South Somerset Hydropower Group
Encyclopedia
The South Somerset Hydropower Group (SSHG) is a group of 10 owners of former watermills in the South Somerset
area of England
who are installing micro-hydro turbines
for electricity generation
. The Group was founded as a result of an initiative by South Somerset District Council, and was the first of its kind in the United Kingdom
. The Group won one of the 2005 Ashden Awards
, and the concept has been adopted by a number of other similar groups.
The South Somerset Hydropower Project was begun in 2001 and the first turbine, at Gants Mill
(Pitcombe
), was commissioned in 2003. It now produces up to 12 kW
of electricity from a 300 mm cross-flow turbine. Other sites in the Project include Cole Manor (Bruton
), Cary's Mill (Martock
) and Cutterne Mill (Evercreech
). When all the mills are in operation it is expected that they will collectively generate around 600 MWh
per year, sufficient to supply about 150 homes and avoid the production of 260 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions.
The SSHG estimates that there are about 40,000 mill sites that might be suitable for micro-hydropower in the United Kingdom. It has been calculated that harnessing the power from all the streams and rivers in the UK could generate 10,000 GWh per year, enough to supply 3% of national generating capacity.
South Somerset
South Somerset is a local government district in Somerset, England.The South Somerset district covers and area of ranging from the borders with Devon and Dorset to the edge of the Somerset Levels. It has a population of approximately 158,000...
area of England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
who are installing micro-hydro turbines
Micro hydro
Micro hydro is a term used for hydroelectric power installations that typically produce up to 100 kW of electricity. These installations can provide power to an isolated home or small community, or are sometimes connected to electric power networks....
for electricity generation
Electricity generation
Electricity generation is the process of generating electric energy from other forms of energy.The fundamental principles of electricity generation were discovered during the 1820s and early 1830s by the British scientist Michael Faraday...
. The Group was founded as a result of an initiative by South Somerset District Council, and was the first of its kind in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. The Group won one of the 2005 Ashden Awards
Ashden Awards
The Ashden Awards for Sustainable Energy are annual awards given by a charity of the same name that is based in London. They reward local sustainable energy projects in the UK and developing countries that protect the environment, and improve quality of life....
, and the concept has been adopted by a number of other similar groups.
The South Somerset Hydropower Project was begun in 2001 and the first turbine, at Gants Mill
Gants Mill
Gants Mill is a watermill on the River Brue in Pitcombe near Bruton, Somerset, England.Much of the current mill was built in 1810 but includes parts of the 18th century building and possibly some material from earlier mills, as there has been a mill on the same site since about 1290 which was...
(Pitcombe
Pitcombe
Pitcombe is a village and civil parish south-west of Bruton and from Wincanton in Somerset, England. It has a population of 549. The parish includes the hamlets of Cole and Godminster....
), was commissioned in 2003. It now produces up to 12 kW
Watt
The watt is a derived unit of power in the International System of Units , named after the Scottish engineer James Watt . The unit, defined as one joule per second, measures the rate of energy conversion.-Definition:...
of electricity from a 300 mm cross-flow turbine. Other sites in the Project include Cole Manor (Bruton
Bruton
Bruton is a town and civil parish in Somerset, England, situated on the River Brue seven miles south-east of Shepton Mallet, just south of Snakelake Hill and Coombe Hill, ten miles north-west of Gillingham and twelve miles south-west of Frome in the South Somerset district. The town has a...
), Cary's Mill (Martock
Martock
Martock is a large village and civil parish in Somerset, England, situated on the edge of the Somerset Levels north west of Yeovil in the South Somerset district. The parish includes Hurst, approximately one mile south of the village, and Bower Hinton, which is located at the western end of the...
) and Cutterne Mill (Evercreech
Evercreech
Evercreech is a village and civil parish south east of Shepton Mallet, and north east of Castle Cary, in the Mendip district of Somerset, England...
). When all the mills are in operation it is expected that they will collectively generate around 600 MWh
MWH
MWH may stand for:* International Air Transport Association airport code for Grant County International Airport* MWH Global, an international water engineering consultancy* Men Without Hats, a Canadian New Wave band...
per year, sufficient to supply about 150 homes and avoid the production of 260 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions.
The SSHG estimates that there are about 40,000 mill sites that might be suitable for micro-hydropower in the United Kingdom. It has been calculated that harnessing the power from all the streams and rivers in the UK could generate 10,000 GWh per year, enough to supply 3% of national generating capacity.
See also
- :Category:Community electricity generation in the United Kingdom
- Energy use and conservation in the United KingdomEnergy use and conservation in the United KingdomEnergy use in the United Kingdom stood at 3,894.6 kilogrammes of oil equivalent per capita in 2005 compared to a world average of 1,778.0. In 2008, total energy consumed was 9.85 exajoules - around 2% of the estimated 474 EJ worldwide total...
- Energy policy of the United KingdomEnergy policy of the United KingdomThe current energy policy of the United Kingdom is set out in the Energy White Paper of May 2007 and Low Carbon Transition Plan of July 2009, building on previous work including the 2003 Energy White Paper and the Energy Review Report in 2006...
- Energy conservationEnergy conservationEnergy conservation refers to efforts made to reduce energy consumption. Energy conservation can be achieved through increased efficient energy use, in conjunction with decreased energy consumption and/or reduced consumption from conventional energy sources...
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