In the time of most of our great grandmothers, no-one ever used a plastic bag for carrying their shopping. People used baskets or cotton bags or paper bags. The development of thin plastics in the 1960s and 1970s led to our increasing dependence on putting everything in plastic, which seemed [...]
Dr Ken Yeang is a UK-based architect, with a principal practice in London and a sister company in Malaysia, and many professorships and architectural positions around the world, including the US, Hawaii, and Shanghai. He is known as both an architect and an ecologist, bringing into all his designs and [...]
Michael Pawlyn is a young British architect and designer who applies the green principle of biomimicry to his work. This means learning from nature, or studying the designs and structures found in the natural world - both in plants, materials, and other species, and copying them into the design of [...]
David Lloyd Jones is a British architect, based in London, who has for several years specialised in designing and building sustainable schools. Through his architectural practise, 'Studio E Architects', Lloyd Jones and his team of architects and designers have won several contracts and competitions through a recent British Government scheme [...]
A potentially sustainable new form of concrete has been recently created that might make it the most environmentally friendly type of building material. Concrete in its traditional form is made from cement, mixed with a range of coarse aggregates such as gravel, limestone or granite, and some finer particle aggregates [...]
Sustainable design is such a major part of the concept of design that it is now often included in the planning and design process by urban and city planners, in their strategy for either designing a new city, or extending an existing one. Architects are often brought into this process, [...]
There is little doubt that at the start of the new millennium, the planet is in an environmental crisis. The production of carbon by humans is literally killing the planet by choking its cleansing systems. The seas are becoming acidic, the air that we breathe is becoming acrid and polluted, [...]
A Green Architecture and Design Conference took place recently in the International city of Jerusalem, Israel. It was very much a conference with an International flavour - of the dozen speakers, 3 were British green architects, several were from America, a few were from other European countries such as Germany [...]
I am in the process of selling my current house and buying a new house (the new house is actually an old pub). I arranged for an energy survey as stipulated in the conditions of the Home Information Pack. The chap who came to do the Energy Survey was very [...]
Getting an energy saving project up and running can be costly, so any help from grants or other sources of funding can be really helpful - but it's not always easy to know what's available or where to apply. You'll find the answers to these and some of the other [...]
Whether you're buying a washing machine or a light bulb, there's no shortage of low energy appliances to choose from - but how do you know which to buy and what sort of energy saving are you really likely to make? What Makes Low Energy Appliances so Important? Principally it’s [...]
Solar energy has a strong appeal and interest in it is growing by the day; below you'll find answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about solar heating and photovoltaic systems to help you decide for yourself if it seems right for you. What’s the Difference Between the [...]
We're all keen to reduce our energy bills and the good news is that we cut our carbon footprint at the same time - as the following answers to some of the most commonly asked questions will show. What’s Energy Saving Got to do With Carbon Footprints? Saving energy is [...]
Any discussion of insulation always seems to bring up a whole range of questions - not least the likes of how much it's going to cost, how you should go about it, and what real benefits it's likely to produce. Although a lot depends on the particular home or building [...]
There's nothing quite like a real fire - but for many people there are a one or two questions about it's suitability, benefits and costs to be considered first. Below are some answers to a few of the most commonly asked ones, to help you decide. What Kinds of Wood [...]
Although the interest in renewable energy and microgeneration is growing rapidly, finding an installer to fit your system can sometimes be a bit of a problem. So how can you find a reputable person, what qualifications should you be looking for and where can you go for some advice? Here [...]
We’d all like to cut our fuel bills, but knowing where to start can be confusing. Are energy efficient appliances really worthwhile, how much can insulation save us and what can you do to save money that doesn't cost a fortune in the first place? The answers to these and [...]
Wind energy has a lot going for it, but it's not suitable for everyone - or every home. If you're thinking about installing a wind turbine, there are a few questions to ask yourself first, before you decide to go ahead - and the answers to many of them can [...]
Saving energy needn't cost the earth and there are plenty of ways to do it, but it's always nice to know what things are really going to cost you and how much benefit you'll get, before deciding what to do. Below are a few straightforward answers to some of the [...]
The word sisool might look a little odd until you discover that it refers to a carpet made from sisal mixed with wool, combining the best of both of these natural, sustainable fibres. Blended Wool Carpet In our article on wool flooring we touched on the blending of wool in [...]
With some thorough planning and lots of enthusiasm it’s easy to create a beautiful look in your home. Knowing where most home interior decorators go wrong can help you to make sure you don’t repeat their mistakes! Measure Up Before you dash along to your local DIY store to gather [...]
We touched on wool in our 'Green Carpets' article as it is considered a great sustainable choice for carpets, completely natural and completely biodegradable. We also pointed out that to be truly eco-friendly you need to watch out for some of the treatments applied to wool to counter attacks from [...]
Paper is such a commonplace material in day to day life it is somewhat surprising to discover that it is being used to make carpets. Yarn is constructed from long strips of paper spun together which can then be woven into a variety of patterns that have clear, crisp definition. [...]
Wood has gained in popularity as a floor covering because, apart from its good looks, it is possible to repair and maintain it so it lasts longer. And in fact it can look better with age as the patina settles in. This is not true of wood laminates, chips and [...]
Seagrass is a less well known natural flooring alternative to carpet but it looks and feels very similar to coir or other dried grass matting. It's only available in two natural colours, as it does not take dye very well, either pale brown or light green. It is known as [...]
Underfloor heating has gained in popularity over the last few years and it's not hard to see why. It gives even heat coverage, the temperatures are lower than conventional radiators and there are no radiators to work around when decorating or redesigning the interior. Sustainability And Underfloor Heating But why [...]
A developer in a small North Oxfordshire town was determined to reuse as many materials as possible in their conversion project but was surprised to find that some of it appeared to have already been through the recycling mill. "We took up some of the oak and maple floor boards, [...]
If you're settled on reducing your environmental footprint then you'll be interested in reusing flooring materials when it's time to get new flooring in. This doesn't necessarily mean having to put up with old and dirty carpets, but a bit of creativity could be required to get new looking flooring [...]
Around one-fifth of the UK’s total CO2 emissions is produced by road vehicles, and roughly half of that – amounting to some 19 million tonnes of carbon dioxide – is calculated to come from private cars. Manufacturers have responded by developing various methods of minimising consumption of petrol, which has [...]
Fuel cell cars are an emerging technology. At present, numerous prototypes are being developed, some are currently being tested on the roads and a few manufacturers claim to be close to launching production models. How do Fuel Cell Vehicles Work? Fuel cell vehicles are essentially an advanced form of electric [...]
We tend not to think of shipping as a big contributor to climate change. But there are around 50,000 merchant ships around the world, and between them they emit some 800 million tonnes of carbon dioxide, more than four per cent of global CO2 emissions. If current trends continue, this [...]
The concept of Electric Vehicles (EVs) is not new. Experimental electric carriages were being built as early as the 1830s and many variations have appeared since, but they have never equalled internal combustion vehicles in popularity. However, concerns for the environment are now making EVs seem more attractive because they [...]
Air travel is by no means a modern invention; Leonardo Da Vinci designed a flying machine in the 15th century. Various methods of powering flight have been tried over the course of the centuries. Hot air balloons dominated the early days of air travel; an aircraft was powered by a [...]
Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) is produced from the separation of gases in gas fields, and as a by-product of refining crude oils. It is mostly propane, and also contains butane. The UK produces almost six million tonnes of LPG a year, not all of which is needed for the domestic [...]
It’s a bit difficult to be too categorical without being able to actually have a look at your particular situation – so you’d really be well advised to get someone local to come and have a look to give you an opinion based on first-hand knowledge. That aside, I’d have [...]
Of all the types of power unit that were tried out during the early years of the automobile, it was eventually the petrol-fuelled four-stroke internal combustion engine that proved most popular – so much so, that for the greater part of the 20th century many motorists never dreamed of buying [...]
Petrol and diesel have long been rival energies for road transport applications. Traditionally, petrol engines were preferred for cars because they were faster and quieter, whilst the greater pulling power of the diesel engine was considered better suited to commercial vehicles. More recently, refinements to diesel technology have made diesel [...]
Throughout the developed world, cars and commercial vehicles use a great deal of fossil fuel and release pollution into the atmosphere – notably CO2, thought to be causing climate change. The need to switch to other fuels is clear, and some alternatives are already available. Biofuels have been particularly well [...]
Inventors started taking a great interest in steam as a form of energy around the end of the 17th century, and it was only a matter of time before they started applying steam power to locomotion. Steam Engines The principle of using steam to produce mechanical movement was understood in [...]
The earliest use of gas in daily life was as a light source. It was the British inventor William Murdock who first discovered that if coal was heated, it gave off a gas which could be ignited – and Murdock realised the blue flame could be used for illumination purposes. [...]
Hydroelectric generating stations are generally acknowledged to be the cleanest, cheapest and most efficient method of producing electricity on a large scale. They cause no environmental pollution, use renewable energy and have a very high energy conversion rate. These advantages apply equally to micro-hydro installations; and the chief criticism levelled [...]
It has been estimated that around 30 per cent of the UK’s CO2 emissions are the result of energy used in the home. Most is used for space heating, followed by water heating, cooking, lighting and comfort cooling. Heating Since domestic central heating has become more common, homes have been [...]
Imagining a life without a ready supply of electricity is well-nigh impossible for anybody in today’s developed world. We are surrounded by gadgets that use electricity. Electricity is used in the manufacture of most items in the shops; electricity keeps us warm and lights up our world. Electricity is not [...]
For householders who are concerned about their carbon footprint and want to reduce their consumption of energy from fossil fuels, solar power can be an attractive alternative. The two most common ways of using solar power in a domestic context are to provide electricity supplies and to heat water. Solar [...]
The difference between active and passive applications of solar energy is that passive technologies have no components that consume energy. Active solar heating systems, for instance, have a pump to circulate the hot water, so mechanical energy is involved. Photovoltaic cells actively transform solar energy into electricity. Passive systems rely [...]
Electronic Entertainment After a hard day at work, what better way to spend a few hours relaxing in the evening than watching television or listening to our favourite band or orchestra. Home entertainment systems have become very sophisticated and offer fantastic quality of sound and image. Electronic equipment continues to [...]
Adrenaline Rush Seeking thrills is becoming a very popular way to spend a few spare hours. Perhaps it is because people lead dull lives, or perhaps it is the hidden child within us, but many people relish the idea of a frightening white-knuckle ride or a face-to-face encounter with a [...]
Sporting Pollution Any sport that uses fuel is going to be costly to the environment. Motor racing, 4 x 4 off road driving and indoor motor events use large events of energy and pump massive amounts of carbon monoxide into the environment. At a recent indoor tractor pulling competition, levels [...]
Leisure Time Is Essential Leisure time is an essential part of healthy living. It has never been more important for people across all walks of life to break away from their busy working lives to take some time out for recreation and pure enjoyment. There are a wealth of leisure [...]
Rock Concerts Are Great Fun Rock concerts and rock festivals are great fun. Spending a few days lazing around in the countryside, catching up with stories from our fellow rock travellers and watching our favourite bands perform can be pure heaven. But does our enjoyment have a cost to the [...]
Birthday Parties Are Great Fun Birthday parties are a great time for kids. Children of all ages love to spend an afternoon eating cakes, ice cream and chocolate and playing games with their friends. But with many families now trying to eat more healthy food and be less wasteful, birthday [...]
Of all the different energy sources that we employ to keep the world supplied with the electricity, nuclear energy is the most controversial. In the 1930s, splitting the atom was regarded as a tremendous scientific breakthough, but since then the energy that this unleashed – nuclear power – has had [...]
Britain has been using nuclear power to generate electricity for just over half a century. Currently, 19 reactors are in operation. Taking an average over recent years, they have produced around one-fifth of the UK’s electricity; their peak came in 1997, at 26 per cent. Nuclear reactors have a fixed [...]
Nuclear fusion is the most powerful source of energy known to man. It is the process that creates the heat of the sun and the stars. Unlike nuclear fission, nuclear fusion does not involve high levels of radioactivity. We believe that if we could control the process of nuclear fusion, [...]
Nuclear power stations represent an efficient means of producing electricity, and they produce no greenhouse gases. But toxic radioactive waste is left over from the process of nuclear fission, and this presents a problem. In the fifty years or so since we started using nuclear fission reactors, a lot of [...]
A very common New Year’s resolution is to ‘join a gym and lose some of those festive pounds’! However, like most resolutions made at the start of the year, enthusiasm for going to the gym may soon wear off. Not only can it be a complete waste of money, but [...]
Renewable energy comes from energy sources that can be used without becoming depleted. In essence, it is energy from sources other than fossil fuels. Sometimes, the term ‘renewable energy’ is used to refer specifically to electricity that has been generated without burning fossil fuels. However, whilst it is true that [...]
Solar power comes from the sun. Beams of sunshine are waves of light and heat energy, radiated across 93 million miles of space to reach our earth in about eight minutes. Why has the Sun got so much Energy? Our sun is a star. Like all stars, it is a [...]
Two hundred years ago, wind power played an important role in the lives of ordinary people. The milling of grain was central to rural life and every community had a flour mill, often powered by wind. In fact, wind-powered flour mills have existed for more than a thousand years. They [...]
The power of moving water has been used as an energy source since time immemorial. It’s not hard to see why: when you stand by the sea and watch the waves pounding onto the shore, or gaze at a waterfall plunging down hundreds of feet, or just walk beside a [...]
It is widely acknowledged that the world has to reduce its dependency on fossil fuels. This means we must obtain more of our energy from renewable sources. Many options are being explored, as it seems inconceivable that any single type of renewable energy will be able to satisfy all the [...]
The further you go beneath the earth’s surface, the hotter it gets. The centre of the earth is composed of molten rock with temperatures of between four and six thousand degrees Celsius. Hot substances transfer thermal energy to colder substances, so heat travels from the centre of the earth where [...]
Traditionally, the generation of electricity is carried out in a power station designed for that sole purpose, and more often that not fuelled by fossil fuels. A great deal of thermal heat is required to fuel the process of generating electricity, and in the past a significant proportion of that [...]
Natural gas, like all fossil fuels, is the remains of prehistoric living matter that existed millions of years ago. In the marine environment, dead organisms came to rest on the ocean floor, where they were covered by layer after layer of mud or silt which over time became layers of [...]
Of the three main fossil fuels – coal, petroleum and natural gas – it could be argued that petroleum is the most versatile. Coal is a powerful source of heat, well suited to heating buildings and providing power for industrial processes. But it leaves residue, and transporting coal can be [...]
Fossil fuels are the world’s most widely-used energy resource, and as such they are an essential ingredient in contemporary life. Without fossil fuels there would almost certainly be no cars, aeroplanes, plastics, domestic electricity supplies, or many other conveniences that are taken for granted in the developed world. But fossil [...]
Coal is a very effective solid fuel as it burns to easily and produces a great deal of heat. Until relatively recently, coal-fires were the most common means of domestic heating. Coal is also used very extensively to fuel the power stations that produce electricity. However, there are two major [...]
Energy is a huge concept – but essentially, it is ‘the power to do work’. Man can neither create nor destroy energy; he can, however, transform it into forms that he can harness for his own purposes. Energy can come from a ray of sunlight, a gust of wind, or [...]
How We Measure Energy A good definition of energy is ‘the ability to do work’. When we measure energy, what we want to know is: how much energy was required to achieve certain results? Joules Finding a method of measuring energy that would enable meaningful comparisons to be made between [...]
Energy is the power to do work. The power of thermal energy takes the form of heat. It is important to differentiate between heat and temperature. A thermometer measures temperature, not heat. Heat can be defined as the energy in the random movement of atoms and molecules within a substance. [...]
Light travels in waves, and sound travels in waves. However, sound waves and light waves are very different, and it is important not to confuse the two. Light travels in electromagnetic waves, and sound does not. Sound waves are caused by vibration. Electromagnetic Radiation One way in which energy can [...]
There is a school of thought that classifies all energy as either potential energy or kinetic energy. Other scientists dislike this division, arguing that it is artificial; however, the terms ‘potential energy’ and ‘kinetic energy’ are frequently used, so it is important to understand what they mean. Kinetic Energy Of [...]
Throughout our lives, our bodies never stop using energy. When we are asleep we use less energy than when we are awake; when we move around we use more energy than when we are sitting still; and we use most energy of all when we are engaged in some form [...]
Thank you for this question, as it made me go and learn more about this little known material. Woodwool is in its most basic form simply shavings of timber. These can be cut to a range of thicknesses, from very fine to very coarse, and a range of wood, from [...]
The British Government does not have a good record at providing incentives, cash or otherwise, to encourage the reclamation of contaminated land to building use. At a Conference this may, the Environment Secretary Hilary Be, dismissed the idea bluntly by saying: "In the end, where does incentive money come from?" [...]
It’s fairly easy for householders to obtain grants for cavity wall insulation, and those who qualify (essentially those over 70 or on benefits) can even get it free, as long as an energy audit judges the property is suitable. As an energy saving measure it can be very effective, and [...]
For short rotation coppicing (SRC) there are two main types of trees that stand out – willows and poplars – and choosing which one to plant largely depends on the local conditions. In general, willows are the less demanding of the two and can grow 6ft (1.8m) or more a [...]
This is a difficult question to answer, as you have already done some research on the subject and reached the same conclusion that I might have done after consideration. However here are a few points to help you make your decision and find a good paint for your needs and [...]
Solar power is an easy and efficient source of energy, and solar energy is readily available to anyone who wishes to power his or her home this way. Solar energy really is energy derived from the sun, and it is one of the most efficient forms of energy available, along [...]
When starting to plan and design a land-based green build, it is crucial to carefully consider the early design ideas, as well as thinking ahead to the practicalities of the actual construction. Crucial questions to consider at the initial and early stages of the planning and design process include considering [...]
To create a truly green build when constructing a house or any type of building, a keen green designer or sustainable architect will spend time studying the land that the construction will take place on. This is to assess the ecology of the local landscape, and in a nutshell, to [...]
Multilevel houses, whether this means two stories, or utilising a basement and an attic space, are an effective use of space within a construction, both above and below ground. Most of us live and work in multilevel buildings, and they are generally taken for granted. But for an architect to [...]
Energy saving holds potential benefits for everyone in the community, so it stands to reason that there have got to be some big advantages to working with other community groups. Whether or not they’re specifically interested in energy, the environment or sustainability, there are still things to be gained and [...]
Wanting to save energy is one thing; knowing where you can start saving is quite another. Before you can get going on your energy saving plans, the first thing you need to do – whether it’s for your own home, a shared building or the whole community – is identify [...]
Underground homes, and the process of underground house construction, have been a normal part of human habitation for centuries. From early cave dwellers, whose cave houses stretched deep into and below mountains, through to 21st Century pioneers whose mission it is to show how comfortable this style of house can [...]
Learning about green building techniques, and ways to make construction more environmentally friendly, are becoming much more common and easily available through a series of courses and workshops across the UK. As many people in all walks of life and professions are waking up to the call to be more [...]
No matter how well any community has done with its energy project, there are always going to be times when a bit of support can be important. Community energy networks provide a mutual self-help forum for all the groups in the local area involved in energy related projects and as [...]
Working together as a group to reduce your collective carbon footprint can be a great way for a whole community to start to address issues of climate change and energy use. With the rise of online carbon calculators – and some of these are now aimed at communities rather than [...]
Local shops often provide a range of services to a local community that go way beyond simply selling goods. As many people have pointed out, switching at least some of your shopping away from the supermarkets helps small retailers survive – but it can also be one of a number [...]
For any community looking to move to a lower carbon, more sustainable lifestyle, reducing waste has an obvious appeal. While recycling and composting offer a great way to deal with much of the rubbish that used to end up in landfill, the question remains as to what to do with [...]
Everyone can do a little energy saving in their own homes, but when it comes to transport sharing, you obviously can’t go it alone; if the whole community gets behind the idea, the potential for energy efficiency, saving money and lowering carbon emissions can be very big. Car Sharing There’s [...]
As any parent knows, some of the world’s greenest people are to be found in local schools, which makes youngsters natural supporters of any community energy project. Moreover, with energy issues central to various aspects of the National Curriculum, their teachers are likely to be pretty interested too! Clearly, there’s [...]
Setting up an energy forum is a good way to stimulate informed and constructive debate about how issues of energy efficiency and sustainability impact the local community and how they can be addressed at the local level. The key to establishing an effective forum lies in gathering together the right [...]
Whether you’re looking to get your message across to a wider audience, encourage support for your own project or simply want to promote better energy awareness in general, running an energy fair has a lot to offer. Although it might seem a daunting prospect at first, with a little thought, [...]
Community events offer a golden opportunity for showcasing energy efficiency. Whether it’s a mid-summer barbecue, or a Christmas Fair, there are plenty of chances to get the energy message across – and many ways to do it. Unfortunately, although they make a big contribution to energy savings, most of the [...]
There’s probably few better ways of promoting the benefits of energy saving to the widest number of people than appointing local energy champions – project ambassadors to help push the energy agenda in the community. It can be a very rewarding role - so what’s involved and what are the [...]
Although some purpose built venues have been constructed with high standards of insulation and energy savings in mind, many community buildings are far from energy efficient – often being cold, draughty and difficult to keep warm. Old pre-fabricated designs, ex-church halls and disused schools, for instance, can present some challenges [...]
Community gardens make an ideal place to showcase energy efficient technologies, tips and tricks, allowing them to play both an educational and an inspiration role and encouraging everyone involved to take some of the ideas home with them. Energy in the Garden Creating energy efficient gardens inevitably begins with addressing [...]
For any community looking at trying to move towards a lower carbon, more sustainable way of life, setting up a compost scheme can be a valuable step forward – as well as providing some useful material to put back on the gardens. There are a number of ways to go [...]
Everyone produces waste – no matter how careful we try to be, we all generate a certain amount of it every day – but fortunately there are now more recycling projects than ever to help reduce the impact it has on the environment. With many councils running schemes to encourage [...]
Climate change predictions suggest Britain will increasingly see periods of both drought and flooding in the future and while better drainage provides the answer to too much rain, rain water harvesting could offer the solution to too little. It is an idea which has much to recommend it, both practically [...]
With greater extremes in our weather patterns predicted as a result of climate change and Britain’s annual water demand already growing, the prospect of sporadic water shortages in the future looks increasingly likely and interest is growing in all forms of water recycling systems. Rain water harvesting is one solution [...]
With electricity, heating and transport responsible for the bulk of every household’s carbon footprint, there’s an obvious link between energy saving and carbon emissions. We all know we should be trying to address our collective carbon costs – but what’s the best way to start? Fortunately, there are plenty of [...]
For any community project, providing recognisable benefits has to be the single most important yardstick against which to judge its success. When it comes to energy efficiency, the most obvious of those surely has to be in terms of reduced energy use and as a result, lower bills. In this [...]
You really like the look and feel of hardwood flooring but you want to do your bit for the environment too. What’s the solution? Choose sustainable hardwood flooring – that is, flooring made of wood that has been certified to be harvested from sustainably-managed forests and is therefore an environmentally-friendly, [...]
Energy efficiency is all very well, but the bottom line is – what about the savings? However well intentioned we may be about the environment and reducing our carbon footprint, let’s face it, there are few things guaranteed to motivate us more than seeing those bills starting to shrink. So [...]
While discussions about saving energy tend to focus on ways to reduce our individual domestic consumption, there are other ways to save energy which can be very effective, particularly if they’re part of a community effort. The idea of “food miles” has become increasingly popular as a way of addressing [...]
Growing willow for energy is nothing new for the UK – it’s has been done for very nearly the last 40 years – but with today’s mounting interest in both energy saving and renewable energy, the idea is becoming increasingly popular. While the whole issue of growing energy crops instead [...]
When it comes to saving energy, everyone knows how important it is for your home to be properly insulated and few things offer such a quick return on the initial investment – or as good a long-term benefit – as effective loft or wall cavity insulation. Over recent years a [...]
Wood burning stoves are enjoying a huge surge in popularity of late as more and more householders seek out eco-friendly heating options – and with the price of gas, oil and electricity increasing, the growing interest seems unlikely to be about to end anytime soon. For all their advantages – [...]
Saving energy doesn’t come much easier, cheaper or quicker to yield benefits than by simply insulating water pipes and tanks – and while we all know that it works, just how much of a difference it can make may come as a bit of a surprise. Hot Water Tanks According [...]
Improvements in small power generating technology have begun to make hydro electric power look an increasingly attractive option for relatively small-scale projects. Like the more familiar large hydro electric power plants which have been in operation for many years around the world, small scale systems use moving water to drive [...]
If you’re looking to make some energy savings and reduce your carbon footprint, combined heat and power (CHP) is one approach you might want to consider – especially if it’s time to replace an ageing boiler. With the promise of generating your own electricity alongside keeping your house warm and [...]
Heat pumps extract thermal energy from outside sources such as the air or the ground and use it to heat our buildings – and with some designs of air source heat pumps able to absorb heat from external temperatures as low as minus 15 degrees, interest in these systems is [...]
For anyone looking to reduce their carbon footprint, there’s more than a little good news in the Low Carbon Buildings Programme – the UK government’s grant scheme to promote energy initiatives by householders, community groups, businesses and public organisations. With householders able to apply for grants towards approved technologies from [...]
When it comes to energy saving, buying the most efficient products and appliances is now easier than ever. Today, energy rating labels can tell you everything you need to make the right choice – giving you vital information about energy consumption, performance and efficiency. Certain types of products are required [...]
Everyone can get involved in energy saving – and when whole communities start to think about the way they use power, heat their water and warm their homes, the cumulative effect can be enormous. When it comes to saving energy, it’s not always about rushing out and buying expensive new [...]
For many people contemplating producing their own electricity supply by micro-generation, part of the attraction is the possibility of exporting any surplus to the national grid. Whether you’re planning on installing a wind turbine or adding photovoltaic solar panels to your roof, if you have an existing grid connection, it [...]
Power is one of those things we all tend to take for granted – and it’s not until you flick a light-switch during a power cut that you begin to realise just how much. We’ve all know that the electricity that drives so much of modern life is generated and [...]
Working together as a community to implement an energy project offers enormous benefits – to the participants every bit as much as the environment. Whether it’s energy saving schemes, green awareness programmes or a drive to promote renewable energy, there’s a clear case for saying, the more the merrier! Waste [...]
More than 95 per cent of off-grid renewable energy electricity supply systems use some form of lead-acid battery to store the power they generate – but despite their importance, the whole issue of batteries is generally little understood. However, getting to grips with the basics of battery power is not [...]
Solar photovoltaic – or PV – is probably one of the most familiar types of renewable energy technology, generating electricity from light which can either be stored in batteries or fed into the national grid. As a result, although PV solar panel systems are often seen as an ideal way [...]
Micro-generation is the production of heat and power by individuals or communities – typically by renewable energy – enabling them to meet their own requirements at, or approaching, zero-carbon cost.As an approach, it has much to recommend it, both in terms of its energy efficiency – generation takes place at [...]
When it comes to community energy projects, owning your own stake in a major renewable scheme has got to be one of the biggest signals that any neighbourhood can give of its intent to go green. Large wind energy projects are particularly suitable for promoting community ownership and involvement, and [...]
Although the idea of using “heat pumps” may seem a little out of the ordinary, the technology is something with which we are all very familiar – the same principle drives our fridges and air conditioning. Just as these common-place examples remove heat from where it’s not wanted, leaving cool [...]
Installing solar panels to heat water offers a relatively cheap way to benefit from solar power, with installations typically costing very considerably less than the alternative approach of generating electricity by photovoltaic systems. Able to make a major contribution to meeting the hot water demands of an average UK household [...]
However well intentioned you are, going green costs money – which means that the availability of grants and other funds can often make the difference to whether you can go ahead with your project. The good news is that all the talk about energy, climate change and all things environmental [...]
In the spring of 2003, the then Mayor of London, Ken Livingstone, launched a campaign to make London a Fairtrade City. London, England’s capital city, is home to some 7 million people (within the area known as Greater London), and also contains some wonderful architecture, buildings, construction and design of [...]
Concrete in its raw sense could be described as a 'green' material. It is hewn from rock and the earth, ground into a fine powder, mixed with a few other raw components, the most important being water, and then mixed and allowed to set, wherever it is needed. In its [...]
Whatever stage your project is at, holding a local green awareness event can be a good way of getting more publicity, attracting new members, reaching wider sections of the community and raising general eco consciousness. The key to running a successful session lies in careful planning – and not underestimating [...]
If your community project is going to work, it’s essential to get people involved and setting up a group – or even a series of groups – can often be the best way to turn interest into active participation. Groups often form quite naturally and informally during the early stages [...]
When it comes to getting a new project off the ground, sooner or later you’re going to need some help – however committed and supportive your local community might be. Fortunately, with energy and green issues so high on just about everyone’s agenda these days, there are plenty of places [...]
Whatever sort of energy project you’re planning, sooner or later you’re bound to need to get in touch with your local council. Although local authorities come in for a fair amount of criticism and planning regulations are often thought of as another example of British bureaucratic meddling, the reality is [...]
A community project needs community support to succeed, so getting the green message across is always going to be important. Fortunately, these days, everyone’s aware of the issues – but how do you turn awareness into action? The answer may be easier than you might think. Target Your Message It’s [...]
Ensuring that there’s plenty of information available is one of the best ways to keep the momentum of a project going. Amassing a collection of resources for your community can be enormously useful – and there’s plenty of good material around – but the key to getting the best out [...]
Proper planning is essential for any community project – and it should start at the very beginning, as soon as the idea of doing anything first begins to unfold. For most people trying to set up a community-based energy saving scheme, the task can often seem almost overwhelming, but the [...]
Any community project needs good liaison between the various different individuals, organisations and groups which are typically involved – and community-based energy schemes are certainly no different. One of the key factors in their success lies in keeping all the interested parties informed, involved and focused on the same issues. [...]
When Tony Blair famously exclaimed “education, education, education” in his campaign speech in 1997, he wasn’t actually talking about energy saving – but he could well have been. For community energy projects, few aspects are as important as education and training; it’s always a good idea to know what you’re [...]
With the price of oil, gas and electricity rocketing and climate change the issue of the moment, of course we’re all interested in energy saving – aren’t we? However, it’s one thing to bemoan the rising costs, but quite another to be prepared to sign up to joining a community-based [...]
Carbon offsetting. The words are bandied around as if they’re a solution to climate change, a way of lowering carbon footprints and undoing the damage caused by carbon dioxide emissions. More and more lately they’ve been taken up by businesses and places of work. But are they effective or simply [...]
The disposal of old flooring in the UK is now a subject that people in the carpet and flooring trade are now taking more notice of. This is not because they've suddenly developed a green conscience but because they can no longer just take the old tiles, laminate or other [...]
Green architecture is a sustainable method of green building design: it is design and construction with the environment in mind. Green architects generally work with the key concepts of creating an energy efficient, environmentally friendly house. The natural ecology of the planet should be the macro model for architects to [...]
If you're serious about lowering your carbon footprint by reducing the energy you use at home or at work (as well as saving money), then the best thing you can do it conduct what's known as an energy audit. What an Energy Audit Does An energy audit examines the electricity [...]
A green architect specializes in designing architecture that is sustainable, non-harmful to the environment, and is built on energy efficient lines, possibly using solar capturing technology and other green methods. For a design to truly become a green building, both the design and then its construction must use the principles [...]
We think a great deal about recycling at home, and we're constantly being urged to recycle all manner of things there, but rarely do we consider that we need to recycle in the workplace. Supermarkets and large places of employment do have initiatives, but recycling all that paper and plastic [...]
Michael Reynolds is a highly versatile and prolific eco-architect, based In New Mexico, USA. He believes in the sustainable use of materials and the earth’s precious resources, and designs wonderful houses, offices and habitats of all kinds on this abiding principle. Reynolds has received increased worldwide attention due to being [...]
Think it’s impossible to get eco-friendly flooring that is also tough and durable, and easy to clean and maintain? Think it’s impossible to install eco-friendly flooring in an industrial setting or a public place subject to heavy traffic? Think again. Rubber floor tiles made from recycled rubber or sustainably harvested [...]
For most of us, cars and work go hand in hand. We might have a company car, or perhaps expenses for our own cars paid by our employers. Or we might simply use our cars to commute to and from our places of work. However they come together, cars and [...]
This guide can take the form of a booklet, or instead be an online, Internet resource, which gives consumers or ordinary householders the means to make sensible, informed decisions about the factors, both environmental and otherwise, affecting them in their house and neighbourhood. The guide can help both home buyers [...]
It’s remarkably easy to be wasteful with electricity – all you need to do is stop paying attention. But more and more people these days are aware of things they can do at home to cut electricity consumption and their bills. Simple ideas like not leaving mobile phone chargers plugged [...]
