By Sam Marsden, PA
Sunday, 6 February 2011
British military bases on the front line in Afghanistan could be run on solar and wind energy in future under Ministry of Defence plans.
The move would cut the need for expensive and dangerous convoys to supply diesel for the electricity generators at forward operating bases deep in Taliban territory.
The MoD's Defence Equipment and Support (DE&S) agency has invited contractors to put forward ideas for how remote bases could switch to renewable energy sources.
Firms have also been asked to look at everything from introducing more efficient generators to reducing the power used for laundry.
Insurgents have regularly targeted tankers carrying fuel into Afghanistan, and the military seeks to keep diesel resupply convoys to a minimum because they are vulnerable to attacks with improvised explosive devices (IEDs).
Ray Fielding, of DE&S's programmes and technology group, said: "Alternative power systems must provide a similar level of electrical power with the same degree of robustness and remove the logistics burden of transporting fuel to the base.
"There must be no compromise to the effectiveness of the operations."
He added: "Although more efficient generators offer one possible solution, to minimise regular resupplies of diesel, renewable technologies are of great interest.
"While a single technology may not be the answer it may be possible to combine a number of approaches to supply the power needed."
The programme is being run with the British Antarctic Survey and Canada's Department of National Defence, which are also seeking to reduce the need to supply isolated bases with fuel.
Successful companies will be invited to demonstrate how their equipment works in trials over the summer.
The MoD is currently buying portable solar panels which will be issued to British personnel at smaller bases in Helmand Province in southern Afghanistan within the next six months.
The panels - which look like large mats and can be folded up and stored in a bag - are intended to cut the weight of the kit troops carry by reducing the need for heavy batteries.
The US Marines are already testing solar panels at bases in Helmand's deadly Sangin district, which they took over from British forces in September.
At one outpost in Sangin, called Patrol Base Sparks, they have cut the use of diesel from 20 gallons a day to 2.5 gallons a day by harnessing the power of the sun.
US Marines Staff Sergeant David Doty, who is stationed at the patrol base, said in an interview last month: "The system works amazing. By saving fuel for generators, it has cut back on the number of convoys, meaning less opportunity for one of our vehicles to hit an
Sunday, 6 February 2011
Commercial solar farms 'cashing in on scheme'
By Emily Beament, PA
Sunday, 6 February 2011
Concerns that commercial solar "farms" are cashing in on an incentive scheme designed to boost small-scale renewables is prompting the Government to review the programme.
Feed-in tariffs, which are financed by increases on household energy bills, pay people and organisations for the "green" electricity they generate from small scale solar panels, wind turbines and other renewables.
The latest figures from Ofgem show that almost 20,000 individuals, businesses and communities have registered for the scheme since it began in April, with solar panels on homes making the majority of renewable installations.
But with subsidies paying out for solar electricity installations of up to 5 megawatts, the equivalent of 200 homes having the panels on their roofs, solar farms which stretch over a number of acres are being given the go-ahead.
Areas such as Cornwall have seen the beginnings of a "solar power gold rush" with five farms already given planning permission and more schemes being considered or expected to be submitted soon.
Energy and Climate Change Minister Greg Barker has said that he would act if the growth in solar farms was getting out of hand.
He told the Micropower Council before Christmas that while the Government was "absolutely committed" to feed-in tariffs, ministers had inherited a system from the previous administration which had failed to anticipate the potential for industrial-scale, stand-alone greenfield solar power installations.
"While we will not act retrospectively, large greenfield based solar farms will not be allowed to distort the available funding for domestic solar technologies.
"We want to see an ambitious roll-out of solar panels on Britain's roof space but not all over the countryside.
"I will not allow the hard-won available funding to be scooped up by a few industrial scale PV farms at the expense of the domestic or small business installations," he said.
The Government has also said it wants to reduce the costs of the scheme by around 10%, of £40 million, by 2014/2015.
The review is expected to be launched this week.
Sunday, 6 February 2011
Concerns that commercial solar "farms" are cashing in on an incentive scheme designed to boost small-scale renewables is prompting the Government to review the programme.
Feed-in tariffs, which are financed by increases on household energy bills, pay people and organisations for the "green" electricity they generate from small scale solar panels, wind turbines and other renewables.
The latest figures from Ofgem show that almost 20,000 individuals, businesses and communities have registered for the scheme since it began in April, with solar panels on homes making the majority of renewable installations.
But with subsidies paying out for solar electricity installations of up to 5 megawatts, the equivalent of 200 homes having the panels on their roofs, solar farms which stretch over a number of acres are being given the go-ahead.
Areas such as Cornwall have seen the beginnings of a "solar power gold rush" with five farms already given planning permission and more schemes being considered or expected to be submitted soon.
Energy and Climate Change Minister Greg Barker has said that he would act if the growth in solar farms was getting out of hand.
He told the Micropower Council before Christmas that while the Government was "absolutely committed" to feed-in tariffs, ministers had inherited a system from the previous administration which had failed to anticipate the potential for industrial-scale, stand-alone greenfield solar power installations.
"While we will not act retrospectively, large greenfield based solar farms will not be allowed to distort the available funding for domestic solar technologies.
"We want to see an ambitious roll-out of solar panels on Britain's roof space but not all over the countryside.
"I will not allow the hard-won available funding to be scooped up by a few industrial scale PV farms at the expense of the domestic or small business installations," he said.
The Government has also said it wants to reduce the costs of the scheme by around 10%, of £40 million, by 2014/2015.
The review is expected to be launched this week.
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