Energy Generation

Renewable energy that occurs naturally and repeatedly in the environment should not release any net greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.  It is therefore very different from energy that is produced by burning fossil fuels like coal, gas and oil which are non-renewable fuels and therefore a finite resource.  Renewable energy can be made available by generating electricity using solar, wind and hydro power, and by generating heat through solar, biomass, anaerobic digestion and, in many cases, from ground-source or air-source heat pumps.  (Although heat pumps use naturally occurring renewable energy from the air, ground or water to produce heat, they also need to use electricity for their pumps and compressors.)  The use of solar thermal panels, heat pumps and biomass systems is being encouraged by the Government through the Domestic and Non-domestic Renewable Heat Incentives.   Further details are available from the Energy Saving Trust.

Solar power is obtained by photovoltaic (solar PV) panels producing electricity and solar thermal panels producing heat in the form of hot water.  These systems are suitable for small scale application for homes and businesses.  Please see SOLAR POWER

Wind power can be generated using wind turbines which are often associated with offshore and onshore wind farms like the ones used by Good Energy to generate electricity for their users.  We believe that large-scale wind power installations in the right locations are most appropriate for generating electricity but small-scale wind power may be suitable for homes or businesses in remote off-grid locations.  Which? has produced an interesting series of articles on wind power. The articles are available online

Hydropower is usually generated by placing turbines in flowing water to extract its kinetic energy in the form of mechanical energy that can then be converted by a generator into electrical energy.  Hydropower is an important worldwide renewable energy resource.  It is very site-specific and therefore only available to a few homes and businesses, typically those occupying former water-mills.  Government guidance on harnessing hydroelectric power is available online.

Biomass power can be generated by burning organic materials such as wood, straw, sewage sludge, animal litter and special energy crops.  Wood-burning stoves and biomass boilers are often chosen for homes and small businesses.  As the fuel is bulky, the space required for the boiler and the fuel needs to be considered carefully, and it is important that the fuel can be delivered efficiently and conveniently to the point of use.  Please see BIOMASS

Anaerobic digestion processes can produce renewable energy.  Organic material is broken down by bacteria anaerobically (in the absence of oxygen).  This produces a combustible methane-rich biogas which can be used for heating, transport fuel or combined heat and power (CHP).  The process produces odours that need to be controlled.  Due to various Town & Country Planning issues, this is a specialised application that is not usually suitable for homes and small businesses.  Government guidance on anaerobic digestion and generating energy from waste is available online.

Ground-source heat pumps (GSHPs) and Air-source heat pumps (ASHPs) use naturally-occurring low-level heat in the ground (for GSHPs) and the air (for ASHP’s) to produce high-grade heat.  When working at their optimal efficiency, they provide heat at lower temperatures than gas and oil boilers and may need to be operating for longer periods in the winter to provide the required heat.  They are usually suitable for well-insulated properties, especially where underfloor heating is used.  Ground-source heat pumps need to be connected to a ground loop in order to access the low-level heat in the ground.  This usually makes them more efficient than air-source heat pumps but they are more difficult to retrofit because of the excavation work that is required to install the ground loop pipes either horizontally in trenches or vertically in a borehole.  Water-source heat pumps can be used to heat well-insulated buildings that are situated close to rivers and lakes.  Please see HEAT PUMPS

Combined Heat and Power (CHP) systems are not usually renewable energy systems but they can be very efficient because they utilise the heat produced as a by-product of generating electricity on site.  Large CHP boilers have been used commercially for many years, but Micro Combined Heat and Power boilers are now available for homes and small businesses.  They produce low-cost, low-carbon electricity while providing the usual domestic heating and hot water.  Government guidance is available on CHP.   

Case Studies