ENERGY MANAGEMENT
UK had a very poor performance in the energy league in Europe, being at the bottom, yet with the highest energy bills. We can no longer afford to ignore energy efficiency. Under Green Deal the Government had allocated huge amounts to fund new technologies, expansion and growth. There would be a big financial boost – 14 million homes together with businesses would be helped by Green Deal”.
Before any form of renewable energy sources are considered, GAIN highlights the importance of ensuring that the property is as energy efficient as possible in terms of wall and loft insulation and the condition of the boiler. Although insulation may play a big part in carbon savings, this again is only as effective as the efficiency of the boiler. It is also worth pointing out that whilst insulation lasts for the lifetime of a building, a boiler needs to be replaced every ten to fifteen years to gain maximum efficiency. Most boilers and controls are constantly being updated with state of the art cost effective technology. Technology is
Y FOR
moving so fast that the new generation of boilers bears little resemblance to those made ten plus years ago – in terms of the design, mechanics and energy saving ability.
A new boiler with controls, could reduce space heating bills by up to 40%. Add solar and photovoltaic panels and these could result in up to a further 30% off energy bills and reduction in the ‘carbon footprint’.
The 2011 GAIN Conference, due to further develop the theme of renewables, will be held in the autumn, when it is anticipated that delegate numbers will increase still further. Information will be available on the GAIN website nearer the time, or e-mail GAIN for further information to be sent. For local GAIN installers, or information on the Conference and exhibition, and delegate and stand bookings visit the GAIN website, or call on: 01428 654011;
Email:
info@gainassociation.org.uk www.gainassociation.org.uk
Southampton headquarters, thanks to an installation of its own solar photovoltaic modules.
D
The array on the southwest-facing roof of Dimplex’s headquarters is around twice the size of a typical domestic installation, with 16 modules covering 27m2
, to give a
total output of 3.68kW(peak). It took just two days to complete the installation at the end of August and so far the system has generated 1007kWh of electricity. The Dimplex modules are now providing income for each kWh that’s generated, thanks to the Feed-in Tariff (FiT). This allows householders and businesses to take advantage of a generation tariff of up to 41.3p per kWh for locally-generated electricity, providing a guaranteed income for 25 years for installations up to 5MW. Higher rates apply at the start of the scheme, so early adopters stand to benefit most. Clare Campbell, product marketing manager for Dimplex Renewables, says: “When we launched our solar PV range, we saw an installation at our offices as a ‘must-have’ so that we are able to
implex is now generating zero- carbon electricity at its
generate our own clean electricity on site, as well as to provide a working system for our installer training courses.” Dimplex’s PV packages contain polycrystalline modules and all the components required for installation, offering a complete PV solution for residential and light commercial buildings. The modules have a surface area of 1.6m2
, which is greater than most
modules available, and deliver an output of 230W, with a module efficiency of 14.2%.
Dimplex has developed a software package to calculate what the return on potential PV installations would be through the FiT, given that hours of sunlight vary in duration at different locations around the UK. All users need to do is enter their postcode and the size of their planned installation to get an estimate of revenue potential and payback period. For more information on Dimplex’s solar PV packs or to get a copy of the software package, call Dimplex on 0845 601 5111 or Email
marketing@dimplex.co.uk www.dimplex.co.uk
SUSTAINABLE FM | MARCH 2011 |25
GOING UP IN THE WORLD – ZERO CARBON SOLAR PV POWERS DIMPLEX OFFICES
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