The UK Environment secretary, Hilary Benn has launched plans for a one stop shop service for greener homes. Alison Benjamin over at the Guardian Unlimited takes a looks at what the Green Home Service will offer. This is done in a FAQ format which also seems to include non related general questions such as;
“How much does a micro wind turbine cost and how much electricity does it generate?”
Worth taking a look at though.
Written by ashleys on November 20th, 2007 with no comments.
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A US company in the states has come up with a new business model for deploying solar PV arrays. The company Maryland based SunEdison will actually own, finance and operate any help fund the installation of a facility. SunEdison own the installation for a number of years, and is reimbursed for the solar energy at rates they are currently paying.
“This makes adding solar a no-brainer for eco-minded corporations, since they pay nothing up front” says Claire Broido Johnson, a SunEdison vice president.
This is an interesting concept and this article (osl) provides an example of such an installation at a food warehouse in Connecticut. As far as I see the host company sees no benefit except the public relations of generating solar energy and reducing their carbon footprint. I would like to see SunEdison’s business plan, presumably they see a return on investment within 10 years. Any comments?
Written by ashleys on September 22nd, 2006 with no comments.
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Now here is a project that will truly get solar wind working. A new project has begun in the Australian outback to build a huge tower that will capture the sun’s energy in a far more efficient way than conventional solar cells or windmills.
Now we normally separate solar and wind energy into two different things, however the reality is that wind is a result, if only an end result, of the power of the sun. This new project is trying to build a solar tower that will link the solar and wind energy directly. The tower is huge, funnel shaped and made of clear plastic. As the sun heats the air inside the tunnel causing it to rise, the funnel shape causing the air to move faster and faster the narrower the funnel gets. The electricity is then generated by wind turbines housed in the top of the funnel.
When constructed sometime after 2006, the 3,280 foot Solar Tower will generate 200 megawatts. At a typical home consumption of one kilowatt, this will power 200,000 homes and reduce the annual production of greenhouse gases by nearly a megaton.
Read more at the dailyreckoning.co.uk
Written by ashleys on August 20th, 2006 with no comments.
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I have just posted on my other blog about a nice use of solar power to bring internet access to three schools in India via a WiFi mesh. The nodes of the WiFi mesh are powered by solar panel with battery storage. The work is being done by an interesting California based WiFi company called Green WiFi
Written by ashleys on August 9th, 2006 with no comments.
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There is an interesting article on Guardian Unlimited by Jeremy Legget which is actually in response to a previous article by George Monbiot in support of the use of gas to create hydrogen. However the main thrust of Jeremy’s article is that it is entirely possible for the average, British in this case, household to significantly reduce carbon emissions. Initial reductions are easy through energy saving initiatives such as insulation and the use of energy efficient appliances and lighting fixtures etc. There are significant cost benefits to be realised in taking those steps.
Further reductions are then possible through the use of micro-generation technologies. Of which, Jeremy supports solar PV generation, which as a CEO of a solar PV company makes sense! The final push to zero requires that the power needs of the grid are largely coming from renewable sources. Something that Jeremy argues is potentially feasable for the future if you manage to effectively hook up big and micro renewable generation.
Interesting stuff. Read Jeremy’s article
here and George’s
here
Written by ashleys on May 7th, 2006 with no comments.
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