Power to the People!

With the price of fuel currently so high, many organisations (and individuals) are looking at ways of reducing their fuel bills. Of course, you can do the usual things such as encouraging staff to switch off lights and computers overnight, turn down heating thermostats, and so on, and these can be really effective methods to reduce your usage.

But how about approaching it from another angle? One of the most effective ways of reducing your fuel bills - and your carbon footprint - is to generate your own energy, and this can apply to large organisations, small businesses or individual householders alike. Producing your own electricity or heat at a local level is known as microgeneration, and can involve anything from installing solar panels to fitting wind turbines to using bio-burners or combined heat and power units to generate local heat from local waste.

There are many advantages to this approach. To start with, you’d be using a renewable energy source, so by choosing these methods you’ll reduce your carbon footprint and boost your green credentials. Another benefit is that if you generate more power than you use, you could sell the surplus back to the national grid, often at a far higher rate per unit than you pay for the electricity you buy from them.

If it all sounds a bit too good to be true, remember there are some challenges you may have to meet in order to make this kind of system work for you, but be assured that if you do your research, plan it right and take reliable advice, it will pay dividends in the end – and what’s more, you’ll be at the leading edge using this innovative and sustainable technology.

So how do you go about it? Well, depending on your requirement, the scale will be different but essentially the process, and the issues to consider, are broadly similar. An individual householder, for example, is likely to be looking at solar panels or a heat pump, whereas local authorities, housing associations, property developers, etc, will have larger estates to support with power, but also to utilise as a source.

So try the five steps to microgeneration:

1. Is it right for me? You’ll need to start by carrying out a feasibility study to check if this approach will work for you in your location – you need to look at the type of site you have, the suitability of the site (you'll need to consider planning permission here) and what your requirements are – heat, power, or both. For example, solar thermal or photovoltaic panels work best when south-facing, whilst wind turbines ideally need to be installed on exposed sites where wind currents are unrestricted.

2. Do your sums – a financial appraisal is essential to check all the factors, any of which could make or break your project:

• initial outlay for the cost of equipment and installation
• ongoing running and maintenance costs
• payback period (how long before your savings equal your costs)
• anticipated energy savings compared with conventional equipment using non-renewable sources

- all combined to give your whole life costings.

3. Fuel source – this is easy if your looking at generating solar or wind power, but if you’re thinking about installing a bio-burner or combined heat and power unit which uses bio-fuels, you’ll need to identify a reliable source from your most local supplier.

4. Choose your equipment – this will depend on your feasibility study and you’re likely to need professional advice to pick the right approach. The ranges available include bio burners, ground source and air source heat pumps, combined heat and power units, solar thermal systems and wind turbines

5. Installation – again professional advice here could be crucial. You need to ensure you put the right equipment in the right place to guarantee the maximum benefits from your new investment and start generating your power - and your savings!

For help, advice or support running a microgeneration project, visit www.broadlandsconsulting.com or call us on 01543 220752.