Renewable energy at home
The idea of generating your own energy is exciting - your electricity company paying you whilst you relax in your solar shower and charge your electric car from the wind turbine rotating overhead. Whilst this is quite possible, most of the energy saving measures you can take are more cost effective, so check you have done everything you can before reading on. The most cost effective renewable energy technology for most homes is solar water heating. A typical system might reduce a four person household's carbon dioxide emmisions by 670 kilogrammes per year and pay for itself within it's 20 year life.
Sources of renewable energy for the home
Unless you live in a rural area and have enough land to site a wind turbine away from trees and buildings, the most appropriate renewable energy sources for an existing home are likely to be solar water heating and wood. A number of other technologies are suitable in very specific circumstances, are still under development or can be used if you are building a new house.
Grants
The government's Low Carbon Building Programme provides grants for home renewables if you use an approved system and installer.
Current grant levels are as follows:
• Solar thermal (hot water) £400 or 30%, whichever is lower
• Solar photovoltaic (electricity) £2,000 per kW of installed capacity, max £2500
• Wind Turbines £1,000 per kW of installed capacity, max £2500
• Micro-Hydro £1,000 per kW of installed capacity, max £2500
• Ground source heat pumps £1,200 or 30%, whichever is lower
• Automated wood pellet room heaters/stoves £600 or 20%, whichever is lower
• Wood fuelled boiler systems £1,500 or 30%, whichever is lower
Before you can apply for a grant, you must have:
a) insulated the whole of the loft of the property to meet current building regulations e.g. 270mm of mineral wool loft insulation or equivalent
b) installed cavity wall insulation (if you have cavity walls);
c) fitted low energy light bulbs in all appropriate light fittings; and
d) installed basic controls for your heating system to include a room thermostat and a programmer or timer.
Renewable DIRECTORY
Energy Efficiency Advice Centres
The Energy Saving Trust www.est.org.uk supports and oversees a UK wide network of local Energy Efficiency Advice Centres that can provide help and assistance for households to save energy, money and the environment. They can also advise on energy generation.
The following are the local organisations.
Lancashire EEAC
Tel: 01254 698 167
Fax: 01254 699 979
Email: lanc@eeac.net
Web: www.leeac.org.uk
Cumbria EEAC
Tel: 01228 672448
Fax: 08702 419654
E-mail: carl@eeac.net
Web: www.energyinfo.org.uk/
From Lancaster district, if you telephone the Energy Saving Trust’s Freephone advice line 0800 512 012 it will be answered by the Lancashire EEAC, based in Blackburn.
Energy Action Grants Agency
Information on grants available to those on state benefits or who are over sixty for the installation of insulation and draft proofing, central heating and alternative heating, including solar water heating.
Web: http://www.eaga.com/ Tel: 0191 247 3800
Sometimes there are grants to set up the system and the cost can be reduced considerably if you can do all or part of the installation yourself. Grants can come from government, energy suppliers or Lancaster City Council. If you are over 60 or on benefits you might qualify for additional grants. You can check for grants at http://ez.est.org.uk/proxy/view/full/2019/grantsandofferssearch
Suppliers of Renewable Technologies
Alian Energy Solutions Ltd. New company recently set up by Ian Meckleburgh supplying Solar Heating and Solar PV systems.
Unit 16b, Lune Industrial Estate, Lancaster LA1 5QP
Tel: 01524 68333 Email: ian@aesl.eclipse.co.uk Website: www.alianenergy.co.uk
Home Insulation Services are a large company based in Preston. They are best known for installing loft and cavity wall insulation, but have a department that can supply and fit the full range of renewable technologies.
Home Insulation Services North West Ltd , St Georges Park Kirkham Preston PR4 2EG
Tel: 01772 687600 Fax: 01772 682727
Email: info@homeinsulationservices.co.uk Web: http://www.homeinsulationservices.co.uk
Other accredited suppliers can be found through the Solar Trade Association’s website: http://www.greenenergy.org.uk/sta/listofmembers/index.asp
You can also search for suppliers through the Carbon Connection online database: www.carbonconnection-nw.info
Gledhill Ltd Manufacturer of domestic and industrial water tanks
Gledhill Building Products Limited, Sycamore Estate, Squires Gate, Blackpool FY4 3RL
Tel: 01253 474550 Web: http://www.gledhill.net/
For details of their Solar Thermal Store, see http://www.gledhill.net/building-products/downloads/torrent-solar.pdf
Solartwin
Solar hot water systems that don’t require a new tank. Web: http://www.solartwin.com
Woosh Energy are a new company supplying small-scale wind turbines, based in Lancaster.
Woosh Energy, CityLab, 4-6 Dalton Square, Lancaster LA1 1PP
Tel: 01524 590590, Mobile: 0782 333 8784
Email: info@wooshenergy.com Web: http://www.wooshenergy.com/index.html
E&S Fuels supply wood pellet stoves:
E&S Fuels, Unit 20/21 Lune Business Park, Lancaster, Lancashire. LA1 5QP T:01524 841214 F: 01524 841226 www.eands-fuels.com
If you have experience of any other suppliers you are able to recommend, please let us know.
Specialist Mail-order suppliers of Renewable Technologies
Centre for Alternative Technology http://www.cat.org.uk/shopping/searchx.tmpl
Energy Saving World http://www.energysavingworld.co.uk
The Green Shop http://www.greenshop.co.uk/
Greensteps http://www.greensteps.co.uk
Other sources of information
The Solar Trade Association represents Solar Hot Water installers in the UK. http://www.greenenergy.org.uk/sta/
Centre for Alternative Technology (CAT) probably have the best selection of books on renewable energy.
http://www.cat.org.uk/
Solid Fuel Association http://www.solidfuel.co.uk/frame/main.html
Switch to a green energy supplier Even if you decide not to instal renewable technology now, you can still use it in it by switching to an energy supplier that invests in renewable energy, such as Ecotricity. Compare the environmental credentials, price and service ratings of all the renewable energy tariffs at: http://green.energyhelpline.com