emPowering Africa
Prototype for future solar energy programs.Local action brings renewables to poorest parts.…
November 14, 2007
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Prototype for future solar energy programs.Local action brings renewables to poorest parts.…
Going off-grid is the ultimate dream of those of us here, but if your house is leaking its heating/cooling, using more water then needed, burning extra energy when operating appliances and lights, then you need to fix that first.
You should make sure that your home is as energy efficient as possible before investing in your alternative power. There is no reason to invest more money for a bigger system then you need. Yes, I’m sure we all dream of being a big power company, like Constellation :-( . Okay, that was a little overboard I admit.
A energy audit is the logical first step to making your home self-sufficient. There are some great resources out there to help you do this yourself. The U.S. Department of Energy has a guide to do-it-yourself, as well as the Home Energy Checkup from the Alliance to Save Energy. You can also get a professional energy audit, since they offer the blower door test and may also include a thermographic scan. You can check with state and local governments about locating one.
Also being efficient will lower your monthly cost so you can buy the alternative power system o your choice. Plus you should need a smaller system as you will not need as much power as before you improved your home. Some estimates the annual savings of over $600 a year over a standard home and appliances. This money could be put to great use on taking your home off the grid.…
UK company announce a low-cost, non silicon-based solar panel will be available early next year.…
How the tech bubble people are now rushing to become the solar valley people.…
Solar panels embedded in bags and briefcases, just don’t do a very good job yet.…
Germany has 200 times the installed solar capacity of Great Britain. Its all because they buy solar electricity at a sensible rate.…
Members of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Solar Decathlon team head out for Washington, D.C. next week taking with them a house they designed and built from scratch. Dubbed “Solar 7,” it’s a home of the future: self-sufficient, powered purely by the sun, and MIT’s entry in an international competition for the most efficient – and livable – solar house.
The team hits the road Oct. 1, heading to the National Mall for the solar decathlon. There, in the shadow of the Capitol Building, Solar 7 will be judged against 19 other solar homes not only for architectural and engineering excellence, but also comfort, marketability, and energy efficiency.
But before it gets to compete, the team must finish building the house.…
OPEC is once again under pressure to boost production ahead of a winter supply crunch in northern Europe. The group decided to hike a small amount, an extra 500,000 barrels of oil a day, as of November. ” We don’t see sufficient evidence that there’s a need [for an output hike],” was how Chakib Khelil, the Algerian energy minister, explained the decision last week. “We still have a meeting [in November] and an extra meeting in December where we could make the right decision,” he added.
The market reacted as if nothing had happened: oil broke through the $80 mark on Thursday night.Speaking in Canada last week, Jeroen van der Veer, chief executive of Royal Dutch Shell, said he saw no fundamental reason why crude prices had breached such levels. “There is a lot of psychology in the price,” he said.
Van der Veer has a point, but he would no doubt admit that the era of cheap oil has been over for some time.…
New line of wind power credit cards may help your conscience but they won’t help the planet.…
BP Solar this week tried to take us a step closer to mass-market off-grid living. The solar energy giant announced the availability of its home Solar kits through Home Depot stores in the metropolitan Denver and Boulder, Colorado, areas. The program enables customers to purchase complete, installed solar electric home power systems. Problem is, the notoriously bad service at Home Depot will deter many thousands of potential customers.
The service offers a licensed solar professional who visits you at home to assess your electricity needs and give a free consultation but the net is crawling with complaints about the outside experts provided by Home Depot.…
China will provide electricity to remote regions and alleviate fuel shortages in rural areas through renewable energy microgrids.…
The Intergovernmental Climate Change Panel’s 2007 low-end temperature prediction for this century is a 3.6…
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