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

UK-Off-Grid-Power-Design-Installation-Services-Offered

Further to many late evenings discussing the pro's & con's of business....

I am now actively moving Home-Brew Power forwards to offer a complete Off-Grid Power design & Installation service throughout the UK & British Isles. Home-Brew Power is going to initially focus on 100% off-grid packages, i.e. Remote power solutions where no grid is available.

Grid-Tie systems may follow in the future but for now our focus will be on Eco Friendly / Carbon Neutral power generation.

Anyone who requires a quotation for remote power, either Solar PV or Wind Turbines then please contact us on 07504 50 50 89

Googleplex-Solar-PV-How-It-Should-Be-Done

Google Leading The Way To A Sustainable Future

Location:Mountain View, California
System Size:1.6 MW

Energy Output:2,611,719 kWh per year
Savings:$393,000 + annually

Results:CO2 emissions reduced by 3.6 million pounds/year (equivalent to 4.28 million car miles/year)

"At Google, we do things a bit differently. We see a bit of ourselves in the way that EI Solutions solves problems, thinks, and invents."

Robyn Beavers, Corporate Environmental Programs

Background As one of the most recognizable brands on the Internet, Google is on a mission to organize the world's information and make it universally accessible and useful. Like many of today's high-tech companies, Google requires an enormous amount of electricity to power the computers and servers it uses to run its business.

The company wanted to find a way to reduce energy costs at its Mountain View "Googleplex," as well as make a statement in support of clean energy.

The ChallengeUnlike the typical "big box" buildings found on most high-tech campuses, Google headquarters features structures with unique configurations, sharp angles, and other architecturally unusual design elements.

The Smart Solution: Intelligent use of available mounting surfacesBecause of the nontraditional design of the Google buildings, the EI Solutions team had to take a nontraditional approach to engineering the company's solar power system. To maximize energy output, the team assessed every available surface on the Google campus for its viability to hold solar photovoltaic (PV) cells. Eventually, more than 197,000 square feet on top of existing buildings and new parking lot shade structures (designed especially for the project) were fitted with cells using customized mounting hardware.

To help reduce the cost of such a large installation, plus simplify any future maintenance needs, EI Solutions used one type of PV module in all arrays.To further optimize the Google system, EI Solutions also closely examined the company's electricity usage patterns, available financial incentives, and the amount of sun received at its Mountain View headquarters.
The Result, By building the largest solar power system ever installed at a single corporate campus, Google will save more than $393,000 annually in energy costs — or close to $15 million over the 30-year lifespan of its solar system. At this rate, the system will pay for itself in approximately 7.5 years.

Npower Launches Solar Generation Initiative 23rd June 2007

RWE npower launches initiative to encourage UK uptake of solar generation

RWE npower is launching npower solar PV, an integrated service offering UK customers solar energy information through to installation and electricity generation. The introduction of this new service comes after new research revealed that only 4.5% of Brits are considering switching to solar energy in the near future.

The UK electricity supplier hopes that the new initiative will make solar power more accessible and educate homeowners about the value that solar panels can add to their homes, as well as about the environmental benefits of using pollution-free power.

RWE npower's research, carried out by Tickbox Survey on a sample case of 1,192 adults, showed that, for 60% of those who want to be more environmentally friendly, cost is the major barrier to solar installation. In addition, 11% of those asked said that they believe it is not sunny enough to warrant the move, while 6% are not convinced that the panels actually work.

RWE npower cited Micropower Council figures for 2007, which state that, at present, only 0.13% of Brits own solar panels. The utility said that even though solar panels could cut yearly electricity bills by around 40%, almost half of those asked believe that a new kitchen would add more value to their house.
Therefore, from June 21, 2007, npower is offering customers a complete solar PV solution including installation and connection to the consumer's existing electricity supply. Once the solar panels are up and running, npower can arrange energy supply and buy-back.

Robert Harper, environment and renewables manager for npower, commented: "npower's solar PV offering will make it easy for homeowners to sign-up and manage their solar journey from installation through to generating their own power. If a customer generates more power than they need, the green eco-friendly electricity will go back into the grid and npower will buy it back for the same price as you'd buy it for."

White-Paper-Meeting-The-Energy-Challenge-Electric-Heating

The long awaited Energy White Paper, ‘Meeting the Energy Challenge”, has ushered in a bright future for electricity with detailed proposals pointing to how electric heating and hot water will be integral to reducing carbon emissions and improving energy security.
Creda Profile

The Rt. Hon. Alistair Darling MP, Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, notes in the White paper that “The UK’s reserves of oil and gas are declining” and that “we will become increasingly dependent upon imports in a world where supplies are…in less stable regions. We need to create the right conditions for…investment…in increasingly low carbon electricity”.

Richard Scott, Business Manager at Applied Energy, home of Creda, Xpelair, Redring and Stiebel Eltron in the UK, welcomed the Energy White Paper and supported the call for low carbon homes.“This can be achieved with the most cost effective mix of improved air-tightness and thermal efficiency of buildings, combined with the appropriate use of newer technologies like Mechanical Ventilation with Heat recovery, micro-wind turbines, solar thermal hot water and geothermal heat-pumps”.

“It’s within this context of thermally efficient homes that back-up modern electric heating plays a vital part in many countries around the world – even in eco-friendly villages”.
The White Paper pushes for increased investment in large scale Renewables, clean coal and Nuclear power, all of which produce low carbon electricity.

“The carbon content of gas is fixed. The carbon content of electricity continues to fall – only modern electric appliances can produce zero carbon heat and hot water from zero carbon electricity – it’s the only truly sustainable fuel source”, says Mr Scott.Specific announcements within the White Paper included:

1. Easier planning permission for solar, wind and heat-pumps from Autumn this year

2. Encouraging the development of more low carbon electricity through the EU Energy Trading Scheme

3. A legally binding commitment to reduce carbon emissions in electricity, as per the Climate Change Bill

4. Strengthening the Renewables Obligation for Energy Companies – encouraging centrally generated zero carbon electricity

5. Projects to develop 90% cleaner coal through carbon capture and storage; used to produce low carbon electricity

6. A major consultation on nuclear power to produce very low carbon electricity. Passive-safe nuclear reactors produce only 10% of the waste of previous power stations and have a 100% safety record

The White paper reported that 56% of the world’s gas reserves are in just three countries Russia, Iran and Qatar. In just 2 ½ years time 33% of the UK’s gas will need to be imported and by 2020 this will be 80%. “Unless we diversify our mix of energy sources we will be at the mercy of these countries; paying their price for dwindling supplies of a fossil fuel which cannot be made any more carbon efficient and is found in places difficult to reach and politically unstable”.

Applied Energy confirmed that moves are now underway to ensure the projected carbon savings from low carbon electricity are connected to the building regulations Part L and SAP.
“The bright future for electric heating that this White Paper heralds can be seen in the specification of electric heating by allowing SAP to reference the projected carbon reductions it illustrates. A ‘carbon milestones’ table already has the backing of many MP’s to ensure we make best use of the low carbon electricity of the future”

First-Bio-Fuel-Win-For-Astin-Martin-DBRS9-Bio-Ethanol

First bio-fuel GT race win

Last Sunday at the UK’s Snetterton race circuit in Norfolk the Aston Martin DBRS9 racecar entered by the Great Bookham, UK based Barwell Motorsport team became the first car using bio fuel to win GT race.

Driven by Jonathan Cocker and Paul Drayson, who as Lord Drayson is the UK government’s Minister for Defence Procurement, the Aston Martin running on bio-ethanol fuel won the two hour race by 6.5 seconds from their nearest rivals.

The Barwell Motorsport team was the first UK motorsport organisation to be confirmed as a campaign partner of Motorsport Development UK’s Energy Efficient Motor Sport initiative. Co-incidentally EEMS was also the sponsor of the Snetterton race.

Speaking about the success Lord Drayson said: “This is not a one off, the car has been competitive all season, taking two pole positions and it now leads the championship.

“It goes to prove that running a car on bio-fuel doesn’t mean any compromise in performance. I hope we can get this message across to motorists everywhere.”

First-UK-Eco-Village-Is-Out-To-Tender-Now

Construction firms queue to be first to build 'eco-village'
The Government’s “Carbon Challenge” plan to create a zero-carbon development in Glebe Road has prompted interest from building firms.

BUILDING companies are poised to start a bidding war in Peterborough for the chance to create one of the UK's first "eco-villages".

Dozens of major British and European building firms have already expressed a strong interest in building the 150-home site in Glebe Road, Fletton, which will be part of the £150 million development of the city's South Bank.The interest is because the site is one of the first two Government's "Carbon Challenge" projects.It will act a model for Gordon Brown's plans for five eco-towns, providing up to 100,000 zero-carbon homes across England and a beacon of good practice across the building industry.The eco-friendly homes will also be the first "zero emission" homes, which the Government wants to be the norm by 2016, as part of the fight against global warming.Jayne Lomas, project manager for the Carbon Challenge initiative, said: "Building firms want to show they are leading the way in terms of design and energy efficiency."We've only just starting the tendering process for this site, but we've already had loads of e-mails from different companies wanting to get involved."I expect we will have 100 developers bidding for our Bristol site and probably a similar number for Peterborough."

We've also had smaller businesses contact us to get involved, with devices such as wind power generator and solar panels, and we want to get them involved too."When we narrow the number of bidders to about six or seven, we're going to invite people down to the site for 'speed dating' session, where they'll have the chance to speak to these firms."

It's a fact that over the next nine years, building regulations will step up and all new buildings will have to reach these low carbon emission levels."Firms are very keen to prove they can do this already and it's why we've seen so much interest."The homes, which will be exempt from stamp duty, will be built on the former Elliott Group factory site and their power supply will come from solar panels and wind turbines, rather than gas or coal-fired power stations.Homes will be made out of recycled materials, taps would pump out hot and cold running recovered rainwater.And, in order not to
waste any power generated, homes would feature a special "eco hat" roof to make sure little heat seeps out.

Homes currently produce 27 per cent of Britain's 40 million tonnes of annual CO2 emissions, and the new regulations are needed to help the Government's target of a 60 per cent cut in greenhouse gases by 2050.

Some 21 local authorities have so far expressed an interest in hosting the remaining eco-villages.Housing minister Yvette Cooper, who announced the start of the tendering process this week, said: "We need more homes, but we need to build them at higher standards."This is our chance to develop the new technologies for zero-carbon homes and eco-towns."

The purpose of the challenge is to show that the new technologies work and that they can be used in an affordable way. We want to see more affordable homes. It's no good if only the rich can afford to be zero-carbon."

Ford-Autoplant-UK-Green-Vision

Ford Dagenham's newest engine production line in Brentwood, Essex, has won a green award within two months of starting up.

Judges from Business Commitment to the Environment (BCE) have highlighted Ford's advanced environmental plan, which underpins the new 1.4/1.6-liter engine manufacturing facilities. Ford is ramping up production of its recently launched 1.6-liter engine and adding the 1.4 version this month at the east London manufacturing center.

BCE recognized a raft of innovative measures to use renewable materials, recycle and save energy by Ford's diesel engine manufacturing operation. For example, fluids used during the machining of new engines are blended from vegetable oil rather than mineral oil. Also, metal filings and other waste from the machining process are squeezed dry of lubricants and sold on as briquettes for recycling.

Ford Dagenham's award-winning environmental and energy strategy includes fluid recycling, designing high-efficiency coolant, extraction and chiller plant systems and installing two 3-megawatt wind turbines. Dagenham Diesel Centre, where the estate's new 1.4/1.6 engines are assembled, is Ford's only wind-powered plant worldwide.

David Miliband MP, Secretary of State for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs, presented the prestigious premier award to Stuart Burn, Ford technical specialist, who said: "Ford Dagenham's 1.4/1.6 launch program has been an all-round success story executed in record time. Ford Fiesta models powered by these units emit under 120 grams of carbon dioxide per kilometer and production of the engines themselves minimizes the cars' overall environmental impact. The whole Dagenham team, with more than 2,000 diesel engine experts contributing to the program's success, has been recognized by Business Commitment to the Environment with this award.”

Thanks to the £130 million investment behind the new 1.4/1.6 line, total engine output at Ford Dagenham will rise to 1,000,000 units a year by 2009. Positive environmental actions taken at Dagenham have resulted in annual savings of 150,000 liters of oil and a reduction of 300,000 liters of oily sludge. In addition, almost 21 million kilowatt hours of electricity has been wind-generated, saving 6,510 tons of CO2 every year.

Helping-To-Save-The-Planet-www.homebrewpower.co.uk

HERE is an article that was recently published in 'The Pudsey Times Newspaper' About myself and www.homebrewpower.co.uk

LINK: http://www.themahoneys.co.uk/uploaded_images/Eco-Andrew-2007-753117.jpg

I would like any readers out there to link to my article to hopefully encourage others to follow suit.

Eas- Lancashire-Wind-Farm-Site-Tests

WIND farm planners have announced they hope to build a mast to take detailed measure-ments of the gusts on an East Lancashire moorland site.
German-based EnergieKontor UK Ltd hopes to build 24 giant wind turbines on the moors between Oswaldtwistle and Haslingden.
The company has begun a consultation process with local councils and residents about the proposals.

Soon they hope to start detailed measurements of the wind on the site. To do this they will build a meteorological mast which will collect data.
As well as measuring the velocity of the wind and discovering if the moors are suitable for a wind farm, it is also hoped the data will help with future designs of the site.
Project manager for Energie-Kontor UK Ltd Judith Cornfield said the company thinks there was the potential to build turbines with a height of up to 130 metres. She said a planning application will be submitted shortly to built the test mast.
There has been early opposition to the plans, Hynd-burn MP Greg Pope said: "I know this area very well and I don't fancy seeing it ruined by wind farms.
"The best places for windfarms are offshore, they're the windiest places and don't spoil the countryside."

Residents can write to EnergieKontor UK Ltd, Conyngham Hall, Bond End, Knaresborough, North Yorkshire, HG5 9AY or email judith.cornfield@energiekontor.co.uk.

Wind-Power-Scheme-At-Portland-UK-May-Be-Re-Opened

PLANS to build wind turbines in Portland Harbour could be revived after the Government said it wanted to boost renewable energy.

The Energy White Paper says the country needs more offshore wind, wave and tidal power if it is to become a low-carbon economy.
It could mean that a controversial scheme to build 12 wind turbines off Portland, which has been shelved for two years, is re-visited.


E.ON UK, the company which has taken over the project from Powergen, says the new emphasis on renewable forms of energy would make it easier to build new wind farms.
A spokesman for the company has refused to rule out future developments off the Dorset coast.
He said: "The reason we stopped in the first place was because of the Olympic sailing events being awarded to Port-land and because there wasn't the legal framework in place for offshore wind farms in the area. In the future what the paper will do is bring a little bit more stability so a company like E.ON can make long-term investments.
"But the plans for Portland are shelved and the short answer is that there are no plans to re-start the process at the moment."

The scheme for 90-metre high offshore turbines in the harbour breakwater sparked opposition from many Portlanders.
Mayor of Portland, Tim Munro said: "As far as we know this hasn't totally gone away and in theory we could see them coming back with another bid.
"I think many people are in favour of wind energy but turbines need to be out to sea where the visual and noise are not as serious."
Plans by Portland Gas to build storage caverns beneath Portland have also been boosted by the Government announcement.

Andrew Hindle, managing director of Portland Gas, said: "There was nothing particularly new in the proposals but it is good from our point of view to know that the Government and its agencies back what we are doing."
The Government said the country faced two big energy challenges - climate change and maintaining stable and affordable energy supplies.

The plan is to triple the amount of renewable energy used to make electricity by the year 2015.
Other measures include increasing the use of nuclear power to reduce carbon emissions.

Alan-Whitehead-A-Southhampton-Labour-MP-On-Nuclear-And-Alternative-Power

A SOUTHAMPTON MP has disputed the Government's claim that a new generation of nuclear power stations may be necessary to meet the UK's energy needs.

Alan Whitehead, Labour MP for Southampton Test, said: "We must challenge the myths that the lights will go out unless we agree to build new nuclear power stations, and that nuclear power is necessary to allow us to meet climate change goals."

The Government has published its Energy White Paper, which said its "preliminary view" was to build new nuclear power plants. A final decision will be taken when a consultation ends in October.

Dr Whitehead said: "We should not be panicked into accepting a technology that poses a continuing risk in terms of weapons proliferation and terrorism, produces a toxic waste for which no management solution is agreed, benefits from hidden subsidies and tends to undermine both the prospects of renewable energy and efforts to increase energy efficiency."

DTI-Low-Carbon-Buildings-Program-Re-Launch-29th-May-2007

Launched on 1 April 2006, phase one of the DTI’s low carbon buildings programme will run over three years and replaces the previous DTI Clear Skies and Solar PV grant programmes. Open to householders, public, not for profit and commercial organisations across the UK (except the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man), the programme will demonstrate how energy efficiency and microgeneration can work hand in hand to create low carbon buildings.

Click here to find out about phase two of the low carbon buildings programme.

Part of the DTI’s microgeneration strategy, phase one of the low carbon buildings programme will fund a range of microgeneration technologies including:

Solar photovoltaics
Wind turbines
Small hydro
Solar thermal hot water
Ground source heat pumps
Bio-energy
Renewable CHP
MicroCHP (Combined heat and power)
Fuel cells

Two streams of grants are available under phase one of the programme:

Stream one for householders: the householder grant scheme is being re-shaped to make best use of the extra funding announced during the budget and there will be no allocation of funds this month. The next allocation of funds for householders will be announced on this website shortly

Please check the website regularly for updates. Click here to read the full announcement.
Stream two: for medium and large microgeneration projects by public, not for profit and commercial organisations. Applications are being taken now for stream 2A and 2B, click here to find out more. For more information about the grants available and eligibility criteria visit our

FAQs sections:
Householder FAQs are currently unavailable because the scheme is being re-shaped.
Businesses and SMEs applying for funding
Public and charitable organisations applying for funding
Phase one of the DTI’s low carbon buildings programme is managed by the Energy Saving Trust.

There are 4 mains aims for the programme:
To support a more holistic approach to reducing carbon emissions from buildings by demonstrating combinations of both energy efficiency measures and microgeneration products in a single development.
To see demonstrated on a wider scale emerging microgeneration technologies (with a focus on building integrated technologies).

To measure trends in costs of microgeneration technologies. It is expected that these costs should reduce over the lifetime of the programme against a 2005 baseline.
To raise awareness by linking demonstration projects to a wider programme of activities including developing skills and communicating the potential of microgeneration to change the attitudes and behaviour of consumers. Larger scale projects will seek to engage the construction industry in project replication by demonstrating the business case for developing low carbon buildings.

Energy-Inspectors-To-Hit-Homes-Across-The-UK

Rest assured, that when an energy inspector comes to your home, he’ll be thinking of little more than how quickly he can earn his £100 fee. A new army of ‘energy inspectors’ is being recruited to snoop around your home, checking everything from light bulbs to your boiler. Our writer signed up for training and found a hopeless shambles, mired in greed and cynicism.
My new classmate - Dave, the estate agent - has the kind of sharp, wheeler-dealer mind that might make you think twice about betting against him. And right now he scents an opportunity to make serious cash.
Which is how he comes to be in a classroom with me (and 33 other hopefuls) training to become energy inspectors, ready for the Government’s new Home Information Packs. Their crisis-ridden launch may, amid huge controversy and talk that they will not survive, have been put back to August. But even if HIPs are killed off, the one thing that is sure to remain is the Energy Performance Certificate (EPCs).
And when they come in, Dave is confident they’ll be very lucrative. “It’s all about revenue streams, isn’t it?” he says, with a knowing nod of his closely-shaved head. Labour’s council tax snoopers have snapped 1.3 millions pictures of homes I have met Dave on a crash course - supposedly this should take 200 hours of study, but we do it in six days - to become a “domestic energy assessor”, to give the job its full title. It begins on a drizzly, grey morning when I arrive at Birkbeck University in London to join a class of estate agents, builders, gas men, a surveyor, a pair of mortgage brokers and a handful of individuals who are changing careers (a former Army engineer, health club boss, casino employee and BA cabin crew member) ready to begin our City &Guilds course.
The Government says the purpose of the EPC is simply to educate the public on green issues. My own motive for doing the course - undercover - is simple: I want to find out how those close to the process think these energy ratings will really be used and precisely how they work. I also want to know whether the EPC, imposed as a result of a European directive, is a credible green initiative - or, as its critics claim, a flawed, intrusive and expensive piece of EU bureaucracy that will serve only to complicate the already stressful process of moving house. The first thing that becomes clear is that everyone here is hoping to join what, political chaos notwithstanding, is beginning to feel like a 21st century gold-rush. Or should that be gravy train?
“Build a real career with once-in-a-lifetime prospects,” trumpets the Energy Inspectors Direct website. “On the basis of two to three one-hour inspections a day, it’s possible to earn an income of £40,000 per annum. Now that’s a lot of money.” One thing’s certain - they’re making a lot of money out of us trainees. We have each paid £4,641.25 for six days of nine-to-five tuition; and by the end of the course, many of us will feel that we haven’t had value for money -particularly as, earlier this year, the company was offering courses at almost half the price (£2,585).
With so much to learn in such a short time, we’re surprised that one of his first lectures is simply on how to behave professionally - “because you may have to deal with difficult property owners, including Daily Mail readers who will probably accuse you of being a snooping busy body”. In fact, Jeremy himself is the first to admit that the job can seem intrusive. A DEA must take copious “site notes”, including information about what light bulbs you use, the thickness of your walls, the age of your house and any extensions and the type of glass in your windows; they will count how many rooms and how many open fireplaces you have, and even crawl through your loft to examine the insulation.
They must also take photographs - for example, of the inside and outside of your home, of the boiler and the hot water cylinder - to back up this data, which will then be fed into a computer to give your house a grade on a scale of A (the most efficient) to G (the worst). “Last week,” says Jeremy, “a bunch of my students missed a boiler because it was in a bedroom wardrobe and they felt uncomfortable opening the door. Well, I know it might be a bit difficult if the owner comes in just as you’re photographing it and wants to know ‘Why are you taking pictures of my wife’s knickers?’ But the boiler is important.” Apparently, the heating system has the biggest impact on your home’s energy rating. Depending on what type it is, the boiler can affect the numerical score given to the house (on a scale from one to 100 or more, which is then converted into lettered bands) by as much as 40 points.
The most efficient heat-generators are condensing boilers, because they recycle heat from the boiler’s exhaust gases. If you don’t have one, the EPC will recommend ripping out the old system and installing a new one to improve your efficiency rating. “But,” I ask, “does the computer software take into account the energy cost of throwing away your current boiler, which may be quite new and work perfectly well, and manufacturing a new one?” After all, we’re always being told we should try to be more thrifty, mending appliances rather than buying new ones. The answer comes back: no, it doesn’t. “We could have a discussion about that, couldn’t we?” says Jeremy.
Given that building regulations make it compulsory to install a condensing boiler if your gas or oil-fired version has given up the ghost, what is the point of having your heating system checked for an EPC? That’s a question my tutors can’t answer. We are also taught how to date a building. A 1930s semi can be identified by its curved bay window and hipped roof; a 1970s house by its lack of chimneys (a sign to the neighbours that you had central heating).
And we learn how to recognise the various patterns of brickwork that might indicate an old, solid wall or a more recent (and more insulating) cavity wall. This is important because, unless a lot of money has already been spent on insulation, older properties will always be less energy-efficient - and will therefore score low in the EPC. Some are surprised by how few brownie points some of the most heavily-promoted green measures seem to clock up. Even if every single one of your light bulbs is energy-saving, you’ll score only one point; double-glazing may earn you four; while (sorry, David Cameron) a wind turbine plonked on the roof won’t give you any at all.
On the second day of the course, as we’re waiting for classes to begin, Dave tells me how he plans to make money out of it. “We’ll charge probably £100 each for an EPC,” he says. “One person could easily do five a day - so that’ll be £500 they’re bringing in.” “Once people have an energy rating, they’ll want work doing to make it more efficient - insulation, doubleglazing, new boilers - so we can take a commission of 10 per cent from workmen they find through us. It’s going to be big business.” It’s not just those selling their homes who will have to buy an EPC, he points out. When the HIPs scheme comes fully into effect, landlords will also have to arrange one - which will then remain valid for ten years - the first time they have a change of tenant. “There’s big business there,” Dave says, deploying one of his favourite phrases yet again, “if you can get in with the councils. I’m trying to get close to them because there’s a lot of work to be had.”
Work that will, of course, be undertaken at the expense of you, the taxpayer. The idea of so many people needing EPCs raises the prospect of absolute chaos not only for the housing market, but also for the lettings industry and those waiting for council accommodation.Many of the key things an energy inspector is supposed to measure seem almost arbitrary. For example, we are taught to check for the presence of thermostats and thermostatic radiator valves, which could make a heating system waste less energy, but not to verify that they actually work.
So, in theory, you could nail an old thermostat to the wall, let the energy inspector photograph it and tick it off, and then take it down again. “It’s a visual inspection,” agrees the tutor. The same applies when it comes to energy-saving light bulbs, which could - theoretically - be borrowed-from a friend solely for the purposes of inspection. And then there’s the fact that an open flue loses you points if it’s in the living room, but not in a bedroom. As one of our teachers says, when we are taken on a trial inspection of a house: “There are a lot of stupid things, but they’re the rules - so that’s what we have to do.” Many of my fellow students are disgruntled.
We were promised that we could complete the entire course in six days, but it is becoming increasingly clear that it will be impossible to finish the coursework assignments - for which we have to do EPCs on five properties and hand in 85 separate written documents - by the end of the week. The quantity of paperwork inherent in the system is extraordinary. “Talk about bureaucracy! And then how long is it they’re telling us we have to store all this information for? Fifteen years? I’ll have to move house just to keep it all. It’s red-tape madness.”
We are told that homes account for 27 per cent of all carbon dioxide emissions in the UK, and that the purpose of the EPC is to encourage and educate householders to upgrade the energy efficiency of their homes. To this end, an EPC gives “payback times” - the period over which you might recoup, in savings on your energy bills, any financial outlay in upgrading your home. “This exercise is all about data collection,” says Simon, another estate agent. “And making us pay for the data collection. In five years’ time, they’ll start taxing us on it. Why wouldn’t they? What would be the point otherwise?”
Clive, one of our tutors, raises another spectre that should worry anyone hoping to borrow money to buy an old Victorian conversion with a ropey boiler, solid walls and drafty windows. “I’ve heard some mortgage companies talking about ‘green mortgages’, which means they’d retain money until certain things had been mended - in the same way they might do now if you had, say, subsidence. Now that would be naughty, wouldn’t it? And if it happens, remember I said it.” By Friday, we are all getting nervous about the multiple-choice exam. The coursework may be time-consuming, but it’s been made clear that we will be babied through it - so that even if we have to submit our folders several times, we’ll eventually get through. The exam is another matter: a retake will cost £300.
It will create a mountain of bureaucracy as well as a whole new army of supposed experts who know very little about energy conservation but quite a lot about an invented system of regulations. And their glossy new careers will be subsidised by homeowners and taxpayers. Rest assured, that when an energy inspector comes to your home, he’ll be thinking of little more than how quickly he can earn his £100 fee.