Sustainable Energy
Due to an overwhelming demand from residents all of the funding provided by the councils to help homes generate their own energy has been allocated. Therefore all enquiries for renewable energy technologies are being saved on a waiting list.
To ensure you are contacted if funding becomes available, or if there is a similar funded offer available; call HEEP on 0800 980 6026 and ask to be added to the waiting list.
Please see below the HEEP offer for sustainable energy technologies – which is currently on hold:
Even if your property is fully insulated there are other ways in which to reduce your energy use and save even more money.
Your local authority is making 100% grants available for those on qualifying
benefits to assist in your own household. For everyone else, there may
be up to 50% loans available.
FREE* renewable energy measures, such as solar hot water and/or solar
electricity, are available to households in receipt of a mean-tested benefits.
Renewable energy is energy generated from natural resources—such as sunlight, wind, tides, and geothermal heat — which are renewable and naturally replenished.
Low carbon energy is not renewable but is significantly less carbon intensive than conventional technologies. Heat pumps are an example of a ‘low carbon’ technology.
You may be eligible up to a grant and/or an interest free loan to install
an a renewable or low carbon energy system for your home.
50% Loans:
Any of the approved renewable and advanced insulation measures covered
under the scheme for those not eligible for 100% grants or loans will be
up to a maximum of 50% of the total costs. Terms and Conditions Apply.
All loans are only offered where the local authority has implemented their
loan procedure.
Terms
and Conditions of Loans (Doc)
Loan Calculation Sheet
(Xls)
Only accredited appointed contractors
on the scheme can carry out work under the scheme, including work eligible
for a 50% grant. Subject to council approval, qualifying criteria, technical
survey and availability of funding.
‘Solar Hot Water’
Solar Hot Water
Under the HEEP scheme assistance is available for systems up
to 1.4kw, for those on benefits. For those not on benefits, assistance
is available for up to the value of £6000*.
Solar hot water panels
Otherwise known as solar thermal – work by absorbing
radiant heat from the sun. This warms liquid in the panel, which is then
transferred directly or indirectly to a hot water tank inside the house.
They do not rely on direct sunlight alone but they will produce more hot
water when it is sunny. Many south facing properties are suitable
for solar thermal panels.
Different Technologies
There are two types of solar water heaters available through this scheme
evacuated tube, and flat plate. The best option for your needs will be
identified by one of our accredited Solar Thermal installers when they
visit your property to carry out the technical survey.
Flat plate
The flat plate consists of a dark, flat plate that absorbs heat from the
sun. The absorber plate contains thin copper pipes that absorb heat which
is then transferred to water in the pipes by conduction and is then carried
to the hot water tank.
These are slightly less efficient compared to evacuated tubes – so the collector area may be slightly bigger to gain the same performance. However, they are typically slightly cheaper to purchase.
Evacuated tube
This is made up of an array of glass collector tubes, within each of which
is another glass tube - the space between the tubes is evacuated to minimise
heat loss. Radiation from the sun can pass through this evacuated space
where heat is absorbed to a liquid contained in the inner tube.
• Direct flow: Water flowing to the hot water tank passes directly through
the inner pipe of the solar collector.
• Indirect flow: The inner pipe contains a condensing liquid, usually
alcohol. When heated, this evaporates and rises thorough the tube, condensing
when it passes water flowing to the hot water tank and transferring the
heat. These can have an inbuilt thermostat.
• Evacuated tubes are often lighter and smaller than flat plates, which
can increase ease of installation.
• Evacuated tubes will give a better efficiency at heating water in the
winter months compared to a flat plate collector. However, the glass tubes
will make them a little more fragile than a flat plate.
Water tanks
• Twin coil tanks contain two heating
coils. One coil is fed by the boiler; the other is fed by the solar collector.
The tank will be larger than most standard tanks, although only one tank
is required.
• A second tank will require extra space. It will be of similar size to
the original tank and only store water heated by the solar thermal panel.
Temperature control
Modern solar collectors can allow water to reach very high temperatures
that could potentially cause a risk of scalding. Thermostatic mixing valves
can be fitted to the system which allows cold water to be mixed in with
the hot water to maintain a constant temperature.
A well-designed system should provide the majority (about 80%) of hot
water during summer months and a useful contribution at other times, giving
an overall saving of up to 60% of the hot water bill. After installation
you could enjoy savings up to £160** per year, dependant on fuel replacement
and demand.
Under the HEEP scheme assistance is available for systems up to 1.4kw.
Solar PV systems bigger than 1.4KW will be quoted at 100% cost to the
householder for the difference in system size.
Costs for a typical solar water heating system range from £3,000 to £5,000.
SOLAR PV
Photovoltaic (PV) systems use cells to convert solar radiation directly
into electricity. When light shines on the cell it creates an electric
field across the layers, causing electricity to flow. The greater the
intensity of the light, the greater the flow of electricity. Photovoltaic
are suitable for any property with a large enough area of unshaded roof
facing from east to west through south. Many energy suppliers offer a
tariff for any excess electricity which is generated and exported back
to the grid. Some also offer a tariff for energy generated rather than
exported.
How can PV be fitted?
• Panels can be bolted, integrated, or mounted onto the roof on a frame where pitched roof space isn’t available.
• Roof tiles – can replace original roof tiles and blend in with roof
line. They can often offset the cost of other roofing materials so ideal
for new build properties.
• Cladding – more for commercial use, it can clad south facing walls,
it’s weatherproof and generates electricity from otherwise unutilised
space. It can also offset the cost of other cladding materials.
• Solar Glazing - PV laminated in glazing glass. Can be used on conservatories,
although not easily available like panels and tiles. It is possible
to purchase individual PV panels for use when camping or keeping
car batteries and other small appliances charged up. These range in size
from 1.5 watts to around 20 watts and are priced around £20
to £100 respectively.
Behavioural Actions
Using the washing machine and dishwasher during the day when the PV panels
are generating electricity will help you get the most out of your system.
Costs for installing a solar electricity system vary a lot - an average
system costs between £7,000 and £14,000, depending on its size and type.
click here to download pdf
Biomass
Burning biomass does release CO2, but only the amount which was absorbed
whilst it was growing. It is therefore considered to be a carbon neutral
process. However, there are some CO2 emissions associated with transporting
the biomass fuel to your home. Fuel from a good local supplier is often
more convenient, and minimises these transport emissions.
Different Technologies
Essentially, there are two ways in which biomass technology can provide
heat for a home. A biomass boiler can replace the conventional boiler
in a wet heating system, providing heat and hot water for the whole home.
A biomass stove acts as a single room heater, and sometimes has a back
boiler to provide hot water. All boilers and stoves require a flue, which
can be fitted inside an existing chimney. This must be highly insulated
to prevent condensation of flue gases. The three main fuels which can
be used with a fuel system are wood logs, wood pellets and wood chips.
Storing the heat produced for later use, for example as hot water, with
a thermal storage device can improve the efficiency of a biomass system.
The best option for your needs will be identified by one of our accredited
Biomass installers when they visit your property to carry out the technical
survey.
Types of Biomass Boilers
Pellet boilers
Typically consist of a boiler unit and a separate pellet store, and range
from 5-50kW.
Pellets are generally fed automatically straight from a store or silo into the boiler.
This allows flexibility in the distance between the boiler and the store.
• Can be stored indoors or outdoors in smaller tanks.
Log boilers
• Typically range from 5-50kW, and are generally cheaper than wood or
chip boilers.
• Need to be loaded with fuel by hand every 1-3 days and so the boiler
requires ready access.
Biomass Stoves
• Efficiencies range from 60-90% - typically 70%.
• Higher output stoves can be used with a back boiler to provide hot water
as well as heating.
Costs for a standalone stove are around £3,000 including installation.
A typical automatically fed boiler for an average home costs around £9,000
including installation and installing a suitable flue. Manually fed log
systems are slightly cheaper.
click here to download
pdf
Heat pumps
The heating and hot water system operate exactly the same as they do with
a boiler. Heat pumps can use various sources of carbon- and cost- free
energy, but the most common sources are ground (using solar heat from
the earth) and air (ambient air). These energy sources are inexhaustible.
However, the heat pump will also require electricity to run, which can
also come from a renewable source.
Different Technologies
All heat pumps require a pump and a distribution system, in the same way
that a conventional heating system requires a boiler and a distribution
system. Ground source heat pumps also require a ground loop.
How the heat pump works
In the same way that your fridge uses refrigerant to extract heat from
the inside, keeping your food cool, a ground source heat pump extracts
heat from the ground, and uses it to heat your home. A ground source heat
pump has three main parts:
• The evaporator, (which is the ‘squiggly’ tube in the
cold part of your fridge) absorbs the heat using the liquid in the ground
loop.
• The compressor, (this is what makes the noise in a
fridge) moves the refrigerant round the heat pump and compresses
the gaseous refrigerant to the temperature needed for the heat distribution
circuit.
• The condenser, (the hot part at the back of your fridge)
gives up heat to a hot water tank which feeds the distribution system.
Ground Source Heat Pump (GSHP)
Ground source to water: provide useful heat through under floor heating
systems and medium temperature radiators. The ground loop itself is comprised
of lengths of pipe buried in the ground, either in a borehole or a horizontal
trench. The pipe is usually a closed circuit and is filled with a mixture
of water and antifreeze, which is pumped around the pipe absorbing heat
from the ground.
Air Source Heat Pump (ASHP)
Air source heat pumps can provide efficient benefits at temperatures as
low as –20oC. Average temperatures in the UK range from 2 oC to 22 oC.
The record low was –10 oC.
Benefits of Heat Pumps
• If installed with renewable electricity they can be considered carbon
neutral.
• Unlike gas boilers, there are no required annual maintenance and servicing
costs associated with heat pumps.
| Air Source Heat Pump | Ground Source Heat Pump |
| Lower installation costs | Higher/constant CoP |
| System can be installed outside | Lower running costs |
| No need for expensive boreholes | Quieter system than air source (no fans) |
| Good Coefficient of performance
(CoP) in UK due to high air temperatures |
Generally smaller in size |
| Disadvantages | Disadvantages |
| Higher noise levels | Higher installation costs |
| Lower CoP (varies) | Large area needed to support horizontal ground loop |
| Larger in size | Installation of boreholes can cause major disruption |
| Critical to size ground collector correctly (no second chance if you get it wrong) |
A well-designed system should provide the majority (about 80%) of hot water during summer months and a useful contribution at other times, giving an overall saving of up to 60% of the hot water bill. After installation you could enjoy savings up to £160** per year, dependant on fuel replacement and demand.
A typical air source heat pump could save you up to £870+ per year and
up to 6 tonnes of CO2. They are best suited to properties that are not
on a mains gas supply.
Costs for installing a typical ASHP system suitable for a detached home,
range from about £5,000 to £9,000 including installation. Running costs
for space heating and hot water for washing are likely to be around £790
per year. This will vary depending on a number of factors - including
the size of your home and how well insulated it is.
Costs of installing a typical GSHP system range from about £7,000 to £13,000.
Running costs for a year, where all hot water and space heating can be
provided by the system are likely to be around £650 per year, but will
depend on a number of factors - including the size of your home and how
well insulated it is.
click here to download
pdf
Please call 0800 980 6026 to check if you qualify for a grant. All other households will be able to take advantage of significant discount or low carbon loans.
Some installations may be subject to building regulations. Installers working under this scheme will apply to them if required on your behalf.
*Subject to qualifying criteria, technical survey, availability of funding and council approval.
**Savings based on two solar thermal panels installed on a three bedroom semi-detached house. Source; Energy Savings Trust July 2009.
+Saving based on Electricity being fuel displaced. Savings vary depending
on which type of fuel is replaced, Energy Savings Trust February 2009.
All price ranges mentioned are estimates only.
