Professor Bob Carter makes an examination of whether Climate change is due to CO2 emissions with 5 straight forward tests a must see video

Are you throwing money away on wasted energy every year? Our latest uPVC casement windows are ‘A’ rated under the Windows Energy Rating scheme. That means they reduce annual net energy loss to ZERO, making them the most eco-friendly around.

Over recent years our society is becoming increasingly aware of environmental issues, such as global warming, and the responsibilities we have to help save our planet.

By choosing the right PVC windows for your home you can significantly reduce your carbon footprint and save yourself money on energy bills.

Choose the most energy efficient double glazed windows available on the market!

The government has introduced the Window Energy Ratings scheme. By using the same ratings system that items such as fridges and washing machines have been using for years, it is now possible to rate a window from any given installer.

The finished window combination is independently tested, and awarded a rating from A to G. Those achieving a C-rating or above are allowed to display the Energy Saving Recommended blue label, demonstrating they have been designed, manufactured and tested to provide a good level of overall thermal efficiency.

So, if C-rated is energy efficient, how much better does an A-rated window perform?

Well, its simple really. An A-rated uPVC window will not lose any heat whatsoever from your home. None. Zero. It’s a little more complex than that, but the principle really is true.

By installing Conservatory Outlet’s latest energy saving A-Rated windows you will be helping improve the overall performance of your home which will not only reduce your heating bills and CO2 emissions but it could improve the value of your property and speed up any future sale.

Just how much difference can the sealed unit make?
Energy ratings don’t just now apply to fridges, boilers and windows – they apply to your entire home. When you come to sell your house, you will need a Homebuyers Information Pack, or HIP for short. As well as your heating type and things such as loft insulation, the windows in your home contribute hugely to the overall rating. Fit A-rated windows and you’re well on your way to an A-rated home.

Because the glass area is much bigger than the frame area, thermal improvements in the glass unit itself go a very long way to help make windows efficient. So much so, the choice of sealed units is by far the biggest factor in how much energy is lost, or saved, through your windows. In fact, by fitting the most efficient sealed units, you can reduce your carbon footprint by as much as 2 Tonnes of CO2 every year.

Our new window is designed with this in mind. Manufactured from a combination of the very latest materials and glass types, ThermaglassMAX constantly works to retain heat within your home.

Nothing new there you might think. But did you realize that through a combination of glass types and the heating effect of the sun, ThermaglassMAX south facing windows are so efficient they can even contribute to heating your home.

Windows that heat your house? Now there’s a novel idea.

It is hard to ignore, we are all producing too much CO2. It could be from inefficient electrical usage, car usage or simply quantity of waste sent to landfill. Being a business we have a larger CO2 footprint than most – and so we have implemented as many procedures as possible to reduce the impact EvolvIT has on our environment.

Our main office is based in Bristol, however as we began looking into our carbon footprint a very simple question was asked “Why do we come to the office everyday, when 95% of our work is done remotely?”. Much head scratching ensued and no one could really see why a majority of work could not be done from our home offices, of which all staff and directors have. A quick calculation showed that EvolvIT travelled a staggering 40,000 miles a year just to get to the office and back – that is almost 14 tonnes of CO2 emissions. A policy with immediate effect was put into place to cut this by 80%, and has proved so successful that we now do over 90% fewer miles!

We then turned to our suppliers, we must be responsible about who we purchase from as that has just a big an affect as we do. One supplier stood out as being particularly energy hungry. That is ourhosting supplier, Rackspace. Over the years the number of servers we have hosted with Rackspace has grown to the point that we cannot ignore the CO2 footprint those servers emit. We spoke with our business management consultant at Rackspace regarding our thoughts and explained what we are trying to achieve here at EvolvIT. We are glad to report Rackspace take this just as seriously, see this green link for more info!

The last major point that became obvious was our responsibility for our customers equipment power usage. We could simply set policies in place that would make every machine use less power – but we have to be mindful of our customers existing policies and how they use their systems, internally and remotely. It was decided that the best way forward was education, and so an email shot was sent to all our customers explaining simple – yet effective changes to usage and computer settings to make every machine use less power and thus have a smaller CO2 footprint.

See the points below for other areas we have changed,

Bulbs replaced with energy efficient variations Scrap cardboard must be recycled, included customer boxes when asked to remove Paper to be shredded and recycled Company equipment to be configured for maximum power savings when not in use Replace battery wireless devices with re-chargeable alternatives Supply only top rated low power screens and devices We hope that with our tips above and push to be greener, other businesses can follow suit in lowering their carbon footprint.

“A carbon offset or (carbon credits) is assumed to be a financial instrument which shows greenhouse gases emission reduction and helps us to take personal responsibility for the environmental consequences of our activities.”

Carbon dioxide (CO2) is the most important greenhouse gas produced by human activities, primarily through the combustion of fossil fuels such as oil, natural gas, and coal. As a result of tremendous world-wide consumption of such fossil fuels, the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere has increased over the past century which ultimately resulted in a global warming, the prime suspect in the greatest mass extinction of all time – wiping out 95% of all life forms on the planet.

We all are responsible to add CO2 and ultimately the global warming. Carbon footprint is a measure of the impact of our activities on the environment, and in particular on climate change. It relates to the amount of greenhouse gases we are producing in our day-to-day lives through burning fossil fuels for electricity, heating, transportation etc.

As the Global Warming issues are getting attention of the masses, people are seeking a perfect solution to handle the situation before it becomes too late.Carbon offsets are becoming an increasingly popular way for individuals and businesses to participate in solutions to global warming. Carbon offsets help us to balance out our carbon footprint easily and effectively in a more peaceful manner. Offsetting emissions is a process whereby an individual or organisation purchases carbon credits to neutralise its global warming impact. Each carbon credit represents the abatement or sequestration of one tonne of CO2-equivalent greenhouse gases – or carbon emissions – from our atmosphere.

The basic idea behind carbon offsetting is that you pay to fund projects that neutralise CO2 emissions produced by you. You invest your contributions towards greenhouse gases reduction through projects which produce clean energy that replaces the energy production from fossil fuel. Wind farms project is a good example of such projects. Other types of offsets available for sale on the market include those resulting from energy efficiency projects, methane capture from landfills or livestock, destruction of potent greenhouse gases such as halocarbons, and carbon sequestration projects (through reforestation, or agriculture) that absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

Carbon credits allow us to become more “Carbon Neutral”. You may be doing everything that you possibly can to reduce your carbon footprint, but it still might not be enough. Despite your energy saving, recycling and green transportation efforts at home and at work, you still may feel like you are not adequately reducing your carbon footprint. In this situation you can consider buying carbon credits for the more promising results and peace of mind at the same time. When you purchase carbon credits you help lower your carbon footprint and you prevent global warming. Before you purchase your carbon credits always make sure that the organization you are supporting is legit and is truly helping the environment.

Carbon credits are becoming a key component of national and international attempts to mitigate the growth in concentrations of greenhouse gases. There are many benefits for a business to reduce their carbon footprint and become carbon neutral when skyrocketing energy costs eat into profits. A carbon credit is the best way to help individuals and companies reduce their carbon dioxide emissions by offsetting them in a more environmentally friendly way.

On 7th December 2007 the government gave Zero-Carbon rated eco houses below £500,000 exemption from Stamp Duty Land Tax.  This relief is available on new houses and will continue until 30th September 2012.  With households in this country on the increase by 223,000 per year (according to government statistics) and an increasing awareness of ‘green living’ amongst the public many property developers have put this firmly on their business plans.  We spoke to leading builders of new homes in Cornwall, Percy Williams & Sons who specialize in green building design in the UK and have a unique development: Fairglen in Hayle.

Simon Williams from Percy Williams & Sons explained that the ‘Government declaration that Zero Carbon-rated houses were to be exempt from Stamp Duty Land Tax was at first a psychological shot in the arm to us over this project of eco houses, but a close study of the strict definition of Zero Carbon and how we might clear this hurdle ended in disappointment’

A Zero-Carbon Home needs to have energy efficiency in three areas, including heat loss, dwelling CO2 emission rate and net CO2 emissions.  If they meet the requirements an accredited assessor will inspect the dwelling and issue a certificate.

To receive the actual ‘Holy Grail’ of Zero Carbon is difficult at the best of times, as it requires a building to have a net production of carbon into the atmosphere of zero. At Fairglen in Hayle the houses are almost uniquely efficient for this sort of development, but in addition would need a wind-turbine to achieve the last bit of balancing electrical generation.  Because of the sheltered valley location that the site is in the turbine could not have been efficiently done.

With the help of John Peapell Sustainable Solutions, a specialist consultant in this area, Percy Williams & Sons were prepared to pay for a turbine on an existing site elsewhere and then pass the ownership of this to the residents’ management company. It would be just as economically feasible in that the savings in Stamp Duty Land Tax could be spent on this, and the house owners would continue to benefit into the future from income from the turbine and green offset credits.  Overall an economically and environmentally sound solution.

Unfortunately on examination of the detail of the legislation Percy Williams & Sons found it stipulated that the generation had to be ‘hard-wired’ to the development, not just owned by it.  

‘I did rather feel that the goalposts were not where one might expect them to be on this one; hardly any houses will achieve this at the moment without huge arrays of photo-voltaic panels or on-site wind turbines which of course restricts their locations to windier and less energy efficient sites. So it is quite safe for the Treasury to offer it’ said Simon Williams.

Percy Williams and Sons are continuing to develop state of art designed and environmentally friendly houses as this is where their passion lies, maybe the government will reward the public who choose to live in these house and the developers one day?

Carbon offsetting – what is it?

Carbon offsetting is the process in which a person reduces Carbon emissions by paying a reputable environmental organization to plant trees in your place, thus reducing YOUR carbon footprint on the world. Businesses and people alike are encouraged to repent their destructive emissions to achieve a carbon neutral status. Offsetting your carbon also allows an individual to tell friends and family that they actually take action against global warming.

Reforestation is most commonly associated with Carbon offsetting, but the promotion of alternative energy also reduces overall CO2 emissions. Everyone contributes Carbon into the atmosphere. Everyday tasks such as boiling a kettle, reading your e-mail, and driving to work all generate Carbon, a major component of global warming. In order to combat a growth in Carbon emissions people are encouraged to offset what they can’t reduce themselves. If this is done, and done properly, environmentalists believe that the dangers global warming can be averted.

Although the efficiency of Carbon offsetting has been debated, it is clear that reputable organizations working in an honest fashion can make a difference. It is impossible to immediately transition from a fossil fuel dependent society to a cleaner ethanol based society over night, thus it is important to promote the use of cleaner energy.

Environmental organizations such as CO2Debt.com work closely with other ecologically conscience groups to steer away from the use of unclean fossil fuels.