Latest Energy Saving Advice

Vertical Domestic Wind Turbines

On June 20, 2011, in Alternative Energy, Home Improvement, by ecoenergy
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vertical wind turbine
Sometimes a mast mount or roof mount domestic wind turbine may not be suitable for your home. Maybe the clearance of the neighbors house is not enough or you simply do not like the look of the stereotypical wind turbine.

There are however other options for domestic power generation using the wind. Vertical wind turbines look very different to their mast and roof mounted cousins and quite futuristic. They also come in different sizes and power ratings just like the mast and roof mounted variety.

Some companies such as Luethi Enterprises are making silent vertical axis wind turbines, these are silent as the blades work with the wind rather than cutting through it. Some other advantages include constant power output even at high wind speeds as this type of wind turbine can use the wind coming from any direction.

If you have not already then you may start to see vertical wind turbines appearing on the horizon of your city soon. Many new build flat and apartment buildings have multiple vertical wind turbines on the roof. We think they look pretty cool but what are your views?

Have you seen these where you live? If so what city do you live in? We would love to hear from you.

Image: quietrevolution

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Massive Solar Flare To Leave Britain Without Electricity?

On June 19, 2011, in Energy News, by ecoenergy
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Sun

Scientists predict that a massive solar flare due to Britain could wipe out the national grid, potentially leaving the entire country without electricity.

Government boffins are considering options such as shutting down the national grid entirely, causing temporary blackouts.

The sun is expected to reach is peak in the next 2 years. Scientists have said it could unleash a massive solar flare which could disrupt the national grid leaving Britain without electricity. They believe this solar flare could be 5 times more powerful than the one that hit Quebec in 1989 which left approximately 6 million people without electricity.

When solar particles from the sun come into contact with the atmosphere it creates a electromagnetic storm which creates massive amounts of radiation.

This could mean planes having to fly at lower altitudes to reduce exposure to radiation along with the national grid being shutdown to avoid damage. The astronauts working on the international space station could receive life threatening doses of radiation.

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Domestic Wind Turbines

On June 19, 2011, in Home Improvement, by ecoenergy
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domestic wind turbine
The United Kingdom has the largest wind energy resource of any country in Europe according to RenewableUK making it an ideal country for small domestic wind turbines.

Types of domestic wind turbines

There are two main types of domestic wind turbines, mast mounted and roof mounted.

  • Mast mounted domestic wind turbines

Mast mounted domestic wind turbines are free standing and erected in a suitable exposed position, typically these generate between 2.5 to 6kw with good wind speed.

  • Roof mounted domestic wind turbines

Generally roof mounted domestic wind turbines are smaller than their mast mounted cousins so they generate less power. These are usually installed on the roof of a home where there is sufficient wind resource. This type of domestic wind turbines typically range from 1 to 2kw in power output.

How do wind turbines work?

Wind turbines use large blades to catch the wind. When the wind blows the blades are forced to spin a turbine which generates electricity. The more wind then the more electricity is produced. When there is no wind or the blades are not spinning there is no power produced.

What can I do with the electricity generated from wind power?

Usually the power generated from domestic wind turbines is used to supplement the power supply from the national grid. For example if your house was drawing 4kw from the national grid, but then you fitted a 1kw domestic wind turbine which was running at full power. You would then only be drawing 3kw from the national grid. This would help offset your carbon emissions as well as making your energy bills lower.

Some people may wish to sell the power straight back to the national grid, this is done via your energy supplier and would usually be credited to your electricity bill.

Another way to harness the power would be to charge batteries. By doing this when there is no wind you could still use the collected energy to power your appliances.

Conclusion

As you can see there are many ways you can harness wind power and different types of domestic wind turbines available. We suggest you speak to an expert to see what your best and most cost effective option is before making a choice. You may also want to look at the RenwableUK wind database to see if your home is suitable for a domestic wind turbine system.

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Directgov Energy Saving Advice

On June 18, 2011, in Government Advice, by ecoenergy
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Homes are responsible for a quarter of all UK CO2 emissions, the greenhouse gas we all hear about in the media which is affecting climate change. You can save up to £250 a year by making your house more energy efficient but at the same time this can reduce your over all carbon emissions.

Directgov the government advice site has given some energy saving advice showing how easy it can actually be to make a difference.

Insulate your home

Half of the heat lost from uninsulated homes is lost through the roof, this is why it is important to ensure you have sufficient insulation in your loft and cavity walls. It is estimated only 57% of Britains homes have the correct amount of loft insulation.

You can find more advice on Loft Insulation here.

Don’t use Standby

The cost of standby power for devices in Britain is over £572 million per year! This amounts to 3.1 million tonnes of CO2 emissions per year. We recommend using a Standby Saver for stress free operation.

Energy Saving In the Kitchen

  1. Only boil the kettle with the required amount of water
  2. Use the correct size cooking ring for the pan you are using, otherwise you are wasting energy by heating the air.
  3. Avoid putting hot food in the fridge or freezer
  4. Do not leave the fridge door open, otherwise it will have to work harder to cool down again

Washing Clothes

  1. Avoid using the tumble dryer, these use an enormous amount of power to run.
  2. Switch down to 30c, this is enough for most washing loads.
  3. Always put a full load in the washing machine

Lighting

  1. Change your filament type bulbs to an energy saving variety. You can find more on energry saving light bulbs here.
  2. Turn the light off when you leave the room

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Standby Saver

On June 18, 2011, in Gadgets, by ecoenergy
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standby saver
Did you know in the uk alone the cost to leave TV’s, DVD Players, Printers ect is over £572 million per year! That is a staggering 3.1 million tonnes of CO2 emissions.

Standby savers cut 100% of the standby power used by the appliances plugged into it.

The standby saver looks like your normal 6 way extension lead but this is the good part, you can switch off up to 6 appliances plugged into it and eliminate the standby power which they use.

Infrared version

The Infrared version learns the commands from your existing appliance remote controls such as TV’s and DVD Players so when you push the button to turn the TV on the standby saver switches the power back on to that device. This means you dont even need to leave your chair or strugle at the back of the TV to turn the power on and off each time you have finished using it.

USB Version

There is also a USB version which can wake up devices such as printers. Rather than having to go under the desk and power the printer on from the socket the Standby Saver will do it for you and also save you money at the same time.

Where can I get one?

Maplin Electronics

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Poor Insulation, Is it costing you?

On June 18, 2011, in Home Improvement, by ecoenergy
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The latest figures from the Department of Energy and Climate Change show that only approximately 57% of Britains lofts have been insulated correctly, and only 58% of cavity walls have been filled.

At a time when energy prices are at a record high with prices predicted to rise further billpayers could be missing out on a saving £100 per year from poor insulation.

Britains energy companies have been instructed by the coalition government to increase their efforts to help consumers correctly insulate their homes.

Set to come into force next year the Green Deal aims to help more people improve the energy efficiency of their homes. Including a range of energy efficiency improving measures such as cavity wall insulation, replacing old windows for newer double glazed models and replacing old heating systems with the latest high efficiency models.

Are your cavity walls insulated? Do you find your self spending more on energy beacuse of poor insulation? Leave your comments here.

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Energy Saving Light Bulbs, What a Bright Idea

On June 18, 2011, in Gadgets, by ecoenergy
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energy saving light bulb
CO2 Emissions and Climate Change are often mentioned in the media and are high in the political agenda. But making a difference does not have to cost a fortune such as getting a new boiler or cavity wall insulation. Changing your old filament type light bulbs to a newwer energy saving alternatives can not only save you money but help to reduce CO2 emissions.

If every household in the country change one light bulb to one of an energy saving variety this could save enough electricity to light up the streets of Britain for 1 whole year! Just think of how many street lamps there are in the whole country.

Why should I use energy saving bulbs?

Energy saving bulbs are not just good for the enviroment but also good for your wallet. They last up to 12 times longer than conventional filament type bulbs and cost less to run. For example a standard filament bulb could draw 60 watts where as its energy saving replacement uses approximately 18 watts

But energy saving light bulbs cost more

Initially energy saving light bulbs may cost more to purchase but you will soon realise the savings. Not only will you save money on your elecricity bill you will also find energy saving light bulbs last longer meaning you dont need to purchase them as often as you would with filament bulbs.

Have you installed energy saving light bulbs? How much have you saved? Let us know your thoughts.

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Scottish Power Raises Energy Prices

On June 17, 2011, in Energy News, by ecoenergy
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scottish power logo

Recently Scottish Power have announced that they will be raising energy prices by as much as 19%. This has angered many people including “Anglesey MP Albert Owen”

Owen who is a member of the Energy Select Committee has slammed the sudden hike saying it poses a significant risk to the poor and vulnerable.

Scottish Power supplies the majority of electricity and mainline gas to Anglesey has annouced price rise of staggering 19% for Gas and 10% for electricity. With the aftermath of the current financial crisis we are inclined to agree with Owen on this one.

What do you think of the price hike? Are you affected? Do you think any other supplier will follow suit? Let us know your comments.

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Home Energy Meters

On June 17, 2011, in Gadgets, by ecoenergy
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smart enegry meter
Home energy meters are useful devices which allow you to get an idea of how much electrical energy your house is using at a given time.

How does it work

Most home energy meters consist of two parts, a transmitter and a receiver. The transmitter is the part which clips to the electrical feed cable to your house. You clip the transmitter over the cable just before this goes into the meter. This works by interpreting the magnetic field given off by the cable. As you draw more energy the magnetic field changes. This allows you to count how many Killo Watt Hours you are actually using. The best part is you have a rough idea of how much your electricity bill will be before it actually arrives which gives you the power (excuse the pun) to alter the way you consume electricity to help make your bills lower.

Do I need one?

You dont need to get a home enegry meter but there are many advantages of using one and they dont have to break the bank either. Some are available for as low as £40. Not only can you get a live view of how much electricity is being consumed but you can also get a historical view of data showing you which months cost you the most. For example if you have air conditioning you can expect your energy usage to rise during the summer.

What is a Smart Meter?

Certain types of home energy meters are known as smart meters, these type of meters communicate directly with your energy supplier either via your broadband connection or through the telephone line. This enables to energy supplier to gather data on usage and bill you accordingly. Some suppliers even provide you with reports to your email showing times during the day when usage is high. Another advantage is you dont need to be home to let the meter man come and read the electricity meter or check it your self and fill out a card when you miss him.

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