Episode 4 - It's not easy being green - heat recovery systems
The fourth episode of the Strawbridge's green renovation focused on a heat recovery system, designed to remove moisture from the air inside the house, after it had been well insulated with recycled denim! Current central heating systems, double glazing and insulation results in our houses having poor air quality, mould and condensation. Whilst we can open a window for some fresh air or buy more houseplants, we also waste energy through our heating systems. Heat Exchange System's ensure fresh, dry and warm air passed through vents around the house. For the first time, Briget Strawbridge proclaimed "its not easy to live a greener life", referring to home life without heating and the struggle to install all the vents around their farmhouse.
If you are interested in reading more about heat exchange systems then read the forum at New Builder. There are a number of companies offering the system - Vent-Axia, Villavent and John Cantor Heat Pumps. Villavent (see pictured diagram) sells a system for a typical 3/4 bed house at £1895.
Dick Strawbridge also traded in his gas guzzler for a 4x4! Briget was not convinced at first but Dick assured her that it was required for "agricultural" reasons. She was soon agreeable after sitting in the "comfortable" car seats and hearing of Dick's plan to run the vehicle carbon neutrally. Dick and Jim then went about setting up a system to make bio-diesel from chip fat. After a few adjustments, they were soon filtering the fat to clean and dry it, before passing it through a reactor (the chemistry bit) to make their top notch bio diesel. Sundance Renewables have set up the first community based bio-diesel production plant in the UK. Their website (which was designed using 100% solar power by Ecoworks) makes excellent reading. Sundance sell their biodiesel at 95 pence per litre, a bit more costly than Dick's 70 pence, but its still cheaper and greener than petrol.
Next Tuesday (BBC2 8pm or 8.30pm , depending on where you live) Dick is tapping into their springwater, setting up a wind turbine and the heating is on the blink! Great stuff. [Ella]
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Posted by: bamtdp dxscya | May 21, 2007 7:21 AM