The Aim:

The key aim of the project is to assist the community to reduce energy usage in their homes, and thereby reduce costs and carbon emissions.

The Offer:

A free energy survey, and appropriate advice to every household in the community.  This will consist of:

• A home visit to discuss your energy usage and to complete a standard national energy questionnaire.
• Review of appropriate energy efficiency options.
• Review of a coloured thermal image of the front of the property to assess if there are any major cost-saving opportunities.
• Offer of assistance to get the benefit of lower-cost social tariffs on energy bills, depending on circumstances.
• Offer of assistance to get appropriate grants e.g. for installation of energy-saving insulation.
• Offer of additional in-depth review of possible energy-saving measures (detailed thermographic survey, renewable energy etc).

Process:

You will receive a letter and a flier explaining about the project, and proposing a date and time for the survey at your home.  If you wish to take part - great!  If not, then just call the freephone number provided in advance or tell the advisor when he comes - there is no compulsion.

The survey that will be completed with the advisor is the National Home Energy Rating (NHER) assessment form.  This will allow us to compare the information we receive with the data that is being collected nationally.  We will be getting assistance fron Energy Action Scotland with this analysis.

The thermal images will be processed by IRT Energy, based in Dundee.  They have developed a method of processing the images that will help to quantify the amount of heat loss, and thus estimate the potential cost savings.

The thermographic photos have to be taken at night, when the conditions are appropriate, i.e. when the heating systems are on, and the weather is dry and cold. In order to keep costs down, we will try to take all the photos in as few nights as possible.  On the nights that the photos are to be taken, the police will be notified that this is what is happening, and posters will be put up in the village to let people know.  The process is silent and will not create any disturbance - flashes are not required!

People:

The advisors, who have been employed from the community to carry out the work, are Philip Graves and Alan Sharpe.  They have undertaken detailed training.

The project is being managed by Solas Insulation - who are very experienced in carrying out this type of work.  Graham McLennan is managing the project, and Jim Percival is taking a lead role for Solas.

The Blane Valley Carbon Neutral Group (BVCNG) are administering the project on behalf of the Strathblanefield Community Development Trust, through which the funding was awarded.  Keith Hutton and Blair Armstrong are overseeing the project on behalf of the BVCNG.

Funding:

The BVCNG applied for funding from the Scottish Government's Climate Challenge Fund.  This was approved in March 2009.  £106,885 of funding has been allocated to run the project over the period 2009-2010.

Timescale:

The project will run from September 2009 to end 2010, or until  the funds are finished.

Contacts:

Solas can be contacted on 0800 616 203 or www.solas.biz; the project email address is This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it