FAQ

Extract from Building Regulations, Approved Document J, (applicable in England & Wales)

Clause 2.34 – ‘Where a new or replacement fixed solid fuel appliance is installed in a dwelling, a Carbon Monoxide alarm should be provided in the room where the appliance is located’.

Solid Fuel – Extract from HETAS ‘Protect yourself from CO’
Have your appliance serviced and cleaned regularly by a qualified engineer. Ensure your chimney is kept clear by having it swept at frequent intervals by a HETAS Approved Chimney Sweep. Make sure the installation complies with Building Regulations guidance. The guidance is there to protect you. Fit an audible CO alarm conforming to BS EN 50291:2002 and positioned in accordance with Building Regulations Approved Document J requirements.

An EPC is included as part of a Green Deal Assessment, which is a requirement for most to join the Domestic Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI).

OFGEM list the 6 responsibilities of a home-owner as part of the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) scheme. Please note OFGEM can withhold payments if they believe someone isn’t complying with the scheme rules.

Please click here to visit the OFGEM website

Once you have been accepted on the RHI scheme you are guaranteed financial support for 7 years if your installation is domestic and 20 years if your installation is for non-domestic usage e.g. commercial, district heating and industrial.

Although the domestic scheme only pays over 7 years it is not a worse deal as you will receive the equivalent of 20 years payments over the period

They will reduce your electricity bills: sunlight is free, so once you’ve paid for the initial installation your electricity costs will be reduced as you will need to purchase less from the grid.

You will get paid for the electricity you generate: the government’s Feed-In Tariff pays for the
electricity generated, even if you use it all.

You automatically sell any spare electricity back to the grid: if your system is producing more electricity than you need, or when you can’t use it, you sell the surplus back to the grid.

You will reduce your home’s carbon footprint: solar electricity is a green, renewable energy and doesn’t release any harmful carbon dioxide or other pollutants. A typical home solar PV system could save over a tonne of carbon dioxide per year – that’s more than 30 tonnes over its lifetime.

The ‘Energy Saving Trust’ estimates that the installation of solar PV panels on your roof will give you a tax-free return of around 12-15%, which sounds much more attractive than most savings accounts or retirement funds. This depends on the suitability of your home and roof, the number of panels you have fitted and how effectively they work. As an example, if you have a 4kw system installed (16 panels), installed on a property then you could save up to £15.5k over 20 years in electricity bills.

The Government have introduced the Feed-In Tariff which allows owners to receive a fixed rate for electricity generated annually and for any unused electricity exported back to the grid. You can enjoy a steady income for over a 20 year period with Solar PV

Please visit the Planning Portal Website where you can find planning and building regulations guidance for many common building work projects.

www.planningportal.gov.uk/permission

OFGEM list the 6 responsibilities of a home-owner as part of the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) scheme. Please note OFGEM can withhold payments if they believe someone isn’t complying with the scheme rules.

Please click here to visit the OFGEM website

Once you have been accepted on the RHI scheme you are guaranteed financial support for 7 years if your installation is domestic and 20 years if your installation is for non-domestic usage e.g. commercial, district heating and industrial.

Although the domestic scheme only pays over 7 years it is not a worse deal as you will receive the equivalent of 20 years payments over the period

Solar photovoltaic (PV) panels, capture the sun’s energy using photovoltaic cells.
These cells don’t need direct sunlight to work – they can still generate some electricity even on a cloudy day.
The cells convert sunlight into direct current (DC) power, which in turn is converted to alternating current (AC) power by the Solar Inverter so that household appliances and lighting can make use of it.

They will reduce your electricity bills: sunlight is free, so once you’ve paid for the initial installation your electricity costs will be reduced as you will need to purchase less from the grid.

You will get paid for the electricity you generate: the government’s Feed-In Tariff pays for the
electricity generated, even if you use it all.

You automatically sell any spare electricity back to the grid: if your system is producing more electricity than you need, or when you can’t use it, you sell the surplus back to the grid.

You will reduce your home’s carbon footprint: solar electricity is a green, renewable energy and doesn’t release any harmful carbon dioxide or other pollutants. A typical home solar PV system could save over a tonne of carbon dioxide per year – that’s more than 30 tonnes over its lifetime.

The ‘Energy Saving Trust’ estimates that the installation of solar PV panels on your roof will give you a tax-free return of around 12-15%, which sounds much more attractive than most savings accounts or retirement funds. This depends on the suitability of your home and roof, the number of panels you have fitted and how effectively they work. As an example, if you have a 4kw system installed (16 panels), installed on a property then you could save up to £15.5k over 20 years in electricity bills.

The Government have introduced the Feed-In Tariff which allows owners to receive a fixed rate for electricity generated annually and for any unused electricity exported back to the grid. You can enjoy a steady income for over a 20 year period with Solar PV

The ideal home for solar PV panels is an unshaded south facing – facing or +/- 90 degrees of South – with a medium to large roof that does not have any features such as loft conversion and sky light windows that limit the space available.

We carry out a full assessment with all our Renewable project and will discuss the results with you

Solar water heating systems use solar panels, sometimes called collectors, fitted in or on top of your existing roof covering. These collect heat from the sun and transfer this ‘free’ energy via a refrigeration circuit and heat exchanger to hot water that is stored in a hot water cylinder. It is possible to retro-fit a solar thermal system to work with an existing boiler or immersion heater, although we would usually recommend at the least a cylinder upgrade

The system works all year round, though you’ll need to heat the water further with a boiler or
immersion heater during the winter months.

OFGEM list the 6 responsibilities of a home-owner as part of the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) scheme. Please note OFGEM can withhold payments if they believe someone isn’t complying with the scheme rules.

Please click here to visit the OFGEM website

Once you have been accepted on the RHI scheme you are guaranteed financial support for 7 years if your installation is domestic and 20 years if your installation is for non-domestic usage e.g. commercial, district heating and industrial.

Although the domestic scheme only pays over 7 years it is not a worse deal as you will receive the equivalent of 20 years payments over the period

Solar photovoltaic (PV) panels, capture the sun’s energy using photovoltaic cells.
These cells don’t need direct sunlight to work – they can still generate some electricity even on a cloudy day.
The cells convert sunlight into direct current (DC) power, which in turn is converted to alternating current (AC) power by the Solar Inverter so that household appliances and lighting can make use of it.

They will reduce your electricity bills: sunlight is free, so once you’ve paid for the initial installation your electricity costs will be reduced as you will need to purchase less from the grid.

You will get paid for the electricity you generate: the government’s Feed-In Tariff pays for the
electricity generated, even if you use it all.

You automatically sell any spare electricity back to the grid: if your system is producing more electricity than you need, or when you can’t use it, you sell the surplus back to the grid.

You will reduce your home’s carbon footprint: solar electricity is a green, renewable energy and doesn’t release any harmful carbon dioxide or other pollutants. A typical home solar PV system could save over a tonne of carbon dioxide per year – that’s more than 30 tonnes over its lifetime.

The ‘Energy Saving Trust’ estimates that the installation of solar PV panels on your roof will give you a tax-free return of around 12-15%, which sounds much more attractive than most savings accounts or retirement funds. This depends on the suitability of your home and roof, the number of panels you have fitted and how effectively they work. As an example, if you have a 4kw system installed (16 panels), installed on a property then you could save up to £15.5k over 20 years in electricity bills.

The Government have introduced the Feed-In Tariff which allows owners to receive a fixed rate for electricity generated annually and for any unused electricity exported back to the grid. You can enjoy a steady income for over a 20 year period with Solar PV

The ideal home for solar PV panels is an unshaded south facing – facing or +/- 90 degrees of South – with a medium to large roof that does not have any features such as loft conversion and sky light windows that limit the space available.

We carry out a full assessment with all our Renewable project and will discuss the results with you

Solar water heating systems use solar panels, sometimes called collectors, fitted in or on top of your existing roof covering. These collect heat from the sun and transfer this ‘free’ energy via a refrigeration circuit and heat exchanger to hot water that is stored in a hot water cylinder. It is possible to retro-fit a solar thermal system to work with an existing boiler or immersion heater, although we would usually recommend at the least a cylinder upgrade

The system works all year round, though you’ll need to heat the water further with a boiler or
immersion heater during the winter months.

Yes, provided they are in good condition and were originally designed to be of a suitable size and specification for your building. And if your current radiators are in poor condition or are unsuitably sized for the heat load, they will prove to be inefficient with whatever heating system you use, so are better replaced in any case.