Review of September Energy Group Meeting

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Fordton Cottage, Fordton, EX17 3DH GoogleMap

Notes from meeting

Present: Charles, Linda, Hazel, John, Chris D and Hertha

Apols: Chris T

Warm welcome to Hertha on her first meeting with Suscred.

1. Matters arising from the last meeting

a) Influencing Housing developers and MDDC

  • Charles to chase up John Downes to set up meeting with MDDC planners
  • Linda to ask Rob Rickey if he will join us in the meeting with the planners, give us some pointers on what to look for in planning applications and how some aspects of his passiv-haus impacted his EPC negatively.
  • Hazel to review on a weekly basis the new planning applications and let the group know of any new housing developments open for comments.
  • Chris T still to find contact for Greenwatt Way

b) Solar PV Project

  • 100 new leaflets printed and are available for use at eg Community Markets etc
  • Discussed new poster design and the sort of messages we want to give out. Hazel to email her suggestions to the group for comment.
  • Chris T had researched some prices for a lockable noticeboard. Linda to approach a couple of local carpenters. Idea deferred until we have spoken to Core Group.
  • Amendment to our Solarsense agreement agreeing the second year 10% discount is with Solarsense for signature.
  • Charles to write to Mel Stride for Mel's opinion on the current state of the PV market rather than the standard response to our letter from Greg Barker.

c) Energy Performance Certificates

  • Hazel to arrange her EPC with Eric and let the group know when so that some of us can attend and ask questions.
  • John to get dates from Tony Newton for a possible talk to the group on his university research.

 d) Possible Community Projects with Schools

  • Linda and Chris D to speak to Paddy Blake re Sandford School
  • Charles to followup on the EDF grant application he sent to Cheriton Fitzpaine School.

e) Firewood from Hedges

  • Charles has had no responses from his emails and telephone calls to Andrew shadrake of Bovey Climate Action, so we must assume that the event Bovey were hoping to organise is not going to happen. Charles to seek further information including costs on how to run an event ourselves using such experts as Devon Hedge Group, Devon Rural Skills and BTCV.
  • Link to report on woodfuel from hedgerows

2. AOB

a) Community RHPP Application

We have submitted the Stage 1 application to the Energy Saving Trust and will hear the result in mid September. If we are taken to Stage 2 we will have to submit a bid based on installing renewable heat in at least 11 less affluent homes, off gas in an area of deprivation. It will be a challenge get expressions of interest from 11 such homes. Grants may be available to cover upto 40% of the costs of installation.

b) Wind Turbine Strategy

  • Following a discussion Linda to draft a statement for the group to comment on.
  • We were surprised to learn that there had been a major flooding disaster in Somerset on 1607 possibly as a result of a tsunami. Slightly concerning considering two nuclear power stations would be flooded if this happened again.
  • We decided not to visit a wind farm as we felt we had enough arguments to make a case for turbines.

c) Articles

  • Linda left Charles with an article for the website about the use of transformers which if left on cause a considerable waste of energy.
  • Linda referred to an article in the Ecologist which highlights the potential harm in the use of mobile phone and other wireless technologies.

 

 3. date of next meeting

Thursday 10th October at Fordton Cottage 7:30pm

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