It has long been recognized that landfill waste generates copious quantities of methane, which up until now has simply escaped into the atmosphere as a noxious gas.

Proposals are now afoot to rectify this wastage by capping the landfill waste and harnessing the trapped methane to generate power at landfill sites throughout the country.

Additionally, Britain’s coal –fired power stations currently produce approximately 6 million tonnes of coal ash annually, of which only half is utilized to manufacture cinder blocks or tarmacadam.

The remaining 3 million tonnes is left in unsightly piles in the vicinity of the coal –fired power stations which produce the coal ash in the first place.

According to the Environment Agency, there are currently 22,000 uncapped landfill sites in Britain, of which some 1500 sites give serious cause for concern.

By capping these with a mixture of fly ash and lime, topped with a layer of artificial soil, including ash, building rubble and charcoal, the methane from the landfill can be channelled into large gas engines which produce both electricity and heat from the methane.

It is hoped that government will financially support this initiative, which it is estimated will save the equivalent of 100,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide per year, at an average site.

A case of salvaging waste to build up supplies of energy.

In traditional building construction the external masonry cavity wall has existed for almost 80years, with the central cavity between the two skins of walling providing protection against damp penetration as well as providing a degree of thermal insulation.

In recent years, with the increasing awareness of the benefits of thermally insulating construction, the width of the central cavity has increased from a nominal 50mm to a fully filled cavity width of up to 300mm, using traditional wall ties between the two skins of masonry.

Many of the new low energy buildings are now being constructed in this way, with brick and stone still being used for the external wall outer skin, but in many new –builds second-hand bricks or aerated concrete blocks composed of recycled aggregates are being sourced and these are now being faced externally with a mesh reinforced waterproof and thermally insulating render.

The external wall cavity no longer remains as a clear void, but is now fully filled using blown glasswool or rockwool installed after the walls are constructed.

As an alternative, rigid insulation boards can be inserted as the wall is being built but it is important that these boards are tightly fitted against each other to provide airtightness, and avoid cold bridging.

The modern practice of dry lining the inner wall face with plasterboard sheets, covered with a thin skim coat of plaster has its drawbacks as this construction prevents the internal leaf of the wall from functioning as primary thermal mass.

A better alternative is to apply two coats of plaster or render directly to the face of the inner block wall.

Well insulated external wall construction is a major means of counteracting ever rising energy costs whilst maintaining optimum comfort conditions in the home and work environment.

The National Heat Pump Awards 2012 promises to be an interesting event, with 11 categories in the expanded competition. With energy prices almost out of control and consequently rising continuously at a rate far exceeding inflation, it is no small wonder that heat pumps are considered to be one of the most promising of the renewable energy technologies.

They capture freely available energy from the air, ground or water and harness it to provide low-carbon heating for homes, commercial premises and industry. The National Heat Pump Awards were first launched in 2010, as a practical means of demonstrating their efficiency and low running costs to the general public.

Positive proof will be provided in the form of accurate performance monitoring so that the general public can see evidence of the low running costs through satisfied customers.

Subsidies are available to home-owners for certain projects under the Renewable Heat Pump Premium (RHPP), operated by the Energy Saving Trust.

(Event takes place on Thursday 31st May 2012 at the ICC Birmingham)

Rainwater harvesting is one of the readily available sustainable technologies developed  to reduce energy consumption,  for both domestic and commercial users. Initially developed from the simple premise of  the water butt, modern systems now include pumps, tanks, filters and sophisticated electronics, if required.

The consequently harvested water is perfectly suited for use in flushing toilets, washing cars, watering gardens, and other similar activities. Additionally, sustainable drainage systems (SUDS) tackle larger schemes, particularly in the urban environment.

Hydro International have now produced an informative SUDS guide as part of the Engineering Natures Way initiative and this can be downloaded free from www.engineeringnaturesway.co.uk.

Click here to browse a compreshensive range of rainwater harvesting products and accessories.