Foster Renewable Energies Brochure

Building Better Futures...

About usWe improve buildings but we work for people. And making surepeople are happy has been at the heart of our business, since it wasfounded by the Foster family in 1976. We have 98 per cent tenantsatisfaction, and that’s something we’re not letting go of. We’re proudof the strong relationships that have cemented us as leaders ofproperty services in the affordable housing and public sectors

About usMaking sure people are happy has been at theheart of Foster Property Maintenance (FPM)since it was founded in 1976. Since thenresolving environmental issues has becomecritical for the happiness of future generations.

Foster Renewable Energies (FRE) wasestablished in 2011 to address these issues.The company is MCS accredited, allowing usto design and install Micro-generationTechnologies.

Our team of highly-qualified experts are alwayson hand to offer advice, and practical solutions,making sure our customers achieve the bestrenewable energy solution to suit their needs.

Environment firstWith a breathtaking 50 per cent of the country’s carbon dioxide emissions coming from heat, lightand power from UK buildings, we think this area deserves attention. We specialise in designing,supplying and installing renewable energy systems. We also offer a service assisting clients toobtain funding where possible; to the Eastern Region and beyond.

FRE is about much more than jumping on the ‘green’ bandwagon. We aim to assist the region inachieving government targets, to source 15 per cent of the country’s energy from renewablesources by 2020. It’s an ambitious goal, but an achievable one.

How do we know this? Because the Foster family of companies has been embracingenvironmental initiatives and helping create sustainable futures through the communities we servefor years. We know that this ethos of looking at the bigger picture works for both local communitiesand business alike.

Please take a look through our company brochure, which illustrates our range of services andexplains the benefits of installing renewable energy systems.

About usBuilding Better Futures...

Welcome...

Foster Renewable Energies HQ, Wisbech.

We practice what we preachFoster Property Maintenance developed Foster Business Park in Wisbech in 2009, to house ourgroup headquarters and operational centre. Unit 7 is occupied by Foster Renewable Energies(FRE). These business units have been constructed to a high standard, with sustainability being aprime objective during design and construction. We have installed multiple arrays of solar PV(Photo Voltaic) panels on the roofs of these units to reduce our own carbon footprint.

HomeownersWhether you are carrying out refurbishment, or upgrading an existing system, we can help sourcefunding, design, supply and install a range of renewable energy systems from start to completion.Our experienced surveyors are on hand to explain the benefits.

Developers and self-builderHeat pumps on new-build projects are a great way to provide low cost heating and reduced carbonfootprint. Local authorities also encourage their use. We work with both clients and designers, fromconcept to completion, to find the best solution.

Social landlordsBenefits of renewable energy systems areindisputable: reducing fuel bills and providingcomfort heating. We offer a full service from thesourcing of funding to delivery.

Commercial propertiesBuilding owners can create income from PVinstallations that generate surplus electricity.They can also use this electricity themselves,reducing bills. We design systems and providefull summaries of potential financial benefits.

FarmingFarmers can gain income from PV installed onbarns or their own homes. We design systems,and provide calculations of potential benefits.

Renewable Energy IntroductionBuilding Better Futures...

Energy optionsRenewable energy technologies are no longerthe future; they can be found today in housingdevelopments and commercial facilities acrossthe UK.

Landlords and developers are in no doubt thatsolar PV, air and ground source heat pumps,solar thermal and heat recovery systemsimprove the efficiency of their properties.

We offer tailored services to individuals, large-scale developers, housing associations, localauthorities and anyone with property thatneeds to become more energy efficient.

Our support team advises on the most suitablesolutions for new build or retrofit, drawing on arange of manufacturers, appliances andapplications.

FundingMost investments in energy efficiency will‘pay for themselves’ through reduced billsover a period of time, however funding isalso available to provide cash up front orhelp speed up payback.

Government schemes such as the‘Renewable Heat Premium Payment’ and‘Warm Front’ schemes provide up-frontcash grants, whilst the proposed ‘GreenDeal’ will provide a loan that is repayableover a number of years from the savings inenergy bills. The Green Deal also aims toprovide subsidies to people with lowincomes or hard to treat properties.

If you generate green electricity, for exampleby installing PV or a wind turbine, you canbe rewarded for what you generate. The‘Feed-In Tariff’ rewards you for every unit ofelectricity that you generate; even if you useit all yourself, earning you an income andreducing your electricity bills at the sametime.

We can help guide you to find the mostsuitable source of funding for your project,from straightforward loft insulation to theinstallation of whole house energy systems.

Heating systemsUnder-floor or low temperature radiators, usinga ground or air source heat pump, provide ahigh efficiency heating system. We areaccredited Mitsubishi and Vaillant heat pumpinstallers and can obtain heat pumps fromother manufacturers if required.

Generating electricityA Solar PV system allows users to generatetheir own electricity, reducing how much theypurchase from the national grid. Users are alsopaid for generating electricity and for surpluspower transported to the grid. All our domesticPV installations are in line with the Micro-generation Certification Scheme (MCS). Salesare conducted under the requirements of theRenewable Energy Assurance scheme (REAL).

Hot water production / storageAn evacuated tube or flat plate solar panellinked to a solar thermal hot water cylinder canprovide cost free hot water during the warmermonths of the year. Combined with either aheat pump or conventional boiler, a solarthermal unit reduces fuel bills significantly.Modern unvented hot water cylinders on solarthermal systems prevent the need for waterstorage tanks.

VentilationAs buildings become more airtight, correctlevels of ventilation are essential. Whole houseventilation systems enable controlled airflow foroccupier well-being. Ventilation systems can bedesigned at source to correctly complementthe building.

Building Better Futures...Renewable Energy Introduction

Products for the FutureLow energy buildings are, and will become, more prominent in designs and application. Successive governments have graduallyincreased lower carbon emission targets for new housing and commercialbuildings, showing a clear need to improve energy efficiency. Renewabletechnologies comply with government standards, particularly for new build.

We can source a wide variety of products to service these requirements,such as:

• Air source heat pumps• Biomass boilers• Energy efficient gas boilers• External wall insulation• Ground source heat pumps• Rain water harvesting• Solar PV• Solar thermal• Under floor heating and low temperature radiators• Voltage optimisation units• Whole house ventilation

Air source heat pumpsBuilding Better Futures...

Air source heat pumpsThese pumps use heat from outside air toprovide ambient internal temperatures andenergy for your heating systems.

They offer you high levels of efficiencywhen used with underfloor heatingsystems or conventional ‘wet’ systemsthat have radiators.

The cost of installation is generally lowerthan for ground source heat pumps andthey can cut energy consumption byaround 50 per cent in comparison toconventional systems.

For maximum efficiency, air source heatpump systems need to be installed with ahot water cylinder suitable for lowtemperature operation.

Funding & GrantsUnder the governments Renewable HeatPremium Payment scheme administeredby the Energy Savings Trust(www.energysavingstrust.org.uk)grants of £850 are available for air source heat pumps subject toconditions.

An external unit (collector) requires aspace on an outside wall preferablywhere it can be easily accessed forboth installation and futuremaintenance. The cylinder(s) arelocated internally, and on a retro-fitinstallation, it's possible to use anexisting cylinder cupboard.

To obtain maximum efficiency, lowerflow temperatures than those usuallyproduced by a domestic boiler arerequired. Air source heat pumps cangenerate higher temperatures;although this reduces the economicand environmental advantages.

Building Better Futures...Energy efficient boilers

Biomass boilersAn alternative for homes that are ‘off gas’. Byusing wood pellets (or logs) hot water andenergy systems can be powered by renewableenergy.

Wood will give off carbon dioxide, but only thesame amount as was absorbed by the plantwhen it was growing – making this a carbonneutral fuel. In fact, it’s estimated that CO2

emissions can be cut by about 9.5 tonnes peryear if you replace electric storage heating orcoal fired systems with biomass boilers. The financial savings aren’t to be sniffed ateither: a wood burning system could save youbetween £170 and £390 per year.

Energy efficient gas boilersModern condensing gas boilers are far moreenergy efficient that older models, burning lessfuel for greater results.

This means that you’re not only emitting farless CO2, but converting from a conventionalboiler to a condensing boiler could save theaverage household between £190-£240 a yearin fuel bills.

Ground source heat pumpsBuilding Better Futures...

Ground source heat pumpsGround source heat pumps work by utilising the thermal energy contained in the earth surroundingthe proposed location.

They can provide the heating requirements of a well-insulated property all year round whilereducing energy consumption by up to 50 per cent in comparison to conventional systems.

Funding & GrantsUnder the governments Renewable HeatPremium Payment scheme administeredby the Energy Savings Trust(www.energysavingstrust.org.uk)grants of £1,250 are available for groundsource heat pumps subject toconditions.

Building Better Futures...Rainwater harvesting systems

Rainwater harvesting systemsRainwater harvesting units collect rain that falls onto roofs and stores it in a tank for use around thehome.

The harvested water is pumped to the point of use reducing the demand on mains water andmetered costs.

Additionally, the water stored does not enter the storm-water system, thus reducing the risk oflocalised flooding.

Building Better Futures...Solar hot water systems

Solar hot water systemsThese systems can provide between 50-70per cent of a household’s hot water. Solarcollectors absorb heat from the sun, beforetransferring this to heat the domestic watersupply.

With a suitable solar thermal cylinder, solarhot water systems can be used withconventional oil, gas or biomass boilers aswell at heat pumps.

Funding & GrantsUnder the governments RenewableHeat Premium Payment schemeadministered by the Energy SavingsTrust grants of £300 are available forsolar thermal hot water systemssubject to conditions.

Building Better Futures...Solar PV

Solar PVThey also don’t just save energy and protect the environment; they also provide a tidy return oninvestment. By harnessing the sun’s energy to create into electricity, the panels feed power intothe house. But the real beauty is that any excess energy is fed back into the National Grid,meaning that you could make anything from £650-850 each year.

Feed-in-Tariff scheme (FiT)A Feed in Tariff (FiT) scheme operates in the UK. This was implemented as the “clean energycash back scheme” to encourage householders to generate their own electricity from arenewable source to help accelerate the reduction of carbon emissions.

The FiT scheme guarantees a minimum payment for all electricity generated by PV systems, aswell as a separate payment for excess electricity exported back to the grid. This is paid to thehouseholder or owner of the PV system. As well as this guaranteed tax free return, thehouseholder also benefits from saving money by using electricity they generate. At present allsystems will benefit from the FiT in place at the time of installation, set for the lifetime of the FiT.

Underfloor heating & low temperature radiatorsBuilding Better Futures...

Underfloor heating and lowtemperature radiatorsCombining either underfloor heating orlow temperature radiators with a heatpump delivers the most efficient methodof heating a home.

With underfloor heating, a series of pipesin laid beneath a concrete screed, timberflooring or surface of your choice. Asunderfloor heating is best at 30°C, andheat pumps are most efficient whenproducing hot water at this temperature,you can achieve maximum efficiency.

For retro fit or new build homes, lowtemperature radiators can be used with, oras an alternative to, underfloor heating.

Similar to under floor, low temperatureradiators linked to linked to a heat pumpoperate at maximum efficiency andmaintain ideal room temperature quicklyand comfortably.

Building Better Futures...Whole house ventilation

Whole house ventilationTo obtain improved efficiencies, ourmodern buildings have become more andmore airtight, increasing the need formechanical ventilation.

Currently areas such as toilets, bathroomsand kitchens now require systems toremove moist and polluted air from them.This is achieved by extracting internal airthrough ducts using a single fan from “wet”rooms expelling the used air outside whilstallowing fresh air to enter the buildingthrough natural ventilation.

Combining mechanical ventilation withheat recovery (MVHR) produces a systemcapable of recovering up to 90 per cent ofthe heat being expelled from the building towarm the incoming fresh air; these areknown as MVHR systems and providegreater efficiencies for the performance ofthe building as it reduces demands onenergy and carbon emissions.

These systems continually extract thepolluted air from wet areas. The used air ispassed through a heat exchanger wherethe latent heat is extracted and used towarm the fresh air entering the building.This method has a direct impact on noiseingress as it eliminates the need for tricklevents.

Particularly useful in new build properties,MVHR provides the most effective methodof meeting Part F and L of the buildingregulations and higher levels for the Codefor Sustainable Homes.

ShowroomBuilding Better Futures...

Visit usWhat’s the point of a showroom if you can’t doa little showing off?

We invite you to visit the FRE showroom at ourWisbech headquarters. Here you can view awide range of the latest renewable energytechnologies and talk through your needs withour expert advisors – we think you’ll find itworth the trip.

Need more convincing?Here are just a few good reasons to choose FRE:

You can come and see, touch and experience for yourself all the latest renewable energy technologies.

We take you through all viable options and build a bespoke package to suit your needs.

Our experts are well-trained to give you the advice you need.

We cover East Anglia and beyond so we’re more than likely to be able to service your requirements.

We tick the right boxes; we’re fully accredited.

We keep it in the family –our own fully trained in-house staff carry out all operations.

We’re good at hand-holding – we assist from inception to completion.

We put you first – from involving you in every aspect of the project to talking in plain English.

We help you make money – we’ll show you how our systems can benefit from government schemes.

We take our commitment to customer satisfaction very seriously.

Building Better Futures...Building Better Futures...

Building Better Futures...

Smooth installationWhen it comes to installing energy efficient systems we won’t leave you short-changed. FRE offers a fully comprehensive service from inception to completion.

We start at the very beginning; looking at your drawings and assessing the viabilityof a scheme. Our quote will be accurate, so we both know where we standupfront. We’ll then advise on which system gives the most effective results andlong-term benefits.

We won’t baffle you with science – we give clear information and we’ll keep youinformed every step of the way.

Testimonials

“Having decided to replace our night storage heaters, wewanted an alternative heat source and contacted FRE. Theygave us sound advice from the start and we asked them toinstall an air source heat pump and new radiator heatingsystem. All of the workmen were polite, tidy and did a firstclass job. The supervisor explained how the system worksand we are really satisfied with the overall job.” Mr. M

“I’d been looking at solar PV systems for a while and havingheard of FRE asked them for a quote. They supplied clear,concise information and their initial survey was thoroughand their quote well-detailed. Once I’d place the order, Iwas given a works programme and all the workmen turnedup on time, worked well together and carried out work to ahigh standard. I’m really pleased with the job and lookingforward to lower fuel bills.” Mr. E

"Moved heaven and earth to make sure our system wasinstalled by our deadline, superb service." Mr & Mrs. E

"An honest appraisal of our needs. Did not try and sell usanything we didn't want. No sales pressure - a refreshingchange from other companies." Mr & Mrs. O

"We have been very pleased with all our dealings andwould have no hesitation in recommending FosterRenewable Energies." Mr & Mrs. R

"We are well satisfied. The price was reasonable and I hopewe have a good investment!" Mr. T

“Prior to Fosters removing my electric radiators I wasspending £12-£14 per day on electricity. Since my new AirSource Heat Pump was installed I spend £2.50 per day –even before my Solar Thermal has been fitted!”

Mrs. H, Cotman Housing Resident

“From the initial project feasibility appraisal, FRE hasworked collaboratively with my team, securing partial grantfunding for the homes occupied by residents who wereexperiencing fuel poverty. The speed of mobilisation andinstallation of Air Source and Solar Thermal Heatingequipment meant residents benefited from more efficientand cost effective heating, a significant improvement fromtheir previous inefficient and unreliable electric heating. Theresidents now have more controllable heating with theadded benefit that the energy necessary has come from amore sustainable resource.''

Nigel Gardiner, Cotman Housing Association

Reasons to choose us

This brochure is printed on 100% recycled paper

t. 01945 466660 f. 01945 586990www.fre-ltd.co.uk

[email protected]

PROPERTY MAINTENANCE LTD

www.fre-ltd.co.uk www.fpm-ltd.co.uk

Head Office: T: 01945 586999 F: 01945 586990 Unit 1, Foster Business Park, 79 Boleness Road, Wisbech, Cambridgeshire PE13 2XQ

Eastern Regional Office: T: 01603 747040 F: 01603 747041Unit 22, Morgan Way, Bowthorpe, Norwich NR5 9JJ

Southern Regional Office: T: 01449 722205 F: 01449 722206 18/19 Maitland Road, Lion Barn Industrial Estate, Needham Market, Suffolk IP6 8NZ

Northern Regional Office: T: 01476 576983Unit 7, Priest Court, Springfield Business Park, Caunt Road, Grantham, Lincolnshire NG31 7BG

Foster Renewable Energies Brochure

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