Renewable Energy is energy that comes from resources which are continually replenished such as sunlight, wind, rain, tides, waves and geothermal heat.
Renewable Energy has the potential to replace conventional fuels in four areas, electricity generation, hot water / space heating, motor fuels and off grid energy services.
The concept of a “green” economy is a relatively new one and is based on substituting use of fossil fuels for energy with renewable sources and efficient use of energy through energy conservation.
Energy has become a vital issue in recent times, from individual households to whole societies, everyone is faced with the challenge of making sure that they will be able to meet their basic energy needs. Our dependency on fossil fuels such as oil and coal have left us with a legacy of environmental damage and climate change. Renewable energy can help solve these problems, allowing households to be more self-sufficient by producing their own supply of clean energy.
Additionally, as fossil fuels become depleted and prices rise, renewable energy is becoming highly cost competitive. Fort example, for heating, wood fuel costs as little as half the price of oil. These savings are becoming even greater as oil prices continue to rise.
The following are some examples of Renewable Energy Systems available in the North West Region
Solar Water Heating uses a collector panel on the roof of a house to absorb the sun’s heat. The collector is connected to a hot water storge tank in the buiding, where the heated water is stored for use (hot water supply and space heating).
Solar water heating is currently the most economical form of small scale renewable enegy, with low capital costs and quick payback times
Photovoltaic Panels convert sunlight directly into electricity using arrays of semi-conducting photovoltaic cells.
These panels can be mounted to your roof like solar heating panels.
Biomass energy systems work by burning organic matter to release the energy stored in it. A variety of sources are used, but wood from the forestry industry is the most common, Biomass for heating usually comes in the form of wood chips, pellets or logs, depending on the buildings size and heat requirements.
Biomass power has become an increasingly attractive option due to the rise in oil prices and now costs as little as half the price of oil. The North West region has been market leaders in relation to developing biomass markets and a local supply chain
Wood Chips or hipped logs are a cost effective bulk fuel for large scale heating systems (for example heating hotels and other large premises)
Wood pellets are made from residues of wood processing. They are best suited to small to medium scale buildings, and are a popular form of domestic wood fuel
Wood logs can be a versatile and economical solution for home heating. To minimise heat loss they are ideally burned in stoves (provides up to 80% thermal efficiency) which are an excellent aplternative to open fires (efficiency of less than 30%)
Heat pumps draw ambient heat from the environment surrounding the building and use it to provide space heating and hot water supply. Heat pumps use electricity, but give a large amount of heat in return, and are considered an economical domestic renewable energy solution.
Ground source heat pumps are a popular heating solution, they consist of a thermal collector, usually lengths of piping l;aid underneath the ground, fluid circulates through these pipes, absorbing heat from the ground and carrying it back through the building.
The North West region is a very favourable location for wind power, wind power systems suit large wind farm type developments that sell into national grids due to the large expense involved at present, smaller wind turbines may also be used to provide off grid solutions