Alternatively check out the Shop, visit Good Energy, or learn how to Generate Your Own electricity.
Thanks for reading
Good Energy team
With interest rates at rock bottom, the attractions of solar PV are not only ecological but also financial. As a customer of Good Energy's HomeGen scheme, he'll earn 15p per kWh he generates, the highest rate in the market. John says, "At the moment, it's better to have your money on the roof than in the bank."
To find out how you can start the journey to generating your own energy, visit our new website www.generateyourown.co.uk
And don't forget that generating your own energy earns you an income. Good Energy Generation's award-winning schemes pay you for the renewable energy you generate, so once you have installed your generator you can sign up to the right scheme for you.
And watch the prototype video:
()Shop Team
US Could Save $1.2 Trillion with Energy Efficiency
Global management consultancy McKinsey & Company have published a report suggesting the US could save a whopping $1.2 trillion dollars with better energy efficiency. They’ve conducted a detailed analysis of non-transport uses of energy and suggested solutions to energy waste. The huge sum vastly outweighs the estimated $520 billion investment needed to make these changes.
Their measures would save 1.1 Gigatons of carbon dioxide emissions annually, the equivalent of taking every car and light truck in the US off the road. In total, McKinsey believes that the US could cut its energy demand by 23%.
This highlights the need for energy efficiency in this country too, as we are guilty of similar inefficiency problems. It raises the important point that energy efficiency should actually be seen as a resource. It’s a tool both in tackling climate change and for saving money.
http://www.mckinsey.com/clientservice/electricpowernaturalgas/US_energy_efficiency/
Wireless power systems
Following up our story about Nokia’s plans to charge mobile phones with ambient airwaves comes a technology that boasts the potential to replace millions of miles of cables and disposable batteries. US company Witricity have come up with a working prototype for wireless electricity. Sounds crazy? Yup… But it seems like it might actually work.
We’re not going to pretend to understand the “simple” physics, but it’s something to do with resonant frequencies of electronics being transferred to each other. It could revolutionise the way our electronics work, and hopefully stop me running out of battery on my phone, a regular occurrence. From a green perspective, it may finally do away with the 40 billion disposable batteries being produced every year. In fact, why are they still around anyway? Rechargeable batteries last much longer and cost less. Disposables should just be banned.
Anyway, read the full wireless story here:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/8165928.stm
DIY Kyoto fit to be king
The Wattson has made it into the royal family! Our most stylish energy monitor the Wattson has been commandeered for energy saving duty at Clarence House, where Prince Charles is hell bent on becoming energy efficient. Click the imag below:
Doesn’t he look happy there? It’s not that Pimms or his £18 million income, it’s the Wattson! You too could be happy if you had a Wattson – click here to learn more.
Good Energy Shop Team
Not so much you can do about this, unless you work for a water company, but the Telegraph have just exposed that 3.3 billion litres of water are lost through pipes every day in the UK!
Full story here:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/earthnews/5949479/3.3-billion-litres-of-water-lost-from-pipes-daily.html
Fix your leaks –The average leaky faucet wastes 3 gallons a day. Get it fixed.
Waterless car washing – There are some car wash products out there that do not require water. We haven’t had the chance to try any (as none of us have cars because we are so green, ho ho) but may be worth looking into. They use wetting agents and lubricants to surround dirt particles and absorb them, saving you up to 120 litres of water per car wash. Or, just don’t wash your car, after a while it stops getting any dirtier (I speak from experience).
Greywater collection – Plenty of water is thrown away when it could be used. For example waste from dishwashers, showers, baths and washing machines could be used to flush toilets, instead of fresh treated water. Depending on what you collect, greywater can be ideal for watering the garden.
Hope these help... you should see your water bills decrease and your sense of well being increase!
Michael
Good Energy Shop Team
A big welcome to our partner Satellite Architects. Leaders in sustainable architecture, Satellite will be contributing their cleverness and knowledge to this blog from here on in. So you can look forward to learning about greening the home from the experts, from passive solar to self composting loos!
Enough said, over to you Satellite…
Good Architecture
Energy Savings Trust release domestic wind energy report
The most comprehensive study ever undertaken in the UK has revealed the wind “hotspots” for domestic turbines. The Energy Savings Trust published a report last week that highlights the importance of getting the location right and concluding that in the right circumstances turbines can be highly effective low carbon generators.
The two-year research followed 57 case studies, testing all kinds of turbine from the South West up to northern Scotland. The best case, a 6kW free standing turbine in the Orkney Islands, generated a whopping 22,000 kWh of clean electricity, which equates to a saving (or profit) of £2,800 at average electricity prices.
As we have always said, microgeneration has to be tailored to the conditions. In the worst case, a small turbine mounted on a house in Essex with very low wind speeds, couldn’t even generate enough energy to power its own equipment. This is a case of inappropriate technology and bad location, something we hate to see at the Good Energy Shop. It wouldn’t have happened if the owner had come to us.
But the good news is that the Energy Savings Trust has managed to put a number on the amount of homes suitable for small-scale wind – they reckon it’s around 450,000. That’s not a bad figure for just one technology.
To find out if your home is suitable, they’ve made a very simple form that just needs your postcode and a few other pieces of information. Take a look at their site here.
If your home is suitable then visit our brand new Generate Your Own site here, we have the best range of highly efficient turbines and will guide you through every step of the process. And if the savings aren’t enough, Good Energy also has a scheme that will pay you for the electricity you generate – even if you use it yourself! This pioneering scheme has helped hundreds of people move to low carbon energy at home. Take a look at our homegen schemes here.
Good Energy Shop Team
Anyone for £100 million? The Carbon Trust has just announced a scheme that will allow small and medium sized businesses (SME) access to £100 million worth of interest free, unsecured loans for energy efficiency. The government loans are to help organisations cut their carbon footprint by reducing energy consumption.
If you are an SME then make the most of this while you can – it’s while stocks last, on a first come, first served basis. You can apply for any amount between £2,000 and £400,000 right here. They’ll be doling out the cash over the next two years.
US College runs efficiency programme and saves $5 million
At the risk of sounding like a broken record – saving energy saves money! Here’s a fine example. Ten months ago, the University of Illinois decided to reduce their energy consumption by 10% over the course of a year. They’ve already hit that target and in doing so have pocketed $5 million extra dollars for drinks at the union bar. Oh we joke! The refurbishments have actually cost around the same amount, but the college has already broken even, and is estimating a $1 million a year saving from 2010 onwards.
And how did they do it? Mostly through switching to energy efficient lighting – which we can all do – and with the installation of intelligent energy sensors that control light and heat based on room temperature and number of people in room etc. They upgraded over 40 buildings and re-fitted 80,000 light fittings!
Solar flight challenge
Around the world in 25 days, in a solar powered plane. That’s the bold new challenge facing Swiss adventurer Bertrand Piccard and his Solar Impulse team. They have come up with an innovative and highly impressive solar powered plane to promote renewable technology and its capabilities.
With a wing span of 61m and a very modest weight of 1,500Kg the plane has solar panels lining the top surface of its wings. With sophisticated aerodynamics and advanced computer system to help minimise energy usage, the Solar Impulse aims to show the capability of low impact flying. The panels will charge batteries that will keep the plane in the air at night time.
The first Atlantic crossing is set for 2012 and will be the first manned solar powered plane to date. The entire world trip will take 25 days, which theoretically the plane can do non stop if it weren’t for pilot fatigue. Piccard reckons he and his project counterpart will share the flying in five day stretches. Five day stretches! That sounds pretty tough to us, but perhaps that’s why we’re sitting behind computers and Mr Bertrand is an Adventurer as a career (nobody ever told me that was an option in sixth form!)
The objective is to raise awareness for renewables. Mr Piccard says "The real success for Solar Impulse would be to have enough millions of people following the project, being enthusiastic about it, and saying 'if they managed to do it around the world with renewable energies and energy savings, then we should be able to do it in our daily life'."
Shop Team


