Solar Panels and Heat Pumps Talk Tuesday 17th September 2024
We had a very good attendance at our recent event about Solar Panels and Heat Pumps, which was both informative and interesting.
The Powerpoint slides from the event are available here : Solar Panels and Heat Pumps Talk
Our first speaker was Andy Gaisford from Surrey County Council. Andy outlined the ways in which Surrey CC are cutting their carbon emissions and, in particular how they are supporting homeowners to make their homes more energy efficient. These include 3 main schemes:
- Solar Together: This scheme takes some of the risk out of choosing a solar panel provider and also enables homeowners to benefit from a good deal based on a ‘bulk order’. Surrey CC invites homeowners to apply for the scheme by a certain date. Once they know the number of interested households, they ask a small number of pre-vetted and trusted installers to bid for the work. Having selected the company offering the best deal each homeowner receives a quote for installation. They have 4 weeks to decide whether or not to go ahead with the work. If they want to go ahead the installer takes over and arranges a site survey, installation and follow up. Unfortunately the date for applying for this year’s Solar Together scheme has already passed but the scheme should be running again next year.
- Home Energy Advice Team (HEAT): This is a joint project with Zero Carbon Guildford, funded by a government grant. It is an excellent first step in assessing your home’s energy efficiency. A local team of ‘Energy Champions’ have been trained up to provide in-person energy advice. They come to the property and conduct a thermal imaging survey. This is used to produce a report which gives advice on what actions to prioritise in order to cut energy usage and how to go about making the most effective changes. They may also be able to sign post people to possible grants and schemes to help with funding. This service is free of charge to eligible households but if there is enough capacity it can be offered to non-eligible households for a small fee. Click here to apply for a free survey.
Following on from the evening we asked for clarification on the criteria for eligibility. They are:
– Have off-gas main heating
– Have English as a second language in the home
– Identify as an ethnic minority
– Receive disability benefit
– Are struggling to pay energy bills (fuel poor)
– Have an Energy Performance Certificate rating of D-G (or don’t have one at all) – residents can check here: www.gov.uk/find-energy-certificate
– Live in a conservation area
However Andy pointed out that over 90% of homes in the area are eligible so it’s definitely worth applying even if you’re not sure if you’re eligible.
- One Stop Shop : This is a brand new scheme to be launched imminently by Surrey County Council. It addresses people’s concerns that the process of becoming energy efficient is ‘just too complicated’. It offers a service that provides detailed advice on the best way forward for your particular property and a co-ordinator who will work with you to organise the installations you wish to make. Click here to register your interest in this service.
Andy also gave some information about grants which are currently available for eligible households. Details of those can be found on the power point slides.
Our next speaker was Ash Mills, one of the two founders of Infinity Renewables. This is the company that has been selected by Surrey County Council for the last 2 years to fulfil their Solar Together commitments.
Ash gave us some background information about the company and its ethos. Infinity Renewables have been the installer selected by 16 Solar Together schemes in the south of the UK and have completed over 9000 installations.
He described the process from the initial survey, through installation, and then the post installation support his company provides. He explained that solar panels could be positioned on roofs in almost any orientation, but there will often be a minimum number of panels needed. He also said it was always a good idea to get bird netting fitted for any panels on sloping roofs to stop pigeons nesting under the panels and damaging them.
Whilst Infinity Renewables specialise in Solar Panels, they also fit heat pumps and are looking to develop relationships with trusted heat pump suppliers in order to expand this side of their business. Ash generously offered a £100 donation to OVRA for every new customer who approached Infinity Renewables as a result of the evening.
Our third speaker was Damon Hart-Davis, who, after a career in the techy side of finance is now doing a PhD at the University of Surrey Centre for Environment and Sustainability. Damon discovered a passion for making his home as energy efficient as possible almost 2 decades ago in an attempt to minimise both his bills and his contribution to climate change. He has been sharing his experiences and discoveries via his website ever since. His website at www.earth.org.uk makes fascinating reading! Amongst other things Damon shared his tips on combining Solar Panels with battery storage systems. He pointed out that having solar panels is no protection against power cuts if you don’t have a battery with some form of direct plug in capability. He also encouraged people to ensure the power output from their battery was at least 3kW which is the power required to boil a kettle and to be aware that an average household uses 5 -10 kWh of energy a day.
Much of his talk was based on experiences in his own home where he has been experimenting with different set ups for many years. He talked a little about heat pumps but was keen to say that if you have a working boiler it is far better for the environment to keep it until it needs replacing rather than replace it with a heat pump while it still works.
The final speaker was our own James Heaphy, an Onslow resident and OVRA committee member. James talked us through his “Journey into Solar”, from his first consideration of the pros and cons, through the installation process with Infinity Renewables, to his satisfaction with the end product. It was a very useful and reassuring overview of what the process looks like in reality and the costs involved. James finished with a case study in Canada, illustrating just what can be achieved if you really commit!
The evening finished with a Q&A panel to answer questions from the audience. There was some discussion between the panel members about the relative efficiency of the new panels versus the old, but agreement that you shouldn’t be replacing old panels for newer ones if they still work (especially if you have a good tariff for selling your electricity back into the grid – which certainly wouldn’t be matched currently). Another question related to whether you had to get permission to put up solar panels, particularly in a conservation area. The consensus seemed to be that you didn’t, especially if they were not on the elevation facing the road.
It was a fascinating evening which OVRA hopes will help people along their own energy saving journey.
Arboretum Walks 11th May 2024
On Saturday the 11th of May, in glorious sunshine, forty OVRA members were treated to a guided walk around the Onslow Arboretum. Our guides for this arboreal safari were J-P and Gareth, respectively Guilford Borough Council Tree Officer and Nature and Countryside Warden.
The walks were aimed at helping us to know this wonderful local resource better, to understand some of the challenges it’s facing and to consider how we might help the Arboretum in the future.
The Walk
Each of our two groups were treated to a one-hour tour of the arboretum, during which we were introduced to a number of the tree species from around the world that are planted there. These included:
- Whitebeam: A hardy native tree that’s adapting well to climate change. It’s one of J-P’s favourite trees.
- Hornbeam: Meaning “Hard Wood”. It’s the hardest wood to grow in the UK.
- Horse Chestnut: With its’ wonderful flowers, but also the challenge of the leaf minor moth, which can sap its’ strength and cause smaller conkers to be formed.
- Pride of India: With its’ lovely lantern shaped seed pods, and the interesting fact that it’s actually Chinese, not Indian.
- Foxglove Tree: Which is struggling to adapt to our thin chalky soils and may need to be removed.
- Juniper: Which is slowly dying, but putting on a fantastic display of colour as it does. One walker called it the “Rainbow Tree”.
- Handkerchief Tree: With its’ wonderful large white flowers. We were a bit late arriving, as it’s at its’ best in April.
Along with the Lime , , Mountain Ash, Sequoioideae (Redwoods), Sweet Chestnut, Noble Fir, and Eucalyptus trees, among many others.
The Health of the Arboretum
J-P explained some of the challenges facing our Arboretum’s trees. That they need to survive in our climate and on thin chalk soils, despite coming from all over the world. Pollution from the A3 was hard for some of the trees to cope with, while climate change and recent wetter springs suited some trees which were thriving, but were stunting others. Overall, our tree officers think that the Arboretum is due a bit of a refresh, 20 plus years after the original plantings. With some trees needing to come out, as they are in poor health, other new trees being planted and a general tidy up to give the trees the space and air they need to thrive.
The Meadow
Gareth took over at this point and explained what a unique and precious landscape our small patch of meadow was, and how it significantly boosted the biodiversity of Onslow Village. From explaining the difference between Bulbous and Meadow Buttercups, one of which is “a bit of a brute” according to Gareth, to painting a picture of an English countryside that used to look like our meadow, before mechanised farming, fertilisers and the production of silage eradicated nearly all the meadow in the UK.
One of our walkers had completed his Zoology PhD at Surrey University, where he studied the differing levels of plant and invertebrate diversity in the Arboretum and on the manicured grounds of the University. It was no surprise to discover that the biodiversity in the Arboretum was many times higher than the University. Clearly Nature likes to be left alone and doesn’t mind a bit of an unkempt look at times.
Future Plans
Gareth and J-P would really like to set up a local group of volunteers to help look after the Arboretum, be that by clearing overgrowth, pruning, mulching or simply litter picking. They would also like to explore the possibility of planting a “Community Orchard” on some of the open ground alongside Manor Way.
Our walkers were generally enthusiastic about these ideas. J-P and Gareth will write to OVRA soon, to set out their thoughts and to seek the support of local residents. We will pass this message on, and hopefully help establish a group that helps the Arboretum flourish for many years to come.
Our special thanks go out to J-P and Gareth for sharing their time, knowledge, and enthusiasm with us. It really was a great morning in the sun.
James Heaphy
OVRA Committee Member
Jubilee/Centennial Garden Working Party
13th April 2024
A group of the four of us weeded , restocked and tidied the Jubilee garden on Saturday 13th April.
Our main task was tackling the hundreds of sycamore saplings that had seeded themselves. We planted some snowdrops and Lily of the valley plus some other native plants which were kindly donated from a members garden.
We were very lucky and had a lovely sunny morning. People passing stopped and chatted and said how much they enjoy sitting and admiring the garden.
Even a Blackbird couple appreciated our work and the uncovering of a few tasty worms!
We completed our morning with a well earned coffee and cake at Georgies cafe.
If anyone would like to help (there is no commitment to come regulary ) please contact myself Janet Hockley via OVRA .
