How do you heat a Church?

Posted on May 24, 2012 by

St Gilles Church Wrexham…and how do you heat one of these?

I was presenting yesterday at a conference in the magnificent St Gilles Church in Wrexham the largest parish Church in Wales. The conference was hosted by the Church in Wales and the theme of the day was sustainability with specific focus on the 1000 or so churches in Wales. I have been involved a few times with energy and churches. I find them difficult to deal with because you are sometimes looking to heat the whole building or parishioners  to comfort levels for only 2 hours a week but you also need to maintain the relative humidity to look after the contents and stop the lime mortar from degrading. (my heart also sinks when i see UPVC on these buildings) .  energy efficiency could yield quick wins such as more control, led lighting and so on.

There were some inspirational case studies such as the small church in Libanus near Brecon which is now an insulated box and is heated with an air source heat pump.  The major lesson for me is not which technology for heating but what use and how to adapt the building. The successful case studies seem to have adapted their churches into a multi use community sites by  bringing in more people, more use and making the energy decisions easier.

Today I was involved in a live radio debate on this subject and the presenter was being controversial and suggesting PV on everything. I it has really surprised me the willingness of people to adapt these buildings  in quite dramatic ways. PV, Solar thermal, biomass and so on. But over their lives Churches go through quite dramatic adaptations as taste and use changes and so a PV system in the right place is just another layer in the buildings patina

when i got back i did some googling and there is quite a bit out there on the subject

http://www.oxford.anglican.org/environment/news/your-church-a-renewable-energy-seminar-sat-5th-march.html

http://www.churchinwales.org.uk/press/display_press_release.php?prid=5382

Yesterday at ST Gilles. The subject had struck a chord judging by the number of people there

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LED – It is official. I am obsessed with candle bulbs!

Posted on May 22, 2012 by

For those of you following our ongoing quest to develop the perfect conservation grade LED lightbulbs I can now confirm that I am addicted to candle bulbs. I make no apologies for this as both Keith, myself and Iain at Heritage Lighting want to make sure that every possible requirement at our properties can be catered for.

We possess  a plethora of light fitments from chandeliers, wall lights and simple bedside lamps all within different settings. We need to ensure that a solution exists for every eventuality. With this at the forefront of our minds the development and range of options continues to grow -

Different base colours can now be chosen = Brass, black, matt silver and chrome effect.

Bases themselves can be – BC / SBC / ES / SES / CES / MES

We also took onboard feedback from properties and have ensured that SES “Screwfit” bases are not only glued in place, but strengthened even further by incorporating screw fixings, as well as options for greater chamfer at the base to get to those “hard to reach” connections.

Lighting output is also developing apace, offering solutions ranging from 1.5 watt to 12 watts. We have dimmable options, clear or opaque glass, and colour temperature of 2700K (warm white) and 2400K (extra warm white).

As we incorporate more LED solutions across our properties we will no doubt develop more options and solutions to our specific needs.

As I said right at the start I think it is now turning into an obsession. No doubt Mrs Southall will provide me with feedback shortly!

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Hafod y Llan (Snowdonia) economical micro hydro works kicks off

Posted on May 17, 2012 by

Afon Merch / Erch waterfall near the farm. I had forgotten how stunning this river was with its multiple cascading waterfalls surrounded by oaks and mosses

Spent this morning with Nic Wymer the intern from the centre for alternative technology We were scoping out the low-cost hydro site we are looking to develop at Hafod y Llan. (about 40m from the 650kw hydro) Before i arrived at the farm  i stopped at Hafod y Bwch outdoor education centre. the collection of old barns the NT  are developing with Plumpton College. Stunning location on the shores of Llyn Gwynant  in the shadow of Snowdon (see previous blog) The 4kw’s of PV are now on the roof, insulation going in (insulate well and heat with a candle type of approach here) the Sanyo monocrystaline panels are looking good and have an anodised frame in order to give a wholly black appearance. We should have also specked anodised brackets  as well but lesson learnt

Monocrystaline Pv looking good against the re-used slate on the roof. This roof is not the principal elevation and so the PV does not dominate the building

Still lots of work to do but the building is in the ‘bring it together’ phase now

Dave the Area ranger, Nic and myself walked up the river to look for a suitable weir point. Think this will be a head scratcher as there are plenty which are almost right. The river is a prime candidate for a 100kw + system but it was decided early on not to develop a large system here because of the damage which could be caused to the fragile oak woods. The challenge for the v small system is to look at how this demonstration system can be built almost by hand and to prefabricate as much as possible – both on cost but also around the build ability. the purpose of the system ultimately to share what we have learnt. One of the questions i am most often asked about developing hydros normally starts “I have a stream” running through the farm and was wondering what to do with it…well we are testing a lot of approaches with this slightly larger than domestic hydro and will be sharing…

Multiple waterfalls and a big ‘spatey’ river in a National Nature Reserve. Lets see what we can sensitively develop here.

The brief for Nic is brief. What can be built sensitively and of decent quality for under £20,000, with a sub 6 year payback which we can share with others? we hope to end up with a sort of practical and not theoretical tool kit for micro hydro

Dave and Nic looking at what is technically known as ‘stuff’ (one of the gorges along the river)

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Gower Biomass – quart into a pint pot

Posted on May 13, 2012 by

Faultless system – another biomass image Alun!

Been away for most of the week down in South Wales. Planning and discussing with colleagues. Paul and I visited the Neath Swansea and Port Talbot base at South Pillton Green in Gower. I was interested to see how the new districting heating biomass was behaving. The 35kw Froling boiler was snug in it containerised system and has been faultless…but

South Pillton Green – Holiday cottage and property base

As of last week the container which houses the biomass system is a bit of an odd shape. This is the result of a bit of ‘lack of engaging brain’ and Sian the the lead ranger is having to sort it out.   The odd shape has come about by a fuel delivery driver over filling the pellet store to a point where the container has warped a mite (a lot) walls and roof look like somebody has let off a stick of dynamite in the container. The boiler and the pellet feed system seem ok. But of course we can’t get into the fuel store since it is a tad full or over full of fuel. Sian  at the site is working through the cause with suppliers and delivery company (don’t envy her!). But best laid plans and all that… lets see what the damage is after the boiler has gone through the fuel and we can access the store. I’m glad this was a vacuum feed system and not auger fed from the store. With the damage you can see on the outside I’m sure there would have been a lot of pressure on any mechanical bits inside.

Warped side of the container – biomass and pellet store inside. Cause – yet to be determined fully (could be fuel pipe, human error, mechanical failure e.g. on the lorry)

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Hidden Hydros – another one of those tours

Posted on May 7, 2012 by

Boys and their toys. 1929 Gilks turbine lost in the undergrowth

I am besotted with old hydro sites and found a stunning example of a big system. I have been trawling the net looking for images of old systems and lo and behold just over the mountain to me there is an example. I tripped over some stunning images of a Gilks turbine looking regal in its dilapidated surroundings. I decided to have a scout around this afternoon in the rain and sort of fell on the system hidden in the Rhododendron and Laurel. It’s a huge beast of a thing. It is linked to a monster of an air compressor. All of the pipe work is still in place (if a bit perforated) as is the weir on the river Ogwen.

This would make a fantastic community resource given a mile of what ifs’. Am asking Gilks for some info on the turbine and then to do some research on the ‘I wonder if its possible’ for a community group… pipe dreams but you have to start somewhere.

Update: 08/05/2012

Kind people at Gilks gave me some more info on the turbine

  • Alfred H Richards for Lord Penrhyn, Port Penrhyn, Bangor
  • Serial No: 3593
  • Year of Sale: 1929
  • Mechanical Output: 164kW
  • Operating Head: 13.72m
  • Flow: 1.52m3/sec
Update 13/05/2012
Have been in discussion with Dafydd Watts from Ynni’r Fro to see if we could find a suitable community group who would consider this project. Don’t mind giving them technical support. this type of project needs people to own and develop. There is a community meeting on the 30th of May to discuss. Lots of ifs and buts but you have to start somewhere
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Low cost hydro – can it be done? #fir4future

Posted on May 7, 2012 by

Tom (left) and Nic discussing the development of a simplified and standardised hydro approach. Yes it must have been a very serious chat!

Nic Wymer an intern from the Centre for Alternative Technology started working with us last week. And his task? Following several community consultations on the large Snowdon hydro the same questions seemed to come out again and again. It usually starts “i have this stream which passes the house. How do i go about finding out about doing a small hydro?” what this showed was a large gap in information and examples for people to take home and implement

Nic’s task is to work with the NT and others and develop a more standardised and easier approach. Resulting in some form of hydro tool kit (documentation, examples, flow chart and so on). Peco (small) hydros can be prohibitively expensive simply because of the cost of the ‘expert’ engineers who are required to help. But having seen a few examples of systems which are ‘good enough’ and seen the cost reductions in a standardised and prefabricated approach this is an area we think we can look into.

Afon Merch (@NTPL Joe Cornish)

But developing a theory and an approach is ‘nice’ part of Nic’s project is to also develop an actual peco hydro to meet certain cost, quality and payback criteria. The ideal is a 5kw system which pays back in under 6 years but lets wait to see. The chosen river for this project is Afon Erch (or Merch) on Hafod y llan. Hafod y Llan is also the site of the 15kw and 650kw hydros. (Nic will be shadowing and be mentored by the engineers we have on site) Hopefully in 18 or so months we will have 3 hydros within 200m of each other. Above all the main driver is to share the information and ‘tool kits as they develop and will be available through this blog. seeing is believing!

Finally as a belt and braces and as a test of usability Tom an NT Building Surveyor from the N West will also be testing the tool kit on another possible peco hydro in the Lake District

 

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PV generation – Can’t beat a bit of rain!

Posted on May 6, 2012 by

Just over two months have passed since the photovoltaic panels were commissioned across wales. Keith and I have been working closely with property staff and prescient power to check that performance is in-line with our expectations.

Computer software calculations of expected generation are all very well, but what happens in reality – March was a fantastic clear and sunny month, but as we all know April was a bit wet to say the least.

Based on the results we have been getting though I can only think that the rain has seems to have done a really good job of keeping the panels clean.

Penrhyn castle – 5 percent above expected.

Dinefwr – 15 percent above expected.

Cwrt – a fantastic 34 percent above expected.

Cwrt system is not currently operating at full capacity as we have one string of panels and an inverter off line until the district network operator has carried out some upgrade works.

Plas Newydd is slightly down on expected generation, but the software model does not take into account the decision made to run a 740 metre cable from the PV location to the mansion. There are invariably voltage “line losses” by doing this.

The long cable run allows us to send the power directly to where it is needed, and therefore saves the property importing power at a higher cost. So in practice financially we get “more bang for our bucks” by using all of the power on site.

There are still some inverter issues at Powis castle system, but prescient power has been brilliant in working through solutions to this with the inverter manufacturers. We are nearly there!

Overall, the fantastic March weather has ensured that across Wales the overall generation is 6% above anticipated.

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