Current Projects

Llanfyllin Workhouse Wood Fuel Feasibility 
The Victorian Workhouse at Llanfyllin has stood empty for 25 years and is currently being renovated. Dulas was appointed as consultant to carry out a feasibility study for a heating system at the workhouse, so that larger funding schemes from other sources could be applied for. The report for this piece of work is now available (Link to reports page?) and recommends the most appropriate technical solution that will provide sustainable heating to the property. Although wood fuel is highlighted as the most promising technology, other renewable technologies have been listed as options and reasons for exclusion, if necessary, are justified.



Micro Anaerobic Digestion
Ethical Innovatory Solutions is a Montgomery-based company that specialises in bespoke engineering solutions to environmental issues. They are designing a high-tech, micro-scale anaerobic digester. It is planned to be at a scale for use on business parks, smallholdings, schools, community centres and supermarkets. The project involves a two year research, design, plan, build and test programme and a report will be available at the end of the current Business Plan in February 2011.

Ty Mawr Heat Recovery

Ty-Mawr is a family run business. It is the only specialist manufacturer of ecological building products in Wales. One of the manufacturing processes involves slaking lime. Slaking is an exothermic (heat releasing) process and Ty Mawr is interested in recovering this heat and using it to heat the site, in place of fossil fuel heating. 

Dulas has been appointed as consultant to carry out a survey of appropriate Powys-based businesses that may be interested in using heat recovery technology. A monitoring system will be designed for the heat recovery unit at Ty Mawr. A heat meter will be used to measure the temperature difference and flow rate between flow and return pipes from the slaking heat recovery unit. Heat energy from the operation can be analysed accurately in kWh. Carbon savings can then be calculated from these energy readings.  

Community Energy Surveys
The Low Carbon Communities Project (Axis 3) works with three Powys communities – Llanidloes, Rhayader and Talgarth. These communities were interested in carrying out energy surveys of buildings in their area. Light Foot Enterprises were appointed to run a consultation event with community members to see if they were interested in attending a capacity building session. The volunteers from the communities of Rhayader and Llanidloes attended a capacity building session in March and are now able to go out in to their communities and carry out energy surveys.

Transition Consultation Event

The Low Carbon Futures and Food and Sustainability Project Officers are organising a consultation event to be held at Pavilion, Llandrindod Wells on 13th May 2009. The day is open to anyone interested or involved in the transition process in Powys and we hope to determine whether Glasu can assist the transition process in the future. There will be discussion groups addressing energy and food related issues running throughout the day and an ‘Any Questions’ panel where we hope that Powys-based organisations will discuss ‘transition’.

Talybont Carbon Neutral Community

Talybont-on-Usk Energy Group is addressing renewable and energy efficiency measures within their community. A project is due to start, looking at the feasibility of a number of renewable technologies, but particularly heat recovery from the canal. Findings will be presented at an open meeting in Talybont-on-Usk.



Passivhaus Energy Monitoring and Analysis

JPW Construction is a Powys-based and focused micro-enterprise with a consultancy that is developing across Wales. It has a proven track record in utilizing Passivhaus technology and principles to achieve code 5 and 6 residential ratings and Passivhaus certification simultaneously. The company has recently completed a non-domestic building to BREAMM Excellent & Passivhaus standard for a local authority, which is to receive the BREAAM Award for Wales 2009.

 

JPW Construction wishes to install a wireless monitoring system with a central data collection point connected to the internet, within Canolfan Hydden, Machynlleth. The company will then access the live data via the internet at their offices to limit disturbance for building users. This data is then compared in real time to POE (Post Occupation Evaluation) comments and the electronic timetable used to book the rooms in the building via linked spreadsheets and GSM (Global System for Mobile Communication) technology. The programme will target specific areas to understand how the ventilation system is performing and how local weather data and occupation of the building is affecting the performance. This has not been done in this depth before and JPW Construction now wants to be able to show the Passivhaus Institute how and why the design has been adapted to fit the Welsh climate.

 

 

 

The project is to test Passivhaus renovation building before work begins and perform ongoing testing during the project as the air tightness system is enhanced and developed. Techniques can be researched and tested though out the process and costs versus effectiveness of the air tightness system optimised. Highlighting the easiest solutions which have the greatest effect would be a vital element of this project.

 

As the first Passivhaus renovation in the Powys area it is a unique opportunity to establish the concept for future adoption in Wales via demonstrating actual savings, what worked and what didn’t and how things can be improved to save more energy (and money) in future. This project will help to demonstrate what can be realistically achieved on site in the wind and rain on an old building.

 

 

 

Sennybridge Gym Feasibility Study 

Julian Jenkins, Chairman of Sennybridge Gym Users Group Committee project is to establish an overall cost and design for a low carbon gym and training area that will benefit the community and school. This will enable the gym committee to pursue full funding for a new gym.

 

The gym is based at Sennybridge CP School and occupies a room at the rear of the building. The gym is very popular and becomes very crowded during busy periods. To ensure longevity, a larger area is required. After extensive consultation it has been decided that the disused tennis courts on the school site would be the best area for development. The development would aim to be carbon neutral and there would be benefits for the school and the local community. There is the school, a doctor’s surgery and a housing estate all in close proximity, making the exploration of a district heating scheme worthwhile.

 

 

Fuelsaver Case Study 

Plant I Ltd was set up 3 years ago. It has customer relationships with many large companies, including Shropshire PCC and Enterprise plc. The company designs and supplies vehicle telemetry systems which allow any business to monitor and reduce its costs by analysing real data from their vehicle fleet. Technology now allows true miles per gallon and CO2 emissions from each vehicle to be recorded, allowing customers to make reductions by managing and utilising their fleet more efficiently. Plant I Ltd currently monitors over 700 vehicles and is now looking to find systems that will complement their current activities to further reduce CO2 emissions and fuel usage.

 

Fuelsaver is an ECU (Electronic Control Unit) modification system that offers an opportunity to further reduce emissions and fuel usage. The manufacturers programme is removed from the ECU and a copy made so that the vehicle can be returned to standard at any time, if required. The original programme is then completely altered, improved and reloaded back to the vehicle ECU. The vehicle then runs at optimum efficiency for UK fuel standards, climate, altitudes and engine conditions, which is how improved fuel economy and lower CO2 emissions are achieved. All of this is achieved without ever exceeding any of the safe tolerances of engine and therefore, no there is no adverse effect on the engine life. Fuelsaver is an existing technology and Plant I Ltd will have the rights to the software in Wales.

 

This project is a 3 month case study to provide real data about the savings achieved by using the Fuelsaver system. Rolling road analysis will be carried out, and driver feedback will be a major element of the assessment. This type of case study has not been carried out previously. Glasu is not endorsing the product, purely investigating the potential savings that can be made from using it.

 
The report is now available in the reports section.

 

 

Powys Transition Publicity  

A joint project between the Food and Sustainability and the Low Carbon Futures has been approved to supply the Powys Transition groups with publicity materials such as pull ups, banners, booklets and stand space at prominent local events. All the material will be generic and be co-ordinated through a network.

Infrared Camera for Domestic and Business Energy Audits
This Project will assist the puchase of an Infrared Camera to complement the work under taken by the Low Carbon Communities Project of Powys.  The camera wil produce an infrared image which will show how much energy/heat is leaking from a building and where from, enabling solutions to be found to save the most energy.



Green Business Open Day Publicity
The Court Yard in Crickhowell are holding an event aimed at new green start up business. The aim will be to accumulate like minded low carbon businesses together in one area to transfer knowledge, build capacity, share best practise and reduce carbon emissions. This will all create a unique and innovative working environment/business community for low carbon businesses to operate mutually with in.

Cwm Harry Land Trust is a social enterprise whose core function is the recycling of nutrients at a localised level. To achieve this they collect food waste from some 8,000 homes in Montgomeryshire (approximately 1,000 tpa) and process this along with green waste (approx 2,000 tpa) in an In Vessel Composting (IVC) unit. Cwm Harry do this inside an industrial unit, furthermore they have a market garden under development at the rear of the IVC.

Cwm Harry through this project is looking into the feasibility of utilising the heat off the compost that sits at 60oC. A feasibility study will be conducted into the possibility of using the heat for their office space and also for polytunnels, as well as the potential of helping to reduce the significant electricity demands needed to drive their extraction systems.

Coffee Waste Feasibility
Re-Worked have recently had a project approved looking at the feasibility of using coffee waste to form two different recylable materials.

Transition Network Conferene
Glasu recently funded 14 Powys residence to attend the national Transition Network Conference held at the Seale Hayne Agricultural College in Newtown Abbot, Cronwall over the weekend 11th-14th June 2010.



Passivhaus- Auxilary Bio Fuel heat source
The aim of the project will be to establish the possibility that it is technically and practical to live in an ultra low energy passive house, heated exclusively via a carbon neutral combination of Solar Hot Water Heating and Welsh Timber resources/waste product easily. Whilst achieving a Code for Sustainable Homes level5/6 overall rating/Passivhaus complaint design.