Gondwana Green Heat

05/06/2026

Happy World 🌎 Environment Day folks.

Sadly currently the environment is taking a bit of back seat .
With Europe on the brink of civil unrest and the Uk 🇬🇧 possibly at its epicentre. The uk government and authorities protecting / encouraging a certain cult/ religion to spread hate coupled with there flare for violence, and there pretitory culture.
It’s important to remember that politicians, policy ,vicious disgusting religions come and go and will be expelled in time. But the world 🌎 , the world is forever and must be protected and respected above everything else.

As part of our/ my native tree planting mini programme which happens every year. I took the
Decision to also build and locate a log bee 🐝 hive. These are not to harvest honey 🍯 but to encourage more wild bees . Moving forward I’ll plan to make and locate 2 per year .

Happy world environment day.

04/06/2026

17/05/2026

This week ended with a service of a multi heat source system in the Scottish Borders, it’s not everyday a peacock 🦚 escorts you to the front door.

We fitted this system around 7 years ago. It’s fairly straightforward for us and incorporates the following,

Gas heat only boiler linked with a woodfire Cx boiler stove and a Rayburn cooker, all linked with one of our wee thermal stores.

01/05/2026

A wee hand made in 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 ( Scotland) 10 kw Dowling Aztec wood burning stove 🔥 finished yesterday.

The stove is used to heat to small charity workshop which helps and trains young people with a range skills for the future.

Parts used are

1 x Dowling Aztec 10 by Dowling Stoves
Chimney is Nova by sflchimneys
Hearth is grey slate by Trade Price Stone Ltd

30/04/2026

A stunning Dowling stove taken a few weeks ago on Mull at the Isle of Mull Cheese company just outside Tobermory.

To be fair a bit of tlc is needed but the setting is stunning in the huge conservatory with vines .

Coffee and cake is also the best on the island incidentally.

Dowling Stoves
Isle of Mull Cheese

12/04/2026

Closed until the 18 th any emails and messages will be returned then .

( picture is a island pellet stove , using a alternative chimney solution to meet building regulations)
Picture in a church conversion near Biggar.

03/04/2026

Another install started this week on the outskirts in Edinburgh technically west lothian ( the old badlands). As you can see by the pictures standards or understanding of solid fuel appliances is not improving.
This install has so many issues.

1. Heat shields seriously warped with no air gap behind and made of a material not able to handle constant extreme heat. Just because a material is classed as a non combustible does not necessarily mean it can be used a heat shield.

2. the building structure has been heavily charred previously. ( one of the best charrs i have ever seen on a still standing building)

3. no hearth, while from a technical standpoint the floor is a workshop and 150mm concrete therefor its not a fire issue but a hearth creates a boundary for users. In commercial space i personally disagree with this regulation but the folks that wear ties and have alphabets after there name know best.

4. too much single wall and chimney not supported at any point.

5. no Co alarm

6. Air ventilation, was picked up by another installer ( needs a air vent), i disagree as the doors have a deliberate 50mm gap underneath. 2m long doors by 50mm.?

These are common install errors that can be fatal to building users in extreme cases or at the least destroy buildings on occasion. We will be back to this one when the new stove arrives.

Training courses do exist to help inexperienced installers understand and move into the world of solid fuel, Hetas being the main one. Courses are generally poor in terms of experience / knowledge of instructors in my experience. With manuals / teaching materials needing vast improvement i also believe manuals should be free for all to view online.

As many of you know i offer consultancy / training in the UK and world wide.
From renewable heating to MVHR design to passive house consultancy, from designs / calculations and sketches to training and mentoring .

until next time Happy Easter

25/03/2026

A wee service up date, ill be on the Isle of Mull in a few weeks time for meetings, renewable heating and all things Passive house. Anyone on the Island pls direct message me to book at slot, fees do apply, but substantially cheaper due to already being there.

Another 2 meeting trips are planned for this year, both will be during warmer months.

1. Dunkeld, Cairngorms, Speyside , Banchory, Aberdeen, Dundee.

2. Fort William, Mallaig, Skye / Applecross.

Picture me and W***y gorilla planting native oak last week up Muddy mountain aka ( Craiglockhart wester hill.

11/03/2026

Yup the masonry stove / heater is still going here in Edinburgh , temps are rising but so is the wind and horizontal rain. I think another few weeks yet .
A quick update to what’s happening, busy as always , consultancy is booming , both renewable heating and all things Passive house. This week has turned out a bit of a dead duck with ill children and too windy for the solar project. So as well as consultancy projects in Lockerbie , Kielder and Skye I’m also doing another Passive house course ( phpp expert course) this is a software package to help design Passive houses and is frankly essential to design and perfect passive and low energy buildings.

Picture is the W***y aka willow enjoying some heat after muddy mountain this morning ( Craiglockhart wester hill), chair is my new office chair from David lightly at the woodneuk who makes stunning furniture from Scottish woods and was the Late Tim Stead’s apprentice. David continues to make all Tim Stead’s designs and more from chairs to tables near Lauder in Tim’s original workshop which was attached to his home. It’s currently run as a trust Tim Stead Trust, well worth a visit for any one who loves design , native woods .

Chair ( Strata) made by David Lightly at the woodneuk at the Tim Stead Trust

Rug by The Nomads Tent in Marchmont Edinburgh

Masonry stove by Ecco Stove eccostove a uk manufacturer of silicone carbide ceramic stoves / heaters .

24/02/2026

Is it only Tuesday, a tile stove ( kakkelovn) all refurbished with a new Schiedel icid chimney and flue cube terminal painted in Almond . I really was really unsure of the colour as I’m a bright stainless steel type of chap, but it blends in well with the sandstone and only took 11 tins of spray paint . ( thank god the customer likes the colour )
Monday also had me servicing and replacing Turbulators in a Mcz pellet boiler stove too.

Parts
Schiedel UK
fluecube