Tuesday 28 September 2010

What’s the Payback?



We are launching a competition to find out if the Island of Guernsey, and the public of the world knows what the true payback for renewable energy technology is.
2000 postcards are being sent out and there is a three part answer to the question.
The recipient needs to fill in the three answers and send it back FREEPOST to the address pre-printed on the postcard. We will compile and scan every entry card and post it on the “What’s the Payback?” Facebook page. The aim is to stimulate debate and interest and solutions to the deep issues planet earth faces at this time in its history. Whether its deepening economic woe, climate change, peak oil, the middle east, terrorism, disappearing species, poverty, lack of water for some and too much for others, we need a collective world vision to take human society beyond its present situation. In one sense we’ve never had it better! However we could quickly go the route of other failed societies in the past.
The winner gets a day trip to Sark, with a free lunch for two, a delightful carriage ride and a tour of the Clos Bourel Energy Project, plus free entrance to our Eco-home workshop on 12th November worth £150. There will be three runner’s up winning a place on the workshop and 10 runner’s up will win solar powered torches.
The campaign will culminate in a lunchtime address for the business community by the evening seminar’s key note speakers. In the evening doors will open at 7pm to the public where there will be an opportunity to view the latest renewable energy equipments from ground source heat pumps to solar photovoltaics and talk directly to UK technical staff as well as our Renewable Energy Engineers. Keynote speakers will be Andrew Hillier, CEO of Ice Energy, the largest distributor of heat pumps in the UK, and Tony Book of Riomay his company being one the oldest players in the European solar thermal distribution market. Other leading solar businesses will be added to the list. Each speaker will be putting their personal spin on what they think the ‘payback’ for Renewables is. We will be using three cameras and uploading the resultant informative film to You Tube.
Check out our new website on www.e-si.com for rules of the competition and links to our Facebook, Twitter and Tumblr pages. There’s access for everyone, you don’t need to be a Facebook user to follow the campaign as it builds.



Thursday 11th November.
Lunchtime Talks for the Business Community – 12pm to 2pm
Lunch £5.50, Coffee, Tea, Water inclusive. Tel 01481 200388.

Open House for the Public 7pm (free) –
meet the exhibitors, see the equipment, bar open.

Seminar 8pm for the Public (free) – spaces limited to 60 people,
please book in advance if you can. Tel 01481 200388.

Friday 12th November.
Architects, Builders, Developers and other Professionals
Workshop 9.30 – 12.30pm £200 pp, lunch and refreshments inclusive.

General Public, Self-Build, Self-Project Managed Eco-Builds
Workshop 9.30 – 12.30pm £150 pp, lunch and refreshments inclusive.

Workshops will focus on integrating the latest advanced technologies into eco-homes and run by UK industry professionals and E-Si CEO Paul Fletcher.
UK Renewable Energy Company’s Exhibiting
Solar Century – photovoltaic roof tiles.
www.solarcentury.com
Ice Energy – Ground, Air and Water Source heat pumps.
By Mitsubishi and IVT.
www.iceenergy.co.uk
Riomay – advanced solar thermal collectors.
By NEG
www.riomay.com
Wind and Sun – Solar Photovoltaics and Inverters
By BP Solar, Romag, SMA.
www.windandsun.co.uk
Evinox – Advanced Hot Water Tanks
By Geminox
www.evinox.co.uk
Warmworld – Intelligent Heat Controls
See the ‘Dataterm’
www.warmworld.co.uk
Swift Renewable Devices – Wind Turbines
See the new ‘Swift’
www.warmworld.co.uk
Uponor – energy efficient piping
By Unipipe and Ecoflex
www.uponor.com

Tuesday 14 September 2010

Liam's magic hydronics

Liams magic hydronics an exemplary example of one piece pipe without joints behind the wall for a shower thermostat.

Monday 13 September 2010

From the archives: 'There aren't enough engineers on earth to save the planet...'

Press article written by Simon Tostevin for the Guernsey Press Wednesday 25th November 2009.

 Click to expand and read the article.

Friday 10 September 2010

Paul's blog: Public consultation for tidal energy in Guernsey

Today was the last day of the public consultation regarding tidal energy around Guernsey. I have submitted my “Renew Guernsey” campaign letter revamped from Jan 2008 original. Nothing much has changed. 

Let’s hope a holistic view as I suggest has a voice of sense about it and a also the economic urgency and imperative required. However I think it’s more of the same commission after commission until we decommission planet earth due to disinterest.

http://www.guernseyrenewableenergy.com/

Paul Fletcher

Wednesday 8 September 2010

Paul's blog: Energy Savings Trust UK Heat Pump Study

I read the Guardian's report on the Energy Savings Trust's Heat Pump Study, that was published earlier today, they claimed that heat pumps 'fail as green devices'. Whilst I agree there some sub-par heat pumps out there, and badly installed, I don’t agree with the conclusion that they are not renewable energy devices.

What is required is a standard of COP, and operational criteria that qualifies the device as renewable energy powered. This is the reason why we use Mitsubishi. Its great isn’t it that the first time ever the planet can utilise renewable energy on a mass scale for heating that it gets dissed by green socialists, seemingly working on behalf of the oil companies.

A matter of minutes after I read the Guardian article, I read a Tweet from Dave Sowden.
"EST trial proves Heat pumps can perform well but specification, installation and usage are important - http://bit.ly/bpLWs1 #fb"
The link he posts outlines a report by Micro Power, which gives a far better analysis of the findings from the study. This is a must read to truly understand how Heat Pumps work as renewable energy devices.


It's part of the solar thermal versus heat pump/PVs debate which has no winners. We should be addressing the issue from all possible corners in the most appropriate way for the particular customer and particular building according to budget available.

Paul Fletcher

Paul's blog: Solar system refurb

Putting the finishing touches to a solar system yesterday. Fitting the sensor to the top end of the solar manifold, the hottest bit!

 Completing the refurb of an old system, to keep it going for another 15 years.



With the manifold panel securely fitted the screws will go in finger tight such is the fine engineering of the NEG Ecotube (www.riomay.com), then just make secure with a spanner.


Once insulated with armaflex we carefully paint it with anti uv paint to give long life to the material.












The solar system before the upgrade.


The completed upgrade.

Tuesday 7 September 2010

Craig's Blog: Afternoon with 'Sustainable Guernsey'

Craig spent yesterday afternoon (a very rainy afternoon) with Richard Lord from Sustainable Guernsey.


He took some time out to speak with Richard about one of the Solar Thermal & Solar PV installs we're doing at present.


A blog post from Sustainable Guernsey, about the system and the afternoon, will be available on the Sustainable Guernsey Website & Blog very soon.


We will update this post as soon as the blog from SG is ready.