Renewable energy

Biomass is wood-fuelled heating systems which burn wood pellets, logs or chips. They can be in the form of a stove heating a single room, fitted with a back boiler to provide water heating, or a boiler connected to a central heating and hot water system.

Ground source heat pumps use pipes that are buried underground to extract heat from the ground, which is then used to heat radiators, underfloor or warm air heating systems and hot water in your home.

A ground source heat pump circulates a mixture of water and antifreeze around a loop of pipe, called a ground loop, which is buried in your garden. Heat from the ground is absorbed into the fluid and then passes through a heat exchanger into the heat pump. As the ground stays at a constant temperature under the surface, the heat pump can be used throughout the year.

Solar water heating uses solar collectors to collect free heat from the sun and convert it into warm water. They work throughout the year.

Thermal stores are a great accompaniment to all renewable heating systems. They store and manage renewable heat, allowing you to use heat when needed.

District heating is where heat is supplied from low-carbon sources via energy centres and a system of insulated pipes to homes, businesses and organisations over a local area. The potential benefits of district heat networks are varied and includes:

• reduces greenhouse gas emissions
• supports the local economy
• reduces costs for businesses
• tackles fuel poverty.

Home battery storage allows you to store electricity, to use later. Many homes have solar PV panels installed which generate electricity during daylight. By adding a battery to the system, this energy can be used later when the sun is no longer shining, rather than buying energy from the grid.

If you’re on a time-of-use tariff such as Economy 7, you could save even more on your bills by charging on cheap overnight electricity.

This technology available allows you to generate your own electricity and heat. Solar panel electricity systems stores energy from the sun using photovoltaic cells. These solar panels absorb sunlight to generate electricity and they can be placed either on a roof or the ground. The stored electricity can be used to power electrical appliances in your home.

The benefits of solar electricity include reducing your carbon footprint and electricity costs. As solar electricity is green energy, it doesn’t produce carbon dioxide or greenhouse gases.

According to the Energy Saving Trust, using a home solar PV system can result in saving over a tonne of carbon dioxide a year.

A wind turbine captures the wind to produce energy. The wind makes the rotor spin; as the rotor spins, the movement of the blades drives a generator that creates energy. The motion of the wind turbine turning is called kinetic energy, and this power is converted into electricity.

Hydro power converts water that falls from a height, known as 'potential energy', into 'kinetic energy' in a turbine, which drives a generator to produce electricity. The greater the height and volume of water, the more power generated.

Micro-CHP generates heat and electricity simultaneously in homes, and is powered by mains gas or LPG. Installation is straight-forward like a standard boiler.