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Burning fossil fuels like coal and gas to produce energy is one of the biggest contributors to carbon dioxide emissions - a major cause of climate change.
We need to greatly reduce our carbon emissions, as well as look for alternatives to fossil fuels such as coal, oil and gas, which take millions of years to replace and which are now in short supply.
There is now technology available to allow us to generate our heat and power from water, wind, sun and even plant and animal matter. These technologies produce energy from natural, clean, free and plentiful resources.
Heat and power
Renewable technologies are split into those that provide heat, and those that provide electricity.
- The most common heat-producing technologies are biomass, solar water heating, ground source heat pumps and air source heat pumps
- The most commonly used electricity-producing technologies used in domestic properties are micro wind turbines and photovoltaics or solar photovoltaics.
Things to think about
With so many technologies on offer, there are a few things to consider before you choose a technology - such as installation and running costs, the space needed, the amount of energy that will be produced and any possible planning restrictions.
The first step is to look at how much energy you use at the moment and see if there's anything that can be done to improve it. Taking simple measures, such as improving insulation or installing double glazing to make your home as energy efficient as possible before committing to installing renewable energy, will give you a better idea of which technology will be best for your home.
Before making the change to renewables, it's also important to gather as much information together as you can. Websites such as the Energy Saving Trust and Green Energy 360 offer impartial advice on all aspects of renewable technologies.
Green Energy 360 is a new website set up in association with Loughborough University. The site has a renewable energy calculator that can tell you which of the renewable technologies available could be most suitable for you, using the average wind speed and sun position at your property, based on your postcode.
Planning permission - new guidelines
The guidelines about the planning permission needed to install some domestic renewable technologies were relaxed in 2008. Homeowners can now install equipment like solar panels, and heat pumps without needing to get planning permission, as long as there is clearly no impact on others.
However, there are still some restrictions on the installation of wind turbines and air source heat pumps. The Energy Saving Trust has a full list of the new guidelines that have been agreed for each technology.
The Low Carbon Buildings Programme
The Low Carbon Buildings Programme managed by the Energy Saving Trust has been providing grants towards renewable technologies to householders, businesses and community organisations.
The programme is no longer available as of 24 May 2010. If you have already applied to the Low Carbon Buildings Programme and are in receipt of a grant offer letter then your application will be honoured. If you applied before the programme closed then your application will still be processed and if your it passes the due diligence test then it will also be honoured.
If you are considering or have installed a solar photovoltaic panel or wind turbine up to five mega watts since July 2009 then you may be eligible to claim payments for the electricity you generate under the new Feed-in-Tariff. Levels of payment depend on the technology and are linked to inflation.
Green tariffs
If you're not able to install renewable technology in your home, you can still go green! Most energy suppliers now operate a ‘green tariff.' Many of these schemes guarantee that the supplier will purchase energy from renewable sources, whilst others invest the money in renewable energy technology. Others combine elements of both methods.
Other companies can now guarantee to supply 100% of your energy requirements directly from renewable resources. It is worth researching a few different options before settling. Green Electricity Marketplace can compare prices on green tariffs and allows you to search by postcode to see what is available in your area.
For advice on other grant schemes available from time to time please contact the North East Derbyshire Council energy advice centre using the details below.
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