Solar panels on our roof? That's a Shade Greener, then!

Research by one of the UKs top free solar installer A Shade Greener shows that solar could be the answer to rising energy bills.

Research shows that energy prices doubled from 1990 to 2011.

This had had an impact on many consumers,  leaving them struggling to pay their energy bills along with rising food prices, etc.

So, what can be done? A typical solar electric system has been shown to cut a households electric bill by an average of 37% (http://ashadegreener.co.uk/energy-study) reducing the typical UK energy bill by £197 based on 2011 DECC figures.

The current availability of free solar, the drop in solar costs over recent years and and the Government Green Deal means consumers have a range of options to use solar PV at home.

Energy costs are predicted to rise significantly over the next 25 years, the typical household electricity bill is expected to break the eye watering £1,000 mark before then.

Stewart Davies, Director of A Shade Greener said: "Energy bills are only going to get more expensive and we need to be helping households that spend a large proportion of their household income on energy. Solar can help insulate those families against these inevitable price rises."

Stewart went on to say: "According to our figures a typical household could save nearly £5,000 on their energy bills over a typical 25 year solar pv system lifetime based on 2011 figures provided by DECC. Our customers are currently saving a combined 1.7 million pounds a year on their electricity bills."

Intrigued by the offers of A Shade Greener, That's Green has decided to put this whole thing to the test.

We have had the initial survey by A Shade Greener undertaken  (a painless and highly professional experience)  and with the news that out roof is only 6 degrees off due south, we decided to take the plunge and lease the space above our roof to A Shade Greener.

My wife shrugged her shoulders and said: "I have never been on our roof, I have never used our roof, so why not let someone else make use if it to generate free electricity?"

We spoke with someone who lives in a house nearby who has also had A Shade Greener fit a solar system. He reports that the work was undertaken with no fuss and no mess in a very short period of time.

We will report back to readers of That's Green and let you know how we get on.

Ecotricity announces energy price freeze until New Year

Ecotricity, Britain’s first green energy company, is today announcing a price freeze on their electricity and gas tariffs until the New Year, with reports that the Big Six energy companies are going to boost their prices by 8%.

The Gloucestershire-based firm had already revealed it would cut the price of its 100% Green Electricity tariff from Tuesday 1st October, to undercut the standard tariffs of the Big Six energy companies, which until now it had always price matched.

Now Ecotricity are going one step further and promising their 100% Green Electricity tariff and Green Gas tariff would be frozen until 2014, further undercutting the Big Six which are expected to raise the price of supplying their non-green electricity in the coming weeks. 

Dale Vince, Ecotricity founder, said: “we’ve already taken the step of slightly lowering electricity bills for our customers from October 1st,  now we are going further and freezing our gas and electricity prices until the New Year.

“With the Big Six expected to raise prices in the coming weeks, what was originally a modest reduction in price, should quickly become a more significant saving.

“People often assume that green energy is more expensive. But most households in Britain are actually on a standard tariff – so millions of households could get 100% green electricity for less than the price they pay for electricity from the Big Six.

“Around 40% of our electricity supply is self-generated by our own fleet of wind and sun parks, and we have planning permission to more than double that supply in the near future – this degree of energy independence now means we can be price independently. 

Ecotricity’s Ethical Price Promise ensures all of its electricity customers get the same 100% Green Electricity tariff and Green Gas tariff at the same, best price, regardless of when they signed up or how they pay. 

Dale continued: “In addition, if and when we do raise prices next year, we promise that it will be by less than the Big Six will raise their prices by in the coming weeks, so we further widen the gap between ourselves and the conventional energy companies.

“We have one simple electricity tariff and will continue to invest more per customer in new sources of renewable energy, and we are now moving further away from the price of the Big Six standard tariffs too. 

“Our work is aimed at bringing about an energy independent Britain, and as a green energy company we want to demonstrate how this can be achieved – the more of our own energy we produce through our own renewable sources, the greater we’ll be able to shield our customers from price hikes that come with an over-reliance on fossil fuels. It’s all part of our vision for a Green Britain.” 

On average, Ecotricity spends more per customer on building new sources of green energy than all other energy providers in Britain put together – on average, over the last nine years, this has equated to almost £300 per customer. 

The company currently powers over 75,000 homes and businesses and this year obtained permission for what will be the fourth largest wind park in England, at Heckington Fen in Lincolnshire.

Www.ecotricity.co.uk

LED Hut and the eco-friendly LED bulbs

That's Green has been invited to road test some LED bulbs by the LED Hut.

Having had experience with the replacements for ordinary incandescent light bulbs I was slightly sceptical about eco-friendly light bulbs of any kind. As was my wife, too.

However as soon as we had replaced our halogen spotlights with the LED spotlights, we both realised that, in this instance, our scepticism had been totally unwarranted!

We noticed a very tiny lag between switching the lights on and them being up to full brilliance. So tiny that it is barely noticeable.

We also noticed that the light from the replacement LED bulbs was far better than that we obtained with the halogen bulbs. It seemed brighter and, for want of a better term, more even, too.

The fittings no longer get hot and we are impressed by the potential money we will be saving with the lights in just one room.

Not only will these lights save us money (up to £100 per year in energy costs alone!) we seemed to be forever replacing the halogen spotlights in our living room. But the LED bulbs will last for a staggering 50,000 hours. And that's a very pleasing 50x longer than a standard bulb!

And they will also help you and your family reduce your carbon footprint, which has got to be good for the environment!

The bulbs we are using cost £11.70 each but will last 50x longer than a standard bulb, so do keep that in mind when you make comparisons.

To find out more visit www.ledhut.co.uk

They also offer trade services, too, so if you operate a business that could be selling high quality and genuinely eco-friendly LED lights to your customers, visit their website or call their multilingual service line on 01534 764778.

(That's Green would like to offer our sincere praise and thanks for helping us run this feature.)

 -Please forward this story to like-minded eco-conscious friends.-

Commercial property owners. Shouldn't they be LEDing the way?

Although we’re all now familiar with LED lighting many commercial building owner operators are still not aware of the financial and environmental benefits of LED upgrades.

The Empire State Building NYC is currently upgrading its facade and mast lights with 1,200 LED fixtures that should save the building $4.4 million by making a 75% reduction in lighting costs! This is one high profile example of how the potential savings of LED are only just being realised in commercial settings around the world.

Here in the UK commercial building owners / operators, councils and other organisations are embarking of large LED retrofits to achieve the same type of energy savings. For example Salford City Council are reported to be expecting a £1.6m and 30% carbon reduction from over the lifetime of a 2000 LED bulb street lighting retrofit in 2011.

Tower Bridge in London was covered in eco friendly’ LED bulbs for the Queen's Diamond Jubilee that are expected to bring a 40% reduction in energy usage on the bridge and last 25 years! So why aren’t more people with incredibly high energy bills such as owner / operators of UK commercial buildings having LED upgrades?

Experts offer many different opinions – people focusing on the amount of life still left in their existing lighting instead of the huge savings offered by LED, they may have been waiting to hear the results of other big commercial LED upgrades, or they may simply not be aware of the benefits of LED and how that could realistically translate to their own buildings. Most experts however seem to agree that LED use is going to keep growing at huge rate.

Chris Gunn is a man with inside knowledge of the real benefits that LED lighting can bring. Chris works for Acorn Limited who provide maintenance engineering services to an impressive array of commercial buildings across London.

“My experience with our clients has convinced me that where LED technology is used appropriately in commercial buildings it can deliver significant energy and cost savings. We’ve been designing, installing, upgrading and retrofitting commercial lighting systems for many years now as well as providing the energy management systems that can accurately measure the resulting energy savings. That’s how we know first hand that LED upgrades really do deliver the goods” says Chris.

LED bulbs use much less power and can last 10 times longer than many other types of lamps / bulbs.

For more information about how LED lighting upgrades and replacements could work for your commercial building(s) contact Acorn Maintenance Engineering now on 0845 528 0774 or visit http://www.acornlimited.co.uk/

Brits still not switched on to energy saving, new study shows

According to a new study, while 94% of us say we want to become more energy efficient, only 37% of us currently rate ourselves as such.

Despite ever-increasing fuel costs, the British public just can’t seem to get motivated on energy saving, regardless of our good intentions. According to a new study, while 94% of us say we want to become more energy efficient, only 37% of us currently rate ourselves as such – and it’s the basics that are still eluding us.

With energy costs at an all-time high and four of the ‘big six’ energy firms putting up their prices again this week, it is surprising to learn that 40% of us still leave the heating on all day and a third of us leave windows and doors open when the central heating is on.

Two thirds of people say they leave the TV on when they’re not in the room and almost half leave it on standby overnight, while 63% leave their mobile charging all night. Almost half of those asked say they still leave the tap running unnecessarily when brushing their teeth or washing up.

Although rising energy prices are quoted as being one of the biggest concerns for UK homeowners, almost a fifth of us still don’t have energy saving light bulbs, 29% overfill the kettle when boiling it, and only 46% of us would use extra layers of clothing or blankets when it gets cold instead of turning up the heating.

The study, which was conducted by Anglian Home Improvements to mark Big Energy Saving Week (22-27 October 2012), found that 40% of us still don’t have energy efficient windows or doors, even though around 30% of a home’s heat is lost through windows and doors, and only 44% of us have an energy efficient boiler.

Yet 82% of people say if they could make one simple change to become energy efficient they would, and 88% say that if making that change would be guaranteed to save them money over the next five years, they would do it.

TV presenter and environmental science expert Philippa Forrester has championed environmental issues for many years. She says, “In light of the latest news about rising energy costs, heating our homes and using electricity is going to cost us more and more. How high do prices need to get before we think about making fundamental changes to the energy efficiency of our homes? We can all stop money leaking out of our roofs, windows and doors and by reducing our energy consumption, we’re also reducing our bills and our carbon emissions, so we should all try to make it a top priority. Saving energy and saving money – it’s a win-win situation.”

Melanie McDonald, Head of Marketing and Communications at Anglian Home Improvements, says, “The cost of running a household is radically increasing due to rising energy prices and food inflation. So as we head into the winter months and energy consumption increases, it’s more important than ever for people to look at ways they can improve their energy efficiency. There are lots of quick, easy things we can all do straight away and there are also many ways in which homeowners can improve the efficiency of their property for the longer term. Installing the best thermal windows on the market, for instance, will ensure they get the maximum return on investment and benefit for many years to come.”

Anglian Home Improvements is an Energy Saving Trust Recommended supplier and offers a broad selection of stylish and energy efficient products, including windows, doors conservatories, roof trim, solar panels and much more. For more information and to view the full product range, visit anglianhome.co.uk.

npower has 'Grand Designs' on saving energy

Consumers looking to take control of their energy costs will be able to get the latest energy efficiency advice from npower at this year's Grand Designs Live.

Visitors to Grand Designs will be able to meet with npower's energy experts, receive energy efficiency advice, discuss what renewable technologies are available to them and sign up to receive more information about the Government's new Green Deal initiative, as it progresses.

npower is inviting visitors to the stand to learn more about how to create a warmer home, including how the Green Deal might help them to achieve this. The aim of Green Deal is to revolutionise the energy efficiency of British properties and reduce carbon emissions. With the Green Deal, households will be able to receive finance in the form of a loan, to help pay for energy efficiency improvements, such as loft, cavity or solid wall insulation. It works on a 'pay as you save' principle allowing consumers to repay the loan in instalments via their energy bill. As well as avoiding potentially large up front costs, which can be a massive barrier, consumers can take comfort in the knowledge that repayments should not exceed the estimated savings on their energy bills – the so called 'Golden Rule'.

Visitor's who sign up to receive more information about the Green Deal and request an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) for their home from npower, will automatically be entered into a free prize draw for up to £5,000 worth of energy efficiency improvements.

David Titterton, npower's Director of ECO and Green Deal Delivery said: "Saving energy for consumers is key to running a successful energy services business. There are significant changes to government legislation taking place which, in principle, should make access to key energy saving improvements easier for everyone. The Green Deal is a fundamental shift in the way that people can finance energy efficiency improvements for their home.

"While the final details are still being worked on, we want to encourage as many people as possible to find out more about the Green Deal and energy efficiency. So why not come down to Grand Designs and visit us at our stand."

Grand Designs Live is taking place until October 14th at the NEC and is the UK's leading home show. The event will have over 500 exhibitors, across six different sections, covering interiors, gardens, home improvement, renovations and technology. Visit npower on stand B550.

New App lets you watch the arctic ice melt over the North Pole daily

The new Pole Watch App brought to you by the Telespazio group is the only App to push images of the North Pole from Space to your phone every day.
Click here to download Pole Watch from the App Store

As scientists have predicted that due to the combination of summer ice melting, annual decrease in ice extent and ice pack drift driven by wind and current there may soon be open water at the North Pole for the first time in recorded history you will want to be the first to see it.

How far will the ice shrink this year? Will open water reach the North Pole this year? Watch these historic events unfold with the Pole Watch app!

The App comes pre-loaded with three historic Ice Extent Maps and the latest Satellite image of the North Pole. It will then download on a daily basis* the new maps so that you watch the ice coverage change and zoom in on an actual satellite picture of the North Pole. You’ll get a notification each time a new map has been downloaded so you can be first to see what’s happening to the arctic ice.

The App also contains information about the North Pole Watch project, polar science and interpretation advice for the Satellite imagery. There’s a link to the companion website at North Pole Watch website where you can find out more about the project, those involved and see higher resolution versions of the images in the App. Plus there’s other interesting information about the state of the poles, with inputs from polar scientists such as Dr Seymour Laxon of the UCL CryoSat team.

How did we get these images? The Telespazio group have exploited their unique access to the COSMO-SkyMed satellite constellation to bring you the North Pole Watch. The COSMO-SkyMed system is the only one designed to be able to image the North Pole utilising standard very wide field of view operating modes and regardless of cloud cover as it is a radar.

Telespazio VEGA UK has combined this COSMO-SkyMed data with polar ice extent monitoring data to show the whole approach of the ice edge towards the pole and to compare events at the last record minimum in 2007 to this year’s new record minimum.

*Images are uploaded daily Monday to Friday.

NOTE: You need to accept the Push Notification on the App as it will send you a message at 12noon GMT when new images are available for the App. If you download the App after 12noon GMT you will not receive a new image until the following day.