Sustainable Energy – Sustainable South Brent https://ssb.org.uk Sustainablity in the heart of the local community Sun, 21 Jun 2026 12:43:53 +0000 en-GB hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.0.5 https://ssb.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/logo-3.jpg Sustainable Energy – Sustainable South Brent https://ssb.org.uk 32 32 Our Energy Futures – Sustainable South Brent Survey https://ssb.org.uk/our-energy-futures-survey/ Mon, 02 Oct 2023 17:43:59 +0000 https://ssb.org.uk/?p=12949 Sustainable South Brent is looking to influence National Grid’s upgrade programme by promoting the future energy needs in the village.

Please click this link or access the form via the QR code below to open and complete a short questionnaire to give us an idea of what our future electricity demands in South Brent are likely to be. SSB will send the anonymous results to the National Grid, so they can plan to meet your needs.

If you leave your name and email at the end of the form, completed surveys will be entered into a prize draw, so you have a chance to win £25!

The survey closes on 19 December.

]]> Energy https://ssb.org.uk/energy/ Tue, 05 Sep 2023 08:51:50 +0000 https://ssb.org.uk/?page_id=12829

How Green is your Energy Supplier?

‘Which?’ magazine has just published a report, assessing which energy companies are best supporting the transition to renewable energy.  Points have been awarded for companies that produce their own renewable energy; that help customers make their homes more energy efficient and more besides.  Click the link and scroll down to see how the 14 companies assessed performed. 

For further information, email energy@ssb.org.uk.

 

Thermal Imaging:

One way to begin to think about your home’s energy performance is to take pictures of it using a thermal imaging camera.  Why a particular room never seems to get warm, and where exactly the heat is being lost – are the sort of questions thermal imaging can begin to address.

Members of SSB can access free training on how to use our Thermal Imaging Cameras.  It only takes an hour or two, after which you are free to use the equipment free-of-charge to take images in your home.  Perhaps you’d like to go further and offer this service to any of your neighbours who share your interest in improving their home’s energy efficiency and reducing energy bills.  For further information, email energy@ssb.org.uk.

Home Insulation Training:

Fully funded online training – ‘Introduction to home insulation’
There are 6 modules consisting of a roughly 10 minute YouTube video to watch,
then a multi-choice test at the end of each, so about 1.5 hours in total.

If you register for these, we’d love to hear how you get on.  Do send your feedback to energy@ssb.org.uk.

Survey of EPCs in South Brent

An Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) is one way of gauging how our homes operate in terms of energy efficiency – how costly they will be to run, and how much CO2 they give out.

SSB always likes to engage with young people, so we were particularly delighted to involve a Duke of Edinburgh’s Silver Award Candidate in the Energy Team’s EPC project.  Chris has just finished a very busy year taking GCSEs at Ivybridge Community College, but he still found time to gather and begin to analyse EPC information for all those households in South Brent Parish that have EPCs in place.

EPC information is in the public domain, but with the work Chris is undertaking, we hope to be able to get a much clearer idea of how our homes are performing overall; what we might need to do to make them more energy efficient, and also find some specific examples from which we can learn.  For example, how did that house that was a very low ‘G’ rated home a few years ago become the excellent ‘A’ rated energy-efficient home it is today?  What ‘retrofit’ actions were undertaken to bring that change about?  And – if we can’t afford to do the work ourselves – what grants might be available?

Watch this space for more information as the EPC project progresses.

NB. The Energy Futures Questionnaire has now closed.

South Brent Primary School – Renewable Energy Generation

Thanks to a generous donation from South Brent Community Energy Society, the Primary School in South Brent is now proudly able to generate a proportion of its own electricity.  Facilitated by Sustainable South Brent, the 17kW array was installed in August by SunGift.  It’s an ‘integrated’ system which embeds the solar panels in line with – rather than sitting above – the roof tiles, giving a sleeker appearance and offering less resistance to the winds that whistle through.

An indoor display panel will give the children a chance to see, minute-by-minute, how much electricity is being produced, how much the system has generated in total, and how many tonnes of CO2 haven’t been produced by using this renewable energy generation.  The system is predicted to save the school several thousand pounds per year on their electricity bill.  All of which will give the children plenty of opportunities for doing some meaningful, real-life mathematical calculations.

The image below, taken on a dark and dreary day, shows that – even when it’s raining – the photovoltaic panels do as their name suggests and respond to even low-levels of available light.  Just imagine what they can do when the sun is shining.

Contact energy@ssb.org.uk

If you have any questions for the Energy Team, or would like to offer your time in support of these and future energy initiatives, please contact Hayden on energy@ssb.org.uk

Events

Today
]]> South Brent Climate Fair – has been postponed https://ssb.org.uk/south-brent-climate-fair-18-april-2020/ Wed, 27 Nov 2019 14:50:31 +0000 http://www.sustainablesouthbrent.org.uk/?p=4327 POSTPONED: South Brent Climate Fair 2020 – initially scheduled for Saturday 18 April this event, long planned by Sustainable South Brent supported by South Brent Parish Council, Rattery Parish Council and South Brent Community Energy Society, was postponed during the lockdown until Saturday 5 September 2020. However, in view of the continuing uncertainty about such large gatherings, a decision has now been taken by the organising group to postpone again and, depending on the situation, to make a final decision in November as to whether the event will run.

]]> “Unite behind the science” – Greta Thunberg at the French National Assembly on 23 July 2019 https://ssb.org.uk/greta-thunbergs-speech-to-the-french-national-assembly-on-23-july-2019/ Fri, 26 Jul 2019 08:36:35 +0000 http://www.sustainablesouthbrent.org.uk/?p=1273 Video of Greta Thunberg’s speech to the French National Assembly on 23 July 2019

“Unite behind the science” (12 mins)

https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=2412771489046644

 

]]> Woodland management and adding value to wood… https://ssb.org.uk/woodland-management-and-adding-value-to-wood/ Tue, 28 Nov 2017 13:25:07 +0000 http://www.sustainablesouthbrent.org.uk/?p=1543 Our ‘Wood Group’ don’t cut trees down, because we dislike them; but to encourage new growth. Then, we make the best use we can, of whatever resources we have; woodland, wood, and ourselves.

At Penstave Copse, trees closely planted about twenty years ago, catch most of the light and moisture, so the ground beneath is bare of vegetation.

Sparse vegetation under trees

Felling, to let in light, encourages flowering plants, which are in turn, good for insects, and birds.

Ash re-growth


We work with hand-tools as a rule, which is slow, but satisfying. It’s also quiet, instead of having the thrum of chainsaws. Dividing into teams of two or three, we have safe working space between teams. Then each team will decide which tree to fell, and where we decide it should fall. We clear away any debris which might be a tripping hazard, then make a ‘bird’s mouth’ or ‘gob’ cut on the side towards which the tree is to fall. That might be done by axe, or by sawing. Then cutting from the other side, and a little above widest part of the gob-cut, we saw through towards the gob-cut, watching in the final stages for both people, (who we try not to hit) and for change in the tree’s movement, telling us it’s approaching its destiny.

Falling tree and Oska retreating

Fallen tree showing the hinge intact

While leaving a little wood behind, to slowly decay, we cut each fallen tree into pieces small enough for one or two of us to lift. Then we carry each piece up the slope, to our cars/vans, and then back for storage.
Most is then processed into logs, for firewood. Which is followed by two years storage, or ‘seasoning’ to make sure it’s dry, and ready to burn. Renewable energy in solid form.
Adding value, where we can, and having fun doing it, we recently cleaved (split) some tree trunks, then split again to give us material from which wooden tool handles can be made.

Cutting to length

Using a froe to split further

All of this amounts to a good deal of work, and firewood is divided amongst active volunteers, as a thank you.

 

Harry Jennings

]]> Hedges and Woodland https://ssb.org.uk/projects/hedges-and-woodland/ Tue, 13 Jun 2017 16:35:25 +0000 http://www.sustainablesouthbrent.org.uk/?page_id=167

To view our Summer 2026 programme of activities click here (opens or downloads as a .pdf)

For more info contact: woodgroup@ssb.org.uk

Click here to access SSB Project management documents

Click here to access relevant SSB Policy documents

Here in South Brent we are fortunate to live surrounded by fields, hedges, and trees. The Hedges and Woodland group aims to help sustain local wildlife habitats, to make better use of potential woodfuel and enjoy ourselves in the process. We continue learning and developing our skills, and our group is evolving over time.

We have had training from the Devon Rural Skills Trust, and collaborate with the Woodland Trust and some local landowners.

We are open to new people, and to new ideas

 

woodgroup@ssb.org.uk

Our Activities

Penstave Copse and coppicing

Penstave Copse and coppicing

Coppicing is an ancient woodland management technique that takes advantage of regrowth after felling. Traditionally coppiced wood had thousands of uses and is still used today for firewood, charcoal, hurdle fencing, gates and plant supports, furniture, cutlery and other household wares.

Coppicing benefits wildlife by producing habitat piles and allowing light to reach the ground flora. SSB Hedges and Woodland Group is a partner in the management of Penstave Copse (Woodland Trust). Coppicing will continue each winter on a 20 year rotation according to the site management plan.

We seek to increase traditional management of local woodlands and are always keen to hear from local landowners.

 

 

Hedging or 'steeping'

Hedging or ‘steeping’

Hedgelaying, or steeping as it is known in Devon, is the traditional way to manage hedgerows for stock-proofing and benefits wildlife by encouraging a flush of new growth and providing varied habitat.

Steeping involves partially cutting woody stems so that they can be laid horizontally. Living bark is carefully left connecting the stem to its base to allow sap to rise and allow continued growth.

Woodfuel

Woodfuel

The wood harvested comes from our coppicing and hedgelaying activities and consists of hardwood species such as oak, hazel, sycamore, ash and holly. Tree trunks and large branches are processed by a hydraulic wood processor and seasoned for two years at the Marsh composting site. Smaller branches are often overlooked for firewood but nevertheless burn well. The group borrows a wood ‘chunker’ which enables us to process the smaller wood into convenient sized chunks which are bagged up.

The group shares the firewood extracted from hedges or from coppicing amongst themselves and any surplus is sold at The Marsh.

Get involved

When?

Throughout the winter, from October to the end of February this sub-group of SSB meets on a fortnightly basis. Currently, we have a ‘steward’ system, where we rotate responsibility, and the steward will offer instruction and/or team-up a beginner with a more experienced person.

Where?

The venue changes and lifts are arranged for each session.
Click here (.pdf) to see our current (Spring 2026) programme of activities

or e-mail woodgroup@ssb.org.uk for more details.

How?

We have tools, waterproof hi-viz jackets, first-aid kit, and a risk assessment is completed on each outing.

It is best to wear warm and fairly tough clothing. A hat, boots and gardening gloves or gauntlets are advisable to keep warm and protected. Bring a hot drink and food if working all day.

There are a variety of jobs suitable for all skills and abilities. Everyone is welcome but children must come with a responsible adult.

Occasionally chainsaw work will be necessary but this is never carried out during a public session. A fully trained, certificated and insured person carries out this work before or after our sessions.

Other activities

We occasionally organise woodland activity days for families, visits to interesting local woodlands, hedging competitions and other groups.

 

Risk Assessments

Our activities are carefully Risk Assessed in line with SSB’s Health & Safety Policy and the Hedges and Woodland Risk Assessment  can be downloaded HERE

How our group started

SSB earliest public meeting in 2007 resulted in a number of people expressing points about Trees and Woodlands. This was mainly directed at Woodfuel potential and Woodland use for recreation, traditional craft and Forest School type education. The group has in the past been involved in tree planting/seed collecting and organising visits to local Woodlands.

In 2013 Dartmoor Circle put together a ‘toolkit’ and obtained funding to inspire the formation of a number of new Woodfuel from Hedges groups in South Devon. The toolkit contained a template agreement between landowner and group, tree ID guides and practical information about tree management, as well as covering issues such as insurance.

Later that year SSB obtained Awards for All funding, some of which was used to support the new group by buying in expert tuition from Devon Rural Skills Trust, and to purchase billhooks, saws, loppers, hatchets, and more. It also helped fund the highly successful Wood Fair in 2014 (see above).

Links

Devon Hedge Group 

Hedgelink

Devon Rural Skills Trust 

Organic Research Centre
 ‘A guide to harvesting woodfuel from hedges’

 

 

Events

Today

 

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