“The new redevelopment is to bring employment opportunities for trade professionals”

A multimillion redevelopment scheme at the University of Hull’s historic library has been given the green light with the appointment of its main contractor that will refurbish the 16,000 square-metre building and provide new employment opportunities for people in the trades. 

Today’s appointment of BAM Construction will provide the eight-storey library with new facades, mechanical and engineering services.

Building work is set to start this month, with the main scheme getting underway in November 2012. The project will continue for 3 years and is expected to be completed by 2014.

The project is expected to meet the world’s leading environmental and rating system for buildings, BREEAM.

BAM said in a statement today that it will hold suppliers days to attract local labour and provide employment opportunities for trade professionals, including plumbers, electricians and gas engineers.

BAM’s Construction Director, Kelvin Pollard, said that the company is delighted to bring such impressive library to the forefront of modern design and technology which will encourage economic growth and create new jobs.

Mr Pollard said: “This major project will benefit the local economy and will ensure the library remains operational throughout.

“When complete, students will benefit from lighter, airier spaces that are more conducive to study and better equipped for modern learning.”

What is your reaction to the multimillion redevelopment scheme at University of Hull’s historic library which will benefit the local economy and create new jobs? Share your thoughts by commenting here or raising your voice on our Facebookpage.

The University of Bath has announced plans to spend £100 million on improving its campus over the next three years that will enhance student experience and create new jobs in the building trades.

The University’s major refurbishment programme announced today will provide 708 en-suite bedrooms in 75 flats across two buildings and deliver increased space for teaching and research improved facilities, creating employment opportunities for people in the building engineering sector.

A new multimillion Art Centre will be built by the autumn of 2014 including general teaching building facilities with a main 350-seat lecture theatre which is due to open in October 2013

Building plans have been submitted to Bath and North East Somerset Council which is expected to reach a decision and give the green light to the improvement scheme by October 2012.

The Vice Chancellor, Prof Dame Glynis Breakwell, said: “Despite continuing economic uncertainty and the changing tuition fee landscape, the University of Bath is facing the future with great confidence.

“Our aim is to further enhance the university’s ability to deliver an outstanding student experience; creating additional facilities for research, and an inspiring working environment, as well as providing cultural and economic benefits for the wider Bath region.”

What is your reaction on the £100 million regeneration scheme at the University of Bath? Share your thoughts by commenting here or raising your voice on our Facebook page.

“Hundreds of plumbers, electricians and gas engineers to benefit from the investment”

 

Millions of funding to get low carbon heating into peoples’ homes, including into hundreds of social houses across the nation, is still up for grabs according to the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC).

Local authorities, housing associations and registered providers of social housing are being urged to benefit from the millions of pounds available from the Renewable Heat Premium Payment (RHPP).

The scheme will replace more renewable heating systems, including biomass boilers, solar hot water panels and heat pumps, creating new employment opportunities for plumbers, electricians and gas engineers.

The RHPP has reopened thanks to the high value for money of projects already allocated funding under the scheme which will make tenants’ homes warmer, cosier and far more energy efficient.

Today, the DECC announced that up to £2.5 million of additional funding will be allocated under this element of the scheme.

Energy and Climate Change Minister Greg Barker said: “We have already awarded nearly £5 million to 72 projects under this year’s scheme, helping householders stay warm this winter and move away from expensive old heating systems to new clean renewable ones.

“But the high value for money of the bids we have received to date means that there is still money up for grabs and I would urge social landlords across the nation to apply and take advantage of all this scheme has to offer.”

The closing date for applications is 9 October 2012 and successful bidders will be announced shortly afterwards. You can find out more about the scheme and how to apply from here.

What is your reaction to the reopening the of the Renewable Heat Premium Payment scheme which will bring financial investment to the trades and create new jobs in the industry? Share your thoughts by commenting here or raising your voice on our Facebook page.

The largest trade association in Britain, the Renewable Energy Association (REA), has welcomed Nick Clegg’s announcement to provide a £100 million fund for green investment that will boost the renewable energy industry and create new jobs.

Making the announcement today, Deputy Prime Minister Clegg said that the multimillion fund will enable the UK Green Investments team (UKGI) to see more domestic and foreign investments to the renewable industry.

Chief Executive of the REA, Gaynor Hartnell, praised the Deputy Prime Minister for his leadership and commitment to the renewable energy sector.

He said: “We need clear leadership from the top of Government on renewable energy, so the Deputy Prime Minister’s unequivocal commitment to renewable energy is very welcome and timely.

“He is quite right that a global energy revolution is underway and we look forward to working with him to ensure the UK fulfills its extraordinary potential.”

However, Mr Hartnell said that the Coalition Government needed a more stable policy framework to make sure the UK’s renewable industry continues to expand, paving the way for green jobs in the future.

Mr Hartnell said: “The Coalition Government needs to do much better on providing a clear and stable policy framework to make sure the UK isn’t left further behind.

“Recent decisions on support levels for renewable power technologies, which have failed to provide the expected certainty out to 2017, together with the uncertain status of the Electricity Market Reform package, do not provide the stable framework that industry needs.”

Do you also welcome Nick Clegg’s intervention to boost the green economy? What else the Government could do to further accelerate green investment and create more jobs? Share your thoughts by commenting here or raising your voice on our Facebook page.

Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg has announced a £100 million fund for green investment which will create new jobs in the renewable energy industry.

Speaking to an energy conference in London’s Lancaster House today, Mr Clegg defended the Government’s commitment to support the renewable energy sector, outlining lasting benefits to the UK low-carbon economy.

He announced multi-million contracts by UK Green Investments (UKGI) with fund managers Equitix and Sustainable Development Capital (SDCL) to provide initial capital to encourage foreign and domestic investment in non-domestic energy efficiency.

The Deputy Minister’s announcement was hailed with a £12 million expansion by a recycling firm Closed Loop in Dagenham, East London, that will create and safeguard 100 jobs.

The UK is the sixth largest market in low carbon goods and environmental services in the world. It contributes 3.9 per cent of the UK’s GDP and employs 173,000 people.

The Deputy Prime Minister said that the Coalition Government is ‘unreservedly committed’ to help Britain’s low carbon sector thrive, providing a clean and green economy.

He said: “There is a global energy revolution underway and the UK is not going to be left behind. We’re leading from the front.

“Together we find ourselves at the vanguard of one of the most dynamic, most innovative, most important industries of our time; an industry whose breakthroughs and endeavours will shape our societies for years to come; an industry that will help us build a more stable, more sustainable, more prosperous world.”

What is your reaction to the Government’s £100 million fund that will accelerate investment in the renewable industry and create new jobs?  Share your thoughts by commenting here or raising your voice on our Facebook page.

Apple has announced plans to power its main data centre in North Carolina entirely with renewable energy by the end of 2012, Reuters has reported.

The announcement comes after long-lasting environmental concerns by Greenpeace about Apple’s rapid expansion of high-consuming computer server farms in the US.  Greenpeace activists drew significant attention last week on Apple’s use of coal at the data centre that powers its iCloud.

The maker of the iPhone and the iPad confirmed on Thursday that it was buying equipment from SunPower Corp and startup Bloom Energy to build two solar array installations near its core data centre in North Carolina. The sites will employ high-efficiency solar cells and an advanced solar tracking system.

“Apple’s announcement today is a great sign that Apple is taking seriously the hundreds of thousands of its customers who have asked for an iCloud powered by clean energy, not dirty coal.” said Greenpeace International Senior IT Analyst Gary Cook.

The solar farm is expected to supply 84 million kWh of energy annually and it will cover 250 acres of land around Apple’s main data centre.

“The plan we are releasing today includes two solar farms and together they will be twice as big as we previously announced, thanks to the purchase of some land very near to the data centre in Maiden, which will help us meet this goal.” Apple CFO Peter Oppenheimer told Reuters.

Mr Oppenheimer outlined company’s ambition to continue its environmental approach along with its expansion in services and provide sustainable development for its products.

“Our next facility will be in Prineville, Oregon. This is still in the planning stages and we have already identified plenty of renewable sources nearby,” Oppenheimer said.

What is your reaction to the decision by Apple to power its main data centres with 100% renewable energy? Do you think that other high-tech companies will follow its environmental approach? Share your thought with us by leaving a comment below: 

Former Energy Secretary Chris Huhne wrote in the Guardian newspaper yesterday that Britain has to stimulate future economic growth by investing in the renewable energy sector.

Economic recovery from double dip recession will work only if the government pursue ‘green growth’ because energy saving is a win-win situation for both businesses and households, the Former Cabinet Minister stated.

Mr Huhne is confident that green growth is sustainable because it has the potential for creating new jobs, cutting energy bills and increasing spending incomes of households. He also encouraged more vigorous debate on the wider agenda for natural resources and energy efficiency.

Mr Huhne said “Much of our economic debate implies we must choose between going green or going for growth. That view may be the opposite of the truth. There is now hard evidence that the real choice is between green growth or no growth at all.”

Although the Former Liberal Democrat Minister didn’t criticise the government and declined to name those who are portraying green policies as a barrier to growth.  Some senior Liberal Democrats in the coalition government have previously complained that Tory MPs have been obstructing green policies relating to energy efficiency.

What is your reaction to the article by former Energy Secretary Chris Huhne? Do you share his opinion that investing more in energy projects will boost the UK economy? Let us know by leaving a comment below:  

Lark Energy, a leading green energy company in the UK, is planning to install 120,000 solar panels, which would produce enough energy power for up to 7,000 homes across Leicestershire.

The energy company has submitted plans for a £35 million solar project on a 150-acre site near Loughborough, Leicestershire, the BBC has reported.   The project would be the biggest solar farm in the UK to be built, meaning more contracts for the renewable energy sector and new jobs to be created.

Lark’s managing director, Jonathan Selwyn, said construction work could take place later this year if Charnwood Borough Council approved the project. Local residents have welcomed the proposal, expressing enthusiasm as it will generate electricity from renewable sources and will help the environment.

Mr Selwyn said the farm will not take long to build, a maximum of 5 months, it will convert daylight into electricity which would then be sold to a power company and distributed through the national grid.

He said: “This will be 25 to 30 megawatts so it will be quite big but it will not be intrusive. There will not be reflection because the panels are designed to absorb the light rather than reflect it.”

Mr Selwyn explained that there are no real on-going costs for maintaining the solar panels whilst there are many benefits for the environment to obtain energy from daylight.

“Daylight is free, easily accessible and it is unlimited unlike fuels like gas and coal which will become increasingly scarce and, therefore, more expensive.”- Mr Selwyn added.

Charnwood borough councillor Jenny Bokor told the Leicester Mercury that she welcomed the proposed investment of £35 million. It would generate environmentally friendly energy for the needs of local residents and people across Leicestershire.

Ms Bokor said: “I think this is a really good idea. There are 1,500 homes in all the Wolds villages and this could more than meet their needs.

“I am sure there will be some people who will object but I am in favour of making use of the land to create energy.”

Chairman of Wymeswold Parish Council, Nick Shaw, said the project is a very good idea because it will not make any noise or create pollution.

What is your opinion about installing more solar panels in the UK? Why do you think renewable energy is becoming increasingly popular? Does it mean better employment opportunities for you?  Let us know what you are thinking on ATL’s Twitter and Facebook page: 

Imagine a house build without any heating but which has the capability to retain the heat and maintain constant temperature from 18 to 21 degrees regardless of the weather conditions.

You might think this sounds too good to be true. However, a group of apprentices doing certain facets of various disciplines with Apprenticeship Training Limited (ATL) has not only proven this is possible, but also have learnt the practical details behind what looks like the future of the building industry.

Trade students from England gained first-hand experience in building energy efficient houses, a feature of modern times combined with innovation in the building sector. Students spent two weeks in the Belgium town of Heusden-Zolder where they built a mock passive house with environmentally friendly materials. As students found for themselves, the secret of a successful passive house is in good insulation and triple-glazed windows, things which quite often get ignored in Britain.

Statistically, England is far behind its European counterparts in terms of building energy efficient houses. The reasons for this vary from environmental awareness to high cost and not so popular implementation of the projects.  However, countries like Belgium, Germany and Austria are investing heavily in this new venture. So far, around 20, 000 low energy houses have been built in Europe of which approximately 17, 000 in Germany and Austria alone.

Teaching Co-ordinator Sara Learoyd from ATL, who accompanied students from a variety of disciplines in the Passive House, described the project as ‘an eye opener’ for all the participants.

Sara said: “We need to look at the advantages of using environmentally friendly materials to build our houses  and the benefits they have on the environment; that is what we need to be working towards and this projects illustrates just that.”

“Solar panels are only coming in little margins in Britain in comparison with how it is in Belgium. For example, everybody has a solar panel in Belgium.” – added Sara.

Trade student from Reading Jake Ford, aged 21, took part in the programme with a life-changing agenda. Jake thinks Britain should do more to help the building of environmentally friendly houses by encouraging people to adopt more efficient approach in building their homes.

Jake said: “I really enjoyed the work placement when we was split into groups and had to fit installation. It has proven how far we are behind in England and how much there is to learn about the construction of passive housing.”

What is your opinion on building more passive houses in Britain? Do you think the government is doing enough to help you save money on energy bills? Share your thoughts with us below: