The majority of people prefer renewable energy to generate electricity than fossil fuels, according to a recent poll. Findings by YouGov survey reveals that 85% of Britons support calls for the government to introduce legislation to make energy companies cut their use of foreign fossil fuels and increase wind sources of electricity.

The survey, commissioned by Friends of the Earth, suggests the public is backing wind farm subsidies and that the majority are in favour of renewable energy. It found that only 4% are strongly opposed to a move towards renewables and that 33% are strongly in favour.

The poll, which involved almost 3,000 adults in the UK, showed that 64% would like to see more renewable sources like wind, wave, tidal and solar providing more electricity in 10 years’ time. Just 2% want to see a gas-led supply.

Wave and tidal power received the most backing with more than a quarter of people stating it as the number one choice; shortly followed by solar (21%) and wind (17%).

Scottish people are more optimistic than any other citizen for renewable energy as 88% want a future that is based on renewable sources. This concurs with the country’s plans to generate all of its electricity from renewables by the year 2010.

The findings come after the government announced that the UK and US will sign a memorandum of understanding on the joint development of floating wind turbines.

Craig Bennett, Friends of the Earth’s director of policy and campaigns, said: “The public has given a clear vote of confidence to clean British energy from our wind, sun and sea – it makes no sense for the Government to pursue an unwanted, costly dash for gas that’s causing our fuel bills to rocket.”

With almost nine out of ten Britons wanting the UK to rely more on renewable energy systems, look no further than Enerfina.com. As independent renewable energy experts, they specialise in a vast array of renewable products from solar power and heat pumps to wind turbines and condensing boilers.

ENDS

The government in the UK is looking to roll out smart meters across the country at a cost of £11 billion. The idea is to make the energy grid more efficient with data flowing from homes and buildings to utilities in order to be able to use our energy more efficiently and more effectively. The usual players in the hardware solutions industry are winning contracts to provide these meters, but the digital revolution in the energy industry is opening the door for smaller companies to introduce technology that could be game changing and certainly lucrative.

Ecogii’s wireless energy management system is set to become a leading tool for building managers and tenants alike. In this day and age we assume that there are some technologies out there to help us do everything, but wireless building management? No so much. One would have thought that large companies would be able to lean on a number of suppliers for wireless solutions that would let them manage and control their energy usage across multiple buildings. The fact is that there are very few solutions available, even to the point where some suppliers claim to be the only wireless energy management solution around. At some stage they may have been right, but now that claim will have to be able to be taken down from their websites.

Ecogii’s solution provides building managers and tenants the ability to quickly install a cost effective energy monitoring system that allows them to remotely monitor and control every device that is connected to the Ecogii grid.

This ability to see the energy being used and to effect that energy usage as functions alone, have been shown to be able to reduce energy by 20%. This along with partnerships with energy auditors who can show where further energy savings can be made by integrating lighting systems, HVAC sensor etc with the Ecogii Grid could see reductions in energy consumption of 40%+. This, in today’s environment of spiralling energy costs is a significant saving in buildings who spend million on energy each year.

The smart meter roll out being jumped on by governments and implemented by monster businesses is only one step in the energy revolution. The most interesting part, we beleive, is the solutions that will be provided by small technology businesses like Ecogii and others.

Like the Internet before us, the energy grid holds the promise of companies like Ecogii providing solutions that are cost effective, innovative, nimble and ultimately very profitable.

The title of Heat Pump City of 2012 has been awarded to the municipality of Etten-Leur in the Netherlands. The European Heat Pump Association (EHPA) has bestowed the city the prize after it started its first heat pump project in 2002.

Located in the southwest of the Netherlands, the municipality introduced its policy on sustainable building and energy savings over 30 years ago and it has undergone a zero-energy neighbourhood called Schoenmakerhoek, which is reportedly one of the largest projects in the world of its kind.

Peter Wagener, Chairman of the Dutch Heat Pump Association, said: “This is a fantastic result for all Dutch heat pump supporters out there, and we will be sure to leverage it as much as we can, showing that heat pumps really are the future.”

Many of the buildings and dwellings, such as the school and city hall, are all served with individual closed loop ground source heat pumps. Enerfina are independent renewable energy experts and they can put businesses as well as homeowners in touch renewable energy equipment providers to save money and reduce their carbon emissions. They will connect you will trusted suppliers so you can save money on energy bills and do your bit for the environment at the same time!

As specialists in the industry, they can provide information on a vast array of renewable energy systems including ground source heat pumps, solar panels and wood chip boilers. Whatever renewable energy you choose to benefit from, make sure that you seek professional guidance and visit the site today to find out about the many financial supports and incentives that can help you save even more.

The US government are reportedly launching a brand new energy-saving light bulb that will last decades. The revolutionary bulb, developed by Dutch manufacturer Philips, is meant to be the most energy-efficient yet and lasts 20 years.

The bright idea was coined when Philips entered and won the Congress’ $10million L Prize Competition in 2007 and the bulb will go on sale at Home Depot and other outlets on Earth Day 2012 which is the 22^nd April.

However, the high tech invention will set consumers back $60 which is to take into account the components and top-notch diodes that give off light. The design of the bulb has been called into question though as the light emitting surface is yellow even when it isn’t lit, and it shines white when it is alit.

If you are feeling environmentally conscious, UK based sites like Lights2go offer bulbs of all types for lighting in the home and there is a great range to choose from at affordable rates.

From candle and halogen bulbs to LED lamps and low energy, there is a plethora of lighting to pick out to help reduce the overall carbon footprint of the home. So if you want to be more ‘green’ in your home, check out www.lights2go.co.uk today for all your lighting needs.

Here are some low energy bulb examples to choose from as well as low-energy lighting …

9W Mini Helix BC

This 9 watt low energy light candle lamp is a great choice for modern lighting and has free UK shipping.

Price: £2.80 inc VAT

11W Helix BC Low Energy Lamp

This 12 watt low energy light bulb is the same size as standard GLS lamp and has free shipping in the UK.

Price: £3.75 inc VAT

GU10 CF 7W

This GU10 CF lamp has 7 watts and the average life of 5000 hours which is great for saving costs of replacing light bulbs.  It also has a low voltage UV filter.

Price: £6.18 inc VAT

11W Low Energy Fire-Rated IP65 Downlight

This die-cast aluminium 11W low energy GU10 fire rated bathroom downlight is IP65 rated and is available in a vast array of colours including brushed chrome and white.

Price: £8.50 inc VAT

Dar Scheme SCH472/28LE Low energy square flush

In satin chrome, this low energy square flush light has free UK shipping and a 4 pin Philips bulb is included.

Price: £72.50 inc VAT

Solar panels will be fitted on the South Cambridgeshire District Council’s headquarters’ in a bid to help the community become one of the most environmentally friendly in the country.

The Cambridgeshire council will save its local residents thousands of pounds as well as improve its environmental credentials by installing solar panels on its roof. The renewable energy will supply the local authority with free electricity and the £190,000 costs have been funded by a developer of a new 950-home development in Cambourne.

Richard Hales, the council’s team leader for sustainability, said: “This project will help reduce our carbon footprint considerably, but will also save taxpayers thousands of pounds every year, as we would have access to free electricity during the day.”

Funding from the developer will also be used to install solar panels on the settlement’s sports centre, pavilion and community centre. Surplus energy and government subsidies will also be used for other green projects in the village and the Cambourne Parish Energy Fund, which was set up to encourage residents to be green, will also benefit from the finances.

The district council initially had its plans dropped after the government announced it was cutting solar energy subsidies but the developer contribution has enabled the authority to continue with its bid to install sola r panels on its roof.

MPs initiated two key schemes, the Government’s Renewable Heat Incentive and Feed in Tariffs, which gave homeowners money to install renewable energy equipment but recently cuts in the money were revealed.

As an independent renewable energy advisor, http://www.enerfina.com/can provide you with lots of useful information about renewable energy products and the range of options available to help you on your way.

The experts can put you in touch with renewable energy providers be it solar panels, ground source heat pumps and wood pellet stoves. So if you want to reduce your carbon footprint and save money, call Enerfina today.

Glasgow has revealed that it plans to provide over 10% of its heat from renewable sources by the year 2020 and it aims to do so using heat pumps to tap into waters from abandoned mines underneath the city.

According to the British Geological Survey (BGS), almost 40% of Glasgow’s heat could be provided using the mines to concentrate the heat energy making the water hot enough to heat buildings.

Glasgow City Council is working alongside BGS to supply geothermal energy and the experts believe the new source of energy could help the Scottish city meet its government targets to lower carbon emissions.

The report claims that ground source heat pumps are ideal to take advantage of the form of waters held in the shafts and tunnels underneath the ground. The heat could be removed and use to warm properties. A small scheme has been using mine water to heat houses in Shettleston, at the east end of Glasgow, for over 10 years but the council now want to extend this across the whole city.

Enerfina are independent renewable energy experts and they can put councils, business owners and homeowners in touch with renewable energy providers including heat pumps and solar panels as well as biomass boilers.

Visit Enerfina today and the professionals can provide you with plenty of useful information about renewable energy products and the range of options available to help you save money as well as reduce your carbon footprint.

Thousands of solar panels have been installed across the region of Reading and it is thought to be one of the biggest public sector solar projects in the country.

Suppliers have been moving quickly to complete the project before the deadline of 31^st March when the Feed-in-Tariffs scheme was cut in half and altogether 2,126 solar panels have been installed across 46 sites in Berkshire.

Reading council turned up the heat to install solar panels in the borough in a drive to save money on energy, combat climate change and become the green energy capital of the country.

The project is expected to generate more than 115,000kWh of electricity a year and lower carbon emissions by 61 tonnes of CO2 which equates to filling up 12 hot air balloons.

The solar panels have been installed on council offices, on 17 schools, leisure centres, private businesses, libraries and sheltered housing accommodation. Councillors made the decision last year to take advantage of the national Feed-In-Tariff initiative which gives homeowners money to install renewable energy equipment.

Further benefits to the panels include boosting SMEs ‘green’ credentials and local authorities can use the high-tech solar equipment as an added educational tool to teach students about renewable energy to inspire them to adopt sustainable energy lifestyles in the future.

Enerfina are independent renewable energy experts and they can put homeowners as well as businesses in touch with renewable energy providers including solar panels as well as ground source heat pumps and biomass boilers.

Visit enerfina.com today and the professionals can provide you with plenty of useful information about renewable energy products and the range of options available to help you reduce your carbon footprint as well as save money.

ENDS

Development plans for a new biomass power plant in Yorkshire have been cancelled but energy consultants, Apollo Energy, remain optimistic about the UK’s progression towards reducing carbon emissions and investing in greener sources of energy.

The energy brokers at Apollo Energy can assist clients in seeking out a green energy supplies.  The proposed biomass plant would have been another positive step towards greater availability of green energy within the UK but Drax, the power company behind the campaign, has since shelved the development – which could knock the bio-energy sector as a whole.

The original plans were for Drax to build a 290MW biomass plant alongside their exisiting coal fired power station in Selby, North Yorkshire.  However, following the government’s review of the Renewables Obligation scheme, the costs of implementing the development have been deemed too uneconomical.

Instead of spending the money to build just one new biomass power plant, Drax have to invest £700m in co-firing biomass-coal at their power plant instead.

This £700m figure starts with the investment of £50 million this year; this money is used to bolster Drax’s existing co-firing scheme, increasing its biomass co-firing capacity from 12.5 percent to 20 percent by April 2013.

Eddie Gray, Director of Apollo Energy Ltd commented:

‘Although the big plans for the dedicated biomass plant have frozen, the industry continues to move in the right direction by improving the efficiency of existing power stations.  We are fully onboard with any client who wants to invest into this type of green energy or even generate their own energy with onsite wind turbines, solar panels or hydro-turbines.’

Apollo Energy can broker a new electricity supply for clients whether they want green energy or brown energy.  The smart metering they offer can also help clients improve the accuracy of their meter readings and gain a better insight into their energy consumption patterns. Ideal for clients involved in the CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme.

To find out more about Apollo Energy and how their utility management consultants can help you visit www.apolloenergy.co.uk.

About Apollo Energy

Apollo Energy are commercial utility management consultants who have been helping clients maintain and manage their utility accounts for over 11 years, the team has more than 70 years experience in various parts of the utility industry. They offer a complete ‘one-stop shop’ utility solution.

Enhanced oil recovery (EOR) technologies are used to increase the amount of oil that can be extracted from an oil field after the primary and secondary production stages. Visiongain has calculated the global EOR technologies market – including investments in research and development (R&D) as well as spending on acquiring and using the technologies – to be worth $19.32bn in 2012. Growth over the ten year forecast period will be driven by a combination of factors, including high oil prices, ageing oil fields, rapidly escalating global energy demands, a desire to increase energy independence, increasing EOR opportunities in heavy oil and oil sands recovery, and a desire to reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions.

The Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR) Technologies Market 2012-2022 report explains how the market will develop as a multi-billion dollar sector, revealing EOR technology developments throughout the world and including regional and country specific forecasts and analysis. This report covers all the major companies involved in the market and includes the latest contract developments, newest partnerships and the most significant technological advances. A wealth of data is analysed to provide a clear breakdown of where the EOR technologies market will develop based upon diverse factors and insight, anticipating how and why the market will evolve from 2012 to 2022.

The Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR) Technologies Market 2012-2022 report includes 145 tables and graphs quantifying the market in detail, and includes two original interviews with companies involved in the EOR technologies market. In addition, the report provides a SWOT analysis of the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats facing the market over the next ten years, and offers profiles of 55 of the leading companies involved in the EOR technologies industry. The various drivers and restraints of the market are evaluated in order to provide readers with specific insights into the future direction of the EOR technologies market.

This visiongain energy report will be valuable to those already involved in the EOR technologies market or to those wishing to enter this important market in the future.

For sample pages and further information concerning the Visiongain report The Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR) Technologies Market 2012-2022 please visit: http://www.visiongain.com/Report/783/The-Enhanced-Oil-Recovery-%28EOR%29-Technologies-Market-2012-2022

For an executive summary of this report please email:
Sara Peerun at sara.peerun@visiongainglobal.com
Tel: +44 (0) 20 7336 6100

About visiongain

Visiongain is one of the fastest growing and most innovative independent business intelligence companies in Europe. Based in London, UK, visiongain produces a host of business-2-business conferences, newsletters and management reports focusing on the Energy, Telecoms, Pharmaceuticals, Defence, Aviation and Materials sectors.

Visiongain publishes reports produced by its in-house analysts, who are qualified experts in their field. Visiongain has firmly established itself as the first port-of-call for the business professional, who needs independent, high quality, original material to rely and depend on.

Experienced utility management consultants, Apollo Energy, have welcomed a new plan from Energy Regulator Ofgem , which encourages all utility intermediaries to work to a Code of Practice and Redress scheme approved by Ofgem. Apollo Energy believe customers will benefit as a result.

Apollo Energy are highly regarded as quality energy brokers as a result of the high standard of service they have provided to clients over the past 11 years. As members of the Utility Intermediaries Association (UIA), Apollo Energy is already signed up to their established Code of Practice and Redress scheme and the UIA are currently seeking approval from Ofgem.

Ofgem’s proposed scheme of approval for the Code of Practice and Redress scheme is designed to reassure customers about the quality and independence of the service they receive from Utility Management consultants like Apollo Energy. As full members of the UIA, Apollo Energy are optimistic about the benefits that will arise for customers following the introduction of the Code of Practice industry-wide.

Eddie Gray, Director of Apollo Energy Ltd commented:

‘As one of the founding members of the UIA, we have always believed that effective regulation of third-party intermediaries (TPIs) can only serve to enhance market confidence in the services provided by utility management consultants like Apollo Energy. This is why we were happy to have been one of the members that were involved with the development of the UIA Code of Practice and Redress scheme.’ Ofgem are also asking the government to grant more powers, to enable them to take action against the mis-selling of energy contracts, something which Apollo Energy support as part of the proposed measures to bring customer confidence back to the energy industry.

‘In general, Apollo Energy supports the proposed changes as part of this Ofgem market review and believe that it will benefit energy users.’

As Utility Management Consultants working in the business to business sector, Apollo Energy will continue to provide their clients with the best contract renewal options for new gas supplies. When seeking a new electricity supply on behalf of businesses, Apollo Energy work in line with the current energy market, the available contract structures and the client’s attitude to price risk.

If you want to find out more about Apollo Energy and their role in the utilities sector, visit www.apolloenergy.co.uk. About Apollo Energy

Apollo Energy are commercial utility management consultants who have been helping clients maintain and manage their utility accounts for over 11 years, the team has more than 50 years experience in various parts of the utility industry. They offer a complete ‘one-stop shop’ utility solution, including multiple services.