Types of renewables

Watch our video guide to renewable energy

Biomass

Often called 'bioenergy' or 'biofuels', Biomass is produced from organic materials, either directly from plants or indirectly from industrial, commercial, domestic or agricultural products. It falls into two categories, woody and non-woody biomass. Biomass is considered to be a carbon neutral fuel that can also contribute to waste management.

Click here for more details about Biomass

Heat pumps

Heat pumps transfer heat from the ground, air or water into a building to provide heating and, in some cases, to pre-heat domestic hot water. With a ground source heat pump on average you could save from £300 to £1000 on your heating bills and 2 to 7.5 tonnes of carbon dioxide per year, depending on which fuel is replaced.

An air source heat pump could save from £200 to £750 a year on heating bills and 800kg to 6 tonnes of carbon dioxide per year, depending on which fuel is replaced.

Click here for more details about air source heat pumps

Click here for more details about ground source heat pumps

Small scale hydro

Hydro power systems use running water turning a turbine to produce electricity. For houses with no mains connection but with access to a micro hydro site, a good hydro system can generate a steady, more reliable electricity supply than other renewable technologies at a lower cost.

Click here for more details about small scale hydro

Small scale wind

Wind power is a clean, renewable source of energy which produces no carbon dioxide emissions or waste products. Wind turbines use the wind's lift forces to rotate aerodynamic blades that turn a rotor which creates electricity.

Click here for more details about small scale wind

Solar PV

Solar PV (photovoltaic) uses energy from the sun to create electricity to run appliances and lighting. PV systems produce no greenhouse gases and a typical sized system can save around 1.2 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions per year, adding up to about 30 tonnes over a system's lifetime.

Click here for more information about solar PV

Solar water heating

Solar water heating systems use heat from the sun to work alongside your conventional water heater. Solar water heating can provide you with about a third of your hot water needs. The average domestic system reduces carbon dioxide by around 325kg per year when installed in a gas heated property. Higher savings can be achieved in oile or electrcially heated homes.

Click here for information about solar water heating

If you are considering installing a renewable energy technology in your home, you may be eligible for a grant.

Alternatively, contact your local Energy Saving Trust advice centre on 0800 512 012.

Post this page to: del.icio.us - Digg - Newsvine - Reddit - MyYahoo!