Generate your own energy | Everybodys Talking

Once you have undertaken all the energy efficiency measures that you can, then you can consider generating your own energy - heat or electricity.

It is important to get the right sort of renewable technology for your own home. The Energy Saving Trust has a section on its website dedicated to assisting you with selecting the right type - http://www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/renewableselector/start/

As a brief guide you can generate you own electricity with the following:

Wind Turbine – cost £1500 - £19,000 for big mast mounted turbines – saving £380 a year off your electicity bills for a medium sized pole mounted turbine. Best suited for rural applications.

Solar Photovoltaic Panels – average between £8,000 and £14,000 depending on type and size – saving £200 a year for typical sized system and generating up to £900 of electricity per year through the feed in tarrif scheme (see below). You would need a roof between south-east and south-west to place them on.

Micro Hydro – typical installed cost £20 - £25k – significant (~£500 a year depending on size). You need to be sited near a water source with suitable 'drop' and preferably with exisiting river works such as an old weir or mill.

You can generate your own heat with the following technologies:

Solar thermal - average cost £3,000 - £5,000 - saving between £50 - £80 per year depending on fuel it’s replacing. Will gnereate 100% of hot water in summer and 50% in winter. You will need a south facing roof.

Ground Source Heat Pump – average cost £7,000 - £13,000 with running costs ~£650 – savings depend on fuel displaced but between £160 - £800 where all hot water and heating provided. You will need a garden about 1.5 times the footprint of your house.

Wood fuelled - £3,000 for stand alone heater up to £9,000 for auto feed - £170 - £400 saving depending on fuel displaced.

Feed in tarrifs

Feed In Tarriffs (FITS) is a Government-backed initiative introduced in April 2010 to make it more financially worthwhile installing renewable or low carbon energy technology in your home, business or community. It enables everyone to lower their carbon footprint and help tackle climate change, whilst at the same time reducing their energy bills and adding to the value of their home. It is hoped it will also stimulate the whole renewables industry and create new jobs, as similar schemes in Germany and Denmark have done. PV solar panels, wind turbines, anaerobic digesters and hydroelectric technologies are all covered.

By using a special two-way meter, FITS allows you to sell electricity into the national grid at a higher rate than you would buy it. At the highest rate, a PV panel will currently earn 41p per kWh or electricity generated - you pay about 12p per kWh for it coming into the house. Fully insulating your home and using as many energy saving technologies as possible will maximise your income from the scheme. In addition, you get paid for any energy you produce, even if you use it all yourself. Thirdly, even if you are not fortunate enough to become fully self sufficient in electricity, the amount you have to buy in from your supplier will drastically reduce.

A similar incentive, the Renewable Heat Initiative (RHI) is being developed for domestic renewable heat systems such as wood fuelled and solar hot water systems and will be introduced in April 2011. Keep an eye on www.est.org.uk for details. FITS have now replaced the domestic grants for electricity offered by the Low Carbon Buildings programme. The grant scheme for generating heat is likely to end at some point in 2010.