Renewable technologies use free, clean sources of energy such as the sun, wind and water or replaceable sources such as wood to generate electricity or heat that can be used in our homes and reduce our dependence on non renewable fossil fuels. As part of the Climate Change Strategy, the council supports energy efficiency and renewable energy development to reduce carbon emissions.
Renewable technologies for your home
- Solar hot water: Harness energy from the sun and transfer it to your hot water heater.
- Solar photovoltaic (PV): Use PV panels to capture energy from the sun to produce electricity. PV only requires daylight to generate electricity year round, not direct sunlight.
- Biomass: Install a wood fuelled boiler system or automated pellet stove and burn wood in the form of pellets, chips or dry logs to release heat into your home.
- Ground Source Heat Pump: Extract heat stored in the ground to heat your home.
- Free standing wind turbine: Harness the wind to generate electricity.
- Small scale hydro: Harness the power of a stream or a river to generate electricity.
For a more in depth guide to these technologies, visit the websites on the right hand side of this page.
Planning requirements:
Installation of domestic scale renewable energy is now a permitted development right. However, some works may require Building Regulations or planning approval, for example: listed buildings, installation of a biomass boiler in smoke controlled areas, or a wind turbine for reasons of noise. Please refer to the ‘Fast facts’ column on the right hand side of this page for further information.
Supporting Renewable Energy
South Gloucestershire Council (SGC) has joined in partnership with Wessex Home Improvement Loans (WHIL) to offer low cost renewable energy loans. Wessex is a Community Development Financial Institution which already works alongside 10 other local authorities across the South West. Wessex can now provide a Low Cost Loan of up to £3,500 with a 3% interest rate over a maximum of ten years, to enable owner/occupiers in South Gloucestershire to install a renewable energy system in their homes. More information on the low cost loan is found in the "Read more" section, on the right-hand side of this page.
On the 24th May 2010, the UK Government ended the national grants scheme for domestic and community building renewable energy installations (the ‘Low Carbon Buildings Programme’).
In addition, the South Gloucestershire Council Futurenergy Programme was ended on 7th June 2010. The SG Futurenergy Programme was administered by the Severn Wye Energy Agency (SWEA), and provided local residents with grants of £500 towards the cost of domestic renewable energy installations. The scheme was very successful, helping approximately 100 South Gloucestershire residents to pay for renewable energy installations on their homes.
The Government has set up two new forms of financial support, which financially reward renewable energy generators for each unit of renewable energy they produce based on a tariff-system. Support for renewable electricity is via the Feed-In Tariff (FIT), which was launched on the 1st April, 2010. Support for renewable heat is expected to be via the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI), due for launch in April 2011. More information on both of these schemes can be found on the (SWEA) information leaflets - see the “Read more” section, on the right-hand side of this page.
There is a range of free advice on sustainable energy measures for your home, available nationally via the Energy Saving Trust and locally via Severn Wye Energy Agency. Please find links to these organisations on the right-hand side of this page.