Barratt-Developments-Eco Village-Lancashire

Ecosmart new homes
30 November 2007

Barratt Developments today publishes preliminary findings from its pioneering ‘eco village’ project in Chorley, Lancashire – a 15 month experiment into how effectively ‘green’ technologies can be incorporated into new homes.

Academics from The University of Manchester have been monitoring the renewable technologies which Barratt installed in the seven-unit development and are now compiling the report on their performance.

Key preliminary findings include:

The Ground Source Heat Pump (GSHP) – ‘worked very well’.

On average a GSHP could generate 2.6 times the amount of energy it consumed. At these performance levels, an £7,800 GSHP would reduce CO2 emissions by 62 per cent and would take around 15 years or less to pay for itself at today’s electricity prices using a simple payback method of analysis.

Photovoltaic (PV) roof panels – ‘worked very well’.

On average, an unobstructed PV system generated 850kWh of electricity a year. At these performance levels, with a net-metering arrangement and a Renewable Obligation Certificates income, a £4,500 PV system would take around 37.5 years or more to pay for itself at today’s electricity prices.

Solar Hot Water Thermal Collectors (SHW) - ‘reasonably satisfactory’.

On average, a 2.5 sq m or higher SHW unit could heat a 180 litres tank of hot water on a cloudless day. The simple payback period will depend on the hot water demand of the household and this work is still progressing.

Micro-Wind Turbines (mWT) – ‘disappointing’.

Both the 1.7m and 1m mWT performed below the theoretical available output based on the recorded wind speed throughout the trial period. Simple payback period analysis has not been carried out.

Micro-combined Heat & Power (CHP) units – ‘trouble free’.

On average, the electricity to heat generation ratio of the mCHP units was around five per cent. It is still under trial and further results will be published at a later date.

The eco village project is the first of its kind by a major UK housebuilder. Barratt has used it to test-run the ‘green’ technologies at the forefront of the Government’s drive to make all new homes in Britain zero carbon by 2016.

Monitoring of the Barratt EcoSmart Show Village is being led by Dr Tony Sung, Chairman of CIBSE Electrical Services Group and Lecturer at the School of Mechanical, Aerospace and Civil Engineering at The University of Manchester.

Dr Sung is examining how much each ‘low carbon’ technology costs to install, what exactly it can and cannot do, what combinations work best, what they will save in terms of carbon emissions and whether householders could expect to make any cost savings as a result of living with them.

Dr Tony Sung said: "The Barratt EcoSmart Show Village has been invaluable to provide us with a wealth of performance data on various low carbon technologies installed in the seven test houses. It has shown that there are low carbon technologies for us to use for reducing or offsetting carbon emissions from our homes.”

“There is no shortage of renewable energy. Although they are intermittent in nature and often generated at a time that is out-of-step with the bulk demand, it has a vast and useable quantity. As long as we develop good ways of capturing, storing and retrieving it, e.g., outside the box of houses, we can greatly reduce our reliance on fossil fuels and help to meet the Government’s 2020 renewables target. This will allow us to retain significant reserves of hydrocarbons and coal for our future generations. Thus, the energy future is all about choice, not fate.”

Mark Clare, CEO of Barratt Developments, said: “The eco village has been an invaluable test bed which has helped separate renewable myth from renewable reality. The challenge now is to drive down costs to ensure that they have the widest possible take-up.”

“Barratt is now using renewable technologies at 40 of our developments. The Photovoltaic roof panels and Solar Hot Water Thermal Collectors are key features which we will use going forward. So too is the Air Source Heat Pump, which operates on similar principles to other Heat Pumps.”

The experimental prototype technologies have now been removed from the Chorley showhouses, which will be sold to members of the general public. More research on the low carbon technologies used at the eco village will continue at The University of Manchester by the Built Environment Research Group for a further two years.

The findings will then be published for the benefit of homebuyers and the rest of the housebuilding industry.

The-2012-Olympic-Flame-To-Be-Super-Green-Carbon-Neutral-2012-Olympics

Low carbon Olympic flame for 2012

A low-carbon Olympic flame will light up the 2012 Games provided a way can be found for it to be bright enough.

A carbon-neutral flame is difficult to see so Olympic organisers are looking for a suitable bio-fuel.

It is part of many measures announced by London 2012 organisers aimed at making the event the greenest ever.

It includes a carbon footprint study, a sustainable food strategy and a pledge to ensure no waste is sent to landfill during the Games.

The flame is such an iconic image that we have to get it right

EDF Energy's Gareth Wynn

An independent sustainability assurance body - the Commission For A Sustainable London 2012 - is being set up to provide independent monitoring of the plans.

The London Organising Committee (LOC) and EDF Energy have begun to search for a suitable bio-fuel for the flame, due to stand outside the stadium in Stratford.

Gareth Wynn, of EDF Energy, said that the low carbon flame "will definitely happen".

One possible answer is a bio gas, perhaps methane, using an organic material such as tree cuttings, he suggested.

Mr Wynn said: "The flame is such an iconic image that we have to get it right."

London 2012 chairman Lord Coe said: "We hope to use the power of the Games to drive change - behaviourally and in the way big events are staged in the future."

Solar-Panels-Over-Wind-Turbines

Why Solar Panels over Wind Turbines

It has become the home improvement of choice for the environmentally aware, but erecting a wind turbine on the side of your house could create more carbon dioxide than it actually saves, a study into their performance will reveal today.

David Cameron led the trend for “micro-wind” this year when he installed a turbine on the side of his west London home. But he may have been wasting his time and money. The Building Research Establishment Trust, which advises the government and private sector, has found that in built-up towns and cities weak winds and turbulence mean turbines are likely to add to, not subtract from, a home’s carbon footprint.

The BRE took data from sites across Manchester, Lerwick and Portsmouth and analysed the likely performance of three models of turbine. In Manchester two-thirds of the 96 different options studied for siting turbines produced a carbon dioxide impact that could never be paid back. Building, installing and maintaining the units would, on balance, exacerbate global warming. The same was true in a third of cases in the coastal city of Portsmouth.

“Small windmills may work in the outskirts of Wick, but the current generation do not work well enough in built-up areas,” said Martin Wyatt, the chief executive of the BRE Trust. “People need more information to ensure they are not doing the wrong thing.”

After the energy used in manufacture from aluminium, steel, copper and fibreglass, the carbon footprint of the turbine is exacerbated by transportation to the site and the need for regular maintenance to moving parts which bear the strain of rapidly changing loads during heavy winds, the report found.

The likely output of a micro-wind turbine on a pitched roof house in a large city such as Manchester would be less than 150kWh a year; 2% of the energy consumption of an average house.

But in a windy location such as Wick in northern Scotland, the output is likely to be around 3,000kWh a year - about 40% of energy use. The carbon payback in this coastal town would come in less than a year in most cases, and after no more than seven years in the most difficult conditions.

Carbon dioxide embodied in the manufacture of the turbines ranged widely. In the best case it was 180kg - equivalent to the amount emitted in a 45-mile car journey. In the worst it was 1,444 kg, close to the impact of one person taking a return flight to New York. Delivery, installation and maintenance over a 20-year lifespan could add from 18kg to 147kg of CO2.

Baydon-Meadow-Wind-Turbine-News-West-Berkshire-Council-To-Reject-The-Project!

Officers recommend that Baydon Meadow wind turbine be rejected ahead of key planning meeting

Officers will recommend that the application for a controversial wind turbine in Baydon Meadow should be refused at tonight's Western Area Planning Committee (November 21), despite a demand to find renewable energy sources.

Green campaigners are set to picket the offices of West Berkshire Council tonight to protest against the officers' decision.

The wind turbine which would be 81 meters in height and effectively provide the Lambourn Valley area with enough electricity to supply 640 typical UK homes, roughly one third of Baydon’s properties.

Applicant Matt Partridge who took his the application to appeal after it was rejected in 2004 is hoping for a better outcome and will be attending the meeting to fight the case for renewable energy.

He said the proposal has a lot of support locally despite uproar from the racing community who feel the rotary blades from the turbine will spook horses.

He said : “There have been 146 letters of support (all individual, unique letters) and only 65 letters of objection (including a petition). In my 14 years of developing onshore wind farms in the UK, I can safely claim that the Baydon Meadow proposal - for a project at the planning stage - enjoys both unusually strong support and unusually low levels of objection, although independent public attitude surveys have shown for well over a decade that wind energy enjoys 80% support from the general public.”

Planning officers will suggest that the application is refused because its impact on the AONB (Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty), the impact of the ‘shadow flicker’ on the surrounding residents and horses to the East of the proposed site and the physiological and physical impact on pilots flying into the adjacent airfield.

The recommendation to refuse the application also states that it has not been amended enough since

They have sat on their hands and pretended that by putting a couple of solar panels on the roof of the town hall they are doing their bit

Adrian Foster-Fletcher, Friends of the Earth

similar plans had failed at a recent appeal.

Despite letters of support received by the applicant from local residents including the Lambourn Sustainability Forum because of it would provide so much electricity through renewable energy, the proposal has caused outrage among the racing community.

The horse racing fraternity are outraged by an application it deems as being potentially dangerous to horses as the noise and flicker from its blades might spook the animals.

Champion Jockey Tony McCoy said: “It is an accident waiting to happen.”

Mr McCoy’s proposed training yard would be under the wind turbine, if it was approved, and he claims such a vital local amenity for the racing industry would be badly affected as trainers wouldn’t want to keep horses near rotating blades.

District councillor for Lambourn Gordon Lundie said he welcomes the debate but thinks the district council should lay down a policy for the construction of wind turbines.

But a polar bear is to be among environmental activists outside council officers tonight, urging councillors to vote through the proposal.

They believe the need for renewable energy outweighs the effect on the local landscape.

Local Friends of the Earth spokesman Adrian Foster-Fletcher said: “Four years ago they turned down this application saying that they were in favour of renewable energy but this planning application was in the wrong place.

“They said they would identify suitable sites, but since they have sat on their hands and pretended that by putting a couple of solar panels on the roof of the town hall they are doing their bit.”

“Despite 1,500 houses suffereing severe flooding, they still consider protecting the view of the countryside from the Membury Services cafeteria is a higher priority than doing their bit to fight climate change,” he added.

Green-Home-Service-Government-Questions-Answers

Q &A: Green Home Service

What are the government plans?

To provide a nationwide network of shops providing a Green Homes Service by 2011. It will invest more than £100m in the service.

What will the service include?

The service will:

· offer a green home health check – essentially an MOT for your home – providing advice on energy saving, water saving. Waste reduction and recycling and green travel options.

· connect people with offers from energy companies for discounted or free energy saving products such as cavity wall and loft insulation and offer a range of other financial packages through programmes such as Warm Front.

· offer a range of financial support packages to householders.

· contact people buying and selling homes with poor energy ratings to connect them with grants. Loans and financial packages to get the work done to improve the rating on their homes.

· pilot a premium service for a green home makeover.

Is this service already available in some areas?

The Energy Saving Trust has 49 advice centres across the UK that currently provide a reactive service. When people contact them the centre staff can identify suitable home energy saving measures, recommend suitably qualified trades people, and advise on grants available to help towards the costs of insulation and other measures. There is also a free-phone number 0800 512 012 to provide home energy efficiency advice.

How many people has the service helped?

There are 500 members of staff who have advised 5.8 million customers since 1996. This advice has saved customer £124m on energy bills and more than 23m tonnes of C02.

How will the service change?

From April 1 2008, it will be a proactive service going to people's doors and offering advise on more than energy efficiency – travel, water efficiency and waste reduction.

How much could I save if I had my home insulated?

Cavity wall insulation, which cuts the amount of energy needed to heat a home, could reduce heating costs by 15% or up to £120 year. The work costs around £500, but you may be eligible for grants to help cover the costs. Loft insulation, which acts as a blanket, trapping rising heat from the floors below, could save a further £110 per year and cost around £370 to have fitted. If everyone in the UK had loft insulation to a depth of 270mm, almost £400m could be saved in heating bills every year.

Double glazing prevents heat loss through windows, so will lead to savings on fuel bills.

How much C02 emissions comes from things we do in the home?

Some 7.9% of C02 gases come from residential and commercial buildings. Things like leaving lights on unnecessarily or overfilling the kettle all waste energy and result in needless carbon dioxide emissions. Simple things such as fitting energy-saving bulbs, can use 75% less power.

Will the Green Homes Service help householders install renewable energy?

Renewable energy technologies like solar panels, wind turbines, and biomass heaters are becoming increasingly popular. The new carbon emissions reduction target (CERT) has incentives for energy companies to innovate, encouraging them to install more renewable energy. Up to 150,000 homes could be generating their own renewable energy by 2011.

How much does a micro wind turbine cost and how much electricity does it generate?

According to the Energy Saving Trust, the costs for a wind turbine begin at £1,500 plus VAT for a 1kW turbine. If the turbine is grid connected, money can be earned for exporting excess electricity, although the rate at which energy companies buy exported electricity is lower than the rate at which they sell electricity.

The amount of energy and carbon that roof-mounted micro wind turbines (1 to 1.5kW) can save depends a lot on several things including the size of turbine, location, wind speed, nearby buildings and the local landscape. At the moment there is not enough data from existing micro wind turbine installations to provide a figure of how much energy and carbon could typically be saved.

How much does a 2kWp solar photovoltaic system cost and what savings will it achieve?

According to the Energy Saving Trust, they cost from between £10,000 to £18,000 and could save one third off electricity bills

Farming-The-Wind-Efficiently

Farming the wind efficiently

Story Highlights

Wind power is currently the world's fastest growing energy technology

New wind turbine designs are more efficient and attractive

'Stormblade Turbine' may make the traditional style of wind turbine redundant

Wind power is currently the world's fastest growing energy technology. According to the British Wind Energy Association (BWEA) onshore wind farms are on course to provide 5 percent (3000 megawatts) of the UK's energy requirements by 2010. The UK Government -- who are investing around £1 billion in wind farms -- has stated that it wants 10 percent of energy to come from renewable resources by the same date. And by 2020 Europe as a whole hopes to produce 20 percent of its energy through renewable sources.

But opposition to wind power comes from some unlikely sources. The Germans, who are the world's biggest producers of wind energy, remain skeptical about environmental targets.

A 2005 study by the German government's energy agency concluded that wind farms were an expensive and inefficient way of reducing greenhouse gases. And a report in last month's Guardian newspaper suggests that the UK Government are concerned about the practicality of the European Union's renewable energy targets too.

If charges of inefficiency weren't enough, there's the aesthetic to consider as well. Wind farms are ugly say detractors, as well as being noisy and disruptive to the bird population. And smaller wind turbines attached to the rooftops of suburbia don't fair much better, attracting sour-faced glances from disapproving neighbors in the same way satellite dishes did a few years ago.

But new designs which are coming onto the market may make these arguments redundant as engineers create ever more efficient and attractive models.

Viktor Jovanovic's Stormblade Turbine is a revolutionary new design of wind turbine. It looks more like a jet engine than a propeller and promises unparalleled levels of performance and efficiency. Its design allows it to operate in high winds -- unlike its propeller counterpart which is switched off at speeds above 60 mph -- allowing it to harvest the most profitable winds.

Don't Miss

· Flying wind farm

· All about wind turbines

· American Wind Energy Association

London-based Jovanovic was inspired by conversations he used to have with his father -- also an engineer and inventor -- when he was a boy. "It was only when my Dad died that I revisited the ideas we talked about," he told CNN. "And then I got thinking about wind turbines."

The Stormblade Turbine has been in development since 2001. Jovanovic explained to CNN how it works. "The internal aerodynamics creates a pressure stream, which is directed radially towards the center," he said. "This induces centrifugal reaction force in the airflow that causes the stream field to expand strongly downstream of the rotor. The higher mass flow and higher velocity reduction behind the rotor result in a higher energy output from the wind turbine."

Jovanovic is currently in negotiations with a large multi-national company and has plans to make smaller models, which he says could be used for individual households.

Vertically challenged

A Wyoming based company, Terra Moya Aqua (TMA) is taking a different approach to wind turbine design. It has designed a vertical axis wind energy turbine which they hope will become the most efficient model on the market. Easier to operate, quieter and free from ground resonance, the company believes their design has many advantages over propeller-style turbines.

"The turbine is far more robust than traditional models of turbine", TMA President Duane Rasmussen told CNN.

Unlike large propeller turbines, which require running repairs to their blades after only a few years, Rasmussen believes that the TMA turbine has the ability to run for decades without major maintenance work.

"Because the turbine looks like a building it also means the avian population is not in danger," Rasmussen said.

The turbines aren't a blot on the landscape either. As Rasmussen points out: "Some propeller turbines reach up to 500 feet [150 meters]. You can see that from a long way away!"

The project began 11 years ago when Rasmussen teamed up with the turbine's inventor and TMA Chairman, Ron Taylor. Over the past three years, Rasmussen has traveled the world promoting the design across the U.S., Europe and in Africa. With orders in the pipeline, Rasmussen hopes it won't be long before the turbine is providing more efficient energy for thousands of people.

Like Jovanovic, TMA are designing smaller devices capable of meeting the demands of individual customers.

Critics of wind farms often point out that wind power is unreliable. And it is currently true that power cannot be stored.

But Jovanovic believes the technology is improving. "Storing power in batteries and hybrid wind farm power supply plants are two possibilities," he told CNN. The hybrid solution transfers the power generated by a turbine to a hydro-electric power station where the energy can be stored for use at a later date.

Urban energy

Problems of storing energy are negated once turbines move into towns and cities, as power can flow directly to supply the surrounding area. A UK based company Quiet Revolution Ltd is currently inundated with orders for its new wind turbine.

Initially developed by XCO2 -- a London-based engineering design company -- the QR5 is a five meter high vertical axis wind turbine which utilizes a triple-helix formation. And unlike horizontal axis turbines the QR5 doesn't have to track round to catch the wind. Made from carbon fiber and epoxy resin it is also light, quiet and can, say the company, generate 10,000 kilowatt hours a year.

Already popping up on commercial buildings in towns and cities all over the UK -- the first was installed in South London in 2006 -- the company is now developing a smaller 2.5kw domestic version.

Earlier this year, Marks Barfield Architects unveiled a new wind turbine concept that they hope might resolve some of London's spiraling energy costs. Standing 40 meters high, the Y-shaped frame would house five vertical axis wind turbines. Each tower would would have the capacity to create 50,000 kWh each year.

The creation of a new generation of wind turbines is forcing critics to reassess their objections to wind power. It may end up playing more than just a bit part in the 21st century, as the calls to reduce Co 2

Children-Get-a-Green-Education-Cool-Wind-Turbine-Kits-KidWind-Project

The KidWind Project is run out of Michael Arquin's basement in St. Paul, MN, and is all about educating kids about wind power. One part of this is offering really cool wind turbine kits from their website for home assembly and use in science fair presentations.

This low-cost wind turbine was developed for educational use at British Council events in the UK.

The turbine comes as an easy-to-assemble unit and is capable of powering a buzzer, LED or solar motor. The turbine unit comprises eight 3mm corriflute blades each of which can be separately angled by twisting on their aluminum spokes.

A-Shetland-Company-Making-Renewable-Energy-Possible

A SHETLAND company making renewable energy possible for home owners has expanded its enterprise on the mainland.

Shetland Wind Power, which installs small wind turbines for domestic use, has opened a new distribution and training centre in Stirling.

The company was established in the 1990s when its founder and company director, Michael Anderson, became dissatisfied with the amount of money he was paying for his own domestic energy supply.

Since then the organisation has gained experience distributing and installing turbines manufactured by Kilmarnock-based Proven Energy Products in Shetland and beyond.

Now, with environmental concerns on the increase and "green" issues finding themselves more and more in the national headlines, Mr Anderson says it makes both economic and environmental sense to have his own facility down south.

"We just can't justify purchasing wind turbines, transporting them up to Shetland, and then transporting them back down to the UK," he said.

"The environmental impact would be horrendous, especially when we are selling wind turbine equipment purely on an environmental basis."

Stirling was chosen as a base because of its central location for distribution across Scotland, as well as the rest of the UK and Ireland.

Mr Anderson said it was easier to access areas like the Western Isles from the town, and all major hauliers pass through the area.

He said the move wouldn't have any affect on the company's Shetland-base in Sandwick.

"We are maintaining our interest in Shetland. We have installers based in Sandwick, and we want to improve our business in Shetland because we feel we want to serve the community here."

He added a "global change" over the last six or seven years has seen an increasing number of people becoming aware of the economic benefits of small-scale renewables, as well as the obvious environmental gains.

Mr Anderson said the move would help the company employ more staff in the future.

"We have two people based in Stirling at the moment, but we are looking to expand on that," he added.

The company has always shied away from large-scale industrial development, preferring to concentrate on a niche that helps individuals and families do their bit for the environment.

"It started 13 or 14 years ago when I decided to make my house more energy efficient. I purchased a wind turbine and decided I shouldn't just purchase one turbine, but that I should be marketing and selling these products also," said Mr Anderson.

The company also distributes and sells other small scale renewables, including solar energy products.

Kind regards

Andy Mahoney

Home Brew Power

(Off-Grid Power Installer - UK)

www.homebrewpower.co.uk

Will-Saving-Energy-At-Home-Save-You-Money?

Will saving energy at home also save you money?

HOMEOWNERS WHO install energy-saving measures such as loft insulation and solar panels might save the planet, but they will probably not save any money - at least, not in the short term.

A study by the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) shows that solar panels to heat water could cost £5000 to install in the typical three-bedroom terraced house. But they would knock only £24 a year off the average energy bill, which means it could take about 208 years to get a return on the investment.

Jill Craig of RICS says: "The government needs to do a lot more than just introduce a fridge-style' energy rating system to encourage people to take up energy-saving measures into their homes. RICS has been calling on the government to reduce the level of VAT applied to all energy-saving measures and to provide an attractive grant programme to aid real change. If this government is really serious about combating climate change, it has to turn its big talk into even bigger actions."

RICS looked at eight measures that are recommended for a "greener" home. The cost of all eight, including insulation, condensing boilers and double glazing, would be £23,547. But they would cut the typical fuel bill by only £486 and so would take 48 years to recoup.

It would, for example, take 124 years to earn a return on an investment of more than £9000 in double glazing. If you installed underfloor insulation, you would have to wait 54 years to cover the cost with lower energy bills. Even loft insulation would take 13 years to generate savings in utility bills, according to the study.

"People on average spend 16 years living in one property, making most of the energy-saving measures financially unattractive propositions," says RICS.

But the Energy Saving Trust (EST) disputes the findings. Keith Marsh of the EST says: "We disagree with many of the installation costs stated by RICS, partly because they make no allowance for grants and offers that are available. There are also many straightforward things that people can do straight away - such as turning down the thermostat and switching to low-energy lightbulbs."

The government has been criticised for recently capping the grants that are available under the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform's Low Carbon Buildings programme. The programme was set up in April 2006 and offers grants to people who want to generate their own power from renewable sources. But the DTI recently cut the grants available for wind turbines and solar photovoltaics (PVs) - another system that generates electricity. The maximum grant you can now get for a wind turbine is £2500, down from £15,000. The grants for PV panels have halved to £2500.

A wind turbine can cost about £12,500 to install; in some cases the price can be as high as £25,000. If you can apply for a maximum grant of only £2500, you are going to be left with a hefty bill.

A typical domestic photovoltaic system costs between £10,000 and £18,000. The panels can also generate up to half the average family's supply of electricity, saving up to £125 on the annual bill. But it would still take years to recoup the costs, even with a possible grant of £2500.

Households in Scotland might be eligible for more help with funding. The Scottish Community and Householder Renewables Initiative can award a grant of 30% of the cost of installing renewable measures up to a limit of £4000. But you cannot apply for a grant under the Scottish initiative if you have already applied for a grant from the Low Carbon Buildings Programme.

If you decide it's too pricey to generate your own power, you can still do your bit for the environment by cutting the emissions from your home.

The energy we use to heat, light and power our homes is responsible for producing 27% of the UK's CO2 emissions. So we can make a difference if we make sure we use our energy efficiently.

Insulation does not make the headlines in the same way as solar or wind power, but it's just about the best way to cut the emissions from your home. Every household in the UK creates around six tonnes of carbon dioxide every year. If you insulate your loft and walls you could save around two tonnes of CO2 a year, which is a reduction of one third.

Start at the top of your house, with the roof. You should then check your walls. If your house was built between 1930 and 1980, it will probably have cavity walls, and they will probably need to be insulated. This is not as messy as it sounds - an insulating material is simply pumped into the gap between the walls. RICS estimates the cost at £728 but calculates that you would save £145 a year on your bills. So you could recoup your capital in five years.

Double glazing keeps more of the heat in your home, so you could knock about £75 a year off the average bill. But it's expensive. You could fork out £9327 for a three-bedroom house, according to RICS, so don't expect to recoup your money any time soon.

Secondary glazing is cheaper - an extra layer of glass if fitted inside your existing frame.

You could save another tonne of CO2 a year if you fit a condensing boiler. It's not cheap - they cost about £2000 to fit, but they can cut your energy bill by about £52 a year. If a new boiler is a bit pricey, make sure you've lagged your old boiler. A standard jacket costs a mere £10.

If you need to update any other appliances, look out for goods that carry the Energy Saving logo. They don't always cost much more, but they might save you money on your bills.

And don't forget energy saving lightbulbs. They cost about £3.50 each and use up to four times less electricity than a standard 60W bulb. They also last about 12 times longer.

You can get a free energy audit for your home by contacting the Energy Saving Trust at www.est.org.uk. The website also has lots of useful energy-saving tips and information about grants.

Reduce-Reuse-Recycle

3 Golden Rules (3r's)

1. Reduce
2. Reuse
3. Recycle

Follow these and you are on your way to a sustainable, green & Low impact lifestyle.

The-Green-Guide-National-Geographic-Society

I stumbled on a great site 'The Green Guide' owned and run by 'The National Geographic Society'

It covers many Green Topics including, Carbon Neutral Products, Green Issues (Of Course) Green Travel, Green Living and much more.

Their website is http://www.thegreenguide.com/

Don't forget to visit the homebrewpower Forum, it's free, it covers tons of subjects about Carbon Neutral Power Generation (Wind Turbines, Solar, CHP, MCHP, WVO & WMO Burners & many other interesting topic's)

It is brand new, free to join and specifically for like minded people.

Andy Mahoney
http://www.homebrewpower.co.uk

HomeBrewPower-New-Van-Signage-2007

The HomeBrewPower Van with it's brand new signage in November 2007

Look out for us around the UK, if you spot the van then let us know, drop Andy a line on

07504 50 50 89

Andy Mahoney
Home Brew Power
07504 50 50 89
www.homebrewpower.co.uk

Brand-New-FREE-Forum-Opened-On-HomeBrewPower

For all visiting, please pop across to the HomeBrewPower Free Web Forum to discuss all things Off-Grid and alternative Energy. Either visit the FORUMS link at the top of each and every page or alternatively please click on the link below.

Please join up and make the most of the FORUM here. I would like it to soon become a central meeting point for all of you out there with a passion of alternative Energy.

Kind regards

Andy Mahoney

http://apps.homebrewpower.co.uk/Forum/

Off-Grid-Power-Heating-Design-Installation-Bespoke

Off-Grid Power & Heating Design & Installation Service

Andy Mahoney
Home Brew Power
(Off-Grid Power Installer - UK)
http://www.homebrewpower.co.uk/

Off-Grid-Solar-PV-Project-UK

Project;Wood Forge Off-Grid Power To Remote Forge.

Home Brew Power comes across many bespoke projects in the alternative / renewable power generation business. Odian Wood Forge in Kent is a fine example worth a mention.

We are providing a solar setup to supply the forge with single phase 230VAC power to feed the extractor fan and forge fan motor. the Solar PV panel will charge a bank of SLA batteries via a charge controller which in turn powers a PSW (Pure Sine Wave) inverter. The system has been designed to allow additional sources of power to be added, if required, in the future.

The forge will be in use approximately 4 hours per week. The remainder of the time the autonomous RE (Renewable Energy) system will replenish the batteries.

DIY-Solar-Hot-Water-Heater

DIY Solar Hot Water Heater - Doug Kalmer

Monday, 16 January 2006

This is an article written by Doug Kalmer about his DIY solar hot water heater:

"This Photovoltaic (PV) pumped hot water system has been working well, with no maintenance, for years on my house.I am now past the point where the money I invested in the solar water heater equals the money I would have spent on electricity to heat water. Most of the year, we have more free hot water than we can use. Consider the fact that in the next five to eight years you are going to pay the cost of a solar water heater,whether you buy one or not. I kept costs down by doing all of the work myself, and buying a used collector panel, but still created a long lasting, efficient, high quality system.

I started by looking in the yellow pages under "Solar", and found a plumber in the nearest large city, with spare collector panels. I bought a 3`x13` aluminum collector with copper tubing and tempered glass cover for $100, guaranteed not to leak, but I tested it first, anyway. Assuming the collector needs to be freeze protected, a non-toxic antifreeze, usually propylene glycol, is pumped through the collector, to the heat exchanger tank. The simplest way to circulate the anti-freeze is with a 12 volt pump directly wired to a small photovoltaic panel, this eliminates the need for controls of any kind. When the sun is heating water, the pump runs. I bought a matched set of a 10 watt 12 volt solar electric panel, and bronze magnetic drive circulation pump from Zomeworks. The most expensive single component was the Heat Exchanger (HE) tank. I looked at what is available, and most are built around the ordinary glass lined steel water heaters, which have a limited lifetime. For less money, I had a stainless steel tank built with 50' of 3/4" soft copper tubing in the lower half as my Heat Exchanger. It holds 85 gallons, and acts as a preheater for the regular electric water heater. Non ferrous stainless will outlast me.

Storage Tank containing Heat Exchanger

Proper sizing of the system is important. Plan on at least 20 gallons of storage tank size for each of the first four people and 15 gallons for each additional person per day. You should have at least 40 square feet of collector area for the first two family members, then add 12-14 square feet for each additional family member. Keep tank size at a ratio of 1.5 gallons or more to one square foot of collector area to prevent overheating.

Besides the pump, panel, HE tank, there are a few other parts to the system:

1) A pressure gauge (0-60psi) will let you know the closed loop has not lost it`s charge of antifreeze.

2) A solar expansion tank allows the solar solution to expand as it heats.

3) A check valve above the tank to prevent thermosyphoning at night.

4) A pressure relief valve.

5) A hose valve at the lowest point for filling and draining. It really is a reliable, efficient system, we do no maintenance to it. I can read water temperature going in to my electric water heater, and most of the year, it is above the 120* setting of the thermostat.

It's your choice-you can invest in solar now, demonstrating your support for sustainable energy, and getting free hot water after your payback period, or continue to pay ever-increasing energy bills, which indicates your support for maintaining the status quo."

Last Updated ( Thursday, 19 January 2006 )

ABB-Is-To-Provide-Northhamptonshires-First-Wind-Farm

ABB has provided a comprehensive electrical infrastructure service for Enercon Gmbh to connect Northamptonshire’s first wind farm, at Burton Wold, into the local power distribution network operated by Central Networks, the E.ON UK company.

The project included making the individual cable links between 10 wind turbines, fitting out the site substation and commissioning the main 33kV cable that now feeds up to 20MW of renewable power into the Central Networks grid.Burton Wold wind farm started operation in May 2006.

The project was developed by Your Energy Ltd, is owned by Mistral Windfarms and operated by Your Energy Services Ltd – companies all operating under the Mistral Group. E.ON UK is buying the electricity output under a long term power purchase contract.The 71m diameter, 2MW, turbines at Burton Wold were supplied by Enercon Gmbh, one of the world’s leading wind turbine manufacturers.

ABB has developed a long standing relationship with Enercon in wind farm projects in mainland Europe, and this resulted in the award of the grid connection contract for this project.Over a four-month period from December 2005 to March 2006, ABB carried out all the customer electrical infrastructure works at Burton Wold including: - installing and connecting the 33kv turbine power cables, fibre optic telemetry systems; supplying and fitting out of the site substation, carrying out all on-site civil works connected with cable-trenching and erection of switchgear; testing and final commissioning.

Micropower-Combined-Heat-And-Power-CHAP-CHP

CHP,Micro CHP,Stirling Engine,Reciprocating Engine

Micro-CHP

These systems are usually fueled on gas, although some can burn a range of other fuels, and produce electrical power and thermal energy from the single fuel source. The two major types of engines used in microCHP systems are:

Reciprocating engines

The electrical output of this type of micro-combined heat and power (microCHP) units typically start at about 5 kW offering around 10-12kW of thermal output. Significant development work has been underway and currently continues, particularly in the USA, but here in the UK Baxi Technologies UK are leading the market.

Stirling engines

These are external combustion engines with a sealed system using an inert working fluid, usually helium or hydrogen. They range in size from ½ kW upwards and are now available on the market with the leading brands being Microgen and Whisper Tech

UK-Alternative-Energy-Installer-Solar-Wind-Turbine-Solar-Hot-Water

Homebrewpower is looking for sourcing some future work.

Anyone who is looking for an Off-Grid installation of Wind / Solar / Solar Hot Water please feel to contact us on 07504 50 50 89

Andy Mahoney
Director
http://www.homebrewpower.co.uk/

NPower-Solar-For-UK-Homes

NPower solar

Tap into the power of the sun.....

No matter where you live in the UK, you can take advantage of the sun’s natural energy to generate your own electricity and hot water. Even on cloudy days, solar panels can capture solar rays and convert them into electricity. They do this silently and because they don’t emit any harmful pollution, they will increase your home’s and family’s green credentials.

Although the number of British homes using solar power is currently quite small (around 6,000 in 2006) – it’s set to grow rapidly over the next few years, as it already has in other countries. Germany, for example, has around 140,000 homes using solar power – and in Japan, it’s almost 400,000.(Source BBC News 2007)

With npower solar you can come to us for everything you need. Working with our appointed contractor, Ecofirst, together we can talk you through all you need to know with Ecofirst managing the installation and providing any after service. We will even collect and pay you for any ROC's you are eligible to receive and in addition, pay you for any surplus electricity that you generate, if you join our buy-back scheme#. It couldn’t be easier!

Solar Photovoltaic

Solar photovoltaic (PV) panels convert sunlight directly into electricity that can be used for normal household consumption – i.e. to power electrical equipment such as storage heaters, washing machines, refrigerators, televisions etc. You may already be familiar with this technology; if you own a calculator, the chances are it’s powered by solar PV.
Each solar PV panel contains cells made of two or more thin layers of semi-conducting material, most commonly silicon. When a cell is exposed to light, electrical charges are generated and this is then fed into your home’s electricity supply.

Why solar PV?

You could lower your electricity bills – often by around 60%.
You could improve your property through improved energy performance. recognised by the new 'Home Information Pack'.

Reduce your impact on the environment .

Generating your own electricity means you can take advantage of npower’s buy-back scheme (if you join our buy-back scheme) to make money from any excess electricity you produce, for example on very sunny days. This means you can sell us back the excess electricity you export for the same amount as the standard tariff follow on rate that you would pay for the electricity you buy from npower.

npower along with Ecofirst, our appointed contractor for installation make the whole process of having solar PV panels fitted much easier, and together, we’ll help you through every stage of the journey.

Figure includes Renewables Obligation Certificate payment. Source npower Environmental & Renewables Team, June 2007.

PV systems and their installation are supplied by Ecofirst and you will need to enter into a contract direct with Ecofirst for its supply and installation. Npower does not warrant or represent and is not responsible for the quality, fitness for purpose or otherwise of the PV system or its installation and any other equipment provided by Ecofirst, nor for the actions or omissions of Ecofirst or any installer used by Ecofirst.

Contact solar@npower.com or call npower on 0800 316 1491