Renewable energy is energy which is generated from natural sources such as sunlight, wind, rain and geothermal health.
You can generate your own renewable energy by using technologies like wind turbines, solar panels and biomass heaters, these offer an alternative to fossil fuels and can help reduce your homes CO2 emissions. There are financial benefits too. Investing in a renewable energy technology now may save you money in the future if the cost of fuel rises.
You may be eligible to receive a grant. Check the grant section here for more details
Choosing a technology that is right for you:
The Energy Saving Trust 'Home Energy Generation Selector' will help you to identify the technologies that might be suitable to generate heat or electricity in your home.
Solar Water Heating Systems:
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 PV Electricity Panels:
Solar electricity systems, capture the sun's energy using Photovoltaic Cells. These cells don't need bright sunlight to work - they can still generate some electricity on a cloudy day. The cells convert the sunlight into electricity, which can be used to run household appliances and lighting.
With the Feed In Tariffs (FiTs), there are a number of organisations now offering free solar PV panels.
Ground Source Heat Pumps:
Ground source heat pumps use pipes buried in the garden to extract heat from the ground. This is usually used to heat radiators or underfloor heating systems and hot water.
Air Source Heat Pumps:
Air source heat pumps absorb heat from the outside air. This is usually used to heat radiators, underfloor heating systems, or warm air heaters and hot water in your home.
Wind Turbines:
40% of all the wind energy in Europe blows over the UK, making it an ideal country for small domestic turbines. Wind turbines harness the power of the wind and use it to generate electricity. Small wind turbines can produce electricity to help power the lights and electrical appliances in a typical home.
Wood Fuel Heating Systems:
Wood fuel heating systems generally burn wood pellets, chips or logs to power central heating and hot water boilers or to provide warmth in a single room.