Grants for Renewable Technology
For Householders and Registered Social Landlords
Funding is available for renewable technology for individuals and Registered Social Landlords (RSLs) , including the Climate Challenge Fund, (for RSLs, up to 50% and up to £1 million per project) and the Scottish Communities and Householders Renewables Initiative, (SCHRI), (for RSLs up to 30% and up to £100K per project + grants for technical assistance, for individuals up to 30% and £4,000 per project). Several technologies are grant eligible on the basis that they reduce carbon emissions substantially in new housing projects, including ground source and air source heat pumps, wind turbines, solar panels, solar photovoltaic and biomass or woodchip boilers.
KRA has experience of ground source and air to water heat pumps as well as solar panels and wind turbines. Robert Chalmers used NIBE air-to-water exhaust air heat pumps on a project with Eildon HA and these are now into their second winter heating season. Running costs are reported to be pretty much the same between a condensing gas boiler control house and a heat pump house. It is expected that there will be substantial CO2 savings.
There are several other advantages of exhaust air heat pumps.
- They provide constant ventilation using the exhaust air system.
- Heat pumps are generally quieter than gas boilers.
- It is possible to eliminate ALL the fans that you would need in a normal house, as the extracts normally come from toilets, bathrooms and kitchens.
- You can if you wish considerably increase air tightness with no adverse effects.
- Heat pumps will automatically pick up heat from passive solar gains rather than throw it away by eg opening windows (up to limit of hot water storage capacity!).
- You are avoiding the danger of gas.
- Heat pumps are low maintenance and easy to operate.
- Gas prices are likely to rise faster than electricity prices in future.
- In the not too distant future, gas is going to run out, making gas systems obsolete.
- AWHPs are grant eligible, so with grant + savings from eliminating fans, there might only be a modest additional cost.
Heat pumps are pretty much standard in Scandinavia now, coupled with very well insulated timber frame homes.
Contact KRA for further free advice...
"Click here to download KRA's Green Design recommendations"