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New MCS heat pump standard should improve performance
Posted by Chris Davis on 30 April 2012 at 11:11 am
Are you thinking of installing a heat pump? Well there’s good news for householders and businesses in the shape of new standards to improve the performance of heat pump installations. Snappily titled “MIS3005 v3.1a”, the new standard affects all new heat pump systems since 1 March 2012 and …
Readers tips of the month - April 2012
Posted by Cathy Debenham on 27 April 2012 at 11:10 am
We're always keen to hear your tips about you make your homes and businesses more energy efficient - and how you get the best out of your renewable energy. Here's our favourite tips and stories from the past month. Chemeng says: "Our PV system has reduced our annual grid electricity usage by a…
Wattson Solar Plus helps me to get the most out of my solar PV
Posted by Cathy Debenham on 26 April 2012 at 7:45 am
Key to getting the best out of your solar PV system is knowing when you are producing more electricity than you are using. This is the time to do things that use the most electricity. Of course, this isn't always possible. If you want to relax in front of the telly in the evening, the sun…
The feed-in tariff is still alive & paying out - so why do so many people believe it's finished?
Posted by Cathy Debenham on 25 April 2012 at 11:42 am
The phones have stopped ringing for many solar PV companies, and my totally unscientific research indicates that the constant changes and media coverage of it are to blame for a widespread belief that the feed-in tariff is no longer available for solar PV. This couldn't be further from the tr…
The feed-in tariff still offers good rates of return - so why have solar PV installations dried up?
Posted by Cathy Debenham on 24 April 2012 at 11:02 am
Since the beginning of April solar PV installations have fallen off a cliff. The only time they have been lower over the past 15 months was after the Christmas 2011 feed-in tariff deadline. In this time five companies have resigned their YouGen membership - two going into liquidation, one ceased …
Take time out from your day to be inspired
Posted by Cathy Debenham on 23 April 2012 at 11:34 am
Reading the papers or watching the news these days is pretty miserable. It brings a deluge of things that have gone wrong, and despite being a fervent news junkie, I find myself tuning out more and more often. So it was wonderful to spend last Friday being inspired by 20 amazing people who spend the…
Retrofit of Victorian terrace house reduces energy bills by 89%
Posted by Cathy Debenham on 20 April 2012 at 7:38 am
Described as a "labour of love" by designers Green Tomato Energy the conversion of a Victorian mid-terrace, built in approximately 1870 with solid brick walls, to PassivHaus standard has significantly improved comfort and reduced energy bills. Due to planning restrictions in the local conservatio…
New feed-in tariff rate from July "probably won't be 13p"
Posted by Cathy Debenham on 18 April 2012 at 3:15 pm
"We have probably overestimated" the cost reductions for solar PV going forward, admitted head of the feed-in tariff review at DECC, Rachel Solomon-Williams, yesterday. Speaking at RegenSW's event on the current feed-in tariff consultations, she also gave a ray hope for feed-in tariff (FIT…
Prices of solar PV and other renewable energy vary significantly: always get three quotes
Posted by Cathy Debenham on 16 April 2012 at 9:32 am
Getting three quotes was dinned into me in my first job. It was more than good practice - it was compulsory. Even though I was generally getting quotes from among the same pool of printers, I couldn't necessarily tell which would come in best on a particular job. It made sense, so it's something …
A cautionary tale of a heat pump gone wrong
Posted by Cathy Debenham on 13 April 2012 at 9:06 am
"Our Peak district farm offers self-catering accommodation in eco-renovated barns," write Paul & Elspeth Walker. "When we recently developed an adjoining building as a venue for courses and public events it was an opportunity to enhance the alternative energy potential of the site. "So in 20…
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