Here is Rosie's report...
We planned to discuss the local options available to us, with a view to discovering which options might be most worth pursuing. Amongst the topics that I hoped to look at were:
- St Margaret’s project
- Deal Pier turbine
- Leisure Centre in Victoria Park
- Churches and landmark Centre
- Anaerobic digesters ,possibly in co-operation with local farmers
- These topics were discussed. We ran out of time and the topics below were not discussed
- Co-operative buying of Solar/pv panels
- Local businesses
- Individual householders
- Energy conservation esp. households in fuel poverty
- Any other suggestions
More people than expected turned up at the Energy Groups
preliminary meeting (which was encouraging), and so we did not manage to give even
superficial attention to some of the possible projects. While there were serious reservations about
the tidal flow at Deal Pier being suitable for economic power generation,
people at the meeting were reluctant to entirely give up on the pier! So
further research on this , hopefully by contacting someone from Eel Pie Island
who has done something similar, and Alistair and his friend looking more
closely at their preliminary calculations, may possibly yield something
useful. We learned that all but small
wind turbines would fall foul of planning because of interference with radar at
Manston.
Anaerobic digesters are being researched further, and we
will continue to look at churches, Land mark Centre and the Leisure Centre in
Victoria Park as possible community projects.
It must be emphasised that we are very much in the
foothills, and need to have at least some idea of possible budgets before the
next meeting.
Unfortunately the Government’s announcement of more than 50%
reduction in the FITS payment that morning was a discouraging factor, but as we
do not yet know how this will affect Community projects, we tried not to be too
cast down!
At least we have taken our first step, though I have no doubt
we are embarking on a long and difficult journey! Some of those present have already come
back to me with queries/suggestions/further thoughts…please add your
thoughts! All suggestions etc. welcome!
There will be a further meeting as soon as we feel it will
be useful to hold one. energy@dealwithit.org
From Jack Domane:
ReplyDeleteWind powered generators W.P.G's as we know them (turbines) would hardly be suitable on the pier for a number of reasons: unsightly, unbefitting the Victorian Deal Town, the noise and the cost, who in fact would actually pay for it/them? Small Savonious W.P.G's that we are experimenting with could be a possibility. They could provide an interesting attraction to the pier head. The cost would be affordable and supply free power for the restaurant and pier lighting.
Anaerobic digesters combined unit is an interesting thought but to make it practical and financially viable it would need to provide a gas supply and the waste as a fertilizer. This system is already working in Didcott with great success which could be a sensible consideration. However, a plant like this costs more than a few thousand pounds and far beyond a community group but it would be worth talking to the Council probably with Shaun Cline who was kind enough to attend the meeting.
As far as energy from the tide it would be totally unpractical off the Deal coast. Close in on the Sandwich river estuary is a thoughtful possibility which would be more hydro than tidal but as the cost would be in millions of pounds, it can only form an interesting discussion.
Was energy coops raised. These have been very successful around the country especially in getting micro gen schemes on wind & PV going
ReplyDelete