GVEP – Uganda Clean Cookstoves Producers

GVEP – Uganda Clean Cookstoves Producers

By Gurkirit Thiara | Published: February 2, 2012

A five-year programme rewards entrepreneurship across East Africa by supporting micro-businesses to establish energy services and create employment opportunities in rural areas.

Willy Bamwenyena’s story shows how one can turn a need into a business opportunity. Willy's energy efficient cookstovesThe GVEP-led Developing Energy Enterprise Project (DEEP) has boosted his business – and that of hundreds of other entrepreneurs across East Africa – to make and sell energy efficient cook-stoves.  

Firewood burning stoves are made from locally available materials such anthill soil and clay. The stoves are popular with many householders in Sissa, and up to 90% now own one. A key reason behind their success is that they are affordable and more energy efficient compared to the traditional 3-stone fireplace. In the long run, stove-owners save money that would have been spent buying firewood; and time – spent drying or collecting firewood. The stoves also reduce indoor air pollution considerably, hence decreasing the chronic health illnesses associated with the emission of harmful fumes from open fires.

To read Willy’s story visit the GVEP website.

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Volunteers Wanted – Bristol Green Doors

By Gurkirit Thiara | Published: February 2, 2012

 

Bristol Green Doors are looking for volunteers to assist them in two main areas:

1) Promoting the next open homes event by distributing event fliers, maps and posters to shops, bars, markets, notice boards, faith and community centres in neighbourhoods around Bristol to help us spread the word and get as many visitors as possible. This help is needed now.

2) Supporting householders at their homes during the weekend of 17-18th March 2012 as an Event Steward. The role could involve welcoming and admitting visitors, supporting the householder, serving refreshments, facilitating visitor feedback, directing people around the home and answering simple questions. If you have a particular expertise in energy advice this could also be an opportunity for you to engage with the public too. You can volunteer for either Saturday or Sunday or both. Homes will be open from 12noon-6pm on both days.

If you are interested http://www.bristolgreendoors.org/volunteers for more information!

 

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Busy Start to 2012 for Ashton Hayes!

By Gurkirit Thiara | Published: February 2, 2012

On the 10th January 2012, Chester Mayor Eleanor Johnson opened new low carbon classrooms built with CWAC funding and PV panels at the local primary school. Thanks to the help and support provided by the community the school will receive free green electricity when opened with the village Community Power Company, thereby generating revenue from the surplus.

Following this, Ashton Hayes was one of 6 Carbon Leapfrog projects to have been selected by DECC for funding under its LEAF programme, please visit news for more information on the other successful projects. Congratulations again to all the team! Please click here for more information on DECC’s plans.

In recent news, thanks to the ScottishPower Energy Networks (SPEN) monitoring system, the residents of Ashton Hayes can now see how much energy the village is using. The web portal will provide residents with detailed data on electricity use across the community. Here is an idea of the initial site residents will be using, and over the next couple of weeks Ashton Hayes should be in a position to upload the community reports for October, November, December and January. The aim of the research will help SPEN see the impact that PV panels, electric cars and other renewables have on their network and help the community plan for the future.

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Date for your diary! 17-18th March 2012, Bristol Green Doors Event!

By Gurkirit Thiara | Published: February 2, 2012
The event on March 17-18th 2012 will feature 40 homes across Bristol open between 12.00 and 6.00 pm on Saturday and Sunday.
 
The event is free though donations are welcome. Bristol Green Doors have a great selection of homes participating showcasing a whole range of measures and technologies.
 
See http://www.bristolgreendoors.org/events/march-2012 for more information and keep visiting their site for updates.
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Carbon Accounting Workshop

By Helena | Published: January 27, 2012

Last week saw the first Carbon Accounting workshop hosted by Simmons & Simmons and delivered by Ecometrica.

Dr Richard Tipper Managing Director and Charlotte Wylie Senior Analyst at Ecometrica gave a great introduction to greenhouse gas accounting and explained the drivers for corporate carbon accounting. Charlotte also went through a demonstration of Ecometrica’s ‘Our Impacts’ software that simplifies the data inputting and makes the analysis process of an organisation’s carbon emission (CO2e) far more robust.

The event was a resounding success and is the start of a series of workshops Carbon Leapfrog is planning to carry out with our partners through 2012 so watch this space

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6 Leapfrog projects secure DECC LEAF funding

By Joanne | Published: January 16, 2012

The first batch of local energy projects to win funding from DECC’s new £10m Local Energy Assessment Fund was announced today.

Six successful Carbon Leapfrog projects were amongst the winning bids. A big congratulations to all the communities successful in their application and particularly the Carbon Leapfrog projects.

The winners included Ashton Hayes, Carbon Leapfrog’s first pilot project that came through to the network in 2009, aswell as other longstanding Leapfrog projects like BWCE who recently exceeded their share offer target and secured £721,350!

Awel Aman Tawe (AAT) based in Wales, Bristol Green Doors and Kilington Sustainable Energy Trust (K-SET) were all also successful in their bids.

Brixton Energy, a recent project to come through the PSG ‘Dragons Den’ and another great London based project that Leapfrog is working with was also successful in their application to the LEAF Fund.

Congratulations from all the Carbon Leapfrog team!

To find out more about the winners, please follow the link below;

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HSBC working hard with Leapfrog Projects

By Joanne | Published: January 6, 2012

Carbon Leapfrog was delighted to begin working with HSBC back in July 2011. Bringing such a well established global banking and financial services organisation on board as a professional partner was a milestone for Leapfrog, not least because of the range of skills and experience within HSBC that could be channeled through to our projects.

Currently HSBC staff are working with 5 Carbon Leapfrog projects including The Carbon Co-op based in Manchester, Abingdon Hydro and The Green Valleys in Wales. The range of support being provided by HSBC covers not only financial and business analysis but also taxation, VAT issues, business planning support, financial structuring and project management.

The partnership between Leapfrog and HSBC gives HSBC employees not only the opportunity to work on exciting and interesting carbon reduction projects but also they get a chance to further develop their own professional skills and experience. Of course, the projects benefit hugely from this partnership as the pool of experience is vast.

“The interaction with HSBC has gone very well. The calls we have had with the HSBC team working with the Carbon Co-op were followed up with written advice and support in getting a VAT ruling from the HMRC. Answering specific questions surrounding taxation has assisted the project with its financial modeling and projections and helps move us on to the next phase in the development of the Carbon Co-op.”

Erich Scherer, Carbon Leapfrog Project Manager for The Carbon Co-op

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Leapfrog and LEAD

By Joanne | Published: January 6, 2012

The results of the competitor analysis performed by Accenture volunteers on behalf of LEAD International were presented by Graham Ward in mid October at the Committee of Directors meeting for the LEAD international member programmes. The member programmes operate the local elements of the LEAD training programme in twelve countries/regions around the world. The main findings of the competitor analysis served to emphasise how unique the LEAD programme is its combination of learning style and content, alumni numbers, global spread and sectoral coverage. Only six programmes were identified that were sufficiently similar in content and target group to the LEAD programme to be considered as close competitors, but none of these provided the extent of reach across countries and organisation type that LEAD offers to its participants. This point was emphasised in the opening presentation of the 2011 International Session (which followed the Committee of Directors meeting); workgroups for this intensive six day culmination of the annual Fellows programme are created specifically to cross the boundaries of country, culture and organisation. Whilst serving to emphasise the unique value of the LEAD programme, the competitor analysis also identified a range of areas around brand and commercial awareness that can be strengthened through the LEAD2.0 project.

Posted in LEAD, Progress Update | Leave a comment

GVEP featured on BBC Radio 4 on Climate Change Mitigation

By Gurkirit Thiara | Published: January 6, 2012

Last week, BBC Kenya correspondent Will Ross visited Kartech – a small business in Nairobi, which GVEP has been supporting. Kartech is involved in the production of institutional energy efficient cookstoves that are sold to schools, restaurants and hospitals.  GVEP’s Loan Guarantees Fund Kartech’s clients, such as local schools, can receive credit finance to purchase the stoves (which use up to 60% less fuel wood) enabling schools to make a significant saving which they can reinvest in education.

James Wakaba, GVEP’s Regional Manager for Africa explains in this radio interview the benefits of such technology and the impact it can have on both the micro and macro level.

The feature was aired on BBC 4’s The World Tonight on December 8, 2011 to hear the interview visit GVEP’s website.

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Carbon Co-op Helps Install 12kW Solar Panel Array For Wholefood Co-op

By Gurkirit Thiara | Published: January 6, 2012

Carbon Co-op have successfully designed and installed 12kW solar panel array for Unicorn Grocery, a wholefood co-operative in Chorlton, South Manchester.

Unicorn’s basic offer is affordable, wholesome food with a focus on organic, fair-trade and local sourcing. As a workers co-operative the shop is owned and managed by the people who work in it, and they have created a place they want to shop in themselves.

The installation made it in time to qualify for the higher rate of Feed in Tariff (FIT) and will ensure that these panels benefit both the environment and the co-operative. For more information on this installation visit Carbon Co-op’s blog!

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