What is renewable energy?
There’s been a lot of hype surrounding renewable energy in the past few years. Scientific advances have shown the damage that we’ve been wreaking on the environment with more traditional methods of creating energy. Renewable energy is energy derived from natural resources which are naturally replenished. These sources include sunlight, water, geothermal heat, the wind, rain and tides.
Why consider renewable energy for your home?
Chances are, using alternative energy to fuel your home will offer numerous benefits. Renewable energy will cut your carbon footprint. This will reduce climate change which is not only good for the environment but good for you and your children too. Renewable energies will never run out. This means that personally, you will be independent of energy providers and on a larger scale, people won’t be as reliant on fossil fuels which are rapidly depleting. In your home, renewable energy sources require less maintenance than traditional energy sources. Your energy costs will be stabilised and you will have your own backup battery in case of power cuts.
You can also make money from installing renewable energy generators in your home. Any surplus energy that you produce can be sold back to energy providers for a good price.
Solar Panels
Solar panels are an effective and efficient way of converting the sun’s light into electricity. They work best in direct sunlight. However they can also create plenty of energy in cloudy conditions. Solar panels can be fixed to your roof or mounted on the ground in any outdoor space. Installation is easy and generally only takes 2-3 days.
Solar Thermals
Solar Thermals heat water for domestic use within the home. It’s a fairly simple concept. Water is stored in tubes on the roof of your home. It is heated by the sun’s rays and is then transferred to your boiler where it can be used for washing and domestic chores.
Biomass Boilers
Biomass is any matter that was once a living organism. This can include wood, logs, bark, woodchip and wood pellets. A biomass boiler will burn this fuel to create heat energy for your home. A biomass boiler won’t take up any more room than a traditional boiler, and it can also be used to heat water for your home like a traditional boiler too.
Heat Pumps
Heat pumps provide an alternative to heating in your home. They don’t provide as much heat as regular methods, so tend to be best for underfloor heating or large, low-temperature radiators. They take heat from a room’s ambient air, ground or water in order to provide heating for space or water.
Hydro Systems
Hydro systems use running water to generate electricity. This is ideal for if you have a small stream or river running through your property. The system will use a turbine to convert the kinetic energy of running water. The turbine will drive a generator which will produce energy. The stronger the flow of water, the more energy will be produced. However, most streams will create enough energy to power a standard home.
