Renewable energy in your community
01. Background
This factsheet will help you learn more about renewable energy solutions.
Almost half of the UK’s carbon dioxide emissions, the main greenhouse gas which causes climate change, actually
come from the things we do in our every day lives both at home and when we travel. Things such as leaving lights on
unnecessarily or overfilling the kettle all waste energy and result in needless carbon dioxide emissions.
To generate that energy, we burn fossil fuels (coal, oil and gas) that produce greenhouse gases – in particular carbon
dioxide. Cars are a huge problem but the truth is that more carbon dioxide comes from the energy we use at home. The
average household creates around six tonnes of carbon dioxide a year, and it’s that same carbon dioxide that’s changing
our climate and damaging the environment.
What is renewable energy?
Renewable energy is energy that occurs naturally or continuously in the environment. It can be collected and converted
into electricity or heat for your home or community building(s). This includes using heat from the sun to provide hot
water and electricity, harnessing the wind to generate electricity or taking heat from the air or ground to provide heating
in your building(s).
Renewable energy technologies like solar panels, wind turbines, and biomass heaters are becoming increasingly
popular. These are effective alternatives to fossil fuels and will help to meet energy requirements whilst reducing
carbon dioxide emissions.
Why use renewable energy?
With energy prices rising and climate change now headline news, the need to save energy and reduce the amount of climate
changing carbon dioxide we all emit has never been more important. Renewable energy produces little or no carbon dioxide.
Once most systems are installed energy is produced with minimal running costs, saving you money in the long term. The
exception is biomass where you may need to buy fuel. Payback times will vary from technology to technology.
For any community to be sustainable, one of the things it should be striving to be is environmentally sensitive – providing
places for people to live that are considerate of the environment. When we use energy throughout our daily lives we are
consuming, in most cases, energy from non renewable or finite resources such as coal and oil. However, when we use
energy that is produced from renewable forms we greatly reduce the negative impact on the environment. The more
energy we consume from renewable sources, and the more efficiently we use our energy, the more we will all minimise
climate change and protect our local and global environments.
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02. Suggested Activities
This section highlights the different renewable energy technologies
currently available for homes and community buildings.
Solar water heating systems
Solar water heating systems use the power of the sun to produce hot water. Typical systems can provide around 50% of
your annual hot water needs: most of this is in the summer but they also work in the winter.
Solar photovoltaic (PV) systems
Solar photovoltaic systems turn sunlight into electricity. They can provide up to half of your electricity.
Small wind turbines
Small wind turbines can be free standing (for example, in your garden) or roof-mounted on your home or community building(s).
A typical 2.5kW grid connected system can provide up to 30% of the electricity you use in your home. There are no running
costs as they use the free resource of the wind and any excess electricity you produce can be sold back into the national grid.
Heat pumps
Heat pumps extract heat stored in the ground, air or water to heat your home. For every unit of electricity they use to work
they can provide three to four units of heat. Air source heat pumps are less expensive, as no ground works are required.
Biomass stoves, room heaters and boilers
Biomass stoves, room heaters and boilers burn biomass (grain, organic waste products or wood: logs, chips or pellets) to
provide the heating for your home or community building(s). These are carbon neutral as the equivalent carbon dioxide
emissions produced by burning the fuel are absorbed when the crop grows to provide the next batch of fuel. Biomass is
ideal for replacing oil or coal systems, but does require space for storing the fuel.
03. Additional Information
This section will help to answer some commonly asked questions
relating renewable energy:
Are grants available to assist the installation of renewable energy systems?
The Energy Saving Trust advice centre can advise you on grants available in your area.
What is the payback period of a renewable energy system?
The payback period depends on the type of renewable energy system and the circumstances of the installation. Therefore
the payback period will depend on your individual circumstances.
What happens when there is no sun for my solar system?
Even in cloudy weather the sun will provide energy for your solar panel. Most energy will be in summer with less in the
winter when you will need a supplementary heat source to heat your water.
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Does a renewable energy system need much maintenance?
No, renewable energy systems are designed to require very little maintenance over their lifespan, which will normally be
twenty years or more. The installer will leave details of any maintenance checks that need to be undertaken.
Can I do anything if I can’t install a renewable energy system?
Yes, change to a green electricity tariff. Then the electricity you use will be matched with electricity from renewable
sources, for example from wind farms or hydroelectric power stations. You should also try to save energy wherever
possible. Visit the factsheet ‘Save energy in your community’ for steps on how to do this.
04. Funding Opportunities
Funding for renewable energy is available from a variety of sources:
Individuals wanting to install systems in their home should contact the Energy Saving Trust Advice Centre for up to date
funding information.
Community groups interested in renewable energy projects can finance their initiatives in a number of ways. Funding may
be available locally, for example through partnerships with local authorities or energy suppliers, or through the support of
a local funding body. Your local authority and the funding advisor at your local development agency will also be to support
you. Full details are available in the Directory.
The Energy Saving Trust’s Green Communities programme has a funding database that anyone can use. The database
can be assessed at www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/Take-action/Community-projects/Find-funding.
In addition you should visit the ‘Fundraising’ factsheet, and the up to date funding information included in the Directory.
05. Useful Contacts
Some useful contacts include:
Home installations Individuals looking for more details on renewable energy should contact the Energy Saving Trust
advice centre who provides free, independent and local energy saving advice. The centre can provide advice and
information on making your home more energy efficient, getting energy from renewable sources and travelling with lower
carbon emissions. www.energysavingtrust.org.uk
Installations for community buildings All of the technologies mentioned above can be applied to a community or civic
buildings; however any group considering embarking on a renewable energy project like this should first seek advice from
experts such as the Energy Saving Trust.
Other useful contacts:
The Energy Saving Trust’s Green Communities website contains a wealth of information and resources, which you can
download. www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/Take-action/Community-projects
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Community Energy Solutions is committed to assisting local authorities, housing associations and other partner
organisations to deliver in their commitment to lowering carbon emissions and improving the standards of their housing
stock. They can now engage with the end user, or homeowner, to advise and recommend how they can make their own
cost-effective and eco-friendly heating options. Contact a member of their specialist team for advice. www.cesgroup.org
The North East Renewables Alliance (NERA) provides an online information centre of locally-based installers of domestic
and small scale renewable energy technologies in the North East. Visit www.n-e-renewables.org.uk/page/NERA.cfm.
Your local authority can also provide guidance and further advice on renewable energy and installations. Full contact
details can be found in the Directory.
06. About the Contributor
This factsheet has been written by the Energy Saving Trust, a non-profit organisation that provides free and impartial
advice on how to save energy.
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