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Energy

Fight to stop the new Super-Grid


Actor and broadcaster, Griff Rhys Jones has joined the battle against the Grid. He opposes the new electricity towers,or “Super pylons,” which are supposedly needed as part of the coming “Smart Grid.” Here is Griff’s manifesto against the new Super-Grid:

“We live in perplexing times for rationalists. The people of Suffolk have recently been presented with a “choice” by National Grid, the largest electricity provider. You may recognise the proposal from the school playground: “What do you want, a punch or a slap?”

The “punch” is a new length of super pylons across an exquisitely beautiful landscape …

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January 23, 2010 7 Comments

Solar for Haiti

Solar-powered equipment for water, lighting, and communications is being sent to Haiti as part of the reconstruction efforts following last week’s devastating earthquake.

Solar manufacturer Sol on Tuesday said it shipped 15 of its solar streetlights to Haiti as part of an aid mission. With hospitals operating without power, the lighting can be used to extend the time that doctors can treat the wounded, company executives told WPTV.…

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January 11, 2010 1 Comment
Energy

New wind power for ships

The world’s first cargo ship to be powered with high altitude kite-like sails tethered on lines 100 metres in the air was “Theseus,” last year.

SkySails cannot power a ship unaided, but it can reduce the amount of power needed by up to 80 percent, without any additional crew or technology.

The “Theseus” is one of three new Rhine class ships being built for Wessels at the Komarno shipyard in Slovakia. It is 90 meters long, has a capacity of some 3,700 dwt and a MaK main engine that produces 1,500 kW of power. A 160 m² SkySails propulsion system works to relieve the main engine of the “Theseus” the same way it does on board the “Michael A.”…

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January 10, 2010 5 Comments

Slow spread of 1BoG


Anyone considering solar power probably has a green outlook. If the deal you do is good for the planet yet not so good for your pocket book, will that slow the spread of green homepower?

Companies like solar-installation organizer One Block Off the Grid (1BoG), aggregates the buying power of consumers to get the best deal, but that is not necessarily the cheapest deal. 1BoG arrives in an area and offers to install a minimumof 100 solar households, at a cost 10-20%  below the rate you would pay on your own, and it makes sure you are hooked up with a reputable supplier.

At the moment the business is active in Arizona,Colorado and California, from where the example prices below are sourced. A house with a power bill of $150 per month that installs a 3 kilowatt system (a common size) will spend $9,639 –says 1BoG – after state and federal subsidies are subtracted — to install it, and save $97 a month under current pricing.…

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December 22, 2009 7 Comments

Electric filling station

electron filling stationNew York’s first solar-powered electric vehicle (EV) charging station is open for business.

It is the first in New York State and one of few world-wide. The charging station was built by Beautiful Earth Group, a New York-based sustainable energy company,and sits on an industrial lot near the company’s headquarters in Red Hook, Brooklyn, overlooking New York Harbor and downtown Manhattan.

Designed and built by BE, the station is off-grid, modular, constructed with recycled, decommissioned steel shipping containers and entirely powered by state-of-the-art Sharp 235 watt photovoltaic panels.…

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December 17, 2009 2 Comments
Communities

Off-Grid update

Winter RoadWhat a great early Christmas gift, I know that to those who get snow every winter, it’s not that exciting, but for those of us that live in places with little to no snowfall, it transforms everything into a winter wonderland.…

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December 8, 2009 2 Comments
Communities

Off-Grid questions

Every now and again, I get an email with some great questions, this evening I received such an email from a new ‘net friend, Marcy. She has recently taken the plunge to live completely off-grid. She is starting out in a rather primitive way, much like we did. I found her questions very good and decided I would post the email exchange here. Thanks Marcy, enjoy! …

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December 1, 2009 14 Comments
Energy

Senators back mini-nuke

WASHINGTON, Nov. 20 — The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee issued the following news release:
Sens. Jeff Bingaman (D-NM), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) and Mark Udall (D-CO) today introduced legislation to direct the Department of Energy to develop innovative, low-cost nuclear reactors. The Nuclear Power 2021 Act (S.2812) proposes a program to design and certify small modular reactors (< 300 megawatts) which can be built and operated in combination with similar reactors at a single site.…

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November 22, 2009 3 Comments
Energy

$35,000 gets free energy for life

By investing $80,000, and getting back $45,000 in subsidies and tax credits, a Massachusetts family has reduced its energy bill by $3500 a year. That means they will payback the investment within ten years (less if energy prices rise).…

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November 13, 2009 3 Comments
Energy

Grid fails in Brazil

Massive power cuts in several Latin American countries highlight the dangers of relying on centralised power production…

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November 12, 2009 No Comments