P r e s s R e l e a s e
FUNDAMENTAL IN GROWING RENEWABLE ENERGIES
A Leeds man has been fundamental in setting up an EU funded project functioning throughout England and across North West Europe to encourage communities and small enterprises to work together to harness benefits from renewable energy, distributive generation and smart Grids.
Dr. Carl James is a specialist in Consultancy on innovation in economics, engineering, environment and social development and is a former Group Leader and Head of research and information at Leeds City Council and former Lecturer at Cranfield University and Henley Management College.
He first started working on the idea for ‘GREAT’ (Growing renewable energy applications and technologies) in 2011 and through his own Company, Design for Sustainability Limited, put together a bid for European funding (through the INTERREG IVB NWE programe). The bid was successful in winning £2.2 million last year. The project has quickly developed and ‘GREAT’ now has nine partners in Ireland, the Netherlands and Belgium.
Commenting Dr. James said: “The project is designed to stimulate enterprises, develop innovations and create employment and policies that will help to push the third industrial revolution forward in North West Europe.”
My immediate role here in the North of England is in managing the delivery of the GREAT project on smart grids which enables the coordination of multiple sources of energy supply and use, minimizing excess capacity and waste. The project will provide opportunities for investors and will also help Yorkshire firms by putting them in touch with other enterprises and research centers in other parts of Europe. www.2sustain.eu/great. www.greatproject.eu.com
“The initiative encourages cross sector integration involving public authorities, economic development agencies, original equipment manufacturers, research bodies, large manufacturers and small medium enterprises with the aim of accelerating the deployment of Smart Grid benefits and renewable energy and providing opportunities for small and medium enterprises to achieve optimum synergies in this rapidly emerging sector.”
As part of his work for GREAT, Dr. James has been involved in the setting up of the Leeds Community Energy Group, a focus group of people from a diverse range of backgrounds who are interested in trialling and developing new ways of sustainable energy supply.
Involved are representatives of Leeds University, Friends of the Earth, Schumacher North and other Community Groups.
A gathering last month (8th November) at the Leeds for Change Conference at Leeds University attracted 35 people to its one hour slot presentation. One of the front runners of the Group, Jo Salmon, a student at the University commented “I see this as potentially the third industrial revolution driven by renewable energy and the internet and we will see a massive change, particularly a moving away from centralized energy management to decentralized energy management.”
Students at Leeds University have surveyed the City to identify sites for wind and solar applications which can be placed on council land or buildings.
The Leeds Community Energy Group meets twice monthly at College House, Park Lane, Leeds.
Pictured: Dr. Carl James pictured near a wind farm at Royd Moor, Penistone, South Yorkshire.
ENDS
*See Notes for Editors attached
Issued on behalf of Dr Carl James, Design for Sustainability Limited, Leeds
By LAP Public Relations/LAP International PR, Huddersfield, England
+44 (0) 1484 426000 Contact roz@lap-pr.com
Notes for Editors:
Members of GREAT include
Four economic development bodies, two universities, four organizations focused on the renewable energy/smart grid sector…
Basildon Council, Essex
Design for Sustainability Limited, Leeds
Energyville – Institute of Innovation and Energy Research, Belgium
Energynorth, Invergordon, Ross Shire
NV Oost – East Netherlands Development Agency
Smartgrids Flanders, Brussels
Udaras Na Gaeltachta – Regional authority responsible for economic, social and cultural development for Irish speaking regions of Ireland.
Universiteit Hasselt, Belgium
West BIC – EU Business & Innovation Centre, servicing the Border, Midlands and West Region of Ireland
Wittenborg University, Apeldoom Netherlands
Initiatives elsewhere within the Northern European GREAT group have included the introduction of an on-line tool to check out the best package of energy for business, voucher schemes, and a new online database featuring eighty training programmes in renewable energy, distributed generation and smart grid.
Dr James’ Company, Design for Sustainability Limited is also working with partners in Iceland, Norway, Finland, Sweden and Ireland advising Government on the development of energy supply chains for the Northern periphery and arctic programme.
Contact Details for reference:
Roz Edwards, LAP PR 01484 426000/ 078 333 58 458 email roz@lap-pr.com
Dr Carl James, Design for Sustainability Limited, Leeds Telephone 0113 210 9896/07713158017
Dr. Carl James – Design for Sustainability Website: www.2sustain.eu/great
Leeds Community Energy Group – Craig.clements@lccsu.org Tel 07580047245 (next meeting 13 Jan)
GREAT Growing Renewable Energies Applications and Technologies Group website www.greatproject.eu.com
