Low Carbon Development Businesses in the South West
Regen SW is pleased to detail some inspiring examples of successful low carbon businesses in the south west.
Specialising in renewable heat, Eco-Exmoor is an ethical and independent company. Since installing the UK's first solar water heating system under the then ‘Clear Skies' grant scheme, its range of technologies and the geographical area it covers have grown, but the company has have never lost sight of its core values - quality systems, value for money, a personal service.
Eco-Exmoor became the UK's second installer to be accredited for wood pellet boilers, and its core activities are currently installing solar thermal and pellet systems at domestic and community scales. Currently employing some 8 staff, it works closely with architects, developers, homeowners and self builders,has been responsible for training over 30 installers across the south west and has recently celebrated its 300th installation.
Customer comments:
"Your Company came up to expectation and reflected the references. (The solar) system has proved itself, providing us with an abundance of piping hot water despite the bitterly cold weather. It bodes well for the coming years. We have achieved a significant reduction already in oil consumption and what a comfort that is. Further to that your installation team were courteous, polite, efficient and left us with no cleaning up to do. All in all a job well done and for us a wise decision arrived at. Again, Many thanks." Wendy & Patrick
Ecos Trust (a registered Charity) was established in 2000. It believes that sustainable design and construction is better for the environment, human health and social welfare. Ecos operates across the south west of England and employs thirteen people in Ecos Trust and subsidiary organisations Ecos Homes, the Devon Sustainable Building Initiative (DSBI) and Ecos Renew. Ecos Renew is a newly formed company set up to undertake sustainable home refurbishment. Total Ecos turnover is £400,000.
Ecos has its own programme of development projects undertaken by a subsidiary company Ecos Homes. To date it has completed an award winning Great Bow Yard (development of twelve sustainable homes) and an award winning warehouse renovation project, Great Bow Wharf. The warehouse provides office space for local businesses, community space and conference rooms on the banks of the River Parrett in Langport. Further projects include a development of five properties at Stawell, Nr Bridgwater to the code Level 5. This development was awarded Regen South West's ‘Best Housing Scheme' in 2008.
Ecos Trust organises seminars and conferences for construction professionals in the public and private sector, as well as providing consultancy advice on sustainable design and construction. It also organises the region's leading sustainable homes and gardens exhibition open to both trade and consumer - Homes for Good.
Kensa
Kensa Engineering Ltd is the only UK manufacturer of a complete range of ground source heat pumps for UK properties. Established since 1999, Kensa has provided heat pumps for over 1000 successful projects in both domestic and commercial properties.
Kensa's domestic units range from 4 to 32 kW (kilowatt) and provide space heating and hot water for customers from the single unit self build project to multi-unit developments by private housebuilders and social housing providers.
Commercial applications include, offices, schools, health centres, visitor centres and many more, supported by Kensa's technical expertise and plant room models from 20 to 75 kW (kilowatt). A greater load can be achieved by linking multiple. Kensa can also provide a reverse cooling options.
Operating from it's Truro-based facility at the former Cornish tin-mine site of Mount Wellington Kensa support clients and partners alike with technical advice and guidance at any stage of their project.
The company won the prestigious Ashden Award for Sustainable Energy last year, gaining recognition for reducing fuel poverty and simplifying installation. Kensa are fully accredited and partner closely with installers and distributors to maximise energy efficiency and ensure smooth installations. The company boasts an established Approved Installer programme which offers UK based technical support, access to grants via Kensa's accreditation status, referrals, discounts and marketing support, and welcomes interest from both installers and distributors.
Kensa was also a founding member of the Ground Source Heat Pump Association and plays a major role in helping to raise the profile of heat pumps and formulate Industry Standards. Furthermore, Kensa also advises many Government Departments and leading companies on the use and suitability of heat pumps in different applications.
Microgeneration Ltd is a fully accredited and ISO registered, renewable energy specialist, with a solid track record of advising, designing, installing and commissioning renewable power and heat technologies including:
- solar PV (Photovoltaic)
- ground source heat pumps
- air source heat pumps
- solar thermal (solar hot water)
- Biomass (wood pellet) boilers
Since its incorporation in January 2006, Microgeneration Ltd has completed projects with a value in excess of £1 million and an installed capacity of 300 MWh per annum and we now have 10 engineers who are qualified to work on multiple technologies.
As founder members of the Renewable Energy Assurance Scheme (REAL), the company is committed to giving informed and impartial advice about tailored solutions for each client, from homeowners with a simple solar hot water system to community-based projects integrating different technologies.
Microgeneration recently worked with Carrick Housing, installing Solar PV at Diana Close in Falmouth, to help reduce the Social Housing electricity bills. The system began generating in December 2008 and by 1st February 2009 had generated over 1,670 kWh of power and saved over 953 kg of carbon.
"We don't want just to sell a product - we want our customers to understand why reneable energy is important."
Andy Honey, Microgeneration Limited
TRECO designs, supplies and installs biomass heating solutions nationwide.
In 2008 TRECO installed enough domestic and commercial boilers to save over 1,000 tonnes of CO2. It aims to at least double this in 2009 and estimates a turnover in excess of £ 1.5 million. It has also increased its number of employees from 3 to 15 in the last year.
TRECO prides itself on its reputation for service and expertise. Since 2004 it has sold and installed hundreds of biomass boilers throughout the UK and has refined its inventory so that it now carries the best selection of biomass equipment available to the UK customer TRECO believes that biomass heating does not have to be expensive or complicated. People should be able to put their environmental goals into practice with a minimum of fuss. TRECO's boilers range from 86 per cent to 96 per cent efficiency and many qualify for a grant of up to £1500 from the low carbon building programme.
TRECO are the sole distributors in the UK for three main products:
- Guntamatic Boilers:
Austrian manufacturer Guntamatic produce fully automated state of the art biomass boilers. All pellet and chip machines operate at up to 96 per cent efficiency and log burners up to 94 per cent - there is virtually no ash
- TATANO boilers and space heaters:
No nonsense rugged and hugely practical biomass boilers are supplied by the Sicilian manufacturer TATANO. Tens of thousands of these boilers are in use throughout Europe
- Ecoteck pellet and log stoves:
Ecoteck biomass stoves are beautiful and functional. Designed and built in Milan they combine high level efficiency with cutting edge Italian style
Wood Energy Ltd (WEL) is a leading specialist supplier of high efficiency automatic wood heating systems in the UK, with head office in the South West of England. Wood chip and wood pellet boiler systems range from 10 to 5,000 kW (kilowatt) output. Systems are suitable for almost any application from offices to hospitals; country estates to industrial processes.
WEL is the exclusive distributor of Binder GmbH boilers who are a leading Austrian manufacturer of medium & large scale wood chip and wood boilers since 1982. WEL is also exclusive distributor of Hargassner GmbH boilers who are a leading Austrian supplier of wood chip and wood pellet boilers, ranging from 10 kW to 200 kW, since 1984. WEL has built up full in-house design expertise with a CAD drawing office and has its own installation and commissioning engineering staff covering the UK. WEL now has over 50,000 kW of boiler capacity installed or under construction across the UK. Wood Energy Limited was a winner of the coveted Ashden Award for Renewable Energy in 2007.
