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Hi,

           The UK Government has plans to build a number of Eco Towns throughout the country over the coming years. This of course is commendable, but it is dogged by controversy. How for instance are transport links to these town to be established.

The concept of these towns is that everything in them should be green, but that will prove hard to achieve. If you live in an eco town you will be expected to have a battery car. I for one do not accept that. There are many ways to reduce emissions from existing cars by running them on alternative fuels such as hydrogen, or methane.

On the other hand I would very much like to have an eco house. That can be achieved by building one from scratch or converting an existing house to an eco house. I think that the least expensive option is to convert an existing house by using solar panels to generate electricity and to heat water and by using a wood burning stove to heat the house.

What the Government seem to have forgotten is that by their own estimates the UK will have electricity blackouts by 2017 due to the increased demand for  electricity. What use will an electric car be then?

I believe we must all do everything we can to protect the environment by improving the efficiency of  our homes. In doing so we will be saving not only the planet but ourselves a lot of money,since power bills are expected to rise by as much as 60% over the coming years.

Why not find out now how to build your own solar electricity system or solar hot water system 

Hi,

         The UK Government’s present Feed-in Tariff Scheme means that the average household could make up to £1,000 per year by generating their own electricity.

For a typical house this would mean installing a 2.5kW system of photovoltaic solar panels,which would cost around £8,000 and could mean a payout of some £25,000 over 25 years or about £17,000 profit. A typical house owner with  solar installation receives 41.3p for each kilowat hour of electricity generated. It does not matter if they use it themselves or export it to the grid.

The uptake on this scheme has so far been disappointing. Obviously the Government have not realised that most people just do not have £8,000 to spend.

What if you could build your own solar panels? Imagine not having to pay those electricity bills anymore. The fact is that you can now build your own system of solar photovoltaic panels to generate electricity and it will cost only a fraction of what a solar energy supplier will charge.

Check out now how to  Build your own solar panels

Hi,

Our reliance on oil to power our cars will soon come to an end as supplies of the fossil fuel run out. But can we really use green  energy like water to power cars? Well the use of water and gasoline or diesel is becoming quite widely established. It is now possible to purchase a kit to run your car on a combination of water and gasoline or diesel.

The aim of these kits is to turn distilled water into HHO. The distilled water is mixed with sodium bicarbonate in a container called an electrolyser. Current from the battery is than passed into the electrolyser and the resulting gas HHO is then fed to the air intake of the engine. HHO increase performance, cleans the engine and reduces emissions. It is also claimed to reduce fuel consumption of the car which varies according to the model.

It is only in recent years that car manufacturers have turned their attention to developing engines that will run on different fuels. Apparently BMW had a design for a water car as much as 30 years ago but took no action on it because of the abundance of cheap oil. Today of course they have a new hydrogen powered car with the Hydrogen 7 model. This car uses gas and hydrogen.

Other manufacturers are researching designs of cars with fuel cells and indeed Honda already has such a car in the FCX. Hydrogen of course is very explosive and so care has to be taken as to how it is delivered to an engine for combustion. This is not a problem with the electrolyser kits as it is HHO that is delivered for combustion. The evaporation of water is another problem that arises when using water as a fuel and the tanks holding the water have to be well insulated.

Development continues and BMW now have another vehicle  the H2R that uses part water and part liquid nitrogen as a fuel. Toyota have had their Prius for some years which runs on battery and gasoline. In recent months we have had a proliferation of new battery cars being put forward, but they only have a range of around 100 miles before needing to be charged up again. In view of the ever increasing demand by consumers for electricity and the likelihood of power blackouts in the UK within 7 years, battery cars are not really the answer.

Water as a green energy does represent an attractive proposition, because hydrogen combustion is clean, burns quickly  and the only emission is water. How soon can we expect to see a car run entirely using the green water source? Well I think that it will be at least another 10 years. The internal combustion engine cannot simply be scrapped. I am sure that scientists can come up with a safe and effective way to extract hydrogen from water to power existing cars. They should also consider biofuels in the short term in the form of waste products, but should not use crops.

 Fortunately those who produce HHO kits are continuing to do research and improve the product. Not only do they now guarantee to reduce fuel consumption by 20%, but they have also done emission tests and obtained impressive results.

The next thing we need to do is lobby the Government to reduce the road tax on larger engined vehicles where it has been proven that a kit has been installed and emissions reduced.

Why wait and continue to pay high fuel prices at the pumps,
Learn how you can make your own car greener

Get a free report on how to save energy in your home. Http://rodwarnock.com

Hi,

Ground source heat pumps can transfer heat from the ground into a building to provide space heating. This is possible because the earth a few metres below our feet keeps a constant temperature which in the UK is about 11-12C throughout the year, and during the summer months the ground because of its high thermal mass stores heat from the sun.

Ground heat pumps are a renewable source of energy as the heat comes originally from the sun. For every unit of electricity used to pump the heat, three or four units of heat are produced. Heat pumps comprise three main elements, firstly a loop or lengths of pipe buried in the ground in a horizontal trench or in a borehole. The pipe if filled with a mixture of water and antifreeze. Secondly a pump is used to pump the mixture around the pipe where it absorbs heat from the ground. Thirdly there is the distribution system which is normally in the form of under floor heating or radiators. In some cases water storage for hot water supply is also included.

The ground source pump has three elements an evaporator, compressor and a condenser. The pump of course requires a supply of electricity to operate it. Both the type of property and heating requirements will have a bearing on the different options adopted in terms of the type of loop. Boreholes tend to be used where space is limited, but where there is space available then a trench can be dug and either a horizontal or spiral loop inserted. A ground source heat pump can provide 100% of space heating requirements, but will usually only pre-heat domestic hot water, so top up heating with an immersion heater is required.

The cost to install a ground source heat pump in the UK range from £8,000 to £12,000 depending on the property and location. There are a number of advantages. It will be cheaper to run than gas, oil, LPG or electric storage heaters. The payback on this type of space heating will depend on what type of fuel is being replaced. It would for instance be well suited to a location where there is no mains gas supply. The pollution with this type of heating will be less in terms of CO2 emissions than even the most efficient gas or oil boilers.

A ground heat pump whilst providing green energy in the form of heat from the earth, requires electricity to operate the pump and if this supply of electricity is provided by fossil fuels then the system is not 100% green. It will be necessary to source a green supply of electricity. However even without green electricity, the emissions will still be less than with other heating systems. Some grants are available for this type of heating and it should certainly be considered if funds and space is available.

Hi,

The devastation of the gulf of Mexico following the explosion of the BP oil rig must surely raise some fundamental questions. Is it not time to stop deep sea drilling for oil? I hope that President Obama will now outlaw it off the coast of America.

But there is a far more fundamental question here, why do we continue to search for fossil fuels that we know damage the environment? Whilst I accept that BP must not be allowed to go bust due the dependence of investors in the UK and USA, it is surely time to reconsider energy sources.

Do not tell me that we cannot develop a new non poluting fuel. If we can put a man on the moon then we can provide a new source of energy. The source must not be nuclear or from growing crops.

I suspect the real reason is vested interests. The oil cartel obviously enjoy holding the world to ransome, but how long are we going to put up with it. Fossil fuels will eventually run out, it is time to start accellerating plan for new energy. Hopefully this disaster will make those in power re-examine just where we are going with energy resources.

Geothermal energy starts with hot molten rock called Magma miles below the earth’s surface that heats a section of the earth’s crust. The heat rising from the Magma warms underground pools of water known as geothermal reservoirs. These reservoirs can even boil to produce steam and if there is an opening in the rock to the surface the hot water seeps out to form springs, or it may boil to form geysers.

This type of energy only occurs in certain areas of the globe where the earth’s crust is geologically unstable. Places like Chile, Iceland, New Zealand, United States, the Phillipines and Italy. People have been using hot springs for bathing and cooking food for thousands of years, but it is only relatively recently that it has been considered as a source of energy. In a similar fashion to solar thermal electricity, steam is pulled directly from the reservoir or from water to make steam and piped to a power plant where it turns a turbine to generate electricity.

Geothermal energy is a green source of energy in that it does not harm the environment. However there is some debate as to whether it is renewable. Should the rate of use of the steam from the reservoir be excessive then the reservoir may not have the ability to replenish itself. One additional problem is that the fact that water from geothermal reservoirs often contains minerals that are corrosive and polluting and so these need to be managed.

This form of energy is unlikely to be a green source for domestic use, but certainly where these reservoirs exist it makes sense to utilise the steam from them to generate electricity. It is for instance likely to be a much more acceptable method of generating electricity, than by coal fired or gas fired power stations. The environment will also suffer less pollution.   

In many parts of the world people have been producing energy from Biomass for centuries. In some areas it is still the main source of heat. The energy from Biomass is produced from organic matter of recent origin. The CO2 released during the generation of energy from biomass is balanced by the CO2 absorbed during the fuel’s production. The process is therefore said to be carbon neutral.

There are two categories of bioenergy, firstly forest products such as untreated wood, energy crops which are used for stationary heat and electricity generation. Secondly biofuels are made from animal wastes, industrial and biodegradable products from food processing as well as high energy crops such as rape seed, sugar cane and maize. These biofuels are mainly used for transportation.

Biomass for domestic applications takes the form of wood logs, wood chips and wood pellets which are used in wood burning stoves. This is a green source of energy as it is renewable. There are two ways that biomass is used to heat domestic properties. Firstly stand alone stoves which provide space heating for a room. Some models can be fitted with a back boiler to provide water heating.

Secondly wood burning boilers connected to central heating and hot water systems. Wood burning stoves can achieve efficiencies of more than 80%. Unlike gas or electric stoves of course you are required to buy fuel to put in the stove. However this is going to be much less expensive than gas or electricity and it is carbon neutral.

Wood burning stoves in many areas are the stoves of choice providing that your home is located near a forest or supplier of wood pellets. If wood or pellets have to be transported some distance , then this form of energy is no longer carbon neutral due to the carbon produced by transportation.

Whilst it is acceptable to turn animal waste and industrial waste into biofuel for use in transportation, the growing of crops like rape seed is controversial. The Governments of the European Union had in recent years a policy of requiring fuel for transportation to be made up of 15% biofuel, they have now had to reduce this to 10%. The reason is that farmers were switching from growing food crops to biofuel crops to the detriment of the food supply chain.

In areas where there are forests or wood pellet suppliers the use of wood burning stoves should be encouraged in order to protect the environment.

Learn how to build your own green energy

Hi,

Good News! The new coalition Government in the UK plans to promote a multi-billion pound industry converting waste into energy with the aim of providing 4% of the country’s energy needs within ten years.

The plan is to use anaerobic digestion plants. Apparently these are large containers that can be fed food waste,maize slurry and sewage. This plant and animal material is digested by micro-organisms which releases methane. this can then be used to provide light and heat.

It is hoped that this method could supply two million homes with power. There have already been anaerobic digestion plants on farms for many years., and it is hoped that if a viable anaeobic digestion industry is developed, that it will not only provide energy , but also may solve the problem of landfill sites which is a growing one.   

        Imagine if you could have hot water all year round and at the same time reduce your electricity bill. Well it is achievable if you have a solar hot water  collector to collect the energy from the sun and heat your water.

I am sure you have heard of harnessing the power of the sun to generate electricity using solar panels with Photovoltaic cells. The other type of solar panels to heat water use solar hot water collectors. There are two types, evacuated tubes and flat plate collectors. Both types are fitted to the roof of your home to collect energy from the sun and heat the water which is stored in your hot water cylinder.

Is your home suitable for installation of a solar hot water heater system? The first first consideration is the location of your home, is it exposed to the sun? If you have a pitched roof and your house faces South then you can place a single solar hot water collector on the South facing slope, if you face East/West then you will need one on each slope of the roof for maximum exposure to the sun.

Most houses are suitable for installation of solar hot water collectors, and it does not matter what type of boiler you have it should be compatible, the only exception is if you have  a combination boiler (combi) and do not have a hot water cylinder then it may not be suitable. One thing you will need with a solar hot water system is a larger hot water cylinder, so you need to have the room to install it.

You will not need planning permission to install your solar hot water collector, and maintenance is very low. Most importantly you can save up to a third on your electricity bill and enjoy piping hot water throughout the summer months. You will not have to use your boiler to heat the water, but can use the emersion heater in your cylinder for short periods when it is a dull day.

If you go to one of the estabished Solar companies you will be charged thousands of dollars in the UK from £3,000 – £5,000. When I fitted my solar hot water heater system it cost me over £6,000. That was almost 4 years ago. The good news is that you can now build a solar hot water collector yourself for less than $100. 

You can obtain a detailed instruction manual online for around $37 and you can get the components for less than $100. The system can be built at home in a few days.I can highly recommend a solar hot water system, I can honestly say that it is one of the best additions to my home.  find out how to build your own solar hot water heater system

Hi,

          Apparently leading gas-producing nations are meeting this week in Algeria to vote on cutting supplies of gas. It seems that they wish to double the price of natural gas. They have been deliberating on reducing supplies for years but this is the first time they have agreed to have a vote.

Whilst it is unlikely that they will agree to cut supplies this time around, it is nevertheless an ominous sign. It is bad enough that the oil cartel have been holding us all to ransome for years without the gas cartel following suit.

To my mind it is yet another reason to start using natural resources of energy like wind power and the power of the sun. Now is the time to find out what particular source of energy suits your home. You may be able to heat your house with a wood burning stove which is carbon neutral.

Use either wind power if you have sufficient wind speed and or solar panels with photovoltaic cells to generate electricity, and solar panels to heat your water.