Planning for Renewable Energy in Worcestershire Research Paper

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1. Purpose1.1 This working paper is intended togive a summary of the significant issuessurrounding renewable energy in theCounty, to bring together guidance andbest practice and to help determine howfuture renewable energy policy can beshaped. The paper has been prepared inorder to guide development of the CountyMinerals & Waste DevelopmentFramework, district Local DevelopmentFrameworks and Sustainable CommunityStrategies, and to help form a response toregional planning consultations, includingPhases 2 and 3 of the partial revision ofthe West Midlands Regional SpatialStrategy (RSS).1.2 This document has no materialplanning status beyond informing planpreparation. It has been developed inconjunction with a steering group ofofficers from the County Council andDistrict Councils of Worcestershire, andhas been subject to informal consultation 1 .It is anticipated that it will be re-drafted asfurther issues are identified and furtherinformation becomes available.1.4 The paper is structured so as togive an introduction to the reasons for itsdevelopment, before looking in greaterdetail at the policy drivers that aredetermining the direction in which localplanning must progress. Following this,issues of landscape, biodiversity andheritage are discussed, in relation to thepossible tensions that may arise betweentheir designation and the need forrenewables. The social and economicimpacts of renewables are alsoconsidered. The growing prominence ofCommunity Strategies and Local AreaAgreements, and their potential to helpdeliver renewable energy, is recognised.The paper also seeks to collate currentevidence and baseline data, and presentsrelevant information in the Appendices.1.5 It should be recognised that asknowledge and experience of renewablesgrows, this paper will seek to reflectemerging best practice and will be revisedaccordingly.1. PURPOSE ● Planning for Renewable Energy in Worcestershire1.3 The main issues for local planningin the districts will be set out in the CoreStrategies of those districts, including theway in which energy matters will beaddressed. Different approaches toenergy conservation and generation canlead to very different outcomes, not justfor the environment, but also for thesocial and economic characteristics of therespective districts. The backgroundinformation and baseline data collated inthis paper should enable an informeddecision to be made over renewableenergy policy options suitable forWorcestershire.1A full list of consultees is provided at the end of thisreport.Technical Research Paper 1
2. INTRODUCTION ● Planning for Renewable Energy in Worcestershire2. Introduction2.1 It is now widely accepted that theeffects of climate change are having adramatic and negative effect on theenvironment. In addition to the recognisedsocial and environmental effects, thesignificant economic implications of failingto adapt to climate change have beenillustrated in the Stern Report 2 .2.2 Alongside the compelling evidenceof climate change, there is a need to takeaccount of falling reserves of fossil fuels,and the UK's growing dependence onimported energy. Relying on foreignsupplies of gas and oil could createincreased risk in terms of security ofsupply. Providing greater renewableenergy capacity will reduce this risk.2.3 As a key contributor to mitigatingclimate change, renewable energy formsa major part of the sustainability agendathat is now established at European,national, regional and local level.Renewable energy is defined in PPS22 3as "those energy flows that occurnaturally and repeatedly in theenvironment - from the wind, the fall ofwater, the movement of the oceans, fromthe sun and also from biomass". This istherefore the definition that should beassumed in local planning documents.The technologies involved are windpower,solar (both solar hot water andsolar photovoltaic), hydro-power,biomass, biogas, and ground/air/watersource heat pumps. Not all of thesetechnologies will be viable within all areasof Worcestershire for technological,environmental and economic reasons; adetailed summary of their characteristicsis provided at Appendices A and B.2.4 Renewable energy schemes cantake many forms and be of a variety ofscales. This paper outlines the issuessurrounding large, 'commercial scale'technologies, such as the wind turbinesseen in wind farms, as well as smaller,domestic-scale applications. Thesesmaller schemes fall under the term'microgeneration', which refers to thoseinstallations delivering electricity at 50kWor below; or heat energy at 45kW orbelow 4 .2.5 The growing importance of energyconservation and generation, and theirability to help combat climate change, hasbeen recognised in a host of policydocuments and legislation. At a Countylevel, there is scope for makingsubstantial improvements to our collectivecarbon footprint. Having a pro-active andrealistic energy policy will make a positivecontribution towards reducing emissions,whilst giving certainty to developers, andhelping to meet our national and regionaltargets.2.6 Whilst this paper is concernedprincipally with the generation ofrenewable and low-carbon energy, it isrecognised that energy conservation is,and should always be, the primarymethod of reducing emissions. Theenergy hierarchy should always beconsidered, whereby minimising thedemand for energy is the first and mostlogical step. Effective demandmanagement, together with greaterenergy efficiency, should be the firstactions in seeking to reduce emissions,but both conservation and generation arerequired in order to make the most2Technical Research Paper2The Stern Report on the Economics of Climate Change,HM Treasury (October 2006)3Planning Policy Statement 22: Renewable Energy,Department for Communities and Local Government(DCLG), (August 2004)4Section 82(8)(a) and (b), Energy Act 2004
Page 2 and 3: TECHNICAL RESEARCH PAPERPlanning fo
Page 4 and 5: Executive SummaryGenerating energy
Page 6 and 7: SOCIAL BENEFITS OF RENEWABLEENERGY
Page 10 and 11: significant positive impact. Conser
Page 12 and 13: 3.1 An Energy White Paper, 'Meeting
Page 14 and 15: Regional3.10 The West Midlands Regi
Page 16 and 17: 4. Community Strategies, Climate Ch
Page 18 and 19: As mentioned elsewhere in this pape
Page 20 and 21: 5. Worcestershire’s Vulnerability
Page 22 and 23: 6. Renewable Energy and the Environ
Page 24 and 25: 6.10 Green belt designation covers
Page 26 and 27: 7. Social benefits of Renewable Ene
Page 28 and 29: 8.10 The economicbenefits of renewa
Page 30 and 31: Fig.1 - Responses to Questions 13(d
Page 32 and 33: 10. Baseline Data and Forecasts10.1
Page 34 and 35: 11. Technological Issues for Renewa
Page 36 and 37: 12. Infrastructure Requirements12.1
Page 38 and 39: 13.7 This research paper provides a
Page 40 and 41: Appendix A. Characteristics and App
Page 42 and 43: Domestic Micro Wind TurbinesDomesti
Page 44 and 45: Forests and WoodlandThe potential o
Page 46 and 47: acknowledged that increasing the su
Page 48 and 49: Ground/Water/Air Source HeatPumpsGr
Page 50 and 51: Biogas (Anaerobic Digestion)Biogas
Page 52 and 53: OpportunitiesFew planning obstacles
Page 54 and 55: OpportunitiesSignificant potential
Page 56 and 57: GROUND/AIR/WATER SOURCE HEAT PUMPSO
Page 58 and 59:
Appendix C. Example calculations of
Page 60 and 61:
Appendix D. Maps of Predicted Incre
Page 62 and 63:
Appendix E. Energy Saving Trust tab
Page 64 and 65:
MAP OF DELIVERABLE WIND RESOURCEIN
Page 66 and 67:
SOLAR IRRADIANCE AT DIFFERENTLOCATI
Page 68 and 69:
MAP OF UPTAKE OF ENERGY CROP SCHEME
Page 70 and 71:
FORESTRY COMMISSION WOODLAND OPPORT
Page 72 and 73:
DISTRIBUTION OF WOODLAND OF OVER 2
Page 74 and 75:
CO2 EMMISSIONS IN WORCESTERSHIRE IN
Page 76 and 77:
CHANGE IN CO2 EMISSIONS IN WORCESTE
Page 78 and 79:
TOTAL FINAL ENERGY CONSUMPTION AT L
Page 80 and 81:
Appendix H. Sources of Further Info
Page 82 and 83:
Further ReadingThe Assessment and R
Page 84 and 85:
Rural Regeneration Zone Annual Repo
Page 86:
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