Renewable Green Energy Projects
In conjunction with our other products we offer a range of renewable green energy solutions. These are designed mostly to fit in with our Pattern Impressed Concrete, Safe Play Area's & Landscaping products but we can install these as a completely stand alone project if you want.
- Solar water pre-heating
- Ground Source Heat Pumps
- Wind Turbines
By fitting PEX piping into the foundations of a poured concrete area prior to pouring the slab for Impressing, or in the base layer of a safe play area, we can use the natural heat retaining capabilities of concrete and rubber to pre-heat water before it enters your hot water storage tank. This means that throughout the year, even in winter, the water entering your storage tank will be several degrees higher than it would normally be, reducing the need for forced heating via gas or electricity.
We are able to store up to 1 litre of water for every 1 square meter of concrete or rubber. So, if you have an 80 litre storage tank for your home use, we can store and pre-heat almost a whole tank of water by placing PEX piping under the concrete slab of the average family drive way or patio area.
Usually you would not use a whole tank of water in one go, so the water stored in the PEX piping is released into the tank at the rate you use your hot water. As concrete, rubber and water are great heat retainers, you will even get the benefit at night. It doesn't even have to be a hot day, concrete stores heat by receiving light as short waves and slowly releasing this as long waves in the form of heat which is absorbed by the water in the PEX piping raising it's temperature by several degrees.
Ground source heat pumps (GSHPs) are electrically powered systems that tap the stored energy of the earth. These systems use the earth's relatively constant temperature to provide heating, cooling, and hot water for homes and commercial buildings. They are very quiet when running, require very little maintenance and generly come with a 20 year warranty from the manufacturer.
Ground source heat pumps can be categorized as having closed or open loops, and these loops can be installed in three ways: horizontally, vertically, or in a pond/lake. Currently, we only install horizontal pipe systems. These can be in the form of linked pipe loops called slinkies buried up to 1.5 meters below the ground or via PEX piping installed into concrete or rubber as described in the Solar water pre-heating section above.
For closed loop systems, water or an antifreeze solution is circulated through plastic pipes buried beneath the earth's surface. During the winter, the fluid collects heat from the earth and carries it through the system and into the building. During the summer, the system reverses itself to cool the building by pulling heat from the building, carrying it through the system and placing it in the ground. This process creates free hot water in the summer and delivers substantial hot water savings in the winter.
Open loop systems operate on the same principle as closed loop systems and can be installed where an adequate supply of suitable water is available and open discharge is feasible. Benefits similar to the closed loop system are obtained. We only install closed loop systems
Ground source heat pumps can generate up to 5 units of heat for every 1 unit of electricity. This makes them very cost efficient and environmentally friendly. If you combine your use of a Ground Source Heat Pump with say solar or wind generated energy, then it should cost you almost zero to run.
These are ideal for use with Swimming Pool Heating systems giving you an extended swimming season or even all year round.
These are not strictly related to our other products such as our Impressed Concrete and Safe Play Areas. But, as we install ground source heat pumps that consume some energy even though they are very energy efficient we like to keep our house clean.
We can install wind turbines for domestic use that can generate upto 10Kw of energy. These can either be grid tied, where all un-used generated electricity is sold back to your power supplier or this can be stored in battery banks for situations where you are not connected to the grid.
