A country house in Devon which is part of the communal living movement will soon be powered by three forms of renewable energy. Beech Hill, a community of 14 residents near Crediton, has installed a 15 metre-tall wind turbine to generate electricity, four solar panels to heat water and a log-fuelled boiler to provide heating.
The new equipment means the community will no longer use oil-fuelled heating systems. It will provide all the heating and hot water and approximately a third of the electricity for the house, saving the annual emission of about 26 tonnes of carbon dioxide.
Funding for the £90,600 energy project has been provided by £35,600 from the EDF Energy Green Fund, £7,000 from the Low Carbon Buildings Programme and the remainder by the Beech Hill Community, which has taken out a 25-year loan to get the project started.
The project builds on the work at the community where residents share a common belief in environmentally-conscious living. Residents grow their own fruit and vegetables, share regular communal meals, host a village composting site, car share, recycle waste, keep chickens and use a natural sewage treatment system.
Sue Chantrey, one of the project co-ordinators, said: “The focus at Beech Hill has always been ecological. We are always working towards being more sustainable so we have been talking about renewable energy for a long time. With climate change becoming such an issue it became more urgent and the grants made it possible. We felt it was now or never. We didn’t want to carry on using oil and we wanted to produce our own electricity.
“We have had fantastic showers since the solar panels were installed. When it’s all done the house will be warmer, as well. Only a very small part of the house was heated for the courses we run here. Others had no heating or just inefficient wood-burning stoves. The corridors were unheated and cold. Now we will have radiators everywhere powered by a log-fuelled boiler.
“Everyone can make a difference to the environment by taking small steps towards becoming more sustainable. You don’t have to put up a wind turbine to make a difference. For example, everyone can think about how much they travel and how they do it and they can conserve energy.”
EDF Energy has awarded £3million to nearly 170 renewable energy projects since the Green Fund was launched in 2001. Its purpose is to showcase renewable energy projects which produce power from the sun, wind, water and geothermal sources that reduce the greenhouse gases linked to global warming.
Awards of up to £30,000 are available for projects in England, Scotland and Wales and such funds have helped schools, charities, local authorities, churches, water mills and other non-profit organisations to generate clean, green energy in their own community.
Beneficiiaries have installed a wide range of technologies, including wind turbines and solar panels, along with less well-established technologies such as biomass boilers, ground source heat pumps and micro hydropower generators.
The awards are provided in partnership with customers who choose renewable energy for their home through its Green Tariff. This tariff gives consumers an active choice in driving demand for renewable energy as EDF Energy purchases renewable energy to the value of their consumption. Customers who join the tariff pay an extra 0.4p per unit of electricity they use, which is less than £15 a year for the average household. This money is matched pound for pound by EDF Energy to provide the grants awarded by the Green Fund.
Green Building Press
full article
Monday, 17 September 2007
Top 10 tips for environmentally friendly landlords
landlords are being urged to to take a look at their green credentials. As part of the newly introduced Home Information Pack legislation, an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) that is less than 10 years old must be available to prospective tenants each time the property is rented.
The aim of this is for both social and private landlords to improve the energy efficiency of the property.
To improve the rating of your property, Lettingagent.com has identified 10 ways landlords can improve the energy efficiency of their properties.
Insulate your property: Roughly half the average home's heat is lost through its walls and loft. Cavity walls can be insulated for a few hundred pounds, and lofts can be lagged with an eco-friendly insulation such as recycled newspaper. Landlords can use their landlord’s energy saving allowance (LESA) to insulate the property.
Draught proofing: Up to 20 per cent of all heat lost in the home is through windows and doors. Draught proofing can reduce the costs of heating for the tenant and is also covered by the landlord’s LESA.
Use low energy bulbs: Fit the property with energy saving light bulbs. Not only are you doing your bit for the environment, they last up to 12 times longer than ordinary light bulbs.
Consider renewable energy sources: One way to reduce CO2 emissions is to consider using solar panels or even wind turbines to generate energy for the property. These are a real selling point for potential tenants as reduces the costs of their utility bills.
Foil panel radiators: Reflective foil panels help use the heat most radiators lose from their backs. This is cheap, and the panels can be found at most DIY shops.
Install a new boiler: Boilers are also a culprit when it comes to CO2 so when it comes to replacing this choose a high efficiency-condensing boiler with heating controls.
Fit A-rated appliances: Electrical appliances such as washing machines and dishwashers use up an enormous amount of energy. By choosing A–rated appliances this can cut the carbon emissions from the appliances you install in the property.
Fix leaking taps: A dripping hot water tap wastes energy and in one week wastes enough hot water to fill half a bath, so ensure all taps are in good working order.
Timed heating: Have the heating on a timer so that it is only one whilst tenants are in the property, and not wasted when there is no one home.
Give tenants green guidelines: This can be anything from ordering a green recycling box from the local authority to a fact sheet on how much tenants can they save on their utility bills with various energy, cost and time savings tips.
Lee Grandin, Managing Director of Lettingagent.com, said: “In the current climate, it is important that landlords take heed of the need to improve their environmentally friendly credentials. There are many advantages to going green as a landlord. Not only can you save money in the long run, but this also attracts a whole new calibre of tenant.
“In 2004 the Government announced a landlord’s energy saving allowance (LESA), which applies to England, Wales and Scotland. This scheme provides all private landlords who pay income tax and let residential property with upfront relief on capital expenditure for installations of draught proofing, loft, cavity wall, solid wall and hot water system insulation in rented accommodation. LESA allows landlords a deduction for income tax purposes up to a maximum of £1,500, so is definitely worth looking into”
full article
The aim of this is for both social and private landlords to improve the energy efficiency of the property.
To improve the rating of your property, Lettingagent.com has identified 10 ways landlords can improve the energy efficiency of their properties.
Insulate your property: Roughly half the average home's heat is lost through its walls and loft. Cavity walls can be insulated for a few hundred pounds, and lofts can be lagged with an eco-friendly insulation such as recycled newspaper. Landlords can use their landlord’s energy saving allowance (LESA) to insulate the property.
Draught proofing: Up to 20 per cent of all heat lost in the home is through windows and doors. Draught proofing can reduce the costs of heating for the tenant and is also covered by the landlord’s LESA.
Use low energy bulbs: Fit the property with energy saving light bulbs. Not only are you doing your bit for the environment, they last up to 12 times longer than ordinary light bulbs.
Consider renewable energy sources: One way to reduce CO2 emissions is to consider using solar panels or even wind turbines to generate energy for the property. These are a real selling point for potential tenants as reduces the costs of their utility bills.
Foil panel radiators: Reflective foil panels help use the heat most radiators lose from their backs. This is cheap, and the panels can be found at most DIY shops.
Install a new boiler: Boilers are also a culprit when it comes to CO2 so when it comes to replacing this choose a high efficiency-condensing boiler with heating controls.
Fit A-rated appliances: Electrical appliances such as washing machines and dishwashers use up an enormous amount of energy. By choosing A–rated appliances this can cut the carbon emissions from the appliances you install in the property.
Fix leaking taps: A dripping hot water tap wastes energy and in one week wastes enough hot water to fill half a bath, so ensure all taps are in good working order.
Timed heating: Have the heating on a timer so that it is only one whilst tenants are in the property, and not wasted when there is no one home.
Give tenants green guidelines: This can be anything from ordering a green recycling box from the local authority to a fact sheet on how much tenants can they save on their utility bills with various energy, cost and time savings tips.
Lee Grandin, Managing Director of Lettingagent.com, said: “In the current climate, it is important that landlords take heed of the need to improve their environmentally friendly credentials. There are many advantages to going green as a landlord. Not only can you save money in the long run, but this also attracts a whole new calibre of tenant.
“In 2004 the Government announced a landlord’s energy saving allowance (LESA), which applies to England, Wales and Scotland. This scheme provides all private landlords who pay income tax and let residential property with upfront relief on capital expenditure for installations of draught proofing, loft, cavity wall, solid wall and hot water system insulation in rented accommodation. LESA allows landlords a deduction for income tax purposes up to a maximum of £1,500, so is definitely worth looking into”
full article
Sunday, 16 September 2007
How do we build a green extension?
'Dwelling envelope' is by far my favourite term of the week, used liberally in lieu of 'house' in the latest research papers on sustainable building. Upsizing your 'dwelling envelope' in a non-sustainable way would mean another significant contribution to the building sector's 33 per cent share of man-made global emissions. A low-carbon extension won't completely negate your impact (unless you are a very brilliant eco builder), but experts insist homes could achieve a 60-70 per cent reduction in CO2 emissions with 'plausible combinations of existing and/or emerging technologies'.
But decarbonising our living space is partly dependent on scaling back energy consumption. So while nobody will expect you to enjoy your new room sitting in the dark, hold back on the gadgets and halogen bulbs and remember that compact fluorescent lamps provide four to five times the lumens per watt of the incandescent variety.
Talk of fixtures and fittings is, however, a bit previous, because first you need to build the thing. You should have high aims. All new homes are supposed to conform to those set by the PassivHaus system by 2013, and be zero carbon by 2016 (passivhaus.org.uk).
You can start now. While you should not expect to find fleets of eco builders waiting to chat through plans for a straw bale extension, the Sustainable Building Association (aecb.net) may put you in touch with one or two. If your extension is of the DIY variety, the Centre for Alternative Technology runs a wide variety of courses (cat.org.uk).
A more mainstream route is to buy a timber-framed extension, as long as the company can prove the wood is from a renewable and sustainable source (English Heritage Buildings, at ehbp.com, specialises in renewable English green oak). A timber structure built instead of a masonry home saves about four tonnes of CO2.
But timber is far from the complete solution - and on a massive scale it would be unsustainable. Neither is it the only way of 'decarbonising' your home. The Building Services Research and Information Association suggests vacuum insulation panels (wacker.com)), daylighting systems and controls (daylightsystems.com) and photovoltaic and solar thermal systems (solarcentury.co.uk).
Begin with an online trip to the Green Building Store (www.greenbuildingstore.co.uk) and order your insulation pronto. The word on the street is that European manufacturers are struggling to keep up with demand.
Will it be worth it? Well, according to the Commission for Architecture and the Built environment (cabe.org.uk) 84 per cent of buyers would pay an extra two per cent on the purchase price for an eco-friendly home. You can expect some fiscal gain for pushing that green dwelling envelope.
full article
But decarbonising our living space is partly dependent on scaling back energy consumption. So while nobody will expect you to enjoy your new room sitting in the dark, hold back on the gadgets and halogen bulbs and remember that compact fluorescent lamps provide four to five times the lumens per watt of the incandescent variety.
Talk of fixtures and fittings is, however, a bit previous, because first you need to build the thing. You should have high aims. All new homes are supposed to conform to those set by the PassivHaus system by 2013, and be zero carbon by 2016 (passivhaus.org.uk).
You can start now. While you should not expect to find fleets of eco builders waiting to chat through plans for a straw bale extension, the Sustainable Building Association (aecb.net) may put you in touch with one or two. If your extension is of the DIY variety, the Centre for Alternative Technology runs a wide variety of courses (cat.org.uk).
A more mainstream route is to buy a timber-framed extension, as long as the company can prove the wood is from a renewable and sustainable source (English Heritage Buildings, at ehbp.com, specialises in renewable English green oak). A timber structure built instead of a masonry home saves about four tonnes of CO2.
But timber is far from the complete solution - and on a massive scale it would be unsustainable. Neither is it the only way of 'decarbonising' your home. The Building Services Research and Information Association suggests vacuum insulation panels (wacker.com)), daylighting systems and controls (daylightsystems.com) and photovoltaic and solar thermal systems (solarcentury.co.uk).
Begin with an online trip to the Green Building Store (www.greenbuildingstore.co.uk) and order your insulation pronto. The word on the street is that European manufacturers are struggling to keep up with demand.
Will it be worth it? Well, according to the Commission for Architecture and the Built environment (cabe.org.uk) 84 per cent of buyers would pay an extra two per cent on the purchase price for an eco-friendly home. You can expect some fiscal gain for pushing that green dwelling envelope.
full article
Friday, 14 September 2007
Green measures can put you in the black
The Conservatives made a clarion call to purify our environmental standards this week when they unveiled their report on how to turn Britain into a green economy.
Their proposals include a plan to reduce stamp duty for those who have made their homes more energy- efficient and the extension of rebates on council tax and low-cost loans to people taking steps to cap their properties’ carbon ratings.
This is the most thorough review of environmental policies ever conducted by a political party. It is radical but practical, pioneering but realistic, and shows how the next Conservative government can deliver the change we need,” said Zac Goldsmith, editor of The Ecologist magazine, who played a leading part in writing the report.
However, there is no need to wait for David Cameron to win an election before you put a wind turbine on your roof. There are savings to be made already if you aim to convert your flat or house into a environmentally-friendly zone.
The Energy Savings Trust – the organisation launched by the government to reduce carbon emissions in the UK – estimates that Britons could save hundreds of pounds a year by following a few procedures. The group offers advice and a list of savings and discounts available to those who bolster the standards of their properties on its website (www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/).
A simple tip is to eliminate draughts by putting seals on doors, letterboxes and keyholes; sealing gaps in floorboards prevents heat escaping as does double- glazing windows.
Energy-saving lightbulbs, which last 10 times longer than standard ones, can lead to savings of £60 on electricity each year. And thermostatic valves on radiators – which control the temperature in individual rooms – are also important tools for cutting costs.
Á jacket for your hot water tank costs less than £5 and could save about £20 a year, according to the Trust. Insulating walls as well as your loft could save about £200 a year.
If the boiler in your home is more than 15 years old, you should consider buying a new one. New gas boilers on the market are quite efficient and could save you up to a third of what you pay for heating. If appliances such as dishwashers, fridges, boilers, and washing machines carry an “Energy Savings Recommended” label, they offer more value.
Interested in putting up solar panels or a wind turbine? The government may subsidise your plans. The Low Carbon Buildings programme (www.lowcarbonbuildings.org.uk/home/) offers grants of up to £2,000 to fund solar panels and up to £2,500 for wind turbines. A wind turbine which provides between one and six kilowatts of energy and can be mounted on a roof costs a minimum of £1,500. Solar panels are more expensive and can cost more than £9,000 to install.
“People need to view wind turbines or solar panels as an act of commitment not as an investment with a strong return,” says Dave Timms, economics campaigner at Friends of the Earth.
For those on benefits, the “Snug as a Bug” home insulation scheme is a good deal as it offers grants of up to £1,500 to support insulation.
A number of utility providers such as Powergen and British Gas, also have programmes which might save you money. And local authorities extend one-off rebates of £50 to £100 on council tax for insulating home walls.
Finally, those looking to avoid using standard electricity might want to consider buying solar and wind energy which is available at rates slightly higher to those paid for standard electricity and gas. Ecotricity and nPower Juice are two of the more established green electricity groups.
Energy Performance Certificates, which are part of Home Information Packs, detail how energy-efficient the home you are buying is on a scale of A to G.
“In this country, there is a plethora of different schemes to promote energy efficiency which exist. It’s just that people need to know where to go to get them,” says Dave Timms, economics campaigner at Friends of the Earth, the charity.
full article
Their proposals include a plan to reduce stamp duty for those who have made their homes more energy- efficient and the extension of rebates on council tax and low-cost loans to people taking steps to cap their properties’ carbon ratings.
This is the most thorough review of environmental policies ever conducted by a political party. It is radical but practical, pioneering but realistic, and shows how the next Conservative government can deliver the change we need,” said Zac Goldsmith, editor of The Ecologist magazine, who played a leading part in writing the report.
However, there is no need to wait for David Cameron to win an election before you put a wind turbine on your roof. There are savings to be made already if you aim to convert your flat or house into a environmentally-friendly zone.
The Energy Savings Trust – the organisation launched by the government to reduce carbon emissions in the UK – estimates that Britons could save hundreds of pounds a year by following a few procedures. The group offers advice and a list of savings and discounts available to those who bolster the standards of their properties on its website (www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/).
A simple tip is to eliminate draughts by putting seals on doors, letterboxes and keyholes; sealing gaps in floorboards prevents heat escaping as does double- glazing windows.
Energy-saving lightbulbs, which last 10 times longer than standard ones, can lead to savings of £60 on electricity each year. And thermostatic valves on radiators – which control the temperature in individual rooms – are also important tools for cutting costs.
Á jacket for your hot water tank costs less than £5 and could save about £20 a year, according to the Trust. Insulating walls as well as your loft could save about £200 a year.
If the boiler in your home is more than 15 years old, you should consider buying a new one. New gas boilers on the market are quite efficient and could save you up to a third of what you pay for heating. If appliances such as dishwashers, fridges, boilers, and washing machines carry an “Energy Savings Recommended” label, they offer more value.
Interested in putting up solar panels or a wind turbine? The government may subsidise your plans. The Low Carbon Buildings programme (www.lowcarbonbuildings.org.uk/home/) offers grants of up to £2,000 to fund solar panels and up to £2,500 for wind turbines. A wind turbine which provides between one and six kilowatts of energy and can be mounted on a roof costs a minimum of £1,500. Solar panels are more expensive and can cost more than £9,000 to install.
“People need to view wind turbines or solar panels as an act of commitment not as an investment with a strong return,” says Dave Timms, economics campaigner at Friends of the Earth.
For those on benefits, the “Snug as a Bug” home insulation scheme is a good deal as it offers grants of up to £1,500 to support insulation.
A number of utility providers such as Powergen and British Gas, also have programmes which might save you money. And local authorities extend one-off rebates of £50 to £100 on council tax for insulating home walls.
Finally, those looking to avoid using standard electricity might want to consider buying solar and wind energy which is available at rates slightly higher to those paid for standard electricity and gas. Ecotricity and nPower Juice are two of the more established green electricity groups.
Energy Performance Certificates, which are part of Home Information Packs, detail how energy-efficient the home you are buying is on a scale of A to G.
“In this country, there is a plethora of different schemes to promote energy efficiency which exist. It’s just that people need to know where to go to get them,” says Dave Timms, economics campaigner at Friends of the Earth, the charity.
full article
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
