30 April 2023
Net Zero – an SME’s first steps
Climate change and energy use is at the forefront of everyone’s minds as both summer temperatures and energy bills continue to hit record highs. The UK government has set a target of achieving net zero by 2050, but what does this actually mean for SMEs and how can we use these targets to benefit our […]
Read story16 February 2023
strichensolarfarm celebrates international day of women and girls in science 2023
We take a look at some of the work strichensolarfarm has done over the past year, and the people who contributed to this work
Read story21 July 2020
strichensolarfarm is still fully operational during the COVID-19 pandemic
During these challenging times, we are still providing renewable energy, energy storage, energy efficiency and LCA services.
Read story10 February 2020
EV car blog – 1 year in
It seems like five minutes ago, but it has actually been one year since I bought my first electric vehicle. I only realised this when I had to tax it – for free of course. Technically we had already placed a deposit on a Kia E Niro, but that wasn’t going to turn up until […]
Read story28 November 2019
Importance of maintenance of solar thermal systems
Recently I was looking at a colleagues’ hot water system and pointed out that his solar thermal system had no pressure in it. He assured me that the local installer had said it didn’t need recharging and that the system was working properly. So, what is the point of having pressure in the system? Well, […]
Read story15 October 2019
Are you being LED astray?
LEDs are great aren’t they? Low energy, long lifetime, great colour rendering, instant switch on, compatible with a wide range of controls, low cost… I remember seeing an LED for the first time when I was about 7 years old. It was a tiny red power indicator for a hi-fi amplifier in my dad’s friend’s […]
Read story20 September 2019
Heat pumps vs gas boilers (Part II)
This is an update on a previous blog from the 24th of June 2013, updated to take account of developments with Air Source Heat Pumps and the decarbonsing of the UK electricity grid. Air Source Heat Pumps Air source heat pumps use electricity to generate heat much more efficiently than normal electric heaters. They operate […]
Read story17 July 2019
Tea boiler energy use
Everyone is a creature of habit. One of my habits is to go round switching off lights. Sometimes I can be a bit over zealous about this and hear an angry voice from the office toilets as I “do my rounds”. The strichensolarfarm offices have the latest energy efficient LED lights but the controls haven’t […]
Read story3 October 2018
New build estates may not be able to cope with renewables
Due to the electrical connections on homes, new build housing estates have issues with large amount of renewables
Read story27 July 2018
What is G98?
Why the new standard? Well, the Energy Networks Association has revised G83 to both modernise the standard and to take into account newer technologies which are now commercially available. The new standard also falls in line with the current European standard EN 50438. The new standard applies to micro-generation up to 16A per phase (3.68kW […]
Read story5 February 2018
What is SolarCoin and does it matter to the UK Solar Industry?
What is SolarCoin, and could it help the renewable energy industry?
Read story12 December 2015
The Paris Agreement
A blog on the Paris Agreement, as agreed on the 12th December 2015
Read story5 November 2014
strichensolarfarm discussion paper – COP of water heating technologies
Discussion paper of the relatative COPs of solar thermal, thermodynamic and high temperature heat pumps - submitted to the MCS
Read story6 August 2014
strichensolarfarm updates off grid PV system
NDE worked with The Whiteburnshank Trust on a 2kWp PV array for the Whiteburnshank cente
Read story24 June 2013
Air Source Heat Pumps vs. Gas Boilers
PLEASE NOTE, THIS IS AN OLD BLOG FROM 2013, THE UPDATED VERSION OF HEAT PUMPS VS GAS BOILERS IS AVAILABLE HERE. Air Source Heat Pumps Air source heat pumps take energy from the air outside of a buildings through a process using a refrigerant fluid. The measure of performance of a heat pump is called […]
Read story13 May 2013
EU Anti-dumping duties for imports of PV Panels and components
In September 2012, the European Commission initiated an anti-dumping investigation on solar panel imports from China. The enquiry is due to publish it’s findings in June 2013 but the UK Solar Trade Association (STA), said this week that they believe that the Commission has already decided to impose significant import duties to any panels purchased […]
Read story12 March 2013
Does renewable energy cause fuel poverty?
There has been a great deal in the news over the past 12 months over how renewable energy subsidies are increasing the prices of energy, and how they are increasing fuel poverty. But how true is this? What real affect does renewable energy have on bills?
Read story5 September 2012
The effects of fuel poverty on children
strichensolarfarm have been carrying out a range of work to use renewable energy and low carbon technologies to fight poverty, specifically fuel poverty, but this also has a major impact on child poverty. Fuel poverty can have major effects on children. To give general information on child poverty in the UK, a well referenced selection […]
Read story28 August 2012
Construction of 3.4MW wind turbine in Blyth
Over the past week we have been watching the construction of a new REPower 3.4MW wind turbine for Hainsworth Energy. It has been an incredibly impressive event to watch, as after two weeks of preparation the whole system was put together in four days. The system will be commissioned at the end of September. Device […]
Read story2 July 2012
strichensolarfarm launch new renewable energy website
New website launched for strichensolarfarm, covering all onshore technology work by the National Renewable Energy Centre
Read story