The Environment, Renewable Energy & Sustainable Communities
Giroscope believes that being environmentally responsible and sustainable should not be an afterthought in our work, but actually drive what we do and how we do it. We see renovating and reusing old properties as a far 'greener' option than demolishing them and building new houses. With a terraced house having the embodied energy of over 15 OOO litres of fuel it soon becomes apparent that renovation is preferable to demolition. We have countered the argument about new houses being more energy efficient by showing that Victorian terraced houses can be adapted to incorporate energy saving features and properly insulated, can meet modern heat-loss regulations.
From the outset of Giroscope we have experimented with solar power. Our first efforts included radiators painted black and connected up to a heat exchanger from an old boiler. We now have modern evacuated tube solar panels on two of our houses as well as a PV (Photovoltaic) Array on the roof of our workshops. The latter are grid connected and actually put green energy into the National Grid when the power is not being utilised in the workshops.
We try and avoid using harmful and environmentally damaging materials in our renovation work. By being members of the Association of Environmentally Conscious Builders we are able to access information about the materials and chemicals we use; avoiding toxic wood treatments for example. To create sustainable communities we need to use sustainable products. For this reason (as well as the aesthetic one!) we will always replace old window frames with new timber ones rather than use uPVC. Where possible we use local suppliers, helping to support the local economy and cut down on transport costs.
Giroscope PV System
The 3.4 kWp Photovoltaic Array, installed in 1998, consists of forty BP Solar 585L modules wired in four series strings and mounted on a framework above the existing tiled roof. Output is fed to four SMA Sunny Boy 700W inverters and then connected to the workshop consumer unit. A Sunny Control is used to display output and record performance.
Engineers from Yorkshire Electricity witnessed the commissioning tests and were interested to see the first such installation in their region.
Related Links
BP Solar - www.bpsolarex.com
Government - Sustainable Development - www.sustainable-development.gov.uk
Giroscope's PV Array - www.solar-design.co.uk
Office of the Deputy Prime Minister - Sustainable Communities - www.odpm.gov.uk
Thermomax - www.thermomax.com