Sustainex presentation

1. Renewable Energy Workshop
By Kevin MacLennan
Environmental Engineer

2. Overview
• Introduction to Renewable Energy
– What is it?
– Why Use it?
– What are the Technologies
• Where is it suitable
• Available Financial Support
• Can I use Renewables
• What next

3. Before We Begin…
• Before thinking about renewable energy,
consider the energy hierarchy:
– Reduce the need for energy
– Use energy more efficiently
– Use Renewable Energy
– Use fossil fuels efficiently

4. Before we begin…

5. Why Use Renewable
Energy?
• Renewable Energy can:
– Reduce environmental impact
– Save money
– Increase security of supply
– Improve the ‘green’ credentials of your
organisation

6. Remember…
• The biggest returns will always be realised
from using renewable energy on site

7. What is Renewable Energy?
• Renewable energy is energy that comes
from resources which are continually
replenished such as sunlight, wind, rain,
tides, waves and geothermal heat.

8. Renewable Technologies:
• Wind
• Solar PV
• Solar Water Heating
• Biomass (including Biofuels)
• Hydro-Electricity
• Geothermal and Heat Pumps
• Anaerobic Digestion

9. Wind Power – What is it?
• Power from the wind
It’s been around for years

10. Wind Power – Types of
Turbines

11. Large Wind –Suitable for your
site?
Some points to consider:
• Is it windy – (Wind Energy Database)?
• Is there space?
• Connection to the National Grid
• Planning permission
• High Capital Costs

12. Small Wind – suitable for your
site?
• Again, is it windy (Wind Energy
Database)?
• Lower capital costs
• Do you have an electrical baseload?
• Are there space, planning restrictions?

13. Wind Energy Database

14. Solar PV

15. Solar PV – Electricity
from the Sun
• It is a proven technology – in the right
location
• Low efficiency (~10%) and low energy
output
• Works best where it’s sunny
• Not financially viable in UK without
NIROCs (typical payback of 60+ years)

16. Solar PV – is it right for your site?
• Do you have rood space?
• ~£1,600 per kW
• 14 year payback without NIROCs
• 6.1 year payback with NIROC’s

17. Solar Water Heating

18. Solar Water Heating

19. Solar Water Heating
• Slightly more effective than PV
• Can be effective in the right circumstances
• High capital costs compared to returns
• Can not be considered as a primary
source of hot water.
• Benefits from RHI support

20. Solar Water Heating – Right for
your site?
• Available Roof Space?
• DHW demand?
• £500 per m2 of panel
• ~£10-12 saving per m2 per year without
RHI – 42 year payback
• ~£30 saving per m2 per year with RHI (up
to 200 kWth output) – 17 year payback

21. Biomass Heating

22. Biomass Heating – is it
suitable for your site
• How do you currently heat (oil, gas,
electricity)?
• Can be very attractive compared to
electricity or oil
• Tried and tested technology
• Can often be integrated with existing
systems.

23. Biomass Heating – is it
suitable for your site
• Requires a lot of space, particularly for fuel
storage.
• Most suited to predictable constant loads –
good for meeting a heating baseload
• Generally works best in tandem with oil or
gas heating
• Benefits from RHI support

24. Hydro Electricity

25. Hydro Electricity

26. Hydro Electricity
• Again, a tried and tested technology
• Can be very predictable in terms of output
• Highly dependant on site conditions
• Capital costs can be high
• Well supported by NIROC’s

27. Hydro Electricity – an
opportunity for you?
• Is there a water source on your site?
• Is there a drop in height (head)?
• Is there space to exploit it?
If the answer to all of the above is yes, then
perhaps Hydro is worth exploring further.

28. Geothermal and Heat Pumps

29. Geothermal and Heat Pumps

30. Geothermal and Heat Pumps
• High capital costs for relatively low returns
• May be cost effective where excavation is
being carried out
• Unlikely to be suitable as a primary heat
source
• Paybacks typically 15+ years

31. Anaerobic Digestion

32. Anaerobic Digestion

33. Anaerobic Digestion
• Gas from organic material, such as:
– Catering waste
– Vegetables
– Milk
– Manure

34. Anaerobic Digestion
• Increasingly popular technology
• Requires space and a waste stream
• Relatively labour intensive
• High capital costs
• Can be tricky to get right

35. Anaerobic Digestion – right
for you?
• Do you have a waste stream?
• Do you have space?
• Can you use the gas?

36. Funding Support
• Northern Ireland Renewable Obligation
Certificates (NIROC’s)
• Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI)
• Interest Free Loans

37. NIROC’s
• Renewables Obligation Certificates
(ROCs) can be sold on an open market
• ROCs earned per MWh of electricity
generated (dependant on technology)
• Currently worth ~£50

38. NIROC’s

39. Renewable Heat Incentive
• Financial incentive for renewable heat
sources:
– Solar Water Heating/Solar Thermal
– Geothermal energy
– Heat Pumps
– Biomass
– CHP with biomass fuel

40. Interest Free Loans
• Available from the Carbon trust to SME’s
• Based on amount of CO2 saved on site –
doesn’t count electricity exported to grid
• Unsecured loans from £5,000 - £400,000

41. Which one is right for you?
• Can any of the above work for your site?
• Using the hand-out, start working through
the questions.
• Is there a potential project?