Wednesday, October 22, 2008

Green Power in New Mills

I am pleased to announce a Hydro Electric power scheme has been completed in New Mills, a town located in the North Peak District. The scheme is unique in both the design and the way it has been funded. An Archemedies screw has been installed on the site of an old water wheel which used to power a large cotton mill next to the river. The weir which dams the Goyt and Sett rivers is still standing strong, centuries after it was built. It has now been reincarnated with the help of 21st centuary technology to produce enough electricity for 70 homes in the town.

This is also one of the first communitee owned renewable energy power projects in the UK, with many local residents buying shares and supporting the scheme. The electricity produced is sold for a premium to the local Co-op store who also helped with funding. The ground breaking project has recieved lots of press coverage, one of our local papers ran this story giving details about the archeological finds the team made during construction, Buxton Advertiser.

To get more information visit the Torrs hydro Blog which has some excellent pictures and videos taken on the site during construction, and also some interesting finds including half a boat which appeared during one heavy storm! For information about how the power is generated from the Archemedies screw visit the Torrs hydro Website