LED lights adjust to darkness in Somerset town of Keynsham aim to reduce carbon emissions and save money
Steven Morris
guardian.co.uk, Wednesday 20 July 2011 17.59 BST
A council in south-west England has installed what it claims to be the first smart street-lighting system on a busy roundabout.
More than 70 LED lights have been installed at the junction between Bath and Bristol. Their brightness automatically adjusts depending on how dark it is but also takes into account the number of vehicles on the road at any given time.
Bath and North East Somerset council believes it is one of the first times such a system has been put into place on such a busy road. It claims the lights will reduce carbon emissions and save £4,500 a year, although there is a initial outlay of £36,000.
The Hicks Gate roundabout at Keynsham used to be illuminated by a dull yellow sodium light at night but, under the 71 LED lights, the area can become almost as bright as daylight.
Councillor Roger Symonds, cabinet member for transport, said "We understand that this is one of the first instances in the country of this type of technology being used on a major traffic route. The lights will automatically adjust brightness levels according to the time of day and also the number of vehicles on the route at different times of night.
"The end result is that Bath and North East Somerset council saves money on behalf of local taxpayers, cuts our carbon footprint and makes the route even safer because the lights illuminate the carriage much more clearly for drivers and cyclists."
The council said it and other local authorities have used LED lights in residential roads and to light footpaths, but it believes it is leading the way in setting up such a system, with the additional smart features, on a busy road.
Kelvin Packer, the council's service manager for highways and parking, said: "Depending on the outcome of this trial, there is the possibility of extending this lighting and associated benefits to other areas of the district."
Thursday, 21 July 2011
The chicken and egg challenge facing electric cars
Does the electric car revolution depend on public charging points? That's the question being asked as a new recharging network is set to open
What came first, the electric car or the charging post? That's the chicken and egg question that people have been asking for years and - with most electric car batteries limited to roughly 100 mile ranges - have generally answered with the latter.
Fortunately, charging points are cropping up all over the place, from supermarkets and NCP car parks to roadsides. This Wednesday, electric car charging firm Chargemaster said that it would open a private network of 4,000 total points across 100 cities, dubbed 'POLAR', by the end of 2012. London's public network increased to 400 points last month, and will eventually be increased to 1,300 by 2013.
But despite this slow but steady progress, car-makers are increasingly back-pedalling on the importance of charging points. Most of the major electric car makers I've spoken to recently have been at pains to emphasise they don't think public charging points are important for electric car take-up. Early adopting electric car owners, they argue, will charge overnight and plan their journeys so that the spectre of 'range anxiety' - running out of charge - won't be a problem.
The motoring industry is even cannily repackaging electric cars as second cars, rather than replacements for combustion engine ones. "The majority of charges will be done overnight," said Paul Everitt, chief executive of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, who recently told the Guardian he assumes that, for many, an electric vehicle will be a second car. "Much of the infrastructure isn't about fulfilling demand – it's about creating reassurance."
This new approach is an admission that even moderately comprehensive charging coverage is still a long way off - and companies like Nissan, Mitsubishi, and Renault have electric models they need to flog now and in the coming months.
For example, the 1,300 points in London are down from an earlier Boris Johnson promise of 7,500, and even more significantly the government made a major U-turn in June on its coalition agreement plans for a national charging network. Justifying its decision to axe the planned network, the DfT said people don't want or need them. The charging points would be "under-utilised and uneconomic", it claimed, adding its research said the majority of owners would charge overnight at home. That's the opposite of what drivers and car-makers have been saying for years.
The reason for canning the charging network is simple: saving government money. Even with private-public partnerships, the cost of the points is not insiginificant - manufacturer Elektromotive tells me a typical kerbside charging point costs between £4,000-5000 to install. Elektromotive's polling, as you might expect, also contradicts the government research: two thirds of people say kerbside charging points would make them more likely to buy an electric car.
The government's decision also ignores the fact that electric cars make the most sense - both in terms of journey types and air pollution - in cities. And, aside from the most affluent and suburban city dwellers, most drivers in cities need kerbside charging points to avoid trailing wires over pavements.
Sure, battery technology is coming along and may one day make public charging points redundant. The Tesla Model S coming to the UK next year will have a range of 160 miles or more, depending on the version you buy. But it'll cost north of £40,000.
Even with new models arriving and predictions of a breakthrough year in 2011, electric car sales are also going slowly in the UK. With just a few hundred cars sold this year, and less than a thousand charging points nationwide, it seems clear we're going to need both more chickens and more eggs.
What came first, the electric car or the charging post? That's the chicken and egg question that people have been asking for years and - with most electric car batteries limited to roughly 100 mile ranges - have generally answered with the latter.
Fortunately, charging points are cropping up all over the place, from supermarkets and NCP car parks to roadsides. This Wednesday, electric car charging firm Chargemaster said that it would open a private network of 4,000 total points across 100 cities, dubbed 'POLAR', by the end of 2012. London's public network increased to 400 points last month, and will eventually be increased to 1,300 by 2013.
But despite this slow but steady progress, car-makers are increasingly back-pedalling on the importance of charging points. Most of the major electric car makers I've spoken to recently have been at pains to emphasise they don't think public charging points are important for electric car take-up. Early adopting electric car owners, they argue, will charge overnight and plan their journeys so that the spectre of 'range anxiety' - running out of charge - won't be a problem.
The motoring industry is even cannily repackaging electric cars as second cars, rather than replacements for combustion engine ones. "The majority of charges will be done overnight," said Paul Everitt, chief executive of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, who recently told the Guardian he assumes that, for many, an electric vehicle will be a second car. "Much of the infrastructure isn't about fulfilling demand – it's about creating reassurance."
This new approach is an admission that even moderately comprehensive charging coverage is still a long way off - and companies like Nissan, Mitsubishi, and Renault have electric models they need to flog now and in the coming months.
For example, the 1,300 points in London are down from an earlier Boris Johnson promise of 7,500, and even more significantly the government made a major U-turn in June on its coalition agreement plans for a national charging network. Justifying its decision to axe the planned network, the DfT said people don't want or need them. The charging points would be "under-utilised and uneconomic", it claimed, adding its research said the majority of owners would charge overnight at home. That's the opposite of what drivers and car-makers have been saying for years.
The reason for canning the charging network is simple: saving government money. Even with private-public partnerships, the cost of the points is not insiginificant - manufacturer Elektromotive tells me a typical kerbside charging point costs between £4,000-5000 to install. Elektromotive's polling, as you might expect, also contradicts the government research: two thirds of people say kerbside charging points would make them more likely to buy an electric car.
The government's decision also ignores the fact that electric cars make the most sense - both in terms of journey types and air pollution - in cities. And, aside from the most affluent and suburban city dwellers, most drivers in cities need kerbside charging points to avoid trailing wires over pavements.
Sure, battery technology is coming along and may one day make public charging points redundant. The Tesla Model S coming to the UK next year will have a range of 160 miles or more, depending on the version you buy. But it'll cost north of £40,000.
Even with new models arriving and predictions of a breakthrough year in 2011, electric car sales are also going slowly in the UK. With just a few hundred cars sold this year, and less than a thousand charging points nationwide, it seems clear we're going to need both more chickens and more eggs.
Renewable energy heating grants available for UK households
Homeowners will soon be able to apply for government vouchers as part of a £15m scheme to provide funding for 25,000 homes
Fiona Harvey, environment correspondent
guardian.co.uk, Thursday 21 July 2011 06.00 BST
Households will be able to apply for substantial grants towards the cost of renewable heating systems, worth up to £1,250 for the biggest installations, starting from August 1.
Biomass boilers burning wood pellets, solar thermal panels for hot water heating, and both air and ground source heat pumps can all be installed with the grants, taking the form of government vouchers. The £15m scheme is part of the ministers' renewable heat support plans, and will provide funding for up to 25,000 households.
The households to be targeted are the 4m in England, Wales and Scotland not already heated by mains gas, and who therefore tend to use heating oil or electric fires to heat their homes, both of which tend to be more expensive and can lead to higher greenhouse gas emissions. However, Northern Ireland – where 70% of households use heating oil – is not included in the plans.
The grants will be set at £1,250 for a ground source heat pump; £950 for a biomass boiler; £850 for an air source heat pump; and £300 for solar thermal water heaters. On average, this should work out at about 10% of the total cost of the equipment and installation.
Greg Barker, climate change minister, said: "We're making it more economical for people to go green by providing discounts on the cost of eco heaters. This should be great news for people who are reliant on expensive oil or electric heating as the premium payment scheme is really aimed at them. Getting money off an eco heater will not just cut carbon emissions, it will also help create a market in developing, selling and installing kit like solar thermal panels or heat pumps."
Applications must be made through the government-funded Energy Saving Trust, and only households that have already put in place basic energy efficiency measures will be eligible.
Landlords will also be encouraged to access the grants to improve their housing stock, with £3m of the £15m on offer set aside for them.
Philip Sellwood, chief executive of the Energy Saving Trust, said research undertaken by the organisation had shown people valued having renewable heating installed. He said: "When people have the kit in their homes they really see the benefit. The main barrier that prevents people from taking the plunge is the up-front capital cost. This is a great start in overcoming this obstacle."
Once households have installed the renewable heating equipment, they may also receive further subsidy payments through the £860m renewable heat incentive when it is introduced next October, though this will depend on the detail of the scheme.
Fiona Harvey, environment correspondent
guardian.co.uk, Thursday 21 July 2011 06.00 BST
Households will be able to apply for substantial grants towards the cost of renewable heating systems, worth up to £1,250 for the biggest installations, starting from August 1.
Biomass boilers burning wood pellets, solar thermal panels for hot water heating, and both air and ground source heat pumps can all be installed with the grants, taking the form of government vouchers. The £15m scheme is part of the ministers' renewable heat support plans, and will provide funding for up to 25,000 households.
The households to be targeted are the 4m in England, Wales and Scotland not already heated by mains gas, and who therefore tend to use heating oil or electric fires to heat their homes, both of which tend to be more expensive and can lead to higher greenhouse gas emissions. However, Northern Ireland – where 70% of households use heating oil – is not included in the plans.
The grants will be set at £1,250 for a ground source heat pump; £950 for a biomass boiler; £850 for an air source heat pump; and £300 for solar thermal water heaters. On average, this should work out at about 10% of the total cost of the equipment and installation.
Greg Barker, climate change minister, said: "We're making it more economical for people to go green by providing discounts on the cost of eco heaters. This should be great news for people who are reliant on expensive oil or electric heating as the premium payment scheme is really aimed at them. Getting money off an eco heater will not just cut carbon emissions, it will also help create a market in developing, selling and installing kit like solar thermal panels or heat pumps."
Applications must be made through the government-funded Energy Saving Trust, and only households that have already put in place basic energy efficiency measures will be eligible.
Landlords will also be encouraged to access the grants to improve their housing stock, with £3m of the £15m on offer set aside for them.
Philip Sellwood, chief executive of the Energy Saving Trust, said research undertaken by the organisation had shown people valued having renewable heating installed. He said: "When people have the kit in their homes they really see the benefit. The main barrier that prevents people from taking the plunge is the up-front capital cost. This is a great start in overcoming this obstacle."
Once households have installed the renewable heating equipment, they may also receive further subsidy payments through the £860m renewable heat incentive when it is introduced next October, though this will depend on the detail of the scheme.
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