energy

A pioneer in demonstrating greener building and living; lots of examples and education courses.

Well worth a visit, easy to get to by train.

Courses at CAT, either short weekend courses for a particular interest -
hands-on and theoretical
OR, to improve your career in the area of low-energy building
 

Innovative community energy scheme putting PV on social housing 

registered charity, doing free domestic & business energy checks

Manufacture and sell wood stoves. The showroom is in a beautiful old house in the middle of Ludlow and is worth a visit on its own.

Brings together professionals, entrepreneurs and students interested in how the challenges of climate change are being turned into opportunities, the latest news and inspiration.

Suppliers and installers of biomass systems.

Local, independent energy advice, assessments and training. Home energy visits, advice on the 'Feed in Tarriffs' and 'Renewable heat Incentive',  thermal imaging, energy performance certificates, and 'Green Deal' reports available. Dave is also an ESOS Lead assessor and Technical Director of Green Deal Advice Midlands, a co-operative consortium of energy advisors.

They are an environmental consultancy based in Shropshire, working on projects all over the UK.

Their speciality is providing guidance on environmental issues surrounding more technically demanding projects in the waste and renewable energy sectors.

Offer 'green' power

An inspiring Dutch scheme delivering deep retrofit to zero carbon for homes with minimal disruption and a unique financing scheme
 

Promotes and campaigns for renewable energy.

email: info@sharenergy.co.op

PV, biomass, heat pumps and solar hot water, local family firm

This Sourh Western German city, of 220,000, has excellent and progressive policies on public transport, waste, lots of forms of sustainable energy, ecologically sound buildings, green spaces and lots more besides.    see: http://www.ecotippingpoints.org

Offer 'green' power including gas

Only Good Energy offer 100% green electricity, the other two we have highlighted also have partial green tariffs.

Energy smart homes near you.  get practical, impartial advice.

Organised by Transition Town Shrewsbury. Note: Although this site has not been updated recently, the information given is very useful! (May 2017)

Natural paints, rainwater harvesting, (and a range of energy-saving devices).

Smart heating controls, worth considering in a larger property or where occupancy varies, based in the West Midlands

Supply and fit wood fired boiler systems.

Also supply and fit solar thermal, PV and wind systems

Run by Marches Energy Agency, sometimes has very good deals on loft and cavity insulation.

Pure Leapfrog is the leading provider of social investment to community energy projects in the UK

lightbulbs.co.uk specialise in LED and energy saving lightbulbs

Install solar thermal and PV systems, wood boilers and heat pumps on domestic and commercial properties.

large range of all types of bulbs

Minimum Energy Ratings from 2018 (MEES)

Since April 2018, private domestic and non-domestic landlords need to ensure that their properties reach at least an E Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating, or have installed those improvements that could be funded using available finance or subsidies available to pay for them, before granting a tenancy to new or existing tenants".

At the moment domestic landlords are not expected to provide up front finance, but to gain an exemption from the requirement they will have to show that funding is not available, this may require an application to the Green Deal Finance company. From April 2019 domestic landlords will be required to spend up to £3,500 (inc vat) per property before applying for an exemption from the minimum energy requirement. 

If full funding is available through GDFC or ECO or similar and;

a, the measures are not adversly affecting a historic property, or

b, a surveyor has not recommended the measures are not applied, 

then they will have to be carried out. It is up to the landlord then how to finance them, they could then use a Green Deal loan (whereby the tenant repays the loan, though these are very rare) raise the money elsewhere or use their own funds.

Non domestic landlords will have to bear some up front costs if the measures show a reasonable pay back period.

Government guidance to the regulations and how they apply to both domestic and non domestic properties can be found here

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-private-rented-property-minimum-standard-landlord-guidance-documents

and for an update on the change in the requirement for domestic landlords see https://www.elmhurstenergy.co.uk/government-announces-planned-changes-to-mees-prs-regulations

These requirements will then apply to most private rented properties, including occupied properties - from April 2020 in the domestic sector and from April 2023 in the non-domestic sector.

Dave Green Energy Services have set up a MEES service and they are working with the National Trust and Central England Co-op plus smaller landlords.

Sustainable building shell solutions.

Stocks Double Sausage Draft excluders, great for internal doors,

-Nigel's Eco store has many other wonderful energy saving products

Distributors and advisors for Okofen automatic wood pellet boilers.

The Passivhaus Trust is an independent, non-profit organisation that provides leadership in the UK for the adoption of the Passivhaus standard and methodology. Passivhaus is the leading international low energy, design standard. Over 65,000 buildings have been designed, built and tested to this standard worldwide.

The Trust aims to promote the principles of Passivhaus as a highly effective way of reducing energy use and carbon emissions from buildings in the UK, as well as providing high standards of comfort and building health.

Open days 2018 includes new Passive House at Edgmond, Newport, see events page 

Chartered Building Surveyors who specialise in low energy building design and repair/reuse of historic buildings.

Princes LHS T/A Princes Solar Energy are an established business who have been trading since 2004.

They also offer other energy saving products such as Heat Pumps, Thermal Stores, Home Batteries etc.

http://princeslhs.ltd/

Sharenergy is a Shrewsbury-based not-for-profit co-operative which helps to set up renewable energy co-operatives in the Marches and across the UK.

Sharenergy has provided advice and support to Shropshire co-operatives such as Neen Sollars Community Hydro, Crida Wind Co-operative, Ludford Hydro Co-operative and others.

For details of how to join an existing co-op or set up a new one see:

www.sharenergy.coop
info@sharenergy.coop

Thin double glazing panels for heritage use.
 

Very handy plastic strip for stopping draughts from gaps in floorboards, under skirtings etc

http://stopgaps.com/

Fracking and Extreme fossil fuels

In 2014 local groups have campaigned against an exploratory well to test for Coalbed Methane in Dudleston North Shropshire. The application by Dart energy is being considered by Shropshire council which is concerned of the negative effects of  drilling for gas.
For more details: frackfree dudleston .org.uk

The government will be giving new area licences across the country including a  large  part of Shropshire.Many groups are campaigning against fracking and extreme fossil fuels.
For more details: frackoff.org.uk

Coalbed Methane (CBM)
This process uses pumps to remove water from the coalbed and the methane gas can be collected.Many wells are needed to extract the gas and the waste water has to be treated. This may result in the pollution of drinking water supplies,while any escaping methane into the air adds to global climate change.

Hydraulic Fracking of Shale
This process uses sand ,water and chemicals which are pumped under pressure to frack the shale and release the gas or oil.The waste fluid needs treatment and again pollution of the environment can result from this.

Underground Coal Gassification (UCG)
This process releases gas from coalseams by burning the coal underground.This is a very difficult process to control.

Tar sands
In Canada and Alaska the oil from tar sands are extracted using large amounts of water. This causes large amounts of pollution.Pipelines carry the oil to refineries across north america.

These extreme methods to extract fossil fuels cause pollution and affect  local communities.
To combat Climate change we need to leave these fuels in the ground and develop renewable energy technology.

Thin highly effective insulation but quite expensive, great for window reveals and dormer windows