Depending on the location you live in if it gets cold in winter you can save power and gain added comfort for you and your family in your home by insulating your house in a big way.
There may be government grants available in your country or state to cover the majority of the cost of the insulation, and if you can, always try to choose a insulation that has been produced in a pollution free friendly way, like sheeps wool or recycled paper insulation.
Saturday, April 11, 2009
Power and Energy (techie bit.)
This is just for reference.
What is power?
Power = Voltage x Current (watt)
1 Kilowatt = 1000 watts
1 Megawatt = 1000 kilowatt = 1,000,000 watts.
Energy = Power x Time (watt-hour)
This is why we usually talk of Kilowatt Hours
The kilowatt hour, also written kilowatt-hour,[1] (symbol kW·h, kW h or kWh) is a unit of energy.[2]
Energy delivered by electric companys is usually expressed and charged for in kilowatt hours.
Energy in kilowatt hours is the product of power in kilowatts multiplied by time in hours; it is not kilowatts per hour.
AC and DC...
AC... is Alternating Current (mains supply)the power in your plug sockets.
DC... is Direct Current (batteries) Mostly used in small scale RE systems.
Enough of the tech stuff.
What is power?
Power = Voltage x Current (watt)
1 Kilowatt = 1000 watts
1 Megawatt = 1000 kilowatt = 1,000,000 watts.
Energy = Power x Time (watt-hour)
This is why we usually talk of Kilowatt Hours
The kilowatt hour, also written kilowatt-hour,[1] (symbol kW·h, kW h or kWh) is a unit of energy.[2]
Energy delivered by electric companys is usually expressed and charged for in kilowatt hours.
Energy in kilowatt hours is the product of power in kilowatts multiplied by time in hours; it is not kilowatts per hour.
AC and DC...
AC... is Alternating Current (mains supply)the power in your plug sockets.
DC... is Direct Current (batteries) Mostly used in small scale RE systems.
Enough of the tech stuff.
Reinventing the power grid.
A very tenuous and fragile status quo exists in most countries with their national owned power stations.
With their almost total reliance on fossil fuels they are some day going to run out of matter to burn to produce electricity for you!
And what then?
Well, nuclear power is still too dangerous and will only be acceptable when the scientists achieve safe cold fusion as opposed to the nuclear fission of today, hopefully this will someday become a safe reality and research is going on all the time but it is not perfected yet ..
So what do we do in the meantime?
Make our own power.
Even today these fossil fuel burning, pollution belching power stations work with a tremendous loss of power.
For example, Your average power station has to produce up to 765,000 volts to send electricity down the power lines but a portion of this power is lost through Resistance in the grid meaning they are not as efficient as you may have thought thats why the voltage has to be so high..
So what is the answer?
Produce your own electricity either on your own or as a community project you don't have to produce as much power as the big power stations because the electricity only has to travel locally.
With their almost total reliance on fossil fuels they are some day going to run out of matter to burn to produce electricity for you!
And what then?
Well, nuclear power is still too dangerous and will only be acceptable when the scientists achieve safe cold fusion as opposed to the nuclear fission of today, hopefully this will someday become a safe reality and research is going on all the time but it is not perfected yet ..
So what do we do in the meantime?
Make our own power.
Even today these fossil fuel burning, pollution belching power stations work with a tremendous loss of power.
For example, Your average power station has to produce up to 765,000 volts to send electricity down the power lines but a portion of this power is lost through Resistance in the grid meaning they are not as efficient as you may have thought thats why the voltage has to be so high..
So what is the answer?
Produce your own electricity either on your own or as a community project you don't have to produce as much power as the big power stations because the electricity only has to travel locally.
Friday, April 10, 2009
Why Small scale renewable energy?
When I talk about small scale RE I am talking about ordinary people like you and me having a small wind turbine or some type of solar energy collection system be it photovoltaic or water heating, power stations that burn fossil fuel, nuclear reactors all will go the way of the dinosaur and the future is small scale or community cooperative micro power stations that only serve its local community or neighbourhood.
And why should we move away from the corporate power companey's?
Here are my reasons....
Energy Independence and self Sufficiency.
Strikes and Black-outs.
Terrorism and globalisation.. producing our own local energy decreases the threat from terrorists or wrong do-ers damaging our power distribution networks like power stations or power lines..
Having a green Philosophy being independent from corporate control encouraging local ownership of RE systems even cooperatives and keeping it all at a community level.
Not to mention the financial benefits.
And why should we move away from the corporate power companey's?
Here are my reasons....
Energy Independence and self Sufficiency.
Strikes and Black-outs.
Terrorism and globalisation.. producing our own local energy decreases the threat from terrorists or wrong do-ers damaging our power distribution networks like power stations or power lines..
Having a green Philosophy being independent from corporate control encouraging local ownership of RE systems even cooperatives and keeping it all at a community level.
Not to mention the financial benefits.
Thursday, April 9, 2009
What is RE?
RE can be energy supplied by a service provider such as
large scale wind farms and water powered power stations.
It is not energy supplied by a service provider which uses fossil fuels such as oil, coal, natural gas etc.
The way of the future is more of an emphasis on ..
Local Power (energy being used 'close to source')
Small scale operations (as opposed to large scale)
Residential (as opposed to Large scale)
Typically RE is a combination of Wind, Photovoltaic,
Biomass and micro hydro technologies.
large scale wind farms and water powered power stations.
It is not energy supplied by a service provider which uses fossil fuels such as oil, coal, natural gas etc.
The way of the future is more of an emphasis on ..
Local Power (energy being used 'close to source')
Small scale operations (as opposed to large scale)
Residential (as opposed to Large scale)
Typically RE is a combination of Wind, Photovoltaic,
Biomass and micro hydro technologies.
A few questions to get started....
Basic philosophy of small scale RE
What is Renewable Energy?
What is Sustainable Energy?
What is Renewable Energy (RE)?
RE is energy produced from sources which
can be replenished or replaced naturally.
What is Sustainable Energy?
Long term provision of energy as part of an
integrated approach to maintaining a quality
of life without undue environmental impact.
What is Renewable Energy?
What is Sustainable Energy?
What is Renewable Energy (RE)?
RE is energy produced from sources which
can be replenished or replaced naturally.
What is Sustainable Energy?
Long term provision of energy as part of an
integrated approach to maintaining a quality
of life without undue environmental impact.
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Hello and welcome..
A huge passion of mine is all things Eco, I have been involved in many projects mostly on a local scale helping the neighbours to go green and try new ways to supplement their power needs and even make money by selling their excess electricity back to the grid.
Solar, wind and water power projects, I have tried them all, even Geo thermal to varying degrees of success and results are improving all the time and What I will try to do on this blog is discuss anything Eco and going green, new advances and new technology's if its green its welcome here and so are all of you..and feel free to make a comment.
A huge passion of mine is all things Eco, I have been involved in many projects mostly on a local scale helping the neighbours to go green and try new ways to supplement their power needs and even make money by selling their excess electricity back to the grid.
Solar, wind and water power projects, I have tried them all, even Geo thermal to varying degrees of success and results are improving all the time and What I will try to do on this blog is discuss anything Eco and going green, new advances and new technology's if its green its welcome here and so are all of you..and feel free to make a comment.
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