Sunday 23rd October

On Monday 24th October, a Peckham terrace house (3 Acorns Eco- House) will have a domestic wind-turbine attached to its gable-wall. The surplus electricity will be exported to the National Grid and bought by London Energy.

Coinciding with the first day in National Energy Efficiency week, it will be London Energy’s first domestic wind-electricity supplier.

3 Acorns Eco-House, which is owned by Donnachadh McCarthy, author of Saving the Planet without Costing The Earth, was the first house in London to receive planning permission for a domestic grid-connected wind-turbine three years ago, when it was given the go-ahead by Southwark Council.

Donnachadh’s home was previously the first private home in London to sell solar- electricity to London Energy 6 years ago, from the photovoltaics on his roof.

Last year he sold 20% more electricity to the national grid than he bought from it.

Donnachadh said : “With this year’s alarming signs of global warming getting worse, it is more important than ever that we all do now what we can to diminish the climate crisis that threatens us.

I am thrilled that 3 Acorns Eco -House, an ordinary Victorian terrace home in Peckham should again set an example in becoming not only London Energy’s first solar electricity supplier but now also their first domestic wind-electricity supplier.”

End.

Press contact: Donnachadh McCarthy (Pronounced Dunacha)

Tel: 07947 88 42 99

Email: contact@3acorns.co.uk

Notes to Editors

Summary of all the technicial information on the wind-turbine being installed is available at:

www.energyenv.co.uk/D400WindTurbine.asp

Donnachadh’s 3 Acorns Eco-House:

1. Is an 1840's Terrace House built originally as a market gardener's cottage.
2. There was a eighteenth century Windmill situated within 100 meters of the house. An old etching of it is available electronically if required.
3. It was the first private home in London to sell solar electricity to London Electricity. It was also the first home to have an export meter installed by London Electricity.
4. Planning permission to install a grid connected domestic wind turbine was granted 3 years ago but it took until now to find a suitable silent machine. Planning permission was originally refused by Southwark Council but following a petition signed by nearly all his neighbours, they became the first ever local council in London to grant such permission.
5. This year it also has had installed a solar water heating system, which will supply up to 70% of the house's hot water requirements and a catalytic gas fire. Water for the wc is supplied by a rain-harvester also on the roof.
6. The wind-turbine is being installed to account for an increase in the number of occupants (two friends are staying) and to power the electric immersion heating system for the new solar water heater. Water up to now was heated by gas.
7. Donnachadh is the author of "Saving the Planet Without Costing the Earth - 500 simple steps to a greener lifestyle"(Vision Paperbacks). He is an environmental auditor and eco-lifestyle coach and writes a weekly Green Guru column for the South London Press.
8. The 3 Acorns Eco-House was featured in this autumn’s BBC TV series "No Waste Like Home" and Donnachadh will feature as an environmental auditor in a new prime-time BBC2 environmental series in Spring 2006. More information at www.3acorns.co.uk