Month: August 2018

A Space Saving Installation of an Air Source Heat Pump

Air Source Heat Pump Installation in Ammanford, Carmarthen

Ammanford is located within the Amman Valley with the Heart of Wales line running through it.

The Problem and its Solution:

A client came to us with a requirement to reduce their bills and step away from fossil fuelled systems. They currently had a LPG boiler costing them over £2200 a year to run for their heating and hot water demand. Because their building is a solid stone they were told heat pumps would not work, but they wanted to investigate it further anyway.

We assessed the property, and with its double glazing and over 200mm of loft insulation we could happily advise them that a heat pump would be suitable if all of the radiators were up-sized. Unfortunately external space was an issue with no land for a Ground Source heat pump and not much space to site an Air Source heat pump, we therefore came up with the solution of mounting it on the wall above the driveway.

The customers could not be happier with the outcome and after one of the hardest winters they are more than confident that they will be kept warm efficiently for many many years to come.

The Benefits:

  • A warm and reliable renewable heating and hot water system.
  • Over £1000 a year saving vs previous LPG boiler running costs.
  • Around £10,764 back from the Government Renewable Heat Incentive over the 7 year period.
  • Ongoing reduced CO2 emissions, helping them do their bit for the planet.

5 Emerging Technologies That Will Impact Energy Policy in the Next Decade

Most of the news in the media about energy concentrate on oil and gas prices. It is true that getting and talking about low-cost energy is newsworthy. However, the attention that is still paid to fossil fuels somehow overshadows the significant strides that are being made in alternative forms of energy, which derails opportunities to explore the emerging technologies further. Events like Waste Expo are helping bring attention to current issues and make eco-friendly technology more available. Below are a few technological advances worth looking into in energy.

Solar Glass

Solar energy and the technology of harnessing it have been around for a few decades now. One of the newest innovations in this area is solar glass, which is a transparent glass panel that collects and concentrates solar rays, converting them into energy. Solar glass is more efficient than the regular panel because it is not limited to infrared and UV light, it is able to absorb the transparent part of the light spectrum, which optimizes that energy converted and also features improved energy storage.

Thorium Nuclear Reactors

In most nuclear reactors, Uranium is used for fission; with the new technology, thorium replaces uranium. Thorium is recommended because the reactions are safer than those of uranium and plutonium reactors. The reactor allows immediate and impactful steps to a reaction, reducing chances of a meltdown. Thorium is also more easily accessible, and it creates less nuclear waste. If more research is conducted into this, maybe the fear which surrounds nuclear reactions will be greatly reduced. This is a sustainable energy alternative that might actually work.

Fuel Cell Electric vehicles

It is true that FCEV vehicles from companies like Honda have been around since 2008. However, a lot of gains have been made in hydrogen fuel cell technology since 2016. The hydrogen fuel cells are a stack of fuel cells that contain a cathode, anode and a proton exchange membrane. The proton combines with environmental oxygen to create water, which is environmentally friendlier than carbon dioxide.

Waste conversion into energy

This is a technology that has been developed to aggregate both recyclable and non-recyclable items in the environment and convert them into energy. The conversion creates gas, which can be used as fuel and plasma power known as plasma rock. There is a solid by-product of the process, but it is used as a building material.

These are some of the advances which have been made in the energy sector. As long as more focus is paid to sectors such as improved energy storage and alternative energy sources, it will be possible to be sustainable in energy production for the planet.

For more information about renewable energy and renewable technology, make sure to visit our FAQ page!

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