Why you should use independent renewable energy consultants

“Why should I use an independent renewable energy consultant?”, is a question that we often get asked.

The answer to that can be explained by this case study of a recent project Viridis Energie Consultants have worked on:

Whilst the project included several renewable energy technologies, the main issue surrounded the main house-

The house (around 600m2) is over 100 years old, mainly single glazed, with minimal roof insulation, solid wall construction, and many of the original radiators were still in place. Due to the aesthetics, the client was unwilling to make any major insulation changes (in particular to the windows).

The client was interested in renewable heating, but in particular a ground source heat pump. They invited 3 “well known” installers to specify and quote for the installation. Each of them came up with different solutions:

The size of heat pump ranged between 33kw and 58kw. One company said that “slinkies” would work, whilst the other 2 said it would require bore holes.

Only one company mentioned the need for radiators more suitable for low temperatures, and only one company suggested that a GSHP would not be suitable for the project, and offered another solution. That solution was a biomass boiler (interestingly, they were the only company to install biomass too??!!).

Installation costs varied significantly too- From around £30K to over £100k!

The moral of the story??

At the very least, speak to a renewable energy consultant. But, be careful, many companies have “consultants”. However, they very often have a “sales and installation” arm to the company…..

---