Renewable energy ideas for your home

6 renewable energy ideas for your home

There are many climate-friendly home heating technologies available, each with their own benefits and considerations. Different technologies will suit different homes and people. Home Energy Scotland has lots of helpful information to help you decide the best one for you, based on your home and lifestyle – you can even have a specialist advisor visit your home to assess its energy performance and explain what options might best suit.

• Air source heat pumps

These absorb heat from the outside air. This heat can then be used in your home to heat radiators, underfloor or warm air heating systems, and hot water. Air source heat pumps are suitable for many types of homes and are the most common type of domestic heat pump.

• Ground source heat pumps

Pipes are buried in your garden to extract heat from the ground. This heat can then be used to heat radiators, underfloor or warm air heating systems, and hot water in your home. To install a ground source heat pump you don’t necessarily need a large space, but you will need ground near your home suitable for digging trenches or drilling boreholes.

• Heat Networks

These are a form of infrastructure consisting of insulated pipes and heat generation, which supplies heat (in the form of hot water or steam) to homes and non-domestic premises, such as businesses and the public sector. To find out more visit the Scottish Government Renewable and low carbon energy page.

• Solar energy for your home

By installing solar panels you can generate your own renewable energy. Solar panels work by capturing the sun’s energy and converting it into electricity that you can use in your home. Energy Saving Trust provides useful information on solar heating, including the space you’ll need.

• Wind energy for your home

Make your own electricity using small-scale wind turbines. When the wind blows, the blades spin around, driving a turbine that generates electricity. A typical system in an exposed site can easily generate more power than your lights and electrical appliances use.

• Hydroelectricity

Hydro technology uses running water to generate electricity, whether it’s a small stream or a larger river, and can produce enough electricity for all the lighting and electrical appliances in an average home.

What’s the best renewable energy for my home?

There are many renewable technologies available, each with their own benefits and considerations. Different technologies will suit different homes and people.

Home Energy Scotland have lots of helpful information to help you decide the best one for you, based on your home and lifestyle – you can even have a specialist advisor visit your home to assess its energy performance and explain what options might best suit.