Renewable energy surge in Herefordfshire (From Hereford Times)

Renewable energy surge in Herefordfshire

8:00am Sunday 21st March 2010 in

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INTEREST in renewable energy is growing fast and more farmers are looking at how to introduce it on the farm.

Recently 45 of them went to Leaden Court at Fromes Hill to look at ways energy could be harvested on the farm The trip was organised by Wye Valley AONB Herefordshire FWAG and Julian Morgan of 7Y showed an array of technology.

It included solar panels for water heating, a roof covered with photovoltaic cells to generate electricity and a wood chip boiler to heat the house.

Later a party of 30 farmers went to Harewood Park to see the Duchy of Cornwall’s community heating system where 12 properties are heated by one wood chip boiler.

They also looked at the site of a water wheel that will soon make electricity and heard a presentation from John Davies on anaerobic digesters.

“There is a huge potential for people to make savings by reducing energy use. And now, with the recently announced new rates for supplying renewable energy, there are real business opportunities available,’’ said Mike Williams of FWAG.

New technologies were fast appearing on Herefordshire farms and will increase rapidly over the next 12 months, he said.