Last Held Over Two Weekends in October 2016
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Airtight construction |
The method of making new or refurbished buildings highly airtight to minimise ventilation losses; often associated with MVHR (see below). |
Biomass boiler |
Boiler mostly fueled by carbon-neutral wood, normally as pellets, but can also be chips or logs. Significantly cheaper to run than oil in off grid areas and will receive RHI payments (see below) from 2014 and RHPP grants (also see below) in the interim. |
Condensing boiler |
A type of boiler that captures more usable heat from its fuel. Its |
Draughtproofing |
Lots of heat is lost through draughts so this is a priority for saving |
Energy Company Obligation (ECO) |
The Energy Company Obligation (ECO) is a grant paid by the big energy companies and assessed by your Green Deal Provider. There are three routes for obtaining ECO funding: Carbon Saving Community Obligation – targeting the poorer postcodes. Affordable warmth – grants for those on means tested benefits. Carbon Savings Obligation – helping those in ‘hard to treat’ properties, notably by supporting wall insulation, regardless of income. |
Energy controls |
Nearly one third of heating systems lack one or more of the basic |
Feed In Tariff (FIT) |
The Feed In Tariff pays a fixed sum for each unit of electricity generated through domestic renewable technologies, mainly photovoltaic panels. At the moment this payment is guaranteed for 20 years. Additional money is also paid for electricity exported to the grid. |
Flue gas heat recovery (FGHR) |
Even a condensing boiler vents useful heat in the flue gas, |
Green roof |
A roof that is partially or completely covered with vegetation and a growing medium, planted over a waterproof membrane. This preserves vital habitat in urban areas. |
Grey water recycling |
Collecting waste water from sinks, showers and baths and reusing it for toilet flushing or watering the garden. |
Ground floor insulation |
For suspended floors, mineral wool or rigid insulation boards are |
Heat pump |
A heating unit that extracts heat from the external environment, e.g. air, ground, or water and uses it to heat a building. Heat pumps are powered by electricity, but extract many times more useful heat energy for each unit of electricity consumed. They are particularly economic compared to oil or electricity in off grid areas. |
High performance glazing |
Windows that are designed to minimise heat loss, for example |
LED lighting |
A very low energy form of lighting (light-emitting diode) which uses significantly less energy, is long-lasting and cheap to run. LEDs are now available for most light fittings and can pay for themselves in a year or two. |
Low energy appliances |
All appliances are rated from A to G, with appliances rated A and |
Low water goods |
Taps, showers or toilets that are designed to use less water than typical plumbing fittings, typically by restricting flow or limiting flushes. |
Mechanical ventilation with heat recovery (MVHR) |
A ventilation system with a heat exchanger that recovers warmth from outgoing air to warm cooler incoming fresh air. This requires a high level of airtightness to be effective. |
Natural materials |
Products that come from plants or animals – including sheep’s wool insulation, sweet chestnut cladding, sustainably sourced timber paints and clay plaster. Natural materials tend to be more sustainable than artificial materials and allow breathability |
Passive solar design |
By ensuring that a building absorbs the maximum amount of warming sunshine in winter, fuel used for heating can be reduced. Typically this involves orienting new buildings toward the south with a large glazed area to receive the low winter sun, or even a conservatory on the southern facade. |
Passivhaus standard |
A low energy standard that reflects the principles of high levels of |
Photovoltaic (PV) panels |
Panels usually mounted on a roof to convert sunlight into |
Rainwater harvesting |
Collecting water that falls on a roof and using it at home for |
Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) |
The Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) is a government subsidy that will apply to technologies producing heat rather than electricity; i.e. solar thermal, biomass boilers, and heat pumps. It is expected to start in 2014 and run for 7 years. In the interim, generous one-off Renewable Heat Premium Payment (RHPP) grants are available. |
Secondary double glazing |
Insulation of windows by fixing a glazed panel on the inside, www.transitiontownlewes.org/magnetic_secondary_double_glazing.html |
Solar thermal panels |
The sun’s energy is used to directly heat hot water, via either flat |
Solid wall insulation (SWI) |
Solid walls can be insulated externally or internally. Walls are |
Timber frame |
A method of wall construction using timber studs, finished with dry lining boards on the inside and cladding outside, which creates a void that is easy to fill with insulation. Timber also has low embodied energy and helps fix carbon, which makes it a highly sustainable material. |
Woodburning stove |
Having a stove provides heat directly to the main living area, whilst |