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Heat Pumps
Ground, water or air source heat pumps are commonly available and all work in a similar way to a refrigerator in reverse. Ground source heat pumps extract the energy from the earth using either a series of pipes buried in trenches or sunk in a borehole where space is limited. They will generally work most efficiently when supplying heat at lower temperatures (30-50 degrees) so are best suited to under floor heating. In this instance an operating efficiency of 400% can be obtained, that's to say that every unit of electrical energy used to run the heat pump generates 4 units of heat energy. Similarly water source heat pumps extract their energy from a body of water, either directly or through pipes laid on the bottom of a lake. These are slightly more efficient even than ground source heat pumps but rely on a suitable water resource.

Air source heat pumps are generally less efficient (typically 300%) than ground source systems but have gainful and widespread application where the former are not logistically possible. In commercial premises, air to air heat pumps may offer the best solution providing both heating and cooling when necessary. Heat pumps are well suited to maximising the energy that is extracted from the sun or wind by a wind turbine or Solar PV.

Natural Generation will work closely with every customer to design and install the best integrated system that meets the end user's needs.

Energy Saving Measures
It is not always appropriate or possible to install a suitable renewable energy system and before investing a lot of time, energy and money we would recommend you look into the most basic measures first which can make a real difference.

Insulating your property is the most significant energy saving measure you can make. Building designs have to conform to ever more stringent guidelines and in many cases if passive solar gain and good insulation are taken into consideration when designing new houses, minimal heating is required. Meanwhile, there is often funding available for owners of older properties who wish to upgrade the insulation in their homes. It is a highly worthwhile exercise and the benefits will literally be felt straight away. There are many types of insulation on the market which vary in price. Some are 'greener' than others but the appropriate one needs to be selected to suit the situation. Reducing heat loss also extends to your hot water cylinder and pipe-work which all too often is left un-lagged. The heating system should also be assessed where key items are thermostatic radiator valves, a useable room stat and programmer. In some instances upgrading the boiler to a modern condensing type or even zoning the heating system may offer significant savings.

The next stage is to analyse and reduce your energy use. There are various energy monitors available that can help you do this. In general terms, A-rated appliances and white goods, condensing boilers, good timer and thermostatic control of heating and hot water, and low energy lighting are the main items to look at but also attention must be given to all connected electrical appliances. We must all strive to reduce our use of electricity and especially stop wasting it; this in particular means avoiding leaving any appliances on standby. There are a wide variety of energy saving light bulbs on the market which will not only reduce your electricity bills but, having a much longer life than conventional bulbs, will reduce the number you need to buy and therefore dispose of. Low energy electrical (A rated) goods should be purchased when replacing equipment. Visit www.sust-it.com for comparisons of energy efficiency of most white goods.

Once the above areas have been considered and optimised, then, if none of the renewable energy solutions detailed can be sensibly applied, other technologies may be worth investigating such as biomass heating, rain water harvesting, passive solar heating, heat recovery and ventilation, exhaust heat recovery, sun-pipe lighting and ventilation, and many others that continue to emerge as the market expands. This is obviously a busy market place and although we do not generally specify and fit the systems listed above we are always happy to advise which technologies/suppliers we believe will best suit the client's needs.

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