Green Power & Energy Efficiency

THERE is, argues GILES BOARDMAN of the Devon Energy Efficiency Advice Centre, a perfect formula for energy use in Devon homes - renewable energy sources to produce power, and energy-efficient home design to ensure we use less of it. Here he looks at how you can do your bit to save the planet - and still save money.

WHEN looking at the true cost of housing yourself and your family, it is necessary to see both sides of the coin - the cost of providing the building and power equipment within it, and the cost of actually heating and running the place.

This combined approach provides an opportunity to tackle two dominant concerns in society, fuel poverty and climate change.

We all want to spend less on fuel, but those hit by fuel poverty are being forced to make spending decisions that affect the basics of life.

Officially, fuel poverty is defined as being when over 10% of a household's income is required for energy services, and John Prescott has pledged to eradicate it by 2010.

Currently, there are still four million households living in fuel poverty in the UK (ECI, 2002), and the percentage increase in winter mortality is greater in the UK than Siberia.

As we've seen recently, climate change poses a physical threat to the South West with a steady increase in freak weather events, causing both flooding and droughts. Coastal settlements see the rise in sea level as a periodic but serious challenge, as was demonstrated by the effect of recent spring tides on Virgin Trains. Over 10,000 properties have been flooded since 1998 and this number will increase as sea levels continue to rise.

So how can we conserve energy, and cut adverse effects on the environment, by combining efficiency improvements and the use of solar energy to replace fossil fuels?

Ideally, energy saving features would have been incorporated into the design of every home, but there are still many things you can do.

• Cavity wall and loft insulation can cost as little as £150 and can reduce unwanted heat loss by over 50%, making the installation cost-effective over 1-3 years. There are also various grants to encourage people to install insulation, some of which provide free and discounted measures. Please call 0800 512012 for more information.
  
  
• Energy-efficient lightbulbs can save up to £10 per lamp per year. Discounted bulbs can be bought through the Devon Energy Efficiency Advice Centre.
  
  
• Draught-proofing is a low-cost way to reduce unwanted heat loss - up to 15% of your heat could be lost through draughts.
  
  
• Always buy A-rated appliances, which use less energy and save money.

Some of the higher cost measures, such as replacing central heating systems with efficient condensing boilers and updated controls, are cost-effective over the lifetime of the system. Double glazing is expensive, whereas secondary (DIY) glazing is a cheaper way to reduce heat loss through draughty windows.

There are also low-cost ways to make efficient use of your energy, such as:

• Solar-powered alarms, outside lights, calculators, watches, torches and even chargers for batteries, phones and laptops.
  
  
• Wind-up radios and torches to reduce the use of batteries, helping to limit pollution and save money.
  
  
• Thick curtains and draught-proofing limits the 10-15% of heat loss from draughts. Placing foil behind radiators and putting shelves above them help make efficient use of your central heating system, along with room thermostats, thermostatic radiator valves (TRVs) and a well set up central heating programmer.
  

Once a house is more energy-efficient, whether from original design or as the result of later improvements, it means less energy is required to run it - and that makes alternative, greener energy sources become more cost-effective and practical. And one of the most cost-effective and practical has to be solar power, which the Building Research Establishment described as, "the most environmentally friendly energy source".

Solar energy can be harnessed in three main ways: through windows (passive solar); for water heating; or to generate electricity using solar panels (photovoltaic solar). These three types of solar energy are vastly different in terms of the technology, costs and benefits, and it is not a simple case of asking "Is solar worthwhile?" The answer is yes, but it depends which form you opt for.

Photovoltaic solar power:
With a Government grant of 50%, it is possible to generate 3kW of electricity (24 panels) for under £10,000. This is equivalent to the average household's demand for electricity over a year.

Solar water heating:
A domestic system costs around £2,000 and will save up to 60% of your water heating costs. By contacting a 'Solar Club', or DIY installing, the cost of solar water heating can be reduced to below £1,500.

Passive solar heating:
Making use of passive solar radiation simply requires consideration of the direction the property faces at the planning stage and comparing the size of windows that gain heat (south facing) with those in colder northerly winds which lose heat.

The combination of reducing demand, through improved energy efficiency and low energy appliances, and replacing fossil fuels with renewable energy provides an example of the improvements needed across the wider housing stock of the SW and the UK.

Only by encouraging a sustainable approach to new housing will the use of domestic energy begin to fall significantly in the UK. And grants are available to encourage housing developers to incorporate energy efficiency measures and renewable energy technologies in new 'affordable housing' projects.

Of course, whatever type of building we make our home in, we are all free to make our own decisions regarding the need to minimise our impact on the environment - and if we all do a little, we all benefit a lot.



For help and advice on tackling climate change and making energy efficiency and renewable energy improvements, please call the Devon Energy Efficiency Advice Centre on 0800 512012.