By Chris Chambers
So energy prices are going up again!! Do you
think there is nothing you can do about it? The best and most
satisfying thing you can do is to use less energy - here are our energy
saving tips and we promise we won't advise putting on a jumper and turning your thermostat down!
1) Light bulbs - I've banged on about this one in several of my blogs -
get rid of all your old incandescent light bulbs (the classic old
shaped ones) including any GU10 / MR16 bulbs which are not LED or CFL.
They are only about 90% efficient! That means for every pound you give
an energy company for powering an incandescent bulb you're only getting
10 pence of useful energy in return!! LED maybe more expensive (and more
so for dimmable ones) but you'll never have to replace them (when it
comes to LED spots you want a bulb that is at least 250 lumens to be
equivalent to a typical 40w GU10). CFL bulbs have got better - they
don't take very long to warm up and they're no longer the horrible white
harsh colour they used to be. Check out this calculator below for some
revealing stats on inefficient light bulbs.
http://environment.nationalgeographic.co.uk/environment/energy/great-energy-challenge/light-bulb-savings-calculator/
2) Draft excluding: if you have a 1mm gap all around an average sized
external door then that is equal to a square that is getting on for
about 7cm by 7cm - if you actually had a visible hole in your front door
which was that that size then you'd soon cover it up!! Gaps around
doors, letterboxes and windows are frequently bigger than 1mm so get
some draft-proofing installed.
3) Loft insulation: the
recommended depth for mineral wool insulation is 270mm. Check your loft -
chances are you don't have enough! And don't compress it as this
reduces its insulating properties. Boarding lofts and using them for
storage is unfortunately not very energy efficient - can you create a
simple raised section in your loft space to store items on with room for
insulation underneath?
http://www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/Insulation/Roof-and-loft-insulation
4) Change your hob for an induction
electric hob? This is an especially good option if you are in the process or thinking of upgrading your kitchen. Induction hobs are brilliant - very efficient, no wasted
heat and very controllable. If you thought you'd never want an electric
hob over a gas one then think again!
5) Boiler replacement:
This is a bit pricey but the cost of replacement of a very old and
inefficient boiler will be returned in energy savings over only a few
years. Check your boiler's efficiency here: http://www.boilers.org.uk/
6) Get an energy assessment done - most people associate energy
assessments with selling or letting houses but they provide very useful
information and advice bespoke to a particular property.
If
you're in Somerset or Dorset and whether you're a homeowner, landlord or
tenant, Proudhouse Property Management can conduct an energy assessment
for you and also advise on how to access the Government's "Green Deal"
or ECO schemes.
Showing posts with label energy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label energy. Show all posts
Sunday, 20 October 2013
Wednesday, 25 September 2013
Get rid of the Grid??
By Chris Chambers
 |
| All that power going to waste |
Yesterday (24th Sep 2013) Ed Miliband announced that the Labour Party would freeze energy bills until 2017! Hmmm... I think the energy companies might have other ideas - it's a nice idea but there is a hell of a lot of infrastructure to maintain and that maintenance isn't free. Furthermore, and more importantly, the Energy Companies need money to invest in and develop energy generation for the future. So freezing energy bills is not good for the consumer... free insulation programmes, the Energy Company obligation, and investment in renewable technologies (things that are all good for the consumer) are funded by the energy companies. Freezing energy prices could have a really bad effect on energy consumption and generation.
So is what Ed saying practical in any way?
So is what Ed saying practical in any way?
How about relying less on the infrastructure?
Use less energy!! I cannot believe the number of homes that still have incandescent lamps in the majority of their lampholders (see my earlier post). I conduct energy assessments, Electrical Installation Condition Reports (EICR) and help landlords prepare properties for letting so I go into a lot of homes... where are the CFL and LED lamps? Often there are only 2 - the 2 free CFL bulbs that everyone received free in the post a few years ago and usually they are in the hallway and the landing... the technology has improved and they do save you money so promoting this should be a priority.
But here is a really BIG, crazy, pie-in-the-sky idea:
The national grid is only about 33% efficient - that's to say that only a third of the energy released from burning fossil fuel actually gets put to useful work in homes, commercial and industrial properties. That is a shocking yet strangely accepted statistic - I'm not aware of any initiatives to change this - it is just an immutable fact.
I think the era of large scale power production should be brought to a close. For domestic properties especially, there is no reason why a network of community heat & power, micro-generation and renewables cannot provide "cells" of localised power generation. Surplus energy from domestic Solar panels on individuals houses should not feed an into an expensive large-scale national grid - what a waste of a wonderful resource! Energy derived from daylight, at point of use, being fed directly into a network which is only 33% efficient and fed largely by dirty carbon! Wouldn't it be better if it was fed into power for the local community?
Large power output generators are needed for heavy commercial and industrial units that need the consistent high power output that a national grid provides - so the role of the traditional power station will probably have to remain. But domestic properties with their diurnal low power demand should be on a separate system.
So, instead of freezing energy bills why not force the energy companies to invest in down-scaling the national grid and providing local and renewable power generation within domestic communities - generate power much closer to the point of use and cut down on huge transmission losses.
Just an idea... could this work? I'd love to hear peoples' thoughts and comments.
Chris Chambers is the owner of Proudhouse Property Management LLP: Providing Lettings & Management services, Green Deal advice and Energy Assessments to Homeowners, Landlords and Tenants in Yeovil, Sherborne, Dorset and Somerset.
Monday, 10 June 2013
10 Reasons To Use The Green Deal
By Chris Chambers
The Government's new Green Deal Scheme has launched this year - this scheme aims to improve the energy efficiency of homes via grants to homeowners and landlords to fund, or part-fund, the fitting of performance enhancing measures such as modern boilers, insulation or even solar panels. Response has been luke warm and critics are waiting to pounce on any opportunity to prove that the government scheme is a flop and a failure... what a shame - we think this scheme, employed correctly and with correct financial safeguards in place, has excellent potential to contribute to the EU directive of reducing CO2 emissions by 80% by 2050.
Here are 10 good reasons to use the scheme:
1) It will save money for the consumer: Ultimately, using less energy will cost the consumer less money. Who wouldn't want to save money?! Yes, you have to wait for the grant to be paid off... but during this period you'll be no worse off than if you hadn't taken the grant.
2) It could make you money! Feed-in tariffs for photovoltaic solar panels and for Micro-CHP systems pay homeowners for surplus electricity that is fed into the National grid.
3) It will more than likely improve the value of your home. Buyers of homes are becoming more savvy and more choosy about what they spend their money on. For example, most customers these days, given the choice, are not even going to consider a home without double-glazing or a modern >90% efficient boiler.
4) It's great for landlords: By 2018, any home in the private rented sector needs to score in Band D or above on an energy performance certificate. The letting of a home in Band F or G will be banned! The Green Deal is the obvious way to improve a property's energy efficiency and since the energy savings are measured and recouped through the utility bill the tenant would be paying back the grant.
5) Job creation: Green Deal funded measures must be installed by approved Green Deal Installers - this has the potential to create more jobs in the building trade. Plumbers, electricians, roofers, construction, and gas engineers will all be required which could be a timely rejuvenation of these industries.
6) It's good for the economy: Large scale uptake of new technologies and their associated installation requirements can only be good for the economy. There are hundreds of industries affected both in the UK and abroad - think of all the components in a boiler, or the inverters and electrical components in a PV system, the turbine technology of wind power generation... all those unseen parts need manufacturing and assembling and transporting. The scaling up of these industries, whether it's in the UK or Europe can only be a good thing.
7) Advances in technology: It is true that some of these energy efficiency measures are expensive. Photovoltaic panels for an average house cost between £7,000 to £10,000 and a micro-CHP boiler could be a similar price. Economies of scale and uptake of the technology will drive the costs down and progress advances in technology to further improve efficiency.
8) Building Standards: there is still a problem in the UK with rogue traders and unregistered tradesman. These tradesman are often not qualified nor trained in what they are doing and risk serious danger or death to themselves and their customers. Green Deal Installers will have to be registered, checked and inspected by a Government approved scheme such as NAPIT or APHC.
9) Avoid Fines: Should the Government not reach its target of 80% reduction of CO2 by 2050 then it will incur serious fines by the EU. These fines will be funded by the UK Taxpayers money! That's bad for taxpayers, bad for the economy and bad for the Government that is in power at the time.
10) The Environment: There is now no doubt amongst the climatologist of the world that global warming is taking place and there is no doubt that human activity is a significant cause. In May 2013 the concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere reached 400parts per million; this is a depressing milestone and the highest concentration of CO2 for 3 million years. We need to act. That's what the Green Deal is really all about - an effort to do something.
Any homeowner, landlord or person with a professional interest in the property industry, environment or economy should be backing the Green Deal all the way. Whether to use it or not is a no-brainer frankly. But to sit back, do nothing and gleefully wait for it to fail is lunacy.
See this link for the Department Of Energy And Climate Change's page in the Green Deal:
https://www.gov.uk/green-deal-energy-saving-measures/how-the-green-deal-works
Chris Chambers is the owner of Proudhouse Property and Wigglies - Electrical Services. Creating innovative and sustainable homes in Somerset and the South West of England.
The Government's new Green Deal Scheme has launched this year - this scheme aims to improve the energy efficiency of homes via grants to homeowners and landlords to fund, or part-fund, the fitting of performance enhancing measures such as modern boilers, insulation or even solar panels. Response has been luke warm and critics are waiting to pounce on any opportunity to prove that the government scheme is a flop and a failure... what a shame - we think this scheme, employed correctly and with correct financial safeguards in place, has excellent potential to contribute to the EU directive of reducing CO2 emissions by 80% by 2050.
Here are 10 good reasons to use the scheme:
1) It will save money for the consumer: Ultimately, using less energy will cost the consumer less money. Who wouldn't want to save money?! Yes, you have to wait for the grant to be paid off... but during this period you'll be no worse off than if you hadn't taken the grant.
2) It could make you money! Feed-in tariffs for photovoltaic solar panels and for Micro-CHP systems pay homeowners for surplus electricity that is fed into the National grid.
3) It will more than likely improve the value of your home. Buyers of homes are becoming more savvy and more choosy about what they spend their money on. For example, most customers these days, given the choice, are not even going to consider a home without double-glazing or a modern >90% efficient boiler.
4) It's great for landlords: By 2018, any home in the private rented sector needs to score in Band D or above on an energy performance certificate. The letting of a home in Band F or G will be banned! The Green Deal is the obvious way to improve a property's energy efficiency and since the energy savings are measured and recouped through the utility bill the tenant would be paying back the grant.
5) Job creation: Green Deal funded measures must be installed by approved Green Deal Installers - this has the potential to create more jobs in the building trade. Plumbers, electricians, roofers, construction, and gas engineers will all be required which could be a timely rejuvenation of these industries.
6) It's good for the economy: Large scale uptake of new technologies and their associated installation requirements can only be good for the economy. There are hundreds of industries affected both in the UK and abroad - think of all the components in a boiler, or the inverters and electrical components in a PV system, the turbine technology of wind power generation... all those unseen parts need manufacturing and assembling and transporting. The scaling up of these industries, whether it's in the UK or Europe can only be a good thing.
7) Advances in technology: It is true that some of these energy efficiency measures are expensive. Photovoltaic panels for an average house cost between £7,000 to £10,000 and a micro-CHP boiler could be a similar price. Economies of scale and uptake of the technology will drive the costs down and progress advances in technology to further improve efficiency.
8) Building Standards: there is still a problem in the UK with rogue traders and unregistered tradesman. These tradesman are often not qualified nor trained in what they are doing and risk serious danger or death to themselves and their customers. Green Deal Installers will have to be registered, checked and inspected by a Government approved scheme such as NAPIT or APHC.
9) Avoid Fines: Should the Government not reach its target of 80% reduction of CO2 by 2050 then it will incur serious fines by the EU. These fines will be funded by the UK Taxpayers money! That's bad for taxpayers, bad for the economy and bad for the Government that is in power at the time.
10) The Environment: There is now no doubt amongst the climatologist of the world that global warming is taking place and there is no doubt that human activity is a significant cause. In May 2013 the concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere reached 400parts per million; this is a depressing milestone and the highest concentration of CO2 for 3 million years. We need to act. That's what the Green Deal is really all about - an effort to do something.
 |
| You might think the Green Deal doesn't apply to newer homes. This Barn conversion is only 14 years old but would still benefit from increased loft insulation, draft proofing around all doors, improved double glazing and an upgrade of its oil fired boiler. Rural locations could also be suitable for wind turbines. |
Any homeowner, landlord or person with a professional interest in the property industry, environment or economy should be backing the Green Deal all the way. Whether to use it or not is a no-brainer frankly. But to sit back, do nothing and gleefully wait for it to fail is lunacy.
See this link for the Department Of Energy And Climate Change's page in the Green Deal:
https://www.gov.uk/green-deal-energy-saving-measures/how-the-green-deal-works
Chris Chambers is the owner of Proudhouse Property and Wigglies - Electrical Services. Creating innovative and sustainable homes in Somerset and the South West of England.
Thursday, 16 May 2013
"Save The Incandescent Lightbulb"... Really?!??!
By Chris Chambers
Apparently, in the U.S, Green labelling of products is turning people off purchasing energy efficient lightbulbs - there is even a political "save the incandescent light" lobby! A study has found that many consumers would rather buy an incandescent lightbulb than a cheaper-to-run energy saving equivalent - clearly "Green" is still not cool in the U.S.
I thought I'd share some thoughts on this. In the photo below from left to right:
1) Old style incandescent bulb: These are only about 5% efficient! The design has not changed in about 120 years. Really, honestly and truly, get rid of these if you have them - most of the electrical energy is converted to heat.
2) Incandescent halogen (GU10): About 15-45% efficient. The filaments last longer as the halogen gas deposits tungsten back onto the filament which prevents it getting weaker over time. They also reach a higher temperature and are brighter than standard incandescent. Tall people watch your heads, especially if you're bald - I really have seen a scalded scalp from someone standing on a chair whose head touched a halogen downlighter!
3) and 4) CFL Lighting. These use about a fifth of the power of a standard incandescent lightbulbs. Their efficiency more than makes up for their purchase cost over time. The tubular ones (4) are a bit more efficient. When these were first introduced people were put off by the long warm up time and the very harsh colour - more modern ones have addressed these issues. They contain mercury - a tiny miniscule amount - nonetheless, they should be recycled. If you break one then do some sensible stuff like ventilate the room, keep pets and children away until it's all cleaned up and discard any clothing that may have been contaminated.
5) LED (GU10) - these use about 90% less energy than a standard incandescent bulb! They're cold to touch. They're expensive but coming down in price. If you upgrade to these then consider the lumens rating; as a rough guide you need about 150 lumens per square meter (for general domestic illumination). They last up to 25,000 hours possibly more. As they don't get hot they are inherently so much safer - especially when installed in downlighters in ceiling voids/lofts.
If you read this far then thank you! Check out this really cool website:
Light Bulb Savings Calculator
For my home these were the (gob-smacking) results:
You have 3 more light bulbs than the average U.S. household.
- It would save $12,706,495,632 in energy costs.
- It would be like shutting down 18 coal power plants.
- It would be like taking 13,753,910 cars off the road.
- It would reduce CO2 emissions by 70,144,945 metric tons
- It would cut emissions equivalent to 381,949 railcars of coal
Chris Chambers is the owner of Proudhouse Property LLP and Wigglies - Electrical Services. Creating and developing innovative homes in Somerset and South West England.
Apparently, in the U.S, Green labelling of products is turning people off purchasing energy efficient lightbulbs - there is even a political "save the incandescent light" lobby! A study has found that many consumers would rather buy an incandescent lightbulb than a cheaper-to-run energy saving equivalent - clearly "Green" is still not cool in the U.S.
I thought I'd share some thoughts on this. In the photo below from left to right:
1) Old style incandescent bulb: These are only about 5% efficient! The design has not changed in about 120 years. Really, honestly and truly, get rid of these if you have them - most of the electrical energy is converted to heat.
2) Incandescent halogen (GU10): About 15-45% efficient. The filaments last longer as the halogen gas deposits tungsten back onto the filament which prevents it getting weaker over time. They also reach a higher temperature and are brighter than standard incandescent. Tall people watch your heads, especially if you're bald - I really have seen a scalded scalp from someone standing on a chair whose head touched a halogen downlighter!
3) and 4) CFL Lighting. These use about a fifth of the power of a standard incandescent lightbulbs. Their efficiency more than makes up for their purchase cost over time. The tubular ones (4) are a bit more efficient. When these were first introduced people were put off by the long warm up time and the very harsh colour - more modern ones have addressed these issues. They contain mercury - a tiny miniscule amount - nonetheless, they should be recycled. If you break one then do some sensible stuff like ventilate the room, keep pets and children away until it's all cleaned up and discard any clothing that may have been contaminated.
5) LED (GU10) - these use about 90% less energy than a standard incandescent bulb! They're cold to touch. They're expensive but coming down in price. If you upgrade to these then consider the lumens rating; as a rough guide you need about 150 lumens per square meter (for general domestic illumination). They last up to 25,000 hours possibly more. As they don't get hot they are inherently so much safer - especially when installed in downlighters in ceiling voids/lofts.
If you read this far then thank you! Check out this really cool website:
Light Bulb Savings Calculator
For my home these were the (gob-smacking) results:
You have 3 more light bulbs than the average U.S. household.
You use
35.6 more efficient bulbs than the average.
You are likely
saving about
$112.45 more than the average U.S. household eachyear on lighting energy, due to your choice of bulbs.
If every household in the United States took the same steps on lighting efficiency: - It would save $12,706,495,632 in energy costs.
- It would be like shutting down 18 coal power plants.
- It would be like taking 13,753,910 cars off the road.
- It would reduce CO2 emissions by 70,144,945 metric tons
- It would cut emissions equivalent to 381,949 railcars of coal
Chris Chambers is the owner of Proudhouse Property LLP and Wigglies - Electrical Services. Creating and developing innovative homes in Somerset and South West England.
Wednesday, 24 April 2013
Every UK home will receive a free Smart Meter!
By Chris Chambers
Did you know that between 2014 and 2018 most homes within the UK will have a Smartmeter installed? This is just one of many measures and schemes in place by the Government in order to meet the legal requirement to reduce carbon emissions by 80% by 2050. The meters will replace your existing meter and will monitor your energy usage - you'll never have to read or send a reading to your supplier again as that will be automated via a mobile phone type signal. It should also provide you with detailed information about your homes energy usage and help you see where you can save energy.
The meter will be replaced by your electricity distributor - not a regular electrician but www.wigglies.co.uk and www.proudhouseproperty.co.uk can provide help and assistance with upgrading home electrics and advising. See the Gov link for more detail on Smart Meters. https://www.gov.uk/smart-meters-how-they-work
And one energy company is already supplying them! Click here
Did you know that between 2014 and 2018 most homes within the UK will have a Smartmeter installed? This is just one of many measures and schemes in place by the Government in order to meet the legal requirement to reduce carbon emissions by 80% by 2050. The meters will replace your existing meter and will monitor your energy usage - you'll never have to read or send a reading to your supplier again as that will be automated via a mobile phone type signal. It should also provide you with detailed information about your homes energy usage and help you see where you can save energy.
The meter will be replaced by your electricity distributor - not a regular electrician but www.wigglies.co.uk and www.proudhouseproperty.co.uk can provide help and assistance with upgrading home electrics and advising. See the Gov link for more detail on Smart Meters. https://www.gov.uk/smart-meters-how-they-work
And one energy company is already supplying them! Click here
Tuesday, 16 April 2013
Domestic PV (Photovoltaics) systems
By Chris Chambers
Proudhouse Property and Wigglies - Electrical Services are very interested in the potential of PV systems. PV systems are now fairly common - the advantages, at first glance, seem to be very enticing: free electricity; reduced energy bills, and feed-in-tariffs paying the owner money! And of course, this renewable source of electricity is contributing to energy within the National Grid. But it is not as simple as that... is it?
- The systems do not normally utilise the charging of batteries so electricity cannot be stored, which is not very convenient for when electricity is needed most, ie; evenings when the lights/TV/computers/kitchen appliances are all being used.
- The systems are fixed (to the roof normally) - the sun of course is moving constantly in both elevation and azimuth so the PV panels are rarely (if at all) receiving optimal insolation (see here for definition of insolation).
- "Feeding-in" surplus electricity into the National Grid is doing the energy companies a huge favour and promoting the continued maintenance of a large-scale inherently inefficient national-grid system (remember, electricity generation in traditional power stations is only about 30% efficient due, mainly, to losses in transmission). Small scale systems and microgeneration are a far better idea for efficiency and redundancy - think of the chaos that occurs when the Nationl Grid infrastructure suffers major damage due to weather (or even a terrorist attack!!).
- The PV panels do little for the aesthetics of the property they're sited on - which is a bit disappointing for the properties that possibly have the most to gain fom energy efficiency such as old, historic, period properties (which are often enjoyed for their beauty).
We reckon PV could be better - we've got some ideas but would love to hear from people that actually use it! So please comment.
Chris Chambers is the owner of Proudhouse Property - providing innovative and energy efficient homes in the South West, UK.
Proudhouse Property and Wigglies - Electrical Services are very interested in the potential of PV systems. PV systems are now fairly common - the advantages, at first glance, seem to be very enticing: free electricity; reduced energy bills, and feed-in-tariffs paying the owner money! And of course, this renewable source of electricity is contributing to energy within the National Grid. But it is not as simple as that... is it?
- The systems do not normally utilise the charging of batteries so electricity cannot be stored, which is not very convenient for when electricity is needed most, ie; evenings when the lights/TV/computers/kitchen appliances are all being used.
- The systems are fixed (to the roof normally) - the sun of course is moving constantly in both elevation and azimuth so the PV panels are rarely (if at all) receiving optimal insolation (see here for definition of insolation).
- "Feeding-in" surplus electricity into the National Grid is doing the energy companies a huge favour and promoting the continued maintenance of a large-scale inherently inefficient national-grid system (remember, electricity generation in traditional power stations is only about 30% efficient due, mainly, to losses in transmission). Small scale systems and microgeneration are a far better idea for efficiency and redundancy - think of the chaos that occurs when the Nationl Grid infrastructure suffers major damage due to weather (or even a terrorist attack!!).
- The PV panels do little for the aesthetics of the property they're sited on - which is a bit disappointing for the properties that possibly have the most to gain fom energy efficiency such as old, historic, period properties (which are often enjoyed for their beauty).
We reckon PV could be better - we've got some ideas but would love to hear from people that actually use it! So please comment.
Chris Chambers is the owner of Proudhouse Property - providing innovative and energy efficient homes in the South West, UK.
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