The current Labour Governement actively promotes and encourages the reduction of carbon emissions by the installation of small-scale, renewable technologies. To enable homeowners to adopt these technologies, there are financial incentives in the form of grants, available to help with the installation of solar water heating, photovoltaics, wind, biomass and ground source heat pumps. A new scheme called the Low Carbon Buildings Programme will extend those schemes for a further three years.
Heat energy is the main source of CO2 emissions. By using small scale thermal technologies such as solar water heating, biomass and ground source heat pumps, homeowners can contribute, significantly, to the reduction of Greenhouse gasses.
In the following, we will give you a brief overview of the technologies available, together with their costs and benefits.
Wind Turnbines
A DTI commissioned report has conclude that the UK has the best wind resources in Europe.
The supply and installation of a wind turbine large enough to supply a household is likely to be in the region of 2.5kw and cost around £11,000 fully installed. For larger non-domestic situations, a 15kw turbine is likely to be around £45,000.
Further info about wind turbines can be found at www.bwea.com
Solar Thermal: Solar Water Heating (SWH)
Solar water heating is now a well proven and sophisticated technology. Soalr water heaters can harness energy not just from the visible spectrum, but also ultraviolet andnear infrared wavelengths. The systems will collect heat from sunlight or from a diffused sky.
The UK Government has provided incentives by lowering the VAT for installed solar systems from 17.5% to 5%. Solar was also added to the list of equipment that qualifies for Enhance Capital Allowances.
A typical domestic system is likely to cost between £2,500 and £4,000 and save around half of domestic hot water a year.
Solar Electrics: Photovoltaics (PV)
A typical domestic PV system of 2kW is likely to cost around £13,000, deliver around 1,500kWh a year (around half the domestic electricity consumption) and cover around 20m2 of south-facing roof. A 50 % grant scheme has significantly improved the simple payback of this capital outlay.
Ground Source Heat Pump (GSHP)
Ground source heat pumps collect heat from the ground and raise the temperature to a useful level for space and water heating. In the UK the constant 'ground source heat' temperature is typically between 110C and 1130C all year round. For every kWh of electricity used to power the system, 2.5-4kWh of heat are produced.
Systems generally cost around £1,000 per kW. The sizing of the GSHP is crucial to the performance and feasibility of the outlay. The heat is best delivered through an underfloor systems of pipes and the energy efficiency and ventilation rates of the building should be of a high standard before sizing a GSHP system.
Further information on saving energy in the home can be found at www.est.org.uk, or tel Earthwise at the numbers below.
For more information on renewable energy see www.nef.org.uk
or
Earthwise Resource - Centre Beeching Road Industrial Estate - Bexhill-on-Sea - East Sussex - TN39 3UR
Tel: 01424 213666 or (M) 07973 781896
e-mail: enquiries@earthwise-resources.com
