Network Update – September 2015

Welcome to September’s Network Update. This month: Mitie Breakfast; ISO and GHG updates; Next Level Thinking; Three award schemes; Feed-in-Tariff cuts; Sustainable Buildings Breakfast and Personal Power Stations!

Now booking: A Mitie Breakfast!
– 8th October, Crawley

Mitie, one of the UK’s largest property companies, provide repair and maintenance for Crawley Homes. At this event you’ll find out how they are embedding sustainability into their operations as well as how their procurement and sub-contracting processes work. 08:00 to 10:00, free to attend with breakfast included. Full details and on-line booking.

Also not to miss: Meet Go-Ahead – 23rd October, Crawley

Meet the procurement teams from Go-Ahead’s rail and bus services in Sussex, including Govia Thameslink, Southern Railway and Brighton & Hove Buses. Find out what sort of businesses they work with, their procurement processes and expectations of suppliers. 08:00 to 10:00, free to attend, breakfast included. Full details.

The Sustainable Business Network’s programme of business breakfast events is run on behalf of the University of Brighton’s Green Growth Platform.

ISO 14001 and Greenhouse Gas Revisions

ISO 14001, the best known standard for Environmental Management Systems, has been revised. The key changes focus around increased prominence of environmental management with strategic planning processes, lifecycle thinking when assessing aspects and the introduction of a communications plan. Organisations have a three year transition period to update their EMS in line with the new version.

Earlier this summer revised greenhouse gas conversion figures for company reporting were also released by the government.

Coming up: Sustainable Buildings Breakfast

On the 7th October in Uckfield we’ll hear from architect Duncan-Baker Brown (designer of the award winning Waste House) about just what makes a building ‘sustainable’ and the costs and practicalities of retrofitting sustainable materials and technologies into existing premises.

Ringmer College will then share their reasons for installing solar PV, rainwater harvesting, a wind turbine and a biomass boiler. Plus networking over croissants and bacon butties. Details and bookings.

Personal Power Station!
Evaluation Sites Needed

The Independence combines renewable energy, energy storage and water harvesting technologies into a unit the size of a garden shed. The designers are looking for sites to install and evaluate operating performance, either through a discounted purchase or borrowing agreement. Rural and off grid locations would be ideal. If you are interested, contact Derek Burton on 07973 524333 or by email.

Proposed Feed-in-Tariff Changes – Industry Response

The government is planning to drastically cut Feed-in-Tariff rates available to producers of renewable energy through solar PV, wind and hydro systems in January 2016, and then close the FIT scheme altogether to new applicants in 2018-19. Their consultation document proposes reducing the maximum payment per kWh for electricity generated by PV systems up to 10 kWp in size to 1.63p (from currently 11.30p to 12.47p).

The Solar Trade Association calls the proposals ‘self-defeating’ and also says that ending the ability to ‘pre-accredit’ larger PV systems, a move simultaneously outlined by the government, will greatly restrict community and commercial installations as it will increase investment risk. Other groups have also reacted strongly.

You can respond to the consultation on-line until the 23rd October.

Conferences: Next Level Thinking & Future Solent

It’s conference season! On the 25th September join green businesses from across Sussex for a day of business growth seminars, entrepreneurs’ case studies, business pitching, networking and a locally sourced lunch, at Next Level Thinking run by the Green Growth Platform.

On the 2nd October the 4th annual Future Solent conference will explore clean energy opportunities for business across the region.

Awards and more…

Arun Business Partnership Awards 2015 – Apply on-line
Who’ll win Green Business of the Year? Deadline 26th October.

The ‘impossible’ zero-carbon house – BBC article
Creators Cardiff University claim it exports more power to the grid than it uses, and can be built within a typical social housing budget.

BusinessGreen Technology Awards – Apply on-line
Celebrating the most exciting and innovative clean technologies in the UK. Deadline 2nd October.

Peer-to-peer renewable energy marketplace – Visit website
Piclo allows you to choose which renewable generators you wish to buy from. Currently seeking businesses for a 6 month trial.

Global Change Award launched by H&M – Apply on-line
Looking for bold ideas that close the loop in fashion. Deadline 31st October.

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