Energy Issues

The addressing of "energy" and "green" issues is now fundamental to land management.
Any prospective enterprise should be viewed in terms of energy consumption and environmental impact.

Grant aid is available through the Low Carbon Buildings Program and amounts are given below.

In order to receive domestic grant aid the following efficiency measures must be met:
Basic controls must be installed in central heating system including room thermostat and timer
Cavity wall insulation must be installed if relevant
Low energy light bulbs must be used in all the main light fittings in all main rooms
There must be a minimum of 270mm of loft insulation meeting current building regulations
 

Solar Photovoltaic (PV)
Power expressed as KW peak (KWp)
Average domestic system £5000-8000 per KWp with systems usually at 1.5-3KWp
Source -  Low Carbon Buildings Program

Grant - Maximum £2,000 per KWp installed to a maximum of £2500 subject to an overall limit of 50% of installed cost excl VAT

Biomass
Wood fuel boilers.
These can be pellet, wood chip, log or grain burning systems.
A 20KW system considered suitable for a 3 bedroom property would cost £6-12,000 installed.
This would involve complying with Part J of the Building Regulations.
Systems using pellets can be self feed and are said to be easily maintained.
Source -  Low Carbon Buildings Program

Grant - for a wood fuelled boiler is a maximum of £1,500 regardless of size subject to an overall 30% limit.

The Log Pile Website - Wood Pellets - Case Studies

BIOMASS Energy Centre

Domestic Wind Turbines
For an output of 2.5-6kw costs are approximately £10-25,000
It is also likely that planning permission would be required.
Source -  Low Carbon Buildings Program

Grant - maximum £1,000 per KW installed to a maximum of £5,000 subject to overall 30% limit of installed cost.

Solar thermal hot water
This will provide about 1/3 of requirements and require 3-4 m2 on a SE or SW facing roof.
Cost - £3-4,500
Source -  Low Carbon Buildings Program

Grant - Maximum £400 regardless of size subject to overall 30% limit of installed cost

Ground source heat pump
The systems output approximately 3-4 times the input power - 1KW into pumping the system would produce 4kw of thermal energy.
The typical water temperature of GSHP is 65 degrees.
The cost of a 6-8KW system is about £7-12,000.
Source -  Low Carbon Buildings Program

Grant - Maximum £1,200 regardless of size subject to overall 30% limit of installed cost

Ground Source Heat Pumps (Energy Saving Trust)
Ground Source Heat Pump Association
www.heatpumps.co.uk/
www.greenworks-energy.co.uk

Small scale Hydro
Together with Wind Turbines these are the only options that allow connection to the National Grid and sale of surplus energy.
The storage of electricity is expensive, and it can be more cost effective to sell surplus to the grid. (2-3p/KW)
One storage method is one of pumped storage, whereby the generator pumps the water backwards during off-peak periods from a lower to a higher reservoir. This seems a valid option for an area that does not have the continuous flow rate of water needed to run the system.
Schemes can start at a production of 300 watts to 5kw to micro-hydro (5-100kw) able to power small communities.
Watermills - disused water mills already have some basic elements needed for a hydro scheme. Of 30,000 working mills in 1850 there are now less than 400, with only 100 generating power. (Source Clean Energy Solution Ltd)
Calculations for output include a factor for variations in flow, which for the UK ranges between .4 and .5.
Therefore the annual output of a 10 KW system (x .41 x 8760 hours) per year would be 35,916 KW

Hydro has less of an environmental impact than wind turbines, but is reliant on the height of the water head and it's flow rate.
Currently it would appear that Government policy is geared toward wind power generation, but hydro could supply 3% of the total UK demand by itself.

Cost - Vary considerably depending on scale, site and head of water.

Low head - assuming existing pond or weir - £4,000/kw up to 10KW, with costs reducing for larger schemes.
Medium head - Fixed costs of £10,000 plus £2,500 per KW to 10 WK
A 5KW domestic system would therefore cost in the region of £20-25,000.
 

Grant - maximum of £1,000 per KW installed up to a maximum of £5,000 subject to overall 30% limit of installed cost
Depending on scale, there would be other possible sources for grant funding.

British Hydropower Association - BHA

Small scale hydro power - Mini & micro hydro power systems - Energy Saving Trust

Example of a Mill conversion www.townmill.org.uk/pages/hydrosystem.htm