Renewable Energy Installation

Renewable energy is also known as clean energy, or green energy. It is energy that is produced in a sustainable way using natural resources, such as sunlight, wind power and hydro power, to give some common examples.

There are several types of renewable energy sources that can be utilised to power your home, reduce your energy bills and contribute to cleaner, greener household.

Some examples of renewable energy sources are:

• Solar Energy: Energy produced by the sun, and harnessed using solar panels or concentrated solar power systems.
• Wind Energy: This is energy produced by the movement of air, harnessed using wind turbines.
• Hydropower: Produced by the movement of water, and harnessed using hydroelectric power plants or tidal power systems.
• Biomass Energy: Energy produced from organic matter such as wood, crop waste, and animal waste. It is harnessed using biomass power plants or by converting biomass into biofuels.
• Ocean Energy: This is the energy produced by the movement of waves, tides, and currents, and it is harnessed using various technologies such as tidal power systems and wave energy converters.

Common renewable energy solutions for property owners in the UK include:

• Solar panels
• Water turbines
• Biomass boilers
• Heat pumps
• Small, personal wind turbines
• Geothermal systems
• hydroelectric generators

Installing a renewable energy solution on your property is an excellent way to cut costs of rising energy bills and contribute to a greener future.

Some of the main advantages of using a renewable energy solution for your home or business property include:

• Lower energy bills
• Environmental sustainability
• Increased property value
• Energy independence
• Government incentives
• Long-term savings
• Contributing to a greener planet and future

The amount of money you can save by installing a renewable energy solution in your home will depend on the type of solution you choose, the size of your home, your current energy usage, and the cost of energy in your area.

Some general cost-saving estimates for the most common renewable energy solutions in the UK are estimated at:

• Solar PV System - between £85-220 savings per year on energy bills
• Air Source Heat Pumps - between £200-500 savings per year on energy bills
• Ground Source Heat Pumps - between £400-600 savings per year on energy bills
• Wind Turbines - between £100-300 per year savings on energy bills

A heat pump is a device that transfers heat from one location to another. It can be used for both heating and cooling purposes, depending on the direction of the heat transfer.

In heating mode, a heat pump extracts heat from the air, ground or water outside the building, and transfers it inside to provide warmth. In cooling mode, it works in reverse by removing heat from inside the building and transferring it outside, providing cool air.

A heat pump works by transferring heat from one place to another using a refrigerant. A typical air-source heat pump works by:

• The outdoor unit of the heat pump contains a coil filled with a refrigerant. The refrigerant is a chemical compound that can absorb and release heat as it changes from a liquid to a gas and back to a liquid.
• The heat pump absorbs heat from the outdoor air and transfers it to the refrigerant in the outdoor coil. This process is facilitated by a compressor that pumps the refrigerant from the outdoor coil to the indoor coil.
• The indoor coil, which is located in the air handler or furnace inside the home, releases the heat into the indoor air, warming it.
• The refrigerant then returns to the outdoor coil to start the cycle over again.

When the heat pump is in cooling mode, the process is reversed: the refrigerant absorbs heat from the indoor air and releases it outdoors, cooling the indoor air. Heat pumps can also be configured to extract heat from the ground or water, rather than the air, for even greater efficiency.

As a renewable energy solution that can help cool and heat homes, heat pumps are becoming increasingly popular. They can help you control your homes temperature better and allow you to save money on gas.

Some of the main benefits of heat pumps are:

• Highly efficient at heating and cooling homes
• Can use up to 50% less energy than traditional heating and cooling systems.
• Reduce household energy bills significantly
• Dual functionality - can both heat and cool your home
• Consistent temperatures
• Improved indoor air qualit
• Quiet operation
• Long lifespan
• Reduced carbon footprint

Whilst a heat pump will certainly save you money in the long run, there is of course an up-front cost to installing a heat pump in your property.

The average cost of installing a heat pump in the UK is around £7,000 – 8,000. However, costs can be as low as £2,500 for a small, ductless mini-split heat pump or as high as £10,000+ for a larger, more advanced unit with additional features.

A biomass boiler is a type of boiler that uses renewable biomass fuel sources, such as wood chips, pellets, or logs, to generate heat for heating and hot water. Biomass boilers work by burning the biomass fuel in a combustion chamber and using the heat produced to heat your household’s water or air.

Biomass boilers are a sustainable and environmentally-friendly alternative to traditional fossil fuel boilers, as they use renewable resources and emit lower levels of greenhouse gases. They are often used in homes, commercial buildings, and industrial settings as a way to reduce carbon emissions and meet sustainability goals.

A biomass boiler works by burning biomass fuel to generate heat that can be used for heating and hot water. The steps involved in the process are:

• Fuel is loaded into the biomass boiler. This can be in the form of wood chips, pellets, logs, or other types of biomass fuel.
• The fuel is ignited in the combustion chamber, which is designed to burn the fuel efficiently and cleanly.
• As the fuel burns, it produces heat, which is transferred to the water in the boiler's heat exchanger.
• The heated water is then circulated around the heating system of the building through pipes or radiators, providing warmth to the living or working spaces.
• Any remaining ash from the burned fuel is collected in the ash pan or bin, which needs to be emptied regularly.
• The boiler's control system ensures that the combustion process is efficient and that the temperature and pressure of the water are maintained at the desired levels.

Overall, a biomass boiler works in a similar way to a traditional gas or oil-fired boiler, but it uses renewable biomass fuel instead of fossil fuels.

As with most renewable energy solutions, there are several benefits to installing a biomass boiler, including reduced energy bills and less environmental impact.

The main advantages of installing a biomass boiler are:

• Cost savings
• Lower carbon emissions
• Energy independence
• Support for local economies
• Versatile use, including heating homes and businesses, generating electricity, and providing hot water.
• Cleaner energy
• Less impact on the environment
• Reduced waste

Installing a biomass boiler can provide both economic and environmental benefits, while also supporting local communities and reducing waste.

The cost of a domestic biomass boiler system can range from around £5,000 to £20,000, depending on the size and complexity of the installation. However, larger systems used in commercial or industrial settings can cost significantly more.

In addition to the initial installation cost, there may be ongoing costs associated with the maintenance and upkeep of the boiler, as well as the cost of purchasing fuel. It's worth noting that biomass boilers are generally more expensive to install than other types of boilers, such as gas or oil boilers, but they can offer long-term cost savings by using a renewable source of energy and potentially reducing heating bills.

A water turbine is a machine that converts the energy of flowing water into mechanical energy. This mechanical energy can be used to drive an electric generator or to power other machinery, thus providing properties with a renewable source of electric energy.

A typical water turbine works by:

• The water being directed into the turbine through a penstock, which is a large pipe that carries the water from the source to the turbine.
• The water flows through the turbine, causing the blades or cups to spin.
• The spinning blades or cups are connected to a shaft, which in turn is connected to a generator.
• As the blades or cups spin, they transfer the mechanical energy of the flowing water to the generator or machinery, which converts it into electrical energy.

Water turbines are a renewable and environmentally-friendly source of energy, as they do not produce any emissions or pollutants.

Installing a water turbine system on your property can have several benefits, including:

• Renewable energy source with little to no carbon footprint
• Cost savings and reduced energy bills
• A clean and renewable energy source
• Highly reliable and not affected by weather condition
• Low maintenance
• Investment value that can increase the value of your property

The cost of installing a water turbine system in a UK property can range widely depending on your needs and requirements.

Generally speaking, a small-scale micro-hydro system can cost anywhere from £5,000 to £20,000, while larger commercial systems can cost upwards of £100,000.

The UK government have been launching a series of different incentives to encourage homeowners to switch to more renewable energy sources.

Some notable incentives that are worth being aware of are:

• Feed-in Tariffs (FiTs): This is a scheme that pays homeowners for generating renewable energy, such as solar panels or wind turbines, and exporting it to the grid. The payments are made based on the amount of energy generated and exported, and the scheme is open to all households, as well as community groups and businesses.
• Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI): Another scheme that pays homeowners, this time for installing renewable heating systems in their homes, such as air source heat pumps, ground source heat pumps, or biomass boilers. The payments are made over a period of seven years and are based on the amount of renewable heat generated.
• Green Homes Grant: This scheme covers two-thirds of the costs of making energy-efficient improvements to your homes, including installing insulation and low-carbon heating systems. The scheme is currently closed for new applications, but it may reopen in the future.

You can find out more about the UK’s Help to Heat campaign through the official Gov.UK site.

The application process will depend on the specific incentive you are applying for. For example, if you are applying for the Feed-in Tariff, you will need to submit an application to your energy supplier. If you are applying for the Renewable Heat Incentive, you will need to register your system with Ofgem.

We recommend researching all available incentives and choosing the one that best suits your needs and home-improvement plans.

We will be happy to assist you with any applications for grants and schemes for renewable energy solutions.