A SCHEME that literally gives Saddleworth power has been told it is an example the rest of the county can copy.
The project, which is based at Dovestone Reservoir, has been operating for almost nine years after becoming the first in England to generate power from the waters of a reservoir.
Its dam height of 31 metres allows it to utilise the compensation water that flows from the reservoir to nearby Chew Brook to generate enough electricity to power about 100 homes via the national grid.
And it is thought its turbine saves an estimated 170 tons in carbon dioxide emissions a year.
Now Richard Outram, one of the bosses of the Nuclear Free Local Authorities (NFLA) group, believes the Hydro based close to his home can be repeated elsewhere.
He said: “Not only is Dovestone in Saddleworth, in my native borough of Oldham, a very beautiful spot in which to walk or cycle, or otherwise watch the world go by, but nestling beneath the dam is this wonderful community-owned project that is doing its bit, with the support of local people, to make our world a greener place.
“This really is power by, for and of the people.
“Members receive only a modest rate of return on their investment in renewable energy generation, but they are happy this is so as their motivation in investing is to do good by the planet and do good in their community, rather than corporate greed!
“Most of the surplus profit generated is recycled into the local community in the form of grants to local groups.”
Saddleworth Community Hydro operates a Hydro Sustainability Fund to support renewable energy and carbon reduction projects in Oldham and surrounding areas.
One recent recipient has been St Barnabas’s Church in Clarksfield, which operates a food co-operative.
The church was keen to reduce its bills and carbon footprint by using electricity from a renewable source to keep food items chilled in its fridges, and it turned to Saddleworth Community Hydro for help.
A grant from the project agreed last week will enable the church to install roof-mounted solar panels to power refrigeration.
Richard, NFLA Secretary, visited Saddleworth Community Hydro as it held a public open day to mark the start of Community Energy Fortnight, which is held to showcase projects, share knowledge in the sector, and celebrate success.
On hand to welcome him, and other curious passers-by, were volunteer guides and project members Alison Brittle, David Chaloner, Tony Bywater and Andrew Thorne, who conducted a short tour and chatted.
Richard added: “Saddleworth Community Hydro may not be the biggest renewable energy project in the UK, but it is certainly one of the most innovative.
“In Alison, David, Tony and Andrew, their passion to do good by our environment and their pride in this project was all too evident.
“I hope that many more people will be able to visit this project and be inspired by their example to act themselves.”
Like many other people I’m personally deeply skeptical about climate change, (at 66 the weather both locally and word wide seems to me to be little if any different to what it’s been throughout my entire life and climate science too often more akin to a cult is largely incomprehensible to the average layman.)
I also firmly believe that the nuclear option remains the best, most effective and the most reliable option for the kind of large scale power generation the UK needs.
Nonetheless this is a useful and common sense little project that takes advantage of natural situation to generate a modest amount of power; but it doesn’t scale up in any meaningful way and certainly isn’t going to power Greater Manchester or even Oldham any time in the near future.
Wisdom comes not from age, but from education and learning
I am the treasurer for Mossley Civic society that operates Mossley Heritage Centre. Several years ago you awarded us a grant which helped us to change the lighting in the premises to energy efficient bulbs.
Unfortunately it wasn’t enough funding to alter the six strip lights that we have and currently two of them will not light. These two are in one of the darkest parts of the centre which is also the most interesting. It is where the Victorian kitchen and Laundry are sited. Replacement strips are no longer available because the fittings and lights should be energy efficient.
Please would you be willing to fund the conversion of the six strip lights. We haven’t yet acquired a costing for the job. We assume that there will be a form to complete.
We are run entirely by volunteers and all admission is by donation.