Micro generation" is the new environmental buzz phrase. From the wind turbine perched atop Tory leader David Cameron's house to the solar panels starting to adorn the homes of the middle class – generating your own power from renewable sources is in vogue. And if people can "green the grid" by selling this energy into the national grid, then, it seems, all the better. But how do you go about it? And is it cost effective?
The first thing to note is that you will not be selling to National Grid, the company, but a utility such as British Gas, in the form of "renewable obligation certificates". One ROC represents one megawatt hour of energy and is worth around £40.
Before you can sell ROCs, you must register with industry regulator Ofgem (www.ofgem.gov.uk) as a renewable supplier. Power companies have given an undertaking to source 10 per cent of their energy from renewable sources.
There are, however, strong reservations about generating energy and then selling it on. "Installing solar panels will cost between £5,000 and £10,000; exporting energy will bring in about £30 per year. We do it as a gesture but in practice it's a red herring," says Dale Vince, founder of Ecotricity, a green energy provider. There are other costs too, such as a £1,500 export meter, and the average rooftop turbine only produces 1,500 units of energy – some 1,800 short of the average household's needs. "The whole thing is a nonsense, to be honest," adds Mr Vince.
But renewables firm Good Energy has come up with an alternative: it is offering to pay customers for the energy they produce, without them having to sell it to the grid. It also doubled the pay recently – from 4.5p per kw/h to 9p. The firm said this would translate into savings for an average household on their energy bills of £262.50 a year.
However, customers on this scheme will still need to buy the bulk of their energy in the standard way from the grid – and through Good Energy, whose tariffs it openly admits are around 14 per cent more than the average for the sector. Throwing such a cost into the equation, the return, in terms of discounted bills, is unlikely to justify a £5,000 to £10,000 initial investment on solar panels or turbines.
A spokesman at EnergyWatch, the gas and electricity watchdog, advises consumers: "Do all the energy- efficiency measures first, which have a far bigger impact than micro generation." These include changing your boiler and insulating your loft and cavity walls.
Those dead set on generating their own power and selling it on can get help with the initial investment: a government grant is available via the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (www. berr.gov.uk). To qualify, you must have already "installed the basic level of energy-efficiency measures".
After getting a quote from a certified micro generation installer, you can apply for a grant of up to £2,500.
Those with a green conscience may be heartened that green technology is improving. "The current crop of wind turbines are technically unable to do their job," says Mr Vince. "But the next 12 months will see the advent of the second generation –with fundamentally different designs."
'It's a nice feeling when you produce your own energy'
Alan and Margaret Pinder live in Thornbury, north of Bristol, in a 200-year-old country cottage, which they describe as "not particularly energy efficient".
The Pinders have, though, taken steps to cut their carbon footprint as they strive to become more self-sufficient. They have installed nine solar panels, about a square metre, each on their roof. "We are both worried about global warming and the environment and we don't have loads of money, so cutting energy bills is a bonus," says Alan.
"At the time, the Government was offering 50 per cent grants and we were lucky enough to get a windfall, which was just enough to take care of the expense. The whole thing cost £11,000.
"In the summer it covers about two-thirds of the electricity we use, but over the year the solar panels produce about one-fifth of our total electricity. As part of the deal we buy the remaining energy from Good Energy. You need to have the normal grid supply as well.
"It's a nice feeling to produce your own energy and people are always asking us about it."
Tom McTague
full article
Sunday, 21 October 2007
Friday, 19 October 2007
Free carbon calculator for builders
As house builders prepare for the 2016 target of zero carbon homes, The Edinburgh Centre for Carbon Management(ECCM) has developed a free and easy-to-use Building Materials Carbon Calculator, which will analyse the embodied CO2 in the materials used in a building. The tool is the first of its kind and will help decision makers select the best material to minimise a building’s carbon footprint.
Richard Tipper, Director at ECCM explained: “This simple to use and understand tool is designed to clear the haze surrounding calculating a building’s materials footprint. We receive lots of enquiries from the construction industry, all wanting to understand and analyse the CO2. The calculator allows users to type in the quantities for the materials used in each element of a building and then assess the associated CO2 using scientifically backed emissions data.”
The calculator will help clients, architects, builders and developers gain a clearer understanding of the environmental impact of their projects at the concept stage. It also encourages comparison with alternative materials to lower the total CO2 emissions of a building’s materials’ footprint.
Architects White Design used the tool recently when working on the recently unveiled Re-Thinking School at Offsite07, The project aimed to produce a low carbon, sustainable learning environment for pupils.
Craig White, Director at White Design said: “A low embodied CO2 footprint was one of the main drivers for the project. The carbon calculator indicated that the project was actually carbon negative – unheard of in most modern school building – thanks to careful materials selection and design. We’re very proud of the 40.9 tonnes of CO2 saved.”
The free tool can be downloaded from: http://www.eccm.uk.com/calculators.html
The building elements compared within the tool are: foundations, external walls, roof, cladding, floors, insulation, internal walls, windows and doors.
A two-bedroom semi-detached house might use concrete in its foundations, along with hardcore, concrete slab, screed and extruded polystyrene in its flooring and wooden joists in the roof. The Carbon Calculator will provide a reading of the embodied CO 2 in each of the building elements.
In this example, the foundations and floor would be responsible for releasing 2.9 tonnes of CO2 into the atmosphere during production, delivery and installation. On the other hand, the timber joists actually absorb and so remove 0.1 tonnes of carbon dioxide. Timber is recognised as being ‘carbon negative’ because it captures and stores more CO2 as it grows than is used in harvesting, processing and delivery.
Once quantities for all the project’s elements have been inputted, an overall indication of the building’s carbon footprint is provided. In this case which uses a combination of timber frame and block work, the materials used to build a two-bed semi-detached house would produce12.2 tonnes of CO 2.
Green Building Press
full article
Richard Tipper, Director at ECCM explained: “This simple to use and understand tool is designed to clear the haze surrounding calculating a building’s materials footprint. We receive lots of enquiries from the construction industry, all wanting to understand and analyse the CO2. The calculator allows users to type in the quantities for the materials used in each element of a building and then assess the associated CO2 using scientifically backed emissions data.”
The calculator will help clients, architects, builders and developers gain a clearer understanding of the environmental impact of their projects at the concept stage. It also encourages comparison with alternative materials to lower the total CO2 emissions of a building’s materials’ footprint.
Architects White Design used the tool recently when working on the recently unveiled Re-Thinking School at Offsite07, The project aimed to produce a low carbon, sustainable learning environment for pupils.
Craig White, Director at White Design said: “A low embodied CO2 footprint was one of the main drivers for the project. The carbon calculator indicated that the project was actually carbon negative – unheard of in most modern school building – thanks to careful materials selection and design. We’re very proud of the 40.9 tonnes of CO2 saved.”
The free tool can be downloaded from: http://www.eccm.uk.com/calculators.html
The building elements compared within the tool are: foundations, external walls, roof, cladding, floors, insulation, internal walls, windows and doors.
A two-bedroom semi-detached house might use concrete in its foundations, along with hardcore, concrete slab, screed and extruded polystyrene in its flooring and wooden joists in the roof. The Carbon Calculator will provide a reading of the embodied CO 2 in each of the building elements.
In this example, the foundations and floor would be responsible for releasing 2.9 tonnes of CO2 into the atmosphere during production, delivery and installation. On the other hand, the timber joists actually absorb and so remove 0.1 tonnes of carbon dioxide. Timber is recognised as being ‘carbon negative’ because it captures and stores more CO2 as it grows than is used in harvesting, processing and delivery.
Once quantities for all the project’s elements have been inputted, an overall indication of the building’s carbon footprint is provided. In this case which uses a combination of timber frame and block work, the materials used to build a two-bed semi-detached house would produce12.2 tonnes of CO 2.
Green Building Press
full article
Wednesday, 17 October 2007
Eco friendly homes now for sale in Norwich
Niche property developer Ron Beattie of Roy Williamson Properties is so ahead of the pack with his 22 zero-carbon zero-maintenance townhouses at Ecostessey Park, Costessey, Norwich, that government agency BRE (Building Research Establishment) is calling on him to help modify the sustainable housing code and offer advice to mainstream house builders.
Along with solar power water heating and photovoltaic roof panels, high insulation self-cleaning glass, and heat recovery, the two to five-bedroom houses overlooking private fishing lakes and open countryside have insulated internal partitions and external walls, which exceed current building regulations by 30%.
With the scheme's zero-carbon rating, buyers pay no Stamp Duty and will save money on their heating bills.
Also, Beattie has sourced zero-carbon wind farm electricity from Ecotricity and invented "warm room technology."
'Each room is a totally insulated by independently operated 100% efficient water-filled electric radiators, which means no heat will be wasted,' says Mr Beattie, whose last project in nearby Loddon gave buyers the option to have easy-to-move walls to change their living spaces.
Appreciating homes need to be aesthetically pleasing as well as green, Beattie uses his own dedicated building team to create light and roomy spaces. Three-storey homes at Ecostessey Park have their own garages, large balconies and floor-to-ceiling folding doors leading onto private gardens.
Prices range from £360,0000 to £470,000 and the scheme will be completed in January 2009.
full article
Along with solar power water heating and photovoltaic roof panels, high insulation self-cleaning glass, and heat recovery, the two to five-bedroom houses overlooking private fishing lakes and open countryside have insulated internal partitions and external walls, which exceed current building regulations by 30%.
With the scheme's zero-carbon rating, buyers pay no Stamp Duty and will save money on their heating bills.
Also, Beattie has sourced zero-carbon wind farm electricity from Ecotricity and invented "warm room technology."
'Each room is a totally insulated by independently operated 100% efficient water-filled electric radiators, which means no heat will be wasted,' says Mr Beattie, whose last project in nearby Loddon gave buyers the option to have easy-to-move walls to change their living spaces.
Appreciating homes need to be aesthetically pleasing as well as green, Beattie uses his own dedicated building team to create light and roomy spaces. Three-storey homes at Ecostessey Park have their own garages, large balconies and floor-to-ceiling folding doors leading onto private gardens.
Prices range from £360,0000 to £470,000 and the scheme will be completed in January 2009.
full article
Tuesday, 16 October 2007
Hull tops energy efficiency poll
Hull's homes are the most energy-efficient in Britain, according to a survey released today.
The survey by British Gas ranks 25 cities according to how energy efficient their households are. It found London residents are the least energy efficient, with households in the London borough of Kingston-upon-Thames wasting the most energy.
Homes in Glasgow, Newcastle-upon-Tyne and Portsmouth ranked highly, while Birmingham, Derby and Nottingham came alongside London at the bottom.
Figures from the Department for Food, Rural Affairs and the Environment show that households alone account for 28% of total UK CO2 emissions. And while new homes are built according to energy-efficient regulations, British Gas says that simple measures such as cavity-wall and loft insulation could cut CO2 emissions from the UK's estimated 25m homes by 52%.
Managing director of British Gas, Phil Bentley, said: "For every £3 we spend heating our homes £1 is wasted because of poor insulation.
"While strict standards on new builds are needed, most of the energy being consumed is in the ageing homes we live in today. Making changes in these properties will give us the biggest carbon-emission reductions."
The results of the survey were compiled from British Gas's free energy-audit. Around 1.5m households took part in the nationwide Energy Savers exercise earlier this year.
Households were given an energy-efficiency rating from A to F, with A being the most efficient.
The rating was determined by the property's location, construction and heating characteristics, and takes into account energy-efficient measures already installed in the property.
Last year, the same survey found most (65%) homes rated D or worse while the average grade in the audit was also D.
This year's grade remained the same, but a British Gas spokeswoman said the survey had revealed a behavioural change: "We've definitely seen a change in people's attitudes. Far more people are taking action, and it's not necessarily with more insulation or new boilers."
She added: "More people say they are turning off appliances rather than leaving them on standby, and turning down their themostat. There is a 10% increase in people who are doing these things."
full article
The survey by British Gas ranks 25 cities according to how energy efficient their households are. It found London residents are the least energy efficient, with households in the London borough of Kingston-upon-Thames wasting the most energy.
Homes in Glasgow, Newcastle-upon-Tyne and Portsmouth ranked highly, while Birmingham, Derby and Nottingham came alongside London at the bottom.
Figures from the Department for Food, Rural Affairs and the Environment show that households alone account for 28% of total UK CO2 emissions. And while new homes are built according to energy-efficient regulations, British Gas says that simple measures such as cavity-wall and loft insulation could cut CO2 emissions from the UK's estimated 25m homes by 52%.
Managing director of British Gas, Phil Bentley, said: "For every £3 we spend heating our homes £1 is wasted because of poor insulation.
"While strict standards on new builds are needed, most of the energy being consumed is in the ageing homes we live in today. Making changes in these properties will give us the biggest carbon-emission reductions."
The results of the survey were compiled from British Gas's free energy-audit. Around 1.5m households took part in the nationwide Energy Savers exercise earlier this year.
Households were given an energy-efficiency rating from A to F, with A being the most efficient.
The rating was determined by the property's location, construction and heating characteristics, and takes into account energy-efficient measures already installed in the property.
Last year, the same survey found most (65%) homes rated D or worse while the average grade in the audit was also D.
This year's grade remained the same, but a British Gas spokeswoman said the survey had revealed a behavioural change: "We've definitely seen a change in people's attitudes. Far more people are taking action, and it's not necessarily with more insulation or new boilers."
She added: "More people say they are turning off appliances rather than leaving them on standby, and turning down their themostat. There is a 10% increase in people who are doing these things."
full article
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