1. General:

For a good all-round guide to energy issues, try The Future of Energy Use by Robert Hill, Phil O'Keefe and Colin Snape (Earthscan, London, 1995). Magazines are the best way keep up with what is happening in the area. Renew, published by the Network for Alternative Technology and Technology Assessment (NATTA) at the Open University covers renewable energy alone, in a lively manner and some depth. For anyone seriously interested in community energy, I regard a subscription (£15 a year waged, £10 unwaged, from NATTA, c/o Energy and Environment Research Unit, Faculty of Technology, The Open University, Milton Keynes, Bucks, MK7 6AA) as essential. An edited text-only version of Renew is available online .

2. Renewable energy sources:

The book to buy or borrow is Renewable Energy: Sources for Fuels and Electricity, edited by Johansson, Kelly, Reddy and Williams (Island Press, Washington DC, 1993. Distributed in the UK by Earthscan). Information about recent projects and reports on renewable energy in Britain and the EU can be found at the Energy and Environment Research Programme's website. This programme is organised by the UK Department of Trade and Industry in partnership with ETSU. ETSU's enquiries bureau can be contacted at +44 1235 436747, fax +44 891 616323, e-mail etsuenq@aeat.co.uk.

Sustainable Energy Ireland, formerly the Irish Energy Centre, also has a wealth of information available free of charge. Its address is SEI, Glasnevin, Dublin 9, Ireland, Tel +353 1 8082286, fax +353 1 8372848, e-mail tom.halpin@sei.ie

A vast amount of information on renewable energy sources is available through the Internet. A good place to start is Solstice, the online information server for the US Center for Renewable Energy and Sustainable Technology (CREST). Information about discussion groups hosted by CREST can be found here. The UK Solar Energy Society's website contains a database of links to many renewable energy websites at SOLEIL(Sustainable On-Line Energy Information Listing).

CONTACT ADDRESSES

British Photovoltaic Association, c/o National Energy Centre, Davy Avenue, Knowlhill, Milton Keynes MK5 8NG, UK. Tel. +44 01918 442291; fax +44870 0529193; e-mail enquiries@pv-uk.org.uk.

The British Wind Energy Association, Renewable Energy House, 1 Aztec Row, Berners Road, London, N1 0PW, UK. Tel +44 20 7689 1960; fax +44 20 7689 1969; e-mail info@bwea.com.

Irish Wind Energy Association, Arigna, Co. Roscommon; tel +353 78 46072; e-mail office@iwea.com

Windpower Monthly magazine is international in scope. Subscriptions are US$140 for one year and can be made online or by contacting the magazine at PO Box 100, DK 1840 Knebel, Denmark; fax +4586 365826, e-mail mail@windpower-monthly.com.

Methan O' Gen is an Irish company that makes biogas digester parts. Its address is Tooracurragh, Ballymacarbry, Co. Waterford, Ireland; tel +353 1588 650585. The Irish Bioenergy Association is located at Education Centre, Church St., Cahir, Co. Tipperary. Ireland. Tel+353 52 43090 ; fax: +353 52 43012; Email tippenergy@eircom.net.

Les Gornall's business is Practically Green Environmental Services, Solar House, Magherafelt ,Co. Londonderry, BT45 6HW, Northern Ireland. Tel./fax +44 1648 32615; e-mail les.gornall@dial.pipex.com. He supplies Ajax engines, which run on untreated bio-gas.

ENERGY SAVING

David Olivier, Energy Advisory Associates, Moore Cottages, Bircher, Leominster, Herefordshire, HR6 OAX; tel +44 1568 780868; e-mail enquiries@e-a-a.co.uk

Bill Quigley is at the National Irish Centre for Energy Rating Ltd., 3 Bushfield Place, Dublin 4; tel +353 1 4970133. The centre carries out energy audits on properties and uses the information to provide costed proposals for saving energy.