Solar Panels, Heat Pumps, Wind Turbines, Rainwater Harvesting Archive

Friday, 29 February 2008

Solar Water Heating Panels - Flat Plate vs Evacuated Tube

Solar Water Heating Panels

Solar water heating panels use the sun's energy to heat hot water for your home. When the water in your roof is hotter than the water in your storage tank a pump is activated and this heat is transferred into your water tank. This type of panel does not generate electricity, click this link to read more about Solar PhotoVoltaic Electricity Panels.

There are two common types of solar collector used in the UK.
- Flat plate collectors
- Evacuated tube collectors

At Intelligent Energy Solutions we offer both types of panel depending on the customers requirements.

Flat plate vs Evacuated tube solar collectors/panels

Evacuated tube solar collectors are typically more efficient than flat plate collectors. This does not necessarily mean that evacuated tubes can produce more hot water just that the panel area can be reduced. Typically you will find that for a flat plate collector area of 4m2, evacuated tubes need approximately 3m2 for the same size hot water tank. With this in mind, the amount of hot water generated throughout the year will be very similar.

An independent study by the DTI compared a number of different types of system and the panel that produced the most hot water was of the flat plate variety.

The cost of the panels are now fairly similar, but some people believe that flat plate solar collectors are more aesthetically pleasing. However, technically the evacuated tubes should perform better than flat plate systems when the ambient temperature is low, i.e. in winter.

So in summary, where roof area is an issue evacuated tubes are the best option. Otherwise, you should consider both evacuated tubes and flat plate collectors.

Intelligent Energy Solutions are happy to fit either type of system as both work very well.

For more information call 01509 891256 or e-mail sales@iesolutions.co.uk.

Labels: Solar-Water-Heating-Panels

Wednesday, 27 February 2008

22% Gas and Electricity Price Increase

Sky high prices

British Gas, this week has announced it's second price rise in the last 6 months. Gas and Electricity prices have been increased by a massive 22%. The average house hold energy bill is now more than £1000 per home and these trends are set to continue.

The Alternative

This increase is set to motivate even more home owners to invest in cost effective renewable energy technology to try and reduce these outgoings. For many UK homes, the installation of solar water heating panels is the most cost effective home improvement available that looks set to pay back within 10 years.

For more information contact Intelligent Energy Solutions on 01509 891256 or e-mail sales@iesolutions.co.uk.

Labels: News

Wednesday, 20 February 2008

Supermarket Rainwater Harvesting

Asda Embrace Rainwater Harvesting

A leading supermarket has announced that it intends on creating more than 9000 jobs through new stores openings and business expansions. Fortunately, they also have an eye on the environment.

This year we will see the opening of ASDA's newest high efficiency store in Merseyside. The town centre store has 40,000 sq ft of space and has cost approximately £16m. The store is built around a timber frame with recycled bricks, recycled aluminium roof and even utilises a rainwater harvesting system. This represents a 50% increase in energy efficiency compared to their typical stores.

For more information about rainwater harvesting systems contact Intelligent Energy Solutions We are based in the East Midlands covering Central England including Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire and Leicestershire.

Labels: Rainwater-Harvesting

Monday, 18 February 2008

UK Renewable Energy Success?

Government and EU Energy Targets

As we all aware there are many targets set for the UK to reduce our dependency on fossil fuels. Britain has a target to reach 15% of it's energy from renewable sources by 2020. This is provingto be a difficult target seeing as Britain currently generates approximately 2% of it's electricity from renewable sources.

During 2007, Britain installed 270 Solar PhotoVoltaic (PV) systems which is very low when compared to other EU countries such as Germany. In the same year Germany installed around 130,000 systems. This means that Germany currently have more than 200 times more capacity than Britain for generating electricity from solar PV.

I am sure this will all change in the near future as people become more aware of the free energy around their homes and how they can reduce their ever rising fuel bills. Solar Water Heating, Ground Source Heat Pumps and Wind Turbines can all make a big difference. Britain is a fantastic place to live with regard to renewable energy, for example, we have around 40% of Europe's wind!

We also hear rumors of new policies from the government (BERR) that will pave the way for above market payments for electricity exported back onto the grid. These payments will be paid for by other electricity users as this low carbon output of electricity generation will benefit us all.

Intelligent Energy Solutions Ltd

Labels: News

Friday, 15 February 2008

Roof Mounted Wind Turbines - Is it a good idea?

Wind Turbine Installations

Wind turbines have been about for a long time but are only just now becoming accepted by the masses. This has been helped in some way by companies like B&Q stocking them in their store for all to see.
Now they are becoming accepted one question we get asked quite often is...

"Can I mount it on my roof?"

This question isn't as easy to answer as it sounds. In principle the idea of using the height already offered by your property sounds sensible and possibly even cheaper than using a standalone mast.
However in our experience the opposite is true. Using your home to support the turbine poses many complex engineering problems. These problems are not insurmountable but do pose significant difficulties.

Where is the best place for the wind turbine?

In general the installation will not only be cheaper and simpler to use a mast but the system can be more easily positioned away from buildings allowing the system to generate even more electricity. Let's not forget that is supposed to be the whole idea!
Open spaces with minimal obstructions are also a must for the turbine to generate enough electricity to pay for it's self in a reasonable time frame. We simply would not recommend installing a system in a city centre or anywhere with large buildings, tall trees and a generally iratic landscape. While the roof of your inner city home may seem windy this is often turbulent wind that causes a turbine to be confused and unable to establish a good constant speed.

Who should I contact for advice?

Intelligent Energy Solutions are happy to discuss the suitability of your home or premises for a wind turbine. Please feel free to call for a chat about your requirements.

Labels: Wind-Turbines

Wednesday, 6 February 2008

What is Rainwater Harvesting? Domestic vs Commercial Installations

What is rainwater harvesting?

Rainwater harvesting is a water conservation system designed to store the rainwater that falls on your roof. The system works by transferring the rain water that is collected by your guttering through a filter and then into to a large storage tank. This storage tank is often buried in the ground next to the property.
This tank typically has an electric pump that pumps the water into your domestic home or commercial premises to be used for your toilets, washing machines and even drinking water.

When the system is correctly specified it can provide around 50% of the annual water requirement for a domestic home.
The benefit of using the rainwater that falls on your roof is that it enables you to reduce your metered water bill and save the energy involved with purifying and pumping of the water delivered by your mains connection.
The code for sustainable homes is also adding additional pressure on developers to utilise this type of equipment.

Who should be interested in rainwater harvesting systems?

The most common use of the stored rainwater is for toilets and washing machines this means that a typical property has a separate cold water system for drinking water and for rainwater. This inevitably means that retrofitting existing properties is often not viable.
On the other hand, self builders and developers are best positioned to utilise this technology as excavation and plumbing works can be integrated into an existing project extremely cost effectively.
Obviously retrofits are still very viable when the property is having it's complete plumbing system replaced or perhaps the conversion of an old barn.

Avid gardeners should also benefit from a rainwater harvesting system as this can help them to keep there garden green all year round, even during a hose pipe ban!

Does rainwater harvesting make sense more for commercial or domestic premises?

Both domestic and commercial properties can benefit from rainwater harvesting systems. However commercial properties often have large roof areas and a high demand for toilet flushing, fleet vehicle washing and site irrigation.
This means that while a domestic installation can provide up to 50% of the water requirements, a commercial property could utilise considerably more rainwater.

Who can supply and/or install a rainwater harvesting system?

Intelligent Energy Solutions can supply and/or install rainwater harvesting systems in domestic and commercial properties.
We are happy to discuss your requirements so please feel free to send us an e-mail or pick up the phone for an informal chat.