations cut their carbon emissions, will also offer each local authority a “low-carbon” consultant.

Ms Hyslop said: “The green message to be conveyed through environmentally-friendly school buildings and facilities cannot be stressed enough.” The education secretary visited Sanderson’s Wynd Primary where she saw a “low-carbon school” with solar PV panels and two wind turbines installed by RD Energy Solutions.

The school also has automatic lighting that reacts to the amount of daylight in a room, along with an information panel also installed by RDES which displays the amount of energy the school is generating at any one time.

Ms Hyslop said: “All of the measures at Sanderson will be important in helping tackle climate change and, at a time of high fuel prices, both renewable generation and energy efficiency measures will be important in helping local authorities reduce consumption, carbon emissions and energy bills.”

Andrew Lyle director of RD Energy Solutions said: “This is a very encouraging move by the Scottish Government and will add to the work we are already carrying out to help schools realise the huge potential that exists to utilise renewable energy technologies to cut fuel bills and reduce CO2 production. It will also provide a boost to Government proposals for achieving 20 per cent renewable energy in Scotland by 2020.”

RD Energy Solutions have recently carried out renewable energy consultancy for NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde across a number of sites. One of the recomendations being the installation of six wind turbines on the roof of Inverclyde Royal Hospital. This project featured in a recent article in ‘The Herald’ in which NHS (GGC) said iit was “one of the most ambitious NHS energy efficiency drives witnessed in Scotland”

The turbines will be used to create electricity to help run Inverclyde Royal Hospital. The authority said it was drawing up a raft of initiatives to slash its carbon footprint by as much as 25% over the next eight years and is also considering a raft of other measures aimed at cutting energy bills. NHS GGC facilities director Alex McIntyre said: “The hospital site in Greenock is ideally suited for wind turbines given that the hospital is high on a hill exposed to fairly constant wind.

“Every little bit helps when it comes to saving energy and although these turbines will not be able to power the hospital, they will go some way to reducing the amount of electricity we need to buy from the national grid.”

RD Energy Solutions is celebrating another successful year with two of its projects from 2008 being nominated for Green Energy Awards.

“This marks an excellent end to 2008 for RDES and is a welcome reward for all the hard work and effort that the team have put in” commented RDES Director Andrew Lyle.

Nominated for Best Renewable Project was Dumfries and Galloway Royal Infirmary Biomass Boiler. This 1.5MW biomass boiler system includes a 200m3 underground storage facility with fully automated feed mechanism and steam raising boiler. The biomass plant delivers 50% of the total heat demand to the hospital and saves over 2,375 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions each year. This flagship project is the first biomass boiler to be installed in an NHS hospital in Scotland and has helped pave the way for the further use of biomass boilers in the Scottish Public Sector. The boiler has reduced Dumfries and Galloway NHS carbon footprint by 20% and its maintenance and operation has created 15 sustainable jobs in the local area.

Nominated for Best Community Initiative was Here We Are - Our Power CIC. This is a bio-energy processing centre which produces woodfuel from local forests and delivers this to a number of biomass boilers installed in local industry, leisure services, district heating systems and the HQ of Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park Authority. This is the first community owned and operated biomass fuel supply company in the UK. Its creation has empowered the local community and provided environmental, economic and social benefit. It has proved the viability of community owned biomass fuel schemes and is inspirational to other groups who can learn about the role local sustainable energy can play to regenerate their own community.

RD Energy Solutions were appointed as lead consultant for the project, tasked with co-ordinating and managing a multi-disciplinary team of architects, engineers, and contractors. This landmark project is the largest steam biomass boiler installed in NHS Scotland (with approx 2,300 tonnes carbon dioxide offset per annum), and provides the base load heating requirements for the NHS Dumfries Royal Infirmary and will provide significant cost saving to the site.