Greencell Technologies – Eco Houses Saves Energy and Money

Eco houses show the best ways to save energy and money. Two eco houses have been created in St Ives and St Neots to encourage homeowners to think green.Greencell technologies articles. Be efficient and read latest developments to avoid online scams, wrong product reviews, fraud, boiler warning and heated water solar panels.

Huntingdonshire District Council purchased the houses and refurbished them to demonstrate energy-saving measures that cut costs and carbon.

These include improved heating, lighting, insulation, appliances and sustainable drought-resistant gardens.

The Green House Project homes are open to the public for one year, after which they will be sold on the open market.

The district council teamed up with the Building Research Establishment to create the homes, which they hoped would convince the public that simple energy-saving measures could make a real difference to household bills and carbon footprints.

The St Ives house will be used as the flagship property for the project.

The 1960s detached house has been extended at the side and the rear, and demonstrates sustainable improvements including a bio-diversity roof, rainwater harvesting and triple glazing.

Meanwhile the house in St Neots, a 1970s semi-detached property, has been refurbished to show simple improvements that can be made for a relatively small financial outlay and applied to most homes.

'Ordinary homes'

Chris Jablonski, environment team leader at the council, said: "We've taken two ordinary homes that, at the time, weren't designed with energy-efficiency in mind, and we've installed a number of measures to make them more airtight and less likely to leak.

"They're now more efficient and in the process will save people money on their bills."

Before the work began the total energy bill for the St Ives property was just over £1,000 per year. That has now been reduced by over £600.

"In carbon terms that's a 75% saving, so we're very pleased with that," Mr Jablonski said.

The property has solar panels and a boiler to capture and deliver heated water. Its bio-diversity roof helps to insulate the property and, in the event of flash flooding, will absorb water and prevent the guttering from overflowing.

Not everything is as complicated, however. Many simple, low-cost measures have also been incorporated, such as draught proofing.

"That costs just a few pounds and you get a very quick pay-back," said MrJablonski.

"This project is all about inspiring people to take small steps in the right direction."

Sustainable gardens

Award-winning Cambridgeshire gardener Marney Hall designed the sustainable gardens at the front and rear of the St Ives property.

She was given a brief to create a bio-diverse space incorporating a wild meadow area, pond, woodland, hedgerows and a vegetable patch.

There are also butterfly borders and flowers that produce nectar for bees. Shelter is also provided for wildlife with bumble bee boxes and hedgehog homes hidden within the shrubbery.

Open days

MrJablonski said that an initial market valuation indicated that the two Green Houses were now worth substantially more than the council had paid for them, as a result of the improvements that had been made.

The Green Houses were officially opened on 29 October 2010 and will be open to the public for one year, from Saturday 6 November.

Entry is free and Huntingdonshire District Council plans to run a number of events throughout the year during which visitors can learn more about making their own homes more energy-efficient.

Details will be posted on The Green House Project website.

Greencell Technologies - HeatingSave helps the Green Houses and Cambs Fire save money

HeatingSave is a low-cost, revolutionary Energy Management System that saves between 15% and 30%+ off the energy used to heat and light your home. It’s controller, which replaces the central heating timeclock, contains a computer program that learns, and constantly refines, the heat loss profile of your house so that it uses the least amount of energy.
At 25 Manor Road, St Neots, the HeatingSave system is using HeatingSaves’ glass evacuated solar tubes to heat the hot water using the suns rays. As HeatingSave is controlling both the boiler and the solar panel, it is able to make further economies by using the free energy from the sun as much as possible. The heating is turned up or down automatically depending upon the heat loss profile of the house and the outside temperature, whilst the occupancy sensors automatically turn up and down the heating depending on whether anyone is at home. The same occupancy sensors automatically turn lights on/off, this time saving money off the electricity bill. The immersion heater is also controlled by HeatingSave, allowing the home owner the vary the hot water temperature; hot for the baths/showers in the morning and cooler in the day for washing up, hand-washing and the washing machine. All saving energy and money, but leaving you firmly in control. Linked to the HeatingSave controller is a PC where the householder can change settings, view daily costings to help with the household budget and view the energy savings graphs – so you can see that the system is actually working and saving you money. The HeatingSave system is linked to the Internet so you can control, set and view how well your energy management system is working – from anywhere in the world.
At 1 St Audrey Lane, St Ives the HeatingSave system is controlling the Dimplex flat solar panel and the Dimplex air heat source pump. There is no central heating boiler, with heat being extracted solely from the outside air temperature and the suns rays. HeatingSave applies the same type of control at 1 St Audrey Lane as at 25 Manor Road. Again the Tensor access control system links to HeatingSave so that the energy management system “knows” when the house is occupied or empty.
HeatingSave is a government approved by the Carbon Trust and the Energy Savings Trust to save money on your energy usage. It is also an approved product on the lord mayor of London’s “London Green500” scheme.
HeatingSave are also helping Cambridgeshire Fire Service to reduce their heating bills, more information can be found on the Hunts Post website
The Greencell technologies - The Green House Project will take a ‘whole house’ approach to refurbishment, starting with the building fabric and insulation, windows, heating systems, ventilation, water efficiency measures and the installation of renewable energy technology including solar thermal for hot water and solar photovoltaics (PV) for energy.

Greencell Technologies - Revolutionary LED lighting from Tritechnology™ illuminates the Green House Project

A ground breaking initiative by Huntingdonshire District Council called the Green House Project has opened in St Ives Cambridgeshire. Tritechnology™ are pleased to have supplied the LED lighting throughout the house.

The Optech 40 and Optech 60 LED modules have replaced conventional 40watt and 60watt lamps in all of the decorative ceiling lights ,wall lights and standard lamps throughout the property. Tritechnology™ Module 10 LED has been used in all of the ceiling recessed downlight products
The Optech 40 and Optech 60 is a revolutionary, energy efficient ultra compact new light source, combining the lifetime and reliability of the worlds leading LED technology, with the convenience and brightness of conventional lighting The Optech 40 consumes just 7 watts and the Optech 60 just 10 watts. Achieving energy savings in excess of 80%.
All electrical, thermal and optical issues have been considered in the design, resulting in a light source that is simply plug and play
Optech 40 or Optech 60 LED modules can replace the conventional lamp and lamp holder within the majority of commercially available light fittings.
With this method the energy saving is truly sustainable. Optech is British designed and British made. Tritechnology™ is a registered trademark. If you would like more information about how to purchase this product contact Peter Malt at peterm@esea.org.uk
The Greencell technologies - Home energy use in the UK is currently responsible for producing more than 27% of all carbon emissions.
Whereas progress to reduce this is being made by improving the energy performance of new build properties, we must face the huge challenge of addressing existing, older inefficient properties, many of which will still be standing and occupied by 2050.
Such inefficient homes account for more than 90% of the existing housing stock, which highlights the importance of adapting them to suit 21st century living. Improving the thermal efficiency of existing properties will not only help meet the challenges of climate change, it will help householders tackle rising fuel costs, encourage well being and a provide a healthier living environment.
As part of Huntingdonshire District Council’s commitment to reduce carbon emissions and tackle climate change, we have purchased two properties, which will be ‘sustainably’ refurbished and opened up to the public as demonstration homes.
In Huntingdonshire approximately 67,000 homes are privately owned. There is huge potential to improve the energy and water efficiency of the properties, which will help to reduce the district’s carbon footprint and bring existing homes up to a higher level of environmental performance.
The UK Government is committed to reducing carbon emissions by 80% by the year 2050.
If we are to reduce our carbon emissions and help slow down the effects of climate change we need a step change in our thinking – the way we live, travel and refurbish our properties plays a major part in that. It’s important for the Green House Project to demonstrate and influence sustainable refurbishment and to encourage a ‘low carbon lifestyle’.
The district council is working with the Building Research Establishment (BRE), whose expertise and guidance is integral to the project. The BRE will be providing the specifications for the improvements, which will be based around the results of extensive thermal and acoustic testing which has already been undertaken in both of the houses.
The Greencell technologies - The Green House Project will take a ‘whole house’ approach to refurbishment, starting with the building fabric and insulation, windows, heating systems, ventilation, water efficiency measures and the installation of renewable energy technology including solar thermal for hot water and solar photovoltaics (PV) for energy.