The finalists for this year’s Wales Green Energy Awards have been announced today and include an offshore wind farm, two solar installations and an agricultural renewable energy demonstration site. Now in their third year, the awards are organised by RenewableUK Cymru and celebrate the success and achievements of the green energy industry in Wales.
The panel of judges is made up of award sponsors as well as Jane Davidson, Director of INSPIRE at University of Wales Trinity Saint David, and Chris Kelsey from Media Wales. The judging panel will be chaired by David Clubb, Director of RenewableUK Cymru. Winners will be announced in a lunchtime ceremony on Friday 6 November in St David’s Hotel, Cardiff.
David Clubb said: “We are always delighted by the quality of submissions for the Wales Green Energy Awards, and this year is no exception. Competition for the awards has been fierce, with 14 nominations for the Advocate award alone.
“Each of the shortlisted individuals or organisations should feel extremely proud of what they have achieved over the last 12 months, often in the face of challenging political and policy decisions.”
The finalists for seven of the categories are listed below. The winner of the Political Award, which is sponsored by RWE Innogy UK Ltd, will be announced in the ceremony on 6 November.
Contribution to Skills & Training sponsored by The Crown Estate
- Grŵp Llandrillo Menai
- Baker Consultants
- Sêr Solar Project
- Energy Saving Trust – Energise Wales programme
Engaging in the Community sponsored by The Waterloo Foundation
- Datblygiadau Egni Gwledig (DEG)
- Gower Power Co-op CIC
- Carmarthenshire Energy Ltd
- Ynni Anafon Energy Cyf
Outstanding Advocate – Individual
- Gareth Jones, Carbon Zero Renewables
- Chris Craufurd, Raymond Brown Renewables
- Mark Williams, Powys Windfarm Supporters
- Jane Forshaw, Local Partnerships
Outstanding Advocate – Organisation, sponsored by Raymond Brown Renewables
- Marine Energy Pembrokeshire
- National Trust Wales Renewable Energy Team
- Severn Wye Energy Agency
Outstanding Renewable Energy Project sponsored by Welsh Government
- RWE Innogy UK’s Gwynt y Môr – offshore wind farm off the coast of North Wales
- Associated British Ports – Solar farm at the Port of Barry
- National Trust Wales – Hafod y Lan, Snowdon – Renewable energy demonstration farm
Supply Chain Development sponsored by Vattenfall
- National Trust Wales Hydro Development Project
- Pembroke Port
- University of South Wales Business School
Best Use of Renewable Energy in the Public Sector
- Wrexham County Borough Council – Legacy Solar Farm
- Cardiff City Council – “One Planet Cardiff”
- Egnida
Tables and individual spaces for the Awards Ceremony on Friday 6 November, which will be hosted by Mai Davies from BBC Wales, can be booked via the Wales Green Energy Awards website – www.greenenergyawards.wales Prices start from £90, which will include a three-course lunch.
Further details about the shortlisted projects
Contribution to Skills & Training sponsored by The Crown Estate
Grŵp Llandrillo Menai
Grŵp Llandrillo Menai (GLLM) prides itself on offering high quality, post 16 education and training to the public, commerce and industry in an attempt to skill, up-skill and re-skill the local workforce and meet the growing needs of low carbon industries. GLLM offers a wide range of training programmes for the renewable energy sector with a view to fully supporting the local ‘energy’ economy and the Anglesey Energy Island programme. Its Renewable Energy & Sustainability Centre for Wales (RESCW) offers training for the micro renewable energy industry and its Wind Turbine Training Centre is the first in Wales.
Baker Consultants
Baker Consultants, which has a base in Swansea, funded research into the use of bioacoustics survey methods to help protect rare and endangered birds, such as the European nightjar. The study found that newly developed remote survey techniques were twice as effective at detecting rare birds as conventional survey methods. This research will prove very useful for wind farm developers who need to check sites for the presence of birds such as this as their presence could may be a considerable constraint to any development.
Sêr Solar Project
Sêr Solar project, which is based at the SPECIFIC Innovation and Knowledge Centre led by Swansea University, is a world class solar energy research centre created to support the growth of the solar industry in wales. It was launched in October 2013 and id funded by the Welsh Government’s Sêr Cymru programme. Its overall aim is to deliver world leading scientific research leading to greater efficiencies and low cost manufacturing processes that support the growth of the solar industry in Wales. Sêr Solar collaborates with universities from across the UK and their research breakthroughs ensure Wales is at the forefront of photovoltaic research.
Energy Saving Trust – Energise Wales programme
The Energise Wales programme is aimed at Welsh companies working in the field of renewable energy and energy efficiency. It has over 3,000 SME members and 1,200 connections on a dedicated LinkedIn group. It offers support to the Welsh supply chain by providing free training to help businesses increase their order books. Since September 2014 the programme has provided Welsh businesses with over 275 hours of free CPD training and engaged with over 400 businesses.
Engaging in the Community sponsored by The Waterloo Foundation
Datblygiadau Egni Gwledig (DEG)
DEG is a Community Interest Company set up to boost community sustainable energy across Gwynedd, Comwy and Ynys Môn. Its aim is to tackle fuel poverty, enhance communities’ resilience to the rising costs of fossil fuels and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Its approach is to work with communities by upskilling local groups to ensure the benefits of renewable energy projects stay within the communities it supports.
Ynni Anafon Energy Cyf
Ynni Anafon Energy Cyf is a community hydro project in Snowdonia National Park. Using funding from a variety of sources including a share issue, the Ynni’r Fro Programme, the Waterloo Foundation, Robert Owen Community Bank Fund and the Charity Bank, the 270 kW hydro project is well underway and due to generate energy before the end of the year. Profit from the hydro project will be gift-aided to the Abergwyngregyn Community Trust, a long-standing registered community charity for distribution for the benefit of local communities.
Gower Power Co-op CIC
Gower Power Co-op CIC is a group of local people who want to establish Gower as a flagship for resilience and sustainability. Its strapline is ‘Supporting local people to own natural resources.’ It facilitates the local ownership of natural resources, such as food, energy, biodiversity and create new means of exchange. It finds sustainable sites for community owned renewable energy installations in terms of their technical, environmental and financial feasibility. It does this through direct contact with landowners in the Swansea area, and also through developing joint ventures with renewable energy developers. Its preferred financial model is to raise finance for the developments through the issue of community shares which enable the sites to become community owned.
Carmarthenshire Energy Ltd
Carmarthenshire Energy Ltd is a social enterprise, working with communities to reduce energy costs, tackle fuel poverty, generate clean renewable energy and keep the profits local. Carmarthenshire Energy believes communities have a right to benefit directly from their natural resources, and it aims to provide just enough support to deliver every possible scheme, while leaving as much of the control and profit as possible with the community.
Outstanding Advocate – Individual
Gareth Jones, Carbon Zero Renewables
Gareth Jones runs Carbon Zero Renewables in St Asaph. A civil engineer by trade, he has worked extensively in the building, construction and renewable energy sectors. He has won and been shortlisted for many awards including the Ernst Young Accelerating Entrepreneurs Program. He was also listed in the Mail’s Top 35 under 35 in 2014 and is a Virgin StartUp Mentor. This year his company will install 0.5MW of domestic solar PV and 1MW of commercial solar. He also invented TimberSol, the world’s first commercially available timber frame mounting system for solar panels.
Chris Craufurd, Raymond Brown Renewables
Chris Craufurd is Operations Director at Raymond Brown Renewables. He has dedicated the last 20 years of his career to his two passions of renewable energy and the Welsh economy. In October 2014 he was inaugurated as Chairman of the Institute of Civil Engineers (ICE) Wales Cymru – this has given him a platform to promote Wales as a renewable energy hub and placed energy security at the forefront of the ICE agenda. He regularly lectures on wind energy at Cardiff University and has been influential in developing Raymond Brown Renewables’ graduate recruitment links with Welsh universities. As an ICE Supervising Civil Engineer and Professional Reviewer, Chris supports the development of the next generation of engineers in Wales. Many graduates have gone on to influential roles within the renewable sector thanks to Chris’ support.
Mark Williams, Powys Windfarm Supporters
Mark Williams is a Mid Wales-based farmer and a founding member of Powys Windfarm Supporters. He is a passionate and enthusiastic supporter of wind energy and campaigns tirelessly to promote the economic benefits of onshore wind energy in Mid Wales.
Jane Forshaw, Local Partnerships
Jane Forshaw is Director of Green Growth Wales for Local Partnerships, a joint venture from the Local Government Association and HM Treasury. She has a passion and enthusiasm for energy and has articulated and highlighted the benefits of the green energy sector to a wide range of public sector stakeholders and, in particular has underlined this with a strong sense of commercial reality. Her well informed and persuasive manner has succeeded in changing perspectives, pinpointing barriers and developing actions to overcome them. An example of this is the development and promotion of a Renewable Energy Prospectus for Cardiff whilst she was Director of Environment..
Outstanding Advocate – Organisation
Marine Energy Pembrokeshire
Marine Energy Pembrokeshire (MEP) was established five years ago to help position Wales at the forefront of marine energy. It provides a focus for marine energy in wales, providing support and networks to encourage the collaboration needed to help push the sector forward. It has developed a working group which attracts key stakeholders and technology developers from across the world. It has also been successful in highlighting the potential supply chain opportunities the marine energy industry could bring to Wales and has played an important role in working with Natural Resources Wales to improve the consenting process for marine energy projects in Wales.
National Trust Wales Renewable Energy Team
As well as developing its own projects on National Trust properties and land, the National Trust Wales Renewable Energy Team also supports many organisations through mentoring, peer reviewing and general advice. It works closely with the Welsh and UK governments to share information and learning from its projects – this has resulted in some of its Welsh projects becoming the test bed for technologies for DECC. The team is seen as leading the way in renewable energy at the National Trust and is often called upon to advise on other renewable energy projects across the UK.
Severn Wye Energy Agency
Severn Wye Energy Agency is a charity working to tackle fuel poverty and champion sustainable energy through providing independent and impartial advice – working in partnership and sharing best practice across Wales, UK and Europe. The organisation has worked on numerous projects bringing best practice and new technologies to Wales, as well as promoting the Welsh experience in renewable energy across Europe to showcase Wales as a pioneer and leading renewable energy nation.
Outstanding Renewable Energy Project sponsored by Welsh Government
RWE Innogy UK – Gwynt y Môr – offshore wind farm off the coast of North Wales
At 576MW, Gwynt y Môr is the second largest offshore wind farm in the world. Costing £2 billion it represents the largest, single investment in a renewables project in Wales. It was formally opened on 18 June 2015 by First Minister of Wales, Carwyn Jones. It has increased UK offshore wind power by 14% (to over 4.6GW); invested £660 million into the UK supply (£90 million in Wales); created 2,450 construction jobs (700 in Wales) and established 100 long term operations jobs in Wales. RWE has established a £19 million Community Fund to support initiatives which will promote stronger, cohesive, prosperous communities, while reducing poverty and inequality. The fund’s first partnership has already been established with the RNLI, a pioneering £540,000 deal to meet crew training costs and vessel maintenance for the next five years.
Associated British Ports – Solar farm at the Port of Barry
The Port of Barry Solar Farm was developed by Associated British Ports (ABP) South Wales to generate renewable energy and help reduce the carbon emissions of its activities. The project was completed and began generating energy in June 2015. The energy produced will be used to power operations at the port and the excess energy will be exported to the grid. The portion of power being exported could help power up to 2000 homes.
National Trust Wales – Hafod y Lan, Snowdon – Renewable energy demonstration farm
Hafod y Lan on the southern flanks of Snowdon, reaching to the very summit represents the National Trust’s hub for renewable energy development, testing and showing. It includes a 664 kW hydro scheme, ground source heat pump heating the seventeenth century cottage, a biomass system in listed buildings, an anaerobic digestion / biomass production plant and wood pellet range cookers. The site was even the test ground for the trial of a prototype electric Land Rover, powered by the fuel grown there. The next year will see further development, including energy storage, a further three hydro schemes, energy optimisation and a micro smart grid.
Supply Chain Development sponsored by Vattenfall
National Trust Wales Hydro Development Project
The challenge for the National Trust in Wales and the hydro sector was to develop a more unified, home grown, cost-effective approach, which can both maintain quality, reduce cost per unit and enable timely implementation. The National Trust developed a contractual framework, which allowed it to approach new starters or smaller companies with transferable skills to enter or grow within the hydro market. One civil engineering company had never built a hydro before but is now on its sixth thanks to this opportunity. It was also able to tailor contracts to support smaller suppliers and help them to become more streamlined, for example creating a consortium of smaller companies to bid for larger contracts. Overall, its approach is driving down cost, increasing speed of delivery and supporting the development of a strong supplier base in Wales.
Pembroke Port
Pembroke Port has promoted itself over the last few years as an option for offshore renewables projects. It has worked with Tidal Energy Limited and other local companies to get the Deltastream tidal device fabricated, assembled and ready for installation. It has a long term goal of becoming a key part of the Welsh supply chain for the offshore renewables sector.
University of South Wales Business School
Under the direction of Dr Rachel Mason-Jones and Paul Davies, the University of South Wales Business School is leading a study into mapping the renewable energy supply chain in order to help understand the capacity requirements in the sector. This research has been developed in conjunction with industry bodies such as RenewableUK Cymru, the South Wales Chamber of Commerce, as well as Welsh Government. The research offers an important means of contributing towards the growth required in supply chain activity in order to meet 2020 energy targets. The research has been funded by the University of South Wales.
Best Use of Renewable Energy in the Public Sector
Wrexham County Borough Council – Legacy Solar Farm
Wrexham County Borough Council is the first Welsh local authority and only the third in the UK to own and operate a solar farm. The electricity produced from Legacy Solar Farm will be fed into the grid and consequently generates an income for the council. The £2.5 million project contains nearly 9,000 solar panels and generates enough electricity to power approximately 700 homes for a year.
Cardiff City Council – “One Planet Cardiff”
Cardiff Council’s Energy & Sustainability Team is newly established but has already succeeded in delivering the “One Planet Cardiff” vision document, which sets the scene for the development of renewable energy and sustainability schemes across the city. The document highlights a range of local renewable energy projects and also tackles issues around how to deliver them in a highly restrained financial situation. A number of schemes are now being developed, including a solar farm at the Lamby Way Waste Site, a hydro scheme at Radyr Weir on the River Taff, a range of solar schemes across the Council’s residential and operational estate and energy retrofits on residential estates.
Egnida
Egnida helps individuals and organisations turn their property assets into commercially attractive, efficient, green energy generators that also provide low cost green fuel for their car or commercial fleet. Its customers include many local authorities such as Torfaen, Monmouthshire, Merthyr Tydfil, Bridgend, Ceredigion and the Vale of Glamorgan. It worked with Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council to develop a model where Egnida identifies, develops, designs, funds, installs, operates and maintains the installations so the Council can enjoy risk free carbon benefits and a meaningful share of the commercial benefits.