Renewable energy - Pros and Cons

Renewable energy sources are very much a talking point at the moment, and with increasing government focus and incentives (the new feed in Tariffs reward you for generating your own power)maybe people are thinking more seriously about them than they have done in the past.

So what is renewable energy - pretty much what it says on the tin, energy created from a renewable source, which would typically be wind, water or solar.

Water or hydro power is probably the easiset place to start, unless you have a river or stream running through your property this is not possible and the vast majority of people don't, so take up is highly restricted and tends to be in very rural settings, where there is the space and capability to build. As take up is low, investment costs are likely to be higher and your payback will therefore be longer. Seek specialist advice if you are even thinking of going down this path.

Wind power. Easier to consider and certainly small domestic installations are readily available, even from some of the national DIY chains. The key consideration is whether your site is windy enough to make the investment worthwhile. Most urban areas are probably unsuitable, just because buildings alter natural weather patterns and would probably make consistent wind power unfeasible - the payback period, given the power you generate would be uneconomic. I would add one caveat to this however, which is some form of community project, especially for places like blocks of flats with accessible roof space. Here because the roof will be typically above other housing a freer windflow is likely, so on a community basis the installation of turbines may be practical and attractive.

Solar power. The main option in urban and suburban settings. Comes in two forms, solar heating where the hot water supply is 'boosted' by passing through a grid of pipes exposed to the sun, which will increase the water temperature and therefore reduce the load on traditional heating such as gas central heating. The other form is photovoltaics, where exposure to sunlight generates electricity, which is fed into the domestic supply, reducing your pull from the national grid. In both cases large flat panels are typically installed on a roof, facing south, with plumbing or wiring in the loft space to capitalise on the heat or energy generated. I think the main argument is really aesthetics. The technology is proven, payback periods are reasonable, so do you want a large grid sitting on the roof of your house?

But are we missing a trick? The primary motivation for these installations is carbon footprint reduction or saving on fuel costs. I have produced many Energy Performance Certificates for houses and I have yet to see a house with a renewable installation. If energy efficiency is your primary goal think about making the most of existing elements before you consider renewable installations. Make your house more thermally efficient and make your heating system work as effectively as possible. The Two BIG winners for the average household I have seen are therefore :
1. sort out your loft insulation. The number of houses with poor or no insulation when I do EPC inspections is a lot higher than I would expect. Insulation and people who can help are readily available at very reasonable costs. Current guidelines say a MINIMUM of 250mm (10 inches) of insulation should be present. Any top up here will have immediate payback on your heating bills and is likely to be more cost effective than anything else in the short term.
2. upgrade your boiler. Modern gas boilers are very efficient and can achieve about 90% efficiency. Older boilers can be as low as 60%, so the math is simple, change your boiler and you will use less gas to heat the house and therefore save money. The government has recently launched a boiler scrappage scheme, so it endorses this viewpoint. Clearly replacing a boiler is more expensive than a bit of loft insulation, but it is still cheaper than a full installation of solar panels, with probably similar results.

It is easy for me to discuss these things, because I have a professional responsibility as a Domestic Energy Assessor to understand them. Surrey Energy Consultants is primarily involved in the production of EPCs and Home Information Packs (HIPs), but we are very willing to provide advice to homeowners too on what their best options to improve energy efficiency might be. Please get in touch if you'd like to know more.