Micro Generation
Biomass
Biomass can be produced from wood and many other organic materials which are in abundance in this area of Scotland. 3b construction will be installing boilers and stoves which use wood chip to produce energy. This is beneficial to the environment for the following reasons.
- By burning wood chip we are using a sustainable alternative to the ever decreasing supply of fossil fuels.
- The whole process is carbon neutral as the CO2 released when energy is generated is balanced by CO2 constantly being absorbed as organic materials, which are the source of wood chip, grow.
Wood Chip can either be used in conjunction with the Swedish Wood Burning Stove or a boiler can be installed to provide heating and hot water to the whole house.
Ground Source Heat Pumps
This is an energy efficient way of heating your home and providing hot water. Solar heat builds up in the soil all year round and is extracted by means of buried plastic tubing. 3b construction has used the vertical loop (borehole) method at Blairmount. The plastic tubing runs 140m below the surface in order to build up as much natural heat as possible from the “near surface geothermal layer”.
This method uses an environmentally friendly, non freezing emulsion of water glycol which circulates in the plastic tubing. This is similar to the cooling system of a car.
The liquid passes from the pump through the plastic tubing and into the vertical bore hole, harnessing energy as it passes round the full vertical loop and comes back into the Heat Pump. Once the heated liquid has been returned to the pump it is passed through a compressor to extract even more energy which boosts the temperature for both under floor and hot water heating.
Micro Wind
3b construction recently installed a wind turbine for a client in Port William. The United Kingdom, as an island, is one of the windiest places in Europe and the coastal areas are amongst the windiest in the UK therefore South West Scotlands coastal areas are the perfect place to use this technology.
As long is there is sufficient wind a small turbine (size 6KW) can generate enough electricity to power a large home. Key to maximising the power of the wind turbine is to install the turbine at height and make sure it is totally exposed to the elements.
Electricity is produced when the aerodynamic blades are turned by the wind. This in turn activates a rotor which produces electricity. The electricity is then passed to the house where it can be used to provide light and power.
This system can be used in conjunction with a mains supply and one advantage of this is that if there is an excess of electricity produced it can be sold back to power companies thus providing renewable energy for all.
Rainwater Harvesting / Recycling
Given the rainfall across the United Kingdom it is incredible that water is still considered a scarce resource. Harvesting the rainwater that is collected in the gutters of our homes is one way of sustaining this natural resource.
We can harvest rainwater by collecting it from the roof, filtering out all leaves and debris, and transferring the water to a holding tank stored either below or above ground. This water can then be used to supply non potable applications such as toilet flushing and washing machines preserving use of mains water for human consumption. If there is no rainwater available the system we use will automatically switch to mains water.
3b construction are currently working with Envireau to start installing their recycling system.
Solar Water Heating
Solar thermal panels can be installed on the roof of a garage or house to provide energy for both heating and hot water in the home. The suns energy is harnessed by solar panels which are connected to the water tank in the garage. The energy is passed down to a coil in the tank which heats the water and then provides heat for the home, this works very well if combined with under floor heating.
This system relies on minimum levels of solar energy to reach the required heat of 57 degrees centigrade. The climate being as it is in South West Scotland there is may not always be the required level of solar energy to achieve this. When this is the case the a Ground Source Heat Pump can be installed to automatically back up the solar panels in order to boost the water to the required temperature.