Environmental Initiatives

Microgrid plan to make UK communities carbon neutral

The village of Ashton Hayes is being used by EA Technology as a test bed to develop a new way of generating and managing energy communally. The model would then be available as a ready-to-use template for other communities.

The Ashton Hayes Going Carbon Neutral project has already seen success in reducing its energy usage.

EA Technology is working with the project team to take the work a step further by developing a highly innovative scheme, based on creating a new type of community energy services company (ESCO). With the village residents and facilities such as the village school as shareholders, the ESCO would be responsible for generating electricity locally to match the needs of the community.

Electricity would be generated communally from renewable sources sited in the village, including wind, solar and biomass, with the possibility of using underground energy storage systems. Sources of power installed at the school and shareholders’ houses, for example, would be owned and maintained by the company and contribute to the village supply grid.

The company would then sell power to the local shareholders, as well as managing the import and export of energy on behalf of the community, in partnership with an external supplier.

The project is a collaboration between EA Technology and the University of Chester, supported by an £86,000 grant from Carbon Connections UK, an investment body based at the University of East Anglia. They are working in partnership with Ashton Hayes Parish Council.

Contacts

Dr Mary Gillie, EA Technology Direct Dial: +44(0)151 347 2342 Email: mary.gillie@eatechnology.com
Jayne Dodgson, Director of Corporate Communications, University of Chester 07841 250221
Matt Dolan, Carbon Connection UK Marketing Manager, 01603 591358 Email: m.dolan@uea.ac.uk
Garry Charnock, Ashton Hayes Parish Council Mobile: +44 (0) 7968 063624 Email: gcharnock@rsk.co.uk