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GUERNSEY Electricity has launched a new ‘green’ initiative that will put the company at the forefront of local efforts to tackle global climate change.

A new Green Enterprise working group was set up earlier this year to co-ordinate a range of environmental projects already underway, and also identify other schemes that could provide similar benefits in the future.

They include the company’s investment in tidal energy research, new smart metering technology for local homes and businesses, and improvements in waste management at the Vale Power Station.

The company is also looking into importing more electricity that has been generated using renewable sources. And devices that can provide three quarters of the energy required to heat a home simply by extracting heat from the air or the ground are currently being trialled.

In addition, staff at Guernsey Electricity will be undergoing training in energy awareness, and some will train as energy advisers.

Managing director Ian Watson said that being the island’s only electricity provider put the company in a unique position. It also had a responsibility to both show a lead on environmental issues, and to respond to customers’ increasing concerns.

‘Tackling global climate change is possibly the greatest challenge that we face in the 21st century. It is no good us just sitting back and saying there is nothing we can do because other places aren’t going to cut their emissions. We all have a responsibility to act, and we recognise that as the island’s power provider we need to take the lead on this,’ he said.

A website, www.greenenterprise.gg, has been launched to showcase the various initiatives that the group is working on at present. A new display has also been set up at the company’s Northside showroom, giving details of the project.

The company is also asking islanders for their views on environmental and energy issues. Mr Watson said this will help shape the future work of the Green Enterprise initiative.

‘There is no single, magic solution, but a wide range of different solutions and some of these we are uniquely placed to deliver. That is what Green Enterprise is all about – identifying what we can do as a company that not only reduces our impact but also enables our customers to make changes for themselves,’ said Mr Watson.

The objectives of the Green Enterprise initiative are to limit the environmental impact of the company’s own operations, investigate sources of renewable energy suitable for the island, and develop products and services that will help customers reduce their own carbon footprint.

Mr Watson said the range of initiatives reflected the need for a broad approach that gave islanders choices.

‘It is not about forcing people to do anything, but giving them options,’ he said.

Most experts now agree on a link between climate change and rising levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, with one of the primary sources being carbon emissions from burning of fossil fuels, oil, coal and gas.

Since 2002, the cable link to Europe has reduced the island’s dependence on fossil fuels. However the Vale Power station still produces a proportion of the electricity consumed locally, using oil-burning generators.

Mr Watson said that although fossil fuels were likely to remain a component of the island’s generation mix, the proportion had fallen dramatically in the past five years and could reduce further.

‘Our number one priority has to be to provide a secure, reliable and affordable electricity. However environmental considerations will increasingly become a key factor in how we achieve that, and will influence the decisions that we make in terms of our generation mix,’ he said.

‘In terms of reducing carbon emissions, we have already come a long way. Since imports began, more than half of the island’s electricity has been generated through low or zero carbon sources. We want to build on that,’ he said.

Projects

Tidal Turbines

Guernsey Electricity is backing pioneering research into developing technology that could generate power from the sea around the island. A prototype tidal current turbine is about to be installed in a trial in Northern Ireland, to demonstrate the viability of the current design before entering commercial production.

If the trial proves successful, similar turbines could be installed in local waters within the next decade.

Green Imports

Currently around 5% of all the island’s electricity comes from renewable technologies, such as hydroelectric or wind power. However in future, islanders could choose how much of their electricity comes from these sources.

Guernsey Electricity is in discussions over the possibility of introducing ‘green energy imports’. It would mean customers could opt to buy a higher proportion of renewable energy, and the premium they would pay could then be reinvested in projects that would generate more electricity using low or zero carbon sources.

Ground/Air Source Heat Pumps

Ground and air source heat pumps can provide up to 75% of the energy required for normal domestic heating simply by extracting heat from the air or ground. Guernsey Electricity is working with a major UK manufacturer that specialises in this technology, and currently trialling products with a view to becoming a local centre of excellence.

Keep Guernsey Green Award

Guernsey Electricity was one of the first local companies to enrol in the Environment Department’s Keep Guernsey Green Award, which aims to promote best practice in waste management and use of resources. Its aim is to complete the requirements before the end of 2007.

AMR

Studies have shown that providing customers with better information on their electricity use can be a major factor in reducing their energy consumption. Guernsey Electricity is currently installing automated meters in more than 25,000 local homes and businesses, which in future will enable readings to be collected automatically and remotely.

The project, which is due for completion around 2011 will enable the company to provide customers with more timely and accurate information that will help them reduce any unnecessary use.