What is renewable energy?

Renewable heating and electricity are produced from resources that don’t run out, or damage the environment. The most popular domestic electricity generating technology is Solar Photovoltaic (PV) panels, although there are domestic scale wind and water technologies available. The most popular renewable heating technologies are Heat Pumps (air source and ground source) or Biomass heating units. These would usually replace existing oil boilers to run your home heating system.

Solar PV is a simple to fit and provides instant benefits, such as free daytime electricity or hot water. Heating systems can be a bit more complex, but also offer great benefits, especially to homes currently relying on oil heating systems.

ZLC Energy - Householders

Homeowners

Change your habits

Before considering renewables, the starting point is energy efficiency. Having a well insulated building, energy efficient appliances & lighting and an evaluation of your energy use is the first step for domestic and commercial customers alike.

The next step is consider whether you are looking for a renewable energy system that will provide you with space heating, hot water, electricity or a combination.

The key to any energy saving activity is to start with your behaviours, there are lots of cost-free changes you can make that are simple enough to start today. For example, turning down your thermostat, washing at 30 degrees and only boiling the water you need. The Energy Saving Trust and YouGen have lots of useful information. Changing Habbits is a website dedicated to helping you to reduce you carbon footprint, which will also save you money.

Look after your home

Whatever energy source you use, you will be losing money if your home is not adequately insulated. If you are thinking about installing renewable energy technologies, you will need and Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) to assess the energy efficiency of your home. The assessment will also give you recommendations on improvement measures you can make. We can arrange EPC’s for you, or we can give you some initial help on cost effective ways to improve your property.

Things to consider for your home

  • Cavity wall insulation
  • Loft insulation
  • Flat roof insulation
  • Internal wall insulation
  • External wall insulation
  • Draught proofing
  • Floor insulation
  • Heating system insulation (cylinder, pipes)
  • Energy efficient glazing and doors

Choose Renewable Energy

Once you have done all the cheap and easy solutions, you can then look at alternative ways of heating and powering your home. Different households will benefit from different solutions.

For example, if you are already on mains gas, then perhaps some Solar PV to cut your electricity costs would be the best investment. If your main source of fuel is oil, then a biomass system may be your first consideration.

Every home is different, and we will only recommend what is right for each individual home. Our surveyor will come out and meet you, assess your home, listen to your requirements and make some suggestions for the best solution or combination of solutions.

To make life easier we can offer additional services to compliment your install:

  • Heating controls
  • Under-floor heating
  • Heat recovery systems
  • Flue gas recovery devices

On new build and renovation projects, we can offer the flexibility of working with existing contractors or managing a broad scope of work on your behalf.

We are accredited installers for a wide range of products, so we can do the research for you to find the best possible options.

For more information on technologies scroll down and click the links below.

 

Choosing the right system

Click the icons below for everything you need to know about each technology.

How it works – Benefits & incentives – FAQ’s and more