Sundog Broadens Renewable Offerings
Following the launch of a solar advice centre, Sundog Energy is expanding the facility to include wood-pellet biomass boilers, ground and air source heat pumps, solar water heating and wind turbines, making it a truly one-stop shop for the renewable energy solutions that make most sense for Cumbrian businesses and homes. The new Renewable Energy Advice Centre provides hands-on displays of typical products and systems to help dispel the mysteries and explode some of the myths surrounding renewable energy, with good honest advice, based on Sundog's 16 years of experience in the industry.
Visitors can see first-hand, the components that fit together to form a complete solar PV system. The display includes a full sized demonstration roof showing how PV panels are mounted on a building and examples of the various products such as solar PV panels, inverters and monitoring equipment. They can also view Sundog's 14kW PV system that produces a substantial part of Sundog's electricity needs as well as providing a steady index-linked income. In addition, they will be able to get advice on biomass boilers that run on environmentally friendly wood pellets, air and ground source heat pumps, solar hot water systems, and learn about wind turbines.
According to Martin Cotterell, Sundog's founder and Technical Director, "Interest in renewable energy solutions is definitely on the increase as people become more and more aware of rising fuel costs and the issue of climate change. Yet there is still confusion surrounding the different technologies and the benefits they bring, which is why the advice centre will provide the facts that are vital to anyone considering a renewable energy system".
And it is not just of interest to homeowners. Hotels, farms, small and large businesses are all waking up to the benefits and financial returns that can be enjoyed. The Government's Renewable Heat Initiative (RHI) currently provides an attractive pay-back for biomass (wood fuelled) boilers and other renewable heat technologies for commercial, industrial and domestic community heating projects. Domestic projects are currently eligible for Government grants and the RHI is expected to be extended to domestic projects during 2013 and to be applied retrospectively to those installed since 2009.
