renewables east annual review 0809

Renewables East

Annual Review 08/09

A Catalyst for Change

RENEWABLESEAST

Renewables East 03

Chairman’s Introduction 04

Managing Director’s Review 06

Regional Politicians 09

Biofuels and Advanced 12

Conversion Technologies

Renewables East helps secure 14

significant European funding

Biofuels East 16

Helping innovators to market 18

Forecasting the future 21

Supporting Offshore 23 Renewable agendas

Giving support and confidence 26

Offshore Wind skills awareness 27

and recruitment events

Low Carbon 28

Development Initiative

RE advice saves us £30k a year 30

Resource Efficiency East 32

Fuel poverty 34

Beating fuel poverty 37

OrbisEnergy - home of offshore 39

renewables in the East of England

Getting the shot 40

Paula Jennings 41

The way forward 42

Annual accounts 44

Events 46

The Team 48

Credits 50

Contact details 52

Renewables East Annual Review 08/09 3

“ We all want to see the East of England at the cutting edge of the low-carbon revolution, creating new jobs and expanding our credentials for research, development and innovation. With the support of organisations like Renewables East, we have a real chance of succeeding.”

Barbara Follett, Minister for the East of England

Renewables East Annual Review 08/09

Renewables East

Renewables East is a private, independent

not-for-profit organisation tasked with delivering

the services of a renewable energy agency for

the East of England. We work as an expert and

‘honest broker’ of opportunity between the public

aspiration for a low carbon economy and the

commercial reality of sustainable and profitable

operations. This role is only made possible through

the public investment we receive, with EEDA

continuing to be our main investor.

Where required, we mobilise further public

funding to support key strategic interventions

and those specific areas that will deliver new

jobs into the low carbon economy.

In this annual review we have covered some of the

highlights of our activity over the last 12 months

and look forward to many new opportunities.

Since our creation in 2003 we have

• directly invested over £5m in the development

of the low carbon economy

• levered an additional £40+m public and private

further investment as a direct result of this work

• worked with almost all regional and local

authority partners

• gained over 250 company members

• been recognised by Central Government

as an exemplar model for regional

renewable development.

During 2008/2009 we have successfully launched

the following programmes and initiatives

• Biofuels East

• Resource Efficiency East.

For this coming year we intended to launch

two further enterprises

• anglian GOwarm

• Low Carbon Development Initiative.

Together this activity has enabled the East of

England to become and hopefully remain, the

leading English region in producing renewable

electricity. Looking to the future, we continue

to seek new partners who have low carbon

aspirations and we would welcome the opportunity

to discuss how we can support you.

We trust this annual review will be of interest

to you.

Given the current economic climate, it is quite

remarkable that we have had such a good year.

Yet, while financing for renewable energy projects

and technologies faces a far tougher environment,

this does not seem to have had a negative effect

either on the desire for innovation, or on the

belief required to drive forward large scale

renewable projects.

Recent successes for example include the University

of East Anglia building its biomass gasification

combined heat and power unit; Scottish and

Southern driving forward the 500MW Greater

Gabbard offshore wind farm; and the many

new anaerobic digestion projects coming

through the planning system.

And it is not just project developers making

great progress. The supply chain is moving

forward too and it was good to see Patrick

Phelan, Managing Director of JDR Cables,

win the Cambridge Evening News Businessman

It is not just national issues causing delays. The

local planning system also is causing bottlenecks.

As Chair of the Regional Assembly and a

Councillor myself, I appreciate the challenges

and misunderstandings that are raised during

the planning process when it comes to renewable

projects, in particular onshore wind. In response,

over the last three years we, with the British Wind

Energy Association, have run an annual event for

councillors and planners to help cultivate a better

understanding of wind. These events also involve

a visit to a working windfarm. If you have any

doubts at all about wind energy then I recommend

you join us on a visit, as the comment I most often

hear on these visits is: “I thought they would be

noisy.” Modern, sensitively and appropriately

located windfarms should be embraced by all.

Finally, I would like to thank my fellow Directors

at Renewables East and our able team, led by

our Managing Director James Beal. Again and

again this small and focused team delivers

of the Year title. Of course JDR Cables have

been a great success for the renewables industry,

having won several multi-million pound contracts.

Such advances give us the confidence to believe

that with a multi billion pound renewables industry

now firmly established across the East of England,

we can look forward to new, emerging and

established companies all continuing to prosper.

It is clear though – financial crisis aside - that

the biggest adverse impact on the growing and

expanding renewable energy industry comes

from the planning system. The dual challenges

of climate change and energy security do not

allow for us to delay these appropriate, necessary

and valuable projects. It is disappointing then to

note that most of these delays come from the

Ministry of Defence. Promises have been made

and pieces of paper signed, yet the uncertain

aviation issues seem still to be causing unnecessary

and costly delays in approvals being granted.

above and beyond its contractual requirements,

consistently ensuring ever better value for the

public investment made in us.

But most all I would like to thank our 250 plus

company members, and our wider support

network, for enabling the region and Renewables

East to continue to expand and to strive towards

a lower carbon economy.

Renewables East and EEDA

Chairman’s Introduction

As Renewables East moves into its seventh year of operation, we can look back on a year that, without doubt, has been one of the busiest - and one of the best - 12 month periods not just for the company but also for the wider renewables industry.

4 Renewables East Annual Review 08/09

A difficult economic backdrop and a challenging planning application system have done nothing to dampen the enthusiasm for renewable energy, or the successes enjoyed by Renewables East, now in its seventh year of operation, reports Chairman John Reynolds.

Councillor John Reynolds


“ The difficult economic climate does not seem to have had a negative effect either on the desire for innovation, or on the belief required to drive forward large scale renewable projects.” John Reynolds, Chairman

It is clear that renewable energy is now becoming

part of the mainstream business and investment

processes. With that in mind we have tried to

ensure that small and medium size enterprises

- the lifeblood of the regional economy - continue

to be well placed and supported, and so able to

develop new products and services through the

information, links and opportunities that we share

with them. When appropriate we have also

ensured that their voice is heard by those in

power and by the decision-makers.

As well as our support for industry we also

continue to work across the region, supporting

local authorities and public agencies to prepare

for, and to realise, the opportunities offered by

the new low carbon agenda.

Heading up Renewables East always guarantees

new and exciting challenges. One of the biggest

was mobilising the support structures and

partnerships necessary to start delivering the

£2.1million Resource Efficiency East programme

funded by the East of England Development

Agency (EEDA) and the European Regional

Development Fund (ERDF). By developing closer

working relationships with organisations such as

Business Links East and the Manufacturing Advisory

Service, we have now started to roll out direct

support to regional businesses to help them

improve their profits by reducing waste, water use

and energy consumption. This is a vital offering

from Renewables East as we can now help

companies reduce their carbon impact through

improved resource efficiency, and mobilise

renewable energy to provide a low cost and low

carbon secure source of energy for the future.

In 2008 we became the first region to produce

over 2GWh of renewable electricity, which

represents more than 20 per cent of England’s

total and also means we have seen a threefold

rise in renewable capacity in the region in only

six years. Back in 2003 we had an installed

capacity of only 258 MW - that will rise to

more than 750 MW this year.

James Beal

Managing Director’s Review

Without doubt the single biggest challenge for the Renewables East team over the last year has being keeping up to date with the enormous changes to the renewable energy and low carbon world through emerging EU, national and local strategies, policies and actions.


Renewables East, now with over 250 company members, has had its busiest and most successful year to date. Here, Managing Director James Beal looks back over an intense 12 months.

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Though we remain confident that we will reach

our target of producing 14 per cent of our

electricity from renewables by 2010 (including

offshore) that doesn’t mean we can sit back.

This is still only a reasonable start to a process

which, due to the increasing pressures of

tackling climate change and addressing energy

security, needs to accelerate rapidly.

The renewable electricity marketplace now seems

well developed with multi-billon pound projects

like London Array, Sherringham Shoal and Greater

Gabbard in advanced stages of development and

construction. ‘Round 3’ Offshore Wind will take

this even further, but the region needs to do more

to understand and capture the huge opportunities

available from renewable heat, combined heat

and power, and advanced biofuels for transport.

In launching BioFuels East last year we are looking

to develop a collaborative network to encourage

greater success for academia, industry and

researchers, replicating the work we undertook

with the highly successful British Bioalcohols Group.

Their £1.4million ‘HOOCH’ project, which only

took three years to secure funding is now,

with the support of DEFRA and several regional

businesses, academics and researchers, exploring

the future of lignocellulosic alcohols for the region.

It is an approach that is ripe for development across

the numerous world-leading organisations and

individuals we have at our disposal in the region.

This year with the support of ERDF, Cambridgeshire

Horizons and Dacorum Borough Council, we will

launch a new enterprise to secure future low

carbon developments in key regional housing

and business premises assets. The Low Carbon

Development Initiative has almost secured

£2.2million funding for Phase One and will be

looking to secure a further £4million through

further public partners over the coming months.

These investments will effectively de-risk and

bring forward site-wide low carbon solutions, on

a scale that is required but simply has not been

delivered yet in the UK.

With funding and investment support from DECC

and EEDA another new enterprise is being created

to help tackle fuel poverty by installing energy

efficiency measures and renewable energy devices

to those people most in need in the region. anglian

GOwarm will be a community interest company

trading under the established GOwarm brand. Over

the next two years some 50,000 properties will be

visited, bringing forward 12,000 energy efficiency

measures and 500 renewable energy installations.

Our first area-based activity starts in St Neots

during 2009, made possible by our local authority

partners Huntingdonshire District Council.

Renewables East has always been a dynamic,

flexible organisation, responsive to the changing

needs, opportunities and challenges surrounding

the bringing forward of a low carbon economy.

Our work simply wouldn’t have been possible

without the continued support and leadership

provided by EEDA, and the many regional

stakeholders, businesses and local authorities

we have had the privilege to work with.


“ The recession has been tough for the whole industry and Renewables East have been great in supporting us.” Bob Durrant, USL

Politicians lead praise for the work of Renewables East

Regional Politicians

Great Yarmouth MP Tony Wright

The Government’s Renewable Energy Strategy is

dealing with the challenges we all face, but it is

reliant upon local delivery if it is to be a success.

The resources committed already in our area are

paying dividends.

With Renewables East leading the way in East

Anglia towards a low carbon economy we have

the confidence that we can play our part in hitting

the Government’s targets. Just recently I visited

a constituent’s house in the rural part of my

constituency where they had had installed a

new air source heating system and solar panels,

with funding coming through Renewables East.

Already the householders can see the benefits

to themselves apart from the low carbon nature

of the technology.

And of course the benefits of the £2.1million

Resource Efficiency East scheme to help businesses

adapt to, and compete in, an increasingly low

carbon environment across the region, are clear.

Of course the other aspect to consider is the

employment opportunities in this sector. We in

Great Yarmouth have a recognised history in the

energy sector through the oil and gas industry.

The growth of renewable energy has given us

an opportunity to continue with that important

sector and to work with Renewables East in

helping to deliver the Government’s targets.

Barbara Follett, MPMinister for the East of England

“We all know that we are fast using up the

resources of this planet and that most of these

cannot be replaced. This makes preserving what

we have, using renewable energy and finding

greener ways to live, really important.

“Despite these economically challenging times,

the Government has continued to maintain and

encourage substantial public and private investment

in low-carbon and renewable energy generation.

Renewables East has made an important

contribution in our Region by initiating and

supporting activities which help us all to become

more carbon-friendly.

“We all want to see the East of England at the

cutting edge of the low-carbon revolution, creating

new jobs and expanding our credentials for

research, development and innovation. With

the support of organisations like Renewables

East, we have a real chance of succeeding.”

MP Tony WrightManaging Director’s Review (continued) Barbara Follett, MP


Political leaders from across the region applaud the efforts of Renewables East over the past 12 months.

Renewables East BioREGen promoted the deployment of anaerobic digestion (AD) with the biogas being available as an energy source not only for electricity and heat generation but as a vehicle fuel.

Biomethane from AD and landfill sites can help reduce carbon emissions in the transport sector.

Developing the commercial potential of Anaerobic Digestion

Biofuels and Advanced Conversion Technologies

(Anaerobic Digestion and Gasification)


Bioenergy has now been recognised both globally and nationally as being a vital part of renewable energy as we face the challenge of climate change. It is sustainable and can provide economic return.

The Renewables East BioREGen project was

conceived by Renewables East in 2005 and

whilst finishing in 2008 it left a positive,

continuing legacy. The concept was to deploy

advanced conversion technologies in the East

of England. Focussing on the ‘new’ technologies

of anaerobic digestion and gasification it worked

with many companies, introducing them to the

commercial potential of the technologies and

helping to stimulate projects in energy recovery

from various residues. It also involved Richard

Parker, Bioenergy Development Director in

national initiatives for anaerobic digestion.

Anaerobic digestion has now been accepted by

government as a technology to progress given

the ‘win,win’ scenario of landfill diversion and

creation of renewable energy for electricity, heat

or transport. Regional projects are divided between

farm-based and food waste plants, both having

different financial models. With UK aspirations

for some 800 farm scale plants, they will utilise

animal slurries or grown crops. Food waste projects

are more complex having funding issues due to

sourcing suitable and contractable feedstock.

Some major projects have been announced

and are in various stages of development

• the Agrigen project at Bentwaters Parks

has received planning permission and

aims to build a 1.5MWe installation.

• Glendale Power have recently announced

plans for a plant at Halstead, Essex.

• Local Generation have received planning

permission for a £10million project in

March adjacent to the Fenmarc factory.

• dairy farmer Stephen Temple is building

a farm-based plant for slurry, grown crops

and cheese byproducts.

All projects received some early assistance

through the BioREGen project.

Renewables East continues to supply advice on a

confidential basis and several agricultural projects

utilising grown crops, with some additional

non-food waste feed stocks, are being considered

around the region. Many issues need to be

considered, such as the use of the digestate (a

very valuable fertiliser and soil conditioner) and

how the projects fit the crop rotation of a particular

farm. These economic evaluations can be complex

given the volatile nature of agricultural markets.

The ‘neutral’ position of Renewables East has

also proved invaluable in giving advice to

developers and also when working with other

regional agencies.

The opportunities within anaerobic digestion

have led to one company - ADD Energy - being

created, based at Hethel near Norwich, focussing

on smaller scale plants.

Pyrolysis and Gasification

The 3MWe pyrolysis plant at Huntingdon has been

constructed by Purepower Ltd and is undergoing

commissioning. The first of several similar projects

envisaged by CEO Adam Overfield, it will divert

annually 30,000 tonnes of waste wood from

landfill as well as creating additional jobs.

The Combined Heat and Power biomass gasifier

at the University of East Anglia will be commissioned

in late 2009. Utilising woodchips from sustainable

sources in Norfolk it will have the effect of reducing

the UEA’s carbon emissions by over 30%.

Renewables East: Woodfuels East

Renewables East is represented on the Steering

Committee of this major EEDA initiative.

Woodfuels East provides support to woodland

owners, woodland managers, agents and

consultants, contractors, boiler installers and

woodfuel users. The project aims to use locally

sourced wood from existing undermanaged

woodland to provide heat in small to medium

sized boilers. Using this resource sensitively

by thinning or coppicing will not only provide

woodland owners with diversified income

streams but also, and importantly, reduce our

carbon footprint and improve the woodland

for future generations.

Renewables East: Bioenergy

Bioenergy has now been recognised both globally

and nationally as being a vital part of renewable

energy as we face the challenge of climate change.

It is sustainable and can provide economic return.

Renewables East continues to provide advice and

raise awareness in areas such as grown energy,

pelleting and utilisation of many agricultural

residues such as straw and even horse manure!

Above: AD Plant Sweden

Following that event the EREA group, supported

by Summit Skills, MOVE and Renewables East,

set about collaborating on a number of bids for

national and European funding.

The aim of securing funding was to enable the

group to realise its ambition to support and

stimulate growth in the use of renewable and

alternative energy technologies, to support the

drive for a low carbon economy, and to stimulate

and increase demand in the use of low carbon

technologies as well as to create a training

network to meet the needs of employers.

While the bids were well received they were not

fruitful until summer 2009 when the rebranded New

ERA group (still consisting of its original members

but now including Skills for Energy and Consign)

in partnership with a number of other organisations,

secured £2.26million from the European Regional

Development Fund Competitiveness Programme

to support its Pathfinder Innovation Centres for

Sustainability project (PICS).

The full PICS partnership consists of Bedford

College, Cambridgeshire County Council,

Consign, Lowestoft College, Prospects College,

Renewables East and West Suffolk College.

The key objectives of the project are to

• deliver three regional centres of excellence

in low carbon innovation and low carbon

focused enterprises

• develop the supply chain in the low carbon

economy by fostering business support,

expertise and capacity for innovation

• deliver a communication strategy that

raises awareness of the need to accelerate

cost-effective low carbon technologies

• establish innovative best practice models,

enabling reductions in the carbon footprint

of businesses and settlements while promoting

enhanced economic performance.

Funding will deliver regional centres of excellence in low carbon innovation

Renewables East helps secure significant

European funding

The road to securing funding started after a successful Autumn 2007 trip to the Northern Ireland Renewable Energy Installers’ Academy by the EREA group of colleges (Bedford College, Prospects College and Lowestoft College).


Together with its partners, Renewables East helped secure £2.26million of aid from the European Regional Development Fund Competitiveness Programme to support its Pathfinder Innovation Centres for Sustainability project (PICS).

With an overall budget of £5.6million, PICS will

see the development of two major physical centres,

one new highly sustainable building in Cambridge,

built to BREEAM Excellent standard and one

refurbishment of an existing building brought up

to BREEAM Very Good standard, as well as a broad

range of services and support. The project will

• accelerate growth in the renewable and

alternative energy industries by demonstrating

the potential for retro-fit projects in

existing buildings

• develop energy and resource efficient businesses

using new technologies to maximise productivity

• provide demonstration/exhibition/conference

facilities, showcasing the latest technologies

• provide specialised business incubator units,

housing up to 15 new and existing enterprises

focusing on low carbon technologies over the

three year period

• provide a carbon reduction information service

• create networks with business growth services

and virtual hub offering online support,

guidance and information to Small and

Medium Enterprises

• work with local and sub-regional businesses

to encourage growth in the renewable sector

• strengthen links with national and international

partners to facilitate knowledge transfer, also

utilising the New ERA network’s specific links

• develop six centres (in Bedfordshire, Suffolk,

Essex and Cambridgeshire) offering business

support and advice services such as sustainability,

financing, recruitment and entrepreneurship

• create three business/employer-driven centres

of excellence, achieving economy and efficiency

of scale to build business capacity and

develop low carbon supply chains.

The project officially launches in Autumn 2009

and will run until 2012, creating jobs, assisting

business and providing a legacy of services and

facilities which will continue to benefit the

region into the future.


“ We set out to secure funding to help stimulate growth in the use of renewable and alternative energy technologies, support the drive for a low carbon economy, and promote and increase demand for the use of low carbon technologies.” Carole Randall, Renewables East

Since then the promotion and support of biofuels

has included involvement with the combined UK

launch of E85 by Morrisons beside Saab’s new

BioPower car. This then initiated a subsequent

relationship with Lotus who have since developed

their tri-fuel Exige 270E.

Richard Parker, Bioenergy Development Director

at Renewables East, then helped instigate the

British BioAlcohols Group (BBAG), a multidisciplinary

collaboration between Norwich Research Park

scientists drawn from the University of East

Anglia, the Institute of Food Research, the John

Innes Centre and some regional companies.

Renewables East has since worked closely with

BBAG partners to identify research and business

opportunities in biofuels.

BBAG aims to exploit agri-food chain biomass such

as wheat or oilseed rape straw for the production

of advanced generation bioalcohols. Out of BBAG

has grown the HOOCH project which includes nine

industrial collaborators - Achor Ltd., Adnams PLC,

Biocatalysts Ltd., HGCA, Group Lotus plc,

Renewables East, Thermo Fisher Scientific, Vireol

HOOCH - the acronym is derived from bioalcoHols from lignocellosic waste materials produced in the agri-fOOd CHain)

plc, and G.R. Wright and Sons Ltd. HOOCH,

established to further production of bioalcohols

from lignocellosic waste materials produced in

the agri-food chain, is co-ordinated by Professor

Keith Waldron at the Institute of Food Research.

He says, for example, that working closely with

Suffolk brewers Adnams could see greater use

made of organic material that is currently perceived

as waste. Renewables East introduced HOOCH

to the Defra LINK programme which resulted in

matched funding for the project.

Through the same LINK scheme HOOCH partner

Lotus received funding towards its flex-fuel,

variable compression, two-stroke engine

concept designed to significantly increase fuel

efficiency for sustainable alcohol based fuels.

Professor Waldron says HOOCH, which effectively

launched in the New Year, grew out of a suggestion

from Richard Parker: “I was giving a presentation

at the Norwich Research Park and Richard was

there. It was he who suggested that the expertise

to do what was needed regarding biofuels was

right to hand, at UEA and elsewhere across the

Biofuels East

It is three years now since Renewables East organised its first biofuels conference at Queens College, Cambridge, attracting more than 300 delegates.


The global biofuels sector is expanding and diversifying, with investments channelled into the development of advanced technologies. Renewables East fosters collaboration between academia and industry to ensure the world-class universities and research institutes of the region can make a significant contribution to the low carbon biofuels industry.

region, and that we did not have to go scouring

the world for it. And he was absolutely right.

“We have a very close relationship with Renewables

East, they provide considerable expertise. We have

had a highly successful year and we are now

working with Renewables East and putting

together an output and demonstration activity.”

This year has also seen Bianca Forte, Biofuels

Co-ordinator at Renewables East, working with

Dr. Beatrix Schlarb-Ridley, Business Innovation

Manager at InCrops, to develop opportunities

which offer synergies with advanced biofuels

development.

Biofuels East and the InCrops Enterprise Hub are

organising a series of regional meetings to lever

out the East of England capabilities in algae

technologies. Dr Beatrix Schlarb-Ridley says

the idea behind InCrops was to bring together

companies interested in greening up their

business and in developing new processes,

new technologies, and products and in using

low carbon impacts and non-food crops.

Dr. Schlarb-Ridley says: “We are underpinned

by strong partnerships such as our very valuable

one with Renewables East, as well as with UEA,

and we are supported by Cambridge University

and linked with various research institutes.

“Our partnership with Renewables East is very

powerful and active. Indeed anaerobic digestion

is a very important part of our work and any

company with a query regarding that we refer

to Richard Parker at Renewables East.

“Bioenergy is a key concern for InCrops but

we are also looking at the use of fibres in the

automotive industry so as to make vehicles

lighter and to reduce the carbon footprint of

that industry. This overlaps with a lot of

the work that Renewables East is doing.”

Biofuels East - Advanced Virtual Biofuels Hub

Given the success of the BBAG partnership it was

felt the same concept could be expanded to cover

the whole of the East of England (and beyond).

Therefore to promote sustainable biofuels (of all

types and origin) Renewables East has launched

Biofuels East and the Advanced Virtual Biofuels

Hub supporting the goal of putting the region at

the forefront of the drive towards the furtherance

of biofuels.

With funding from EEDA, the aim of Biofuels

East is to help bring together researchers in

academia and industry, particularly within the

automotive sector, working to build a database

with a web-portal, accessible by interested parties,

and with a support team to enable personal links,

promote partnerships, provide an opportunity

for people to indicate general areas of research,

provide access to latest research from around

the world, and stimulate combined research

bids for funding.


Above left: The British Sugar bioethanol plant at Wissington - part of the region’s biofuels success.

Above right: Ford, with its centres of Production, Research and Development in Essex, pioneers biofuels.

Bottom left: Lotus tri-fuel Exige 270E.

Bottom right: Renewables East: promoting closer links between industry and the region’s world-class universities.

Renewables East offers support across the entire energy sector, enabling innovators to further their

ideas whether involved in marine renewable, solar thermal solutions or energy efficiency devices.

Helping innovators to market

In combination with behavioural change, future technologies are the key element in achieving reduced carbon emissions, increased energy efficiency and greatly reduced dependency upon fossil fuels.

Enabling innovators to develop these technologies,

working to source their funding, and offering

direct very early stage grant aid, is a key element

of Renewables East’s work.

The Technology Commercialisation Scheme seeks

to identify and support those innovations within

the Renewable Sector that are both novel and

have the potential for rapid commercialisation.

Currently Renewables East is supporting some

17 innovators through the provision of third party

technical expertise, access to finance or investment

networks, as well as direct investment that, on

average, ranges between £5,000 and £15,000.

Nigel Burton-White of Renewables East says:

“We work as a truly independent catalyst and

have built a highly respected reputation. Innovators

come to us for help and guidance knowing that

they can discuss their technologies in an open

and secure forum. Each innovation is assessed

and scored against a range of both subjective

and objective criteria.

“We support innovators at a very early stage

of design, sometimes just discussing ideas,

but mostly helping with assessing the

technology’s technical feasibility and provide

a level of guidance as to whether there is a

market need for the innovator’s technology.

“We help protect the selected innovations through

the correct application of design specifications

and copyrighting so as to protect the innovation’s

intellectual property. A significant proportion of

our investment is allocated for professional

patent advice and early stage patent applications.

“Our facilitation activities can also add

considerable value to early stage innovators,

whether it is connected to potential funding

routes, technological partners or

commercialisation opportunities.”

“ Renewables East continues to support us and we are now looking for investors, so that design, testing, approval and manufacture can be undertaken.”

Jeff Crowder, Managing Director


Case Study One

For Jeff Crowder, Managing Director of

Crowder Energy Solutions Ltd based in the

new OrbisEnergy building, help from

Renewables East has proved crucial.

He says: ”It is very difficult in this sector to

get financial support but I was invited to the

OrbisEnergy Open Day and I asked what were

we doing about getting energy to the very

poor and to third world countries.

“A vast number of people are not educated

because they have no light at night to read.

Hospitals cannot do their work because they

have no electricity to power their equipment.

Children are dying because they are breathing

in fumes from heaters and fires.

“So I thought about designing a portable

generator that can be dropped into a stream

or river a metre or so deep and tethered to the

bed, using water flow to generate electricity.

They can be used in a ‘nest’ and linked together

to generate more electricity as required.

“I went to see James Beal at Renewables East and

asked him what he thought about a small, portable

generator and he suggested I had something.

“Nigel Burton-White at Renewables East became

my specialist in the field and provided a grant to

take it on. We employed specialists to prove that

my concept provided sufficient energy to be viable.

“Renewables East are continuing to fund us and

we are now taking it to the pre-prototype stage

and are looking for investors, so that design, testing,

approval and manufacture can be undertaken.”

Above:Jeff Crowder, Managing Director, Crowder Energy Solutions


Case Study Two

Former Marine Jon Aldiss has spent a lifetime on

boats and at sea, and with help from Renewables

East has succeeded in taking his Stabilised Boat

System concept for a fast, safe boat for use in

the offshore energy industry, closer to reality.

While monohull boats are faster through the

water and use less energy, slower multihulls

such as catamarans are more stable once the

vessel has arrived at, say, an offshore wind

turbine, where equipment or personnel need

to be offloaded or taken on board.

Jon, with his company Safety Boat Services, says:

“We came up with the idea of a revolutionary

monohull with deployable sponsons so that the

boat is a monohull while travelling but effectively

converts into a multihull when it needs stability

to load or unload alongside a pile.

“The help from Renewables East has enabled

us to register our design as intellectual property

and to get the design copyrighted which we

have now done. They also commissioned a

naval architect and boat builder to evaluate

the viability of my design.

“Renewables East funded all of that and without

them we would be nowhere near as far on and

would probably have given away all the intellectual

property rights.

“Hats off to Renewables East - I really do owe

them. Now I have teamed up with a commercial

partner and if all goes well the next step will be

to come up with a full set of plans and have the

first boat in the water next summer. Renewables

East also have some options for me in terms of

possible investors.

“It is hard for me to express how thankful I am

to Renewables East – they have been brilliant.”

Cast Study Three

USL Diving Contractors have been involved

in marine work for almost 40 years and USL’s

Bob Durrant says: ”Renewables East have

been very helpful, assisting in developing

a new technology that we are working on,

and they have also been great at sharing their

contacts and making introductions.

“We have been in business for some 37 years

and our new company has been operating since

2001 so we have a lot of history, but the

recession has been tough for the whole industry,

and Renewables East have been great in

supporting us.”

While USL’s Director Chris Randle adds: “We

have a close relationship with Renewables East.

They have been so helpful with the technology

that we have been developing, bringing in

specialists to assess its viability, then protecting

the idea and its intellectual property rights and

helping us take the idea further.”

Above:Richard Durrant, Barry Wilderoder and Chris Randle from USL Diving Contractors

Knowledge of weather and wind really is power

Forecasting the future

It was at a Renewables East event that Steve Dorling first met the executive who would lead his firm to a three year contract with renewable energy giant Siemens.

Steve Dorling, Innovations Director with

Weatherquest, based at the UEA campus where

Steve is also a faculty member with the

University’s Environmental Sciences Department,

says: “In May 2008 Renewables East hosted an

offshore Operation and Maintenance event in

Lincolnshire.

“There we had our first meeting with a

representative from Siemens Energy. We then

supplied them with information on a trial basis

and when they decided to put their forecasting

contract out to tender, we won a three year

contract and started working with them in May

this year.”

Weatherquest has designed a bespoke service

specifically for Siemens says Dorling: “The

information we supply them with relates not just

to the weather but also to tidal conditions and

allows them to more effectively, safely and

efficiently manage their offshore repair and

maintenance teams working on offshore wind

turbines, so that they are in the right place at

the right time given the weather, wind and tidal

conditions.

“The Siemens teams can access all this

information via a secure website and also, if

they want even more detailed information, we

provide a back-up telephone service enabling

them to speak directly to the forecaster.

“This contract with Siemens has enabled us to

grow and secure our business, giving us the

opportunity to develop and use the investment

we have made in setting up the service for

Siemens, and offer that to other companies.

“It has also helped us take our next step

towards combining weather forecasts with very

specific computer programmes so we will be

able to relate weather and power output.”


“ Marine energy available in the East of England is …ideal for R&D purposes offering ease of access with the high frequency of weather windows available.”

Halcrow Group Marine Energy Demonstration Zone Study

Offshore renewable energy could add 3,800 jobs and £100million to the region’s economy

Supporting Offshore Renewable agendas

This year Renewables East, supported by East of England Development Agency funding, carried out two major studies into the region’s offshore renewable energy industry.

Offshore Wind Operations and Maintenance

The aim of the first study was to determine the

gap between the current regional baseline and the

emerging industry requirements in four critical

components, each taken as a separate package

of research: labour, occupational training, capital

infrastructure, and Research and Development.

These four packages of work were commissioned

by Renewables East by open tender, and

subsequently awarded to the Mojo Maritime/

ItPower partnership bid.

The study found that the offshore renewable

energy industry in the East of England has the

potential to create 2,300 direct O&M jobs and

1,500 ‘supply chain’ jobs, contributing an additional

£100million to the region’s economy by 2030.

Marine Energy Demonstration Zone

The second major Renewables East study was into

the feasibility of a Marine Energy Demonstration

Zone, an area of sea specifically designated, having

gained appropriate consents and equipped with

the appropriate supporting facilities, infrastructure

and services, for the testing of pre-commercial

offshore renewable technologies, whilst enabling

installation and longer term O&M strategies to

be tested.

The Marine Energy Demonstration Zone is planned

to stimulate innovation, regeneration, knowledge

transfer, entrepreneurship and sustainability, as

well as adding significant gross value to the region.

Following a full and open procurement process,

The Halcrow Group was commissioned to

undertake a scoping and feasibility study for

the provision of a Marine Energy Demonstration

Zone for the East of England. The study focused

on resource, grid connectivity, infrastructure,

and industry and academic consultation.

This study also successfully identified sites,

whilst also assessing the potential infrastructure

options and identifying the indicative costs.


Photo credit: CHPV

Damaged turbine blades on offshore installations severely compromise performance. Renewables East is working with RTS International, developing new technologies in blade repair.


“ This would never have happened without their support. They pushed us and encouraged us to get on and do it and see it through to the end.”

RTS Business Development Director Tony Hamill

Making bright ideas a reality

Giving support and confidence

Having the idea for a new technology is one thing. Having the confidence to take that idea further, and invest time and money in developing it, is something entirely different.

Promoting skills and industry, bringing employers and the talented together

Offshore Wind skills awareness

and recruitment events

With the offshore wind industry growing and eager to recruit top quality engineering staff, Renewables East took the initiative of organising two events over the past 12 months specifically aimed at bringing together potential employers with high calibre engineers about to leave, or who had already left, the armed forces. Which is how Renewables East was able to

help RTS International, a company specialising

in working on offshore wind farms, providing

installation and maintenance services.

Renewables East also helped by placing funding

with RTS from the East Midlands Development

Agency under Renewable East’s Championing

Offshore Renewable Energy project.

RTS Business Development Director Tony Hamill

said help was needed after they had come up

with a new, more effective, way of repairing

wind turbine blades: “One of the main ways

Renewables East has helped us has been simply

that their support and belief in the repair

technology we had developed, gave us the

confidence to carry it through.

“This would never have happened without their

support. They pushed us and encouraged us to

get on and do it and see it through to the end.

“The £10,000 of funding that we got from them

enabled us to take people out of the field to

The day-long events featured a mix of group

information sessions and one-to-one discussions

between company representatives and prospective

employee delegates.

The first event took place on 2nd October 2008

in Nottingham and was attended by 55 delegates.

The potential employers who attended the event,

presented and held the one-to-one discussions

included BGB Innovation, Coverteam, Clarkson

Associates, Sub Ocean Group, Airtricity, E.ON,

RLE, Petans, JDR Cables and Mainstream

Renewable Power.

So successful was that first event that Renewables

East organised a second in March this year at

OrbisEnergy in Lowestoft, jointly funded by

the East Midlands Development Agency and

the East of England Development Agency.

train on the new technology, and paid for the

equipment and the materials that we needed,

enabling us to bring it all together. Without

them it would have taken us another six to

twelve months to develop our idea. By then we

could have lost our competitive edge and the

rest of the industry would have caught up.

“Also through Renewables East we got connected

with the East Midlands Development Agency

who are now helping to source grant money.”

The area of expertise for RTS is in repairing

turbine blades which, if damaged, can radically

compromise the efficiency and power

generating capabilities of a turbine. The benefits

of being able to repair a blade on site, rather

than having to remove it, are obvious.

Such work is highly skilled, and RTS have IRATA

trained rope-access engineers who, along with

their experience in blade construction and repair,

provide visual inspections of wind turbine blades

and detailed reports of any defects found.

At this second event more than 100 delegates

attended and those present and taking part

in the one-to-one discussions with potential

candidates included Siemens, Petans, Windcat,

RTS International, Mainstream Renewable

Power, MTCS, RLE International, NPI Offshore,

A2Sea Ltd. B9 Energy, British Wind Energy

Association, Rolls-Royce, Pilot Drilling Control,

Skills for Energy, and Lowestoft College.

Feedback from the two events has been highly

favourable with companies involved delighted

with the high standard of potential candidates

they have been able to meet.


“ An excellent day. I was pleasantly surprised at just how relevant the skills of delegates were to us and the industry. It was a very successful day!”

Scottish and Southern Energy, Airtricity

It was a good event, a good forum, and we collected a number of candidate CVs.

JDR Cables

Early analysis of these options shows that

site-wide combined heating and power present

very attractive options to reduce carbon emissions

by more than 80 per cent. However, delivering

heat and power requires multiple partner synergies

to be recognised and effectively brokered, a role

that LCDI will be tasked and resourced to deliver.

Climate Change and energy security are clear

drivers that do not allow us to contemplate business

as usual. New solutions need to be developed,

-simply have not been through the planning,

investment or design processes in the UK.

LCDI will change that by delivering solutions to

the market that will be replicated and enhanced

as the low carbon economy evolves.


“ Working with Renewables East has helped us frame an approach to delivering new low carbon communities which is realistic, economically viable and inspiring.”

Alex Plant, CEO, Cambridgeshire Horizons

Working to reach the low cost, low carbon development goals

Low Carbon Development Initiative

Renewables East works across the region to support and encourage new housing developments to be low carbon.

Over the last five years it has become evident

that there is a chasm between the public and

legislative need to be low or zero carbon, whilst

also addressing the commercial realities of cost,

risk, and the complexities of achieving this

low/zero carbon goal.

Renewables East, with its numerous public

partners, has looked to assemble and share

relevant market and legislation drivers,

transposing them into a local setting that

enables an understanding of the options in

moving towards a lower carbon future.

Working with Cambridgeshire Horizons, South

Cambridgeshire District Council, Cambridge

City Council, Huntingdonshire District Council

and Cambridgeshire County Council, significant

activities have continued exploring how low cost,

low carbon new (and existing) developments

can be delivered.

With input and support from the Homes and

Communities Agency, housing developers, social

housing landlords, banks, utilities and leading

technology providers, these options have been

thoroughly tested in terms of social, environmental

and economic impacts. These results have been

fed, and will continue to feed, into the Cambridge

sub-region and the wider region to influence

policy and planning matters on a sound, low

carbon basis.

This work has led to the imminent creation of

the Low Carbon Development Initiative (LCDI).

Final contractual negotiations are nearing

completion which will see the first phase of

LCDI likely to receive direct investment support

from Cambridgeshire Horizons, Dacorum

Borough Council and the European Regional

Development Fund.

The LCDI will aim to identify and then de-risk

early stage low carbon developments. These will

be taken forward by industry (subject to public

procurement protocols) to deliver low carbon,

low cost and secure energy provision for new

and existing development across the region.

Oppostie:Potential new site wide solutions for the East of England

2Cs clients are found across all commercial and

public sectors including property, finance, energy,

media, environmental companies, medical, energy

and technology.

It was while doing work for various clients in

the low carbon and renewable energy sectors

– including Renewables East and Resource

Efficiency East – that 2Cs Managing Director

Bob Woolliams first realised the environmental,

business, commercial and financial benefits

of controlling energy consumption, lowering

carbon output and reducing materials use.

The Resource Efficiency East programme, which

2Cs helps promote, offers a total of two-days

expert advice, guidance and analysis. Starting

with a consultant’s visit during which the

company’s business needs and consumption

of energy and materials, are assessed and

understood. Proposals on ways of reducing

that consumption, reducing utility bills and

cutting the company’s bottom line costs, are

then outlined.

Inspired by the Resource Efficiency East programme,

an energy audit at 2Cs identified savings in excess

of £30,000 a year by reducing travel and materials

use, cutting energy consumption, increasing

reuse and recycling, and reducing property costs.

2Cs have also turned their actual London office

into a “virtual” office, retaining a London

“presence” while reducing rental and travel costs.

Staff are encouraged to bike to work through

a tax-free bicycle purchase scheme, and 2Cs has

embarked on gaining ISO14001 accreditation

to further reduce cost and meet the expectations

of clients such as Government departments

and large organisations.

Managing Director Bob Woolliams says:

“We’re focused on maximising resource

efficiency. It’s important for our customers

to know that we’re environmentally conscious.

Financially it’s one of the key factors that will

differentiate between businesses which will

survive and thrive, and businesses which fail,

or fail to reach their full potential.

“We work with the whole range of renewable

energy and environmental service companies in

the region and some years ago we identified

Renewables East as the primary catalyst for the

growth of renewable energy in the East of England.

“Renewables East help us with sector knowledge

and connections with other Renewables East

members, offering us access to a strong, vibrant

and growing network of companies in the

renewable energy sector. Renewables East

are key to this network in the region.

“Renewables East are an enabler both across

and outside the region. We have worked with

them and their members on a broad range of

projects that are key to the region achieving

its renewable energy targets.

“With roughly half our work now related to

communications for renewable energy and

environmental projects, products and services,

Renewables East has been a real catalyst for this

growth and this has led directly to our employing

at least four more people.

“Working with Renewables East particularly on

the Resource Efficiency East programme, has

prompted us to look at the costs associated with

our business. The whole management team are

now much more aware, and decisions made

have led to considerable savings - money that is

subsequently freed up to help us start working

towards ISO9001 and ISO14001.”

www.2cs.com

Helping promote the low carbon message

RE advice saves us £30k a year

With its headquarters near Ipswich, and offices in Newmarket and in London, 2Cs is a multi-discipline design, marketing and communications company made up of marketing and communication specialists, designers and web developers.


“ Renewables East is a key enabler both across and outside the region.”

Bob Woolliams, MD, 2Cs Communications

Renewables East has been a real catalyst for this growth and this has led directly to our employing at least four more people

Bob Woolliams, MD, 2Cs Communications

REE advice brings major energy savings that cost almost nothing to implement

Improving the performance of small businesses

Resource Efficiency East

With the support of regional partners, Renewables East is delivering the Resource Efficiency East business support programme that is helping small businesses in the East of England achieve financial savings through more efficient management of water, energy and materials.

The programme, funded by the East of England

Development Agency and the European Regional

Development Fund, has already helped over

a hundred companies to assess their current

performance and identify potential improvements

that could save them thousands of pounds.

Support is provided in a number of ways, but at

the heart of the programme is a two-day business

resource review that offers eligible organisations

advice and support on all aspects of resource

efficiency. The review includes an on-site visit

from a resource efficiency consultant, a concise

written report that highlights key opportunities

and a bespoke action plan that explains how

best to realise improvements. Businesses are

able to access further advice and support for

up to six months as they implement the plan.

Resource Efficiency East Programme Director

Antony Gough says: “Resource efficiency is a

vitally important business opportunity for any

company. By working with Resource Efficiency

East, businesses in the East of England

Merit Plastic Mouldings: case study

Based in Diss, Norfolk, Merit Plastic Mouldings

manufactures precision injection mouldings for

customers in the automotive, medical, electronics,

and pharmaceutical industries.

Following an on-site visit that identified significant

savings, Production Manager, Rick Worcester, said:

“There was no cost to us for the support from

Resource Efficiency East and we estimate that the

key changes recommended will save us £12,000

a year after the 18 month pay-back period.

“The other key saving identified will save us around

£300 a month simply by changing the way we

dispose of our production waste. Now instead

of having our skip emptied twice a week at £100

a time we only need to have it emptied fortnightly.

“The support we received from Resource Efficiency

East was well worthwhile and I would highly

recommend the service to others. For the small

amount of time and effort we had to put in,

the rewards were outstanding.”

can receive support to improve their resource

efficiency and in so doing cut costs and

improve performance.”

Stuart Morris Textiles: case study

Based in Hadleigh, Suffolk, Stuart Morris

Textiles employs eight people producing high

quality printed textiles for clients including

local authorities and the National Trust.

The company requested a site visit from Resource

Efficiency East and following a short tour of the

premises a number of potential opportunities

were identified including; monitoring the quantity

of liquid colour used during printing; self-metering

electricity and gas; improving waste management;

and addressing issues over heat loss from the

gas-dried conveyor belt-fed drier.

The review identified potential savings totalling

£14,000 a year - the equivalent of a £280,000

increase in turnover (assuming a 5 per cent

profit margin).

Peterborough United FC: case study

It’s not just on the football pitch that Peterborough

United Football Club is striving for further

improvements in performance. With support

from Resource Efficiency East the club is also

ensuring that it is as efficient as possible in

terms of energy, water and material use as well.

Following a site visit to the club a number of

‘quick-win’ recommendations were made including;

replacing existing light bulbs with energy efficient

ones; ensuring lights are switched off in rooms

not being used; and ensuring heating is only

on when required by installing timers and

temperature controls. These suggestions could

save the club around £5,000 per year.

Recommendations for longer term improvements

included rainwater harvesting for pitch irrigation

and for use in toilets. This could save over

1.5 million litres of water a year.


“ Thanks to the support from Resource Efficiency East we estimate that the key changes recommended will save us £12,000 a year.” Rick Worcester, Production Manager, Merit Plastic Mouldings

REE guidance to Merit Plastics (above and middle left), Stuart Morris Textiles (bottom left) and Peterborough United (above right) identified annual savings of £14,000, £12,000 and £5,000 respectively.

The Dodd Group, the chosen renewables installers

for the project, used their considerable experience

to design and fit a series of highly effective

systems. The installers had to not only fit heat

pumps, solar panels and radiator systems but

also create new airing cupboards to house cylinders,

block up and make good open fireplaces and

in one case excavate under a garden path and

erect a small fencing panel to appropriately

site the external heat pump unit.

One householder reported that her electricity

bill fell from £40 per week to £20 per week

thanks to the free hot water being produced

by the solar panel on her roof, while another

was able to save £22 a week by no longer having

to purchase coal to power their back boiler.

In several cases householders now have space

heating in areas of their properties which previously

had none, improving the health of the properties

themselves and the comfort of their occupants.

Money saved on energy bills means more money

available for other household expenses and

greater peace of mind for tenants.

Moving on from this pilot project Renewables

East is establishing a region-wide programme

to extend the project to targeted areas.

anglian GOwarm

The programme will be managed by newly-formed

community interest company, anglian GOwarm

CIC (trading under the GOwarm brand), and will

consider a range of renewable technologies to

address fuel poverty in households across the six

counties of the East of England by Spring 2011.

It is anticipated that up to 50,000 households

will be assessed. Of those some 30,000 will

receive energy efficiency and/or benefits advice,

12,000 will receive energy efficiency measures

and 500 renewable energy installations will

be put in place.

The project will demonstrate improved market

viability through reduced cost and be achieved

through economies of scale. The project will

also monitor the technology and demonstrate

performance in situ.

The project will also create access to understanding

through the actual project partners including

Local Authorities and registered social landlords.

It is anticipated that considerable local economic

benefit will result from effectively increasing the

disposable income of targeted households,

which will in turn enter the local economy.

The East of England regional project builds on

the success of the initial Central Government

pilots in the North East of England (the Community

Energy Solutions group) but is tailored to best

meet the challenges and opportunities presented

by the current status of fuel poverty and

renewable energy opportunities in the region.

Activities in the North East and the East of England

will cooperate fully and where advantageous

and appropriate, collaboration, maximising

learning and sharing, will take place.

Core capital funding has been secured from

DECC, along with strategic funding support

from EEDA. Other funding sources will be

drawn from key partners.

The elderly, young families and those with long

term health issues or disabilities, are often the

worst hit. Fuel poverty is particularly prevalent

in households occupying older, solid walled

properties, without access to the gas network.

To tackle this issue, and in preparation for the

roll out of a regional fuel poverty alleviation

project, Renewables East partnered with Great

Yarmouth Community Housing (GYCH) to carry

out a small pilot project. The first nine installations

were completed in August 2009.

The properties were selected from a list of volunteer

households covering a range of building types

and ages, without access to the gas network

and all using expensive, carbon-rich and often

ineffective electric heating systems.

The project adopted a three stage methodology;

• Firstly the benefits status of the households

was reviewed by the GYCH team – experience

suggests this alone can take some households

out of fuel poverty.

• Each property was checked to make sure

that all possible energy efficiency measures

had been installed (again done by the GYCH

team) such as loft insulation and cavity wall

insulation (where possible). A household

can save up to £300 a year on its energy

bills through these simple measures.

• Each property was fitted with an air source

heat pump to replace its original electrical

heating and domestic hot water systems

and, where possible, a solar hot water panel

to provide additional, free energy.

34 Renewables East Annual Review 08/09 Renewables East Annual Review 08/09 35

Thanks to the Renewables East fuel poverty programme families across the region are now enjoying low carbon, low cost hot water and heating systems featuring the latest renewable energy solutions such as solar panels and air source heat pumps.

anglian GOwarm

Fuel poverty

Fuel poverty, where households spend more than 10 per cent of their total income to maintain satisfactory heating, can result in debt, illness, poor mental health and social and financial exclusion.

Left to rightCarole Randall of Renewables East, Peter Bunn of Great Yarmouth Community Housing, Steve Webster of Dodd Group, Great Yarmouth MP Tony Wright, and Claire Stevens of Mitsubishi In Front: George and Joyce Bird

Opposite:Mr and Mrs Bird’s two storey, three bedroomed end of terrace solid walled 1920s house

Above:Mr and Mrs Bird

My wife and I are both retired, so the cost of running the house can be quite a challenge, especially in the winter months. Having this system installed is a great relief for us.

George Bird

The scheme will see 30,000 homes receive benefits or advice about energy efficiency; 12,000 receive energy efficiency measures, and 500 renewable energy installations put in place.

anglian GOwarm Case Study

Beating fuel poverty

Among the first to benefit from the Renewables East home heating fuel poverty programme are pensioners George and Joyce Bird.

The couple, both in their mid 70s, have lived in

the same house in Ormesby in Great Yarmouth

for almost 50 years, and were spending as much

as £11 a day to heat their home using storage

heaters, but still suffered from damp upstairs.

Thanks to the Renewables East pilot project,

carried out in conjunction with Great Yarmouth

Community Housing, the couple now enjoy a

low carbon, lower cost system featuring a solar

panel on the roof of their home providing hot

water, and an air source heat pump providing

heating and hot water throughout their two

storey, three bedroom home.

George Bird said: “My wife and I are both retired,

so the cost of running the house can be quite a

challenge, especially in the winter months, so

having this system installed is a great relief for us.

“This will provide all of our heating and will also

take over the demand for hot water during the

winter when solar technology is less effective.”

The ‘Ecodan’ heating system was installed by The

Dodd Group. Nine local authority homes, managed

by Great Yarmouth Community Housing, have

become the first to benefit from the £1million pilot

study in the East of England looking at renewable

energy solutions to tackling fuel poverty.

Carole Randall of Renewables East: “The region

has been awarded £1million from the Department

of Energy and Climate Change to look at using

renewable energy as the answer to fuel poverty.

This investment will be managed by EEDA and

invested through anglian GOwarm which is a

new Renewables East enterprise. As well as

installing the new technology, we will also be

ensuring that homes have the right insulation

measures in place and checking other aspects,

such as energy efficient behaviour and whether

or not they are claiming all the benefit income

they are entitled to. We believe alongside energy

efficiency measures renewable energy can play

a significant role in defeating fuel poverty.”


“ OrbisEnergy is a great place to be. More and more people have been moving into the building, so from a networking point of view it is excellent. Everyone in here is highly relevant to the work that we are doing and the sector that we are in“ Chris Randle, Director, USL Diving Contractors

The £9.4m OrbisEnergy Centre, inspired and supported by Renewables East, is proving a huge success.

OrbisEnergy - home of offshore renewables

in the East of England

OrbisEnergy in Lowestoft uses the most advanced low carbon, heat and light efficient technologies. A year after its official opening it is firmly established as the regional and national focus for the renewable offshore wind sector, as well as of the emerging wave and tidal renewable energy sectors in the UK and beyond.

Since opening in November 2008, OrbisEnergy

has become a focal point for offshore renewable

energy technologies in the East of England.

Offering state-of-the-art office units, virtual

tenancy and excellent conference facilities, the

centre has helped its tenants and clients take

best commercial advantage of the emerging

offshore renewable energy industry in the region.

Occupancy has steadily increased during the past

year, reaching more than 40% by the summer.

This is an occupancy increase of over 50% in

less than six months. The centre now houses 12

businesses, all of which are involved in the offshore

renewable supply chain, either as suppliers,

contractors, or researchers and developers.

Tenant successes include Greater Gabbard

Offshore Winds, USL Diving Contractors,

Seajacks, 4NRG and 4C Offshore.

The OrbisEnergy conference facilities have also

played host to a diverse range of companies and

organisations including Siemens, Cefas, SLP, BP,

Trident Energy, the Environment Agency and

Mainstream Renewable Power.

With the support of industry associations such

as Renewables East, the centre is developing a

strong and valuable commercial network which

is supporting its tenants in gaining a greater market

share of the industry and establish the sub-region

as a hub for the continued development of an

indigenous offshore renewables supply chain.


OrbisEnergy is the place to be. There are plenty of like-minded people here and a lot of events go on here that are very useful

Jeff Crowder, MD CES Ltd

Based in Lowestoft but working across the region,

the UK and globally, CHPV work closely with

Renewables East.

CHPV owner Alan O’Neill says: “We specialise in

energy media, we are accredited to work in the

offshore sector and our camera staff are specially

trained to work in that environment.

“We went to see Renewables East when they

first started and introduced ourselves and they

have been using us since.

“Renewables East have also been highly effective

at introducing us to other companies in the

offshore renewable energy sector and we use

their networks to spread our name. They have

championed our company.

“What tends to happen is that we go to an

event and companies or organisations looking

for offshore energy images come to us telling

us that Renewables East have told them that

we are the people to go to.

“We have been working in the offshore oil and

gas industries since the early 1960s and have

transferred those skills to the offshore renewable

energy sector, with our images – photographs,

video and film – being used for everything from

marketing promotions to educational programmes.

“We have covered all the main wind farms and

worked for clients including Vestas, Siemens,

A2Sea and E.ON.

“It’s all starting to happen now as the bigger

projects come on stream and we expect that

the next couple of years are going to be

extremely busy.”

As well as working extensively off the East Coast,

across the UK, Europe and in Dubai, CHPV work

around the world – wherever the phone call

takes them.

www.chpv.co.uk


“ They [Renewables East] have championed our company.“ Alan O’Neill, CHPV Owner

The next couple of years are going to be extremely busy

Getting the shot

With 1.8 million images stored, CHPV Offshore Energy Media Services holds the world’s largest picture library of its kind.

“ Renewables East’s innovative and enthusiastic team turn ideas into actions to help companies across the region realise their potential.“ Paula Jennings

Profile of Renewables East Board member

Paula Jennings

I joined the Renewables East board in 2008. Having been born, brought up and worked in the region, I have always had a strong passion for using the valuable skills and experience I have gained throughout my career to support organisations making a difference in the region.

My career has seen involvement with the energy

sector in a number of guises – working with a

number of the large energy networks as a

consultant with PricewaterhouseCoopers,

working with renewable energy companies such

as Novera while at BDO Stoy Hayward, and most

recently as Finance Director of BiogenGreenfinch.

BiogenGreenfinch is part of the Bedfordia Group

and is going through a very exciting growth

phase with plans to build 10 more AD plants

over the next three years to add to its existing

plants at Twinwood and Westwood.

One of the most important benefits of my

involvement with Renewables East has been

to understand the potential that the region has

to offer in terms of nurturing new technologies,

supporting growing businesses and creating

jobs. Every member of the team at Renewables

East is an expert in their field with a strong

support network upon which to draw.

The opportunity to share ideas with colleagues

from both the public and private sectors associated

with Renewables East has also enabled me to

build a deeper understanding of how working

together can bring benefits to bear far more

quickly than any single approach could achieve.

For example, understanding plans for regional

development, skills and training opportunities

for staff are all important factors when working

with a fast-growing regional business such

as BiogenGreenfinch.

I have found working with Renewables East to be

very much a two way process. When contributing

to Renewables East I hope to bring a commercial

and market-focussed approach to problem solving

and project development. Renewables East’s

innovative and enthusiastic team then turn

ideas into actions to help companies across

the region realise their potential.


CHARLES HODGE PHOTOGRAPHY & VIDEO PRODUCTION

OFFSHORE ENERGY MEDIA SERVICES

Paula Jennings


“ Hats off to Renewables East - I really do owe them.“ Jon Aldiss, Safety Boat Services

Renewables East

The way forward

Renewable activity in the East of England remains vibrant, delivering the highest installation and generation capacity of the nine English regions. But what of the next few years?

What we achieve in the period up to 2016 will

largely determine what emissions savings we can

make by 2030 and whether this will be sufficient

to keep climate change in check. We have a new

and ambitious UK Renewables Energy Strategy

and increasing signs of progress on international

agreements. Yet we are also fighting back from

a global recession, and the capacity for private

and public investment remains uncertain.

So, how do we maintain progress? Firstly, the range

of opportunities is increasing –as much progress

is needed on renewable heat and transport fuel in

the next three years as we achieved with electricity

in the last five. And while vision and investment

will be needed to deliver large-scale generation,

security and affordability of supply can equally be

achieved through co-operatively owned local-scale

solutions. Improving the energy efficient supply

of our existing housing stock and business premises

is just as critical as the amount of new build, and

export opportunities for low carbon technologies

will only increase as China and India join the

purchasing power of the EU and US.

So where in the current climate should the focus

lie? Firstly, moving solutions closer to the demand

side of the energy chain delivers quicker returns

for lower investment. Equally, with the lead

provided by offshore wind and the growth of

site-based renewables, the opportunity for job

creation across the region is significant. The delivery

of clean energy from waste is a major emerging

development opportunity. And partnerships that

enable planners, communities, technologists and

architects to work on joint investment strategies

will also offer a lower-risk opportunity to maintain

the pace of renewable development.

The key underlying theme to all of this is the

transfer of knowledge and expertise amongst

different industries and professions, and brokering

new knowledge partnerships in sectors that are

emerging into these arenas, so renewable energy

not only progresses in the current climate but also

helps lead us forward to a sustainable economic

future. Renewables East has played a key role in

helping this to happen in our first five years, and

we look forward to continuing this level of

support in the years to come.

Ian Williams, Operations Director

Richard Parker Renewables East Bioenergy Development Director, test driving a biofuel ford focus

Income

Costs

Surplus Retained of Income over Costs

Grants and funding

Sponsorship and events

Other income

Total income

Office and administration costs

Communication & promotional activities

Staff costs

Technical and professional fees

Total costs

2008/09

1,923,534

8,285

7

1,931,826

29,586

133,832

548,469

1,196,170

1,908,057

23,769

2007/08

1,164,359

66,293

150

1,230,802

33,796

99,418

476,501

595,206

1,204,921

25,881

2006/07

958,357

90,181

250

1,048,788

22,787

96,463

382,032

490,062

991,344

57,444

2005/06

361,495

95,120

1,098

457,713

23,952

71,267

193,491

137,426

426,136

31,577

2004/05

380,106

-

10,257

390,363

19,640

23,256

189,970

139,801

372,667

17,696

44 Renewables East Annual Review 08/09 Renewables East Annual Review 08/09 45

“ I am proud of how my team reacted to the economic crisis in ensuring 95% of undisputed invoices were paid within 14 days.“ Managing Director James Beal

Financial Report

Annual accounts

Renewables East - Summary of Income and Costs per annum

Headline Financials - Income

2008/09 witnessed perhaps the most turbulent

trading environment in history and no corner of

the economy escaped the world-wide economic

downturn. Set against this difficult economic

backdrop Renewables East’s performance was

impressive to say the least; a 57% increase in

income - the 5th consecutive annual rise, with

total income reaching £1.93m in the year.

Whilst economic conditions have continued to

prove challenging since the year end, particularly

with the increasingly scarce availability of public

funding, early indications suggest that Renewables

East’s income is set to break the £2m mark for

the first time in 2009/10. This sustained growth

is testament to the enormous value funders

have enjoyed on the return of investment that

their funds have achieved from supporting

Renewables East’s work over its lifetime.

Sources of Income

Costs, by key category

£2,000

£1,800

£1,600

£1,400

£1,200

£1,000

£800

£600

£400

£200

£0

£2,000

£1,500

£1,000

£500

£0

Thou

sand

sTh

ousa

nds

Headline Financials - Costs

Funders, driven by increasingly scarce public

funding, are in a position to demand ever-higher

levels of performance from the organisations in

which they choose to invest. Renewables East is

able to meet those demands by taking advantage

of economies of scale created by its increasing size,

squeezing overhead costs to a bare minimum, and

maximising the resources that directly deliver results.

In 2008/09 office and administration costs came

to just 2% of the organisation’s total cost base,

a reduction of 12% on 2007/08 levels despite

the growth in Renewables East as a whole.

Meanwhile 91% of total costs in 2008/09 were

targeted at delivery through people. Staff costs

increased in proportion to the growing team of

employed staff. The permanent team of experts

was supplemented by additional specialist resources

as and when required to create a highly effective

and flexible mix, responsive to the evolving

demands of the renewable energy economy

in the region.

2004/05

2004/05

Office and administration costs

Communications and promotional activities

Staff costs

Technical and professional fees

2005/06

2005/06

2006/07

2006/07

2007/08

2007/08

2008/09

2008/09

Grants and funding

Sponsorship and events

Other income

“ The content and intent of the day were excellent. I only wish there had been something similar when I left the Army 14 years ago. If there are future events, please send us an invite.” Clarkson Associates

Sharing knowledge, making contacts

Events

As well as organising and co-hosting events across the region and attending events across the UK, members of the Renewables East team travel internationally.


Above:Nigel Burton-White and Emma Toulson, key movers behind events such as the Offshore Wind Skills Awareness and Recruitment Events.

Opposite:Renewables East events deliver premium value for presenters, speakers, exhibitors and delegates.

Whether attending as delegates or making their

own presentations, Renewables East members

work to ensure that wherever there is knowledge

to be had, advances to catch up on, or contacts

to make or cement, they will be there.

Renewables East’s Nigel Dent recently travelled

to Finland for the two-day International 2009

Sustainable Bioenergy Business Conference

and Exhibition in Jyvaskyla.

Richard Parker attended the World Bionergy

conference and exhibition covering clean

vehicles and fuel, and the implementation of

bioenergy and sustainable transport systems.

The event was staged in Stockholm, Sweden.

To ensure the region maximises the potential

it possesses in academic research, automotive

research and development, and agriculture,

Biofuels East is developing contacts with

international players in the field.

It has already attracted interest from stakeholders

in Brazil, and Bianca Forte, Biofuels Co-ordinator

at Renewables East, has been invited to present

on the topic of algae fuels at an international

conference taking place in the country in November

2009. “Opportunities such as these allow us to

showcase the research capabilities at hand in

the region” says Bianca.

Here in the UK the Launch Event of Biofuels East

at Queens’ College in March 2009 marked the

beginning of a new collaboration between industry

and academia in biofuels advancement. The

regional capabilities in biosciences and bioprocesses,

plants genomic and breeding, and automotive

and aerospace research and development were

showcased to more than 150 delegates. Feedback

on the event was extremely positive and a couple

of regional stakeholders reported that new business

prospects and strategic alliances have been

developed as a result of having attended the event.


Renewables East Team

James Beal Managing Director

Richard Parker Development Director, Bio Energy

Ian Williams Operations Director

Susan Jordan Finance Director

Antony Gough Resource Efficiency East Programme Director

Nigel Burton-White Technology Director

Nigel Dent Project Manager Low Carbon Development Initiative

Simon Chiva Project Manger Resource Efficiency East

Emma Toulson Project Manager Offshore Renewables

Carole Randall Project Manager Fuel Poverty/Community Renewables

Bianca Forte Biofuels Co-ordinator

Victoria Mercer Resource Efficiency East Project Support Officer

Julian Merrick anglian GOwarm Manager

Colin Allard Financial Accountant

John Heath Delivery Manager

Alyson Booth Operational Project Co-ordinator

Peter Lee Planning Consultant

Pat Oakley Supply Chain Consultant

Alan Argent Business Advisor

Philip Curry Financial Advisor

Renewables East Board of Directors

Councillor John Reynolds Cambridgeshire County Council

James Beal Renewables East

Peter Raftery Airtricity

Paula Jennings Bio Greenfinch

Corrine Meakins Sustainability East

Paul Burall East of England Development Agency

Dave Riches East of England International

Richard Wells Norwich and Peterborough Building Society

Ian Mays Renewables Energy Systems Ltd

Jim Skea UK Energy Research Centre


“ Without Renewables East funding we would be nowhere near as far on and would probably have given away all our intellectual property rights.“ Jon Aldiss Safety Boat Services

Renewables East Team and Board of Directors

The Team

As a private and independent, not-for-profit organisation, Renewables East relies on its Board for strategic support, advice and decisions. It should be noted that this is time given for free, and again the Board members have proved invaluable in helping Renewables East through another year of substantial growth. Corresponding to that growth the team has expanded and we have welcomed new team members whilst wishing a fond farewell to others taking forward new challenges in the renewable energy industry. Above:

The region’s ports are pivotal in the East of England’s burgeoning offshore renewable energy industry.

Photo credit: CHPV

Design and editorial 2Cs CommunicationsPrint Five Castles PressStock Revive 100 Offset

Photography Many thanks to all who have kindly

contributed photography for use in this review

Renewables East could not do this without direct investment support

and enabling from the following organisations:

PROJECT PART-FINANCED BY THE EUROPEAN UNION European Regional Development Fund


Essex County Council

BERR Department for BusinessEnterprise & Regulatory Reform

“ The Government’s Renewable Energy Strategy is dealing with the challenges we all face, but is reliant upon local delivery to succeed. With Renewables East leading the way in the region towards a low carbon economy, we are confident we can play our part in reaching the Government’s targets.“ Great Yarmouth MP Tony Wright

RENEWABLESEAST

Renewables East Zicer Building University of East Anglia Norwich Norfolk NR4 7TJ

T 01603 591415 F 01603 591194 E [email protected]

www.renewableseast.org.uk

renewables east annual review 0809

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