As you may be aware, the UK Goverment is committed to dramatically reducing our Carbon Dioxide emmissions.
46% of CO2 emmissions within the UK come from Central Heating systems. The way we power and heat our homes will inevitabley need to change quite radically over the next few years.
Whilst the majoritory of these CO2 reductions will come from New Build homes which will have very high levels of insulation, every existing home still has the potential to lower it's carbon footprint and reduce energy costs.
Renewable technology is fast evolving with newly designed products constantly entering the market. As a company we are continually investigating and reviewing the value of these products. Some have already proved their sustainability and worth; we can help advise you on the suitability of current products for your home.
Many renewable technologies could be integrated into your existing system. These include:
- Solar Thermal
- Solar PV
- Wind Turbines
- Ground Source Heat Pumps
- Air Source Heat Pumps
- Biomass Boilers
- Rainwater Harvesting
- Microgeneration
Solar PV (Solar Photovoltaic Cells)
These generate electricity from the sun via thin layers of semi-conducting material (usually silicon). When this material is exposed to light, it creates an electrical charge which can then be used as direct current. Lots of these cells are added together to form the solar panels that you see on roofs or gardens.
An average household will save about 50% of the annual cost of providing hot water using solar panels and the same when generating electricity for the home.
Ground Source Heat Pumps
Ground source heat pumps collect energy stored in the earth or in the air and use it to heat water in a cylinder for distribution to taps, appliances and radiators. They can also cool the house in summer. This is the most advanced technology available for home heating, hot water and cooling. because the earth itself ‘stores’ energy it is an extremely reliable and constant energy source, it creates no harmful emissions and uses a very small amount of electricity to drive the pumps themselves.
A heat pump works in the same way as a refrigerator, but in reverse. The collection system consists of a single deep borehole in the garden. Alternatively, where space permits, a looped array of pipes buried about 1.2 metres below the surface can be used. The ground source heat pump then extracts heat stored in the earth. This low temperature energy passes through a CFC-free refrigerant cycle which converts it into higher temperatures to heat the home. In summer, with an underfloor heating system connected to the heat pump this cycle is reversed, cooling the room to a comfortable temperature.
Wind Turbines
40% of all the wind energy in Europe blows over the UK, making it an ideal country for small domestic turbines. Wind turbines harness the power of the wind and use it to generate electricity. Small systems known as "microwind" or "small-wind" turbines can produce electricity to help power the lights and electrical appliances in a typical home.
Air Source Heat Pumps
Outside air, necessarily existing at some temperature above absolute zero, is a heat container. An air-source heat pump moves ("pumps") some of this heat to provide hot water or household heating. This can be done in either direction, to cool or heat the interior of a building.The main components of an air-source heat pump are:
- a heat exchanger, over which outside air is blown, to extract the heat from the air
- a compressor, which acts like a refrigerator but in reverse and raises the temperature from the outside air
- a way to transfer the heat into a hot water tank or heating system, such as radiators or under-floor heating tubes
Rain Water Harvesting
As the title implies, rainwater is collected, filtered and then stored in a tank from where it is then pumped on demand to dedicated supply points such as toilet cisterns, washing machines, garden taps or utility rooms.
Biomass Boilers
Biomass Boilers generate energy in a broadly similar way to traditional boilers, however the key difference it that they use organic fuels which are renewable. Such fuels can come either from plants or from domestic, industrial, agricultural or commercial waste. As such it is considered to be carbon-neutral process, as well is helping to solve issues of pollution and waste disposal.