Oldham Council has a policy which states that renewable energy generation systems must be built in to new developments of a certain size (10 house units and non domestic 1000m2). These developments must have 10% or more of their energy from on site renewable resources. Oldham Council is one of the first local authorities in the country, and the first in Greater Manchester to have such a policy.

The location of New Cumnock is with an aged mining village near to the border of Ayrshire and Dumfries & Galloway. Due to the diminishing of mining through out the years and the reduction of the textile industry, much of the village has suffered.

The outdoor swimming pool that was built in the 1960s was closed down by the council of East Ayrshire an was taken over by the community under the banner of New Cumnock Environmental Volunteers (NERV). This group was set up to improve the environment and leisure activities in the area. The swimming pool was has had substantial improvements which include new showers, changing facilities and tiling of the pool and the relating surroundings.

The New Housing Association is a charitable housing organization which has been developing housing since 1991. The New Housing Association develops and manages housing for rent, mainly in the Glasgow area. In addition to normal housing, Thenew also develop special needs housing. This is in partnership with specialist care providers.

Kirkhaven Hostel is a newly developed hostel with partnership of Crossreach. Crossreach is a local care agency within Scotland. The hostel will offer 24 hour acre for 14 adults with issues relating to alcohol. The building possesses under floor heating. The heat is generated by solar panels connected to a closed loop geothermal system.

This case study provides information about the two 15 kWp wind turbines installed on the edge of the playing fields adjacent to the Deighton Centre in Huddersfield.
The turbines were installed in May 2006 and generate electricity, without emissions of carbon dioxide, for the Deighton Centre. Any remaining energy generated is exported to the National Grid. The wind turbines are located more than 110m away from the Centre and the nearest residential dwelling is more than 100m away down steep banking. At low wind speeds the difference between background noise levels and noise from the turbines is zero at 60m away from the turbines. At high wind speeds the noise difference is zero at 20m.
Flicker or shadow effect can be caused when turning turbine blades cast a moving shadow and cause a flickering effect. This is not a common effect and is dependant on many factors. The distance between the turbines and the building is sufficient for flicker effect not to be an issue.

In the month of April 2003, the UK’s first community owned and developed wind turbine was switched on in the Dulas Valley in Wales. The residents of Pant pert hog village very much enjoyed the idea of a community owned wind turbine. This led to the installation of the 75kW second-hand Vestas wind turbine. The wind turbine is located on the hill above the Centre for Alternative Technology (CAT).

In 2005 the CIS Tower in Manchester was transformed into the largest vertical solar array in Europe. The unique £5.5 million project on what is the tallest office building in the UK outside London, began in 2004 when old mosaic tiles began to fail and started falling from the building. Thinking of an environmentally sustainable, long-term solution was difficult, since traditional cladding would have had a negative ecological impact. Therefore, it was proposed to clad the structure in photovoltaic cells, which reached peak capacity in 2006 and now feed directly into the National Grid.

Despite renewables commitments, and an abundance of potential wind energy, the UK only generates 0.5% of its electricity requirements using wind power. Wind energy could cause a significant impact on the UK’s efforts to reduce carbon emissions and meet domestic and European targets. However, action at the local level is needed if the target is to be met. The Circle of Wind project is working with a number of Local Authorities across the city-region to demonstrate that wind turbines can be successfully placed in urban and industrial areas. Feasibility studies are being carried out on potential sites across the city-region. The project aims to be a symbol of Manchester’s commitment to renewable energy and a demonstration that there are local benefits to community ownership of such schemes.