Renewable Energy News

Leicester Mercury - Big Green Switch

2008-09-25T16:20:00.006+01:00

The Leceister Mercury have just published a feature about Intelligent Energy Solutions' heat pump installations.
The article, written by Adam Wakelin, likened the heat pumps to the energy equivilent of alchemy. The air source heat pumps extract heat from thin air!

The article talked about how the air source heat pumps were effective down to sub zero temperature of -20 degrees. The system are able to heat domestic homes and hot water and make a saving of around 30% when compared to mains gas. The savings are even greater when compared to oil.

Intelligent Energy Solutions use the Mitsubishi Ecodan heat pumps. For further information about this particular product call IES now on 01509 891256 or download the brochure by clicking on the Ecodan link.

Underfloor Heating - Luxury or Necessity?

2008-09-17T09:29:00.005+01:00

Why do renewable energy companies recommend underfloor heating for heat pump installations?

The answer is simple. Underfloor heating runs at lower temperatures than conventional radiators. Heat pumps prefer to output lower temperatures as this makes them more efficient.

Is underfloor heating a necessity?

This depends on the heat pump used, some high quality heat pumps (used by Intelligent Energy Solutions) can output temperatures up to around 55 degrees. This is a scolding temperature and most radiators will give the required output at this temperature. The reason that the radiator will function at a lower temperature is because most radiators are oversized by the installing plumber anyway.
The efficiency of the heat pump can lead to massive savings when compared to both gas and oil fossil fuel boilers.

However, in an ideal world the heat pump will run most effectively with underfloor heating.

Ice Energy Heat Pumps Installer Partnership

2008-09-17T09:15:00.004+01:00

Intelligent Energy Solutions has agreed to a partnership with ground source heat pump, market leaders, Ice Energy.

Intelligent Energy Solutions have been using Ice Energy heat pumps for some time. Managing Director, Peter Searancke said "We shopped around before deciding to use the services of Ice Energy for our ground source heat pumps. They offer a great package including quality equipment, accessible grants, excellent technical backup and a 5 year parts and labour warranty".

In conjunction with Ice Energy, Intelligent Energy Solutions feel that they offer an excellent product that can be designed and installed to cost effectively heat many different types of property.

New Renewables Brochure

2008-09-05T16:52:00.002+01:00

Here at Intelligent energy Solutions we have just released our latest product brochure.

Please feel free download a version here
Intelligent Energy Solutions Renewable Energy Brochure

If you would like a paper copy then please email us using the web enquiry form. Alternatively call us on 01509 891256.

We look forward to hearing from you.

The Rich Get Richer With Renewable Energy

2008-08-31T16:41:00.000+01:00

We have often thought about fuel poverty and other political issues of the day.

This seems to be a major problem with modern renewable energy technologies.

The investment cost is relatively high, and to make this investment the owner needs to take long term strategic view. This type of approach unfortunately is often not available to the poorest members of society.

The problem, is that the members of the public who could benefit most from renewable energy cannot afford the upfront capital cost.
Inevitably this is another example of how the rich get richer and the poor get poorer. The rich have spare funds that they can invest in a solar panel, wind turbine or heat pump installation. This investment then goes onto reduce the fuel cost outgoings for the owner.

Progress should be made where this type of technology has a greater level of government funding for those who really need it.

Solar and Wind Feed in Tarrifs Improve

2008-08-24T16:28:00.000+01:00

Electricity prices are through the roof so the time has never been better to start generating your own electricity.

Better Feed in Tariffs

Tariffs have slowly been improving over the past couple of years. However, 'Good Energy' and 'Ecotricity' have just lifted the bar!
They offer a tariff where they will pay you for everything that you generate and not simply the spare electricity. The rate they offer is 9p per unit. This means that you save twice, you save the money from buying the electricity in the first place but you also get paid for generating it. This could equate to more than 20p per unit.

People often take about how far ahead Germany are in respect to microgeneration tariffs but the UK is genuinely catching up.

Are Air Source Heat Pumps Effective?

2008-08-16T16:11:00.000+01:00

Air source heat pumps work in a similar way to ground source heat pumps but extract heat from the air outside rather than the ground.
They upgrade this heat using a compressor circuit (similar to that found in a fridge).

Suitable for domestic home heating

The system does not generate it's own heat it simply moves the heat from one place to another. This means that it can have an efficiency that is greater than 100%.
Typically over a year an air source heat pump could have an efficiency of around 330% when heating a domestic home (including domestic hot water). This means that for every unit of electricity that it uses it generates 3.3 units of heat.

A modern high efficiency gas boiler has an efficiency of around 90%. This massive efficiency advantage means that the system will save you money off your fuel bills.

Comparing the system to a gas boiler you should save around 30%. Given the cost of oil, when replacing an oil boiler the savings can be up to 60%.

There are some design considerations when retrofitting a heat pump, these have been discussed in previous posts.

This type of heat pump can also be used for heating swimming pools.

Renewables - Enhanced Captial Allowances

2008-08-07T18:41:00.001+01:00

Why should businesses invest in renewable energy?

The government introduce the enhanced capital allowances scheme in 2001 to encourage businesses to invest in low carbon technologies.

In essence the scheme means that companies who invest in certain energy saving technologies can claim 100% of the cost against your profit for that year.

Capital allowance for plant and machinery is normally only 20% each year. So if you were considering buying a conventional boiler and choose to buy an energy efficient heat pump instead you would save a considerably amount in tax. This could equate to over 30% of the value of the heat pump.

If this sounds interesting you should talk to your accountant for further advice.

British Gas increase gas price by 35%

2008-08-01T08:02:00.002+01:00

British Gas owner Centrica says it is raising gas prices by a record 35% and electricity prices by 9%.

The UK's biggest domestic energy supplier said that the price hikes would take place with immediate effect, it blamed "soaring wholesale energy prices".

Biggest Single Increase

Watchdog Energywatch said it believed the 35% gas bill rise was the biggest single increase in the price of a utility seen to date.

A report prepared for Centrica earlier this month warned that annual average gas bills could rise from £600 to more than £1,000 early in the next decade.
Centrica said that wholesale gas prices in the coming winter would be up 89% on the previous winter.

Diminishing Gas Reserves

It added that the UK was suffering from diminishing gas reserves, and estimated that the UK would import 40% of its gas this year compared with 27% last year.

Source: BBC

Mitsubishi EcoDan Air Source Heat Pump

2008-08-01T00:00:00.003+01:00

Intelligent Energy Solutions Ltd has become an approved EcoDan Air Source Heat Pump installer. The EcoDan product introduction presents an exciting time for Intelligent Energy Solutions and Mitsubishi.

The EcoDan heat pumps works like a normal air source heat pump but has been specifically designed for the domestic new-build AND retrofit market.

Mitsubishi have been very much focused on the requirements of the domestic home owner when designing the EcoDan system. This careful product design is evident in a number of ways from quiet running to coefficients of performance that means air source heat pumps can now compete with high efficiency gas boilers.
When compared with a modern gas boiler the EcoDan Heat Pump can not only saves up to 50% of the Co2 output it can also save up to 30% of the running costs.

When comparing the EcoDan heat pump with a modern oil boiler the savings could be up to 60%.

Click the following link to download the Ecodan air source heat pump brochure.

Fossil fuel costs are rising faster than electricity

2008-07-28T08:37:00.005+01:00

Following the recent energy price rises it is worth looking at any trends that are developing.

Recent trends show that while electricity prices are increasing, they are rising at a slower rate than fossil fuels such as gas and oil.
We believe that long term there will be many more sources of electricity than fossil fuels. These include wind farms and solar photovoltaics. Therefore we expect this trend to continue.

Gas is no longer a cheap fuel

This means that heat pump technology is set to become more and more popular as it runs on electricity and heat from the sun.
Historically mains gas was a very cheap fuel vs electricity. However gas prices are rising faster than electricity and heat pumps have efficiencies in excess of 400%, gas is no longer a cheap fuel.

EDF Energy Price Rise

2008-07-25T08:22:00.003+01:00

EDF have announced price rises for gas and electricity.

Gas prices will rise by 22% and electricity by 17%. They blame the increase on record wholesale energy prices.

This rise comes after a 12.9% and 7.9% price increase on gas and electricity respectively in January of this year.

Heating Oil Doubles in Price over last 12 months

2008-07-15T12:53:00.005+01:00

We all know that fuel prices are rising but sometimes we forget just by how much they have risen.

With regard to heating oil the prices have doubled in 1 year. See graph below.

This graph shows the average price of kerosene 28 over the past 12 months. This dramatic increase paves the way for more fuel efficient alternatives such as solar water heating and ground & air source heat pumps. Please click the links to read how these technologies could reduce your fuel bill.

World's Largest Solar PhotoVoltaic System

2008-07-08T12:57:00.004+01:00

The world's largest rooftop solar power station is being built in Spain. The 12 megawatts of power covers an area of around 2 million square feet. The roof space is owned by General Motors but is being leased out to Veolia Envirnoment and Clairvoyant Energy.

The £40 million investment will see an output of more than 15 million kilowatt hours.

This shows that PV is a very viable prospect for commercial investment. Obviously smaller systems are available for domestic and commerical premises. Typical installations range from 1kW to 20kW peak power. Installation costs are typically around £5500 per kW. In a good position each kW of peak power should generate around 800kWh per year.

Wind Turbines - Bigger is better?

2008-06-30T16:28:00.000+01:00

Many people wonder about how quickly wind turbines pay back.

Obviously it is crucial that the position is good and doesn't suffer from turbulant air. Once this is sorted one question people ask is "How big should I go?".

In very general terms, the larger the turbine the faster the payback. Normally speaking the output increases significantly with the larger output turbines but the £ per kW cost is quite linear.

We offer three sizes of turbine, 2.5kW, 6kW and 15kW. The 6kW turbine will delivery around 3 times more power than the 2.5kw system. and in turn the 15kW turbine will delivery around 3 times more power than the 6kW.

So the more you spend the faster your return should be.

Solar PV Panels - Off Grid or On Grid

2008-06-24T16:11:00.000+01:00

Off Grid On Grid - What does it all mean?

The first thing worth saying is that we are talking about solar photovoltaic (PV) panels and not solar water heating panels.

The term grid refers to the national electricity grid. On grid means that your solar electricity system is connected to the national grid. Off grid means that the national electricity grid is not connected to your solar panel system.

Most people, both commerical and domestic, would talk primerily about on grid applications. The grid is a wonderful thing and there is not usually any sense in disconnecing yourself from it.

However in some cases the grid is not available. This is usually a remote location such as a field with a building in it. In many cases the cost of running the cable from the nearest grid transformer is enormous and the power requirements can be met with an off grid solar photovoltaic electricity system.

This system comprises a set of solar panels, battery conditioner, battery bank and invertor. The batteries give you power when the sun is not shining and the invertor gives you 240V mains electricity.

Roof Integrated solar PV Panels

2008-06-13T14:46:00.000+01:00

Solar Electricity Panels

Solar Electricity (or PhotoVoltaic) panels generate electricity for domestic and commercial use. Panels come in a variety of different shapes and sizes but one question that people have to decide is whether to have the panels mounted on the roof or in the roof.

On Roof Solar Panels

The easier way of retrofitting solar panels is to mount them on top of the existing roof covering. this means that the existing tiles remain in place and the panels sits directly on top. The panels are fixed to the roof joists via special brackets.

Roof integrated Panels (In Roof)

As an alternative to on roof panels the existing tiles can be removed and the panel can be fitted into the roof structure. This leaves the panels almost flush with the existing tiles.

When making a decision as to which is best there are a number of factors to consider. On roof solar panels are easier and quicker to fit. Hence the installation costs are less. However, on roof panels will add additional loading to the roof structure.

Roof integrated panels require the existing roof covering to be removed, this may raise questions with the condition of the felt and battens beneath the tiles, if it is poor it will need rectifying. In roof panels also require expensive flashing sets to make the roof water tight. However, in roof panels aesthetically look better than on roof systems.

Of course if you have a house that has not yet had the roof fitted (new build or new extension) then roof integrated panels are almost certainly the way to go. You will also save some money as less tiles will need to purchased.

Solar Panels - South, East, West or North roof?

2008-06-07T14:43:00.000+01:00

Many people believe that solar panels can only be positioned facing south. This isn't true.

Which direction is best?

South facing at an angle of 35degrees will maximise the output from a solar panel and give all year round best performance.
If the system is to optimised for winter performance then a steeper angle of upto 75 degrees will improve performance. This is because the sun is lower in the sky during winter.

What if I don't have a south facing roof?

If your roof faces roughly south, anywhere between South West to South East at between 30-40 degree will reduce output by a maximum of 10%.

My roof faces East-West?

A 35 degree roof that faces east or west can be utilises but with a couple of system modifications. This type of roof will normally have a reduced output of about 20%, with this knowledge we can oversize the panels to compensate for this reduction in performance.

If roof space is lmited then panels can be fitted on both the east and west roofs. This needs a more sophisticaled pumping station but can have an output similar to a south facing roof without a massive increase in installation cost.

Solar Panels vs Heat Pumps

2008-05-29T14:23:00.004+01:00

Many people don't know which renewable technology is right for them.

In some respects, experts like ourselves can make the decision easier but we thought it would be useful to cover a commonly asked question.

Which is best, Solar Panels or Heat pumps?

Unfortunately it isn't that simple. Solar panels and heat pumps perform different tasks. Solar (water heating) panels use the suns energy to contribute to the heating of your hot water storage cylinder. They cannot however be relied upon to deliver hot water everyday all year round.

Ground source heat pumps on the other hand, extract heat from the ground and use this heat to heat both domestic hot water and your central heating system.

So heat pumps offer a total solution that does not need a backup. They run cost effectively vs most traditional fuels and remove the need for oil tanks or a gas connection.

Solar panels cannot provide this level of reliability.

Solar panels and heat pumps can also be installed to work together. This type of system uses the solar panels to heat your domestic hot water but utilises the heat pump as a back up. This should cut the running costs of the heat pump for domestic hot water by 50-70 per cent.

In roof vs on roof Solar Water Heating Panels

2008-05-17T10:05:00.002+01:00

Solar Water Heating Panels

Solar Water heating panels heat water for domestic and commercial use. Panels come in a variety of different shapes and sizes but one question that people have to decide is whether to have the panels mounted on the roof or in the roof.

On Roof Solar Panels

Roof integrated Panels (In Roof)

As an alternative to on roof panels the existing tiles can be removed and the panel can be fitted into the roof structure. This leaves the panels almost flush with the existing tiles.

Roof integrated panels require the existing roof covering to be removed, this may raise questions with the condition of the felt beneath the tiles, if it is poor it will need rectifying. In roof panels also require expensive flashing sets to make the roof water tight. However, in roof panels aesthetically look better than on roof systems.

It is also worth mentioned evacuated tube solar collectors. This type of solar collector is made up of a number of tubes. Evacuated tubes are almost certainly fitted over the existing roof covering as they are more difficult to make water tight.

£1000 per year for being green

2008-05-15T10:55:00.006+01:00

Save Money and the Planet

Going greener in the High Street and when choosing services and providers could save shoppers anything up to £1,000 a year claims Together. Together is the UK's biggest climate campaign.

The group have published a Savers' Guide, which aims to show how consumers can cut carbon emissions and shave their household bills by thinking more about the environment.

The guide details how an average UK household could cut up to up to three tonnes of CO2 going into their atmosphere.

The simplest of actions are suggested, such as switching to low energy light-bulbs, washing at 30 degrees, installing home insulation, switching to green energy tariffs and not upgrading mobile phones.

For more information contact together.com.

For householders wanting to go a little further they should consider solar water heating, solar electricity panels, ground source heat pumps and wind turbines.

Guaranteed Feed in Tariff on the agenda

2008-04-29T22:21:00.002+01:00

Engineers, trade unions, farmers and house builders today backed a campaign by Friends of the Earth and the Renewable Energy Association to introduce a "feed-in tariff" system that would improve Britain's take-up of renewable energy.

Ahead of a crucial House of Commons vote on Wednesday, which aims to add a feed-in tariff to the energy bill currently going through parliament, organisations such as the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, the House Builders Federation , the TUC and the National Farmer's Union said they wanted to see a feed-in tariff (FIT).

FITs have been introduced in nearly 50 countries around the world, starting with Germany which has massively increased the roll-out of technologies such as solar panels, wind turbines, ground-source heat pumps both at the domestic and industrial levels.

FITs work by setting a guaranteed price for renewable electricity fed into the national grid that is above the market price. The countries which have adopted one have made big carbon savings and created thousands of new jobs. Britain, though, lags behind almost every EU country in its use of renewables, producing just 2% of its energy in this way.

Pop star Lily Allen and her solar-power recording studio, the Premises, have emailed MPs urging them to vote for the measure on Wednesday.

Source: Guardian

Wind Turbine Electricity and ROCs

2008-04-21T16:00:00.007+01:00

Exported Wind Electricity

Wind Turbines generate electricity that can used in your home or premises.

Excess electricity can be exported back onto the grid and most electricity suppliers will buy this electricity from you.

The rates that are being paid are improving all the time. Many supplier will now a similar amount to the import rate for the electricity you export, currently around 10p/kWhr.

What many people don't know is that in 2002 another parallel scheme was launched that will encourage suppliers to pay an additional amount of money for this electricity.

ROCs

A Renewables Obligation Certificate (ROC) is a green certificate issued to an accredited generator (the home or business owner) for renewable electricity generated. One ROC is issued for each megawatt hour (MWh) of eligible renewable output generated. This means that you get one ROC for each 1000kWhrs of electricity generated.

The scheme is designed to incentivise renewable energy generation in the UK. When the scheme was formulated an obligation was placed on the electricity suppliers to obtain an proportion of their energy from renewable sources. In 2005-06 this target was 5.5 per cent and in 2006-07 the obligation was set at 6.7 per cent.

If the electricity companies do not have enough ROCs they have to pay the other suppliers who do have enough. This means that the suppliers want to buy your ROCs to avoid being penalised.

The payment depends on the supplier but they typically pay around £30-£40 per ROC. This means that every unit of electricity generated is worth about 30-40 per cent more.

The scheme is planned to run until 2027.

This means that Wind Turbines may payback quicker than you think!

Solar Electricity ROC Payments

2008-04-21T15:03:00.005+01:00

Exported Solar Electricity

Solar Electricity Panels, also know also Solar PhotoVoltaic Cells, generate electricity that can used in your home or premises.

Excess electricity can be exported back onto the grid and most electricity suppliers will buy this electricity from you.

The rates that are being paid are improving all the time. Many supplier will now a similar amount to the import rate for the electricity you export, currently around 10p/kWhr.

What many people don't know is that in 2002 another parallel scheme was launched that will encourage suppliers to pay an additional amount of money for this electricity.

ROCs

If the electricity companies do not have enough ROCs they have to pay the other suppliers who do have enough. This means that the suppliers want to buy your ROCs to avoid being penalised.

The payment depends on the supplier but they typically pay around £30-£40 per ROC. This means that every unit of electricity generated is worth about 30-40% more.

The scheme is planned to run until 2027.

The Key to a successful Heat Pump Installation

2008-04-14T09:51:00.003+01:00

Ground Source Heat Pumps

There are many applications for heat pumps, this article is concerned with ground source (geothermal) heat pumps for heating homes and commercial premises.
The primary difference between a ground source heat pump and a conventional boiler is that a conventional boiler is usually designed to heat the property between certain hours. It achieves this by outputting an enormous amount of heat over a short space in time. The property heats up, the boiler switches off and the house goes cold again.

A ground source heat pump works differently to this. The ground source heat pumps does not like producing very hot water. A conventional boiler might out put water to your radiators at a temperature in excess of 70 degrees C. A heat pumps can achieve this but it would be inefficient in doing so.

Therefore the style of heating needs to be changed to accommodate lower temperature heat output.

In general this means using underfloor heating (running at a low temperature, perhaps 38 degrees C) or radiators that are oversized so that they can run at a lower temperature than normal (perhaps 50-55 degrees C).

When the output temperature of the system is lowered it is vital that this heat is retained as the time taken to heat the whole building will increase

The key to a good ground source heat pump installation is insulation. Great insulation will benefit any home, what ever the type of heat system. However, due to the drip feed effect of heating a building more slowly with a heat pump it is even more important that the building retains this heat.

Sadly this means that ground source heat pumps tend not to be the best solution for heating old drafty homes. Having said this barn conversion are often ideal candidates as during the renovation is an ideal time to improve the insulation in the building.