The core proposition for minimising RAF Coltishall's carbon footprint is the use of renewable energy sources to provide power to the development. Our aim is to create a settlement which is carbon neutral in terms of the total power consumption in use. Further technical investigation is required to fully consider the options, but initial research points to Combined Heat and Power (CHP) and wind power as the primary opportunities.

Combined heat and power

A major growth sector in the UK over the last several years has been the development of Combined Heat and Power plants to provide for a development's energy needs. CHP saves energy and pollution through the efficient use of fuel.
It is twice as efficient as the conventional methods of energy production and produces half of the quantity of carbon emissions for an equivalent amount of heat and electricity from conventional sources. CHP is increasingly linked to community heating systems which can be used to provide hot water and electricity to a large number of houses.

Biofuel

The use of biomass as a fuel reduces carbon emissions by more than 90% compared with fossil fuelled systems. CHP can now be run on biomass fuels however in order to maximise the potential gains a biomass source needs to be located within 40 km of the CHP plant. In Norfolk this could be a real option - there is one large scale biomass fuel supplier in the Norfolk region supported by a few smaller scale suppliers. The new regional Anglia Wood Fuel Project is helping to pump prime demand in the area and there are incentives for additional production - all that is required is demand.

The capital costs for a biofuel system do exceed those of the conventional methods, however, the payback time for the extra capital is as little as 3 to 5 years, especially when the cost of the fuel itself is so much cheaper. There are also grants available for the introduction of wood fuelled heating. As an alternative to biomass CHP, it is now possible to install mini biomass boilers to individual houses. This could also be an option worth exploring.

Wind turbines

Wind power provides 100% renewable energy and is now cost-competitive with most conventional sources of electricity, even without incorporating external costs. A development the size of Coltishall would consume upwards of 1,000,000kw/h per annum. Commercial wind turbines are available which can supply up to 60,000 kw/h per year and we would seek to provide at least part of the development's power load by this means. It may also be advantageous to provide individual properties with domestic roof mounted wind turbines and this option will also be explored.

Since man started to farm in Norfolk the landscape has been dotted with wind powered pumps and mills. We see the use of wind turbines not only as an excellent power source for this exposed site, but also as a modern interpretation of these historic structures.

Solar power

RAF Coltishall enjoys excellent solar orientation and as a site wide strategy, the layout has been designed to maximise solar access for all buildings. The use of active solar collection and passive solar gain is more relevant to individual buildings and is discussed in the eco village section of this document.