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UTILITY Week 15th July 2016

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UTILITY WEEK | 15TH - 21ST JULY 2016 | 31 Community Editor, Utility Week, and content director, Utilities: Ellen Bennett, t: 01342 332084, e: ellenbennett@fav-house.com; Acting editor: Jane Gray, t: 01342 332087, e: janegray@ fav-house.com; Insights editor: Mathew Beech, t: 01342 332082, e: mathewbeech@fav-house. com; News editor: Lois Vallely, t: 01342 332080, e: loisvallely@fav-house.com; Networks correspondent: Lucinda Dann, t: 01342 332083, e: lucindadann@fav-house.com; Reporters: Saffron Johnson, t: 01342 332050, e: saffronjohnson@fav-house.com and Tom Grimwood, t: 01342 332061, e: tomgrimwood@fav-house.com; Business development manager: Richard Powell, t: 01342 332062, e: richardpowell@fav-house.com; Business development executive: Sarah Wood, t: 01342 332077, e: sarahwood@fav-house.com; Publisher: Amanda Barnes, e: amandabarnes@ fav-house.com. General enquiries: 01342 332000; Membership enquiries: Peter Bissell, t: 01342 332507, e: peterbissell@fav-house.com. ISSN: 1356-5532. Registered as a newspaper at the Post Office. Printed by: Buxton Press, Palace Road, Buxton, Derbyshire SK17 6AE. Published by: Faversham House Ltd, Windsor Court, Wood Street, East Grinstead, West Sussex RH19 1UZ 3,580 Average circulation Jan–Dec 2015 Membership subscriptions: UK £637 per year. Overseas £749 per year. Contact Peter Bissell on: 01342 332507 Musical magnificence The British summer holds many traditions that Discon nector likes to see upheld. High hopes of a heatwave dashed by weeks of drizzle. Check. Eng land's footballers disappoint ing. Check. Another valiant failure by the British number one at Wimbledon. Ah. Two out of three isn't bad – and well done Mr Murray. But the great man (Discon nector, not Murray) also has a so spot for music festivals. Not only for the bands and artists gracing the stages, but also for the ingenuity of the organisers to create the infrastructure to support a city of canvas. One thing that is lacking is electri city – something that irritates when the battery in one's phone runs out. However, one of those art ists gracing the stage may have the solution. British musician and drummer Sudha Kheterpal – who is best known for her trancelike rhythms performed alongside the electronic band Faithless – has created the Spark. The device, which is the size and shape of a peeled mango, makes the sound of a maraca when shaken and is thought to be the world's first energy generating musical instrument. She said the idea came to her in 2009 when the crowd at a gig stamped their feet so hard it registered on the Rich ter scale. This sparked her imagina tion (pun intended), and led her to ponder how the energy could be harnessed, and Spark was created. The technology in the hand held power station is simple. The shaking moves a magnet through a coil, generating elec tricity that is stored in a battery and can be used to power a light or provide a small charge for your phone. No longer will Disconnector have to go without a charged mobile phone at festivals. Flying invasion Disconnector also marvelled at the festival of football that was the European Champion ships. The final, which pitched hosts France against Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal was memo rable for one reason. No, not for the fact that the Portuguese captain, talisman, and a bit too mahogany Ronaldo was injured aer eight minutes and had to watch his team snatch glory in the final minutes of extra time. Instead it will be remembered for the invasion of the moths – including the world's most famous lepidopteran, which perched on Ronaldo's brow. The reason for the infesta tion, which affected the refer ees, cameramen, goalposts, corner flags and just about everything else in the Stade de France, was that someone le the floodlights on overnight, transforming the stadium into a giant moth trap. As those of us who have le their windows open in the forlorn hope of enjoying some cool air in the muggy nights know all too well, moths are attracted to light and then are too stubborn to move on. Not only did this provide us with the image of the tournament, but it has made the great man wonder: what must the electricity bill of the French Football Federation (FFF) be if they le the lights on all night? Lighting the way In order to cut their soaring energy bills – as well as tackle the moth problem – the FFF should look across the Atlantic to Missouri. The state's Department of Transportation is seeking a renewable revolution on one of the world's most iconic highways: Route 66. It wants to install a test version of Solar Roadway's solar tiles on a sidewalk of Route 66 at the Welcome Centre in Conway. If the pilot is successful and the tiles are deemed suitable – and tough enough – to be used on regular streets, they could be used more widely by the end of the year. That certainly would be something worth celebrating – combining green power and a petrolhead's nirvana. Unless a swarm of moths blocks the sun from the newly panelled road, that is. Disconnector William Marchant @richonlyinname What does a May premiership mean for Decc? Reshuffle imminent, and tension between Rudd and Leadsom's been obvious. Paul Massara @paulmassara New government post-Brexit should rethink energy policy and re-commit to spending on infrastructure including insulation. CCFE Fusion Energy @fusionenergy 11 billion people on the planet by 2100 – one reason we need new energy sources like fusion. #WorldPopulationDay Energy Saving Trust @EnergySvgTrust Power supplies will be sufficient… only because of emergency measures introduced to avoid blackouts. #energy André Borschberg @andreborschberg Flying over #GemaSolar – the first #solar airplane meets the first solar plant, producing energy day and night. @Masdar Kees van der Leun @Sustainable2050 Feed-in tariff for UK's Hinkley Point nuclear power plant would be paid in £; a challenge for foreign suppliers now. Elon Musk @elonmusk Working on Top Secret Tesla Masterplan, Part 2. Hoping to publish later this week. NuScale Power UK @NuScale_UK We will be partnering with Sheffield Forge- masters on an innovative forging project. CCSA @The_CCSA Excited to be at the launch of the #H21Leeds report. Massive contribution to emissions reductions from #CCS and hydrogen. Andrea Leadsom MP @andrealeadsom @ENGIEgroup submits plan to build giant battery storage farm on former Rugeley power station site. #innovation #smartenergy Barry Gardiner @BarryGardiner Energy projects at risk: tidal developer concerned @DECCgovuk "too distracted to get on with business of government". Top Tweets

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