Installer Directory

High temp heat pump

In recent years heat pumps have been recognised as having an important part to play in decarbonising our homes. It is expected that 80% of homes will move to a heat pump in the future although the exact timings for this are not yet known. The remaining 20% of homes will most likely be connected to heat networks using a large heat pump or other sources of clean energy. These networks will be communal systems that heat entire blocks of flats, villages, and even towns. 

A heat pump is an excellent way of using electricity to heat your home in an energy-efficient way. As heat pumps don’t produce heat by burning fossil fuels, they are a better choice for the environment than gas and oil boilers. A heat pump uses technology very much like that found in a refrigerator or an air conditioner. It extracts heat from a source such as the surrounding air (air source heat pump), geothermal energy (ground source heat pump) stored in the ground, or nearby sources of water (water source heat pump) or waste heat from a factory. The heat pump then amplifies and transfers the heat to where it is needed. Unlike an electric panel heater, for example, a heat pump has a compressor, which increases the amount of heat that can be generated from each unit of electricity. For a panel heater, that ratio is 1:1 but for most heat pumps such as the air source heat pump on the UK market today the ratio is likely to be 1:3 to 1:4 making it a very efficient substitute although many factors can affect this. Heat pumps are also easy to maintain and operate. 

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There are, however, some disadvantages and factors to consider when installing a heat pump. As heat pumps require electricity to work you will probably see a small increase in your electricity usage unless you are replacing fuel types such as LPG when you will definitely save money.  Currently, electricity is still more expensive per unit than gas. It’s worth contacting your energy supplier to see whether they have a heat pump electricity tariff which may be cheaper and more suitable for an electric-based heating system. 

Unlike boilers which are high-temperature systems most heat pumps operate at a lower flow temperature which means that to ensure heat can be effectively transferred into the space within your home, sufficient heat emitter surface area is needed, and this is why correctly sizing the heat emitters is so important. It is not always possible to use your existing radiators with a low-temperature heat pump. It will very likely be necessary to replace them with larger radiators or an underfloor heating system. 

The design and installation of a heat pump system needs more planning and preparation than traditional boiler systems. A detailed heat loss calculation should be carried out on your property to ensure it is well-insulated which is key for an effective low-temperature heat pump system. There also needs to be an assessment of the heat pump output required as well as the correct sizing of the selected heat emitters.

Though low-temperature heat pumps can comfortably heat most homes, high-temperature heat pumps can match gas and oil boiler temperatures without having to make any changes to your home. 

To generate three or four units of heat for every unit of electricity consumed the temperature of the fluid running through a low-temperature heat pump needs to be lower than that delivered by a conventional boiler. Though most air-source heat pumps and ground-source heat pumps operate at a maximum flow temperature of 55degC to be efficient they are better suited to running at flow temperatures of around 35°C to 45°C. Gas, oil, and biomass boilers on the other hand produce water temperatures of 60degC centigrade to 80degC. The UK government has recently been campaigning to get all households to reduce the flow temperature on their boiler to 60degC to save energy and reduce bills. The higher temperature is the most significant difference between the different heating technologies and is the biggest barrier to overcome when trying to retrofit homes with a low-temperature heat pump system and replace a traditional boiler. The installation of low-temperature heat pumps may well necessitate the installation of new compatible radiators and new plumbing.

However, this is where high-temperature heat pumps come into play. They can heat your home to the same level of warmth and at the same speed as a gas boiler. A high-temperature heat pump can reach between 60degC and 80degC which enables you to heat your home quicker than regular heat pumps without needing to buy new radiators or insulation. High-temperature heat pumps use more superior refrigerants than low-temperature heat pumps to be able to achieve this. 

Most high-temperature heat pumps use R290 or R32 which are better for your home and the climate. They also come with industry-leading weather compensation controls. According to a recent government report, on average, high-temperature heat pumps have to raise their flow temperature above 65degC less than 1% of the time due to these technological advances.

High-temperature heat pumps can provide domestic hot water at the same temperature as boilers at around 60degC to 80degC whereas regular low-temperature heat pumps supply water at 45degC to 55degC. 

With improvements being made to the technology of regular heat pumps on an ongoing basis, an increasing number of models are reaching 60°C to 65°C. High-temperature heat pumps rarely have to reach these higher temperatures. 

Due to this fact and their usually superior refrigerants, high-temperature heat pumps are now usually just as efficient as low-temperature heat pumps. They have been shown to be almost three times as efficient as a central heating boiler. 

The Committee for Climate Change has identified high-temperature heat pumps as a viable option for many homes where low-temperature heat pumps are not practical. High-temperature heat pumps can use existing radiators with little or no adjustment. 

Most UK homes are set up to run with a gas or oil boiler and high-temperature radiators. If an old-style non-condensing boiler is being used, temperatures from the boiler to the radiators are 70-80 degrees Celsius. For modern condensing boilers, heating temperatures should be lower for the boiler to run at its higher efficiency, although this seldom happens in practice. 60degC temperature should keep most homes warm in the coldest weather with much lower temperatures being needed the rest of the year. 

Because low-temperature heat pump models are at their most efficient when the heating system temperatures run at 35-45degC, older houses will need much bigger radiators to give off enough heat as well as better insulation and potentially new windows and doors to ensure they are kept warm. Installing a high-temperature heat pump will most likely mean that you won’t need to change existing radiators, improve insulation, and replace windows and doors which can be difficult in old buildings. Though this will save you money you will need to take into consideration that high-temperature heat pumps can cost about 25% more to buy and install. 

It is important to bear in mind that to heat to higher temperatures, high-temperature heat pumps use more electricity and can therefore be more expensive to run than conventional heat pumps although cheaper than an electric panel or storage heaters. High-temperature heat pumps run on an average ratio of 1:2.5 units of electricity in, to heat out. However, like all heat pumps this figure will vary according to the season up or down. It is worth installing in a weather-compensating system which should improve efficiencies, by enabling the heat pump to work at its optimum operation for more of the time. With improvements in the technology high-temperature heat pumps are now as efficient as regular heat pumps.

A high-temperature heat pump can be the perfect solution for homes that cannot be insulated to meet current Building Regulations or better. This may be because the building is Listed, or in a Conservation Area, or is a home where the costs and risks of insulation are high, for example, homes with uninsulated solid floors, in very exposed places, or of unusual construction.

High-temperature heat pumps might also be the answer for tenanted properties that are currently using electric panel heaters. It’s less disruptive for the tenant as it will require little or no adaptation from them on how to use their new heating system. 

High-temperature heat pumps may be right for you if you need a heat pump that can produce hot water as well as space heating and you don’t have room for a hot water cylinder. 

Now is a great time to install a heat pump as the cost of installing one continues to go down and there is also help available from the government’s Boiler Upgrade Scheme. The scheme provides upfront capital grants of up to £7,500 to encourage property owners to replace existing fossil fuel heating with more efficient, low-carbon heating systems including heat pumps and biomass boilers. 

Before deciding whether a high-temperature heat pump is suitable for you, you should always seek professional advice. The Renewable Energy Hub is here to answer any questions you might have.

 

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Most people don't think twice when it comes to the environmental impact of our hobbies. We pursue them for enjoyment and creative fulfillment, but we rarely consider that they may have hidden costs for the planet.

A closer look into these seemingly harmless activities reveals that some of our most popular hobbies happen to have sizable carbon footprints that contribute to issues like climate change and pollution. Activities we love typically require significant resources like water, electricity and natural materials that can take a toll on the environment. The use of chemicals to produce products, the emissions from maintenance equipment, and waste from disposable products can accumulate from our past-times.

It’s important we understand the unseen impacts of our hobbies and take steps to reduce them. This way, we can ensure our interests have the smallest footprints possible. Here, we’ll take a look at a few common hobbies, why they’re not as environmentally friendly as you may have first thought and how to make positive changes. 

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Golf

Golf may seem like a relatively benign activity, but a closer look reveals some substantial environmental impacts. Golf courses require significant amounts of fertilisers and pesticides to maintain the meticulously manicured greens and fairways. These chemical applications can contaminate nearby water sources and soil.

Additionally, golf courses in drier regions demand large volumes of water for irrigation, straining local water supplies. Even the attire and equipment of golf leads to waste, such as broken tees and abandoned balls, not to mention the airmiles of travelling to different courses.

There are several ways golfers can reduce their environmental footprint. Using environmentally friendly balls and tees made of sustainable materials is one step, as well as golfing at courses certified to meet conservation standards to help preserve local ecosystems. Finally, golf simulators allow people to practise and play golf from home without travelling to courses, minimising their carbon footprint without compromising on their hobby.

Photography

Many forms of photography have substantial environmental impacts that add up over time. Manufacturing cameras is resource-intensive, involving extracting and refining materials such as gold, aluminium, and copper. Not only are these resources being depleted but camera equipment being thrown into landfills results in chemicals being leached into the soils.

However, there are effective ways photographers can reduce their carbon footprint. For digital files, being selective in printing photos decreases paper use. Turning off camera features like image preview screens also conserves battery life. When the time comes to upgrade equipment, purchasing used cameras and lenses avoids the resources needed to manufacture new gear. Finally, properly recycling equipment at the end of an item’s life keeps those materials out of landfills.

Camping

Camping is often seen as an eco-friendly activity that connects us to nature. While this is often true, there are certain aspects of camping that negatively impact the environment. The risk of fires can lead to air pollution and damage to biodiversity, while large groups of campers travelling to parks and protected sites might stress or disrupt local ecosystems and wildlife. Disposable items like plastic bottles and utensils also accumulate as waste during camping trips. Even the fuels needed to travel to campsites contribute to greenhouse gas emissions.

The good news is camping can be done very sustainably with some adjustments. Choosing nearby campgrounds and carpooling reduces emissions from travel, while packing reusable utensils, dishes and containers decreases waste. Following leave no trace principles by packing out all rubbish helps protect natural areas. By being mindful of its impacts, camping can be an eco-friendly activity that builds environmental awareness.

Crafting

Crafting is a beloved hobby for many – from knitting and scrapbooking to woodworking and jewellery-making, it allows us to tap into our creativity and make something with our own two hands. But many popular crafts use a lot of new materials that take a toll on the planet.

Yarn for knitting soaks up huge amounts of water and land to produce, for example, and can pose ethical concerns regarding animal welfare. Glitter, beads, paints and other craft supplies often contain plastics and chemicals that end up in landfills after one use. Even wood and metal for carpentry and jewellery have to be harvested and processed.

Luckily, craft lovers can reduce their impact. Using recycled, repurposed, or upcycled materials cuts down on the need for new ones, or you can seek out non-toxic, natural components that decrease pollution. Buying from local makers and swapping supplies with other crafters also helps. With a few thoughtful tweaks, we can craft in an earth-friendly way while still enjoying being creative.

Travelling

Travelling allows us to experience new cultures and places, but it often comes at an environmental cost. Air travel generates substantial greenhouse gas emissions from jet fuel and contributes to climate change. Even road trips in cars or RVs produce emissions from gasoline consumption. The impact accumulates quickly when we take frequent weekend getaways, cruises, and holidays abroad.

Opting to road trip instead of fly, when possible, avoids emissions from air travel, while renting a campervan or carpooling allows more sustainable miles when driving. Choosing to travel by train or bus also helps to decrease the per person emissions when transporting multiple passengers.

When you’re sightseeing, bicycling, and walking as your mode of transport completely eliminates travel emissions and enables you to see more of your destination as an added bonus. Staying in eco-friendly hotels and being mindful of waste can further reduce impacts while away. With intent, we can still experience the joy of travel while making choices that tread more lightly on the planet.

Our leisure activities and hobbies provide us joy, creativity, and valuable downtime from our busy lives. However, while the hidden environmental impacts tied to many common activities can be sobering, uncovering these unintended consequences is a necessary step for hobbyists to make a positive change. We can still pursue our passions while keeping sustainability in mind – with some adjustments to habits, equipment and supplies, the environmental footprint of our hobbies can shrink significantly.

 

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In 2023 Rightmove, the UK’s biggest property website, published its second edition of the Rightmove Greener Homes Report which is a comprehensive study that looks into the challenges and different behaviours facing the UK in creating more sustainable homes. 
How much progress has been made towards making housing in the UK more energy-efficient is a question many people are asking. 

Although the government has a target to get as many homes ‘as practicable’ up to an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating of C by 2035, Rightmove’s data shows that 60% of homes for sale on Rightmove and 50% of homes available to rent have an EPC rating of D or below.

Despite some progress being made over the past 4 years, if EPC improvements were to continue at the current rate, it would take 43 years for 100% of the houses that are currently for sale across the UK to reach an EPC rating of A-C, and 31 years for houses that are currently available to rent. 

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The government’s Future Homes Standard is a positive move for new homes to be Net Zero carbon ready from 2025. This sector is seeing many exciting innovations and has the benefit of building from scratch.

A recent YouGov poll commissioned by the MCS Foundation found that most MPs would like to see solar panels incorporated into new builds by 2025 with many wanting battery storage systems to come as standard. 56% of surveyed MPs also agreed that heat pumps should be incorporated into all new builds by 2025.

The Department for Levelling Up, Housing, and Communities is currently consulting on how the government should deliver its new Future Homes and Future Buildings Standards with the process set to close on March 6th. 

Tim Bannister, Rightmove’s Director of Property Science, says: 

“The days of building energy-inefficient homes are already over, and we need to get to the point when running an energy-inefficient home is a thing of the past. People need to know what to do, in what order, why they are doing it, and what benefits it will bring. Our analysis does show that our housing stock is going greener, but more needs to be done to speed it up.”

However, 80% of buildings that will be occupied in 2050 already exist, according to the UK Green Building Council which means that retrofitting existing homes is critical. There are many more hurdles to cross with old housing stock than for the new build sector.

For many homeowners, the cost involved in retrofitting their homes is prohibitive. The retrofit may include any or all of the following measures: installation of insulation, double glazing, or triple glazing. solar PV, solar thermal, and heat pumps. Homeowners often don’t have enough knowledge to decide what’s best to do and where to start. Only 4% of homeowners currently have plans to install a heat pump in their homes. 

Johan Svanstrom, Rightmove CEO, says: 

“Some 25% of UK emissions are directly attributable to the built environment. In the residential sector, there are significant challenges to achieve greener homes at an adequate speed, not only the cost barriers to retrofit but also a lack of knowledge on what’s best to do to a home and what it will yield.”

Most homeowners (83%) when asked said that they would consider investing in their property to make it more energy efficient though the average amount they were prepared to spend was £3,445. Homeowners are most likely to carry out small upgrades such as new lighting. There’s much more work to be done to spur people on to make bigger changes, such as installing a heat pump or solar panels, if suitable for their home.

For most homeowners saving money on their energy bills is the biggest motivator for making green improvements to their homes. 78% said lower energy bills would motivate them to make changes. 54% said they would be motivated to make their homes better insulated. 35% said that reducing their carbon footprint was an important motivation for them. Adding value to their home and helping them sell their home in the future are other reasons why homeowners make green improvements.

The advantages of making green improvements can be seen in the overall premium a seller can dictate. Rightmove’s analysis shows that sellers who have improved their home from an EPC rating of an F up to a C could see an average price premium of almost £56,000 (+15%) on top of the local house price growth if you look at the current national average asking price of £371,907.

More and more estate agents are including the EPC rating in their property descriptions as a selling point if it is in the A to C range. The number of listings that mention these EPC ratings has increased by 24% from a year ago, and up by 59% in 2019. Property sales listings that include electric car charging points are up by 592% when compared to 2019.

One in five tenants (19%) and one in five (19%) first-time buyers are saying they will seriously consider a property’s energy efficiency as a major factor when choosing their next home mostly due to the big jump in energy bills since the second half of 2021. A smaller number of current homeowners (13%) say it is as important a factor. 

However, two out of every five landlords with one property say they’re more likely to sell up than make improvements. Landlords with smaller portfolios are more likely to sell up than those with bigger portfolios. There has also been an increasing trend of landlords being more likely to avoid poorly rated properties in the last year with 61% of landlords saying they would not now buy a rental property below an EPC rating of C, up from 47% when asked in the previous year.

As a result of their in-depth study, Rightmove has suggested that more help and more significant incentives are needed for homeowners and landlords to retrofit properties, improve energy efficiency, and help them bring down running costs.

Tim Bannister says: 

“It’s clear that the current incentives aren’t yet big enough to make people sit up and take notice, and even the incentives that do exist aren’t easy to find out about. In order to shift the demand to greener homes, incentivisation, and education is key. The ‘price of cosy’, or a better-insulated home, is hard to quantify until people see how it can change how they live for the better, and they need to be able to afford it."
“Adoption at scale will take time and there are clearly areas that need more attention than others. Houses are much more energy-inefficient than flats, and the sales market is lagging behind what we’re seeing in the rental market. The challenge right now is that there are not enough suppliers and equipment for the greenest option to be the most affordable option for homeowners and landlords.”

New measures would need to be carefully thought through, but the Rightmove report makes some suggestions. Ideas they suggest could be considered would be stamp duty rebates, more significant mortgage, and remortgage incentives to help with the costs of making green improvements, more grants or tax benefits for green technology such as electric car charging points and solar panels, and measures to enable innovations that speed up the creation and implementation of energy-efficient technology.

Although the government has scrapped plans for rental properties to have an EPC rating of C or above as part of the Future Homes Standard, landlords are being encouraged to make their properties more energy efficient. More incentives are required to help landlords make green changes to their rental properties without passing costs onto the tenant. 

According to new analysis by energy giant Ovo Energy, two-thirds of Brits are specifically looking for homes with green technology installations that can improve energy efficiency and reduce carbon emissions. Ovo Energy’s analysis indicates that over a third of prospective buyers are more likely to make an offer on a home with green installations such as solar panels. A comparable number said they would be more interested in homes with triple-glazed windows and roof insulation in place.

While the UK is still in the early stages of the shift towards greener homes Mat Moakes, chief commercial officer at Ovo said thousands of customers are switching to green tech and in the process cutting bills, reducing carbon, and adding value to their properties.

Data and insights collected over the last few years confirm encouraging trends are ongoing.

 

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Renewable Energy Mines Blog

In the heydays of coal mines, few could have known the impact that the burning of fossil fuels would have on the planet.

Public officials are now hoping that disused mines that once produced millions of tonnes of fossil fuels could be used as a potential source of renewable energy across the country.

Mines that have remained unused for significant periods naturally become flooded with water, which will then become heated by geothermal energy, a form of renewable energy generated from the earth.

There has already been a precedent set by the success in Gateshead of the council-owned Gateshead Energy Company to use warm water from the extensive network of old mine workings 150 metres below the town to supply heat and hot water. 

The Gateshead Energy Company powers its centralised heat pump with a solar farm and estimates to be saving about 1,800 tonnes of CO2 a year. 

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Ordnance Survey has published a report that suggests six million homes in the UK could be powered by mine water from disused coal mines. This would equate to two trillion litres of heated water stored underground which the Ordnance Survey’s study claims would make unused mine water one of the UK’s most underutilised clean energy sources.

John Kimmance, Managing Director of National Mapping Services at Ordnance, stated: 

"For every unit of electricity used, it [geothermal energy] can generate two to four times that in heat.
"It's a very efficient and therefore carbon-friendly way of heating. Some of these mines fuelled and powered the country over hundreds of years. It's a nice thought they could continue to do that in the future."

The study reveals that a quarter of UK homes currently sit on flooded coal mines that have been heated by geothermal energy underground. Using boreholes to dig deep underground the warm water can be brought to the surface to be used in heat pumps to provide heating for homes. The water can be extracted all year round without temperature fluctuations providing a consistent stream of energy.

Many authorities are now seeing the potential these once thriving disused coal mines present and are launching schemes to look at the viability of tapping into one of the UK’s most underutilised renewable energy sources. 

Dan Norris the mayor of the West of England has pledged funding to investigate the possible use of old, flooded coal mines as a source of clean thermal energy. 

Nearly a quarter of the region’s homes sit above inactive, flooded coal mines that could potentially be used to heat them. There are more than 100 of these coal mines in and around the Somerset Coalfield and South Gloucestershire areas in the West of England where coal was mined from the 15th century right up to 1973 when the last pit was closed.

At the end of January, the mayor Dan Norris announced his plans to launch a major £1.6m Heat from Mines study, backed by the UK’s Coal Authority and cultural government body Historic England, to look into whether disused mines in the region could be repurposed as a clean energy source to heat homes. The proposals put forward suggest that by using heat pumps, the water in these flooded mines which has been naturally warmed by the earth could be used to heat homes. 

The West of England Combined Authority (WECA), composed of the local councils of Bristol, South Gloucestershire, Bath, and Northeast Somerset is behind this trial and hopes the mine water can heat more than 100,000 homes In the West as well as other buildings such as hospitals, schools, and offices could be heated via regional heat networks

The plan to harness energy from the mines has been welcomed by locals including former miners who like the idea that the mines will be repurposed. The mines were a crucial part of the fabric of life in Radstock in days gone by with many miners left devastated when the pits shut in 1973 changing their way of life forever. 

Mayor Dan Norris said:

“I love the idea that coal mines could be repurposed to provide the clean energy of the future - it’s coming full circle. The synergy is fantastic that mines that contributed to COâ‚‚ emissions could now hold the key to clean, green energy. Generating homegrown energy also gives us the chance of cheaper bills, new high-paid jobs, and energy security from tyrants like Putin.
“Heat from mines has national, and possibly global, implications too. With many millions of people living above former coalfields right across the country, the potential for mine water heat could be huge… The climate crisis is the biggest challenge we face as a region, as a nation, and world. This is a real opportunity to explore an innovative way to heat our homes.”

The Heat From Mines study will map the mine areas that have the biggest potential heat resource leading to detailed ground investigation works. The new study builds on a similar investigative project announced in March 2023, as part of a larger £60m investment in green technology from the West of England Combined Authority, the region’s local council.

When the coal mines were up and running, they were pumped dry so miners could access the coal. But once the mines were closed the pumps were switched off and the mines flooded again. The water is heated by geothermal energy, the heat from the earth’s core, and in some places can reach temperatures of about 20C.

Dan Mallin Martin, a hydrogeologist with the Coal Authority, the public body responsible for managing the effects of past coal mining explains that the naturally heated water can be brought up through shafts or boreholes and passed through a heat exchanger to extract the heat from the water. 

Dan Mallin Martin said:

“Typically, we can take out around five to 8C, which doesn’t sound like a lot, but if you pass that to a heat pump, which is effectively a fridge in reverse, it boosts the temperature to something we can use, something like 60 or 70 degrees centigrade that can go into people’s homes, people’s businesses, into hospitals, heat networks, many different end users. That’s a great way to make use of that and they can be really efficient. And really low carbon.”

As the mine water is put back into the flooded mines and recycled the process has no net water consumption which means that it doesn’t take out more than it uses.

Gareth Farr, head of heat at the Coal Authority, said: 

“The Coal Authority is committed to facilitating mine water heat networks across Great Britain. We hope that the industrial heritage of coal mining in the West of England will also be able to support mine water heat networks in the future.”

Alex Davies-Jones MP, who heads up the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Coalfield Communities, said: 

"As an MP for a coalfield constituency, as well as being the daughter and granddaughter of miners, I'm delighted by the prospect of former coal mines once again being used to generate power and create jobs."
"Just as coal mining was integral to Britain's industrial revolution, with the right policies and investment, coalfield communities have the potential to be at the forefront of a 21st-century technological revolution.
"It is great to see the West of England Mayoral Combined Authority, led by Mayor Dan Norris, along with many other parts of the country, taking steps to turn this potential into reality."

This form of energy is being tested in the West of England to assess its suitability for heating homes following the report which suggested that six million homes could be heated using this renewable energy. 
Other similar projects have been launched, although not on this scale, such as in Cornwall where a borehole dug 5275 metres deep is being used to heat 3,800 homes. 

Undoubtedly, the transition to heat pumps as an energy source is extremely important as it constitutes one of our options for decarbonising our heating requirements across the whole of the UK.
Mallin Martin said:

“With heat pumps, ground source options, and mine water, we can feed into that decarbonisation, especially if we couple it with green electricity like solar panels and wind.
“There’s a real green incentive to make the most of this and it certainly supports the levelling up agenda in the communities on the coalfield by delivering secure, local, low-carbon heat,”

It is vital that we investigate ways of making the cost of energy cheaper as it affects not just the poorest in society but everybody and businesses.

Using the water from disused mines has the potential to become not only a cost-effective way of producing energy but also an environmentally important way of helping to cool down our planet. 

Charlotte Adams, the Coal Authority's principal manager for mine energy said:

“Mine water is one of our best options to help with the decarbonisation of heating. The resource is readily available all year round at a steady temperature, and there is an abundance to be accessed.
"It'll be cheaper than gas, too, by around 10%."

The climate crisis is the biggest challenge we face as a nation and the disused mines present a real opportunity to explore an innovative way to heat our homes and reach net zero targets. 

 

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Solar Power for Property Market

The increasing awareness of solar power and its benefits to our planet and our pockets has been remarkable in the last few decades. In fact, the property market continues to change shape as the shift to adopt renewable energies grows in residential properties and commercial buildings alike.

From new-builds and older homes to offices and sports clubs, the value of installing solar power is as much economical as environmentally efficient. Having solar panels installed enables homeowners and businesses to cut bills and conserve energy in properties. Plus, there are dynamic cost-effective systems in place to encourage people to make all types of buildings run more sustainably. This is true whether solar power is installed at the first phase of construction or when a period property is retrofitted and modernised to meet sustainable property guidelines that will help the country reach its 2050 housing targets. 

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This article explores the evolution of solar power and its impact on the property market, and why solar energy is more accessible than ever before.

Rise in demand for solar-powered properties

The growth of solar power in the UK has been impressive over the last few decades. Gone are days of cautious adoption, where concerns about cost and perception as high-tech hindered its mainstream integration. Now, there is a strong desire among property professionals and homeowners, to invest in renewable energy systems for both commercial and residential properties. Today, solar power is widely viewed as an affordable and practical solution. Housing developments are increasingly being designed to meet energy-efficient goals, benefiting from renewable energies, smarter technologies, and greener solutions.

The Government’s pathway to reach zero-carbon emission targets by 2050 has facilitated this rise in demand for solar energy, supporting the need to build eco-friendlier properties. This sustainability agenda has been carved out to win public consumers, architects, and property developers to implement sustainable designs and greener technologies in every type of property. Indeed, Environmental Ministers have added their weight by asking for legally-binding targets (within the EU’s 2030 Climate and Energy Framework) to focus on improving energy-efficiency across the commercial building sector. 

Likewise, estate agents are promoting the added value of installing solar power to homeowners and advising landlords to address energy-efficiency across their rental portfolios. In essence, this is to reap the multiple benefits of solar polar, which include:

  • Tackling the rising cost of energy
  • Boosting the value of your house/commercial asset
  • Lowering power bills and source of power
  • Increasing returns on investment
  • Benefiting the environment and communities
  • Relieving energy dependence.

Take advantage of the falling cost of solar energy

Another key factor driving the uptake in solar power has been the fall in the cost of PV panels and installation. The cost of solar power has continued to fall over the last 10 years, allowing this renewable energy source to become far more accessible. This trend is expected to continue thanks to further reductions in solar prices due to tech advances, innovations, and improvements. Enhanced panel technology, new manufacturing methods, and layouts, for instance, are some reasons behind the reduction in the cost of solar panels in the UK. Over the past 10 years, more effective panel designs have emerged that use fewer overall resources.

With lower prices, rooftop solar has surged in popularity for homes and commercial buildings. More UK homes and commercial units are opting for rooftop solar installation. For new build properties, integrating solar PV is also becoming standard practice. Across the spectrum of properties, businesses are seeking to make offices and workplaces more environmentally conscious while community centres and homeowners are exploring the economical and planet-friendly benefits of solar energy. 

Benefit private residences and business premises

If you have decided on the solar energy, you need for a specific property you can reap the benefits of solar power in your personal home and on your business premises. For private homeowners, adding rooftop solar panels brings the array of benefits mentioned plus households can generate their own renewable electricity and again, reduce grid dependence. Smart meters and reliable batteries allow solar energy to be stored and used on demand. This equates to substantial savings on electricity bills - income protection that is increasingly vital amid the cost-of-living crisis.

Businesses can benefit from reputational gains of solar installation which demonstrate a commitment to reducing their carbon footprint. Shops, offices, hotels, and industrial units that can produce their own power, can then feed surplus energy back into the grid, conserve energy, and save money to reinvest in other areas of their business. In addition, by also investing in battery storage, companies, and commercial operations can use solar energy at peak times for additional cost savings. Solar panels on rooftops, in gardens, parking garages, and open spaces, for example, allow businesses to generate their own renewable electricity. 

Social housing providers are also embracing solar schemes. Housing associations have invested in communal PV systems, enabling tenants to access cheaper and greener power. Retrofitting older residential houses is also helping to lift families in the UK out of fuel poverty. Likewise, shared ownership and community-led projects are a fantastic way of creating solar solutions for people lacking funds or owning unsuitable roofs.

Improve EPC rating and add value to rentals

UK landlords under the guidance of Government regulations are realising the added value in respecting and understanding Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs). EPCs have evolved to become an important framework for promoting and improving energy efficiency within the UK rental market. For buy-to-let investors and commercial landlords, installing solar can boost property value by attracting tenants via lower energy costs. 

House builders too, have a key role to play in promoting renewable technologies to ensure new developments maximise solar power now and in the future. Pre-installing PV roofs, cables, and battery storage at the build stage does a lot to make adding solar installations easier for homeowners down the line. Sustainable homes with energy-efficiency measures sell faster, enabling developers to command higher prices. This solar-powered movement is, therefore, having a transformative impact on the UK's property market which is a positive and progressive stance to have when it comes to tackling climate change. 

Understand when and how to go solar 

With better knowledge, awareness, and education across the generations about solar energy, the first choice is not whether to install solar power options in your building but when to. It might make sense if you are upgrading or renovating your home to install solar panels in consultation with your architect, developer, designer, or builder early on or when you’re retrofitting a building. Across the private and public sector, schools, hospitals, community halls, and council buildings can benefit from solar panels to shrink their carbon footprint

The second line of thinking will be where to install solar in a particular property as well as understanding the size or number of panels needed, which chargers to use, or any accessories required, and any other products you might need. Such questions about solar energy are relevant whether it's your own residence or a commercial property. 

The solar transformation of the UK property market looks set to continue as costs fall further. For homes and businesses alike, solar PV is becoming the technology of choice for harnessing the power of the sun. Businesses believe in backing solar power and believe that it should be accessible to benefit everyone who wants to play a part in creating a better future.

 

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