News and Updates
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A couple of weeks ago I was privileged to visit a property in Charlton Kings, Cheltenham that was undergoing installation of a ground-sourced heating system. I was hosted by Matt Lee, a Cheltonian working for Thermal Earth Ltd, the install company. I was there to learn a bit more about domestic ground-sourced heating systems but also how national and local government were encouraging the adoption of this and other renewable energy technologies.
TL;DR: Ground-sourced heating systems are very much an option for a built-up urban environment (a surprise to me); they work best when the property has been fully insulated; they can cool as well as heat; with grants available to incentivise the installation of a Heat Pump, investment pay-back periods can be greatly reduced and these systems can add value to the property by future proofing the heating system. There is still much more that national and local government needs to do to encourage widespread adoption..
An urban option
The first thing I noticed when approaching the property was the large drill rig at the front (that's a six foot me in front of the drill). This was my first surprise as I had assumed that the ‘ground-source’ pipework would have to be laid horizontally in a huge back garden or field. Two 150mm wide boreholes were being drilled 100meters deep into the 100m2 front area to cater for a closed-loop brine-filled system capable of providing up to 12kw of heating (and cooling) energy into the house. Once finished, these boreholes would be invisible but for a small access manhole.
Matt stressed that a full survey, and bespoke modelling had had to be done to assess geology, house efficiency, anticipated energy demand and a bunch of other factors. An air-sourced heating system had been ruled out due to the building aspect and layout.
In passing he commented that Ground Source Heat Pumps are the cheapest system to run and offer better performance and aesthetics than Air Source Heat Pumps.
He noted the criticality of making the house as efficient as possible to get full benefit from the system (the lowest running costs are achieved with maximum insulation but that’s the same for all heating systems - preventing the heat leaving the building is the cheapest way to heat any property - a fabric-first approach is always best policy)
Ground Source Heat Pumps can also provide passive and active cooling in the hotter summer months, where passive systems use the cool water from the ground to cool the property without running the compressor, and active being the same as an air conditioning system and using the refrigeration side of the heat pump to provide cooling. Apparently passive cooling is very cheap to run and only uses a circulation pump.
Cost
Installation cost is highly dependent on the individual set of circumstances (geology, anticipated energy demand) but is currently helped by the UK Government Boiler Upgrade Scheme where a £6,000 grant is available for a Ground Source Heat Pump and £5,000 is available for an Air Source Heat Pump. Running costs are likely to be significantly lower than a gas-based alternative (around 45% less) and lower than other forms of renewables including air-source heat pumps. Those costs can be lowered by being supported by Battery Storage and a PV solar array. The whole system is likely to last significantly longer than its gas or oil equivalent.
Government support
It’s true to say that Government support for renewables has been confusing and frankly inadequate. Whilst a £6,000 grant for ground-sourced heat pumps is welcome, it will do little to encourage those with a little disposable income (the grant is made post-installation direct to the installer) and with less-than-ideal installation circumstances (geology or space for the kit for example). The Government is also currently doing too little to support making existing UK housing stock more efficient - a key factor in getting true value (in terms of both financial & carbon savings) from heat pumps.
The new Future Homes Standard will stipulate that new homes should produce 70-80% less carbon emissions from 2025 onwards. This will hopefully encourage more widespread use of super-efficient systems like ground-sourced heat pumps. However between now and then hundreds and thousands of new houses are being built without encouragement to install these systems. Political will needs to be gained at local and national level to encourage local schemes to install credible systems in advance of 2025.
If we need a significant growth in renewable energy system adoption then we also need a significant growth in suitably qualified engineers. This isn’t happening fast enough according to Matt. Again this should be something politicians pay attention to when discussing the education needs and opportunities both nationally and locally.
Lastly, the level of knowledge across the general population about the benefits and costs of renewables is not where it needs to be. That’s what prompted Matt to invite myself and others to visit the site. We need to do more to make the information readily accessible beyond a bunch of web pages. This is something that I will be discussing with TGP colleagues.
My thanks go to Matt Lee and the Thermal Earth team at site. I’ve come away much better informed and ready to do my bit in encouraging others to think more about ground-sourced heating systems.
Matt Dimond-Brown
Tewkesbury Green Party
Cate's News to Tewkesbury Residents - 19 August 2022
Dear Tewkesbury residents,
Cycling competition
Get your drawing tools out and design a cycling jersey to celebrate the Tour of Britain coming to Tewkesbury, 9th September. Prizes for adults and children.
Summer recycling with Greener Gloucestershire
During the summer months, we tend to spend more time outside, enjoying garden parties, barbeques, picnics and day trips. However, we must not forget to protect the environment and continue to recycle.
- Recycle glass and plastic. Make sure you recycle your glass bottles, cans and plastic bottles. Glass left outside in the sun can cause fires.
- Don't bin batteries. When batteries are thrown into the bin, they can be punctured, causing them to ignite. It’s estimated that almost half of fires in waste facilities are started by batteries. To recycle batteries responsibly, take them to a Household Recycling Centre or designated recycling point at a supermarket.
- Exploring the countryside? Please take your rubbish home with you (and recycle what you can). Sadly, we still see a lot of litter being left in beautiful areas across our county, spoiling it for other people and potentially causing harm to farm animals or wildlife.
- Recycle gas cylinders correctly. Gas cylinders should not be placed in your waste bin as they may explode if crushed. Take them to your nearest Household Recycling Centre or many retailers and suppliers will allow you to return your gas bottle for a replacement, once used.
Tewkesbury Nature Reserve - Art Events
Tewkesbury Repair Café - Your Repair Café Needs You!
Tewkesbury Repair Café was started in July 2017 by a team of about 15 volunteers. Repair Cafés are free events where people who have items in need of repair are put in touch with people who have the skills and passion to repair items. This can include: clothes, furniture, electrical and electronic items to name a few. Items are repaired free but customers are asked to cover the cost of any parts used and are encouraged to make a donation to cover running costs.
Apart from COVID lock down the café has run pretty much every month. During those times, not only have thousands of items been saved from landfill, but it has also saved the people of Tewkesbury over £40k in replacement costs.
The Repair Café relies on volunteers to operate. People with a wide range of skills from admin / Front of House, to making and serving teas and coffees and of course to undertaking repairs are needed. No previous experience is necessary, as long as you have an interest, existing volunteers will help to support and train new volunteers.
Homes for Ukrainians scheme in Gloucestershire
Under the scheme, there are now 114 arrivals within Tewkesbury's Borough, (the total is just over one thousand within Gloucestershire).
Prior’s Park Neighbourhood Project (PPNP)
Creative sheds Drop in every Tuesday and Friday 10am – 2pm. Just turn up and use existing skills or learn some new ones, all welcome including complete beginners.
Sewing skills - 31st August
Tewkesbury Library
Along with two others, Tewkesbury's new Innovation Lab run by Gloucestershire Libraries is set to be officially launched with open afternoons. Members of the public are being invited to join in the launch at Tewkesbury, Chipping Campden and Cheltenham libraries in September and October.
Open afternoons will be running from 2pm to 5pm to explore the space, meet the team and get hands on with technology.
The facilities and equipment available to try include a design studio for digital design, 3D modelling and animation, virtual reality, podcast recording equipment, laser cutting and micro-computers.
The events are taking place on the following dates:
- Tewkesbury Library – Monday 12th September
- Chipping Campden Library – Tuesday 20th September
- Cheltenham Library – Tuesday 4th October
Throughout the afternoon, the team of friendly Lab Techs will be on hand to showcase the technology, talk through case studies on how the labs are being used and will be running special activities for children aged 8+ between 4pm and 5pm.
They are among a network of six Innovation Labs around the county, with one in each district, which offer accessible, creative community spaces for people of all ages and abilities to get hands-on with digital technology.
If you would like to work with the Lab team, arrange a visit or find out more about your local Lab, please email info@innovationlabnetwork.com
Improvement work to take place during five week closure
Facilities will be improved at Tewkesbury Library while it is closed for five weeks next month. Work on an internal refurbishment at the library will be taking place from Monday 12th September until Saturday 15th October, with the library reopening on Monday 17th October.
The new Innovation Lab will remain open while the library is closed.
The improvements will include:
- A new community area that can be used for talks, performances, events and hire, to include a projector and speakers
- Redecoration of the library space
- New furniture for adults’ and children’s areas, including a range of seating and additional shelving
- New signage throughout to help with accessibility
- A Tewkesbury town feel to the decoration used in the library
The library team has engaged closely with the local community and school pupils to deliver these improvements.
To ensure the public can still access books during the closure, there will be three collection times a week for reservations at Tewkesbury Library in the Foyer:
- Wednesdays 14, 21 and 28 September and Wednesdays 5 and 12 October from 10am to 12pm
- Fridays 16, 23 and 30 September and Fridays 7 and 14 October from 1pm to 3pm
- Saturdays 17 and 24 September and Saturdays 1 and 8 October from 10am to 12pm
Pop-up libraries will also be held at various locations in the Tewkesbury area during the closure, where members of the public can choose books, join the library and request specific titles or genres for the next pop-up.
Information will also be available about online services and the changes under way at the library. You can find details of the times and locations of the pop-ups here or call Tewkesbury Library on 01684 293086.
Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service (GFRS)
GFRS dealt with a phenomenal volume of incidents and emergency calls during the August heatwave.
Firefighters, staff and volunteers pulled together to provide exceptional service to the county in challenging conditions to keep everyone safe. There were 1,381 emergency calls made to the fire service’s control room between 1st and 15th August, compared with 497 in the same period last year.
GFRS was called to tackle 163 fires during this time, which involved grassland, woodland, crops or agricultural machinery – a massive rise on the 19 callouts for the same time last year.
In addition to the grassland fires, GFRS were also called to a range of other incidents, including river rescues and road traffic collisions.
Reminder - Share your views on long-term future of cycling in Gloucestershire
Views from residents will help form the long-term ambitions for cycling in the county. As well as wanting to hear from cyclists about their experiences, the county council is keen to understand any potential barriers to residents getting on their bikes.
https://haveyoursaygloucestershire.uk.engagementhq.com/cycling-improvement-plan
Best wishes,
Cate
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Cate's News to Tewkesbury Residents - 29 July 2022
Dear Tewkesbury residents,Young people in Gloucestershire For any young person in Gloucestershire involved in making change, (or wanting to be). Age 15+ Sat 30th July 1-8pm, Jolt and the Music works, Kings Square, Gloucester. FREE food, workshops, fun, sharing, art and music. To book free tickets visit Summer-2022
New road safety policy out for consultation An eight-week consultation period inviting people to give their views on the draft policy runs until 11thSeptember 2022. You can take part in the survey here: County Council Road Safety Policy
Four new Innovation Labs to be opened by Gloucestershire Libraries Gloucestershire Libraries will be opening the doors to four more Innovation Labs across the county on Tuesday 2nd August. They are based in Tewkesbury, Cheltenham, Stroud and Chipping Campden, (there are also existing Innovation Labs at Gloucester and Coleford). Libraries and offer accessible, creative community spaces for people of all ages and abilities to get hands-on with digital technology. Each Lab has its own friendly Lab Technician to help you develop digital skills and support creative projects using a range of technology including 3D scanning, modelling and printing, virtual reality, micro-computing, coding and digital design. Offering a range of events, workshops and one-to-one sessions, the new Labs will be working with volunteers, business partners and community organisations to offer something to everyone. Taster sessions will be available throughout the summer, showcasing 3D printing, virtual reality and digital design. The Labs will also be offering Cardboard Engineering workshops for 8 to 12 year olds, to tie in with this year’s science and innovation-themed Summer Reading Challenge where children can meet the Gadgeteers - book here: Meet the gadgeteers To book a place on the Cardboard Engineers workshop please visit: Cardboard Engineers If you would like to work with the Lab teams, arrange a visit or find out more about the summer taster sessions, please email info@innovationlabnetwork.com You can also find out more information on the summer taster sessions by following @ilabnetwork on Facebook. Tewkesbury Nature Reserve Looking for something to do this summer? TNR has lots of amazing workshops and fun things to do 🙂 TNR Events 2022
Report your spam Report suspicious emails by forwarding them to report@phishing.gov.uk and suspicious text messages (SMS) by forwarding them to 7726 (it's free of charge) Best wishes, Cate |
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Terrific results for Greens in the recent local elections: for the full list of successes please see here
Thank you to Tewkesbury Greens who joined Cheltenham to help get Tabi Joy elected as Cheltenham's first Green Party councillor.
Tewkesbury Nature Reserve - new volunteer group
'Citizen Scientists' focussing on monitoring species, habitats, and water quality. Meeting 2nd and 4th Wednesdays of the month, 6.00-7.30pm at the main car park. Future sessions will include:
- Water quality monitoring using invertebrates
- Hay meadow condition assessment
- Bat survey
- Pond survey
Some sessions will repeat the same techniques as it is important to build up data over time.
No experience is necessary, just a willingness to get involved.
Contact Giles Alder, Volunteer Co-ordinator, Tewkesbury Nature Reserve
Email: volunteers@tewkesburynaturereserve.org.uk
Web: www.tewkesburynaturereserve.org.uk
Recycling
Blister Pack Recycling - in Tewkesbury - at Church Street Medical Surgery
Recycle your Medicine Blister Packs - as part of their Greener Practice Initiative, Church Street Medical Surgery now have a box at reception to allow patients to recycle their empty medicine blister packs:
- No medicine and medication residue
- Blister packs must not have originally been destined for disposal as clinical or hazardous waste
- Blister packs must not have come into contact with biological contaminants
- No cardboard, paper and any other types of waste other than empty medicine blister packs
- Any medicine and medication residue including tablets, pills and caplets should be returned to a pharmacy for safe disposal.