Cell may lock down fuel poverty

Oct 19 2009 by Kelley Price, Evening Gazette

A PIONEERING green fuel cell trial on a 1930s semi in Brotton could help spell an end to UK fuel poverty.

Wilton-based Centre for Process Innovation (CPI) is aiming to cut carbon emissions by a massive 80% at the property with the £170,000 pilot funded by the Technology Strategy Board (TSB).

As the Energy Saving Trust’s national Energy Saving Week gets under way today, project bosses are hoping the low carbon fuel cell scheme will eventually be rolled out Europe-wide.

Domestic energy is a large gas guzzler, amounting to more than a quarter of the UK’s overall carbon emissions. New properties are subject to eco-friendly building rules, but it’s estimated more than 60% of the UK’s 2050 properties have already been built.

CPI has teamed up with Salford University, housing association Coast And Country and Toshiba for the project.

Around 4,000 homes in Japan have already been fitted with the hydrogen fuel cell, but experts want to see how the scheme - believed to be the first of its kind in Europe - performs against the high energy demands of UK users.

If all goes to plan, say experts, the Tees Valley could become a manu- facturing centre for the home energy units, bringing a huge jobs boost to the area.

“It’s very exciting,” said catalyst development scientist Jonathan Kearney, who is leading the scheme for CPI. “This is a novel project, very different to what anyone else is doing.”

The property is heated using coal and was chosen because of its hard-to-reach position. It’s estimated the system could save householders hundreds of pounds off annual fuel bills. The project has won £20,000 in feasibility funds from TSB’s Retrofitting For The Future, which aims to find the best ways of cutting carbon from the UK’s social housing stock. If successful, a further £150,000 could be unlocked to trial the fuel cell in the property.

Coast And Country sustainability officer Mark Freeman said: “We are already trialling various green energy systems to find the best value for our residents, reduce fuel poverty and cut carbon. Our ideal would be having no fuel-poor tenants.”

Last week One North East also released £6m of ERDF (European Regional Development Fund) cash to support organisations in testing technology to cut carbon in social housing.