We have a vacancy for a European Project Manager . . . A project manager is required to manage two current European projects. Within these projects, MEA will be working alongside partner organisations in a variety of European countries to develop strategies and toolkits to tackle energy efficiency issues and renewable energy integration in a variety of building and community types.  

CLOSING DATE:   12 noon on Wednesday  30^th  April 2008 

See advert or download job pack

We've all heard about climate change and solar panels, and now businesses and householders can find out what they can do to generate their own heat and power.

Marches Energy Agency has set up two technology fairs, in Ellesmere and in Cleobury Mortimer, to help promote renewable technologies and energy efficient measures. There will be displays of technologies such as solar panels ad energy efficient light bulbs, with a chance to meet suppliers and installers, as well as get independent advice. 

These fairs are free and open to all businesses and private individuals who want to learn more about how they can reduce their utility bills, generate their own heat and power and reduce their carbon footprint.

The fairs will be held in Ellesmere College on Wednesday 9^th April, and The Wyre Suite, Cleobury Mortimer Golf Club on Thursday 17^th April 2008, both are from 17.00 - to 19.30. All members of the community are welcome.

As part of Shropshire's Low Carbon Community project, business grants of up to 50% are being offered to small and medium sized businesses within the three pilot project areas, towards renewable technologies and energy efficiency measures. This will simultaneously reduce your utility bills and your carbon footprint.  Please contact Marches Energy Agency to book your free business energy efficiency audit or to find out if you are in the project area.

The funding areas are currently Ellesmere, Cleobury Mortimer, and the floodplain area to the south of Oswestry. Further funding may be available from April to provide for the majority of Shropshire's businesses.

The Low Carbon Communities project is run by Marches Energy Agency - www.lowcarboncommunities.org with funding and support from Advantage West Midlands, Shropshire County Council and the Rural Regeneration Zone.

For further information please contact Jeremy Thorp on 01743 277105 or email jeremy.thorp@mea.org.uk

Shropshire has been chosen as the location for an international bio-energy study tour taking place this week. This will to look at how more of our energy could be generated from ‘renewable' sources. Experts and delegates from across Europe countries will be visiting the region to see what has been done so far. They will also look at what a particularly rural area can do in the face of rising energy costs and energy's impact on climate change.

The event is being co-ordinated by Shrewsbury based Marches Energy Agency. Tristan Haynes, Project Manager for the charity said "Clearly compared to our Swedish visitors who are generating 40% of their energy from wood, we have different challenges and some way to go in Shropshire. We hope this event can begin to take some of the opportunities out there forward."

Over the course of two jam-packed days, delegates will be shown a diverse range of technologies. They will visit Ludlow to see how energy is being generated from the digestion of green waste from householders. On the second day they will learn how an innovative Staffordshire-made unit is heating and powering Harper Adam's Agricultural College.

Delegates will be staying at the Long Mynd Hotel in Church Stretton which has just made the switch from heating with gas & oil to wood chip, avoiding the emission of some 150 tonnes of CO₂ per annum. They have also switched to low energy light bulbs throughout saving a further 11 tonnes.

The delegates will even travel around the region on a coach fuelled by biodiesel made from waste cooking oil and the impact of their visit itself is expected to be minimal.

Support for the project has been offered by the Regional Development Agency (AWM), Shropshire County Council, The National Trust, NFU, South Shropshire District Council and the Forestry Commission. It is also backed by South Shropshire Housing Association who have just commissioned an entire development to be heated by woodchip.

Tristan added, "Clearly this project could have great economic and environmental outcomes for the region. We are extremely grateful to the European Commission and our sponsors here in the West Midlands, including AWM's Rural Regeneration Zone, for enabling this project to happen."

The event will take place on April 1^st and 2^nd.

We have now moved to our new premises at The Pump House, Coton Hill, Shrewsbury. 

In line with our environmental principles, The Pump House is an exemplary office building - developed in the heart of Shrewsbury.  The building will provide offices for a number of environmental businesses - an 'eco cluster'.  The building has been designed to be 'eco friendly' with exceptionally high levels of insulation, a wood fuel heating system and a full mechanical ventilation and heat recovery system.  It will be Shrewsbury's new Environmental Technology Centre.

It utilises renewable energy in the form of a large area of photovoltaic solar panels producing a peak output of 7.9kW and has a solar hot water system.  Given increasingly hot summers there are high levels of thermal mass to help prevent over-heating.  In order to minimise water consumption, especially in the summer with increasingly frequent droughts, there is a rainwater recovery system. 

The building scheme involved the redevelopment of an old waterworks next to The Gateway on the banks of the River Severn which was later the Borough Council social club.   

The development is a public-private joint venture showcasing high quality low energy sustainable design and stimulating the wider environmental economy. The tenants will likewise embrace a holistic approach to sustainability.  As evidence of the building's high environmental credentials it has been rated as Excellent under the BREEAM Environmental Assessment Methodology. 

In order to demonstrate the effectiveness of its qualities there will be live measurement and reporting of energy consumption,  Tenants will participate in on-site separation for recycling of waste and occupants are signing up to Tenant Energy Management Policies.  

The new premises has its own website at http://www.pump-house.com

On Friday March 14^th two members of MEA's Carbon Forum team travelled north to the Knutton Village Farm Conference at Newcastle Community High School in Newcastle-under-Lyme. The purpose of the event was to raise the profile of the Knutton Village Farm project, and Carbon Forum were there to run a workshop on Energy Efficiency and Renewable Technologies.

The workshop started with a short presentation introducing the technologies and looking at energy saving measures, before the participating delegates were divided into two groups for the workshop sessions.

One group took part in an energy saving exercise that involved them doing a quick lighting audit to see how much money they were wasting by using incandescent bulbs; many who took part were surprised by the results.

The other group went out into the school's nature garden to see a practical demonstration of renewable technologies on a very small scale - our solar hot water and wind power demonstration kits! The solar hot water kit performed very well, particularly for an overcast day in March. The kits inspired lots of interest and an enthusiastic discussion got under way before it was time to reconvene for the end of the workshop.