Whether you're thinking about using renewable energy for your existing home, or you’re planning an extension or a new build the Centre for Alternative Technology (CAT) energy experts are ready to help make sure you get the best results. On the 5th of December CAT's energy consultants are making themselves available to home owners and self builders for advice and help with renewable energy. Whether your project is large or small it will benefit from CAT's 35 years of expertise and  experience in renewables. To book your consultancy session please email the consultancy team: consultancy@cat.org.uk

CAT's Consultancy Surgery Days include an hour long session with one of our renewable energy engineers who can advise you on the best systems for your specific situation, examine your existing plans and recommend the best renewable options available to you. CAT's energy consultants are experts in solar water heating, wood fuel and biomass, combined heat and power (CHP) systems, solar photovoltaic systems, ground source heat pumps (GSHP), small-scale hydro and integrating different technologies. As well as a one-on-one consultation you can also gain a better understanding of how the technologies work through taking our audio tour of the Centre and looking at the working examples on site. Advice on other areas of sustainability such as organic gardening and waste reduction are also available on-site from the free information service and from the on-site bookshop.


As enthusiasm and awareness of renewables has increased thousands of different products and technologies have become available. There is a lot of conflicting and confusing information out there which can make it difficult to know where to start. CAT's Consultancy Surgery Days are there to help you understand and work out what you need. "There is a lot of information out there and finding your way through it can be complex. The aim of our consultancy surgery days is to assess your specific
project and work out the best options for you," says CAT's energy consultant David Hood. "The key thing is that our advice is completely unbiased and impartial. We're not trying to sell particular products. We're here to help you work out what is going to work for you."

Awareness of climate change and rising fuel prices have affected millions of households across the UK, and people are turning to domestic renewable energy to reduce their impact on the planet and save money. "The credit crunch means people are beginning to think about investing their money in something that will provide them with affordable, reliable energy, whatever the economic climate," continues Hood. "A lot of people come to us knowing that they want to use renewables and wanting their home to be very energy efficient but they're not sure where to start, or what will work for them. We can assess your plans and what you want to achieve, providing recommendations about the best  options and ways forward for your project."

CAT is home to a vast array of renewable energy systems which are installed and maintained by our expert engineers. For 35 years the Centre has been generating electricity and heat from a variety of
renewable sources. The Consultancy Surgery Days are your chance to tap into decades of experience and make sure your project benefits from our wealth of knowledge and understanding. "When you're investing so much time and energy in a project you want to know you've picked the best possible options and that the system is going to work properly. We've worked with these technologies at the Centre for 35 years and we know what works and what doesn't," says David.

Consultant Profiles:
David Hood is a renewable energy engineer at the Centre for Alternative Technology. He teaches on CAT's postgraduate programme 'Renewable Energy and the Built Environment'. He also installs and maintains CAT's own renewable energy systems including our solar, hydro, wind and biomass installations.

Stuart Labrum is a specialist energy consultant at the Centre. He provides advice for households, community groups and businesses on designing and installing renewable energy systems. He also teaches on CAT's energy courses.

The first surgery day is on the 5th of December. To book your session please use the email provided.

Email: consultancy@cat.org.uk