[:en]So, let’s get the bad news out of the way first. Once again, electricity prices have been increased. From the beginning of January this year, the state electricity price that applies to about 17 million households in Spain was increased by another 9.8%. This is part of a global trend, and energy prices generally will continue to soar over the coming years. It is why at Oasis, we are big believers in energy efficiency and renewable energy. As prices continue to increase, they are going to really eat into people’s disposable income. For most of us, the increases thus far have been an inconvenience, rather anything more serious. Unfortunately, that is beginning to change. Not only, we do have increased energy prices, but inflation is just beginning to take hold across the globe. Food and commodity prices are rising dramatically, although they haven’t filtered through yet to the retail environment. Soon, we will start to notice substantial differences in prices when we go shopping.

Enough of the bad news! The good news is that the government grants for renewable energy are back up and running again for 2011. There is an annual quota set aside for grants and last year, we did a lot of solar installations, whereby we were able to pass on typical discounts of 40-50% to our clients. However, we had a lot of people coming to us in the latter stages of the year looking into solar and renewable energy installations, only to find out that the grants had run out for the year.

What’s more, we don’t know what the annual quota is, and it wouldn’t surprise us at all if the quota had been reduced, due to the state of public finances. Therefore, if it is something of interest, then it’s worth acting sooner rather than later. We would also just like to remind people once again that the grants can only be acquired through an installation company – like Oasis – that has the full accreditation from the ‘Junta de Andalucia’.

[:es]So, let’s get the bad news out of the way first. Once again, electricity prices have been increased. From the beginning of January this year, the state electricity price that applies to about 17 million households in Spain was increased by another 9.8%. This is part of a global trend, and energy prices generally will continue to soar over the coming years. It is why at Oasis, we are big believers in energy efficiency and renewable energy. As prices continue to increase, they are going to really eat into people’s disposable income. For most of us, the increases thus far have been an inconvenience, rather anything more serious. Unfortunately, that is beginning to change. Not only, we do have increased energy prices, but inflation is just beginning to take hold across the globe. Food and commodity prices are rising dramatically, although they haven’t filtered through yet to the retail environment. Soon, we will start to notice substantial differences in prices when we go shopping.

Enough of the bad news! The good news is that the government grants for renewable energy are back up and running again for 2011. There is an annual quota set aside for grants and last year, we did a lot of solar installations, whereby we were able to pass on typical discounts of 40-50% to our clients. However, we had a lot of people coming to us in the latter stages of the year looking into solar and renewable energy installations, only to find out that the grants had run out for the year.

What’s more, we don’t know what the annual quota is, and it wouldn’t surprise us at all if the quota had been reduced, due to the state of public finances. Therefore, if it is something of interest, then it’s worth acting sooner rather than later. We would also just like to remind people once again that the grants can only be acquired through an installation company – like Oasis – that has the full accreditation from the ‘Junta de Andalucia’.

[:no]So, let’s get the bad news out of the way first. Once again, electricity prices have been increased. From the beginning of January this year, the state electricity price that applies to about 17 million households in Spain was increased by another 9.8%. This is part of a global trend, and energy prices generally will continue to soar over the coming years. It is why at Oasis, we are big believers in energy efficiency and renewable energy. As prices continue to increase, they are going to really eat into people’s disposable income. For most of us, the increases thus far have been an inconvenience, rather anything more serious. Unfortunately, that is beginning to change. Not only, we do have increased energy prices, but inflation is just beginning to take hold across the globe. Food and commodity prices are rising dramatically, although they haven’t filtered through yet to the retail environment. Soon, we will start to notice substantial differences in prices when we go shopping.

Enough of the bad news! The good news is that the government grants for renewable energy are back up and running again for 2011. There is an annual quota set aside for grants and last year, we did a lot of solar installations, whereby we were able to pass on typical discounts of 40-50% to our clients. However, we had a lot of people coming to us in the latter stages of the year looking into solar and renewable energy installations, only to find out that the grants had run out for the year.

What’s more, we don’t know what the annual quota is, and it wouldn’t surprise us at all if the quota had been reduced, due to the state of public finances. Therefore, if it is something of interest, then it’s worth acting sooner rather than later. We would also just like to remind people once again that the grants can only be acquired through an installation company – like Oasis – that has the full accreditation from the ‘Junta de Andalucia’.

[:]

Managing costs is still very much the order of the day and in our world, that means more emphasis on maintenance and efficiency. The Spanish government have just put up electricity prices another 9.8% for the estimated 17 million Spanish households on the “price of last resort” tariff, and energy prices in general continue to soar with inflation. It’s never been so important to have a good running efficient heating/cooling system that’s going to keep your running costs to a minimum whilst also maximising its lifespan potential.

On that basis, we’ve decided to offer all those who have had Oasis installations a special deal on maintenance contracts, providing them with an extra ‘Super Guarantee’ at minimum cost which will then extend the warranty to 5 years. The Super Guarantee will be eligible for all maintenance contracts – both existing or new ones – for any Oasis installation (whether it’s air conditioning, heating or solar) carried out since January 1st 2008. For example, if the existing warranty is valid for 2 years (and in some cases, that means it may have already expired), the Super Guarantee will extend that warranty to 5 years.

The cost of the maintenance contract and the Super Guarantee will of course depend on the type and size of the original installation, so anyone interested will have to get in contact so we can provide you with an accurate quote. Furthermore, we will provide a 20% discount on the Super Guarantee if you take out the maintenance contract and Super Guarantee during the first quarter of 2011.

This is the time of the the year our customers call us up needing urgent help because they’ve just turned on the heating again, only to find it doesn’t work. Although we install and repair all types of heating systems, it’s the importance of good boiler maintenance that deserves special attention. We can’t emphasise enough to our clients the importance of good maintenance. Much like we service our cars to save us from much bigger costs further down the line, we need to have the same attitude towards all types of heating & cooling systems.

However, it’s also very important to choose the right company to do your servicing. ‘Which?’ magazine did an investigation into gas engineers in the UK back in 2009. They set up a boiler with a minor fault (and secret cameras) and got 10 different gas engineers around. The results were pretty shocking, this is what they found:

“Of our 10 gas engineers, one gas engineer failed to turn up. Of the other nine gas engineers, three were so bad we reported them to safety watchdog the Gas Safe Register. The Gas Safe Register said that the engineers were negligent, and launched an investigation. It is a legal requirement that anyone carrying out gas work should be on the Gas Safe Register.

What the Which? boiler investigation found:
– Two gas engineers did a very good job
– One gas engineer condemned our boiler and then disconnected the gas – even though it was perfectly safe
– Two gas engineers told us they had carried out checks which we knew they hadn’t done
– Five gas engineers failed to correct the boiler’s gas pressure
– Three gas engineers didn’t check whether our boiler needed cleaning. This is important, as a dirty boiler won’t work efficiently
– All of the gas engineers managed to fix the fault we introduced to stop the boiler working, apart from the one who condemned it – he didn’t get that far.”

We wouldn’t highlight this investigation unless we were sure that we will do the job properly for you. Not only do we have very professional and conscientious technicians that will make sure that the boiler is functioning correctly but we also have the special kit to carry out a proper combustion analysis to ensure that there is no danger from any toxic emissions like carbon monoxide.

[:en]One of the most common objections we hear from clients with regards to installing solar energy is that it is still too expensive, even with the substantial grants that we can attain through the government initiative. There is some validity in those objections but of course it does depend on the nature of the requirement and how long term the investment is. With energy prices continually on the rise, and the public finances in very bad shape, it makes a lot of sense to be installing solar energy now whilst the grants are still available.

For those who may object to the idea of taking advantage of the government grants when public finances are in bad shape, it is worth noting that the money for the grants was allocated some time ago and is sitting there waiting to be used specifically for these purposes. So, the allocated money will be used for solar grants one way or another.

However, for those who aren’t in a position to be installing solar yet but would like to do so at some point in the future, then there is a lot of development happening that could make solar much more affordable further down the line, specifically in photovoltaic solar technology, used for electricity. Ironically, it is the much derided ‘carbon’ that could set us on the path to more affordable solar energy.

Scientists have now found that they can use graphene – a form of carbon much like graphite used in pencils – to absorb sunlight instead of silicon. One of the reasons, solar collectors are relatively expensive is because of the silicon used, and carbon is far cheaper than silicon. Although, it is not as efficient as silicon, it is far cheaper and more flexible in its uses. For example, they are already imagining having curtains in properties made of sheets of graphene!

However, don’t put that solar installation on hold because it will be a long time yet before they get these new developments into commercial uses.

[:es]Una de las objeciones más comunes que escuchamos de los clientes con respecto a la instalación de energía solar es que todavía es demasiado costosa, incluso con las importantes subvenciones que podemos obtener a través de la iniciativa del gobierno. Existe cierta validez en esas objeciones, pero por supuesto depende de la naturaleza del requisito y de la duración de la inversión. Con los precios de la energía en constante aumento y las finanzas públicas en muy malas condiciones, tiene mucho sentido instalar energía solar ahora, mientras que las subvenciones aún están disponibles.

Para aquellos que pueden oponerse a la idea de aprovechar las subvenciones del gobierno cuando las finanzas públicas están en mal estado, vale la pena señalar que el dinero para las subvenciones fue asignado hace algún tiempo y está esperando allí para ser utilizado específicamente para estos fines. . Por lo tanto, el dinero asignado se utilizará para subvenciones solares de una forma u otra.

Sin embargo, para aquellos que no están en posición de instalar solar todavía pero les gustaría hacerlo en algún momento en el futuro, entonces hay un gran desarrollo que podría hacer que la energía solar sea mucho más económica más adelante, específicamente en tecnología solar fotovoltaica, utilizada para la electricidad. Irónicamente, es el “carbono” tan ridiculizado que podría ponernos en el camino hacia una energía solar más asequible.

Los científicos ahora han descubierto que pueden usar el grafeno, una forma de carbono muy similar al grafito utilizado en los lápices, para absorber la luz solar en lugar de silicio. Una de las razones, los colectores solares son relativamente caros es debido al silicio utilizado, y el carbono es mucho más barato que el silicio. Aunque no es tan eficiente como el silicio, es mucho más barato y más flexible en sus usos. ¡Por ejemplo, ya están imaginando cortinas en propiedades hechas de láminas de grafeno!

Sin embargo, no coloque la instalación solar en espera porque pasará mucho tiempo antes de que estos nuevos desarrollos se conviertan en usos comerciales.
[:no]En av de vanligste innsigelsene vi hører fra klienter med hensyn til å installere solenergi er at det fremdeles er for dyrt, selv med de betydelige tilskuddene vi kan oppnå gjennom regjeringens initiativ. Det er noen gyldighet i disse innvendingene, men det er selvfølgelig avhengig av kravets art og hvor lenge investeringen er. Med energipriser stadig økende, og de offentlige finansene i svært dårlig form, gir det mye mening å installere solenergi nå mens tilskuddene fremdeles er tilgjengelige.

For de som kan motsette seg ideen om å utnytte statens tilskudd når offentlige finanser er i dårlig form, er det verdt å merke seg at pengene for tilskuddene ble tildelt for en tid siden og sitter der og venter på å bli brukt spesielt for disse formålene . Så de tildelte pengene vil bli brukt til solgodtgjørelser på en eller annen måte.

Men for de som ikke er i stand til å installere solenergi ennå, men vil gjerne gjøre det på et tidspunkt i fremtiden, så skjer det mye utvikling som kan gjøre solen mye rimeligere ytterligere nedover linjen, spesielt i fotovoltaisk solteknologi, brukt til elektrisitet. Ironisk nok er det den mye tålet “karbon” som kan sette oss på vei til mer overkommelig solenergi.

Forskere har nå funnet at de kan bruke grafen – en form for karbon, som grafitt som brukes i blyanter – for å absorbere sollys istedenfor silisium. En av grunnene til at solfangere er relativt dyre, er på grunn av det anvendte silisium, og karbon er langt billigere enn silisium. Selv om det ikke er så effektivt som silisium, er det langt billigere og mer fleksibelt ved bruk. For eksempel tenker de allerede på å ha gardiner i egenskaper laget av ark av grafen!

Du må imidlertid ikke sette den solinstallasjonen på vent fordi det vil vare lang tid før de får den nye utviklingen til kommersiell bruk.

[:]

[:en]Most people are not aware of the changes in EU law regarding the refrigerants used in air conditioning systems, so if you have air conditioning, this is important.

In accordance with EU Regulation (EC) 2037/2000, as of the 31st December 2009, the purchase, use, or storage of virgin refrigerant R22 is not allowed. This is because R22 is an ozone depleting gas. The same thing applies to refrigerant blends using R22, such as R403B (69L), R408A (FX10) and R409A (FX56).

You can still own and operate a system that uses R22 but if you need to add R22 to your system (because you have a leak), you can now only buy reclaimed or recycled R22. However, not only is it increasingly difficult and expensive to get hold of R22 in this manner, it can only be acquired through a properly authorised business like Oasis.

I suspect most AC owners don’t know which refrigerant they have in their system. It is normally stated on the outdoor unit but often that can be difficult for AC owners to access (if it’s high up on a wall or on the roof for example). You may need to contact the manufacturer directly or contact a company like Oasis if you need assistance.

If you do have a system using R22, then there is no need to panic. In the short term, R22 is still available (as explained above) and in the long term, you might be able to continue using your system without a problem for years. If / when that problem arises, that might be the time to convert your system with either ‘Retrofit’ / ‘Drop in’ refrigerants, or indeed, renew your system all together.

That said, if you have a business that’s dependent on fully functional air conditioning, then it might be something you want to address sooner rather than later. If you needed to get hold of R22 further down the line, and it had become phased out completely, you could be without air conditioning all together for a few days/weeks whilst you either convert the system or get a new one installed.

Another important aspect to take into consideration is that some of the AC manufacturers are beginning to stock less spare parts for R22 systems, knowing that they are being phased out.

To summarise, those that have R22 systems will have to do something at some point and it’s much better to be properly informed before taking any action.[:es]La mayoría de las personas no están al tanto de los cambios en la legislación de la UE con respecto a los refrigerantes utilizados en los sistemas de aire acondicionado, por lo que si tiene aire acondicionado, esto es importante.

De acuerdo con el Reglamento (CE) 2037/2000 de la UE, al 31 de diciembre de 2009, la compra, uso o almacenamiento de refrigerante virgen R22 no está permitido. Esto se debe a que R22 es un gas que reduce la capa de ozono. Lo mismo se aplica a las mezclas de refrigerante que usan R22, como R403B (69L), R408A (FX10) y R409A (FX56).

Aún puede tener y operar un sistema que use R22, pero si necesita agregar R22 a su sistema (porque tiene una fuga), ahora solo puede comprar R22 recuperado o reciclado. Sin embargo, no solo es cada vez más difícil y costoso conseguir el R22 de esta manera, sino que solo se puede adquirir a través de un negocio debidamente autorizado como Oasis.

Sospecho que la mayoría de los propietarios de CA no saben qué refrigerante tienen en su sistema. Normalmente se indica en la unidad exterior, pero a menudo puede ser difícil para los propietarios de CA acceder (si está arriba en una pared o en el techo, por ejemplo). Es posible que deba ponerse en contacto con el fabricante directamente o ponerse en contacto con una empresa como Oasis si necesita ayuda.

Si tiene un sistema que usa R22, entonces no hay necesidad de entrar en pánico. A corto plazo, R22 todavía está disponible (como se explicó anteriormente) y, a largo plazo, es posible que pueda continuar utilizando su sistema sin problemas durante años. Si surge ese problema, ese podría ser el momento de convertir su sistema con refrigerantes ‘Retrofit’ / ‘Drop in’ o, de hecho, renovar el sistema todos juntos.

Dicho esto, si tiene un negocio que depende del aire acondicionado totalmente funcional, entonces es posible que desee abordarlo más pronto que tarde. Si necesitara retener el R22 más adelante en la línea, y se hubiera eliminado por completo, podría quedarse sin aire acondicionado durante unos días / semanas mientras o bien convierte el sistema o instala uno nuevo.

Otro aspecto importante a tener en cuenta es que algunos de los fabricantes de CA están empezando a tener menos piezas de repuesto para los sistemas R22, sabiendo que están siendo eliminados.

En resumen, aquellos que tienen sistemas R22 tendrán que hacer algo en algún momento y es mucho mejor estar debidamente informados antes de tomar cualquier medida.[:no]De fleste er ikke klar over endringene i EU-loven om kjølemidler som brukes i klimaanlegg, så hvis du har aircondition, er dette viktig.

I henhold til EUs forordning (EF) 2037/2000, per 31. desember 2009, er ikke kjøp, bruk eller lagring av ukjent kjølemiddel R22 tillatt. Dette skyldes at R22 er en ozonnedbrytende gass. Det samme gjelder kjølemiddelblandinger med R22, for eksempel R403B (69L), R408A (FX10) og R409A (FX56).

Du kan fortsatt eie og drive et system som bruker R22, men hvis du trenger å legge R22 til systemet ditt (fordi du har en lekkasje), kan du nå bare kjøpe gjenvunnet eller resirkulert R22. Det er imidlertid ikke bare vanskeligere og dyrere å få tak i R22 på denne måten, det kan bare kjøpes gjennom en autorisert virksomhet som Oasis.

Jeg mistenker at de fleste AC-eiere ikke vet hvilket kjølemiddel de har i systemet. Det er normalt oppgitt på utendørsenheten, men det kan ofte være vanskelig for AC-eiere å få tilgang (hvis det er høyt oppe på veggen eller på taket for eksempel). Du må kanskje kontakte produsenten direkte eller kontakte et selskap som Oasis hvis du trenger hjelp.

Hvis du har et system som bruker R22, så er det ikke nødvendig å panikk. På kort sikt er R22 fortsatt tilgjengelig (som forklart ovenfor) og på lang sikt, kan du kanskje fortsette å bruke systemet uten problemer i årevis. Hvis / når dette problemet oppstår, kan det være på tide å konvertere systemet med enten ‘Retrofit’ / ‘Drop in’ -kjølemidler, eller forny ditt system alt sammen.

Når det er sagt, hvis du har en virksomhet som er avhengig av fullt funksjonell klimaanlegg, så kan det være noe du vil adressere før heller enn senere. Hvis du trengte å få tak i R22 lenger nedover linjen, og det hadde blitt faset ut helt, kunne du være uten air condition alle sammen i noen dager / uker mens du enten konverterer systemet eller installerer en ny.

Et annet viktig aspekt å ta hensyn til er at noen av AC-produsentene begynner å lager mindre reservedeler for R22-systemer, og vet at de blir faset ut.

For å oppsummere, vil de som har R22-systemer, måtte gjøre noe på et tidspunkt, og det er mye bedre å bli informert godt før de gjør noe.[:]

For those with pools, we’re approaching the end of the prime swimming time, but you could easily be swimming for the rest of the year. Heating a pool – especially in Andalucia – can be far more energy efficient and cost effective than most people think. What’s more, if you rent out your property, we are reliably informed that properties with heated pools generally yield more annual income than those without. With limited holiday rentals during the Spring and Autumn months, properties with heated pools are the ones that usually go first.

So what are the most economic options?

Solar collectors

Solar collectors (panels) are a very effective way of heating your pool during those months when it’s warm outside but not hot enough to heat the pool. Although solar collectors are not viable during the coldest winter months, they can provide you with free heating for several extra months. Unfortunately, whilst we have the full accreditation to acquire substantial government grants for solar installations, they are not granted for pool heating.

Heat Pumps

Heat pumps are one of the most efficient and economical ways of heating a pool, especially in a moderate climate like that of southern Spain. The basic premise behind heat pumps is that they don’t directly burn fossil fuel to create heat. Rather, they use a small amount of energy to transfer heat from one source to another. Heat pumps can heat your pool all year round, although the coldest winter months will entail significantly more energy consumption.

Biomass

Biomass is another renewable energy source that refers to vegetative or animal matter that can be then used as an energy source. In some cases, this can be as simple as a wood stove, but innovation in recent years has led to all sorts of energy efficient and cost effective types of biomass heating systems that use varying types of fuel from wood pellets to olive stones.

Pool Covers

It is of course essential to include a pool cover in whatever heating solution you opt for, in order to minimise heat loss and the need for energy consumption. What’s more, if you can afford one of the more advanced pool covers, they are a type of heating solution in themselves. Without even needing a heating system, a good pool cover can greatly extend your swimming season by retaining heat when the nights get colder. See our section on pool covers.

We are still Oasis but we’re no longer Oasis Climate Control or Oasis Energy & Building Solutions – we’re now called ‘Oasis Energy Solutions’. We will be changing the logo accordingly in due course.

We believe it’s important to clarify the change in name. The company was founded ten years ago with the aim of being the most reliable customer focused cooling & heating specialist in southern Andalucia. Since then, we have grown a team of engineers that are fully qualified and authorised for a broad range of services in the field of energy.

The energy sector is at a very important juncture. For many decades, the western world has enjoyed the privilege of a high standard in life fuelled by cheap energy. Households full of electrical appliances and plenty of travelling have been affordable for most of us.

The energy sector is now going through a major transitional period. Our traditional energy sources – fossil fuels like coal, oil and gas – are becoming increasingly difficult and expensive to find and extract. Many of the problems relating to the BP disaster were a consequence of having to drill deeper underwater than ever before.

Luckily, there is huge investment and innovation happening in the field of renewable energy and energy efficiency. We are now helping clients navigate through this transitional period. Whether the requirement is to cool a property, heat a pool, or install electricity, we work with our clients to find the most energy efficient and cost effective solution.

Therefore, Oasis Energy Solutions seems like a more appropriate name.