Green energy shines bright

SWITCHED on . . . (from left) Jonathan Hazeldine, head of M&S Energy; Alison Brittle, SCH; Richard Rider, Renewables First; Bill Edwards, SCH chair; and Peter Gill, rural and operational property manager at United Utilities

A community energy project has won a prestigious award.

Saddleworth Community Hydro, which has a hydro-electric turbine at the base of Dovestone dam, was presented with the Community Energy Collaboration Award by Jonathan Hazeldine, head of Marks & Spencer Energy.

The award recognises the ground-breaking venture, which is an association between a small community group and United Utilities, which owns the reservoir.

The scheme generates enough electricity to power 75 houses using reservoir water which would otherwise be wasted. The scheme’s clean energy also prevents the emission of 164 tonnes of carbon dioxide a year and saves around two million litres of water a day.

The winners were chosen from a shortlist of national entrants by an independent panel of expert judges.

Anyone keen to look around the turbine house can do so at an open day at Dovestone Reservoir on Saturday (10am–4pm).