Where do you start with renewable energy in your home?
As part of our commitment to bringing the highest levels of service to our clients, Kimble Roden have developed a network of trusted consultants who can bring their expertise and input to our residential projects. We asked Tim Quick, of SmarterHeat Ltd to give us an overview of how his input can assist homeowners early on in a project.
Renewable energy’ is nothing new but has rapidly become of major interest to home owners due to the huge increase we have seen in energy prices. But where do you start with reducing your energy bills and CO2 output? There are a plethora of options available that can change the way you power and heat your home. Any of these options can reduce energy consumption, running costs and emissions.
There is no simple solution, no panacea, every home is different and everyone has different priorities. At SmarterHeat we can help you navigate through the options and help you come up with a solution that is suitable for you and your home. By getting our input early on at the initial design stages with your architect, we can guide you through the appropriate options for upgrading your home.
We are a small family business and pride ourselves on providing honest, independent advice. We are happy to spend time discussing your options with no sales pressure. If you want to look in depth at your energy consumption and how to improve it, we can consult on this for you while working with the trades of your choice. Alternatively, we have strong working relationships with local specialists who we can bring in to install anything from a home battery to a log burner.
Here's a quick run-down on the main solutions we help clients with: -
· Solar PV – PV is short for ‘photovoltaic’. A photovoltaic panel can generate electricity from sunlight. We take this for granted these days but it’s a pretty incredible piece of technology! Solar PV has both improved and reduced in cost over the last 10 years. A domestic solar array can now make a significant contribution to your power consumption. Once you have invested in this technology it will generate electricity for you for at least 20 years, free of charge and free of carbon. Your PV system can be used to power a heat pump, heat your hot water, charge your car or power your whole house!
· Solar thermal – Less well known, solar thermal is simple and effective. It’s been in use for decades particularly in sunny climates but works surprisingly well in the UK too. Solar thermal panels are mounted on the roof and have water running through them to be heated by the sun.
· Battery storage – Upgrading your solar PV system with a home battery allows you to make better use of the energy you generate. Energy use in the home is typically highest in the evening (after the sun goes down!) A home battery can be charged up during the day to give you free electricity in the evening when you need it most.
· Heat pumps – heat pumps have been getting an unfair reputation in the UK press. They are not a new technology, they have been around for decades and work very well in even the most challenging climates. If installed correctly they can heat your home and hot water more cheaply than a boiler.
If you are considering a renovation or extension to your home this is the ideal time to be thinking about these sorts of technologies. Adding something like solar panels or a heat pump while you are putting together plans with your architect makes a lot of sense. It means no disruption later and saves on the overall cost.
Get in touch if you would like to talk through any of these options with us, we would love to hear from you.
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