ENERGY
WHAT CAN PV AND MICROGEN DO FOR ME?
Leading The Way
improve the green credentials of new build properties.
O By looking towards the latest
technologies, providers have been able to not only minimise environmental impacts, but also effectively meet imposed government building regulations. This, combined with increased funding for new builds and low-cost housing, has allowed the sector to maintain profits and provide excellent property services, while reducing environmental impact and cutting carbon emissions across the UK. Although a great start, and showing a definite progression towards a more sustainable future, one greenpreneur believes that housing associations need to go further – not only to increase the uptake of environmental solutions, but also to support social housing residents and help to reduce the running costs of their homes.
Jodi Huggett, Director of 4Eco, believes that the solution is simple; to develop a better understanding of eco
Jodi Huggett - Bio Jodi Huggett is the
Business Development Director of 4Eco, one of the UK's fastest growing sustainable technology providers.
Based in rural Lincolnshire,
the company has been instrumental in helping to make Britain more environmentally friendly.
In August 2012, 4Eco launched the immerSUN – a brand new green technology that uses sunlight to heat your central heating. Following high consumer interest in offsetting carbon emissions and excellent feedback, the unit leapt off the shelves and has since been fitted into thousands of properties across the country. Working with specialist installers across the UK, 4Eco now supplies products to domestic and commercial developments nationwide.
ver the last ten years, housing associations have led the way in sustainable construction, embracing environmental solutions to
products and increase the self- consumption of green energy. “With rent prices soaring, rising utility bills and new government plans to streamline benefit payments, social housing residents are being put under increasing pressure to meet living costs,” commented Jodi. “Although housing associations have invested significantly in making homes more cost effective and energy efficient, the price of living is higher than ever before, which makes managing finances and minimising costs a real challenge. “This said, a few simple changes can really help to reduce the cost of living for tenants, and what’s more, they can be introduced by housing associations at a minimal cost.
“Environmental solutions and green technologies have seen noteworthy developments in the last few years. From rainwater harvesting and greywater recycling, to solar PV, biomass heating and even domestic wind turbines, there are now hundreds of eco products available for use in the home. “These products can be subsidised by the government’s Green Deal scheme and easily installed into both new build properties and retrofit projects. “Most importantly, homeowners can
self-consume the green energy produced, helping to dramatically lower utility bills and living costs.”
THE IMMERSUN
Over the last four years, 4Eco has been manufacturing energy technologies to increase the green credentials of both domestic and commercial properties. In August 2012, the market leading immerSUN micro generation heating system was launched to effectively reduce carbon emissions.
Already fitted into 4,000 properties across the UK, the energy controller will reduce an average energy bill by around £250 per year by diverting electricity generated by PV panels directly to an immersion heater, storage heater, or electric underfloor heating. Without the immerSUN, up to 70% of the electricity could be exported to the grid rather than be used for heating. Over the last six months, housing associations and local authorities across the country have begun to introduce immerSUN units to their social housing property portfolios.
With little initial investment and low running costs, the controllers not only satisfy green building regulations, but provide a cost effective way for tenants to reduce their utility bills.
In fact, initial trials have seen the energy efficiency of social properties soar, with many houses dramatically reducing energy bills.
This comes at no cost to the tenant, but can dramatically improve financial stability and significantly reduce living costs. Furthermore, eco-technologies – such as the immerSUN, can reduce reliance on natural resources and help to minimise carbon emissions.
THE NEXT STEPS
Although the progressions made by housing associations have helped to push forward the future of sustainability, it seems that still more needs to be done to reduce environmental impact across the UK.
There are so many cost-efficient eco technologies that can help to minimise our reliance on natural resources, but it is down to specifiers and developers to introduce and promote the latest solutions. Sustainability should be everyone’s business, and we need to work together to embrace green technology and make properties nationwide more environmentally friendly.
www.immersun.co.uk
PUBLIC SECTOR SUSTAINABILITY • VOLUME 3 ISSUE 3 25
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