Have you ever heard the phrase At the Flick of a Switch? If you haven’t then you’ll still be able to grasp a feeling hidden inside the language of a simple, quick, immediate change. And today, in an era categorised by days that aren’t quite long enough and the time you have flashing out of and back into night, it seems that what the majority of everyday people look for is a clear, concise Yes/No switch for just about everything: Should I drive to work today – No. Should I buy organic – Yes. Is fairtrade necessary – Yes. Can my carbon contribution really make a difference – Yes.

So why is it when we are faced with the decision and ask ourselves Will I benefit from a Green Energy Tariff, knowing the answer instinctively is yes, the lights still don’t come on?

Of course, whether they do or don’t is ultimately up to you; but here we have compiled a quick guide to some of the short-circuit questions that might have left you in the dark for quite some time, and, hopefully, have you charged-up enough so when the power does come back on it will be from a Green supplier.

Which Supplier?

Switching to a green energy tariff is something entirely for us to decide. Whether your options include a package from one of the ‘Big Six’ British energy companies or something specialised from a tailored utility provider that suits your needs a little more, the fact of the matter is there’s a large onus on society to engage themselves with climate change – and specifically, combating it. And without any guiding legislation to shepherd the public into a Green future, it seems to be a troublesome trip from doing nothing into taking those first steps. But don’t fear; the wide world of sustainability has no direct route save renewable energy.

Thankfully the energy market has been coerced into setting-up-shop along the way. Almost every energy company now offers a ‘green’ energy alternative. But the word ‘green’ is interpreted and adapted by each supplier. This is why it is vital to ask yourself What is it I need from an energy supplier, and how do I want it?

Suppliers source electricity in a variety of ways: they may choose to generate their own clean electricity entirely from renewable sources; they may also offer an offsetting policy where for the amount of electricity your needs use up, the supplier will contribute an equivalent amount back into the energy grid; and some follow initiatives that look to support eco-friendly community projects or make donations on your behalf to help further renewable energy research.

These are the basic ways in which a tariff can officially raise up a Green banner. And they are worthwhile, sustainable projects. An active involvement in the renewable energy industry is better than none at all. However, the more specialised utility suppliers will often outgun some of the national household names. After all, a wise man once said that the loudest shout is a whisper.

Green energy tariffs from companies such as Ecotricity and Good Energy will offer a 100% renewable electricity package. So if you are enthusiastic about the environment, they are undeniably top of the leader board.

But what we recommend here at EcoSwitch is taking a look for yourself. Research the green energy market, it won’t take long. Soon you’ll see quite clearly that there are hundreds of options suitable to you and your need, and signing up will save you time, money, and perhaps your enevironment in the long run. And it’s all as easy as the Click of a Button or the Flick of a Switch.

Posted under Articles, Electricity Generation, Gas & Electricity, Uncategorized

Now that you’re up-to-date with what a green energy tariff is, we’ve compiled a concise collection of the leading energy suppliers and a who’s who of the eco-specialists on the market today.

EDF Energy

EDF’s Climate Balance tariff is for their existing customers. It works with a sense of off-setting your carbon usage: 0.42 pence per unit of electricity and 0.147 pence per unit of gas used is first matched by EDF and then contributed into a running fund to develop sustainable energy projects and offset CO2 emissions. Their Green Tariff works through a similar process: this green fund has been set up so that all-year support and investments can be made into initiatives supporting community based and educational projects, such as developing and installing microgenerational equipment (ie., solar panels and wind turbines) for schools and neighbourhood projects.

Scottish and Southern Energy

Scottish and Southern Energy have teamed up with the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) and concentrated their efforts to protect and support Britain’s ecology and local wildlife. When you make the switch, £10 for gas and £10 for electricity donations will be made in your name; as well as an added donation of £5 for every year you remain with the tariff.

ScottishPower

ScottishPower’s H20 tariff focuses on the renewable source of hydro-power. Every unit of electricity used by their customers will be matched by ScottishPower as they’ll generate the equivalent by using their hydro-power stations in Lanark, Galloway and Cruachan. As well as this great way of supporting local renewable power generation, ScottishPower offer another method of investing in renewable energy: their Green Energy Fund means that for a flat donation of £10.50 a year you’ll be able to support the development and day-to-day running of energy projects around the UK.

NPower

Like a lot of the leading energy suppliers, npower offers a ‘matching’ tariff, where for every unit of electricity used they’ll meet it with a unit of renewable energy to be pooled back into the National Grid. They too have a green fund set up, but they themselves will make the £10 donation in your name to help support developing renewable power schemes.

British Gas

One of the most encouraging things about British Gas is that they do not charge their customers to make the switch from a standard tariff to a green one. Plus, they guarantee to source their electricity for this tariff from a variety of renewable sources.

As well as the leading energy companies creating greener tariffs, there are also green energy companies who specialise in offering environmentally aware tariffs. Here are the leading two currently on the market place:

Ecotricity

Ensuring that their electricity is derived from renewable sources, Ecotricity are also keen investors in building, running and developing renewable sources. As well as running wind farms across the UK, in 2006 they invested £7 million in wind energy.

Good Energy

Not only do Good Energy supply 100% ‘clean’ electricity sourced from renewable energy sources – including wind, solar and hydro power – they also provide a unit by unit equivalent service which match your energy consumption and invest the amount of units back into the National Grid. On average, customers have saved two tonnes of CO2 a year and brought back their carbon footprint by about 1/3.

For more information on green energy check out the EcoSwitch comparison page onsite, or find out what it will cost you to make the switch today to a more eco-conscious tariff by clicking on the ecotricity link below.

Posted under Articles, Electricity Generation

It shouldn’t come as a huge surprise that solar and wind are, today, possibly the most obvious signs of alternative power in the widening field of Renewable Energy Sources. This can be seen through their rapid increase over recent years which has taken sight through the steady rise in solar and wind alternatives, not only technologically, but their increase and integration as a whole.

Solar strips and units (PV cells, predominantly) can be seen flanking the edges of most new gizmos and gadgets as well as taking root in a large number of domestic and industrial inventions. Wind has also seen much success lately; microgenerational progression has harnessed the potential of wind power and – especially in countries with a rather blustery climate – has adopted the much celebrated wind turbines which are offsetting domestic carbon footprints up-and-down the UK. And it’s a great thing too! But without a national campaign to homogenise the adoption of alternative power, is it really going to make a significant effect? Possibly not. However, to circumscribe alternative energy solutions to the limited areas of solar and wind is just as bad as giving up all together. Or even worse; not even making a start.

Switchgrass is just one example of what most of us have no real idea about. Switchgrass, and other perennial grasses such as sorghum, are a fast growing, deep rooted super plant. Why? Well, switchgrass can be used to generate energy, and, right now, is being considered as a carbon neutral alternative to coal. So much so, in fact, that wholesale energy giants NRG Energy are experimenting with using sorghum and switchgrass instead of coal at a power plant in Louisiana.

Native to North American districts, switchgrass (Panicum virgatum) is that Little House on the Prairie tall grass that seems to thrive in summer. It is capable of producing high yields with very low amounts of fertilizer; therefore agricultural chemicals are practically non-existent throughout its use. Not only that, but due to its situation along some of the tougher land areas of North America it has been proven to be very tolerant of poor soils, flooding and drought; and is capable of withstanding some of the toughest concerns for ecologists when considering bio-fuels as a viable power alternative.

These robust lowland grasses – tough as they are – have been ‘talent-spotted’ by energy companies throughout America for a reason. Due to their surplus states of land and expansive agricultural plains, it’s clear why this earth-bound natural source has been promoted to the more serious position of possible power alternative – joining associates such as wind and solar power – over in the US. But is it a viable source here in the UK?

That, as they say, is the real question. Right now, with under-developed and limited land sights, switchgrass in the UK is not an impossibility, but is not a particularly effective or economic use of an alternative option for sourcing power. But this is the crux of the situation: there is not one sole solution in sight for tackling the nebulous threats of climate change. Far from it, in fact. Ecologists will advocate that in order to not ‘tackle’ but ‘stop’ climate change, every avenue towards a sustainable solution must be explored. And just like its compatriots in the renewable battleground, switchgrass and bio fuels, just like solar and wind power, must start somewhere in order to reach similar and achievable success.

Posted under Articles, Electricity Generation, Renewable Energy

Welcome to the widening and wonderful world of Wind Power! From help with installation, grants and funding, right back to the What Where and Why’s of just getting started, EcoSwitch.com has compiled a quick and concise starter-pack of solar resources to help blow away the cobwebs from those dusty-old-opinions about renewable power and provide some fresh-air on the subject that will leave you feeling ‘clean’ and entirely refreshed.

Energy from the Wind: How it Works

Wind and the energy inherent in the power of a wind blowing has been recognised by civilisation since we first set sail on the seas of discovery. Just think about it, some of our most primitive and useful inventions throughout history have been based on a design harnessing the drive of a sure wind turning a turbine or filling a sail. Windmills, ships, even on a domestic level we’ve been shocked by how the wind can shut a door with a slam. This force is the root of wind energy. But what man has discovered is that we are able to harness this power-source, and by using a turbine, a generator and a storage unit, we are able to focus this kinetic force into storable, reusable electricity.

The UK itself has been blessed with an abundance of wind and is an excellent wind resource, both on and offshore. In theory, if we were able to capture and store the annual wind delivery here in the UK, it would be possible to generate 1000TWh of electricity each year from wind power alone. Remarkable!

The way wind comes into existence on the earth is surprisingly quite simple: The sun heats the planet’s atmosphere all year round, as the earth spins. But as it heats the earth it heats it unevenly, rendering some patches much hotter than others and other patches much colder than the hot ones. And due to the rules of convection, these hotter patches will, by nature, rise, creating a gulf via momentum, which is in turn filled by cooler air that is thus heated, and the process cyclically repeated. This forceful cycle, as well as being the cause of wind patterns, is the basis of Wind Power.

Harnessing energy from the wind, as briefly outlined above, becomes a matter of converting this power into storable energy. This can be done on a number of scales, but, essentially, the same turbine / generator / battery model will be used. As wind rushes through the wind turbine, it is caught by and turns the face propeller blade, rotating a geared generator, sending this kinetic energy down the neck of the tower towards a converter unit and into batteries to be stored and supplied as fits. There are two basic scales in terms of wind power:

• Domestic; this we can understand in terms of microgenerational technology. Very common in the UK due to its blustery climate and the easy application of microgenerational wind turbines. The turbines can be installed on whatever scale you choose, depending on your demand for energy production. They can be hidden away in small farms on you home’s roof, in the back garden, or if you’re proud of your windy nature, smack bang in the front lawn. The units come in various sizes, applications and capacities; so it’s best to do some research in order to produce the best results for efficient generation. The small turbines will be linked to a small generator unit which will supply your home with a direct contribution of ‘clean’ green energy. A lot like a microcosm for how national wind farms work.
• National; our country is a happy advocate of inland and offshore wind farming. Predominantly most common in the northern areas of the UK, where the wind seems to blow at a steady consistency, Great Britain has been harvesting wind power for many years now. The energy we gather from this renewable source is pooled into our national grid, and should, by 2020, be a major contributor for the 1/3 of renewable energy Britain must be producing in order to reach EU requisites.

Does Wind Energy Apply to Me?

More than you know. As well as supporting the development of inland and offshore wind farms, it is important to know where you stand in the renewable field of wind power. The domestic units have been designed for residential use in order to ensure that they are cost effective, easy to install, and above all, domestically economic. Besides knocking a third off your gas and electricity bill, turning your house into a more sustainable home, and being eligible for grant funding to help offset those initial payouts, wind turbines are Britain’s primary focus for generating a more environmentally friendly, sustainable country. So much so, in fact, that major national electricity suppliers are investing in wind farming as a way of offering cheaper ‘clean’ energy to compete with government standards and your traditional supplier (click on the ecotricity link below to find out more).

Grants, Funding and Installation

Whether you’re a homeowner, a small business owner, or a professional looking to install a wind turbine unit for domestic or commercial use, there are a number of grants you may be eligible for; which could see as much as £2, 500 go towards your installation. Contact your local council or even approach one of the local plumbers for further information – you’ll surely be surprised how much support there is available today.

Posted under Articles, Electricity Generation, Renewable Energy

Welcome to the bright and bountiful world of Solar Power! From help with installation, grants and funding, right back to the What Where and Why’s of just getting started, EcoSwitch.com has compiled a quick and concise starter-pack of solar resources to help shed a little light on those rather grey areas of renewable power in order to start you generating those great eco-ideas today.

Energy from the Sun: How it Works

The simplest way a science teacher will teach solar power is by pointing out that it has been around for centuries. The energy inherent in the sun’s rays has been keeping the Earth alive since the dawn of time. But on a domestic, societal level, we’ve been using this energy quite consciously too – just think, before tumble dryers, how did we dry our clothes? That’s right, we hung them out in the sun.

The more modern conception of solar power, however, is best understood in terms of storage. Now that we recognise a degradation in the planet’s natural resources we have started to take an interest in the more ‘sustainable’ approaches to powering our lives. As we live in societies fortified by a reliance on electricity, as well as the economic, cultural and technological frameworks that we take for granted, it is the generation of electricity that we must concentrate our efforts into.

And thanks to years and years of inspiration, perspiration and dedication, we now have a number of foundational solar models that not only work efficiently but are also a viable and realistic prospect for the future of renewable energy. In fact, if we had the technology to harness the total energy that hits the earth via the sun’s powerful rays, we could meet our annual demand for energy consumption in just over one minute.

At present, there are three solar models which will apply to use in the UK. And these are:

• Solar Cells; also know as ‘photovoltaic’, ‘PV’ or ‘photoelectric’ cells: these are the flat panel strips and blocks that are commonly seen installed on rooftops here in the UK. They are a great source of microgenerational power and a sure way to cut electricity bills down to size, as well as offset a chunk of that ugly carbon footprint. More and more homeowners are installing PV cells thanks to government funding to help take the sting out of that original payout. Here in the UK the traditional unit will look a lot like a Velux window (so as to remain domestically camouflaged) but in Japan they are developing a photovoltaic paint-strip that is barely discernible to the untrained eye, and can be painted onto windows, offices, glass rooftops, and the like.
• Solar Water Heating; this is another domestic application of solar energy: basically, heat from the sun is used to heat water in glass panels on your roof so that you have to spend less money heating it with gas or electricity and spend a little more time enjoying it relatively cheaper. The way it works is – Water is pumped through pipes in the panel. These pipes are painted black, so that, thanks to science, they naturally retain heat energy when the sun shines on them. Water is pumped at a root entrance located at the bottom of the unit so as to increase convection and ensure that the hot water is actually hot.
  Traditionally these types of solar contraptions are used in outback landscapes commonly found in places such as Australia and America, where sunshine is bold and consistent throughout the year. However, as technology improves, engineers are discovering more effective models that will find their way to a UK market.
• Solar Furnaces; these are traditionally used by larger national organisations as the initial investment is significantly high. However, inventors have copied models of solar furnaces such as Odeillo, in France, which orchestrates a huge array of mirrors in order to concentrate temperatures of up to 3,000. Of course, these smaller, domestic inventions definitely do not reach those extreme heights, but a similar technique has been designed for the popular ‘solar oven’. Common in hot countries like Spain and Portugal, these nifty little inventions are used for cooking all year round, and are a great solar alternative to gas or electric hobs.

Does Solar Energy Apply to Me?

Of course it does. A common misconception in the UK is that solar energy is practically a waste of time and space. This is just not true. Since the first emergent models of solar cells there has been a rapid increase in technological advancement, investment into the solar market, and an ever-developing selection of solar alternatives to traditional models. Honestly, if it once ran solely on electricity, you can bet your bottom dollar that you’ll be able to find it today with a very fashionable solar strip. The quality of solar power is evolving into a league of its own: just think back to the first electric cars; now there is talk of Koenigsegg Quant releasing a solar supercar! Where once it was only a calculator powered by PV strips; now satellites stay powered in orbit thanks to it.

The key is to keep an open mind. Don’t just do what you’re used to; keep looking for better, more sustainable models. The personal advantages are worth it alone: By installing a solar panel for your home, you can begin to save 1/3 off those ever-increasing gas and electricity bills. Even national energy suppliers have seen the advantages of source ‘clean’ electricity and are able to offer cheaper energy tariffs because of it (click on the ecotricity link below to find out more). And you don’t have to worry too much about those initial installation payouts either. There are numerous grants and funding made available by the government to encourage homeowners to go green and start producing their own electricity. See more below

Grants, Funding and Installation

Whether you’re a homeowner, a small business owner, or a professional looking to install a solar unit for domestic or commercial use; there are a number of grants you may be eligible for, which could see as much as £2, 500 go towards your installation. Contact your local council or even approach one of the local plumbers for further information – you’ll surely be surprised how much support there is available today.

Posted under Articles, Electricity Generation, Renewable Energy

Hydrogen is a hotly touted energy source for many, and a form of energy to be cautioned away from for others. It is, however, the focus of quite substantial current development and spending. Hydrogen also has a unique place in the public imagination following its place in the futurism schematics of past decades; put forward as a fuel for for cars and transportation machines, many of us will remember the story of the hydrogen powered car that ‘the corporations won’t let us have’.

Hydrogen (H) is produced from water (H20); when the hydrogen is combined with oxygen (O), it produces energy.

The hydrogen must first be produced from water, then, before it can be used as a fuel. Electrolosis of water is one method of ‘getting the hydrogen out’ of the water; it is paramount that the energy used for the electrolosis process is kept at a low level in order for the whole enterprise to be worthwhile (i.e., so that it isn’t the case that more energy is spent than is gained); the energy used for this electrolosis should also be of a renewable kind, from a green source. Hydrogen, produced in this way, could then be a viable alternative to fossil fuels. But done wrongly, more energy will be spent producing the hydrogen than is gained when the hydrogen is eventually used as a fuel; and if the energy used to produce the hydrogen is from ‘dirty’ fossil fuels, then the whole enterprise starts to look pretty un-green.

Those who wish to promote hydrogen as a fuel of choice in a future green energy economy point to its ‘clean’ nature when used a fuel for cars or engines; there is no volatile, noxeous or pollutive gases in its exhaust, and instead, only water vapour is released. The controversy arises instead from the energy used in its creation and transportation as a fuel- this is where the current development process needs to iron out the problems. One possible option to aleviate carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions in the production of hydrogen is to have carbon capture or carbon sequestration used where the hydrogen is produced: carbon capture, however, is a controversial issue in many people’s books, and hasn’t been resolved satifactorily for everyone. It seems rather a bad and wasteful idea to pump out CO2 willy nilly, with the hope of this gas being ‘captured’.

The use of renewable energy to produce hydrogen from water is a way out of the fossil fuel method of production. A hybrid of hydrogen power with wind or solar is a hopeful option- in this way, the wind (freely available and renewable) can be used not only to create power for the grid, but also to electrolise water and gain hydrogen; the hydrogen is thus made without damaging the atmosphere with fossil fuel pollutants and CO2, and the hydrgoen thus gained can be used as an alternative power source when wind or sunlight is not strong. The energy sources thus bolster each other. The use of excessive energy to store the hydrogen (a very delicate substance), however, would still need to be reversed.

The main argument against using hydrogen as an alternative fuel, then, is that it isn’t freely available (like wind) and needs energy to ‘create’ it- and this use of energy in hydrogen’s production can also have the side effect of producing harmful greenhouse gases and pollutants.
Amongst other issues is the fact that hydrogen is a gas at most temperatures, which requires energy to store and maintain.

Motorised vehicles, for which hydrogen has been historically linked in an optimistic manner, are generally being converted to electricity instead; Ford have dropped all plans to make hydrogen powered cars, and are instead planning only to electrify their vehicles.

Despite these issues and concerns, hydrogen production is nevertheless a large expanding indistry. According to the Chemical Economics Handbook, SRI, July 2001, it is estimated that 50 million tons of hydrogen were produced globally in 2004, next to 170 million tonnes of oil. According to the University of Leeds, the growth rate of hydrogen, worldwide, is around 10 per cent per year

At present, the figures show that barely any of the hydrogen being produced is coming from renewable sources- figures seem to agree on about 5%. The rest is from dirty fuels. The Chemical Economics Handbook puts the percentages of energy methods for procuding hydrogen at 48% natural gas, 30% oil, and 18% coal, water electrolysis 4%- a miserable figure from a green perspective.

Let us hope, then, that if this form of energy will continued to be used in such large quantities, a severe reversal happens in how it is produced; and if not, then other sources of energy are quickly found to replace it.

Posted under Climate, Electricity Generation, Gas & Electricity, Renewable Energy

E.On has just received planning permission from South Lanarkshire Council for the development of a 29.9MW wind farm consisting of 13 turbines able to power around 20,000 homes. The development, located on land at Dungavel Hill, south of Strathaven, Scotland, should help offset around 40,000 tonnes of Carbon Dioxide per year.

The permission granted by the local council will allow E.On to help the Scottish Government achieve its’ Green Energy Targets of 31% by 2011 and 50% by 2050. Ahmed Mulla, E.ON’s project developer for Dungavel, said:

“This is excellent news for us and another step towards helping Scotland meet its renewable energy targets.”

The scheme will also bring contract opportunities to local employers in the region. During the construction phase there are expected to be between 50 and 60 contractors working on site.

South Lanarkshire Council are also pleased as E.On have agreed to make a minimum contribution of £60,000 per year to the Council’s Renewable Energy Fund for the lifetime of the project.

In response to these community and social initiatives, Ahmed Mulla commented:

“We’re especially pleased the planning report recognised the benefits this project will bring to the local community and beyond.”

The above development is another positive development for E.On and another example of how a large multinational is now trying to make serious efforts to balance environmental considerations with the need to make profit.

The above development follows a similar announcement back on 07 October this year, when E.On decided to shelve plans for a new coal-fired power station at Kingsnorth. That would have been the first one built for three decades. But E.On recognised that Britain didn’t need another Coal Fired power station, particularly in light of the constant deluge of environmental pressure from a variety of organisations spearheading ‘The Big If and Give Coal The Boot’ campaign.

These positive environmental developments are increasingly helpful to E.On as their Environmental Performance is measured partly by the amount of energy that they source as a Company from Renewables. EU targets require the UK to source 20% of their overall energy requirements from Renewables by 2020. The latest Fuel Mix data provided by Suppliers indicated that E.On are sourcing 0.3% of their energy from Renewables so developments like Dungavel will only serve to help their environmental performance longer term.

Posted under Articles, Corporate, Electricity Generation, Gas & Electricity, Renewable Energy

What is biomass, exactly? Biomass is one of those buzzwords that most eco-minded people seem to have on the tips of their ecological vocabulary but find it rather troubling to articulate what it actually is. And, perhaps more importantly, why it is so significant. Therefore, here at EcoSwitch, we’ve compiled a small summary to start you off out into the widening world of Biomass. From Energy Crops to Municipal Waste, this guide will help you understand one of the main facets in the drive against the unfortunately unpronounceable: climate change.

Biomass Energy
When we think of Biomass Energy we should understand that it is a collective term. It is the phrase that encompasses the use of plant and animal material to be burned or digested in order to produce energy. Biomass can be used to generate heat, electricity and a combination of heat and power. However, in order to understand it we should look at Biomass via its three key areas:

• Energy From Wood
• Energy Crops
• Agricultural Waste

Energy From Wood
The first way to produce energy from wood is, in fact, to burn it. But wait; before calling the correct authorities, there are regulations set in place to ensure that there is no carbon gain by using this process. It is an entirely sustainable method: as trees are felled to be used as a fuel, more trees are planted in order to soak up the carbon release, neutralising the balance and endorsing its sustainability. However, besides business and industrial use, it is quite uncommon for the general public to adhere to these regulations.

One of the main methods of producing electricity from wood is burning it in a combustion plant to produce steam; another is gasification, which is where the wood material is heated in such a way that gases are released; and a third is via pyrolysis, which is when the wood is heated in a way without oxygen to produce a bio-oil liquid.

Energy Crops
Short Crop Rotation (SCR), using trees such as willow and poplar, and fast growing perennial grasses are used to provide energy crops.

Other agricultural crops are being grown specifically to be used as energy crops. Oil seed rape and wheat are good examples of this; they’re being produced to provide alternatives to traditional transport fuels. Ethanol and biodiesel are being used to fuel motor vehicles. Biodiesel can also be made from recycled vegetable oils (that used in restaurants). There are also modification kits available to add to your car, if your engine is not suited to a diesel fuel.

Agricultural Waste
These are typically by-products harvested from agricultural activity. These by-products fall into two categories: ‘wet’ and ‘dry’. ‘Dry’ wastes are those such as straw, which can be combusted in the same ways that wood chips and pellets are. ‘Wet’ wastes are also known as ‘green matter’, and these are used to produce methane gas and help establish bio-dynamic farming methods. The green matter is put through anaerobic (carefully maintained procedure that starves the slurry of air) digestion which in turn emits gases to be used as fuel for an engine in order to produce electricity and heat.

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So, there we have it. A brief summary of the three main veins of Biomass that will give you the knowledge to say the word with confidence and, hopefully, the thirst to find out more.

Posted under Articles, Electricity Generation

Wind power is something that most of us are by now familiar with. Wind power- the energy of the raw winds, used to turn mills, whose drive then transfers the energy to a more handy form for us humans- is now so widespread that windfarms are a common sight, and are steadily multiplying across the face of the earth.

But while wind power continues to be a popular form of renewable energy in both the public’s mind and in the policies of politicians and in government acts, a criticism of the medium persists: the intermittent nature of wind power. Coal, as long as it is abundant or easily bought on the market from elsewhere, can always be burnt. Wind, however, is not always so passive and malleable- wind farms consist of giant mills rooted deep into the ground, and are thus at the mercy of the climate and weather, which ultimately produces the aerial currents which are its ‘fuel’.
Wind farms cannot move elsewhere in order to get a better hit of wind, like a surfer who wants to find the best waves, and winds cannot be imported or moved in bulk.

One potential solution that has been proposed is a hybrid of wind power and stored hydrogen. Put simply, the hybrid system works like this: power is harnessed from the wind through mills, and this power is used for the grid (where it heats our homes, lights our buildings, etc) as well as for the additional purpose of electrolysis water, which creates hydrogen- this hydrogen is ‘bottled up’ and stored, and on those days when the wind is lagging, the hydrogen is ‘unbottled’ and used to create electricity and power- either through fuel cell technology or through a combustion engine linked to an electrical generator.

There are many issues that have arisen in the discussion and early attempts at realising wind hydrogen hybrid technology- one major issue is the storage of the hydrogen itself. Underground storage has been investigated, and is often seen as the favoured method in a possible wind-hydrogen hybrid system. Hydrogen storage is tricky because, for one thing, it requires very large tanks to hold it. Increasing the pressure for these tanks would make them smaller, but also denser. Compressed hydrogen takes up a lot of energy for the compression process, making it inefficient; hydrogen can also be kept as a liquid (think the liquid nitrogen of Hollywood films that freezes what it touches). The thing about liquefaction is that the hydrogen has to be kept very, very cold to keep it a liquid- hydrogen boils at -252.882 degrees celsius, so it has to be kept at a lower temperature than that, which takes up a hell of a lot of energy. The delicate insulation for the appropriate storage tanks is also very expensive.

Underground storage, which many would like to see as the main way of keeping hydrogen ready for power creation when the wind is running weak, would involve depleted gas and oil fields, underground caverns, or salt domes- according to Wikipedia, the chemical manufacturing giant ICI has stored gaseous hydrogen in underground caverns for years without any problems.

The Australian company WHL Energy Limited is a key player in the development of this hybrid system, and according to its website ‘is actively pursuing a regional expansion strategy in Latin America and China, in addition to the UK and Australia’. Wikipedia states that test sites for the company’s wind hydrogen system exist across Canada, Denmark, North America, Argentina, Scotland, Greece, and Norway.

A wind-hydrogen hybrid, then, looks like a positive step towards smoothing out the problems with the renewable and freely available energy that can be gained from wind- whether the difficulties of hydrogen storage can be overcome will depend upon the limits of our technology and the unfolding of time.

Posted under Articles, Climate, Electricity Generation, Gas & Electricity, Renewable Energy

The Times of London reported today of a new deal between a small, UK-based tidal energy company, Atlantis Resources, and the government of India, in a plan which hopes to harness the energy of the seas around India for the first time.

The Western Indian state of Gujarat have given the contract to Atlantic Resources, and in particular the Gulf of Kutch and the Gulf of Khambhat (both in the Arabian Sea) will be investigated for their energy-producing potential, owing to the extreme daily tides that act within those areas. If successful, the initial study could lead to millions of pounds being pumped into tidal energy.

India is struggling with a power deficit in the face of a rising population and growing economic weight. The need to increase its power production is set against its appearance at the Copenhagen Summit this December, where India hopes to bring positive environmental goals and actions to the table and promote itself as a progressive nation.

India has already established itself as a word-leader in wind power, and has instigated a $19 billion development plan for solar energy. According to indiaenvironmentportal.org, India’s National Solar Mission intends to have a 20 Gigawatt capacity for solar generation by 2020- and 200 Gigawatts of power from the sun by 2050. To put this in perspective, at present the entire world’s solar generators can generate approximately 14 Gigawatts of solar power.

Despite India’s progressive approach and active measures for renewable power sources, the large population and distribution of wealth means that its energy deficit needs to be countered urgently: up to 400 millions are not connected to the energy grid.

Also, India currently imports 70% of its oil and has only a small bank of coal reserves that it uses to generate electricity. According to reports, India will become one of the three major consumers of energy in the world by 2030, third only behind China and the USA- these measures are part of a much-needed plan to become self-sufficient and sustainable as a country.

The environmental need is also recognised as being essential: the Times quotes the McKinsey report, conducted by consultants for the project, in saying that India is likely to produce 6.5 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide-equivalent gases in 2030, compared with 1.6 billion at present.

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