From Guest Blogger Megan Thompson: Renewables That Could Transform City Living

It is easy to see that, for many people, a lack of greenery around their home can demonstrate that there are very few options for renewable energy. This is particularly true in the city where people can have a more negative outlook on the potential for green energy solutions to be distributed to them without the advantages that other homes have for generating their own renewable energy. However, there are ways in which city living can be made more green and sustainable.

Heating System Advances

New technology has developed that can see even apartment buildings generating their own renewable sources of energy. One that is growing in popularity is a biomass heating system. Able to provide energy to an entire block – depending on the size and scale of the system and the number of homes needing heat – a biomass system is undoubtedly one of the most sustainable forms of generating heat in city homes today.

Commonly fuelled by woodchips, biomass boilers are not only able to release far less carbon dioxide into the atmosphere and reduce an entire block’s carbon footprint, but they are a suitably cheaper to run than standard gas or electric heating systems. Biomass boiler fuels are typically 40% cheaper than standard oil/LPG fuels,  and their management is fairly minimal besides the cleaning of the fuel chamber on a semi-regular basis to keep efficiency at its maximum.

In the UK, schemes have been developed to promote the use of biomass and carbon reduction in communities across the country, with the introduction of a government Renewable Heat Incentive paying out small amounts of money over seven years to cover some of the initial installation costs for each biomass system in use. Monetary motivation is never a bad idea for a government looking to improve its green potential.

Taking Solar to New Heights

It is not only heat energy that can see an improvement for those in city lifestyles. Solar panels are commonly thought to only be able to be used on the roofs of houses, but has your community considered solar panels on the roofs of apartment buildings? There are options available to have an installation of solar panels for entire communities, and your apartment block could see the benefits of real renewable energy in action.

A 4kWh system could potentially save you from generating up to a tonne and a half of carbon dioxide each year and generate around 3500kWh of electricity. If this system is made larger, say, for more people in one building, and if the area is a sun trap, you can imagine how much potential there may be for renewables to play a larger role in private energy generation.

It is not only large solar PV panels that can be used. There are domestic, smaller solar panels that are being distributed on the market aimed specifically at apartment owners. If you consider a windowsill, for example, there are methods of buying small solar panels that will be able to sit neatly there and generate electricity for charging appliances such as phones and tablets, saving you money on your energy bills while keeping your green energy outlook clear.

Pioneering Green City Living

It only takes the first few individuals taking on projects for biomass fuels and solar panels to start opening doors to others for the same opportunities. In this day and age, we are always looking for ways to keep our wallets full and our carbon footprints small.

Consider becoming a pioneer of the green energy movement. With international targets requiring being met by 2050, and with carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere at dangerously high levels, we cannot afford to continue letting our cities pollute as much as they can. It is individual efforts stacked together that can make a difference – but which city will truly begin to transform its lifestyle? We can hope that, in the coming years, renewables will be the most important means for transportation fuels and electricity.