What is the potential for tidal power to supply carbon free energy to a world desperate to throw off the shackles of fossil fuels?

You would expect the potential to be huge because there are tides every where, right.

The answer may surprise you!

Tidal Power Turbine

This is a photo of the 1.2 megawatt tidal turbine installation at Strangford Lough, Northern Ireland, raised out of the water for maintenance. The world’s first commercial scale tidal turbine.

In service now since 2008, it supplies electricity to some 1000 homes.

At an installation cost of 8.5 million UK pounds ($12.75 at today’s rate), that’s a whopping $10.6 million per megawatt!

Compare this to the typical installation cost of a 2 megawatt onshore wind turbine of $3.5 million, that’s only $1.75 million per megawatt.

And the typical installation cost of an offshore wind turbine of $3 million per megawatt, although this will vary depending on the site.

*  *  *  *

Now we have the relevant costs, let’s go back to the potential of tidal power.

The total global energy in the tides is estimated at 3.5 terawatts, which sounds like a huge number, and is. But even as large as it is, this is only 20 percent  of total global energy usage.

But much of this occurrs in open oceans and is unusable, because to generate power efficiently the tidal current must have a speed of at least 1.2 meters per second. That leaves us with only 20 suitable sites world wide.

We are now reduced to a global potential less than 100 gigawatts.

That’s because currents of this speed are only present in certain shallow coastal waters.  However, due to the variability of the tides and the alterations to the tidal flow caused by the presence of the turbines, the potential is further reduced to only 10s of gigawatts.

Objections to tidal turbines has been growing, as an array of turbines across an estuary or channel, would substantially alter the marine ecology both up and downstream of the array.

However, Dr Graham Savidge of Queens University, Belfast has been monitoring the effects of the single turbine at Strangford Lough. He says,

“There has been very little impact really, it seems quite benign. However, when it started running we noticed passing Porpoises stopped communicating, but numbers have remained stable at the entrance and top of the lough.”

Perhaps this study will alleviate many of the worries of the objectors?

*  *  *  *

If you would allow a personal note, I have to admit to being a little sceptical as to the potential of tidal power. Is a return of 1000 homes equivalent electricity sufficient for an investment of £8.5 million?

I would think not in today’s financial climate.

The UK government’s energy minister Lord Hunt has just launched it’s ‘Marine Energy Action Plan’, when he suggested that the UK’s coastal waters had sufficient tidal and wave potential to supply 15 million homes.

He’s having a laugh! Does he expect us to believe him?

Taking the Strangford Lough example where the 1.2 megawatt turbine supplied 1000 homes, it would need 15,000 turbines to supply 15 million homes, at a cost of £12.75 million each!

Put another way, we would need 15,000 turbines at 1.2 megawatts, totaling 18,000 megawatts. That’s 55 gigawatts of tidal and wave power, which would exceed the global potential?

While we all should embrace clean technology as a replacement for fossil fuels, we have to be sensible with it. It is also advisable to keep political hype and falsehoods out of such a critical sector.

Sincerely,

P.S. Let me know what you think about tidal power and the clean energy debate in general, by leaving a comment or submitting a story through the link in the page menu.

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“Because You’re Tired Of Paying Out To
The Fat Cat Utility Companies…
Why Not Install Your Own
Solar Hot Water System…”

Especially now that they are affordable and return on investment has come right down…

The old argument that a solar water system is too expensive, and I won’t get my money back for 10 years is no longer valid.

The whole family can now have luxurious baths  without it costing you a small fortune!

Solar Water Collectors

Capturing the sun’s abundant free energy is the way of the future, it surrounds us every day and there just aren’t enough people taking advantage.

Take Advantage

Have you any idea just how many benefits to you there are to solar water heating?

The list is extensive so I’ve just chosen a few for you here…

• Subsidized Investment
• Early Return on Investment
• Bomb Proof Yourself Against Rising Energy Bills
• Reduce Your Carbon Footprint
• Reduces Climate Change Pressures
• Sustainable Living
  

…not to mention all those luxurious baths and showers, taken knowing that you heated the water for free.

That’s right free hot water, because after you have recovered  the return on investment, which is under 5 years, all the hot water you produce is heated for free.

The Downside

Look, there is no downside because what’s bad about low to zero hot water bills, or having hot water when you want it without worrying about the cost?

But wait, there is something I haven’t told you yet that’s even better!

The federal stimulus tax credit scheme will give you 30% of the cost of your installation. Not only that, there are state rebate schemes available for clean energy installations too.

So you tell me, where is the downside?

The only problem I foresee, is that the federal stimulus for clean energy won’t last forever, so now is the time to take advantage before it runs out.

Take full advantage, because in addition to using it for a solar hot water system, it can be used for a solar power system too.

The more people that use it the more we help the environment and our pockets too. The only real downside is if the federal stimulus budget wasn’t utilized to it’s fullest extent.

Sincerely,

P.S. There is a whole lot more information for you at the solar water heating systems page.

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2. How Can Home Solar Power Work For You
3. How Clean Is Your Drinking Water

“The Biggest Advancement In The Industry
For 50 Years Making Solar Power
The Way Of The Future…”

I am always on the look out for new technology in the solar energy systems industry.

The reason is I am convinced of it’s inherent value, both in the industrialised west, and for developing countries.

Just recently I found some new technology that blew my mind. The industry has been crying out for something like this for years.

It has great design, is applied with quality and longevity to the forefront, and is elegant to behold.

Now a whole solar power system can be supplied in a box, ready for anyone to install.

With the old technology solar power systems needed some care to install, especially with the high voltage DC cabling and main central inverter setup. In fact it could be hazardous when handled incorrectly.

Not any more…

Ready Solar, Solar-In-A-Box                                                                    .

This new system uses micro-inverters fastened to each individual solar module to output grid compatible AC power. Modules are then connected in parallel, then wired directly into your AC load center.

You specify the size of solar power system you need (1 to 6 kilowatts), then everything needed for the installation onto your roof is shipped in a box to your doorstep! Cool isn’t it.

The installation is a cinch…

After watching the video you see how easy it all is?

With the Ready Solar system it’s even easier because the micro-inverter is pre-assembled into each modules mounting frame.

Indeed, all the Ready Solar equipment is pre-engineered and pre-assembled to make this system easier to install than than rail system shown in the video, using 70% less roof penetrations. Everything you need is shipped to you ready to mount.

Ready Solar is equally suited for residential solar power or commercial applications. In the business world it’s especially important to maintain power. The built in redundancy afforded by the Enphase micro-inverter is perfect, because loss of power is never an issue.

This is a completed installation, you see how elegant it looks…

Ready Solar Modules

…designed to blend in with a slate roof and to resemble a skylight.

The Enphase Micro-Inverter                                                                     .

The micro-inverter gives you modularity and scalability because you can start with any size of installation you wish, then simply expand with further modules as and when you are ready.

With the micro-inverters you get the Envoy energy management unit, that provides system monitoring down to each module level.

You link in to the Envoy website and watch a graphical display of your system produce power in real time, including individual module evaluation, total system output, and carbon equivalent offsets.

In addition a proactive alert will be sent to your email address if something needs addressing.

In a standard solar system with central inverter, the whole string of modules are treated as one. Therefore should a single module become shaded, or malfunction, the entire system is brought down to the output of the single module.

With the Ready Solar system, shading is no longer an issue because modules are handled on an individual basis. The reduced output of a shaded module does not affect the remaining modules performance at all.

This means that modules can now be installed on multi-aspect roofs without detriment to the entire power system.

Economical Advantages                                                                             .

These are multiple and very desirable…

• Federal Stimulus Tax Credit of 30% on all Clean Energy Installations
  
• State Solar Energy Rebate (Variable State to State)
  
• Solar Renewable Energy Credit bill (SREC), Which Obliges Utility Companies To Pay You For Surplus Energy You Produce
  
• Bomb Proof Against Volatile Oil Market
• Safeguard Your Future Energy Supply
• Net Zero Energy Bills
• Return On Investment As Low As 4.5 Years

…because the suns energy is abundant and free. Which makes economical sense to use, right?

You can have self reliance and be in total control of your energy supply, as well as being in zero net energy use after 4.5 years, which means that your electricity is free.

Given that your solar power system will easily last you 25 years, that’s 20+ years of free renewable energy.

What’s that worth??

Environmental Advantages                                                                       .

The environmental advantages are massive given the pressures of today. With fossil fuel consumption, extraction and refining at an all time high, there’s no wonder the climate is under pressure.

With a solar power system you are helping to alleviate these pressures on the planet, by…

• Reducing Your Carbon Footprint
• Reducing Embedded Energy Consumption in Supply Chain
  
• Reducing Climate Change
• Improving Your Energy Efficiency and Management
• Show Casing Your Solar Home to Show Your Neighbors How Good It Is
  

Only by individuals taking control of their lifestyle in an environmentally friendly way, can we stop climate change before it’s tipped over the edge.

That’s why I am excited over these developments in the industry.

It is now easier than ever to install a solar energy system that any good DIYer can do it (although I would advise having a local electrician make the final connection into the house load center).

Also it now makes economical sense where in the past the return on investment was way too long. At only around 4.5 years, you are very quickly into the free energy zone.

Sincerely,

P.S. There is much more information at the Future of Solar Power page that will help you move towards zero net electricity usage!

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The UK’s green energy commitments have fallen way behind it’s European counterparts in the past years, despite numerous oral and policy wordings. This time there is no leeway for delay!

The Energy White Paper 2007 set renewable electricity targets of 10% by 2010, and 20% by 2020. Also renewable energy overall to be 20% of total by 2020.
The Climate Change Act 2008 bound the UK to reduce CO₂ emissions below 1990 levels, a minimum 34% by 2020, and 80% by 2050.
The Low Carbon Transition Plan 2009 also commits the UK to obtaining 15% of electricity from renewables by 2020, in-line with the EC’s Energy Directive 2009.

However, even now the UK’s progress is stuck in regional planning consultations.

So when we hear that Gordon Brown the British Prime Minister is to announce this week, a £100 billion offshore wind development, including some 3500 turbines, we know that it will become bogged down in planning consultations for the foreseeable future.
Lets hope that the Dogger Bank area of the North Sea has no NIMBYs (not-in-my-back-yard), as a number of turbines with 10 gigawatt capacity are planned here.

In addition this week, the German newspaper Suddeutsche Zeitung reported that, nine European countries plan to develop a high voltage power grid under the North Sea. This with the intention to distribute their renewable power generation, which is expected to iron out the weather related fluctuations, a major draw-back of green energy.

The 10-year project includes connecting wind farms off the coasts of Germany and the UK, tidal barrages off the coasts of Belgium and Denmark, hydro-electric schemes in Norway, and wind and solar schemes on the European mainland.

The newspaper reports that there are existing offshore wind farm contracts to provide 100 gigawatts of capacity, equivalent to approximately 10% of Europe’s total energy needs.

So now we have it. The UK has 10-years to get it’s renewable energy systems up and running, or they will have no green energy to share with the rest of northern Europe.;)

Sincerely,

P.S. I would love to have your comments on this post, so go ahead and let me know what you think!

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1. Renewable Energy Jobs On Increase
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“If you wanted to introduce clean energy at home,
which type of energy would you go for…”

Would you know which would be the most efficient for your location and lifestyle, or how to apply it to your home?

In this simple guide to clean energy I will show you where to start, and how to discover what’s best for you!

Of course you can start little then build up your scope, or with confidence, you could just blast into a large project straight away. If you know nothing about clean energy at home then you could simply start by powering your garden shed or garage, but if you are confident enough, you can go completely off-grid!

But which type of energy should you use?

The clean energy choices for you would would be from…

• Solar
• Wind
• Geothermal
• Biodiesel

…which can be applied to your electricity supply, water heating, or space heating.

Solar energy can be applied to supply electricity, or domestic hot water.

Wind energy would be applied to supplying electricity.

Geothermal energy would be applied to supplying space heating.

Biodiesel is an alternate fuel that can be used in any oil-fired heating boiler (with modifications), or the family diesel powered car.

“Solar Energy…”

To produce electricity, solar photovoltaic (PV) panels can be constructed by any DIYer for as little as $100, where the proprietry equivalent could be $300+. These are wired together with a charge controller, storage batteries and a power inverter to produce mains electricity.

The power provided in kilo-watts, depends directly on the quantity of PV panels utilized in the system. You can easily power the garden shed with a couple of panels, where an array of say 10 – 20 panels would be required to supply a small house.

Solar can be used at any latitude, but is obviously effective for a greater period of the year in a desert location than in say Illinois or Montana.

“Wind Energy…”

Wind turbines work well in low to medium strength winds. In gales they furl out to reduce the stresses on their component parts.

The main advantage over solar is that wind turbines produce electricity night and day. If your location has winds for much of the year then wind would be a suitable solution.

Wind and solar in a combined system have the ability to supply electricity for all but the unusual period when there is neither wind or sun.

“Geothermal Energy…”

A few feet below surface level the ground is a constant temperature of between 10-12 °C (50-54°F), and this can be extracted and amplified using a heat pump to circulate fluid through underground pipes. Used in conjunction with an existing space heating system it will reduce heating bills considerably.

In addition, you can reverse the heat pump process in summer to circulate cooled water around the heating system to reduce the reliance on air conditioning.

“Biodiesel…”

You take the waste product from restaurants or other biological oil using industry, then using a home processor, you convert it into biodiesel. It’s a double edged green winner, because you put to useful purpose an otherwise waste product, cut out buying the equivalent fossil derived product, and save a ton of money!

The biodiesel will run any car, tractor, truck or boat built after 1993 without modification. Alternatively it can run your oil-fired heating boiler with only a small modification to the burner.

“Going Off-Grid…”

I have been living off-grid now for 5-years at 40° latitude, using an integrated solar and wind system to charge up a bank of storage batteries. This 24-volt supply is then inverted into mains electricity to supply the house.

In truth, there are occasions when I have to run a back-up generator, but it is a small expense compared with buying from the utility company. The generator would be perfect for using your home produced biodiesel!

If you don’t want the complication of a back-up generator, why not remain connected to the grid, but utilize an import/export meter. This way you can export the excess power you produce to the utility company, then when you have a shortfall of power, you simply import from the grid as usual.

This will save you a ton of money and may even put you in credit!

Sincerely,

P.S. I have a complete DIY guide to Clean Energy for you here, where you can see just how easy it will be to produce your own energy, but at a reasonable investment level. Going green doesn’t mean it has to cost you a lot of money. It saves you money!

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While the world seems fixated on CO₂ as the main culprit of global warming and climate change, they are forgetting there are other greenhouse gases.

In fact, CO₂ only accounts for 50% of anthropogenic generated greenhouse gas emissions!

The Copenhagen climate summit is failing to negotiate for the reduction in the other 50% of greenhouse gases which include methane, nitrous oxide, HFCs, and black carbon.

Methane is 25 times more powerful than carbon dioxide, and is produced from

Greenhouse Gases

landfill sites, fossil fuel processing, and agriculture.

Nitrous Oxide is 298 times more powerful than carbon dioxide, and is produced along with CO₂ from the burning of fossil fuels in internal combustion engines, from agricultural fertilizers, and the burning of biomass.

Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) are present in all our refrigerators and air conditioners, and were produced as a result of the phase out of CFC chemicals, which were the major cause for the hole in the ozone layer.

Black Carbon or soot is produced from the incomplete burning of diesel and heavy fuel oils used predominantly by shipping.

The forgotten 50% of greenhouse gas emissions are not such a hot potato, as the developed and developing nations continue to clash in Copenhagen over CO₂ emissions and curbs.

According to some scientists and environmentalists it would be cheaper to phase out the forgotten 50% greenhouse gases than to tackle CO₂, and crucially the effect on reducing global temperatures would be much faster. Methane only remains in the atmosphere for 8-years, and black carbon for only a few weeks, as opposed to 100-years for CO₂.

Unless the forgotten greenhouse gas emissions are included in a final treaty at Copenhagen, the effects from reducing CO₂ emissions will, I fear, be limited.

I look forward to the day when our leaders stop politicking and posturing, and place our futures to the forefront. The sooner the world unites in this battle against climate change, the sooner we will win it.

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Critical investment in low-carbon industries can create millions of American jobs in the upcoming years. As part of Barak Obama’s stimulus package, $70 billion is targeting renewable energy and conservation schemes which is producing results.

Furthermore Obama plans to invest $150 billion over the next decade to create 5 million ‘green jobs’.

According to the Centre for American Progress…

Investments in a clean-energy economy will generate major employment benefits for the entire U.S. economy. Our research finds that spending $150 billion on clean-energy investments would create roughly 1.7 million jobs. This is even after assuming a reduction in fossil fuel spending equivalent to the increase in clean-energy investments. ~Source

…these are jobs for the future where oil & gas as a resource is in decline, renewable energy is on the up. The Centre for American Progress goes on to say…

Clean-energy investments create 16.7 jobs for every $1 million in spending. Spending on fossil fuels, by contrast, generates 5.3 jobs per $1 million in spending.

Most of the jobs created through clean-energy investments will be in the same areas that people work in today. Constructing wind farms creates jobs for sheet metal workers, machinists, and truck drivers. Increasing buildings’ energy efficiency through retrofitting requires roofers, insulators, and building inspectors. Expanding mass transit systems employs civil engineers, electricians, and dispatchers.

Relative to spending on fossil fuels, clean-energy investments create 2.6 times more jobs for people with college degrees or above, 3 times more jobs for people with some college, and 3.6 times more jobs for people with high school degrees or less. ~Source

…a not insignificant return on investment for Obama.

Wind Turbine

An example of renewable energy jobs creation can be found in Pennsylvania where the Spanish company Gamesa Corp. Tecnologica SA, has converted a disused steel mill into a manufacturing facility for wind turbines creating 300 jobs.

This is exactly the investment in low-carbon technology being called for by the Climate Solutions 2 report presented to the WWF ahead of the Copenhagen summit.

If this is an indication of the green jobs we can create by transforming the world into a low-carbon economy, then rock-on I say!

Sincerely,

P.S. Please follow the link to the Centre for American Progress to read more on this issue.

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“How Does Solar Power Work…”

Solar energy fuels the food chain through photosynthesis. It powers the weather systems and atmosphere that makes Earth habitable. Solar energy is everything to all things and it’s free, delivered to Earth as irradiated packets of light called photons.

Solar power works by collecting these photons and converting them into either electricity or heat. By utilizing this free energy supply you can supplement your grid supplied power to reduce your energy bills, and even get paid for supplying some electricity back to the power company. Wouldn’t that be great!

Photovoltaic Panels are used to produce electricity on an industrial scale in some areas of the world, but we are interested in home solar power today.

This simple diagram shows how typical solar power systems are setup…from capturing the sun’s irradiance and conversion to D.C electric current to charge a set of storage batteries, to inversion of the D.C. current to mains A.C. power.

Photoelectric Solar Diagram

Only 4 major components are necessary for a stand-alone system…

Photovoltaic Panels

Charge Controller

Storage Batteries

Power Inverter

…plus an import/export meter when supplementing grid supplied electricity.

“Solar Power Kits…”

A draw back is that photovoltaic panels are expensive at the moment, typically a 130 watt panel will retail at $900. However, there is some good news, you can build your own DIY equivalent panel for less than $200! Thus making home solar power affordable.

Kits are available with illustrated plans, diagrams and schematics. The kit/guide I would recommend comes complete with these plans, a component list with retail suppliers, plus a video of a guy actually building a panel from scratch.

Here are a few reasons why you should think about green DIY energy;

• It Works, Thousands Of People Build Their Own.
• Gives You Green Credentials, Reducing Your Carbon Footprint.
• Help the environment and reduce climate change.
• Saves You Energy, Cutting Your Energy Bills By Half Or More.
• Its Fun To Do, A Great Project All The Family Can Enjoy.
• The energy is free and boundless, and it definitely cannot be taxed.
  

Family With Built Panel

The guide also includes tons of information like…

• Installation and  Mounting instructions for your newly constructed solar panel.
• Electrical wiring plans show you how to hook up multiple solar panels to storage batteries.
• Solar resources and support bundle.
• Energy consumer guide so you can calculate how much you will be saving.
• Guide to solar tax credits and rebates.

Building your own home solar power system will be educational and fun, plus it will save you money in the future when power bills are predicted to rise sharply. You can start small, then build up the number of panels until you are supplying the grid with power and getting paid to do it!

With green credentials like this, you will be well on the way to greening your lifestyle!

Sincerely,

P.S. You can generate serious power with DIY solar energy kits, I run my house on solar, and this guy now has net zero electricity consumption. By hooking up your own home solar power you too can work towards net electricity consumption!

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Energy savings matter, not just for the environment but for our pockets too. Why waste energy when it costs us money! The first step to a green lifestyle is to make your home energy efficient. You cannot accomplish this however, if you have no idea where youe energy is being used?

Monitor your electricity consumption so you know exactly where your energy is going, and therefore, where you can make the most savings.

Appliance Monitoring

By measuring your consumption, you get more details than your monthly bill provides. Minute by minute and month-to-date usage, that allows you to estimate your up coming bill with ease.

You can also measure each appliance usage so you can see where all your electricity is going.

All this information provides you with a home energy audit, placing you in control of your money!

With this much knowledge at your command, it is possible to manage your consumption by incorperating lifestyle changes to save energy – up to 20% from your monthly bill.

Installation is simply and easy to carry out. You attach a sensor to your electricity meter, then synchronize it with the wireless monitor and away you go. You will be making energy saving choices immediately, and will have your home running efficiently in no time.

See how much money you will save by simply fitting energy saver light bulbs throughout you home, and these are just one of many energy saving products available today.

This is the first step to greening your lifestyle and I hope to bring you many more ideas soon.

Sincerely,

P.S. You can check out the energy monitor I use at amazon.com. It’s made by Black & Decker and is relatively good value compared with some on the market. Just click on the image for more details!

Energy Monitor

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