This weekend for the second year running, Orangehouse Renewables will be exhibiting at the Self Build and Design Show in Peterborough. Please do come and say hello - we'll be on Stand E4 - F4 . Back by popular request, Alex Driver our director will be giving a talk on "Renewable energy and super efficient heating" in the Masterclass series at 2.50pm on Saturday. (Don't forget to bring along your custard pies and rotten vegetables etc!) We have a few free tickets spare to gi

As another winter season approaches, our thoughts inevitably turn to heating our homes and the ever increasing cost of this. Although gas and electricity prices have been fairly stable for a while now (falling approximately 2% each year from 2013-2015) oil prices albeit low, are typically volatile. The current scenario, which sees steadlly rising prices both at the garage forecourt and in our oil tanks, seems to be subject to almost random influences. Factors such as a strat

As with any complex system comprising of numerous parts - some individual components are relatively unknown. A good example of this is the humble manifold chamber - an essential but low profile part of a ground source system (they are usually buried in the ground!) A manifold chamber takes all of the pipes carrying the heat from the ground (usually 6 ports, but can be as many as 20 ) and converts them to two larger header pipes which go on to the heat pump itself. Recently we

For those of you who are interested in this sort of nitty gritty. The photo below shows the contents taken from a strainer on the pipework from a ground loop into one of our heat pump systems. The system was just 5 months old at the time of the inspection.... As you can see, it is mostly plastic pipe scrapings with the odd bit of organic debris (leaf) etc. These strainers need to be checked and emptied regularly so as to avoid blockages and a consequent reduction in the flow

We are increasingly being asked to quote for the installation of Mechanical Ventilation and Heat Recovery systems (MVHR). Self builders will be only too aware that in their quest for better insulated and air-tight properties, building regulations are becoming ever more stringent and in order to comply with Part F for ventilation there is often a requirement to install MVHR. The basic principle of MVHR is that it sucks warm stale air out of kitchens and bathrooms etc, extrac

As a renewable energy company we take sustainability very seriously, and so are delighted to be participating in an exciting exhibition scheduled for the beginning of next month at Stamford Arts Centre. Bright Green Energy Show 2016 The Gallery: Stamford Arts Centre Monday 7th March – Saturday 12th March Admission Free to all Events This first Bright Green Energy Show will combine an exhibition with evening events, exploring a range of topics from Passivhaus building standard

Winter is the season when we tend to become more aware of our heating systems and more crucially, how much they cost us to run. Although outside temperatures are uncharacteristically mild at the moment, they have been much lower. For example, the lowest recorded temperature this year was -12.4 ºC in Kinbrace, Sutherland (19th January) Brrrrr.... The relationship between conventional fuels - such as oil and gas - and the heat output is straightforward, and usually just depend

The winter season is a busy time of year for us at Orangehouse, with the annual servicing visits in addition to our usual installations. A good service optimises the heat pump system to function smoothly and efficiently in the colder weather. They can also catch any minor issues which may have arisen over the year - so preventing system breakdowns at those crucial moments! At an annual service inspection our engineers will perform various checks and cleaning functions includi

Happy New Year for 2016 from all of us here at Orangehouse Renewables. Early January and the air temperatures are mild at 7oC. These current conditions, particularly with the soil being so wet, mean that ground source heat pumps are operating efficiently at ground temperatures of 10-11oC. Consequently our customers should be toasty warm AND happier with lower electricity bills! Underfloor heating really comes into it's own at this time of year. Warm floors give a higher level

Did you see us at the NEC? This was our first ever show, but we doubt it will be our last! We had a fantastic time at the show and were continually inundated with people keen to know more about renewable technologies and how they can be used in their own home. Because we install all of the renewable heating technologies (Air Source Heat Pumps, Ground Source Heat Pumps, Solar Thermal and Biomass) people were pleased to be given unbiased opinions as to which technology would b