The word micro' suggests small things but microgeneration is big news. Environmental co-ordinator Sarah Lewis tracks down the people turning their houses into power stations.

According to the WWF, the global environment network, UK power stations are responsible for 37 per cent of our carbon emissions.

But with two thirds of the energy produced lost through heat or transmission, isn't there a cleaner, more efficient way of powering our homes?

Microgeneration refers to the smallscale production of electricity for homes or communities from clean, renewable sources such as the sun or wind. Thanks to their increasing popularity and council grants, these technologies are becoming more widely accessible.

In July 2006, Brighton and Hove City Council launched the Renewable Energy Grant Scheme to encourage domestic sustainable developments and this month they won the South East Local Authority Commitment to Renewable Energy award.

Recently, the first 100 per cent grantfunded installation of solar panels was completed by local company Southern Solar.

The council is now looking at incorporating renewable technologies into its own buildings as well as reviewing its policy on planning permission for wind turbines.

Councillor Don Turner, chair of the City Council's housing committee, said: "This is an exciting new area of development and there's a lot still to learn about what works and where. I think renewable energy will grow and grow in Brighton and Hove and the council will be trying out new systems and pushing responsible development all the way."

Elliot Morley MP, the Prime Minister's special adviser on climate change, commended the council as "pioneers" in driving forward the use of renewable energy.

Dr Jim Watson, from the Sussex Energy Group, said: "Power stations only exist because people demand electricity.

Previously people have only taken their energy passively, they've never had any role in creating it.

"Now we can have a power station in our home. We can engage with it, see what we are using and hopefully as a result reduce demand."

How you can microgenerate at home

DOMESTIC WIND TURBINE
How it works: Converts wind energy into electrical energy
Pros: Relatively inexpensive, can generate up to a third of your electricity usage
Cons: Need planning permission, only works where there is wind

SOLAR HOT WATER
How it works: Solar energy is captured to heat your water tank
Pros: Can reduce hot water bills by up to 70 per cent, easy to install
Cons: Expensive but significant grants are available

SOLAR VOLTAIC
How it works: Photovoltaic cells generate electricity from sunlight
Pros: Service life of up to 20 years
Cons: Expensive, little financial payback

GROUND SOURCE HEAT PUMPS
How it works: Like a back-to-front fridge, moving heat from one metre under the ground to the surface
Pros: Very efficient, ideal for offices and small communities
Cons: Some electricity needed to drive the pump, needs lots of space

MICRO COMBINED HEAT AND POWER
How it works: Similar to a gas central heating boiler but both electricity and heat are generated
Pros: Greatly reduced fuel bills and energy wastage through lost heat
Cons: Not yet commercially available. Although the cleanest of all of them, gas is still a fossil fuel

Beam us up,Earthship

Sally Davy and her husband Pete, from Hove, had wanted solar panels for almost a decade.

When they first looked into it the payback period was about 20 years and they decided to wait for prices to come down.

Sally said: "I heard a programme on Radio 4 about the Brighton Earthship. I looked it up on the internet because I hadn't heard of it before and saw they had solar panels.

"Energy prices have gone up so much recently I approached Southern Solar, who supplied the Earthship, and spoke to them about getting my own."

Since the couple first investigated the panels, prices have dropped dramatically.

Sally said: "Payback time is about ten years now but we got our grants so for us it's more like six years."

The panels have only been in place since October and even though it's winter they've been providing hot water already.

A display on the water tank shows how much heat the panels are generating.
Sally said: "On a cold sunny day water comes into the tank at about 35C, which means the boiler just has to top it up.

"In the summer we shouldn't need the boiler at all. Because it's new I keep checking what it does. If it's working, I'll do my clothes washing to make the most of it."

Installation was clean and simple and the hot water was only off for an hour. There is no need for planning permission.

Sally said: "It just looks like a Velux window and lots of people have those."

Sally and Pete have a solar hot water system from Southern Solar. It cost £4,200 and they claimed £2,800 in Government and council grants.

I wanted to be a solar pioneer

Since the direction solar panels face is important to get the best use of the sun, Joyce Edmond-Smith's are hidden round the back of the house - she doesn't think her Hanover neighbours have ever even noticed them.

Installed eight years ago, they were among the first generation of solar panels to be fitted. Joyce had been involved in environmental matters for many years.

She realised climate change was going to be a big issue and we needed to be looking at renewable energy.

She said: "I was excited when I heard there was a company installing them. Initially I didn't do it for the savings, I wanted to be a pioneer and I wanted to try it out. You can't tell people what to do unless you've done it yourself.

"But of course, it does save money. The big question about solar is the payback time but when people think of buying a car they know they will lose money but they do it for other values.

"I actually think the value of helping to save the planet is a massive one. You don't lose money, you save it - and carbon dioxide emissions as well." Joyce wouldn't be without her panels now. More than anything it's a psychological thing for her. When the panels are working, a little green light clicks on and she thinks "Oh goody, green energy!"

Since there isn't much that can go wrong with the panels, she expects them to last quite a lot longer yet. She said: "There weren't grants available when I had mine installed and I would really encourage everyone to take full advantage of them while they are around."

Joyce got her solar hot water system for £3,500 from a now defunct Eastbournebased company.

First with a wind turbine

Daren Howarth, from Hanover, has the first domestic wind turbine in the city. It was installed after the council voted unanimously to allow him planning permission.

Recent windy weather has meant it couldn't be a better time to test out the new device.

He said: "It's certainly generating power. You see a lot of energy going into turning the turbine - it's quite dramatic.

"It moves into the wind, it's very active and then you see 100W go into the system and you think, If I left a few lights on all that power would be gone'. It really brings it home how important it is to switch off."

While the electricity might be DIY, fitting the turbine isn't and installation by trained fitters is included in the purchase price.

Daren said: "It took a while but it was very efficient and well done." The inspiration to put up the turbine came after the 2005 Brighton and Hove Sustainability conference, when Howard Johns from Southern Solar asked how many people had renewable energy systems on their house.

Only one person, Joyce Edmond-Smith, put up her hand. Daren added: "I was quite shocked as this was supposed to be a gathering of the green and the good so I decided to try to get permission for a turbine."

Daren has a Windsave WS1000 wind turbine which costs £1,500 direct from Windsave or from B&Q.