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Re-thinking Renewables
Join Earthing Faith
Earthing Faith is a new network and website to resource and encourage churches and individuals in the Diocese of Oxford to connect their faith with the earth. Over the past two years the diocese has hosted the Earthing Faith website to provide a space for churches and individuals to share ideas and experiences around the environment.
A new website has been designed to better serve a new network of churches and individuals engaging in environmental issues across the diocese, which will replace the existing Oxford Diocese Environment Group.
The newEarthing Faith network and website will enable members to share ideas, case studies and resources, as well as connect with one another using Twitter and Facebook.
The network will also meet physically to share and reflect on environmental issues, explore spiritual practices and resources, and hear from guest speakers and environmental projects from across the diocese and beyond.
The online network is being launched in November, and the first physical gathering will take place at Diocesan Church House on the evening of Thursday, 2nd February 2012. For more environmental projects see ourEnvironment Map.
Alternative heat sources
THE Diocese is encouraging churches to explore renewable energy options, including biomass boilers and air source heat pumps, both known to be more environmentally friendly and efficient than traditional gas powered heating systems.
Air source heat pumps work by extracting outside air and can operate even when temperatures are as low as minus 15 degrees Celcius. Tony Kerry, Deputy Diocesan Surveyor, said they are being fitted as standard in new parsonages across the diocese, and replacing old oil fired boilers, when they wear out, as finances allow.
Biomass boilers work by burning wood, usually in the form of logs, pellets or chips. The amount of carbon dioxide given out is equal to the amount taken in by the trees as they are growing, and far less than the emissions from a traditional gas boiler.
They also encourage the management of sustainable woodlands and improve the habitat for flora and fauna.
They have not yet been fitted in churches in the Oxford Diocese, but Natalie Merry, Secretary of the DAC said: “We are very supportive of renewable techniques like air source heat pumps where they are appropriate, but we encourage congregations to take a holistic approach to reducing their carbon footprint.”
The Diocese has produced information sheets on air source heat pumps. Clickhere to download them.
A sunny future at Cornerstone
IN Wokingham members of All Saints Church are hoping to get a grant for solar panels on the top of their Cornerstone community centre.
The Cornerstone is used as a Friday drop-in centre for young people. It also houses the Berkshire Counselling Centre, the Wokingham Job Support Centre and is used for numerous community events and classes.
All Saints Church has won several awards under the Eco-Congregation Scheme for its efforts to minimize its impact on the environment. Part of its vision is to develop further as an Eco-Congregation and to ensure that its buildings are better used by the community at large.
The Revd David Hodgson said: “We first thought about putting solar panels on the church roof. We could have gone for that but it would have been a little bit restricted because it’s a very visible roof and English Heritage don’t like panels if they are visible.
“There is a massive roof on the Cornerstone. It faces East West rather than south so solar panels still give a level of efficiency that make it worth doing.” The panels will reduce the centre’s carbon emissions, electricity bills and is expected to generate funds through the Government’s feed-in tariffs.
“The PCC has decided to use the money we save to support community groups by bringing down the rates for hiring the centre. We’ll be getting some money coming into the community centre whilst reducing carbon emissions and it seems like a win win situation.”
The church is hoping to receive some funding from the community site, Energy Share, which has helped providemarketing material for the fundraising drive.
The church is hoping to receive some funding from the community site, Energy Share, which has helped providemarketing material for the fundraising drive.
Solar schools
CHILDREN are being encouraged to come up with ideas to encourage businesses to sponsor a project to raise £10,000 for solar panels at New Christ Church CE Primary School in Reading.
‘Eco warriors’ (pictured above) have been appointed from youngsters in each class to brainstorm ways of promoting the project. New Christ Church is one
of only eight schools in the UK to do this as part of a pilot scheme, which if successful will be rolled out nationally in 2012.
Stacey Howarth, acting headteacher, said “We were really interested in promoting this as part of our Eco Schools pogramme. Now it’s all about fundraising and children are coming up with ideas and designing avatars of solar panels for the web site. Each tile will cost £5, but is worth £15 to the school.
“Our main target will be businesses rather than parents. It’s all part of becoming environmentally sustainable as a school and saving money on electricity bills. We have an Eco Club which meets at lunch times and a speaker from the Solar Schools project has been in to one of our assemblies.”
TheSolar Schools project aims to help and support schools in fundraising for solar panels. It is run by 10:10, an organization with helps people and organizations cut their carbon emissions by 10 per cent per year.
A hub of intelligence
IN Oxfordshire a Low Carbon Hub is aiming to deliver a 50 per cent cut in carbon emissions by 2020.
The hub is a partnership of the Community Action Group network, ClimateXChange and local authorities who will be providing mentoring and other services to more than 100 communities to help them reduce emissions through community action.
The scheme, which will be officially launched in December, will initially work across Oxford city and Oxfordshire, but if it proves successful, could expand further. Once its website is launched, its online services will be available to all. It will help communities make the most of economies of scale, provide resources and online guides, models and templates as well as offering advisors, training courses and networking events.
Solar income
SOLAR panels fitted on two churches in the Diocese of Oxford are helping generate income.
The panels, which harness energy from the sun to provide electricity to churches have been fitted at All Saints, Wing and St George’s, Newbury. Since late February
129 panels have been in action at St George’s, and are projected to generate annually over 24,000 kWh of electricity and around £8,000 of income from feed-in tariffs.
The Vicar at St George’s, the Revd Paul Cowan said: “At this point we have generated 21,000 kWh of electricity and are expecting to reach or slightly exceed the annual target.”
The Revd Derek Witchell, vicar of All Saints was delighted when he was told feed-in tariffs will mean his church will make £3,000 per year from its 54 solar panels. “I have a vision that people will have these panels on their roofs and on the village school,” he said. “They are installing them on the vicarage in November.”
There are also plans for the panels at Henley St Mary’s and Owlsmoor and four other churches are in the process of getting permission.
The Diocese is rolling out a programme of the money-saving panels on vicarage roofs. So far 11 vicarages have been fitted with the panels, with 28 more in the planning stages.
The Diocese is rolling out a programme of the money-saving panels on vicarage roofs. So far 11 vicarages have been fitted with the panels, with 28 more in the planning stages.