Energy Use – Past, Present, Future

Pollen RecordsC = Cereals, Shading = Woodland clearing

© A New History of the Isle of Man Vol 1

In the beginning…

Celtic Round House

A History of the Isle of Man, AW Moore

Blundell (1648) noted, “I could not observe one tree to be in any place but what grew in gardens – there is so great scarcity even of birch, as that the mercers in Man…when they come into England for other commodities, they buy up our birch brooms, and of them they make rods and sell them to parents to correct their children, and schoolmen to discipline their scholars.”

Early Tree Legislation

• 1629 “Anyone who cuts down trees, except on his own ground, should be fined 10 shillings”

• 1667 “Anyone committing the same offence must plant five or ten trees, according to whether it was the first or second offence, for each tree cut by him.”

• Fines and imprisonment on this account were also imposed by the Acts of 1753, 1758 and 1817.

19/20 C Curraghs

Alfred Heaton Cooper Watercolour, Ballaugh Curragh published 1909

Left: Turf cutting, Ballaugh Curragh, 1880-1890. Near Quarry Bends (?)

1945 and recent Aerial Photo’s

Last Remaining Turbary PlotBeinn-y-Phott

Peak Cutting Plots

24-30 cartloads for a cottage

40 for a farmhouse

Glen Helen

~1880 Photographs of Glen Helen

Note how young trees are

Groudle Glen, aka Fern Glen

Groudle Glen ~1893

© F.Coakley , 2005

Veteran Trees

Block Eary Valley

Valley above the Corrany

© MNH

Laxey lades

Lade at Ballacowle Farm

R Lade from Snaefell Mine to dam above Agneash

Schematic of Water Use at Laxey Mines

Laxey Wheel –1880 Turbine

Cronkbourne

Cronkbourne

Interior of Clucas's Laundry c. 1913© Manx Notebook, F Coakley

Towns Gas

Initially for street lighting, then home supply• Produced in Douglas, Castletown, Port St Mary,

Ramsey and Peel• Each made gas from coal• Coal gas generation finally ceased 1971 when Port St

Mary closed.• UK changed to natural gas in 1970’s• IOM Supply changed to LPG/Air mixture

Frankenstein’s Factory - Laxey

• Mercury Arc Rectifier-1935• Needed by MER when connected

to Public supply • Converts AC current from the

Island's supply to the DC current needed by the railway

• Prior to this MER had Power Stations at Derby Castle, Laxey, Bungalow and Ballaglass.

© Manx Heritage Foundation

IOM Power Stations

• Late 19th Century – private generation, eg MER.• 1923 N Quay Oil PS (to 1951) – 250kW• 1929 Pulrose Coal PS (to 1970) – • Heavy Fuel Oil generation at Peel (1950) and Douglas (1959) • Later changes were to convert to Diesel• Most recent changes have been to connect to Nat Gas, and

add Energy from Waste plant• Current Generation Capacity >180MW (720 times 1923 level)

Pulrose Power Station, ~1933

Observed TrendsDomestic: Domestic energy consumption has increased gradually along with the rise in the number of

households. According to the House Condition Survey (2007/2008), there have been significant improvements in

domestic energy efficiency between 2002 and 2008. Considerable scope still exists for insulation improvements including loft and wall insulation and

draught-proofing.

Government: Energy use by the Government sector has increased significantly, however has recently started to

level off. Energy usage peaked in 2005/2006 reaching 171GWh, however dropped to 164GWh in 2008/2009. Principal reason for growth in energy usage has been the growth in infrastructure and building

ownership under Government, therefore increasing demand by Government estates. Net government emissions are down 16.5% since 2004/5

Commercial Between 1996 and 2005 energy usage increased by nearly 100GWh Energy demand expected to remain stable for next few years, then expected to increase as the DTI

will be targeting industry much more intensely, including attending some major industry trade shows to promote the Island as a base for businesses, including Clean Tech as a business sector

Electricity Apportionment

Isle of Man UK

CO2 Emissions = 0.43kgCO2/kWh17% cleaner than UK Grid

C02 Emissions = 0.52kgCO2/kWh(DUKES 2009)

Cost Resource – Total Electricity

A way to compare a range of options and their relative costs and outputsCurrent IOM Electricity demand ~400GWh/y

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Co

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lect

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Annual Electrcity Production (GWh/y)

Onshore wind

AD

CHP (commercial buildings)

Offshore wind

Small wind - public buildings

Small hydro

Solar PV

Micro CHP

Small wind - residential

Tidal lagoons

Wave

Energy ef f iciency, domestic, elec

Onshore Wind

Anaerobic Digestion

CHP (non-domestic)

Offshore Wind

Small Wind – public sector

Small Hydro

Solar PV

Micro CHP

Small wind – domestic

Tidal lagoons

Wave

Energy Effic, domestic

Annual Electricity Production (GWh/y)

Cost of Electricity (£/GWh)

Cost Resource – Total Heat

Contributions and costs of range of Renewable Heat technologiesTotal IOM Gas Space heating need is ~1000GWh/y

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Co

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(£/M

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Annual HeatProduction (GWh/y)

Biomass commercial & industrial

Biomass domestic

Heat pumps

Solar thermal

Energy Ef f iciency (commercial)

Energy Ef f iciency (domestic)

Biomass – Large Boilers

Biomass – Domestic

Heat Pumps

Solar Hot Water

Energy Effic -Commercial

Energy Effic - Domestic

Cost of Heat (£/GWh)

Annual Heat Production (GWH/y)

Woodchip

• DEFA Plantations cover 3,000 hectares

• This could supply over 10,000 tonnes of woodchip each year

• Cost effective and fully sustainable

DEFA HQ Woodchip Boiler

Take Home Messages

• Mans arrival has significantly changed the landscape of IOM, from a heavily wooded landscape.

• No local coal meant other sources of energy were used in its place: wood and peat, and later water

• In recent decades nearly all householders have had huge lifestyle improvements – fridge, central heating, cars , foreign holidays

• We now import nearly all the energy to meet our energy needs, but there are a range of options to become more self-sufficient again