Electricity supply in developed countries is straining to cope with demand, an International Energy Agency (IEA) report suggests.
California’s power outages in 2001 may have been a sign of things to come
In a report called ‘Saving Electricity In A Hurry’, the agency predicts there will be outages like those experienced in the United States, Japan and [...]
The British coastline is set for a dramatic increase in wind farms and tidal energy plants as the Government strives to meet a European target for renewable energy.
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The pressure to speed up plans for thousands of wind turbines and the controversial Severn barrage is likely to be intense. The EU is expected to order [...]
The use of photovoltaic (PV) panels is the cornerstone for powering a solar lifestyle. Here’s how the process works:
Photovoltaic panels are joined together to create a solar array
1.First, the photovoltaic panels — or array — collect sunlight and converts it into solar energy.
2.The energy is then stored in special batteries inside the home before [...]
With the solar array assembled, correctly angled and wired, it’s time to connect the exterior wiring to the interior control panels. The solar breaker will first be connected to a circuit breaker disconnect. The energy will flow from the disconnect to a charge controller and then to a battery bank to be stored. When needed, [...]
Proper and perfect insulation of your home is critical in keeping you and your family comfortable year-round. A carefully considered insulation strategy considers air sealing and ventilation to improve your home’s energy efficiency, which reduces your utility bills. There are many different kinds of insulation, and choosing the right one for [...]
Written by Darshan Goswami, M.S., P.E.
Hydrogen, produced from tap water, could become the forever fuel of the future, generating power for homes, industry, and cars.
A new day is dawning for a revolutionary way to generate electric power from renewable energy sources. Imagine a future where the electrical power needed to run your computer, TV and [...]
90% of the heat in shower water is wasted
It’s a fact that everyone is well aware: shower water is still hot when it flows into the drain. The same is true of the water used for washing dishes. Whether dishwashing by hand or letting the machine do the work, the water going down [...]
Generically, a low-energy house is any type of house that uses less energy than a regular house.
How best to heat a house is a question that is often hotly debated. On one side, it is a purely personal choice affecting our daily life and personal comfort and productivity. But on the other side, given the [...]
Solar hot water refers to water heated by solar energy. Solar heating systems are generally composed of solar thermal collectors, a fluid system to move the heat from the collector to its point of usage, and a reservoir or tank for heat storage and subsequent use. The systems may be used to heat water for [...]
Definition:
A solar collector is a device for extracting the energy of the sun not indirectly into a more usable or storable form. The energy in sunlight is in the form of electromagnetic radiation from the infrared (long) to the ultraviolet (short) wavelengths. The solar energy striking the earth’s surface at any one time depends on [...]
Negawatt power is a term coined and introduced by Amory Lovins in a 1989 speech. This technique works by utilising consumption efficiency to increase available market supply rather than by increasing plant generation capacity. This “virtual generation” method can supply growth of supply by increasing efficiencies rather than increasing generation.
It has two main uses:-
1. The [...]
Going green†and “reducing your carbon footprint’ are all the rage, but these trendy concepts are nothing new for the Alliance to Save Energy. That’s because you can’t be green without minimizing your energy use; and energy efficiency has always been and remains the quickest, most cost-effective way to use less energy – and the [...]
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Introduction
The Visitor Centre at Monarto Zoological Park uses three subsidence towers for cooling the public and administrative spaces. The subsidence towers are 3.6m x 3.6m with an overall height above floor level of 9.4m.
The subsidence towers at Monarto are believed to be the first installed in Australia and will demonstrate an alternative low energy, [...]
The Centre for Alternative Technology (CAT) is installing a new woodchip-powered generator, which will be more than 80% efficient when running at full power. In December 2007 Arthur Girling, from CAT, explained the changes:
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The woodchip-powered combined heat and power plant (CHP) will generate up to 100kW of electricity, enough to meet the instantaneous power [...]
Danny Cox recently presented his radio show from a very special house. Sue Roaf’s home is the first low energy house in the UK with a fully integrated photovoltaic roof. This means she gets all her electricity from special solar panels.
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The Oxford Solar House .Danny Cox visits Sue Roaf’s very special home.
The house [...]
A Greek firm has unveiled a hi-tech office block that relies on solar power for heating and cooling.
The project, in a suburb of Athens, seeks to set an example in a country with a poor record in the use of renewable energy.
Co-designer Nikos Manioudakis claims the five-storey block is Europe’s most energy-efficient building.
The mythical [...]
A £3m renewable energy system, which will be one of the largest of its type in the UK, is to be built into a controversial Old Town development.
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The Caltongate site is in the Old Town
The Caltongate scheme has been awarded a grant of over £789,000 by the Department of Trade and Industry for a [...]
The Stirling engine is an external combustion engine that works on the principle of thermal expansion and contraction of a fluid (technically, the term ‘fluid’ refers to both gases and liquids). It was invented by Rev Robert Stirling, minister of the Church of Scotland, in 1816.
He had noted the death and injury rates caused by [...]
There must be a national effort to bring about a “green revolution”, But what simple things can we all do to save the Earth?
Everyone could help save the planet by making just a few changes in our household energy use.
Intelligent use of heat :
A number of different ideas converge here, but the main inspiration [...]
While the fossil-fuel era is entering its sunset years, a new energy regime is being born that has the potential to remake civilization along radical new lines. Hydrogen is the most basic and ubiquitous element in the universe. It is the stuff of stars and, when properly harnessed and made from renewable sources, it is [...]
A solar cooker is a device which uses only sunlight to cook. Because they use no fuel and they cost nothing to run, humanitarian organizations are promoting their use worldwide to help slow deforestation and desertification, caused by the need for firewood used to cook. Solar cookers are also sometimes used in outdoor cooking, especially [...]
A solar cell or photovoltaic cell is a device that converts light energy into electrical energy by the photovoltaic effect. Photovoltaics is the field of technology and research related to the application of solar cells as solar energy. Sometimes the term solar cell is reserved for devices intended specifically to capture energy from sunlight, while [...]
Introduction and Definitions :-
Solar combisystems are solar heating installations providing space heating as well as domestic hot water for the inhabitants of the building. The primary energy sources are solar energy as well as an auxiliary source such as biomass, gas, oil and electricity, either direct or with a heat pump. The solar contribution, i.e. [...]
Cool roofs are an effective alternative to bulk attic insulation under roofs in humid tropical and subtropical climates. Bulk insulation can be entirely replaced by roofing systems that both reflect incident solar radiation and provide emission to the sky. Present technology is best obtained with white paint, but U.S. energy-star awards may soon be available [...]
A zero energy building (ZEB) or net zero energy building is a general term applied to a building with a net energy consumption of zero over a typical year. This can be measured in different ways (relating to cost, energy, or carbon emissions) and, irrespective of the definition used, different views are taken on the [...]
A seasonal thermal store (also known as a seasonal heat store or inter-seasonal thermal store) is a store designed to retain heat deposited during the hot summer months for use during colder winter weather. The heat is typically captured using solar collectors, although other energy sources are sometime used separately or in parallel.
Types of seasonal [...]
A windcatcher is a traditional Persian architectural device used for many centuries to create natural ventilation in buildings. It is not known who first invented the windcatcher, but it still can be seen in many countries today. Windcatchers come in various designs, such as the uni-directional, bi-directional, and multi-directional.
An ab anbar with double domes [...]
A solar chimney — often referred to as a thermal chimney — is a way of improving the natural ventilation of buildings by using convection of air heated by passive solar energy. A simple description of a solar chimney is that of a vertical shaft utilizing solar energy to enhance the natural stack ventilation through [...]
Earth sheltering or Earth cooling tubes can take advantage of the ambient temperature of the Earth to reduce or eliminate conventional air conditioning requirements. In many climates where the majority of humans live, they can greatly reduce the build up of undesirable summer heat, and also help remove heat from the interior of the building. [...]
Solar air conditioning refers to any air conditioning (cooling) system that uses solar power. This can be done through passive solar, photovoltaic conversion (sun to electricity), or solar thermal energy conversion. The U.S. Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 created 2008 through 2012 funding for a new solar air conditioning research and development program, [...]