Micro Hydro-power :: part two

At last, it’s started! All those months of planning procedures, nail-biting times waiting for decisions to be made:

We now have Consent in order to carry out the works and we’ve received Listed Building Consent from the Secretary of State with several strict conditions to fulfil. This is due to the Mills Grade II* Listed status. We’ve also got the Water Abstraction Licence to generate electricity issued by the Environment Agency.

We’ve started digging out the tail-race, a messy job. Outside, in front of the upstream sluice we uncovered the concrete base beneath water in order to make proper fixings for the screens to filter the water coming into the building, to feed into the turbines.

Next, to prepare for HydroGeneration to do their first on-site work we removed the small decked-bridge over the sluice. The base was very rotten even though it’s less than 20 years old.

Tim & Mark of HydroGeneration arrived on mid-morning on 3^rd October following a 4/5 hour drive from the West Country and then to do a days work! After welcome coffees, the first task showed that the screens were not constructed to the right size which meant several phone calls to DDC Planning Department and a rethink.

Damming-off the pond away from the sluice to provide a working area on the concrete slab went relatively smoothly. When ‘the OK’ was given to go ahead with the redesign of the metal work it was a ‘heads-down’ to get as much done as possible whilst natural light permitted. In the evening, after a very, very long day, a hearty meal and hospitality laid-on by Pat, including an early B&B.

The following day work continued though most of the exterior work was under umbrellas and canopies with submersible pumps extracting water from the working area. The interior work involved some excavation and it seems we’ve probably got to dig down in the tailrace at least half a metre more than anticipated.

Next visit of HydroGen is 2/3 weeks away, meantime we’ve got to get digging!

We are still scheduled to complete the works by the end of this year. However, it’s likely that we’ll hold the formal press-launch until early next year.

Micro Hydropower :: part one

The Shape Of Things To Come

The good news is . . . . we'’ve been successful in our bid and awarded one of the top grants in EDF Energy's Green Energy Fund by securing a grant of more than towards a micrhydropowerer generator to harness the rivers'’ energy which is match funded from Clear Skies, nearly £60,000.

The Green Energy Fund is generated by voluntary contributions from EDF Energy customers paying a green tariff matched by EDF Energy pound for pound. Thousands of EDF Energy customers have opted into the scheme and each pay about £15 per year towards renewable energy schemes. The fund encourages the generation of energy produced from sun, wind, water and other renewable sources, providing a cleaner alternative to fossil fuels such as coal, oil and gas. It also encourages innovative ways of reducing the greenhouse gases responsible for global warming.

At Crabble, our new micro turbine system is so state-of-the-art that it's only just been approved for use by government and leading agencies. Designed and purpose-built by Hydro Generation (our contractor), Phil says it will generate enough electricity to supply the equivalent of six average UK homes, making the Mill self-sufficient and potentially generating a surplus to sell back to the grid for other people to use. We are hoping it will provide power not only for all the Mill'’s requirements, but also for the envisaged development of the Mill Cottages too. It will save thousands of pounds on energy bills and cut the building’s carbon emissions by more than 12 tonnes each year.

Peter Hofman, EDF Energy'’s Director Sustainable Future, said:

"This is an excellent project which will deliver real benefits for the environment. Visitors will see modern renewable energy technology working hand in hand with 19^th century engineering.

"“As one of the UK'’s largest energy companies we take our responsibilities to the environment extremely seriously. By funding projects such as this one we can help showcase renewable energy in action."”

For me, a real serendipity is the most desired location to site our micro-turbine generators is within the tailrace of the older mill which was built on this site prior to our Crabble Mill, slap, bang, right where a waterwheel was situated of the more ancient Crabble Mill. It seems like it's just a natural up-grade to put a contemporary power-source where an historic power-source previously existed.

It also works very well that, included in the Project budget are funds sufficient to build an educational display panel to describe and interpret the system and incorporate the LCD constant read-outs of what power is being generated and what is being fed to (or taken from) the National Grid. This is truly going to be a ‘live exhibit!

For anyone concerned about how much water the Project takes to generate this electricity, particularly in these times of drought. It takes less water than the amount we lose each and every day by the leak-pipe which drains-off from the Millpond by the road and discharges downstream of the waterwheel downstream of the bridge. That pipe kinda defeats the object of having a manmade millpond, dammed to retain water as an energy-tank. (Memo: "must get the leak fixed!")

Of course, we're working closely with the Environment Agency and the Planning authorities to meet all their requirements for the various licenses and permissions to be granted. If all goes well, we hope to start the installation within the next few weeks and have it completed before winter this year.

In preparation, there are things we can do to help keep installation costs to a minimum. One of the big messy jobs is to dig out all the shingle in the pit/ tailrace which was put in when we did the restoration (Sorry! We thought it was the best solution at the time!!) . . . . and get the gradient right for natural flow through the Mill into the by-pass. This will not only make way for installation works, it will also help the desilting of this otherwise smelly backwash. This will be a wet and mucky job and probably take a few people. If we can do it ourselves it will keep costs down so that more can be spent on the quality of the educational exhibit.

And the even more good news is . . . . anyone fancy joining me for a dirty weekend there soon? Now's your chance, it WILL make a difference, the more the merrier!! Do let Ant know if you can.

PART TWO : coming soon!!