Stand G60
12th – 14th June 2012

Please email info@sersltd.co.uk should you wish to receive an invite to the event.

As of April 1^st 2012 in order to be able to benefit from full FIT payments the building in which the installation is to take place must have an Energy Performance Certificate of band D or above. Independent renewables advisor You Gen estimate that only just under half of the UK’s housing stock have an EPC certificate of band D or above meaning the market eligible for FIT’s has halved overnight.

But it’s not as bad as it sounds! If the building doesn’t have a rating of band D or above it will still receive FIT payments, they will just be a lot lower; just under half. For some buildings just installing the PV technology itself will bring its rating up to band D, although this should be checked properly as it will only apply to SOME buildings.

In fact the situation isn’t really that bad. With the Green Deal coming into force in October and much of the UK’s housing stock benefitting from grant funded insulation the energy efficiency ratings of buildings are improving daily making more and more eligible.

If you are unsure what band your building is and therefore whether you are eligible for full FIT payments please get in contact with us and we can help to arrange and EPC survey.

The booklet which is given to children across the country hopes to inform and raise awareness of the importance of road safety. It includes information on playing safe, riding your bike safety including maintenance of bikes, and how to be safe as a pedestrian.

More and more landlords are enquiring about installing external wall insulation onto their rented properties as they have realised the benefits that can be sought from doing so.

External wall insulation improves the thermal efficiency of a building thus reducing bills and making it warmer for tenants; this makes the property more rentable and at a higher monthly rate. It also dramatically improves the appearance of buildings thus giving them a makeover at the same time; perfect if you are fed up of shelling out money to keep having it painted year on year as there is no need to paint!

Not only that, The Insulated Render and Cladding Association believe that external wall insulation adds value to a building and also makes it more saleable in the future!

If all of the benefits of external wall insulation are not enough to sway you to retrofit your stock then the Landlords Energy Saving Allowance may help to make the decision to invest in your future a little easier.

The Landlords Energy Saving Allowance scheme allows landlords to claim tax relief on properties in which they have insulation installed. Up until recently the amount available hasn’t been significant; this however has changed. Landlords are able to claim £1500 tax relief for installing external wall insulation, for each flat in a building. Before they were only able to claim £1500 for the whole building but this now means that if there are 6 flats in a building then the landlord can claim £9,000 in tax relief – each year up until 2015! VAT is also reduced for landlords to 5%.

For more information on the Landlords Energy Saving Allowance please visit the DirectGov website.

In October 2012 the Green Deal comes into force and is extremely appealing to landlords. Please read our blog The Green Deal; why it’s so Appealing to Landlords

The books have been produced and donated in association with D.A.T.A ( Developing Awareness to Adolescents).

D.A.T.A’s aim is to educate on the devastating effect that drugs and alcohol has on users and the people around them. Through clear education they hope to make young people aware that drugs are not safe to take; in a society in which these habits are becoming more common and accepted amongst the young.

SERS Ltd are always interested in supporting their local community and welcome further suggestions. We have an office in Cannock and an office in Pengam.

This year was my first year visiting Eco Build and what a fantastic event it was. Around 90,000 visitors and over 1,500 exhibitors from around the world descended on ExCel (London) for three days to look at new products, sit in seminars and presentations, hear debates and negotiate deals.

With a jam packed conference programme running throughout the three days, live demonstrations on exhibitor’s stands, seminar talks held on other stands – there was plenty to keep you busy. In fact it was impossible to see and hear it all. With keynote addresses from the likes of Gregory Barker MP, minister of State for Energy and Climate Change, the event provided the perfect bed for debate.

What was the hot topic? There were a few however The Green Deal seemed to be what everyone was talking about. People from all walks of life keen to learn how this revolutionary need funding is going to benefit them and protect our environment. As I walked round I could see cluster after cluster of people all in hot discussion many of them talking Green Deal ideas as we all wait with anticipation for the final details to be announced.

From carpets to cement, insulation to installers, solar technology to surveying and everything in between – the event had it all. With leading industry experts and specialist accreditation representatives there was a high calibre of audience all hoping to get ahead in the market place.

There were however the odd few homeowners and small developers there, enjoying looking round all of the gadgets on offer from Eco friendly hoovers to emission free paint. With the right enthusiasm and inspiration their homes have the potential to become a sustainable haven.

I hope to attend Eco Build 2013 and am keen to take SERS there as a Specialist Energy Saving Solutions exhibitor.

SERS were a short listed finalist in the Low Carbon category, and although we didn’t win on the night it was great to get involved and be a finalist.

Hopefully 2013 is an even more successful year - not long until we will be working on our submission!

With vans being added all the time we hope to have all vans representing the new SERS image within the next 12 months.

Our New Van Design

Climate Week is a supercharged national campaign to inspire a new wave of action on climate change. It culminates in thousands of events and activities, planned by organisations from every sector of society. Showcasing real, practical ways to combat climate change, the campaign aims to renew our ambition to create a more sustainable, low-carbon future.

Climate Week is backed by every part of society – from the Prime Minister to Paul McCartney, the NHS to the Met Office, the TUC to the CBI, Girlguiding UK to the National Association of Head Teachers. It is supported by a Headline Partner Tesco, and four Supporting Partners: EDF Energy, H&M, Nissan and SodaStream. During the first Climate Week in 2011 over 3,000 events were attended by half a million people across the UK.

Start thinking about how you could showcase your organisation’s sustainability initiatives during Climate Week 2012. Whatever you are doing, make sure you register your event on the Climate Week website and help to create a national movement for change.

To find out more about getting involved in Climate Week go to www.climateweek.com, email info@climateweek.com or telephone on 020 3397 2601.

SERS are Supporting Climate Week

Just a week after installation, 3 out of the 16 ZNShine 250W solar PV modules installed were stolen with luckily the thieves being disturbed whilst attempting to remove their 4^th.  A keen environmentalist, the Mayor Cllr Vera Jenkins, had the PV panels installed in order to generate her own electricity and benefit from the feed in tariff.

Due to the installation being so recent the system had yet to be insured leaving the Mayor and her family somewhat upset due to the extra cost required to replace the missing panels. Luckily SERS were able to help and have replaced the panels free of charge on the same day as they were noticed missing! With just over a week to go until Christmas the situation could have potentially disrupted the festive holiday for the family and SERS are pleased that they were able to prevent this.

Mike Cribb Operations Director for SERS Renewables said “We received a call regarding the PV system we had installed on the Mayors house and the possibility that one of one the panels was loose. We went over to the property straight away and as soon as we arrived it became clear that the arrangement of panels had changed and some were missing. The loose panel was the fourth one which the thieves had tried to remove but had to leave behind following disturbance. The panels were stolen in broad daylight and the thieves had the correct tools and ‘know how’ to remove them from the system without damaging the panels or the rest of the system”.

Mr and Mrs Jenkins said  “We had 16 PV Panels installed by our local branch (Mike Cribb and his crew) in December 2011. The installation was quick, clean and very satisfactory. The installation team were very professional and polite leaving our premises in the same way they found it. We have no hesitation in recommending SERS to anyone contemplating purchasing this brilliant technology”.

The Missing Panels

They claim that even with the recent energy price drops the average fuel bill is around £1,163 a year! They advise that if you wish to slash your bills by up to half then you should insulate your home now.

Two thirds of heat is lost through uninsulated walls and roofs but by installing cavity wall insulation and loft insulation savings of up to 310 a year can be achieved. However, should you install external wall insulation to a solid wall building alongside loft insulation the NIA reports that the savings are even greater; up to £695 a year!

Neil Marshall, Chief Executive of the NIA, commented: “Home insulation is the single most effective method of saving money on domestic energy bills, with savings continuing year on year! There are fast – rising consumer costs in many other areas too so why wait a moment longer to put these money-saving measures into place?”

The press release advises householders to contact the NIA for their local installer. SERS are a member of the National Insulation Association meaning we are qualified installers who are bound by a strict Code of Professional Practice. We are also able to provide advice on the range of grants available.

Robert Smith at Work on Penywaun

Wherever possible we try to utilise local employment on all contracts. It is important that this practice takes place as we like to give back to the community in which we work. It is also important that at all viable opportunities we pass on our experience to apprentices and work experience students.

But when we started our site in Penywaun we took on a local labourer who was a little closer to home than we realised!

Whilst working on a contract for RCT homes, SERS were encouraged where possible to employ locally based labour whilst in the area. Although this is something which SERS tries to do on all contracts it is sometimes something which is encouraged as part of an agreement as is the case here.

Employed in September 2010 Robert Smith is not only an RCT tenant in the area, but he was also born in the street in which we were working on. As a tenant living and working in the area Robert recently told a local newspaper

“I’m really enjoying working for SERS; all the guys in the team are great. I love working so locally. I feel like I am making a real difference to my neighbours and the community”.

Site manager at Penywaun Mark Thomas said “We like to take on local boys … he has been a great addition to the team!!”.

A lot can be learnt for both the employer and employee when taking on local labour and we really recommend that businesses make the most of local talents.

SERS have been highly commended in the Building Excellence Awards in category 5 – Sustainability Project.

The Penywaun site started back in 2010 with a pilot scheme and since then has gone from strength to strength. We have currently installed external wall insulation to approximately 314 RCT and privately owned homes. In its second year, the scheme is planned to see SERS install external wall insulation onto a further 114 RCT homes with 42 planned to be completed by the end of March 2012. The scheme will also see around 45 more privately owned properties benefit by the end of March.

The external wall insulation promises to keep residents warmer, reduce fuel bills and help to make the area more sustainable. The insulation also dramatically improves the appearance of a property thus uplifting the whole community.

For more information on the Penywaun site and the awards please click here.

Collecting our Certificate. From right to left, Laurie Morris of SERS, Rhys Steel of Michael Dyson Associates, Mark Thomas of SERS, The Mayor of Rhondda Cynon Taf, two employees from P&P Building & Roofing Contractors Ltd

The homes in Trevethin caught ablaze following a fire which accidently started out in a local shed on January the 19th. Eight houses were evacuated and two homes left severely damaged with a further two being smoke damaged.

Working on site locally, Graham and Anne bravely helped to assist in the evacuation to get everyone to safety whilst the fire caused widespread panic.

Chief Executive Duncan Forbes writes “I’m really proud of the way staff and contractors have been involved in supporting the tenants and residents in this community during this difficult time”.

In order to reduce the heat which was being lost through the walls it’s owners asked SERS to install external wall insulation to the exterior of the property. This in turn will reduce the carbon footprint of the house, saving around 2663kgCO2 per annum; which equates to 79,886kgCO2 over the next 30 years!

By starting with the fabric of the building, its owners can now go on to make further energy efficiency changes whilst being assured that their efforts won’t be in vein. Very little heating will be required providing the building has adequate insulation – making external wall insulation one of the ‘greenest’ measures around.

The site at Penywaun, Hirwaun has been nominated in category 5 – a sustainability project with the awards ceremony is being held on Friday the 20^th of January 2012 at the Heritage Park Hotel, Trehafod.

The Penywaun site started back in 2010 with a pilot scheme and since then has gone from strength to strength. We have currently installed external wall insulation to approximately 314 RCT and privately owned homes. In its second year, the scheme is planned to see SERS install external wall insulation onto a further 114 RCT homes with 42 planned to be completed by the end of March 2012. The scheme will also see around 16 more privately owned properties benefit by the end of March.

The external wall insulation promises to keep residents warmer, reduce fuel bills and help to make the area more sustainable. The insulation also dramatically improves the appearance of a property thus uplifting the whole community.

For more information on the Penywaun site please visit the two case studies below.

Partnering Pilot Programme

300 More Homes to Benefit from External Wall Insulation in the Aberdare Area

Founded in 1889 the club has been a member of the Welsh Rugby Union since 1918. We hope the team is highly successful this season and we wish them the best of luck.

 http://www.pitchero.com/clubs/blackwoodrfc/

The Blackwood Rugby Club Youth TeamThe Blackwood Rugby Club Youth Team

A cavity constructed home is one in which the external walls of the property have a cavity running through them thus providing a higher level of insulation than solid walled properties which have no such cavity. Many new properties are built with cavity walls and are often filled with insulation however this is not the same story for older properties.

Cavity walls traditionally had an air pocket in the cavity which acts like the insulation. This unfortunately is not the best method of reducing heat loss and so many homes with cavity walls are having these air gaps filled with cavity wall insulation.

But this is not always possible. Sometimes the cavity is too narrow for it to be filled with enough insulation to meet the required building regulation and so home owners must turn to another method of insulation with external wall insulation being the best solution. With the requirement for a reduction in carbon emissions these regulations are going to get stricter and stricter thus ruling out more and more homes which are suitable for cavity wall insulation.

Properties where the cavity is failing badly are another example of cavity walls which cannot be filled and therefore require external wall insulation.  Not always is the cavity clear enough to insulate and provide the reduced heat loss it should thus leaving the home as cold as a solid walled one. In this circumstance attempting to fill the cavity will be unsuccessful and result in cold spots; therefore the property is treated like a solid walled one and insulated externally.

Officially announced today in Construction News magazine and online the awards will be presented on the 20^th March at the London Hilton Hotel, Park Lane.

The project entered into this category was for our participation on the Walsall CESP scheme. To read more about the scheme please visit the case study here.

One of the houses on the Walsall scheme

Orchard Farm in Stafford is a detached 18^th Century four bedroomed house of solid wall construction; heated by oil. As a result it was often cold and was getting progressively more and more expensive to heat. Luckily SERS were able to help by insulating their home and made somewhat of a good impression!

“To say that we are delighted with the finished job is something of an understatement! From our first discussion about having our property insulated (after only some 250 years!) we have appreciated the way you have provided a first class service throughout. The attention to detail has been excellent and the performance of your team left everyone ‘gobsmacked’ in terms of both the quality of work and the speed with which it was completed. The finishing touch has been the way the site has been left in pristine condition. Both friends and passers-by have gone out of their way to comment on how good the finished installation looks”.

“Now, we will be able to enjoy a warm, cosy environment whatever the elements throw at us without breaking the bank as a result of ever rising fuel bills!” The Homeowners.  

Orchard Farm

Orchard Farm

Orchard Farm

What is it?

Introduced in August 2011 the Renewable Heat Premium Payment Scheme was launched to encourage homeowners to swop to renewable heating systems. The provision of a financial incentive is to entice people to make the change with the overall aim of the scheme being to reduce the UK’s carbon emissions.

This scheme is the forerunner of the Renewable Heat Incentive for domestic homeowners and was designed by the Government to help people afford renewable technologies for their home. Funding of around £15 million will be used to make direct payments to subsidise the cost of installing the system.  Below is a table which shows the amount of funding available for each measure:-

How it works

Initially a voucher for the funding will be applied for, following receipt of this the installation shall be carried out with the voucher being returned for a discount on the installation.

Who is eligible?

The scheme is open for applications from people in England, Wales and Scotland.

Things to Consider

The only thing which homeowners must agree to in order to receive these payments is provide feedback on how the equipment works in practice.

Depending on the product you are installing it is essential that you go with an installer that is relevantly certified. Please visit the Energy Saving Trust for more information.

There are some eligibility criteria including the levels of insulation in the home which must have. Please visit the Energy Saving Trust for more information.

When does the scheme end?

The offer is cash limited so make sure you act quickly to ensure you are not dissatisfied. The scheme also expires in March 2012, providing all of the funding has not been allocated.

The Energy Saving Trust is administering the Renewable Heat Premium Payment of behalf of the Department for Energy and Climate Change. Find out more how to apply for this funding and further details on eligibility.

The Recently Insulated Orchard Farm

Homeowners of Orchard farm in Stafford can rest assured that they will be warm this Christmas thanks to the external wall insulation which has been installed by SERS Ltd. Not only will the winter months be cosy for them; they no longer need to worry about spiralling fuel prices as external wall insulation promises to cut bills.

Applied to the exterior of solid walls, external wall insulation reduces the amount of heat lost through the walls helping to heat the room quicker and to maintain the required temperature. The Energy Saving Trust estimates that savings on fuels bills of up to 40% can be achieved making it a great long term investment.

The owners found that the 250 year old property was often very cold and was becoming increasingly expensive to heat due to spiralling fuel bills which seem to be uncapped at the present time. When it came to re render the property, they decided that instead of just applying a coat of render it would be more beneficial to insulate the walls first. Funding under the Carbon Emissions Reduction Target was also available to help towards the costs of having the work done.

Rolled out in two phases, phase one started in July and is applicable to non-domestic properties such as businesses and commercial units. Phase 2 however is for the domestic homeowner and will be rolled out alongside the Green Deal in October 2012. For more information on the Green Deal please visit our blog here.

The types of low carbon heat sources which will be covered by this incentive include

• Biomass Boilers
• Air-Source Heat Pumps
• Ground Source Heat Pumps
• Solar Thermal Panels
• Plus other renewable heat incentives

Phase One

As mentioned above the first phase was launched earlier this year is targeted at businesses and commercial properties; the big emitters. This phase covers factories, small businesses and community buildings and provides a long term tariff to those who install renewable heat sources.

Phase Two

Phase two will come into force around October next year (date to be confirmed) to coincide with the Green Deal’s launch. This will provide long term tariff support for installers of renewable heat systems. The launch of the Renewable Heat Incentive to coincide with The Green Deal launch will allow homeowners to take a whole house approach to energy saving and renewable heat production; rather than choosing one or the other.

How The Incentive Works

1. A renewable heat measure is installed into the building be it commercial or domestic. It’s essential that it is checked that the measure you are installing is on the list which qualifies for this incentive.
2. Now the system has been installed it is possible for you to get an estimate of how much heat the system will produce.
3. A fixed amount will then be paid based on that estimate for generating your own heat.
4. Registration onto the scheme via Ofgem will ensure the tariff will remain constant.

Unfortunately further details on this incentive have yet to be decided with regards to the domestic sector, but as soon as they are we will post them on the blog.

For more details on the renewable heat incentive please visit the Renewable Heat Incentive Advisor Website.