Energy the focus of conference at Harper Adams

Posted 19 July 2006

ENERGY efficiency and renewable sources were the focus of an event at Harper Adams University College last week.

The Business Environmental Support Scheme Telford (BESST) teamed up with the university college to help companies identify energy savings.

The Energy event, on Wednesday (July 12), also provided delegates with an insight into advances into alternative sources of energy and included demonstration of a small wind turbine that can provide up to 1 kW of renewable electricity. The wind turbine can be used to generate electricity for housing, industry and farms. The wind turbine is available from Futrenergy.

During the conference there were presentations from Marches energy Agency and the Carbon Trust, along with two interactive workshops.
 
The first workshop covered energy efficiency, energy broking, carbon trading, enhanced capital allowances and interest free loans while a second workshop covered outline renewable sources available to businesses and possible grant support and, among other things, opportunities to purchase green electricity.

Andrea Humphries, Sustainable Resources Manager at Harper Adams, commented on the event: “Rising energy prices are having an enormous effect on local companies. The energy seminar aimed to highlight how companies could minimise increases in energy bills through energy efficiency measures and renewable energy applications.”

Delegates were also given the opportunity to tour the university college’s Bioenergy Development Centre – storing the world’s first system to incorporate an indirectly fired micro-air turbine and uses air rather than steam to power.

The BG100 biomass generator, developed by Stafford-based company Talbott’s Heating Ltd after 10 years of research, is capable of producing 100kW of renewable electricity and between 150kW and 250kW of heat from the combustion of biomass.

It has an estimated biomass requirement of 2.5tonnes a day and can generate enough energy to provide 25% of Harper Adams’ electrical demand and could provide 50% of heat needed for the students’ union building, the conference building, students’ union bar and two student halls of residence.

It is estimated the annual Carbon Dioxide savings will be 600tonnes a year assuming an operation time of 8000 hours a year.