Renewable Energy Systems
Encyclopedia
The RES Group is a UK-based renewable energy project developer. Its core business is to develop, construct and operate large-scale, grid-connected renewable energy projects worldwide. As part of the Sir Robert McAlpine group, RES is active in the wind, biomass and solar energy sectors. It has been at the forefront of the wind energy industry for over 25 years and is now expanding in on-site and building-integrated renewables as well as in building design and consultancy.
RES is also an independent power producer, owning and operating a growing portfolio of wind farms around the world.
group of engineering and construction companies. Its early years were spent in researching various designs for commercial wind turbines,including work on a Vertical Axis Wind Turbine (VAWT) model as well as the now more widely-used Horizontal Axis (HAWT
) units. The company built its first commercial wind farm
at Carland Cross in Cornwall in 1992, using 15 Vestas
turbines, each of 400 kW capacity. In December 1998, the first commercial 1MW wind turbine to be designed and built in the UK was installed by RES at Slievenahanaghan, Co Antrim.
In 2001 the company built the then largest wind farm in the world at King Mountain in Texas, using 214 Bonus turbines of 1.3 MW capacity. In 2005, RES won a Queen's Award for Enterprise in the Sustainable Development category. More recently the company has been active in the developing offshore UK wind power market. It has supported the delivery of both onshore and offshore engineering works for the Lynn and Inner Dowsing offshore wind farms off the coast of Lincolnshire in the UK.
The RES Group has now developed and/or constructed over 100 wind farms worldwide, with more than 5GW of capacity. In addition, it has projects on its books totaling several thousand megawatts worldwide, at various stages of development.
Within the Group, Inbuilt. provides a consultancy service for sustainable design in the built environment.
The RES Group has offices across the UK, Europe, North America and Australasia.
, Hertfordshire
in the UK. This unique site, centred on the old 'Arts and Crafts
' style Ovaltine Egg Farm building originally constructed in 1929, uses electricity supplied from its own 225 kW Vestas
V29 wind turbine
and from on-site photovoltaic panels. Heat comes from 170 m2 of solar thermal panels and from a biomass
boiler. A miscanthus
energy crop is grown on 5 hectares of the site, whilst cooling is produced on demand using pumped ground water. Full information on the amount of energy being produced by these on-site systems is available at the Beaufort Court website.
When built in 2003, Beaufort Court was the first commercial refurbishment of an historic building to be designed to be entirely self-sufficient in renewable energy. As with any innovative and visionary project, it inevitably encountered teething problems. Since then a strategy of continual improvements has been put in place. See the consultants’ rebuttal to the 2006 Building article http://www.building.co.uk/story.asp?sectioncode=29&storycode=3065870 The building remains a success from sustainability, educational and commercial perspectives and RES is happy for our experience to be used as a learning tool for those involved in low carbon building design.
The 2006 review of worldwide activity in wind power, from the Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC) at http://www.gwec.net
Wind Power in the UK report, May 2005, from the Sustainable Development Commission: http://www.sd-commission.org.uk
Wind Power Monthly Magazine: http://www.windpower-monthly.com
Renewable Energy for Local Authorities: http://www.themertonrule.org
RES is also an independent power producer, owning and operating a growing portfolio of wind farms around the world.
History
Renewable Energy Systems was started in 1982 as part of the Sir Robert McAlpineSir Robert McAlpine
Sir Robert McAlpine Ltd. is a private British company headquartered in London. It carries out engineering and construction for the oil and gas, petrochemical, power generation, nuclear, pharmaceutical, defence, chemical, water and mining industries.-History:...
group of engineering and construction companies. Its early years were spent in researching various designs for commercial wind turbines,including work on a Vertical Axis Wind Turbine (VAWT) model as well as the now more widely-used Horizontal Axis (HAWT
HAWT
HAWT may refer to:* Health and welfare trust* Horizontal-axis wind turbine* Slang for Physical attractiveness or Sexual arousal...
) units. The company built its first commercial wind farm
Wind farm
A wind farm is a group of wind turbines in the same location used to produce electric power. A large wind farm may consist of several hundred individual wind turbines, and cover an extended area of hundreds of square miles, but the land between the turbines may be used for agricultural or other...
at Carland Cross in Cornwall in 1992, using 15 Vestas
Vestas
Vestas Wind Systems A/S is a Danish manufacturer, seller, installer, and servicer of wind turbines. It is the largest in the world, but due to very rapid growth of its competitors, its market share decreased from 28% in 2007 to 12.5% in 2009...
turbines, each of 400 kW capacity. In December 1998, the first commercial 1MW wind turbine to be designed and built in the UK was installed by RES at Slievenahanaghan, Co Antrim.
The RES Group has now developed and/or constructed over 100 wind farms worldwide, with more than 5GW of capacity. In addition, it has projects on its books totaling several thousand megawatts worldwide, at various stages of development.
Within the Group, Inbuilt. provides a consultancy service for sustainable design in the built environment.
The RES Group has offices across the UK, Europe, North America and Australasia.
UK Headquarters Building
Since late 2003 RES has been based at its award-winning, low carbon headquarters building at Beaufort Court, Kings LangleyKings Langley
Kings Langley is a historic English village and civil parish northwest of central London on the southern edge of the Chiltern Hills and now part of the London commuter belt. The major western portion lies in the borough of Dacorum and the east is in the Three Rivers district, both in the county of...
, Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England. The county town is Hertford.The county is one of the Home Counties and lies inland, bordered by Greater London , Buckinghamshire , Bedfordshire , Cambridgeshire and...
in the UK. This unique site, centred on the old 'Arts and Crafts
Arts and Crafts movement
Arts and Crafts was an international design philosophy that originated in England and flourished between 1860 and 1910 , continuing its influence until the 1930s...
' style Ovaltine Egg Farm building originally constructed in 1929, uses electricity supplied from its own 225 kW Vestas
Vestas
Vestas Wind Systems A/S is a Danish manufacturer, seller, installer, and servicer of wind turbines. It is the largest in the world, but due to very rapid growth of its competitors, its market share decreased from 28% in 2007 to 12.5% in 2009...
V29 wind turbine
Wind turbine
A wind turbine is a device that converts kinetic energy from the wind into mechanical energy. If the mechanical energy is used to produce electricity, the device may be called a wind generator or wind charger. If the mechanical energy is used to drive machinery, such as for grinding grain or...
and from on-site photovoltaic panels. Heat comes from 170 m2 of solar thermal panels and from a biomass
Biomass
Biomass, as a renewable energy source, is biological material from living, or recently living organisms. As an energy source, biomass can either be used directly, or converted into other energy products such as biofuel....
boiler. A miscanthus
Miscanthus
Miscanthus is a genus of about 15 species of perennial grasses native to subtropical and tropical regions of Africa and southern Asia, with one species Miscanthus is a genus of about 15 species of perennial grasses native to subtropical and tropical regions of Africa and southern Asia, with one...
energy crop is grown on 5 hectares of the site, whilst cooling is produced on demand using pumped ground water. Full information on the amount of energy being produced by these on-site systems is available at the Beaufort Court website.
When built in 2003, Beaufort Court was the first commercial refurbishment of an historic building to be designed to be entirely self-sufficient in renewable energy. As with any innovative and visionary project, it inevitably encountered teething problems. Since then a strategy of continual improvements has been put in place. See the consultants’ rebuttal to the 2006 Building article http://www.building.co.uk/story.asp?sectioncode=29&storycode=3065870 The building remains a success from sustainability, educational and commercial perspectives and RES is happy for our experience to be used as a learning tool for those involved in low carbon building design.
See also
- Solar power in the United KingdomSolar power in the United KingdomSolar power is a minor source of renewable energy in the United Kingdom. , about 200 megawatts of solar photovoltaic power have been installed in the UK, capable of producing about 200 gigawatt hours per year of electricity. In April 2010, the UK instituted a feed-in tariff, offering at...
- Wind power in the United KingdomWind power in the United KingdomBy mid-2011, the installed capacity of wind power in the United Kingdom was over 5.7 gigawatts and the UK is ranked as the world’s eighth largest producer of wind power. Wind power is expected to continue growing in the UK for the foreseeable future, RenewableUK estimates that more than...
- Blyth Biomass Power StationBlyth Biomass Power StationThe North Blyth Biomass Project is a proposed biomass-fired power station, that if built would be siuated at North Blyth, Northumberland, Northumberland, on the north bank of the River Blyth near its tidal estuary. It is expected to have a generating capacity of 100 megawatts, enough electricity to...
For information on wind power
Environmental groups' site about wind power in the UK and what you can do to support it: http://www.yes2wind.comThe 2006 review of worldwide activity in wind power, from the Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC) at http://www.gwec.net
Wind Power in the UK report, May 2005, from the Sustainable Development Commission: http://www.sd-commission.org.uk
Wind Power Monthly Magazine: http://www.windpower-monthly.com
For information on renewable energy
Renewable Energy Association: http://www.r-e-a.netRenewable Energy for Local Authorities: http://www.themertonrule.org