British Gas launched Green Streets project

British Gas recently revealed the names of the selected 14 local communities that will take part on its £2 million Green Streets programme. The green project aims to trial community scale, power-efficient micro generation schemes that can be rolled out across the UK.

The communities that will participate on the project were chosen from a list of over 100 promising locations. They will contend in a 12-month challenge that will trial which of the projects can efficiently reduce energy usage and carbon emissions.

The winning community will get a £100,000 prize that can be spent in any local green project of their choice. The model community could also provide British Gas a template that can be used for future green projects. British Gas’ Director of Communities and Energy, Gearoid Lane, believes that it is the local people who can help revolutionize how energy should be generated and consumed in the UK society.

The competing communities, which spread all over the UK, propose a variety of energy-efficient generation technologies. For instance, Oxfordshire’s Tackley Village plans to integrate solar panels to community-owned shops and to utilize the generated electricity to power two local churches. Meanwhile, Meadows Partnership Trust in Nottinghamshire proposes to make an old pub into an eco restaurant and coffee shop by using the capacity generated from solar panels. Moreover, locals of Eilean Eisdeal Island in Scotland intend to install wind turbines and heat pumps to power their village hall.

British Gas will provide each pilot project with funding and will assess the energy consumption of all buildings involved in the scheme. The energy firm will also send a team of volunteers, including engineers, that will assist in the installation of power systems.