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What should you consider when going off the grid?
Posted by Alex Barrett on 13 March 2017 at 10:45 am
Every wanted to cut your ties with the electricity grid and rely entirely on renewable power? In this article we’ll consider a few of the things to consider before setting up an off grid system. The first thing to consider is why you want to go off grid in the first place. Off grid syst…
Solar PV-T systems - what are the pros and cons?
Posted by Alex Barrett on 10 March 2017 at 10:45 am
There are two main ways to collect energy from sunlight. Both have their advantages and both are increasingly being used by households and industry across the world. A hybrid or PV-T system combines the two approaches into the same panel. Solar PV Solar Photovoltaics (Solar PV) are possib…
External vs internal wall insulation: Which is best?
Posted by Aderanti Kudehinbu on 7 March 2017 at 10:05 am
Heating a house with solid walls can be quite a challenge. Solid walls lack a cavity, so the most common form of wall insulation isn’t viable, but they can still be insulated with either internal or external insulation. The effectiveness of an insulating material is represented by a U-v…
Green open homes are inspiring people to action
Posted by Gordon Glass on 3 March 2017 at 11:40 am
The inspirational value of SuperHomes and other green open home initiatives was crystalized this week following a UK Green Building Council report. As reported by the BBC, 25 million UK homes must be insulated to achieve the government’s stated goal of an 80% cut in UK carbon emissions …
Can nanotechnology make solar PV 80% efficient?
Posted by Alex Barrett on 28 February 2017 at 10:05 am
Solar Photovoltaic (PV) systems are a great way to produce renewable power by converting the energy in sunlight into electricity. However sunlight comes in a wide range of wavelengths, both visible and invisible. The current generation of solar panels are only able to harness a fraction of the po…
How do I handle the ash from my biomass boiler?
Posted by Trish O'Flynn on 27 February 2017 at 2:05 pm
In this video SuperHomer Mark Brown reveals the suprisingly small amount of ash produced by his wood pellet boiler after burning through around 4.5 tonnes of wood pellets each year. Mark lives in a five bedroom house in South Buckinghamshire with wife Liya and their children. The house was …
Why zone your heating?
Posted by Alex Barrett on 24 February 2017 at 10:40 am
Central heating systems are great for keeping the house warm during the cold winter months. Even in the spring and summer they can frequently come in handy. But it does cost a lot of energy to heat your home. As much as 60% of domestic energy consumption is used for space heating [1]. So how can …
How do I get the best burn from my wood burning stove?
Posted by Stewart Mcilroy on 21 February 2017 at 9:55 am
To get the best burn from you wood burning stove, it's vital to use your stove's secondary air supply correctly... You might be thinking that now you have got your wood burner installed, you can happily burn as much wood as you like safe in the knowledge that you have done your bit fo…
What is the best way to insulate a loft conversion?
Posted by Trish O'Flynn on 20 February 2017 at 12:15 pm
A loft conversion can be a great way to increase your family’s living space without moving house. However, not all lofts are viable. You’ll need at least 2 metres clear head height and enough floor space to make a useable room. During a loft conversion you will need to add intern…
What made new LEDs so much better?
Posted by Arthur Smith on 17 February 2017 at 12:05 pm
LED lighting has really come on over the last 5 years and deserves a 10/10 for improvement. So, what exactly what changed? Developments in light-emitting diode (LED) lighting technology have been spectacular over the last five years. The efficiency of LEDs has dramatically improved, the pric…
Free electric vehicle smart chargers offered as part of regional trial
Posted by Gabby Mallett on 16 February 2017 at 12:31 pm
Have you just jumped on the electric vehicle bandwagon? Are you not quite there yet, but interested to get involved? Perhaps you have an electric hybrid vehicle and would like a smart charger at home. A new project is recruiting owners of a range of makes and models of electric vehicles (EVs)…
Buying your own woodland - what is involved?
Posted by Stewart Mcilroy on 9 February 2017 at 11:30 am
A year ago, my good wife and I summoned up the courage, and finance, to purchase our own woodland - five acres (just over two hectares) of beech woods in the Chilterns. It’s classified as PAWS (Plantation on Ancient Woodland Site) because it’s been continuously wooded since 1650 (know…
SWITCH your energy supplier if you do not like it!
Posted by Gabby Mallett on 7 February 2017 at 11:50 am
I could have written a blog here where I spent the majority of my time damning the big six energy suppliers and their price increases, but that wouldn’t be news to you. Some of the major suppliers are sneaking out little increases (EDF), others (npower) are going a bit further. The rise ann…
Solar PV made my electricity meter run backwards
Posted by Gabby Mallett on 3 February 2017 at 1:50 pm
They found me, I don’t know how, but they found me. Yes, I know, it’s a quote from Back to the Future and of course I do know how they found me. My energy supplier finally worked out that my meter was running backwards because I have a PV system. I had a 3.01kWp sy…
Can I service my biomass boiler myself?
Posted by Trish O'Flynn on 31 January 2017 at 11:10 am
Biomass boilers that burn wood logs, chips or pellets require more attention than gas or oil boilers as build-ups of ash and clinker can stop the boiler working efficiently. Some of these tasks you will need to do yourself, such as regular cleaning and checking. As with servicing your car, be…
Pay-as-you-save home refurb set for relaunch after sale of Green Deal loan book?
Posted by Gabby Mallett on 26 January 2017 at 1:21 pm
I can’t remember how many blogs have a written on Green Deal, but I know it’s an awful lot. I was heavily involved with it in the early days, working with big organisations who intended to become Green Deal Providers, working with DECC (now BEIS) to help them to analyse how all …
Will tomorrow's solar panels generate electricity from rain?
Posted by Alex Barrett on 24 January 2017 at 10:15 am
There are potential sources of energy all around us. Any natural system contains energy and in theory we can tap into that energy to generate electricity or work. Something that we don’t currently harness is rain. Unfortunately rainfall doesn’t generate a sufficient volume of water to…
How will data collected from smart meters help us?
Posted by Jason Ramsdale on 20 January 2017 at 11:50 am
The smart grid revolution is coming, whether you like it or not. With smart meters due in every home by 2020 some of us may be wondering why all this data needed, who will benefit and what risks come with it? We've tried to answer some of these kinds of questions in this blog. What is in …
Can I install a wood burning stove or biomass boiler if I live in a Smoke Control Area?
Posted by Trish O'Flynn on 18 January 2017 at 10:30 am
The answer is yes, but only an approved model. This is because many areas of the country have air quality problems which affect human health and, although pollutant emissions from biomass boilers are lower than from coal, if you live in a smoke control area there are restrictions on the type of b…
As halogen bulbs are phased out will LEDs steal the limelight?
Posted by Trish O'Flynn on 16 January 2017 at 11:30 am
As of 1 September 2016 directional halogen bulbs (GU10 spotlights) are being phased out across Europe. Other types of halogens are due to disappear from September 2018. However, many consumers are unaware of the ban and are unsure about LED alternatives. Recent research1 by an online LED ligh…
