Southwark shows London councils the way on 'green' energy

Southwark Council has further strengthened its commitment to environmentally sustainable development by launching a wind turbine pilot project in London.

The turbine – installed by Photon Energy - is the first of this scale to go on a council building in the capital and shows that Southwark is at the forefront of green energy use.

The hope is that the four month test session will confirm that wind energy can play an important part in the billion pound regeneration of the Elephant and Castle.

The 6kW Proven Energy wind turbine was this week installed on the top of Ashenden House, an 11-storey residential building off New Kent Road.

The trial – carried out in partnership with South Bank University - will be used to assess the viability of building-mounted units in an urban area, and to measure any impact on nearby homes for noise levels and possible vibration.

A turbine of a different design will be mounted in the same place for the second phase of the trial later in the year.

The data produced by the pilot scheme will be passed on to developers to ensure that they can integrate wind technology in the most effective way for the regenerated Elephant and Castle.

The development will be required to have at least 10 per cent of its carbon emissions offset by the use of renewable energy sources and if the tests show that noise and vibration levels are acceptable, the wind turbines could play an important role in meeting the target.

Councillor Richard Thomas, Southwark Council's executive member for regeneration, said: “Renewable energy has to be at the very heart of new development, and this work demonstrates our commitment to protecting the environment at the Elephant and Castle.

“The term ‘sustainability’ has become something of a buzzword in regeneration, but many developers only treat it as a symbolic and cosmetic afterthought on their high profile buildings.

“However, in Southwark, renewable energy is a core component of all development, making sure the borough becomes as green as possible.”

Jonathan Bates, Photon Energy director, said: “It is very important that renewable energy technologies are made visible and seen to work effectively.

“Photon Energy is committed to ensuring the highest standards of installation and is very pleased to see that Southwark Council is taking a strategic approach to urban wind generation.

“It is technologies such as this and solar PV that could have a large impact on the urban environment in the coming years."

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