Tony Bryer wrote:
On Wed, 28 Nov 2007 22:24:38 +0000 Frank Erskine wrote :
"Fact: Government legislation requires that by 2010, 10% of
electricity supply must come from renewable sources.
Governments can go.

With a bit of luck...

This 10% requirement is already in force in lots of councils,
referred to as the 'Merton Rule', after the London Borough that
devised it - a minority Conservative council. I've just had a long
talk this morning with one of our users who is grappling with this
in leafy Waverley, so don't expect a change of government to change
anything in this regard.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Merton_Rule

The explanatory booklet referenced from the Waverley site is quite
upfront about costs and benefits. Solar water heating, �2-5K, saving
�100 p.a [assuming gas heating] (SAP2005). The installed cost of a
2m2 PV panel will be �9-18K (their figure), it would generate
1563kWh per year - say �180p.a. and it will last about 25 years.
Economic nonsense. If, as an alternative, you offered to install
triple glazed windows which would deliver save just as much energy,
your planning application would probably be rejected as you hadn't
shown the 10% renewable input.

My church's windows badly need replacing: putting in a different
design (but appropriate for the age of building) would enable us to
have double glazing which would cut our energy use significantly,
and the cost would probably be less than replicating what we have.
It's 99% certain that if we wanted to do the first, our planners
would fight us all the way. If it's stick with which to beat
developers, climate change is a great weapon. Otherwise do they
really care? Excuse the cynicism.


Indeed. As usual they have discovered a problem, then decided on the way
it's to be (seen to be) solved (the wrong way) and made that compulsory.

Less travel, more national Grid, better insulation and nuclear power
stations would reduce our Co2 emissions by 90%. With no appreciable
environmental impact aesthetic or otherwise.

Things that wont work a-

- hydrogen fuel
- hybrid cars
- bus lanes
- speed humps
- CFL lightbulbs
- Biofuel
- windmills

Strangely however by making us suffer with having to put up with all of
the above, they can tell us they are 'doing something'