It’s been circulating the national papers over recent years; heralded as a contributing solution to 2020 E.U. requisites; and has subsequently been supported by home-owners up and down the country. But what has the Government been doing to support the integration of microgeneration into British homes; and have the macrocosmic threats of Climate Change been factored in? Well, actually, yes they have -

As easy as it is these days to point the finger-of-blame at our Labour government, their determination to reach ongoing E.U. deadlines (one of which will see Britain producing a third of its electricity from renewable sources by 2020) has been supported by an uncanny obligation to UK homeowners in their attempts to use microgenerational technologies (Solar Panels, Wind Turbines, UGS Heating Pumps etc.,).

Some of the simplest logic we can apply to these parliamentary steps is that, on average, a correct installation of a microgenerational unit will allow its benefactors to generate a third of their own electricity. Not only does this support the UK’s bid to reduce carbon usage, but the microcosm speaks for itself: if homeowners across Britain are producing 1/3 of their property’s power ‘onsite’, then the need for developing Wind Farms, Water Turbines (the Severne Estuary is one particular location under debate) and outsourcing from more climate co-operative, international countries becomes less drastic – and the 2020 requisites begin to become realistically attainable.

This is not to suggest that the current UK Government is helping us only to help itself. In fact, it’s quite the opposite. There is a cycle-of-change that will see Britain and its united countries combat and defeat Climate Change and the effects of Global Warming. It has no specified start-point. Instead, the emphasis is merely on a start. Once this happens you’ll be able to see the reciprocal nature of renewable energy sources, and the relationship that has developed between Government, councils and end-users to boost its growing success. Here are a few examples of what’s already in place to help you micro-generate a macro-solution:

• Microgeneration
  Low Carbon Buildings Programme (LCBP):
  Launched in April 2006, the LCBP is a £86million grant programme for microgeneration technologies to help tackle some of the financial barriers and encourage the microgeneration market as a whole.
• Renewable Obligation Certificates (ROCs):
  The ROC is a type of green energy certificate that renewable source generators of electricity are entitled to claim for, if deemed eligible. ROCs have a monetary value. Generators can expect to claim 1 ROC for every 1MW of renewable energy generated, and a microgenerator could expect to receive up to 1-2 ROCs per year. And depending on the contract with the supplier, a microgenerator can currently expect to receive approximately £20-£30 per ROC.
• Levy Exemption Certificates (LECs)
  The LEC is another form of green energy certificate. Generators of electricity, using renewable sources, can also claim 1 LEC for each 1MW produced. Utilities need to source these LECs so they can exempt business consumers from Climate Change levy – which is £4.41 on 1 MWh of electricity.
• Microgeneration Certificate Scheme (MCS)
  The MCS is the only certification scheme to cover all microgeneration products and services. MCS is supported by the Department of Energy and Climate Change as a primary regulator and method for mitigating the UK’s dependency on fossil fuels and carbon dioxide emissions. It is put into action in order to protect consumers, and its thorough criteria and standards are used to evaluate microgeneration products and installers.
• The Energy Saving Trust: Act on CO2
  The Energy Saving Trust incorporates the ‘Act on CO2′ advice service, which includes microgeneration, carbon saving information, as well as advice for homeowners on a range of topics to help their property become more energy efficient.

These are just some of the initiatives available, established and held in place by current UK parliament acts. Their design is in aid of a full integration of microgenerational technologies into British homes and new developing properties. Not only do initiatives, such as these, encourage the switch to renewable energy sourcing, but they also seek to uphold it and protect its users from any potential threats – ensuring that Green markets are beneficial to all.

Source: www.berr.go.uk/energy/sources/sustainable

Posted under Articles, Climate, Gas & Electricity, House & Home, Renewable Energy

On August 28th 2009 the National Public Radio, based in the US, aired a discussion on the potential problem of land aquisiton for a wider use of renewable energy. The discussion, led by the channel’s broadcaster Christopher Joyce, has claimed that the amount of land needed for a genuine uptake in renewable energy is substantial indeed, and that it could produce a barrier for those who feel that the ‘green revolution’ could prove costly and impractical.

Joyce himself said that,

“Renewables like wind turbines, dams, big solar collectors and, most of all, millions of acres of corn for ethanol or soybeans to make diesel fuel… wind farms or corn fields take up more room than coal mines or nuclear power plants for the amount of energy you get out. McDonald calculated how much land is needed to get one terawatt hour of energy – about what you’d get in a year from a small power plant – from coal plants and dams and wind farms and other sources“.

Joined on the programme by ecologist Rob McDonald, the show argued that – in the words of McDonald – “To get a terawatt hour from coal, you need 9.7 square kilometers, on average. And then for wind power it, takes about 72 square kilometers. And by the time you get up to something like corn ethanol, it’s like 350 square kilometers“.

It raises the question, then, as to whether we have the space available for such endeavours. The EU is already finding it; Northern Africa has been proposed as a site for a mass solar energy plant. The US, too,  is a vast nation. But fears are still being circulated, and though the tangible problem is not such a big one – the projects need vast amounts of land, but there are vast uninhabited landscapes available – the possibility for argument over such a prospect is much larger.

There is of course plenty who would argue that this land could be used for something else; and what about places that have less space, like India, or indeed many parts of Europe?

Europe’s answer has been to look to Africa. Some, though have labelled this neo-colonialism, and the fear that energy consumption could usher in a new kind of colonialism in land acquisition, are perhaps justified.The other more optimistic option, is for intercontinental cooperation on energy consumption; Southern Europe working with Northern Africa, for example, or Russia’s Siberian borders collaborating with China.

Sceptics, though, would look to history – and to recent events – and argue that land acquisition for such ends has become, like so many things, a case of rich exploiting poor so that the poor can get that little bit richer.

In light of that, the National Public Radio’s comments are perhaps justified.

Posted under Articles, Renewable Energy

We’ve all seen the television ad for EDF’s new energy saving initiative eco renew. But what are the power giants really aiming for? And has eco20:20 and climate change hit these companies like some kind of fever? Who really has the cure here? These questions may be at the back of our minds as we sit down in front of the box and watch as EDF’s logo pops up on the screen. So here is the information about how this company stays in popular public sight, and a few more facts that should move those question-marks from the back of your brain to the tip of your tongue.

 EDF and eco renew

Let’s get one thing out in the open eco renew is a product. EDF have manufactured a marketable package that appeals to the general public of homeowners. But why? Clearly the energy supplier must be offering us a range of benefits that are wide enough to include a broad and general sweep of their existent, or potential, consumers. These benefits can be summed up in one word: savings. EDF want to help save homeowners money by offering a service that can viably achieve this goal. As well as reducing your carbon footprint, EDF commit their eco renewservice to help reduce your energy bills. How? By using the emerging technologies of microgenerational energy units.

Microgeneration, in its popular and accessible form, consists of three basic but reliable units. These eco-friendly alternatives are based on renewable or more sustainable models of what is already being used in your home. By generating your own low carbon energy you will be making sizable savings on the unfortunately perennial Gas & Electricity bill. Existing users have said to save as much as a third off of previous statements. And with microgenerational technologies becoming ever emergent and popular, their efficiency will increase. This becomes a situation known as ‘a demand cycle’, one that our UK government have been anxious to establish: the more we utilise renewable power sources, the more the technology advances and integrates into UK homes, thus resulting in E.U. 2020 requisites being achieved (i.e. Britain has been set a target of producing 1/3 of its electricity from Green, renewable sources).

EDF are also setting themselves targets of low or zero CO2 energy production. After spokesmen announced their purchase of British Energy, the French powerhouse has turned its ecological eye to Britain; and have since set about development of four European pressurized reactors, in order to deliver even more clean energy into UK homes.

So why use EDF? The energy supplier have made it very simple for its customers – call, confirm, install. Just like that. The power corporation have a call team that will be able to advise on whether or not your home is suitable for eco renew,and talk to you about the costs involved in the entire procedure. EDF then send a local surveyor, free of charge, to visit your home in order to confirm that the estimations given over the phone are both accurate and viable. And then once it has been determined what type of microgenerational program suits your home, the installation can take place.

There are three renewable alternatives that EDF offer for your home: Solar Photovoltaic, Solar Thermal, and Air source heat pumps. Basically, it will depend on the location and infrastructure of your current location as to which service you’ll receive. However, all have their benefits.

Solar Photovaltaic technology, put simply, is solar panelling. Arguably one of the most popular and integrated solutions for homeowner looking to do their bit for the environment (as well as their bank accounts!). Solar Photovaltaic panels use PV cells to soak up the sun, harness the natural energy stored in its rays and then converts this – with the aid of electrical generation systems – into longwave energy, which can be stored for those not so sunny days, night time emergencies, and black-outs! It is a great step towards becoming sustainably self-sufficient.

Solar Thermal works under the same premise as Photovaltaic, utilising PV cells. But in this instance it is used to convert sunlight into energy, which then heats your water. This will seriously reduce the need to use your boiler in the summer months, and also cut a chunk out of those weighty winter bills. Whereas Photovaltaic is designed to supply clean power for electrical appliances, Solar Thermal is dedicated to heating your water systems, and can provide 5.5% of energy related savings.

And the last (but not final) solution EDF are offering with their standard packages is the Air source heat pumps. This is another low carbon alternative to gas and oil boilers. It sucks air from outside and channels the inherent warmth to heating outlets, such as radiators.

Whatever their solution, EDF are committed to providing accessible, integrateable, and renewable alternatives to help homeowners make the change the entire nation is committed to. That’s why eco renewis one of Britain’s most popular and reliable power packages, and another reason to help out in the race for climate control.

EDF and eco renew

Posted under Articles, Climate, Corporate, Eco Reviews, House & Home, Renewable Energy

Brunton solar-rechargeable pioneers, pride themselves on their durable power sources that led to the first flexible solar panel. The Solar Roll was the first, but certainly not their last. Since its release, Brunton U.S. have developed and refined the high-tech, rugged and adaptable technology that has received glowing reviews from around the world. Travellers, adventurers and expedition groups across the globe have packed a Brunton as essential equipment for their life-changing activities. However, what is most exciting, Brunton have recognised that even the ordinary days of week-in week-out are committed to another level of living. And have since began production of Brunton Solar Rolls in varying outputs and alternative sizes to accommodate their emergence onto the commercial market. Soon the Solar Roll will be available to power anything from the car battery to handheld cameras. But for now, here is a list of Brunton solar products that are making power portable

Brunton Solaris i6 iPod Charger

Nearly everybody has an iPod these days, and the majority of them have subsequently lost their charger. But if you’ve still got hold of one, now there’s one step better to take you that bit further. That’s right, the Brunton Solaris i6 iPod Charger. No larger than a diary, this foldable solar charger is set to become just as important. In clear sunlight the Solaris i6 can run your iPod, giving you access to those favourite tunes and videos, even if the battery is empty. Not only that, the Solaris i6 can plug directly into your iPod Mini, iPod Nano, or iPod to convert the sun’s natural energy into a full battery in 2 to 4 hours!

The unit includes a 12 volt vehicle adapter which connects to other small electronics, so you can recharge them out and about too. Small, compact, lightweight and practically ingenious, the Brunton Solaris i6 iPod Charger retails at approximately £95 (150 USD) making it a perfect gift solution for any music lover or festival goer this year.

Brunton SolarRoll TM 9

A general electronics charger, the Solar Roll was the inspiration driving the first flexible solar panel. A classic in its own right, the evolution of the Solar Roll has taken Brunton to new heights. And now that it has been waterproofed, they can carry on their ascent whatever the weather.

Commonly used by kayakers and other seafarers who take their photography with a certain professionalism, this product is at the forefront in its field (or should we say glade). When necessary or in preparation, simply unroll the durable flexi-panel and drape it on the nearest surface. With a 9 watt output, it is excellent and by all means efficient in charging appliances as high-tech as satellite phones, PDAs, and high-spec laptops, to the more domestic mobile phone and digital camera. And weighing just 9.2 ounces, wherever your adventure, don’t leave home without it. Retailing at £175 (277 USD), the open dimensions are 12″ x 40″ for effective utility.

Brunton SolarPortTM 4.4

The Solar Port is for those needed protection from the slightly more hardcore. A more heavy-duty unit, the Solar Port 4.4 still weighs only 19 ounces and measures in at 9.3″x6″x1.5″ – remarkably compact. Using a USB connection, this innovative power alternative will keep you on the map, charging mobile phones, GPS tracking systems, photography equipment and digital cameras. Strong, durable, robust with a weatherproof hard-shell case, the foldable Solar Port 4.4 uses the same photo crystalline solar technology with a 12 volt connection you can rely on. A slightly cheaper retail price of £69 (109 USD) the Solar Port is a must have for any Eco-enthusiast or outdoor activist.

There is so much going on behind the scenes at Brunton it is going to be hard to tell where they’re going next with this innovative and exciting technology. But one thing’s for sure, if they’re at the summit of Mount Everest or at the heart of the Dead Sea, they’ll be able to drop us an email.

Posted under Articles, Corporate, Eco Reviews, Product Innovations, Renewable Energy

The power source is free, and as far as man is concerned, endlessly renewable. I refer of course, to the sun and the booming solar panel industry.

Most people are unaware that the amount of solar energy intercepted by the Earth every minute, is greater than the amount of energy the world uses in fossil fuels each year – so we have to ask why all of us don’t harness solar power in on our homes yet? Unlike wind turbines, which are reliant on consistent wind flow to work in cities, Solar Panels work on almost every roof, regardless of wind flow and even if they aren’t pointing South or it is overcast. Technological advances mean that Solar works in all weathers, except, of course, when it is snowing.

Technically, converting solar radiation into home-use power is not rocket science. For those with an eye on either cost or the environment, or both, solar power allows homeowners to lock into an uninterrupted and virtually unlimited source of power.

With the numerous Government led financial incentives available, particularly in countries such as Australia and Canada, it now makes economic sense to harness the sun. Even in the UK, there is a Low Carbon Buildings Program which was formerly name the ‘clear skies’ program. A list of approved products and installers will shortly be available within the Renewables Category of EcoSwitch.com. Depending upon the supplier you choose, you may be eligible for a grant.  If you need further information immediately, please contact us for a list of approved products. The Renewable comparison category on EcoSwitch will be available during July 2009.

Solar Photovoltaic and Solar Thermal Panels

For those not familiar, there are two alternative methods to harvest solar power: solar photovoltaic panels (PV) that convert sunlight into electricity, and solar thermal collectors that use the sun’s energy to provide heat for your home hot water supply. Both types of solar heating are effective and efficient.

Solar thermal is particularly good if cost is a major consideration. Pre-heating hot water for your bath, laundry or dishwashers can save up to 50% of the home heating bill. If a home has radiant floor heating, savings can be even higher.

Solar PV panels are rated in watts and based on maximum power output in ideal conditions of sunlight and temperature. It is relatively easy to determine how many panels are required for a home by reference to the rated output of each panel and looking at seasonal and weekly power usage on your electricity bills. As a rule of thumb, plan to install panels that produce double the wattage required. This will take care of battery and wire loss, poor weather and the like. If batteries are installed, unused power can be stored for use at night time. In the absence of batteries, power supply has to come from the grid at night time or when the sun is obscured, which naturally cuts into cost savings.

A 100 watt PV panel can produce about 400 watt-hours of power per day. If an average sized home uses 25,000 watt-hours per day, the requirement is for 62 panels. That is quite a lot and it will take time for the investment to make sense. One reason that not more rooftops are covered with PV panels right now! The good news is that technological improvements are moving forward rapidly, and soon a 1 kilowatt panel will be available, so less space is needed and with fewer panels needed the cost should also fall.

Payback

There is still a lot of debate about solar panels and especially concerns about the payback period for green building technologies such as PV and solar thermal and whether the installation cost can be recovered if the house is sold. In the absence of Government offsets, solar power can still be expensive. However, perhaps one should look beyond the cost of solar power and focus on the long-term advantages in terms of overall quality of life and lowering the impact of your home on the environment.

Installation

Should you decide to install solar panels, there are some do-it-yourself kits on the market – but it is worth speaking to a few companies to identify the best way forward. Most don’t have enough expertise to do it all themselves, unless of course, you read a lot of manuals and speak to the right people. We recommend getting a suitably qualified solar energy installer who will thoroughly check out your existing system before determining your requirements. Many solar companies now do everything for you.

If any readers know of any good solar operators, please use the comments section below to provide information or visit our new forum. In the UK, we are informed that Smart Energy UK and Solar Century are the market leaders.

Posted under House & Home, Renewable Energy

Renewable energy is getting cheaper, and as prices fall, green energy suppliers are beginning to compete far more effectively with mainstream energy companies. One, Ecotricity, will match the prices of the UK’s top six standard energy tariffs, so that making the switch to renewable energy is not only simple, but cheap.

Ecotricity have built up quite a portfolio. They have produced almost 10% of the wind turbines used in the UK, and supply 40,000 customers with efficiency renewable energy tariffs. The company itself began in 1995, making it one of the oldest companies of its kind, and a founding father of the green electricity movement in the UK.

Dedicated to Sustainability with Green Electricity Tariffs

As the green energy sector is a growing sector, Ecotricity have taken measures to make sure that the company and what it provides – clean, green electricity – grows as it garners more customers.

Under their New Energy tariff, Ecotricity spend £1 on research and manufacture for renewable energy, for every £1 that their customers spend in bills. It helps to develop the opportunity for green energy as a national energy source, and it shows customers that they are with a company who are dedicated not just to money, but to their environmental cause. The Ecotricity website states the following:

“All the Green energy in this tariff comes from our own wind turbines, this year it’s just over 50% and rising fast. The balance is ‘Brown’ electricity bought in the market ­ and that reduces each year as the green increases. But the key part is this – for every £ our customers spend with us through their electricity bills we spend another £ building new sources of Green energy. And we price match each regional supplier so our New Energy has no premium attached to it ­ our customers get what we call ‘Green for the price of Brown’. No wonder this is considered by people like the Soil Association, WWF and Oxfam to be the best green tariff in the UK, bar none.”

Ecotricity, then, has some big-name supporters, and not without merit; their £1 for a £1 scheme helps make sure that green energy develops, and that the renewable sector can sustain itself in years to come; it ensures that, the more customers that come on board, the better the industry can get.

Doing a Little to Help a Lot – Beating Climate Change through Green Energy Tariffs

What companies like Ecotricity do is give the average individual a chance to their bit in lowering carbon emissions and combating climate change. The Ecotricity motto ‘Fight Climate Change with Your Electricity Bill!’ is a sound case in point for the ability, quickly and easily through companies like Ecotricity, that everyone has to do something towards greater environmental parity.

For more information on Green Energy Provider Ecotricity, please visit their website.

Posted under Articles, Companies, Renewable Energy

One of the most established companies in field that is growing steadily, Good Energy are providing the general public in the UK with a real chance to make a change to their energy habits, and to challenge climate change in the process.

Renewable Energy the Easy Way

By signing up, just like any other energy company, Good Energy will provide a household with power to match its needs. The difference, though, is that the energy it provides has been garnered from renewable energy sources. A large portion of this energy comes from wind power, which Good Energy champion, not least because the UK has good potential with wind power, but because it has vast community potential.

Good Energy state that,

“Most of the electricity we buy comes from wind power. And we’ve got a lot of it in the UK. We have our own wind farm down in Delabole, Cornwall, the first commercial wind farm in the UK…We also support some awe inspiring community wind power like, some businesses going green and a large number of land owners and farmers getting into wind power.”

Currently, they source energy from wind farms in all parts of the UK, for an even spread of energy allocation across the south, Wales, the Midlands, and the north, so that everyone who wants to make the practical switch to renewable energy, has the means to do so.

Good Energy also sources energy from hydro power, wind power and solar photovoltaic, with some help from bio fuel; the third option, though, comes only from supplies that Good Energy have met criteria that makes their bio fuel a genuine green alternative; it must have a clean fuel source and be transported and combusted under very strict criteria, if it is to make the cut.

Why Companies like Good Energy Signify a Trend

That Good Energy provide renewable energy in the same way that conventional energy companies provide traditional electricity, is indicative of the general widening of the environmental movement. What was once an endeavour for those who had the money and time to install their own personal solar panels or wind turbines, has now become an accepted alternative to normative electricity outlets?

Such companies mark the point at which the push for renewable energy becomes both practical and ethical. And as practicality meets ethics, the environmental movement has a real force to be reckoned with.

Good Energy then, in providing renewable energy solutions to a general public who need only pay a supplier – just as they would any conventional energy company – to help them make the switch, are making a general renewable energy movement possible; the practical side can now be taken for granted, so the choice comes down only to ethics.

For this reason alone, there seems little stopping even the environmentally curious from switching to a company like Good Energy at the first viable opportunity.

Check the Good Energy Website for Renewable Energy Solutions

Posted under Articles, Companies, Renewable Energy

The Green party have been in the UK something of a fringe party, until recent years. But as the party itself has grown, and as awareness of environmental issues have grown, notably due to Green Party endeavours, they have come to represent the strongest alternative to the trinity of Labour, the Conservatives, and the Liberal Democrats.

Now as, the collective environmental conscience of the UK grows, the Green Party are the symbol of environmentalism, both in and out of politics, for a large number of people. Their ‘Green Energy Works’ campaign is a nationwide community-led initiative that the party hope will reach the ears of those in government, and particularly those at the Department of Energy and Climate Change.

“In the UK today”, reads the mission statement for ‘Green Energy Works’, “Green Party members are campaigning for more investment in renewable energy and energy-saving because this would save the most carbon dioxide, start working most rapidly, and create the most new jobs for British workers”

What marks out the scheme, and the Green Party push for government, then, is that they link economic stability – through reemployment – with new and improving policies on energy consumption and climate change. Their mission statement, further, arguing for the link between economy and environment, states that,

“It means ensuring Britain is part of one of the fastest growing employment sectors in Europe. There are more than 200,000 jobs just waiting to be created in clean energy, energy efficiency, organic farming, recycling and public transport.”

Green Energy for the People, From the People

That the ‘Green Energy Works’ campaign is population-led is intrinsically important; what the Green Party wish to show through the initiative is that carbon emissions reduction, the rejection of nuclear energy, and research in renewable energy is not simply an aim designated by the Green Party as a result of conceptual analysis, but that the population at large are understanding the importance too.

The party states that “We aim to have 2 million households and businesses on green electricity to demonstrate to the government that the public wants investment in energy-saving and green energy, not nuclear power.”

As such, the ‘Green Energy Works’ campaign hopes to alert government to the benefits of a more rigorous and committed approach to environmentalism, energy, and climate change, by helping the general public make practical switches in their own lives. Through the scheme, people are asked to switch to green electricity tariffs, to campaign for green energy in the workplace, and to lobby local MPs for green energy solutions.

Green Energy and the Green Party – Signalling the Return of the Left-Wing?

That the ‘Green Energy Works’ campaign is targeting the core areas of job creation and public empowerment, is perhaps a sign that more traditional left-wing values have found a new home couched in environmental policy. If indeed this is the case, then the Green Party, an outlet for those who lost their traditional left-wing symbol when New Labour took the Labour party into the centre of the political spectrum, might have a genuine chance of garnering a surge of support, helping the environmental cause substantially and definitively.

Posted under Articles, Renewable Energy

A number of journalists have discussed the idea of a ‘green revolution’, and there is certainly a general feeling that a number of countries are developing something of an environmental conscience. Those who have already made the switch to a green lifestyle are slowly growing in number, and the idea of that environmentalism is a privilege of the upper and middle classes are beginning to dissipate.

One problem for the environmental movement remains. Switching to a green lifestyle is still a costly procedure. That ethical beliefs can in this way clash with economic constraints is for critics the downfall of the general environmental movement, particularly in the UK, and it is a problem that supporters of the ‘green revolution’ are keen to address, if the movement itself is to widen and take on a primary role in mainstream culture.

How Government Energy Grants Can Aid the Movement

With the UK government keen to portray themselves as supporters of an environmental movement, they are providing a number of incentives for those who wish to ‘go green’. One example is the Low Carbon Buildings Programme, in which “Householders can apply for grants of up to £2,500 per property towards the cost of installing a certified product by a certified installer.”

Supporting wind turbines, photovoltaic technology, small hydro, air and ground source heat pumps, and bio-energy, the programme aims to give the average UK household a genuine chance to make some change to the way in which they gather energy,
and should help to convert some of those whose economic constraints are at odds with their ethical wishes.

A Communal Approach to Green Energy

Individual households constitute Phase 1 of the Low Carbon Buildings Programme, but the project, with the aim in the first instance to “support a more holistic approach to reducing carbon emissions from buildings”, also provides further grants for buildings that provide community benefits.

With public sector buildings such as schools, housing associations and hospitals eligible for the Phase 2 fund, the UK Government seems keen to promote the social as well as practical and environmental benefits of the Low Carbon Building Programme. Those buildings eligible for Phase 2 can,

“Apply for a maximum of up to £1.0 million in grant funds per site. A site may include more than one property and a maximum of three eligible technologies may be grant-assisted at each property. Multiple applications from one organisation for different sites will be accepted.”

In this way, both individuals and communities can benefit from an incentive-based system for the increased integration of renewable energy and reduction of carbon emissions in the UK. Though such a scheme is only one small step – the Green Party are pushing government for larger grants – it is something of a first step for that reduction in the disparity between economic practicality and environmental commitment.

For more information on the Low Carbon Buildings Programme and how to apply, visit the Low Carbon Buildings Programme website.

Posted under Articles, Gas & Electricity, Renewable Energy

There are sceptics who would argue that renewable energy, though ethically sound and environmentally beneficial, is as yet impractical. They would point to a perceived lack of genuine solution and manufacture in the sector, as a pitfall that, for those sceptics, could keep renewable energy firmly within the hands of environmental elite.

As a case in point for the misinformation of such sceptics, few strike a more pertinent chord than Green Energy. Providing tariffs for its customers that can make a home or a business 100% reliant on renewable energy, Green Energy are providing energy solutions that are of genuine benefit for the environment, and are certainly tangible and practical.

Practical Environmental Solutions – Green Energy’s Tariffs

At current, the company delivers its solutions in the form of two tariffs. The first, named ‘Deep Green’, is the service that will provide complete renewable energy for a home or business.  In Green Energy’s own words, the ‘Deep Green’ tariff providers, “100% deep green renewable electricity. The very best you can do for the planet. The electricity is sourced from free falling water, wind, biomass, solar and the tides.”

The second tariff, ‘Pale Green’, is for the more tentative, involving the relatively less substantial switch to what is called ‘green electricity’; making use of Combined Heat and Power (CHP), and including wind and hydro energy, it is an alternative to the 100% renewable energy tariff that at least removes the harmful effects of a reliance on conventional electricity.

In both tariffs, and in such a system, the practical potential of renewable energy becomes clear; for any business or household, making a full switch to renewable energy alone would prove troublesome, but Green Energy, in providing solutions through the tariff system, ensure that experts make the changes so that the individual does not.

It is such a system that really marks the potential for renewable energy in a consumer industry.

The Green Energy Mission Statement

Providers of these two notable tariffs, the position of Green Energy as a committed environmental solutions electricity company has been supported by their ethical points from day one. They have four essential agenda points, outlining the fundamental nature of their business. These points, which follow, shape the essential actions of the Green Energy business model:

• We only buy green, we don’t have any brown electricity or nuclear in our business. All our energy is additional generation created since 2001.

• We buy our energy from the widest range of renewable and green technologies that will one day reduce the pricing power of oil.

• We are making use of today’s technology to make fossil fuels greener.

• We are independent, UK based and we are truly answerable to our customers: so much so that we give all our customers the chance to become shareholders for free.

Certainly, then, Green Energy are not only providers of genuinely practical energy solutions for those with the environment in mind; they have come to provide such a business garnering a reputation as a company who themselves genuinely have the environment at heart.

Visit the Green Energy Website for more information.

Posted under Articles, Gas & Electricity, Renewable Energy