Conclusions

CHP/District Heating Schemes

 

  • The financial viability of CHP District heating schemes is uncompetitive compared to other forms of energy provision.

 

  • The efficiency of CHP District Heating schemes is much better than other forms of energy provision.

 

  • It is possible to supply a substantial proportion of the UK space-heating requirement from CHP District heating schemes using waste as the primary fuel (MSW, agricultural and forestry).

 

  • A more complete cost-benefit analysis would have to be accepted as the method of screening future energy requirements in the UK if this was to be realised.

 

  • The argument that the project could be substantially funded via subsidies and grants finds muted favour with the group.  There is no wish on the part of the project team to turn the renewable energy industry into a 21st century model of post-war farming industry.

 

  • Small scale CHP technology is well proven, having been used in Scandanavian region for more than 25 years.  Isn’t it just the way!

 

Wind

 

·        70% of planning permission are currently refused for the construction of wind farms because of mainly visual impact

 

·        Therefore there is a place for deployment of small scale wind energy as part of the U.K renewable energy portfolio.

 

·        Wind farms have become highly competitive in the pas decade and are now able to produce electricity at less 1p/kWh

 

·        Consequently, small scale wind deployment would have to be viewed from a cost benefit perspective similar to the CHP scheme

 

·        However, the U.K has nowadays a strong policy towards the implementation of wind turbines on and off shore. Indeed in March 2001, the green light was given for the construction of 19 off shore turbines.

 

Hydro

 

·        Small-scale hydro technology has become a proven technology and also economically viable. This is evidenced the recent several installations of such kinds of system, not only in the U.K. but also in other parts of Europe.

 

·        Even though the technology is gaining momentum, it is being hampered the factors such as high capital outlay and its site dependence topology.

 

·        In the U.K. small-scale deployment under 5 MW benefit from a government subsidiary funding and hence this would greatly increase the opportunity of setting up more plants.

 

·        As more and more small-scale hydro plants are being built, they would significant   positive contribute the global energy requirements and environmental impacts.

 

General

 

*  This proved to be a most useful tool for navigating through the case study. Finally, such a tool, if further developed, could be of benefit to the wider industry as the number of similar projects increases.

*  The spreadsheet we developed also proved to be a very useful tool for a preliminary feasibility study. It also allowed us to decide on a system with relative ease.

*  Small-scale deployment is not competitive to other generation techniques if compared using classical economics.

*  The group, however, are upbeat concerning the prospects for small-scale technology.  The prospective benefits in terms of local community regeneration are too seductive to cast aside on the alter of economics.

*  It should also be noted that large-scale renewable projects are subject to delay and the only possibility to meet Kyoto Protocol requirements is by embracing small-scale renewable deployment.