All Round
Green Energy Advice
All Round
Green Energy Advice
If I move house, can I transfer my solar panels to the new property ?
Do solar panels provide central heating and hot water, or just hot water ?
Are wood pellets expensive?
Would insulating my property save me more money than using solar or wind power ?
Can I sell any extra electricity I produce ?
Are solar panels only fitted onto a roof?
Can I install a renewable energy system myself ?
Are renewable technology costs subject to VAT?
Do wind turbines disturb farming livestock?
How large are wind turbines?
Are wind turbines noisy?
Do wind turbines affect mobile phone signals, satellite systems or TV and radio reception?
Can birds be harmed by wind turbine blades ?
Can I protect a wind turbine from lightning strikes?
Can a wind turbine be used for heating as well as hot water?
Can a wind turbine be connected up to the grid?
Do wind turbines produce electricity all the time?
What if the wind stops blowing?
Do wind turbines require much looking after?
If I install a renewable energy system, how long can I expect it to last?
Can a wind turbine be moved once it is has been installed?
What size is a heat pump unit?
Can a heat pump unit supply hot water?
Can a heat pump system provide cooling?
Can a heat pump be used in conjunction with underfloor heating ?
Can a ground source heat pump system be fitted in a period property?
Do heat pump systems work with radiators ?
Does a heat pump have to be installed inside the house ?
I have heard that trenches are necessary for heat pump systems. Is this true ?
What if my plot is too small or too rocky to install trenches for the ground loops ?
What if the ground is generally very wet ?
Can water sources such as streams or ponds be used as part of a ground heat pump system ?
Do Ground Source Heat Pumps (GSHPs) give off emissions ?
Do GSHPs require regular servicing and maintenance?
Is wood fuel 'Carbon Neutral'?
Does the use of fuel for biomass boilers damage woodland?
Is wood fuel such as wood chips and pellets considered 'clean fuel'?
Does a biomass boiler need regular maintenance ?
Do biomass boilers emit smoke?
How does a biomass system compare with my existing open fire ?
Where is a biomass boiler fitted in a house ?
Can I burn wood in a smokeless zone?
What happens to my solar PV system supply when there is no sunshine?
Does shade affect solar panels?
How can I tell how well my PV or wind system is performing?
If I move house, can I transfer my solar panels to the new property ?
This is not advisable as it would probably cost more to move your existing ones than to buy new ones. Also, solar panels can significantly increase the price you get for selling your existing home which would go towards new installation costs. The size and number of your existing panels may not be suitable for your new property.
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Do solar panels provide central heating and hot water, or just hot water ?
In the UK, solar panels are not generally able to contribute significantly to central heating as well as hot water in winter.
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Are wood pellets expensive?
If you buy wood pellets in large amounts then they can prove cheaper than other fuels but it depends also on how near you are to a source and how your local scheme is run.
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Would insulating my property save me more money than using solar or wind power ?
Insulation should not be seen as an alternative to using renewable energy. Insulating your home will immediately give you savings as it reduces the amount of energy used. Renewable energy technology, such as solar panels, will give you savings over time especially if insulation has been installed, so they work best if both are used together.
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Can I sell any extra electricity I produce ?
Yes, you can sell your surplus energy to an energy company. They will be able to advise you on price (usually between four and eleven pence per kWh) and payment schemes. Some companies offer fixed regular payments for your surplus electricity. If you are not on the grid it may be possible to store your unused electricity in batteries.
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Are solar panels only fitted onto a roof?
No. Solar panels can also be fitted onto a vertical wall or onto a specially constructed frame in your garden.
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Can I install a renewable energy system myself ?
Yes you can and your local solar club will be help you with advice on how to do this. A registered installer will however give you access to financial grants to help with the cost and they will be able to give you guarantee for the work.
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Are renewable technology costs subject to VAT?
Yes they are. However, renewable technologies currently attract only 5% VAT instead of the normal 17.5%.
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Do wind turbines disturb farming livestock?
No they do not. Cows, horses, sheep and pigs are not disturbed by wind turbines. Crops and livestock are often farmed on land used for wind ‘farms’.
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How large are wind turbines?
Wind turbines come in different models and range in height from six to twenty metres. The width of the rotor, or blades, ranges from one to eleven metres.
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Are wind turbines noisy?
The wind itself generally makes more noise than the turbine, particularly a small, recent model. You are unlikely to hear any noise at all from about 50 metres away.
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Do wind turbines affect mobile phone signals, satellite systems or TV and radio reception?
It is unlikely that small, domestic wind turbines will affect mobile telephone reception, satellite navigation systems or TV and radio signals. If there is any effect at first, it can be overcome quite easily.
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Can birds be harmed by wind turbine blades ?
The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds supports the use of renewable energy technology. They also advise that it is unlikely that birds will be harmed by wind turbines. If you would like more detailed information on this you can consult the RSPB.
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Can I protect a wind turbine from lightning strikes?
Some wind turbine models have lightning protection installed by the manufacturer. Models without inbuilt protection can be protected and/or insured as you would any other elevated equipment or structure.
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Can a wind turbine be used for heating as well as hot water?
A wind turbine generates electricity. So, if your heating is supplied by electric heating, then your wind tutbine will offset some of your heating electricity consumption.
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Can a wind turbine be connected up to the grid?
Yes, but you need to get this approved by your local electricity distribution company. You would be advised to organise grid connection with the help of a GE360 approved installer. Any energy generated (that used and the excess you sell) is eligible for Renewable Obligation Certificates.
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Do wind turbines produce electricity all the time?
No, as the wind is intermittent. The capacity factor (the proportion of maximum energy produced) of a wind turbine ranges from 5% for badly sited machines to 25% in very windy sites.
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What if the wind stops blowing?
When the wind stops blowing, electricity continues to be provided through the supply network by the other forms of energy generation such as grid electricity from power stations.
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Do wind turbines require much looking after?
No.The maintenance on domestic wind turbines is normally just an annual check which the manufacturer can arrange with an approved engineer.
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If I install a renewable energy system, how long can I expect it to last?
You can expect a renewable energy system such as solar panels to last about twenty years but some parts may need replacing during this time and an annual inspection is important.
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Can a wind turbine be moved once it is has been installed?
Yes it can. Costs will be incurred to dismantle it and move it to a new, suitable site and re-install it.
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What size is a heat pump unit?
Typically about the same size as a large fridge if the heat pump is for normal domestic use.
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Can a heat pump unit supply hot water?
Yes. They do this by pre-heating water, using a particular type of water cylinder and then heating it up fully using an immersion heater or supplementary boiler.
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Can a heat pump system provide cooling?
Yes, there are heat pump systems that can provide both heating and cooling. These are called 'reverse cycle heat pumps'.
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Can a heat pump be used in conjunction with underfloor heating ?
Yes they can, in particular ground source heat pump systems.
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Can a ground source heat pump system be fitted in a period property?
Yes it can as long as your building is well insulated, or you will lose much of the benefit and need a bigger, more expensive system. Insulation is always more cost effective in terms of both capital and running costs.
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Do heat pump systems work with radiators ?
Yes they do, but the radiators will generally need to be larger than conventional radiators to provide adequate heat. There are now new aluminium high output radiators available that are smaller than conventional radiators.
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Does a heat pump have to be installed inside the house ?
No, you can install a heat pump in an outbuilding such as a garage or build a small outdoor structure to house the pump unit. The structure just needs to be well insulated.
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I have heard that trenches are necessary for heat pump systems. Is this true ?
Yes, these are to accommodate the ground loops. Typically you will need at least two narrow trenches 40 to 50 metres long, 1.8 metres deep and 300 mm wide, 5 metres apart (minimum). The trenches can be curved or straight to suit your plot. It is advisable to use a builder to plan and carry out the work and you must make sure you record the whereabouts of the trenches, before they have been filled in, for future reference.
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What if my plot is too small or too rocky to install trenches for the ground loops ?
There is an alternative. You can have boreholes dug which need to be about 100 metres deep. If the ground is not rocky but just hard you can dig longer, wider and shallower trenches, as long as they are at least 1.2 metres deep. The ground loop coils will need to be laid horizontally in a different configuration and you would be advised to ask your supplier’s advice.
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What if the ground is generally very wet ?
As long as the ground is not so wet you cannot dig a trench in order to lay the coils then this should be fine. In fact, wet ground conducts heat more effectively.
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Can water sources such as streams or ponds be used as part of a ground heat pump system ?
Yes they can, as long as the pond is large and as long as the stream has fast flowing water.
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Do Ground Source Heat Pumps (GSHPs) give off emissions ?
GSHPs give off no site emissions at all. They are very safe systems as well as they do not utilise flammable fuels.
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Do GSHPs require regular servicing and maintenance?
No, they do not need regular servicing or maintenance, although we recommend an annual check as for a standard heating system..
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Is wood fuel 'Carbon Neutral'?
Yes it is if you look at the overall nature of a sustainable wood supply. Wood fuel is regarded as ‘carbon neutral’ because carbon dioxide (CO2) is taken from the atmosphere and used by trees to grow. When these trees die and decay or are burned, this CO2 is released back into the atmosphere. In sustainably managed woodland, wood is generally never removed faster than it is replenished by new trees. Therefore the CO2 released when the wood fuel is burned is never more than the CO2 being absorbed.
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Does the use of fuel for biomass boilers damage woodland?
No. Wood taken from sustainable, managed woodland can be harvested indefinitely. Managing woodland properly results in surplus wood that would otherwise have to go landfill, so selling it generates income for woodlnd management and avoids waste.
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Is wood fuel such as wood chips and pellets considered 'clean fuel'?
Wood chips and pellets give off no harmful by-products and modern burning appliances emit very little smoke. The flue gas is smoke-free and the ash content is minimal. Clean wood ash also makes excellent fertiliser .
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Does a biomass boiler need regular maintenance ?
Yes they need regular maintenance but only every 800 hours of actual operating time when it is firing. This service is a lubricating service only. After 2400 hours a biomass boiler will need a full service but even a large institution would probably only use this many firing hours each year.
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Do biomass boilers emit smoke?
Modern appliances emit minimal smoke and are considered to be clean, cost effective heating systems.
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How does a biomass system compare with my existing open fire ?
Fuel used in open fires or wood stoves burns very inefficiently giving off polluting smoke high in carbon emissions and wasting up to 85% of the resulting heat up the chimney.
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Where is a biomass boiler fitted in a house ?
A biomass boiler that could heat a 2/3 bedroom house needs two metres cubed of space and should therefore fit where your current boiler is placed. If there is no space here for the hopper, some models allow for this to be positioned elsewhere in the house.
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Can I burn wood in a smokeless zone?
Many biomass systems are approved for use in smokeless zones, as long as the appliance has an Exemption Certificate. A full list of companies which make boilers and stoves with Exemption Certificates can be found at http://www.uksmokecontrolareas.co.uk/appliances.php?country=e.
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What happens to my solar PV system supply when there is no sunshine?
On an overcast but light day your panels can produce energy up to around 25% of their full capacity. A period of no sunlight however will mean that you will need to use grid power to supplement your solar power. The length of time a solar system can work without sunlight depends very much on the nature of the system. If you are not connected to the grid you will need to supplement your solar power system in times of no sunlight by electricity from batteries (this could be excess you have not used but have chosen to store rather than sell) wind turbines or other energy producing sources.
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Does shade affect solar panels?
Shade reduces the energy absorbed by solar panels. For PV, partial shading of a module is a particular problem and should be avoided.
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How can I tell how well my PV or wind system is performing?
A power meter should be installed in your home as part of the system which tells you how much electricity you generate, how much you use and how much is then forwarded onto the grid. Ask your installer to confirm this.
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