Despite all the hot air being emitted by the Government and the house builders, there is still a dearth of new environmentally-sensitive housing in London.
In February, the building industry grandly launched the UK Green Building Council (UKGBC), to promote green homes in the UK. A month later, Gordon Brown trumpeted the birth of eco-villages, and declared that all new homes would be carbon neutral by 2016.
Yet there are still only a handful of developers building green homes. A spokesman for the UKGBC says: "There aren't that many 'deep green' new homes being built in volume yet. There are a few small-scale projects, but no big ones."
While many developers are keen to flag up gimmicky add-ons such as bird boxes or low flush loos, most new homes are still struggling to meet minimum energy efficiency standards. Green architect Bill Dunster blames the poor standards of new homes on the building industry's need to make vast profits to pay for the land they have bought.
Andrew Warren, director of the Association for the Conservation of Energy, says that not only are minimum standards too low, but that the Government is refusing to let local authorities insist on higher standards because of their drive to build huge quantities of new homes.
"You either get cheap, quick and dirty, or you go slower and get it right. At the moment the need for volume is taking precedence over energy efficiency."
In solar power, too, we are lagging way behind our European counterparts. In many European countries, people who generate their own electricity via solar panels and feed it back into the national grid are remunerated at four times the market rate.
In Britain micro-generators only get the standard rate, meaning that the payback time for installing panels is about 25-30 years here compared with less than 10 in countries such as Germany.
full article
Thursday, 25 October 2007
Wednesday, 24 October 2007
The hydrogen-powered motorbike
High-powered motorbikes, or the bikers who ride them, are hardly known for their green credentials.
But a new, and unlikely, partnership between Japanese superbike firm Suzuki and a British technology company has produced the world's first serious "green" motorbike.
The Crosscage concept bike, due to be unveiled at the Tokyo Motorshow later this week, runs in complete silence and is powered by fuel cells developed by Loughborough-based technology firm Intelligent Energy.
Intelligent Energy has provided the battery and electric propulsion system for the new motorbike, and the small hydrogen tank is located where the engine would normally be, underneath the rider.
While details of the new concept bike have been kept strictly under wraps by Suzuki, the fact that the firm has chosen Intelligent Energy to develop its fuel cell engine gives some clues as to how the bike may work.
In 2005 Intelligent Energy unveiled the world's first fuel-cell powered motorbike, the so-called ENV (Emissions Neutral Vehicle) bike.
The bike was powered by a Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) type fuel cell – one of five different fuel cell types, all of which have different attributes in terms of size, robustness and ability to work at high temperatures.
Each fuel cell is a multi-layered sandwich of plates and electrodes which use a chemical reaction to produce water and electricity from hydrogen and oxygen.
Tokyo Motor Show is expected to be packed with concepts like the Crosscage which combine styling and performance with green credentials.
full article
Tuesday, 23 October 2007
Leave spiralling energy bills out in the cold
Energy Saving Week runs from October 22-28 and this year it is challenging people to adopt energy-saving measures to reduce their C02 emissions.
We all want to cut our fuel bills – and we can help save the planet in the process, thanks to the Energy Saving Trust.
The organisation has again organised Energy Saving Week to encourage households to become more energy efficient.
The aim is to address the damaging effects of climate change and cut carbon dioxide emissions and the main greenhouse gases.
And there's several schemes and grants available to help you cut the initial cost of installing hi-tech equipment or insulation, which puts many homeowners off.
In the last year, the Government has given almost £7million in energy efficiency grants to homeowners via the Low Carbon Buildings grant scheme.
The programme provides grants for installation of microgeneration technologies to homes, community organisations and schools.
This means solar panels, wind turbines, solar thermal hot water, ground source heat pumps and wood-fuelled boiler systems can be within our budgets.
Homeowners who are keen to become more energy efficient will benefit from the introduction of Home Information Packs (HIP), which includes a home energy rating and an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC), containing advice on how to cut carbon emissions and fuel bills.
As our homes account for 27 per cent of the UK's CO2 emissions, it's vital that energy efficiency in the home is encouraged.
However, accessing energy efficiency grants is never easy and finding out what is available can be a complicated process.
Sunderland City Council offers two different schemes for residents.
The Sunderland Energy Efficiency Programme (SEEP) offers free cavity wall insulation and loft insulation to residents over the age of 60, regardless of income.
Those under 60 and able to pay can get loft insulation for £150 and cavity wall insulation for £150. This is subject to funding availability.
It is very important to use the correct installers and contractors.
Some are able to offer significant discounts on installing products because of the Energy Efficiency Commitment (EEC) – a promise that energy supply companies with more than 50,000 customers have made.
They have pledged to meet an energy-saving target in the domestic sector.
Things that are often discounted are cavity wall insulation, loft insulation, condensing boilers, low-energy lighting and energy efficient appliances.
For more information, call 0800 174756 and quote SCC or the Energy Saving Trust Advice Centre in the North East on 0800 512 012 to arrange a no-obligation survey, to establish if your home is suitable for cavity wall insulation.
How efficient is your home?
Here are 10 top tips to reducing the amount of energy you waste in your household.
By applying some or all of them, not only will you save cash, but you will be doing your bit towards reducing emissions that contribute to global warming.
1: Identify where the main energy outgoings are in your home. The average three-bedroomed home uses 44 per cent of its energy on heating, 33 per cent on cooking, lighting and other appliances such as televisions and stereos, 14 per cent on heating water and nine per cent on keeping the fridge cool.
2: Make sure that you have enough attic insulation. There should be seven inches or more glass fibre/rock wool or six inches of cellulose in your loft. If you have none, make this your first energy-saving measure.
3: You can save as much as 10 per cent a year on your heating bills if you lower the temperature of your thermostat by one degree.
Most people won't even feel a change but your bank account will.
4: Heat loss through your windows accounts for up to 25 per cent of your heating bill. New windows must be double glazed by law, but older panes can let heat through. So make sure that the window edges are draught-proof, it's cheap and easy.
5: Hot water tank and connecting pipes should be adequately insulated (but don't cover the thermostat). You'll know if they are not insulated enough if you can feel the heat through any insulating covering.
6: As tempting as a hot bubble bath is, you use 15-25 gallons of hot water when you have one, but less than 10 gallons during a five-minute shower.
7: Repair any leaking taps straight away – gallons of water are wasted like this.
8: Fluorescent lamps are much more energy efficient than traditional filament lamps and last six to 10 times longer. Use common sense, such as turning off lights in rooms which are empty.
9: When buying new appliances, particularly white goods such as fridges, washing machines, tumble dryers and dishwashers, check out the energy efficiency ratings and look for the Energy Efficiency Recommended logo.
10: For washing machines, 80 to 85 per cent of the energy used is spent heating up the water.
Use lower temperature cycles, such as the 40C cycle, to save energy.
Grant help to take next step
THE Low Carbon Buildings Grant scheme offers homeowners a maximum of £2,500 towards energy-saving measures.
You must have already undertaken a number of energy-efficient measures before you are eligible to apply for a Low Carbon Buildings Grant.
Before applying you are required to have:
* Insulated the whole of the loft to meet current building regulations, eg, 270mm of mineral wool loft insulation or suitable alternative.l Installed cavity wall insulation (if you have cavity walls).
* Fitted low-energy light bulbs in all appropriate light fittings.
* Installed basic controls for your heating system to include a room thermostat and a programmer or timer.Once these measures have been installed, homeowners need to decide which microgeneration product they are interested in and then obtain a quote from an accredited installer.
Grants can then be applied for online and typically, the grants cover between 20 per cent and 50 per cent of the eligible costs, depending on the type of product you wish to install in your home.
For further information on the grant scheme and if you are eligible, log on to www.lowcarbonbuildings.org.uk.
Putting up a warm front
If you are over 60 or receive benefits, consider the Warm Front Scheme.
These grants are Government funded and provide a package of insulation and heating improvements up to the value of £2,700 (rising to £4,000 if oil central heating is recommended).
The types of benefit which are eligable include Child Tax Credit, Income Support, Council Tax Benefit, Housing Benefit, Job Seekers Allowance or Pension Credit.
If you want to find out if you are eligible, ring 0800 072 9006.
To apply, ring 0800 316 2805 or log on to www.warmfront.co.uk.
Help on the net
Helpful websites:
* Energy Efficiency: Thermographic Images
IRT surveys can identify energy loss from your home and calculate the associated CO2 emissions and energy savings, all from a thermal image. UK coverage, www.irtsurveys.co.uk
* Switch with Which: move to a cheaper energy supplier, average saving of £245, www.switchwithwhich.co.uk
* Confused.com could save you up to £200 on your energy bills, www.confused.com.
On hand to help
The North of England's Homebuilding and Renovating Show will be at the Harrogate International Centre from November 9-11.
Exhibitors will be on hand to advise you on environmentally-friendly products.
There will be a free seminar every day on creating an environmentally-friendly home and a full day of 12 free eco homes masterclasses on Friday, November 9.
For more information and tickets, visit www.homebuildingshow.co.uk or call 0870 906 2002.
full article
We all want to cut our fuel bills – and we can help save the planet in the process, thanks to the Energy Saving Trust.
The organisation has again organised Energy Saving Week to encourage households to become more energy efficient.
The aim is to address the damaging effects of climate change and cut carbon dioxide emissions and the main greenhouse gases.
And there's several schemes and grants available to help you cut the initial cost of installing hi-tech equipment or insulation, which puts many homeowners off.
In the last year, the Government has given almost £7million in energy efficiency grants to homeowners via the Low Carbon Buildings grant scheme.
The programme provides grants for installation of microgeneration technologies to homes, community organisations and schools.
This means solar panels, wind turbines, solar thermal hot water, ground source heat pumps and wood-fuelled boiler systems can be within our budgets.
Homeowners who are keen to become more energy efficient will benefit from the introduction of Home Information Packs (HIP), which includes a home energy rating and an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC), containing advice on how to cut carbon emissions and fuel bills.
As our homes account for 27 per cent of the UK's CO2 emissions, it's vital that energy efficiency in the home is encouraged.
However, accessing energy efficiency grants is never easy and finding out what is available can be a complicated process.
Sunderland City Council offers two different schemes for residents.
The Sunderland Energy Efficiency Programme (SEEP) offers free cavity wall insulation and loft insulation to residents over the age of 60, regardless of income.
Those under 60 and able to pay can get loft insulation for £150 and cavity wall insulation for £150. This is subject to funding availability.
It is very important to use the correct installers and contractors.
Some are able to offer significant discounts on installing products because of the Energy Efficiency Commitment (EEC) – a promise that energy supply companies with more than 50,000 customers have made.
They have pledged to meet an energy-saving target in the domestic sector.
Things that are often discounted are cavity wall insulation, loft insulation, condensing boilers, low-energy lighting and energy efficient appliances.
For more information, call 0800 174756 and quote SCC or the Energy Saving Trust Advice Centre in the North East on 0800 512 012 to arrange a no-obligation survey, to establish if your home is suitable for cavity wall insulation.
How efficient is your home?
Here are 10 top tips to reducing the amount of energy you waste in your household.
By applying some or all of them, not only will you save cash, but you will be doing your bit towards reducing emissions that contribute to global warming.
1: Identify where the main energy outgoings are in your home. The average three-bedroomed home uses 44 per cent of its energy on heating, 33 per cent on cooking, lighting and other appliances such as televisions and stereos, 14 per cent on heating water and nine per cent on keeping the fridge cool.
2: Make sure that you have enough attic insulation. There should be seven inches or more glass fibre/rock wool or six inches of cellulose in your loft. If you have none, make this your first energy-saving measure.
3: You can save as much as 10 per cent a year on your heating bills if you lower the temperature of your thermostat by one degree.
Most people won't even feel a change but your bank account will.
4: Heat loss through your windows accounts for up to 25 per cent of your heating bill. New windows must be double glazed by law, but older panes can let heat through. So make sure that the window edges are draught-proof, it's cheap and easy.
5: Hot water tank and connecting pipes should be adequately insulated (but don't cover the thermostat). You'll know if they are not insulated enough if you can feel the heat through any insulating covering.
6: As tempting as a hot bubble bath is, you use 15-25 gallons of hot water when you have one, but less than 10 gallons during a five-minute shower.
7: Repair any leaking taps straight away – gallons of water are wasted like this.
8: Fluorescent lamps are much more energy efficient than traditional filament lamps and last six to 10 times longer. Use common sense, such as turning off lights in rooms which are empty.
9: When buying new appliances, particularly white goods such as fridges, washing machines, tumble dryers and dishwashers, check out the energy efficiency ratings and look for the Energy Efficiency Recommended logo.
10: For washing machines, 80 to 85 per cent of the energy used is spent heating up the water.
Use lower temperature cycles, such as the 40C cycle, to save energy.
Grant help to take next step
THE Low Carbon Buildings Grant scheme offers homeowners a maximum of £2,500 towards energy-saving measures.
You must have already undertaken a number of energy-efficient measures before you are eligible to apply for a Low Carbon Buildings Grant.
Before applying you are required to have:
* Insulated the whole of the loft to meet current building regulations, eg, 270mm of mineral wool loft insulation or suitable alternative.l Installed cavity wall insulation (if you have cavity walls).
* Fitted low-energy light bulbs in all appropriate light fittings.
* Installed basic controls for your heating system to include a room thermostat and a programmer or timer.Once these measures have been installed, homeowners need to decide which microgeneration product they are interested in and then obtain a quote from an accredited installer.
Grants can then be applied for online and typically, the grants cover between 20 per cent and 50 per cent of the eligible costs, depending on the type of product you wish to install in your home.
For further information on the grant scheme and if you are eligible, log on to www.lowcarbonbuildings.org.uk.
Putting up a warm front
If you are over 60 or receive benefits, consider the Warm Front Scheme.
These grants are Government funded and provide a package of insulation and heating improvements up to the value of £2,700 (rising to £4,000 if oil central heating is recommended).
The types of benefit which are eligable include Child Tax Credit, Income Support, Council Tax Benefit, Housing Benefit, Job Seekers Allowance or Pension Credit.
If you want to find out if you are eligible, ring 0800 072 9006.
To apply, ring 0800 316 2805 or log on to www.warmfront.co.uk.
Help on the net
Helpful websites:
* Energy Efficiency: Thermographic Images
IRT surveys can identify energy loss from your home and calculate the associated CO2 emissions and energy savings, all from a thermal image. UK coverage, www.irtsurveys.co.uk
* Switch with Which: move to a cheaper energy supplier, average saving of £245, www.switchwithwhich.co.uk
* Confused.com could save you up to £200 on your energy bills, www.confused.com.
On hand to help
The North of England's Homebuilding and Renovating Show will be at the Harrogate International Centre from November 9-11.
Exhibitors will be on hand to advise you on environmentally-friendly products.
There will be a free seminar every day on creating an environmentally-friendly home and a full day of 12 free eco homes masterclasses on Friday, November 9.
For more information and tickets, visit www.homebuildingshow.co.uk or call 0870 906 2002.
full article
A home made of straw?
YOU can huff and you can puff, but you won’t blow Carol Atkinson’s house down, even though it is made of straw. It doesn’t have a thatched roof, but it does have walls made from straw: 90 bales and 33 half-bales. “You wouldn’t think it was made of straw, would you?” asks Carol, slapping the plastered walls with the flat of her hand. “It feels pretty solid.” And warm, too, as a result of the sheep fleeces used as underfloor insulation.
This is a home that is home-grown: being a farmer’s wife, Carol, pictured right, had lots of straw in her fields. And the insulating properties of straw are, she says, excellent. “In America, Canada, France, Germany, Denmark and Austria it’s very popular,” Carol says. “We’re just slow to catch on.”
There was another motivating factor. Carol, from Eastrington, near Howden, East Yorkshire, says that the foot-and-mouth and BSE crises took their toll on the family’s beef farm. “It’s a fact of life in farming today that you’ve got to diversify to bring money in. And we wanted to do something a bit different.”
Two years ago she began studying for an MSc in environmentally aware architecture and decided to create a mobile home from straw. The one-bed-room house, overlooking a lake on her farm, has a dual function: Carol rents it out to holidaymakers, while a study of its thermal properties will form part of her final architectural thesis: the straw walls make it 10C (50F) warmer than a conventional mobile home.
The straw house is an idea that just might find favour with Gordon Brown, who last month doubled the number of proposed eco-towns to ten. The developer of England’s first eco-town, at Hanham Hall, near Bristol, will shortly be revealed by English Partnerships. The second will be in Peterborough; the developer will be announced in the spring.
Initially Carol spent two weeks designing a model of the basic structure using Lego blocks. The property was to be constructed on a chassis (so it could be transported easily) and the external dimensions were set at 4m by 10m. “We could have made it bigger,” says Carol, “but then, by law, if we did ever want to move it down the road, we’d have to be escorted.” Work began in June 2006, when the straw was cut.
To help with the work, Carol found volunteers through Amazonails, a West Yorkshire consultancy that runs straw-bale building courses. It took 14 people five days to build the house inside a wooden framework (which was then removed), stacking the bales on spikes to form load-bearing walls. The walls were trimmed, and then plastered with lime render straight on to the straw. The exposed beams in the sitting room came from a barn door on her farm, and all the internal doors are reclaimed. There’s a solar hot-water panel, and a wind turbine powers the fridge and the lights (which are 12V). The cooker and immersion heater run off the mains.
The home’s internal walls are made of wood-fibre board rather than plasterboard; the former may be eco-friendly but it’s a pain to use. “After it’s in place, you have to rub clay into it and then put a coat of plaster on top,” says Carol. “Then you put a mesh on top of that to stop it cracking, add another coat of plaster and then a topcoat. As you’re doing all this, you begin to realise why builders prefer plasterboard.” There is an upside, though, besides the environmental benefit: because the clay absorbs moisture, the internal humidity of the house is regulated at all times.
The house took eight months to build and cost about £30,000. “But this was our first try,” says Carol. “I’m sure we could do it for less.” The only straw now visible is through the “truth window” that Carol’s son, Sam, made on the inside gable end “to remind us of the fabric of the building”.
Now Carol is gearing up to build a permanent straw cottage on her land. “The idea was to create a home that wouldn’t cost the Earth. I think we’ve achieved that.” The house is available for rent www.homegrownhome.co.uk
Tony Greenway
full article
This is a home that is home-grown: being a farmer’s wife, Carol, pictured right, had lots of straw in her fields. And the insulating properties of straw are, she says, excellent. “In America, Canada, France, Germany, Denmark and Austria it’s very popular,” Carol says. “We’re just slow to catch on.”
There was another motivating factor. Carol, from Eastrington, near Howden, East Yorkshire, says that the foot-and-mouth and BSE crises took their toll on the family’s beef farm. “It’s a fact of life in farming today that you’ve got to diversify to bring money in. And we wanted to do something a bit different.”
Two years ago she began studying for an MSc in environmentally aware architecture and decided to create a mobile home from straw. The one-bed-room house, overlooking a lake on her farm, has a dual function: Carol rents it out to holidaymakers, while a study of its thermal properties will form part of her final architectural thesis: the straw walls make it 10C (50F) warmer than a conventional mobile home.
The straw house is an idea that just might find favour with Gordon Brown, who last month doubled the number of proposed eco-towns to ten. The developer of England’s first eco-town, at Hanham Hall, near Bristol, will shortly be revealed by English Partnerships. The second will be in Peterborough; the developer will be announced in the spring.
Initially Carol spent two weeks designing a model of the basic structure using Lego blocks. The property was to be constructed on a chassis (so it could be transported easily) and the external dimensions were set at 4m by 10m. “We could have made it bigger,” says Carol, “but then, by law, if we did ever want to move it down the road, we’d have to be escorted.” Work began in June 2006, when the straw was cut.
To help with the work, Carol found volunteers through Amazonails, a West Yorkshire consultancy that runs straw-bale building courses. It took 14 people five days to build the house inside a wooden framework (which was then removed), stacking the bales on spikes to form load-bearing walls. The walls were trimmed, and then plastered with lime render straight on to the straw. The exposed beams in the sitting room came from a barn door on her farm, and all the internal doors are reclaimed. There’s a solar hot-water panel, and a wind turbine powers the fridge and the lights (which are 12V). The cooker and immersion heater run off the mains.
The home’s internal walls are made of wood-fibre board rather than plasterboard; the former may be eco-friendly but it’s a pain to use. “After it’s in place, you have to rub clay into it and then put a coat of plaster on top,” says Carol. “Then you put a mesh on top of that to stop it cracking, add another coat of plaster and then a topcoat. As you’re doing all this, you begin to realise why builders prefer plasterboard.” There is an upside, though, besides the environmental benefit: because the clay absorbs moisture, the internal humidity of the house is regulated at all times.
The house took eight months to build and cost about £30,000. “But this was our first try,” says Carol. “I’m sure we could do it for less.” The only straw now visible is through the “truth window” that Carol’s son, Sam, made on the inside gable end “to remind us of the fabric of the building”.
Now Carol is gearing up to build a permanent straw cottage on her land. “The idea was to create a home that wouldn’t cost the Earth. I think we’ve achieved that.” The house is available for rent www.homegrownhome.co.uk
Tony Greenway
full article
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