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Energy Articles
- Buying PV Solar Panels 6
- Energy For Absolute Beginners
- Learn How to Make Solar Panels – its Easy!
- You Can Build Your Own Solar Panel
- Energy Efficiency
- Energy Efficiency at Home
- Keeping Warm in Winter
- Alternative Energy – Wind and Solar
- 5 Ways to Make Energy at Home
- Economies of Energy
- Energy Efficient Homes – The Brighton Earthship
- What is Energy?
- A Free Hot Water Shower with Home-made Solar Panels
- Seven Ways to Save Energy in Your Home
- Stop using the Electric Kettle
- UK Feed In Energy Tariffs
- Buying Solar Panels 5
- Buying PV solar Panels 4
- Buying PV Solar panels 3
- Buying Solar PV Panels 2
- Buying Solar PV panels 1
Monthly Archives: July 2011
Learn How to Make Solar Panels – its Easy!
Plenty of people have been looking into installing solar panels in an effort to combat rising energy costs. When most of these people see the prices of the professionally installed panels they realize it may not be a luxury they … Continue reading
Posted in Making PV Solar Panels
Tagged how, how to make solar panels, make, panels, solar
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You Can Build Your Own Solar Panel
With energy resources dwindling fast and global warming changing climates across the globe, more people look towards renewable energies for reducing their carbon footprint. However, even the most environmentally passionate person cannot pursue such endeavors without the proper financial resources. … Continue reading
Energy Efficiency
Energy Efficiency is simply using less energy to produce the same level of energy service. It is applied to any situation where energy is used. For example oiling a bicycle wheel makes it more energy efficient because it lubricates the … Continue reading
Posted in Energy Efficiency
Tagged carbon, efficiency, energy, footprint, simplicity, voluntary
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Energy Efficiency at Home
In the modern, western world we have come to rely heavily on our supply of energy. Imagine for a moment that the electricity supply to your home suddenly just stopped. What would you do without light, without heat? The food … Continue reading
Keeping Warm in Winter
How we heat our homes is a major contributor to global warming. Often we overheat our homes and walk round in T-shirts in the middle of winter and then wonder why we are so prone to colds! The ideal temperature … Continue reading
Alternative Energy – Wind and Solar
Alternative ‘renewable’ power sources are now a realistic option at home. Some people even generate more power than they need and sell it back to the grid. Generating your own electricity at home is called microgeneration and is fast becoming … Continue reading
Posted in Renewable Energy
Tagged alternative, electricity, energy, grid, power, renewable, solar, wind
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5 Ways to Make Energy at Home
Solar panels Solar panel technology is certainly growing up – although it is quite an expensive investment to start with. PV (photovoltaic) cells convert sunlight into energy that can be stored or used directly. They are made by taking silicon … Continue reading
Economies of Energy
Our planet is rich in energy. Enough energy simply falls on the planet from the sun in 40 minutes to supply all of our needs for a year. We are running out of several forms of energy at present, hence … Continue reading
Posted in An Energy Universe
Tagged economies, energy, oil, peak, planet, renewable, sun
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Energy Efficient Homes – The Brighton Earthship
I came across Earthships on the internet and was immediately fascinated. Not only did these homes seem totally energy efficient, they were also constructed from recycled materials. From my research I found out there was one in Scotland in the … Continue reading
Posted in Energy Efficiency
Tagged brighton, earthship, efficiency, energy, heating, homes, power, solar
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What is Energy?
Energy is defined in physics as: ‘the property of matter and radiation which is manifest as a capacity to perform work’. The word has its roots in the Greek ‘energeia’, from ‘ergon’, meaning ‘work’. But the word ‘energy’ has a … Continue reading
Posted in An Energy Universe
Tagged energy, home, make, panels, roof, solar, what is
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A Free Hot Water Shower with Home-made Solar Panels
I was using a 10 metre length of hose on the roof on a sunny day. I couldn’t help noticing how warm the water was that came from it. After all it had only been up there 10 minutes. I … Continue reading
Seven Ways to Save Energy in Your Home
1. Switch off at the plug socket Stereos and televisions can use as much energy on standby as they use when they are on. It is estimated that in the UK stereos on standby cost £290 million and create 1.6 … Continue reading
Posted in Energy Saving Tips
Tagged conserves, electricity, energy, home, save, sensors, switches
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Stop using the Electric Kettle
Now this energy saving measure probably seems pretty tight to some people. Boiling water using an electric kettle has always annoyed me. It uses a lot of electricity – If you have ever ridden a bicycle to convert motive power … Continue reading
UK Feed In Energy Tariffs
On 1st February 2010 The Government confirmed the new feed-in tariffs which came into being on 1st April 2010. A typical 2.5kW photovoltaic solar system, such as the one we are looking at, will harvest a payment of 41.3p per … Continue reading
Posted in Feed In Tarriffs
Tagged electricity, feed, grid, photovoltaic, solar, tarrifs, units
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Buying Solar Panels 5
Deciding on the PV installation Before long we had five estimates for solar PV panels from various companies. I have abbreviated their names. There was quite a difference and ‘payback times varied between 8 and 12 years before the panels … Continue reading
Posted in Buying PV Solar Panels
Tagged cornish, energy, installation, panels, payback, pv, solar
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Buying PV solar Panels 4
Checking Permissions and deciding on PV Panels We checked with the North Cornwall planning department in Bodmin to see if we needed to get planning permission from them for the panels. A strange letter came back with what seemed like … Continue reading
Buying PV Solar panels 3
Estimate from the Renewable Energy Co-operative (R-Eco) For the third estimate, two gentlemen arrived from Penzance and measured the roof for the solar array. Ethically I much preferred this company and really valued where they were coming from. Members of … Continue reading
Posted in Buying PV Solar Panels
Tagged array, electricity, energy, estimate, roof, solar
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Buying Solar PV Panels 2
Estimate from ‘Plug into the Sun’ The second estimate revealed the first to be rather optimistic. Rather than a 3.85 kw system with 22 panels creating 4620kW/year, this company ‘Plug into the Sun’ recommended a smaller system of 12 panels … Continue reading
Buying Solar PV panels 1
Solar PV: A good investment or ‘Green Bling’? We have decided, mainly due to the new UK Feed In Tarrifs, to install Solar PV panels on the roof. Now I have recently heard PV solar panels described as ‘Green Bling’ … Continue reading