Microgrids can transform British rural energy scenario
Posted on: September 15th, 2008 by Tessa Clarke
A possible revolution in meeting rural energy requirement is underway at a Cheshire village. The project plan is to generate electricity for use within a community by combining biomass, solar and wind energy.
It will also study how to match the demand with power generated and gather data on how and when the energy is used by specific buildings.
Chester University and Capenhurst’s EA Technology Ltd have undertaken the project in Ashton Hayes. The project, called ‘Going Carbon Neutral”, is backed by a £86,558 grant by Carbon Connections UK.
If successful, the project is likely to revolutionise the way villages utilise as well as generate energy. Implications could be far-reaching, not just for Britain, but also the world over.
The project will implement a ‘microgrid’ which will enable buildings to use conventional energy as well as generate their own energy through renewable sources.
Roy Alexander, a professor at Chester University and also a resident of Ashton Hayes is upbeat about the project. He said that such an idea has never been tried before and he is proud of the fact that his village is pioneering grass root level initiative on climate change.
The project will gather information on practical aspects of the model and the same will be shared with all engineers in Britain. The focus will be on possibilities of implementing the scheme. It will also include management and business models which would help current suppliers.
The study will look at only the feasibility of ‘microgrid’. It will only install monitoring equipment to study the consumption pattern and power generating potential of individual buildings.
