Green Technology

Homeowners wasting money on ‘eco-bling’ which makes little difference to the environment

(MAIL ONLINE) - British homes and offices are being plastered with useless ‘eco-bling’ which make little difference to the environment, a leading engineer has claimed.

Prof Doug King said too many people are wasting cash on small-scale renewable energy projects such as wind turbines and solar panels that produce just a trickle of energy.

Rather than spoiling the skyline with pointless roof-top windmills, people should spend the cash on basics - such as insulation, thermostats and sensibly designed offices, he said.

The warning came at the launch of a major report from the Royal Academy of Engineering into the future of green buildings.

Thousands of homes and offices have installed micro wind turbines on their roofs - following the example set by Tory leader David Cameron at his home in Notting Hill, West London.

However, studies have shown that urban windmills typically generate enough electricity for just four or five low energy lightbulbs.

Prof King, of the University of Bath, described rooftop renewable energy as ‘eco-bling’.