NEW GOVERNMENT: RE-THINK “10% RENEWABLES” PLANNING RULES

MCBAINS COOPER

PROPERTY & CONSTRUCTION CONSULTANCY

PRESS RELEASE

May 10, 2010.

NEW GOVERNMENT: RE-THINK “10% RENEWABLES” PLANNING RULES.

Property and construction consultancy McBains Cooper says the next government should look carefully at its planning permission “renewables” policy to prove its true understanding of the issue - and drive down the cost of green energy.

Current planning permission regulations dictate that new-builds must include design and construction features that generate at least 10% of their energy needs from on-site renewable energy equipment.

But Anthony Coumidis, Sustainability and Energy Director of McBains Cooper, says that in the vast majority of cases, moving the renewable energy generating equipment away from the building to which it is contributing power will generate even greater efficiencies.

“Investing, say, £250,000 in wind turbines that turn for 50% of the time on a city centre building will not yield as much power per unit of investment compared with an identically-costed development in an area where higher and more consistent wind speeds occur 75% of the time.

“Furthermore, unless the 10% renewables rule is enforced for the life of the building, commercially-challenged building owners will neglect energy generating equipment to the extent that after only a few years it may well have failed completely – but if the farm is centrally owned and maintained, then efficiencies will grow rather than fall.

“We live and learn, or, in our case, we design and help construct and we learn – and we’re learning that there are potentially better and more cost-efficient ways to generate renewable or green energy; and that’s not necessarily down to technology.

“We believe that instead of every new building having to generate 10% of its energy needs from on-site renewable energy equipment, each one should be assessed on its own merits.

“Some new buildings simply do not offer the highest possible return on investment in energy equipment, primarily because of their location.

“Wind speeds in city centres are, on average, far lower than on a coastline, so wind turbines will not run at their optimum, and low-rise buildings constructed in the shadow of bigger buildings may not benefit from efficient solar power generation.

“We would propose that developers take the proportion of budget they would have spent on renewables in a new-build and that it is contributed to a central fund which buys into much bigger and efficient wind, wave or solar power farms.

“This could be viewed as the green efficiency difference between 20 school-run cars and a school bus with its own bus lane. One has 20 build and design costs, and stops and starts – the other has one design cost, an economy-of-scale build cost and runs consistently and efficiently,” said Anthony Coumidis.

Ends

Further information:

Iain Macauley / Chris Fowler

07788 978800 / 07719 172225

im@pressrelations.co.uk / cf@pressrelations.co.uk www.mcbainscooper.com

Notes.

McBains Cooper

McBains Cooper is an inter-discipline consultancy, specialising in property, infrastructure and construction, offering a wide range of consulting and design services including architectural, aesthetic or technical design, problem solving, budget management, facilities management, health and safety, sustainability consultancy and on-the-ground civil engineering. Driving and supporting projects ranging from minor works to major contracts worth more than £100 million, McBains Cooper operates across a variety of sectors throughout the UK, Europe and Latin America. McBains Cooper is committed to environmental, social and economic sustainable development and their integrated approach means they deliver effective, award-winning solutions to their clients. The Group employs 150 people. McBains Cooper has regional headquarters in London (head office), Birmingham, Glasgow, Leeds, Manchester, Oxford, Windsor, Lima (Peru) and Mexico City, with associate offices in Belfast and Dublin. www.mcbainscooper.com

STL LAUNCHES GREEN CONSULTANCY SERVICE FOR RETAILERS AND MANUFACTURERS.

SHIRLEY TECHNOLOGIES

TEXTILE TESTING

PRESS RELEASE

March 8, 2010.

STL LAUNCHES GREEN CONSULTANCY SERVICE FOR RETAILERS AND MANUFACTURERS.

Shirley Technologies (STL), one of the world’s leading textile testing laboratories, has launched a specialist green (ecological) manufacturing consultancy service.

STL says that significant numbers of manufacturers and retailers are still embracing false economies by buying and trading in cheaper-to-make non-green products to sell on to consumers and businesses alike.

But it also says that local authorities are, in the main, recognising that ecologically sound products and services can be as economical to buy and use as the cheapest non-green.

“Many companies and organisations, as well as some local authorities, still don’t fully understand green issues and influences, because their suppliers will skew the message according to the ecological and environmental soundness of their products,” said Asif Shah of STL.

“We are a completely independent organisation, and as well as carrying out general textile testing we have a growing team of specialists who deal with ecological issues. We also conduct and compile research giving indications of how consumers react and respond to companies who pretend to be ecologically sound, or who use their green credentials to charge higher prices.

“Our scientists and specialists won’t just tell businesses whether they are producing or supplying sound green products or services, they can look at the full extent of green issues: tax liabilities, environmental penalties, cheaper green production processes, and compliance with international standards for ethically sound manufacture.

“Most companies or organisations who address the whole range of green issues can expect to save money.”

STL is the UK associate of www.madeingreen.com, a not-for-profit organisation which certifies that products, throughout the supply chain, are traceable and have been manufactured in factories that respect the environment and the universal rights of workers.

Businesses and organisations unsure of the ethical potential of their sourcing or manufacturing processes should be consulting Shirley Technologies www.shirleytech.co.uk.

“Green manufacturing processes are developing and progressing so quickly that retailers and manufacturers have a duty to stay on top of progress, and, in some cases, may find they are close or at the point at which green makes more business sense than cheap,” said Asif Shah.

“Ethical and organic food production and processing has moved from being viewed as somewhat oddball to now being accepted mainstream – textiles are a few years behind, but moving in the same direction.”

For more information:

Press Relations

Iain Macauley / Megan Codling

im@pressrelations.co.uk / mc@pressrelations.co.uk

mb: 07788 978800 / 07795 848586

About Shirley Technologies

Shirley Technologies Ltd (STL) is a UKAS (United Kingdom Accreditation Service) accredited laboratory providing competitive, independent, expert textile testing, certification, advisory and investigation services across the traditional and specialist textile industries.

STL is an independent subsidiary of BTTG Ltd, formerly the British Textile Technology Group. With more than 80 years experience, Shirley Technologies Ltd provides unrivalled and expert reassurance through its technical services to a global network of clients which include manufacturers, retailers, the legal profession, police, consumers and related interest groups including Trading Standards. Highly qualified and experienced technical staff work directly with clients to ensure that they receive the best advice and service in a wide range of technical areas.