Knauf Insulation » Solutions » 1.0 Introduction » 1.1 Buildings and Energy » Integrating renewable energy
 

Primary requirements

Single dwelling

Block of flats

Wind turbine

Wind turbine

 There must be an average wind speed of at least 5m/sec at the hub height (min. 10 metres). Micro wind turbines are designed to supplement national grid electricity and reduce the electricity bill for their owners. Electricity generation is limited to just a few hundred watts at best - enough to power energy efficient light bulbs in a typical home on a windy day. Sufficient open land required to allow the placement of the turbine away from residential areas.

PV installations

 The buildings must have an open aspect, southeast to southwest facing roof or flat roof. Electricity produced from a domestic PV system can be used to provide lighting for the home or to power domestic appliances. Certain systems can also help provide over half the hot water needs. If the block is subject to the CSH the energy generated will be used by individual flats and inverters will be required for each unit. If the development adheres to the Merton rule* the energy generated can be used in communal areas.

House with solar thermal panels

Solar thermal

 The building must have an open aspect, southeast to southwest facing roof (or flat roof) with an area of at least 4m2 per unit. Needs adequate room for hot water cylinders within each dwelling. Needs adequate space for communal plant room and meters to be installed on individual units.

Biomass heating

 There must be access to a local fuel supply. This usually means wood chip, wood pellets or cereals. There must be enough space in the house for the boiler and fuel supply. Domestic systems generate between 5 and 60kw of electricity. Communal Heating system required and a potential local fuel supply. Access and space for fuel delivery and storage, adequate space for biomass and back-up gas boiler.

Combined heat & power

 Must have access to gas (or biogas) supply. Must have constant heat demand. Micro-CHP unit suitable for approx 15 million UK households. Unit is usually the size of a washing machine. Will provide enough hot water for the whole house, surplus electricity from generation process can be sold back to the national grid through net metering (currently in early stages of roll out). Communal heating system required with energy centre/ large boiler room. Meters required for individual units.

 

 

Housing estate

Non-residential (eg factory, hospital, school)
Wind turbine

Wind turbine

 Sufficient open land required to allow the placement of the turbine away from residential areas. Landmark projects such as Green Park (business park) in Reading utilise a wind turbine to generate electricity for all the commercial buildings and for some housing in the surrounding area. High installation and maintenance costs are a feature of large wind turbines.

PV installations

 If the estate is subject to the CSH the energy generated will need to be used by individual houses/flats and inverters will be required for each unit. If the development adheres to the Merton rule* the energy generated can be used in communal areas. High initial installation costs dueto the large number of PV cells required to heat/power the building. The cells utilise a large surface area on the side of the building or on the roof.
House with solar thermal panels

Solar thermal

 Needs adequate space for communal plant room and meters to be installed on individual units. Solar hot water can be applied costeffectively in a number of non-domestic building types, such as hospitals, nursing homes and leisure facilities, which have high demands for domestic hot water. Solar hot water systems are not so cost-effective in commercial buildings, where the demand for hot water is lower.

Biomass heating

 Communal Heating system required and a potential local fuel supply. This will require significant amount of space for the plant room and for fuel storage. Biomass heating is accepted as a zero-carbon resource and offers impressive potential cost benefits for 24/7 facilities such as hospitals, greenhouses and hotels.

Combined heat & power

 District heating system required with energy centre and piping network. Consider small scale CHP system ideal for hotels, hospitals, factories, schools. Large scale for business parks and industrial estates.

 

* "The Merton Rule"

The 'Merton Rule' is the groundbreaking planning policy, pioneered by the London Borough of Merton, which requires the use of renewable energy onsite to reduce annual carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions in the built environment. Following the publication of Planning Policy Statement 22 (PPS22), in 2004, the London Borough of Merton was the first to formalise the government’s renewable energy targets in its adopted Unitary Development Plans, setting the target for the use of onsite renewable energy to reduce annual CO2 emissions for all new major developments in the borough by 10%.

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