Green HEAT is the result of our experience of environmental design, both theoretical and in the field.
We have sourced sustainable, efficient options that can be incorporated into your existing and future designs.
Green Roof
Not only can a green roof be beneficial to the environment but it can also set a certain mood for an outdoor terrace or garden. As horticulture and plant science are the future to the continued growth in the sustainable and ecological construction industry, we think it should be something considered as an option for your new build or your existing home. They are now designed as lightweight and low maintenance options that are more realistic to your individual specifications and the buildings functionality and design.
• Reduce energy consumption - Since green roofs have significant insulation properties, providing warmth in the winter and cooling in the summer, they can have a huge effect on the way a building performs and should be incorporated into any package aiming to achieve zero or low carbon targets.
• Noise reduction - Sound transmission through an aluminium standing seam roof for example can be reduced by up to 40 percent. This benefit increases as the plants grow and mass increases.
• Stormwater Management - As one of the most significant ecological advantages of roof planting, this helps as the drainage systems in developed areas are unable to cope with the instant changes in flow rate and volume of stormwater resulting in flooding and water course contamination. Instead, the water is either processed through the plants, evaporated or retained on the roof at a slower rate preventing flooding.
• Enhanced photovoltaic performance - The photovoltaic process converts free solar energy directly into electricity. If the roof is installed with PVs, it lowers the ambient temperature thereby increasing the conversion efficiency of the PVs.
• Cleaner air - Plants remove atmospheric carbon dioxide and emit oxygen during photosynthesis so it is one more way to help reduce CO2 levels.
Blackdown Horticultural Consultants
www.greenroof.co.uk
• Reduce energy consumption - Since green roofs have significant insulation properties, providing warmth in the winter and cooling in the summer, they can have a huge effect on the way a building performs and should be incorporated into any package aiming to achieve zero or low carbon targets.
• Noise reduction - Sound transmission through an aluminium standing seam roof for example can be reduced by up to 40 percent. This benefit increases as the plants grow and mass increases.
• Stormwater Management - As one of the most significant ecological advantages of roof planting, this helps as the drainage systems in developed areas are unable to cope with the instant changes in flow rate and volume of stormwater resulting in flooding and water course contamination. Instead, the water is either processed through the plants, evaporated or retained on the roof at a slower rate preventing flooding.
• Enhanced photovoltaic performance - The photovoltaic process converts free solar energy directly into electricity. If the roof is installed with PVs, it lowers the ambient temperature thereby increasing the conversion efficiency of the PVs.
• Cleaner air - Plants remove atmospheric carbon dioxide and emit oxygen during photosynthesis so it is one more way to help reduce CO2 levels.
Blackdown Horticultural Consultants
www.greenroof.co.uk
Greywater Recycling
Greywater, also known as sullage, is non-industrial wastewater generated from domestic processes such as dish washing, laundry and bathing which is then filtered, disinfected and recycled for the use of toilet flushing or depending on the contamination levels, it could also be used for garden irrigation. Greywater comprises 50-80% of residential wastewater.
Grey water recycling systems are a way to significanctly reduce household water bills and carbon footprint thus helping to protect the environment.
• Lower fresh water use
• Less strain on failing septic tank or treatment plant
• Greywater treatment in topsoil is highly effective
• Less energy and chemical use
• Groundwater recharge
• Reclamation of otherwise wasted nutrients
The benefits of grey water collection over rain water can be when rain water collection is intermittent or when roof collection areas are insufficient. In these cases you can either mix a proportion of rain water with grey water or maintain a grey water supply only, in most case an amount of rain water is welcome due to dilution.
Aquaco
www.aquaco.uk
Grey water recycling systems are a way to significanctly reduce household water bills and carbon footprint thus helping to protect the environment.
• Lower fresh water use
• Less strain on failing septic tank or treatment plant
• Greywater treatment in topsoil is highly effective
• Less energy and chemical use
• Groundwater recharge
• Reclamation of otherwise wasted nutrients
The benefits of grey water collection over rain water can be when rain water collection is intermittent or when roof collection areas are insufficient. In these cases you can either mix a proportion of rain water with grey water or maintain a grey water supply only, in most case an amount of rain water is welcome due to dilution.
Aquaco
www.aquaco.uk
Ground Source Heat Pumps
Ground source heat pumps use pipes buried in the garden to extract heat from the ground. It typically is used to warm water for radiators or underfloor heating systems. Beneath the surface, the ground stays at a constant temperature, so a ground source heat pump can be used throughout the year, even in the middle of the winter. The pump circulates a mixture of water and antifreeze around a loop of pipe which is buried in the garden. When the liquid travels around the loop it absorbs heat from the ground.
• Reduce your CO2 emissions
• Eliminate your fuel bills - ground source heat pumps run on electricity, so there is no need to pay for gas, oil or solid fuels to heat your home
• Cut down on wasted electricity - it is much more efficient than using electric radiators
• Reduce your CO2 emissions
• Eliminate your fuel bills - ground source heat pumps run on electricity, so there is no need to pay for gas, oil or solid fuels to heat your home
• Cut down on wasted electricity - it is much more efficient than using electric radiators
Insulation
Ensuring there is proper insulation is one of the easiest and most cost effective ways to boost a building’s efficiency and slash heating and cooling costs, particularly in an existing building.
There are diminishing returns when it comes to insulation. The first 100mm of insulation is very effective, but thicker insulation won’t proportionately increase the effectiveness. In other words, 200mm of insulation won’t double the insulating value. So why bother?
In the Building Regulations there are target values to achieve when it comes to heat loss. Sometimes a little extra insulation can help achieve the target value.
And sometimes increasing the insulation in one area of the building above the standard allows you to decrease the efficiency in another. For example, you could insulate your loft above the standard requirement to offset the new glazed sliding folding doors along the width of your garden. Like so many things in life, it’s all a balancing act. It is important to have the heat loss calculations to show the insulation is actually offsetting.
Additionally, there are a variety of environmentally friendly insulations available on today’s market, ranging from shredded newspaper to sheep wool. It’s win-win, cutting costs while being earth-friendly.
There are diminishing returns when it comes to insulation. The first 100mm of insulation is very effective, but thicker insulation won’t proportionately increase the effectiveness. In other words, 200mm of insulation won’t double the insulating value. So why bother?
In the Building Regulations there are target values to achieve when it comes to heat loss. Sometimes a little extra insulation can help achieve the target value.
And sometimes increasing the insulation in one area of the building above the standard allows you to decrease the efficiency in another. For example, you could insulate your loft above the standard requirement to offset the new glazed sliding folding doors along the width of your garden. Like so many things in life, it’s all a balancing act. It is important to have the heat loss calculations to show the insulation is actually offsetting.
Additionally, there are a variety of environmentally friendly insulations available on today’s market, ranging from shredded newspaper to sheep wool. It’s win-win, cutting costs while being earth-friendly.
Invotek Strawboard
Invotek Strawboard is a unique new form of paneling offering a range of real benefits for all kinds of projects and applications.
Manufactured from Wheat Straw. It is at least as strong as industrial strength particle board, but 10% lighter.
• Biodegradable and easily recycled
• Produced from a sustainable source
• Moisture and fire resistance
• Formaldehyde and sulphate free
• Environmentally aware production method - low energy and water consumption during manufacture
• Range of densities - range of acoustic performance
• Single homogenous layer - no splitting when machining or fixing
• Conforms to all relevant safety standards
Plant Fibre Technology
www.plantfibretechnology.com
Manufactured from Wheat Straw. It is at least as strong as industrial strength particle board, but 10% lighter.
• Biodegradable and easily recycled
• Produced from a sustainable source
• Moisture and fire resistance
• Formaldehyde and sulphate free
• Environmentally aware production method - low energy and water consumption during manufacture
• Range of densities - range of acoustic performance
• Single homogenous layer - no splitting when machining or fixing
• Conforms to all relevant safety standards
Plant Fibre Technology
www.plantfibretechnology.com
Part L Energy Efficient Lighting
New building regulations came to effect in 2006 requiring 10% of all new lighting to be energy efficient. We think this is good practice anyway to reduce your electricity bill and your carbon footprint. There are a variety of energy efficient light fixtures on the market and the options continue to get better and better. From September 2009, the government is also taking additional measures by banning incandescent lighting.
Clever lighting design and forethought can seamlessly incorporate energy efficient lighting without compromising aesthetics. Uplighting from on top of cupboards or a light shelf to fill a room with soft indirect lighting is one of our favourite tricks. A lot of people don’t like the colour of energy efficient lighting, but there are ways to get around this as well. The lighting can be ‘bounced’ off of a coloured wall, changing its appearance or even used with a thin plastic coloured filter over the light.
Another way to improve the efficiency of your lighting is through dimmable switches or room control panels. We particularly appreciate the room control panels, which at a touch of a button change the entire lighting scene for a room by controlling multiple circuits at once.
The panels also allow each light to be set slightly lower than full power. While there is no discernible difference in lighting levels, this greatly extends the life of each bulb.
Clever lighting design and forethought can seamlessly incorporate energy efficient lighting without compromising aesthetics. Uplighting from on top of cupboards or a light shelf to fill a room with soft indirect lighting is one of our favourite tricks. A lot of people don’t like the colour of energy efficient lighting, but there are ways to get around this as well. The lighting can be ‘bounced’ off of a coloured wall, changing its appearance or even used with a thin plastic coloured filter over the light.
Another way to improve the efficiency of your lighting is through dimmable switches or room control panels. We particularly appreciate the room control panels, which at a touch of a button change the entire lighting scene for a room by controlling multiple circuits at once.
The panels also allow each light to be set slightly lower than full power. While there is no discernible difference in lighting levels, this greatly extends the life of each bulb.
PhotoVoltaic Panels
Photovoltaic panels (also known as Solar Panels) generate electricity through solar cells that are linked together. The cells create direct current electricity from the sun and can be used to power a building. The photovoltaic panels can be used in connection with mains power to ensure the building is never without power.
Solar panels are a very efficient, environmentally friendly way of generating electricity. However, they are still cost prohibitive especially in overcast climates like England and make most economic sense in very sunny areas that also have high costs for mains electricity. They are also a good resource for areas that are ‘off the grid’ with few options for obtaining electricity.
Hopefully as the demand for Solar Power and ‘clean’ energy sources increases, production costs will decrease and Solar Power will become a viable option for more people. For now, many countries offer grants, etc. to help offset the high initial costs.
Solar panels are a very efficient, environmentally friendly way of generating electricity. However, they are still cost prohibitive especially in overcast climates like England and make most economic sense in very sunny areas that also have high costs for mains electricity. They are also a good resource for areas that are ‘off the grid’ with few options for obtaining electricity.
Hopefully as the demand for Solar Power and ‘clean’ energy sources increases, production costs will decrease and Solar Power will become a viable option for more people. For now, many countries offer grants, etc. to help offset the high initial costs.
Rainwater Harvesting
Rainwater harvesting is the gathering, or accumulating and storing, of rainwater. It provides drinking water, domestic water, water for livestock, water for small irrigation and a way to increase ground water levels.
Rainwater is collected from the roof and processed through a filter. About 90% is diverted into the storage tank with debris and remaining water to soak wawy or storm drain in the normal manner.
This is not a new concept, however, because of the demand on water in certain areas and the growth of localised flooding the industry experts are now recognising the importance that it can play in alleviating problems.
• Reduces overall water supply costs by displacing a large portion of the mains-water
• Reduces storm-water runoff
• Reduces the demand on rivers and groundwater
• Less energy, pollution and CO2 emissions
The benefits of rain water over grey water is when there is no grey water produced within a building or when there is a sufficient roof area as well as sufficient space on site for the increased size rain water collection tanks as generally grey water systems require far less collection tank capacity than rain water systems
Aquaco
www.aquaco.uk
Rainwater is collected from the roof and processed through a filter. About 90% is diverted into the storage tank with debris and remaining water to soak wawy or storm drain in the normal manner.
This is not a new concept, however, because of the demand on water in certain areas and the growth of localised flooding the industry experts are now recognising the importance that it can play in alleviating problems.
• Reduces overall water supply costs by displacing a large portion of the mains-water
• Reduces storm-water runoff
• Reduces the demand on rivers and groundwater
• Less energy, pollution and CO2 emissions
The benefits of rain water over grey water is when there is no grey water produced within a building or when there is a sufficient roof area as well as sufficient space on site for the increased size rain water collection tanks as generally grey water systems require far less collection tank capacity than rain water systems
Aquaco
www.aquaco.uk
Solar Water Heating
Solar water heating systems use free heat from the sun to warm domestic hot water. A conventional boiler or immersion heater is then used to make the water hotter, or to provide hot water when solar energy is unavailable. Solar water heating should not be confused with generating electricity from the sun or photovoltaics.
How does it work? In the most common system an array of glass vacuum tubes is positioned on the roof of your property. They are each about 2metres long and 70mm diameter. The sun heats up copper rods in the vacuum tubes and these conduct heat into a manifold at one end. A loop of water, similar to the primary circuit of a boiler runs from the manifold down to the hot water cylinder. It recirculates using a simple central heating pump and transfers energy from the roof to your cylinder, heating the water in the cylinder.
In the UK the sun angle in the winter is too low to heat the water in the loop. In the South of England a system like this is really only effective between April and September. Once the sun angle is sufficient the system is surprisingly effective, even on cloudy or cold days. An electronic meter is fitted to the system which tells you how much energy you have produced each day and how efficiently the system is working.
For the winter months and for days when demand exceeds the capacity of the system you need to have a second top-up system, usually the central heating boiler. From this it follows that the hot water cylinder has to have connections for two primary loops. It should also be especially well insulated to maintain temperature in the cylinder overnight. This kind of system is not compatible with a combi boiler.
Does it require planning permission? In England most solar water heating systems don't need planning permission, but exceptions apply for Listed Buildings, and buildings in Conservation Areas and World Heritage Sites. Even then, the new systems can be laid flat on a flat roof and can be nearly invisible.
What does it cost? The systems that we have put in have typically cost around £3000 extra when installed together with a complete house refurbishment. Grants of £400 are available from the Government. Local Authorities offer more generous grants of up to £1000, but in practice these seldom materialise; the budgets seem to be used up administering the schemes.
What is the Payback? Bear in mind that your water heating costs are only ten percent of your total energy budget and that the solar heating system is only providing a third of your water heating over the year. The Energy Savings Trust estimates savings of £55-£95/year for a three bed house and there will be maintenance costs that may eat into this saving. We think the picture is a little different to this however. As buildings become better insulated and consume less energy the fixed costs of water heating will absorb a larger percentage of the budget. Young families consume a much larger amount of hot water than the national average and as energy costs rise the payback period may yet shrink within the expected life of the system.
The principal reason for installing Solar Water Heating is that it is one of the few technologies readily available to the home owner which produces energy with zero carbon emissions.
Solar Film
Solar film is a light film that is applied to the windows in your home. It rejects the sun's rays coming through your home. With solar film, you will be able to reduce the amount of energy to cool your home in the summer while still allowing excellent light levels within your room.
Double Glazing
Double glazing windows have two panes of glass that by trapping air between the two panes it creates an insulating barrier that reduces heat loss, noise and condensation. By trapping a layer of air between the two panes you create and effective insulator that stops heat escaping and deadens sounds.
Geothermal Energy
Geothermal energy systems focus more on providing heat and warmth instead of power. They are only in the ground a few meters and water is usually pumped through one end of a lengthy piping system. Once the water reaches the end of the pipe, the temperature is considerably higher. It can be a great way in providing an efficient source for a low cost hot water. It allows for you boiler to use less energy to heat the water.