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Sustainable Hockerton News Update 10th April 2010
News update case study and opening
Alan Simpson MP officially opened our wind turbine on the 21st March 2010. He presented a fascinating talk which we have captured on video. Rob at Hockerton Housing Project has included it in a blog OPENING by Alan Simpson MP so you can recapture the experience if you want. We presented Alan with a brochure called “Sustainable Hockerton The story so far” written by Peter Cooke one of our directors. If you would like to read it you can download it by clicking SHOCK The story so far.pdf (730KB pdf file). It was a fantastic afternoon with sun, wind and over sixty people, mostly SHOCK members celebrating together the start of production. Simon Christy provided a venue in his restaurant / conference centre in the village where we could warm up and talk after being on the windy hill with the turbine.
Out of this gathering came some ideas on how best we could support sustainability in the village. These ideas will be developed in the village over the coming months. Any additional ideas would be welcome.
Hope you had a good Easter break.
All the best
Simon Tilley
Sustainable Hockerton News Update 29-1-10
News Flash!
The witness test was completed on Tuesday 26th January and we have been generating ever since. So we are now up and running!
We have been ironing out some teething problems over the last three months mostly around the G59 grid trip components as some of you will know! These are largely resolved and the meters have now been spinning in our favour. Good Energy Ltd have been receiving the data and will be purchasing the electricity from us. We are working with Eon to install a demonstration meter which will broadcast data to a web site so if you are interested you can see the production figures as they come in.
We have been working closely with Romax Technology Limited who are going to install some monitoring equipment on the gear box and generator for free to help support our maintenance work. This is a really fantastic benefit to the project as it will mean we can spot any wear quickly; hopefully avoiding unplanned breakdowns. They are very keen on supporting community groups with wind turbine projects and are also sponsoring some free places on a Master Class on the subject run by Hockerton Housing Project, please see RE:Generation Master Class for details.
Thank you once again for all your input into the project, it has only been possible with your help and guidance.
We are going to plan an official opening in the near future and I’ll will let you know more details shortly but thought a quick note would be appropriate.
Sustainable Hockerton News Update 6-11-09
A brief update on progress. The turbine was delivered from INEOS to the site in Hockerton on 21st October by Colletts Transport as planned. On the 28th October we installed the tower, nacelle and rota having had the grid and meters installed earlier that week. The installation was undertaken by Arjan and Andres from Bettink, Sid and Joe from Alternative Energy Contracting Ltd and Richard and Jerry from Verdant Engineering Ltd, Shawn and Pat of Whitfield Electrical Services, Kevin from K H Electrical, Mammoet supplied the cranes to do the lift, Hockerton Housing Project were there in a supporting role and several volunteers from local investors were there too. Now we are in the process of commissioning the machine. There are a few electrical items that need replacing and work to be done on the grid protection cut out, I hope this will be complete in 3 to 4 weeks.
The weather was perfect for the installation, with the team working from dawn through to dusk; the blades and hub were lifted last:
The lease has also been completed with Simon Christy, the land owner, and this process was very much helped by Browne Jacobson LLP solicitors.
We have also set up a contract with Good Energy Limited to purchase our electricity and we are using Eon for our meters.
The financing of the turbine is nearly complete. We have been delighted at the number of people wishing to support the project and have very recently reached our provisional working target. This target is our best estimate of the current cost of the project. There is a chance that the costs might change over the next few months as we complete the commissioning of the turbine and the actual costs materialise. With this in mind we are still receiving new applications but we are holding onto them until the end of November. At this point the directors will assess the financial situation and determine the final investment necessary for the success of the project.
Over time and beyond three years there is also a possibility that investors might need to sell their shares back to SHL. I have created a waiting list of investors who may wish to buy shares from SHL as and when the opportunity arises.
The application for Enterprise Investment Status (EIS) is still ongoing. We are waiting a response from the FSA on the change to our rules to facilitate this application.
Finally we are looking forward to the completion of the commissioning of the turbine in November and thank you once again very much for your support.
Yours sincerely
Simon Tilley
Director
Sustainable Hockerton News Update 18-9-09
At last we have a date for the supply of a grid connection to our wind turbine site. This date is very important as we can now arrange for the delivery of the turbine, can book the installers “Bettink Service en
Over the past few weeks other progress has been made. Commissioners have been found. (Not as simple as you may think as VESTAs have pulled out of supporting small turbines. We had to look else where and not many people still have the software to re boot the computers in this machine. Fortunately Richard Curtis of Verdant Engineering was able to help and direct us to a Dutch company, “Bettink” who can do the job for us.) The lease with the landowner, Simon Christy, has been finalised. The foundations for the turbine have been installed. Also “all risks” insurance has been purchased for the turbine from Tennyson Insurance Ltd. We have engaged Collett Transport to move the turbine and hope to use Mammoet for the cranes to lift it onto the base. The pictures below show the tower base being lowered into the foundation trench and then embedded in reinforced concrete.
We have had our first joint application where 5 people clubbed together to buy £250 worth of shares – crowd funding! (I had to check with our solicitors that this was allowed – it is!)
Thinking of investing? We have been delighted at the number of people wishing to support the project and have recently reached our target. This target is our best estimate of the total cost of the project. There is a chance that the costs might change over the next few months as we install the turbine and the actual costs materialise. So we are still very interested in receiving applications to invest. However the directors will be assessing the final investment necessary to make the project a success in mid November and will be informing potential investors of their decision at this point.
Over time there is also a possibility that other investors might need to sell their shares back to SHL. To cater for this we have created a waiting list of investors who may wish to buy shares from SHL as and when the opportunity arises. I you wish to be added to the list please e mail enquiries@sustainablehockerton.org
On a very positive note the government is bringing in a new support scheme to promote renewable energy projects, called Clean Energy Cashback (Also known as Feed in Tariff (FIT)). The programme is still at the consultation stage but it appears energy generated from our wind turbine may qualify for a higher subsidy than at present, from April next year. This could increase our income considerably. This would have the effect of greatly improving our finances; helping to secure the interest payments on your investment sooner than predicted; increasing the savings pot and generating more money for reinvestment into other sustainable development projects. We wait eagerly for the outcome of the consultation.
Finally we are looking forward to the completion of the installation of the turbine in October and thank you once again for your support.
Yours sincerely
Simon Tilley
Director
News Update at 15/7/09
The turbine we are buying is currently situated at the INEOS site in Newton Aycliffe, Co.Durham. Patrick Lyn, Lee Mulraney and I, went to clean the turbine on the 7th July. Some algae had grown on the tower which had made it appropriately green in colour. It was a long day but the tower is now gleaming white! It was an exciting experience to get inside it too! (Photographs needed to be taken of the control panel.) We also collected the G59 control panel.
So far we have had a fantastic response to the invitation to invest, with £167 550 raised to date (15/7/09) fro 41 people. This is well on the way to our target (£225 000) but still leaves someway to go. We have an investor who is loaning us £30 000 to help but we need to raise the final amount so we can get the turbine up before the winter winds! The foundations will take 6 weeks to build and harden so we really need to start work soon.
On the 5th June we carried out a ground test to analyse the condition of the soil where the turbine is to go. We drilled down and tested how tough the ground was at meter intervals. The good news is that it’s solid clay to 3 meters depth followed by a really hard layer. The formal report indicates standard gravity foundation will be fine for the turbine; rather than the more expensive foundation with piles. Good news!
A second addition of the invitation to invest has been issued, available from the investment section of the web site, with an updated target date for receiving further funds. It unfortunately had to acknowledge an increase in costs. These were due to the grid connection work. We had hoped to have an over ground connection from the current grid wire to the turbine and the original cost figures were based on this. However in negotiation with the landowner it was agreed that the cable to the turbine would go underground. This costs more so our target total cost is now estimated to be £225, 926 which is a about a 15% increase on the original offer document figure. The good news is that it will have environmental benefits in being hidden from view. I hope this does not cause you concern but if you do have any worries please get in touch.
As stated in the original invitation to invest we are buying a second hand machine. We have now included this as a separate risk in the list of risk factors in the current document together with a note on how we will seek to address the risk.
Saturday 2nd May 2009
Update:
There is currently an exciting opportunity to buy a 2nd Hand Vesta V29 wind turbine as specified by the planning permission so we hope to progress things urgently. To achieve this we have registered an Industrial Provident Society called Sustainable Hockerton Limited (Register Number 30660 R) and we are now looking for investors to put their money in. So far we have raised £86 250 (April 2009) locally and very quickly (2 weeks!) We have had our offer accepted on the turbine and now need to raise money for the installation etc.
If you would like further details we will send you our invitation to invest (Offer document) please, email enquiries@sustainablehockerton.org or download the document (187Kb) by clicking here. We could also send a progress report if you request.
If you are interested in investing, you will need to complete the appropriate forms at the back of the invitation document and return them to us.
Sunday 5th October 2008
Welcome to our new website! We hope viewing this website provides a concise view of our goals and will encourage sustainability.
Welcome to the new Sustainable Hockerton Website!
Sustainable Hockerton forms Industrial Provident Society
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