Is Renewable Technolog y
Any house is going to need heat and electricity, and deciding how to provide this, whether you should invest in renewable technology, and how best to invest can be tricky. But the best place to start is to look at your needs, and the type of house you live (or are planning to live) in.
where to start
The weather, sunshine and just living in a house will produce some heat. What proportion of the overall heat load can be provided by those natural means will vary with the thermal efficiency of the house and how it is occupied.
Again, how much electricity is used will also vary with how the house is used. If you work from home, or you’re retired and still spend most of the time in the house, or you have kids in the house, then your electricity demand is likely to be higher than usual.
The most popular way to deal with all of this seems to be to improve thermal efficiency of the house somewhere beyond Building Regulations (always a good idea) and pop a few PV panels on the roof to supply some electricity. And, to be honest, it is not a bad idea. PV panels are relatively cheap and readily available.
They are often the only option available for generating electricity for the home via renewable technology (more on which later) and they do provide some protection against future energy price rises, so they are worth considering.
“If the renewable energy system installed suits the budget, the house and the people living in it, it will be the right system”
is often referred to as the ‘fabric first’ approach. It also means investing in LED lighting and energy-efficient appliances to reduce electricity consumption. Once this has been addressed, generating your own electricity futureproofs the homeowner against future energy price rises.
Increasingly, another reason is to meet the demands of the local planning authority, who might state that you need to invest in renewable technology as a condition of your planning approval. There are two ways of addressing this: do the minimum to satisfy the demand or, if it has to be done, embrace it and do it properly. It is relatively easy to pop a few solar panels on the roof or install an air source heat pump. It will probably satisfy the local authority but without proper consideration, design and calculation, such systems may or may not be a good idea.
Rachel and Arthur Cunynghame chose integrated solar panels from GB-Sol, rather than the more conventional solar panels that are installed over roof tiles or slate, for their five bedroom self-build in Gloucestershire. “We wanted our solar panels to be as unobtrusive as possible,” explains Rachel. “We think our matt glass solar panels look great as they are part of the roof and not stuck on top, which so many are.” The couple first spotted the solar panels on a trip to the National Self Build and Renovation Centre in Swindon. An app on their phones allows them to choose when to use large electrical appliances, such as the washing machine, while the home’s Tesla battery stores unused electricity for use in the evenings and on cloudy days.
Take a closer look at the incentives, comparing the tariffs for heat vs electricity-generating renewables and one might suggest that the tariffs for RHI are better. To some extent, this reflects the difference in capital cost but also reflects what the government wants us to invest in. How they arrive at that decision is a different matter.
The priority will vary with both the property itself and the homeowner’s motivation. If the renewable energy system installed suits the budget, the house and the people living in it, it will be the right system, whether it is producing heat or electricity.
Building or renovating a more energy-efficient house – in both heat and electricity terms – is always a good idea. In fact, it can be argued that building a more energy-efficient house is the best possible investment.
In any event, an investment will be needed and the investment in the house is likely to cost less, produce more benefits and last longer than an equivalent investment in technology. Inevitably investment in technology will be needed to get close to meeting all the demands of the house. This leaves the question: how far do you want to go to meet all the demands of the house? And that is your decision, as the homeowner or self-builder.
When Jason Orme, editorial director at HB&R, bought a family home to renovate, the house was off mains gas. So, like thousands of self-builders and renovators before him, he was faced with a choice: replace the old oil boiler or choose a renewable energy system for the home’s hot water and heating needs.
“At the time, the price of oil was very high and unpredictable,” he says. “We knew we wanted to stay in the house long-term, and so we looked at ground source and air source, solar thermal and biomass. We chose biomass because at the time [2015] we felt that ground source systems weren’t yet established enough — that’s not the case now, but it was a factor for us then.”
Generous RHI (Renewable Heat Incentive) payments were another reason for choosing biomass. Three years on, Jason is pleased with his system (a Windhager BioWIN 2) but warns that sourcing wood pellets has been problematic at times; he now pays an additional £500-£600 a year for the pellets than in 2015.
Converts sunlight into heat advantaGeS
l Qualifies for Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI)
l Robust, simple and reliable Planning permission usually not needed (except in conservation areas or on listed buildings)
To qualify for RHI, can only be used for domestic hot water needs, not space heating or for heating
Converts sunlight into electricity advantaGeS
l Eligible for FITs payment (but this ends 1 April 2019)
l Costs rapidly reducing
l Easily available
l Generation is silent
l Almost non-existent, operating and maintenance costs diSadvantaGeS
Efficiency levels are relatively low compared with other renewable energy systems
Takes in air from outside, then compresses and releases it at a higher temperature advantaGeS
l Qualifies for RHI
l A great solution for homes with relatively low heat loads
l Lower capital costs than other renewable heat options diSadvantaGeS
Not the best option if you have access to gas mains
My grandfather, who was a prolific selfbuilder in the forties and fifties, was quite dismissive of decorators, in fact his exact words were: “Anyone who can [ahem] p**s can paint!” As a builder, I recognise the skills and experience a professional decorator can bring to a project; and I have seen many projects ruined by poor-quality finishing by so-called professionals and by DIYers. But undertaking the decorating yourself, for many, is often a way to keep costs down, and that’s not to say there aren’t some very competent amateurs. So, to avoid making the same mistakes I see time and time again, I’m going to share eight decorating tips to help you create a finish you’ll be proud of.
colour very slightly short of the corner. This way, you will achieve a much crisper line.
Spraying is becoming more and more popular, and goes a long way towards addressing the problems with rollers. But the little experience I have had with it has not convinced me that it is any better, unless you are painting large rooms in the same colour (which often self-builders are). The amount of masking required to stop overspray (although products like Kip Drop Cloth available from Screwfix, see below right, help here) means that the time saved by spraying is used up before and after the actual job is done. The exception is when painting roughcast render, where spraying is definitely the way to go.
overshadowed by trees, for example, will throw up different issues to those located in warmer parts of the country, exposed to sunlight and/or on the coast. Certain design features will minimise maintenance on all houses though:
l Recessed window and door frames: To reduce the exposure of windows to the elements, recessing them from the exterior face of the wall is a good strategy. Not only will this protect the frames from weathering, but it can also mean windows stay cleaner for longer.
l Projecting horizontal features: Using design features such as roof overhangs, projecting gable ends and loggias will shield windows and doors.
l Porches and porticos: A shelter above the door will protect it from the elements.
l Passive solar gain: Orientating the house so that it remains cool in summer yet benefits from the warming effects of sunlight in the cooler months means less time and money spent on heating.