Present at this meeting:  Andrew Baldrey (facilitator), Glen Park, Joddy Chapman, Francis Macnaughton, Chris Bird, Adam Dadeby, Philip Gibbon, Michael Rose, Geoffrey Haggis.

Glen described (and asked the Energy Group to support) a campaign initiated by residents in Copland Meadows (Totnes) for more Government support for photovoltaics (PV).  A group of residents in Copland Meadows have been through the TTT ‘Transition Together’ programme and decided their next priority would be to install PV panels on their roofs and to campaign the Government for more financial help for PV.  This could take the form, for example, of interest-free loans, repayable by householders from savings on their future electricity bills.  Their campaign leaflet can be downloaded from http://totnes.transitionnetwork.org/transitiontogether/solarpv.

Philip pointed out the technical difficulty in adapting the National Grid for acceptance of the wildly fluctuating PV supply once a significant number of houses in any one area are fitted with PV (supply from PV can vary from 100% to near zero in seconds as clouds pass over).  There was general discussion on this point with the conclusion that this problem appears to have been solved in Germany and the Netherlands.

There was further discussion of the Energy Descent Action Plan (EDAP).  Joddy pointed out that the offshore figures in the early drafts of the plan were unrealistically high.  Geoffrey noted that Jacqi Hodgson is now aware of this and is reducing these figures by a factor of  five (or even a factor of ten).  There was some debate as to whether a fraction of the energy generated at the national level should be included in a local energy plan.  However, Jacqi has separated local from national supply in different columns in the Table in the plan and it is becoming clear (as the plan is developing) that it will be difficult to meet future Totnes and District energy demand from renewable energy in the local area, so we may still need to rely to some extent on national supply.

There was a general feeling that the early drafts of the EDAP contained a confusing amount of calculation and figures in the energy sections.  Jacqi is now moving detailed calculations to an Appendix.

Joddy and Francis then described progress on their plan to install a wind turbine on a site between Rattery and Diptford to supply electricity to South Brent.  Planning consent for a wind turbine can only be obtained if the turbine is placed at a sufficient distance from housing, overhead power lines, roads, etc.  It must also be at a sufficient distance from bat roosting sites and must meet conditions relating to ‘visual intrusion’.  Joddy and Francis found only a few suitable sites around South Brent and it is, of course, rather essential that the site should be at, or near, the top of a hill.  However, they are overcoming all these difficulties and are well on their way to obtaining planning permission for a 225 kW turbine (hub height 30m) at their chosen site.  This will supply about 10% of South Brent’s electricity need.  All details are on www.sustainablesouthbrent.org.