OLED-Paint-By-Lomox-The-Most-Efficient-Form-Of-Lighting-Ever

The Carbon Trust, a UK based non-profit trust set up by the British government, has awarded money to fund a new lighting technology that could lower your power bill and carbon footprint in the next couple of years.


The technology is being developed by LOMOX Ltd, a welsh start-up which won a grant from the Carbon Trust of £454,000 ($720,000) to bring organic light emitting diodes (OLEDs) to the commercial market.

The fund money is going to 'Lomox', to aid further development of organic LED technology. OLEDs use approximately 50% of the power of fluorescents for a given light output, or about 12% the power of a traditional incandescent lamp.

Traditionally, the problem with OLEDs has been that they have a limited lifespan. Lomox believes it has found a way to make OLEDs last longer than fluorescent lamp technology, which are already a substantial improvement over standard incandescent lamps.

OLEDs can be painted on to a surface, enabling an endless variety shapes and uses. Those glow in the dark stars on the ceiling of your old room could be replaced with a printed roll of the Lomox paper, drawing a tiny amount of power and providing enough light to navigate in the night. The product could also find its way in to road signs and advertising boards.

In that application, small solar PV and rechargeable battery combos could provide power through the dark nights to illuminate signage more efficiently than traditional flood lighting. Since the message itself would be illuminated, less light would be spilled on the space around the sign.

Alternately, or perhaps additionally, the technology promises fixture-free lighting in offices and homes — the ceiling itself becomes the light source. This would also increase efficiency by moving from a point source (Incandescent Lamp) to a radiant light source. With light coming from every direction, radiant lighting reduces or eliminates the need for redundant lighting to prevent poorly illyminated sections in the room.

Lomox plans to have its first products to market in 2012. The OLED technology produces 150 lumens per watt, close to high-end traditional LEDs.

OLED technology isn’t restricted to lighting products, either. OLEDs have demonstrated the ability to be used in flexible displays, TV screens and PC monitors.

If Lomox has indeed found the cure for OLED’s usually-short lifespan and is able to keep the price low, the technology could be licensed for a new generation of thinner, lighter and more power-efficient home displays. Put in cell phones, OLED displays would yield longer battery performance.

In short, Lomox received the grant from the Carbon Trust to develop its longer-lived OLEDs into a commercially viable product. Once completed, the technology promises long-term energy savings and high performance in a highly versatile package. OLEDs could be the must have lighting solution for the next generation.

Estimates predict that 2.5 million tonnes of CO2 could be saved if all modern lighting was replaced with OLEDs by 2020. The future’s bright for wallpaper, a future which could be very illuminating indeed for green schemes.

Copenhagen-Climate-Summit-Absolute-Devastation

Copenhagen climate summit: developing countries warn of 'absolute devastation'

The Copenhagen climate summit was thrown into disarray last night after developing countries said the current plans for a deal on global warming condemned millions of people to “absolute devastation”.

The row broke out after the draft text of a deal allegedly prepared by the Danish government emerged, which campaigners claimed favoured rich countries and risked squeezing poor nations out of the negotiations.

The text, a draft agreement, was interpreted by developing countries as setting unequal limits on carbon emissions for developed and developing countries – meaning that people in rich countries would be permitted to emit nearly twice as much.

They also expressed concern that a 'climate fund’ – supposed to provide financial assistance from richer nations to developing countries – would be run by the World Bank, under the control of developed nations.

Lumumba Stanislaus Di-Aping, the chief negotiator for the G77, a group of 130 developing nations including China, said the leaders of the rich world had a “moral obligation” to cut greenhouse gases.
He said failure to keep temperature rise below 2C (3.6F) would lead to the disappearance of island states and “certain death” for Africa.



He also said the United States President Barack Obama was condemning “the cousins and extended family of his own daughters to be destroyed to preserve the interests of the few”.

And he said the funding proposed by Gordon Brown of $10 billion per annum to help poor countries adapt to climate change was not enough to “buy developing nations citizens enough coffins”.

“What we need to ask the President is the following: We see the 2C target exposes over 100 countries to massive suffering and devastation. If that is the case, on what definition of leadership would the most developed and industrialised nations sign up to that? Would he accept that the cousins and extended family of his own daughters be destroyed to preserve the interests of the few?”

On just the second day of negotiations, Mr di-Aping upped the pressure on the rich nations to make drastic cuts in greenhouse gases.

“A British Prime Minister cannot say the cost of inaction as far as climate change is concerned will result in irreparable damage on the world and then follow that by not committing his own country the EU and advanced countries to commit to ambitious and radical reductions in emissions.
"That is what is necessary and we call on world leaders and ordinary people to put the utmost pressure on politicians to come to their senses. It is not acceptable that this opportunity will be wasted because of a few leaders.”

Mr Di-Aping, from Sudan, pointed out that the world paid $1.3 trillion to bail out the banks in the financial crisis.

He said substantial money should also be offered to help poor countries adapt to climate change, but ultimately rich nations must make cuts in emissions.

He compared the money being offered to poor nations to adapt to climate change to a sum of money being offered to an individual becoming ill.

“For example someone is going to give me a trillion dollars for exchange for having cancer,” he said. “Would a person accept that kind of damage to his health for any amount of money? I doubt it.”

However the developed nations insisted that there is still everything to play for at negotiations.
A spokesman for the Danish Ministry of Climate and Energy played down the importance of the text.

"In this kind of process, many different working papers are circulated among many different parties with their hands on the process. These papers are the basis for informal consultations that contribute with input used for testing various positions. Therefore, many papers exist. That is quite normal."

It is understood the text has been circulating as part of the process of trying to reach an agreement but has not been accepted formally by any countries.

Global-Warming-Caused-By-Suns-Radiation

Copenhagen climate summit: global warming "caused by sun's radiation"

Global warming is caused by radiation from the sun, according to a leading scientist speaking out at an alternative "sceptics' conference" in Copenhagen.

Professor Henrik Svensmark argued that the recent warming period was caused by solar activity. Photo: REUTERS

As the world gathered in the Danish capital for the UN Climate Change Conference, more than 50 scientists, businessmen and lobby groups met to discuss the arguments against man made global warming.

Although the meeting was considerably smaller than the official gathering of 15,000 people meeting down the road, the organisers claimed it could change the course of negotiations.

 

Sceptics 'may resort to illegal acts to stop climate deal'

Past decade warmest on record, says Met Office Professor Henrik Svensmark, a physicist at the Danish National Space Center in Copenhagen, said the recent warming period was caused by solar activity.

He said the last time the world experienced such high temperatures, during the medieval warming period, the Sun and the Earth were in a similar cycle.

Professor Nils-Axel Morner, a geologist from Stockholm University, said sea level rise has also been exaggerated by the “climate alarmists” using computer models.

He said observational data from lake sediments, coast lines and trees show sea levels have remained stable.

Professor Cliff Ollier, another geologist from the University of Western Australia, also said the environmental lobby have got it wrong on ice caps. He said the melting of ice sheets is caused by geothermal activity rather than global surface temperatures.

Professor Ian Plimer, from the University of Adelaide, claimed carbon dioxide from volcanoes rather than humans is driving warming as part of a natural process.

The meeting was organised by Danish group Climate Sense and the lobby group Committee for a Constructive Tomorrow (CFACT).

Craig Rucker, Executive Director of CFACT, admitted the organisation have taken funding from Exxon Mobil in the past but pointed out that many environmental groups are also receiving funding from major corporations.

Graham Capper of Climate Sense said manmade global warming was a myth and scientists who said otherwise were lying. :

"There are people who know they are lying and do it simply for money and others who think they are doing good," he said. "But they not good scientists."

Lord Monckton, a former adviser to Margaret Thatcher, said he was speaking to delegations from the US and Canada about question marks over the science.

He said a recent poll by the Telegraph, that shows only one in two people accept man made climate change, show people are questioning the consensus being pushed by the UN summit.

“As anybody knows who follows the opinion polls in Britain and Australia and the US, in the last few weeks and months there has been a rapid collapse in the global warming chimera so while we still have our freedom, let us speak out.”

Climate-Depot

Climate Depot seems to have all the climate issue answers!

Some think it is gossip, others say fact but may I present you with the website and let you, my readers, decide what you think of Climate Depot.

CLIMATE DEPOT WEBSITE LINK

Geothermal-Energy-Just-Add-Water

Geothermal – just add water

With a $25 million influx of federal stimulus money, two companies are planning to try a different way of generating geothermal power just west of Newberry National Volcanic Monument.
But to test this method, Newberry Geothermal and AltaRock will need to add something more to the equation — an estimated 77 million gallons of water or more.

“The water question is clearly one that we all know is there, and that we will have to address,” said Doug Perry, the president of Newberry Geothermal.

In a traditional geothermal system, a company drills a deep well and taps into a pent up supply of water or steam, heated by the surrounding rocks. But when Newberry Geothermal drilled test wells in 2008, they found hot rocks but no water or steam.
So the idea with the new method, called enhanced geothermal systems, is to pump outside water down into a system of hairline fractures, have the rocks heat up the water, then pump it back to the surface. The hot water or steam will be harnessed to turn turbines, then cooled a bit and sent back down to be heated up again.
But the rocks could be leaky, said Asante Riverwind, with the local chapter of the Sierra Club, and people don't yet know how much water one of these plants would consume to generate power.
“Where would they get this water, given the water concerns already existent here?” Riverwind said.
Newberry Geothermal already has a temporary OK to use up to 100 gallons of water a minute, which it can get from any of four groundwater wells.

The company had to make up for the water it removed from the groundwater aquifer by buying mitigation credits, which pay for other projects that put water back into streams and rivers of the Deschutes Basin.
“Some farmer, someplace in Deschutes County or the Deschutes basin, is not irrigating, and in return the groundwater mitigation buyer is using that water instead,” said Scott McCaulou, program director with the Deschutes River Conservancy.
The Newberry project doesn't need to mitigate for that much water, compared with irrigators and other water users, he said — it's about the equivalent of watering 2 or 3 acres of alfalfa.
If the company needed to use more water, it could either apply for a new temporary license to do so, which would require more mitigation credits, McCaulou said, or buy up new water rights.
And the geothermal project will probably need to use more water, Perry said.

Water is needed for several steps in the enhanced geothermal system. Crews use water to drill a well, and then pump pressurized water down into that well to fracture a network of tiny cracks in the rocks thousands of feet below the surface.
“It takes a lot of water for a short period of time” to create that network of cracks, Perry said.
The company will also use water to drill another well or two that will eventually bring hot water back to the surface. And it will use more water to test how well the whole system works — how easily the water flows from the original well, through the network of cracks, and back up to the surface.
Because this is a relatively new way of doing things, especially in the United States, geologists don't know exactly how much water this will take, Perry said.

But based on a similar project in France, Perry estimated that drilling the wells, creating the cracks and testing the system would take between 77 million and 121 million gallons of water — more than the 53 million gallons they currently have the OK for.
In comparison, on the peak summer day in 2007, the city of Bend used 27 million gallons of water, according to a city publication.
Creating the cracks would also take an OK from water officials to use more than 100 gallons a minute, he said.
Perry added that most of the water used in these tests remains in the different rock layers. Some of the fluid, however, is lost to evaporation — and that has to be mitigated for.
After the testing phase for enhanced geothermal systems, if the company decides to build a power plant, additional water would be needed to keep flow circulating through the system.
Project planners don't yet have an estimate for that volume, Perry said, noting that a lot depends on how leaky the rocks are and how much water needs to be replaced.

There could be alternatives to groundwater as well, he said. Project designers could end up piping in gray water, or treated wastewater, and cycling that through the underground reservoir. Or, some new technology uses liquefied carbon dioxide instead of water, he said.
But it will be several years before Newberry gets to the power plant stage, he said, and the company hopes by that time the enhanced geothermal tests will reveal more about how much water would be necessary.

“We'll know enough so it will be a lot more factual based, (rather) than by analogy,” Perry said.

Breaking-News-Eco-Friendly-Couple-Go-Shopping-On-Horseback

Video Link: (Source STV) CLICK HERE

An eco-mad Aberdeenshire couple have swapped their hatchback for horseback when embarking on their weekly shopping trips.

Green-thinking Joyce Youngson-Lamb and her husband Geoff now embark on a scenic two hour horse ride to pick up their groceries – when it only takes ten minutes by car.

But the environmentally aware pair insist the eight mile round trip to Ballater that involves crossing the River Dee is no big deal.

Joyce said: “Shopping on horseback is under-rated. It’s the perfect way to multi-task and today’s modern woman has to do exactly that to keep up!

“I like to trot along to the shops with my husband and our two horses. It gives us fresh air and exercise and we’re able to support the local community”.

Geoff added: “I’m an environmentalist, so I like doing things the hard way. Environmental living is about being difficult and it’s never the most economical or the most profitable”.

Their journey is made possible by following the old Deeside Railway line which has been closed since the 1960s.

And recent repairs to some of the bridges mean horses can now go along the picturesque route

Joyce said: “Prior to that it was pedestrian and cyclists only and with us having half a tonne of horse each, we needed to know the bridges were safe”.

Their shopping list is chosen with extreme care. After all – there is only so much they can carry back.

Joyce added: “Some things suit horse shopping better than others. For instance - our steak. If you think it’s tender when you get it, by the time you get it back on the horse, it’s absolutely super-dooper tender.

“Gin and tonic is a bit heavy but we can usually manage. Eggs though are a definite no, no”.

Breaking-News-UK-Government-Release-New-Microgeneration-Tarrif-For-Renewable-Energy

The Government has announced today (July 16th 2009) the details of the proposed feed-in tariff for microgeneration from systems like small wind turbines and solar photovoltaics. The new tariff will pay for all energy generated by your system, irrespective of if you use it yourself or sell it back to the grid. The amounts paid are in addition to any saving you will make by purchasing less electricity from your supplier and any income you earn from selling your surplus power to your electricty supplier.

The key points of the announcement are:

- 36.5p/kWh for small solar photovoltaic systems up to 4kW and 28p/kWh for systems up to 10kW.
- 23.0p/kWh for small wind turbines between 1.5kW and 15kW.- Replaces the current ROC system which pays 10p/kWh.- Effective as of the 1st April 2010, but all systems commissioned from now on will qualify.- Systems installed from now until April 2010 will be eligible for both LCBP grants AND the new tariff.

A typical home solar photovoltaic system of 3kW, generating approximately 2,300kWh per annum will therefore earn around £1,000 per annum, which is an additional £600, dramatically reducing payback times.

An Evance Iskra R9000 small wind turbine will typically earn £2,000 - £3,000 per annum which is an additional £1,000.
A Gaia 133 small wind turbine installed at a modestly windy site will earn £6,000 - £9,000 per annum which is an additional £3,000, making it a very economic proposition with likely payback times of less than 5 years on a typical site.

NanoSolar-Printed-Solar-Cells-Cheapest-In-The-World

NanoSolar Inc - Printing Solar Film

For a number of years I have been watching the development of a Californian based company NanoSolar Inc (Nano Solar Inc). My interest started when I realised that the cost of solar cells were so high it would never become viable for every rooftop to have a solar panel array. I have thought of various ways and means to bring cheap renewable energy to the masses but always strayed back to Solar PV cells.

What they have come up with is a way to print (Screen Print) Solar Substrate straight onto a thin foil material which means no more expensive silicon wafer based panels which are thick, heavy and expensive to produce. The new technology opens up a whole new dimension for end users.

Imagine an all electric vehicle with a Solar PV shell? How about solar slates that are cheaper than roofing tiles? A parking lot for electric vehicles with a solar roof? The new uses are endless!

NanoSolar Inc are fully booked with orders for the next 2 years (Correct as of July 2009) The demand is huge, they are gearing up for more production capacity already!

I would love to see a time when renewable energy can directly compete with fossil derived fuels (Coal, Oil & Gas) I think the Printed Solar Panels are a step in the right direction.

Semiconductor Printing

Printing is by far the simplest, highest-yield, and most capital-efficient technique for depositing thin films. Printing is extremely fast; the equipment involved is easy to use and maintain; and it works in plain air (no vacuum chamber required).

Another key advantage of a printable CIGS ink is that one can print it just where one wants it to be, achieving high materials utilization of the semiconductor material.

Printing is much simpler and more robust than vacuum deposition techniques such as sputtering or evaporation which have conventionally been used to fabricate thin-film solar cells; the process cost of vacuum techniques is so high that the result is not an inexpensive cell relative to the per-square-meter economics that the solar industry requires.

Welcome-To-Renewable-Energy-UK-www.homebrewpower.co.uk

HomeBrewPower Project Mission Statement:

HomeBrewPower is dedicated to providing interesting projects, reviews and case studies for Renewable Energy Projects. Many renewable energy projects can be applied to homes and businesses. Wind Turbines are a great DIY project to start off with for producing some of your electrical needs. Of course some may want to learn about Solar Hot Water, Micro-Hydro turbines, Geothermal Heating, Energy Saving or running your Diesel Car on 'Carbon Neutral' Waste Vegetable Oil (WVO) We are constantly updating each and every page and adding new ones all the time here at HomeBrewPower, check back regularly to see what we are working on.

HomeBrewPower Installation Services:

Specializing in the design & installation of UK Off-Grid power for Remote homes, buildings & boats. Systems include Solar PV, Wind Turbines, Micro CHP & Solar Hot Water. 12, 24 36, 48 & 230V Systems tailored to suit the clients power requirements.

We like to work on bespoke / one off domestic living spaces such as: Woodland Low Impact Houses, Eco Houses, Boat Homes, Isolated Properties, Custom Built Homes, Yurts, Dome Houses, Straw Bail Homes, Reclaimed Building Material Homes. Anything that requires all the creature comforts of a traditionally built home but without the restraints of Grid-Tied Electricity.

If you are looking for either a complete package or just a helping hand. design or advice

then please contact us by clicking here

Our areas of expertise are listed below

Solar PV Installations
Wind Turbine Installations
12VDC Installations
Micro-Hydro Installations
230VAC Off Grid Installations
Energy Saving Lighting Installations
Carbon Neutral Energy Points (Small solar setup to provide power to 1 of more sockets at home)
Eco Product Reviews
Eco Evaluations

Straw-Bail-Homes-Carol-Atkinson-Howden

Straw Bales are the Way Forward in Construction A study to research the potential for using straw in construction has led to a coveted Nuffield Farming Scholarship for a woman who firmly believes building with straw bales is the way forward. Carol with Yorkshire Agricultural Society Chief Executive Nigel Pulling in front of one of Carol's straw bale buildings. Carol Atkinson, who farms with her husband at Howden near Goole, already runs the Straw Bale Cabin, a one-bedroom holiday cottage. A second, larger cottage is currently under construction and is expected to be completed by May this year. She is sponsored by the Yorkshire Agricultural Society following her successful application to the Nuffield Farming Scholarships Trust. The Society, best known for organising the annual Great Yorkshire Show, is committed to promoting and assisting the developments in farming. Nigel Pulling, the Society’s Chief Executive said Carol’s study was not only interesting but could lead to new business opportunities for farmers. “Agriculture faces increasing challenges and her study should prove extremely valuable in highlighting a possible growth area. Straw bale building has the potential to provide farmers with a new income stream, as well as being good for the environment.” Nuffield Farming Scholarships are prestigious agricultural awards recognised around the globe. They promote leadership and the implementation of innovative agricultural practices through worldwide study. Carol will travel to the United States, Canada and Europe to look at how straw bales are used in construction and investigate how the idea could be more widely used in Britain. “I’m passionate about the potential for building with straw,” explained Carol. “There are benefits for farmers too, such as adding value to their crops, and wider benefits for the environment. It also means there could be more low-cost rural housing, it would boost rural skills and there would be a natural, non-toxic indoor environment. It’s good news all round really.” She said: “I’m really grateful to the Yorkshire Agricultural Society for sponsoring me – it wouldn’t have happened without their support. This is a fantastic opportunity and I’m really looking forward to it.” Almost 200 people have stayed in the Straw Bale Cabin, which was the first of its kind in the UK, and has attracted widespread interest. But, says Carol, straw bale building is still little-understood in Britain, with less than 100 buildings nationwide. “They are permanent buildings, with lime rendering on the outside and clay plaster on the inside, and we have sheep’s wool insulation in the roof,” said Carol. “They’re warm, comfortable places that are totally natural and use local resources where possible – for example the clay, hemp, timber and so on. “There’s no reason why more straw bale buildings shouldn’t be constructed and my study will assist me in learning more about how this could happen. It’s more widespread in Canada and the US, which is why I want to visit, and seeing how using straw bales works in Europe will be interesting as their climate is closer to our own.”

Solar-Hot-Water-Panels-Installer-UK

I am a solar hot water Installer In The UK. If you require a free quotation then please do ring me on 07504 505 089 or EMAIL me.

I CAN SAVE YOU MONEY!

What-Can-I-Do-To-Help-The-Planet-Earth?

There are a number of things you may do for our planet. Let me try and give you some suitable answers to help you out a little.

Fossil Fuels: You can 'Lower' your dependence on fossil fuels. I don't expect you to go run away and live in a cage or become a 'Tree Hugger' but you can, for example;

1. switch all your lights from incandescent filament lamps to high efficiency low energy compact fluorescent lamps.

2. Strip out the gas fire and install a wood burner (Wood is a carbon neutral source of heating fuel) They can come with a back boiler so you can feed the excess heat into the heating system to heat other rooms.

3. Cut back on the travel by (Car / Van / Bus / Train) and try cycling short routes. If your distances are large for commuting then why not set up a car sharing scheme with friends so you can all commute in the same vehicle and save burning excessive fossil fuels (Petrol and Diesel)

4. Buy your fresh vegetables from local farmers / farm stores, supermarkets fly / ship fruit and vegetables from all 4 corners of the globe and add to the excessive burning of fossil fuels. Why not support your local farmer and purchase his vegetables and fruit that were grown in the field next door and delivered by hand by the farmer himself?

5. Try educating others about turning lights off when they leave the room, why have the radiator in the lavatory on full when you are in there for 2 minutes 2 times a day? Try and see logic!

6. Swap your CRT (Cathode Ray Tube - The Big Glass fronted TV's) TV with a LCD flat screen one. They use much less Electricity (Which is mainly produced by burning fossil fuels Diesel & Gas)

7. Set your Laptop and or desktop PC to hibernate after a set amount of inactivity so it is not needlessly wasting Electricity.

8. When you go to bed for the night go around the house and switch off all non essential electrical equipment at the plug, putting TV's and Microwaves into standby does not shut them down but only puts them into a lower consuming mode.

9. Grow your own fruit and vegetables, it is so much fun and very satisfying, plus you get to know you are reducing your carbon footprint whilst getting free food!

10. Opt for as many bills as possible to be sent to you electronically, you save them printing them on paper, save the rain forests and save on the delivery van burning fossil fuels in the process!

Hope this helps you out a little.

HomeBrewPower-Renewable-Energy-Projects-Tips-Help

Renewable Energy UK | Visit Our Home Brew Power Website

Wind | Domestic Wind Turbines - Good Or Bad?

Solar | Solar Panels For Your Shed Or Summerhouse?

Carbon Neutral | Recent Posts Relating To 'Carbon Neutral'

Babington Burner | Purchase Our Hand Made WVO Burning Babington Nozzles

HomeBrewPower Yahoo Group On Carbon Neutral Power Generation

A-HomeBrew-Micro-Hydro-Plant

Here is a great website I stumbled upon this morning that I thought I would share with my followers.

http://ludens.cl/paradise/turbine/turbine.html

This guy has left the mainstream hustle and bustle of life and set up a homestead in the throws of Chile.

He goes into great detail of how he has diverted a stream to power his MicroHydro Plant, it really is a remarkable feat of engineering.

HomeBrewPower Yahoo Group On Carbon Neutral Power
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/homebrewpower/

MARS - Wind Power Anywhere! - Lighter Than Air Wind Turbine

Magenn Power's MARS is a Wind Power Anywhere™ solution with distinct advantages over existing Conventional Wind Turbines and Diesel Generating Systems including: global deployment, lower costs, better operational performance, and greater environmental advantages.

MARS is a lighter-than-air tethered wind turbine that rotates about a horizontal axis in response to wind, generating electrical energy. This electrical energy is transferred down the 1000-foot tether for immediate use, or to a set of batteries for later use, or to the power grid. Helium sustains MARS and allows it to ascend to a higher altitude than traditional wind turbines. MARS captures the energy available in the 600 to 1000-foot low level and nocturnal jet streams that exist almost everywhere. MARS rotation also generates the "Magnus effect" which provides additional lift, keeps the MARS stabilized, and positions it within a very controlled and restricted location to adhere to FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) & Transport Canada guidelines.

The Advantages of MARS over Conventional Wind Turbines: Wind Power Anywhere™ removes all placement limitations. Coast-line or off-shore locations are not necessary to capture higher speed winds. Reaching winds at 1,000-feet above ground level allow MARS to be installed closer to the grid. MARS is mobile and can be rapidly deployed, deflated, and redeployed without the need for towers or heavy cranes. MARS is bird and bat friendly with lower noise emissions and is capable of operating in a wider range of wind speeds - from 4 mph to greater than 60 mph.

The Advantages of a MARS combined Wind and Diesel Solution over a Diesel Generator-only solution: MARS can complement a diesel generator by offering a combined diesel-wind power solution that delivers power below 20 cents per kWh. This compares to a wide range of 25 cents to 99 cents per kWh for diesel-alone, reflecting the high fuel and transportation costs in remote areas. The MARS combined solution allows lower pollution and green house gas emissions. It also results in lower handling, transporting, and storage costs.

MARS Target Markets: Developing nations where infrastructure is limited or non existent; off-grid combined wind and diesel solutions for island nations, farms, remote areas, cell towers, exploration equipment, backup power & water pumps for natural gas mines; rapid deployment diesel & wind solutions (to include airdrop) to disaster areas for power to emergency and medical equipment, water pumps; on-grid applications for farms, factories, remote communities; and wind farm deployments.

Lincolnshire-UFO-Turbine-Mystery-Solved

Broken wind turbine mystery solved

Speculation over what caused the mysterious destruction of a giant wind turbine in northern England - with everything from UFOs to the freezing winter weather taking the blame - was put to rest, after the culprit was found to be a mundane broken bolt.
Residents of Conisholme in Lincolnshire, last month, discovered that a 21.9-metre long metal blade was torn off a turbine at their local wind farm while another was badly damaged.

Some even reported seeing strange lights streaking towards the wind farm, prompting conjecture of a UFO collision with one of the 213-foot tall turbines.
It was unclear exactly when the crash would have occurred.
Local councillor and turkey farmer Robert Palmer said he saw a bright white light with an orange edge as he drove close to the turbine on Sunday morning .
The turbine manufacturer Enercon, however published preliminary results of its investigation on Tuesday saying that a broken bolt was responsible for the mishap.
The firm said that the bolts securing the blade to the turbine's hub "exhibited classic signs of fatigue failure".

It added that though the bolts themselves had shown no flaws, it appears that a component part on either side had "induced stress in the bolts beyond their design limits".

The Guardian newspaper on its part claimed to have solved a part of the mystery, revealing that the "strange lights" had almost certainly been caused by a firework display hosted by the parents of Emily Bell, the paper's director of digital content.

Dale Vince, Ecotricity's managing director, had earlier told the BBC that the UFO theory was "the best ... that we have currently got", though he added that a cow-sized piece of ice, perhaps falling from a passing plane, can also be responsible.
Vince now admitted that the Enercon report, was "a bit disappointing", though he defended his stand to consider the possibility of alien involvement.

"Personally I believe in life from other galaxies, and a lot of people do. I can say, however, at this stage we have eliminated collision and therefore aliens," he said.
Despite the revelation Vince is not quite ready to accept that the mystery was definitively solved.

"I still don't think the fireworks explained the flashing lights ... they don't tend to hang around in the way these lights are said to have done. There was no scorching, nothing burned or melted, so the lights, whatever they were, were certainly not associated with the turbine failure," he added.

B-And-Q-3-Rolls-Of-Loft-Insulation-For-£3-Offer

B&Q are offering 3 rolls of loft insulation for £3.00.

The TV advert is currently running on UK Digital TV and as of 00:04 13th February 2009 the http://www.diy.com B&Q DIY website is down (Crashed)

I would suggest that anyone wanting lost insulation for any pending or future projects get themselves to a B&Q store near you tomorrow and take them up on this great offer.

British Gas have been able to do a deal with the UK government and secure the deal to anyone in the UK.

The scheme is backed by the Government's Carbon Emissions Reduction Target (CERT) scheme and is meant only for the general public.

More tomorrow on this offer.

Loft insulation can be used for a number of homebrew type projects including Solar hot water panels, Wall insulation, Loft insulation, Boarding out lofts, heat proofing wood stoves and much more.

I believe they have limited the offer to 15 rolls per person, the loft insulation comes in a three 3 pack with perforations so you are actually paying £3.00 per pack.

Siemens-Protos-Plant-Oil-Stove-Update-Video-February-2009

Here is the latest video on the Siemens Protos Plant Oil Stove.

The Protos plant oil stove is a cooker / burner capable of running on Veg Oil, WVO, Peanut Oil, Coconut Oil and many other vegetable oils.

They are currently been produced in developing countries to enable poverty stricken countries a way of cooking and running businesses without using wood or charcoal as their primary heating source.

I hope that the Protos plant oil stove will become available within Europe / UK so the technology can be adapted into central heating systems and CHP / CHAP & MCHP systems.

Only time will tell.

HomeBrewPower Yahoo Group On Carbon Neutral Power

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/homebrewpower/

UFO-Blamed-For-Wrecked-Wind-Turbine

Well it seems that a wind turbine has been severely damaged in Lincolnshire and a UFO may be to blame! It strikes me as strange that intelligent life has navigated across the universe only to crash into a turbine! I would suggest that the turbine has had a major mechanical failure which has sheared a blade from the hub and the falling blade has damaged another one on the way down.

Would not like the estimated £250,000.00 bill for the repairs to the turbine! The gearbox and generator were completely fried as well!

Protos-Plant-Oil-Stove-News-Update

Filipino scientists develop environment-friendly cooking with 'Protos'

MANILA, Dec 5 (PNA) -- Responding to mounting calls to act on climate change, residents of Leyte turn to environmen-friendly stove that uses plant oil as fuel, instead of liquefied petroleum gas, in cooking their foods.

Protos, a locally-manufactured environment-friendly technology first noticed by Germany-based company BSH Bosch and Siemens Home Appliances Group, can run on coconut oil which emits lower carbon monoxide.

Aside from coconut, other suitable plants are palm, sunflower, castor, corn, soybean, and jatropha, expert from Visayas State University (VSU) Dr. Roberto C. Guarte said.

"Generally, its overall performance is almost the same as gas stove and much better than other local stoves in terms of cost of operation, safety, carbon monoxide emission, and sustainability," he said.

The stove consists of a tank, pump, frame, valve, fuel line, and a vaporizer originally made at the University of Hohenheim and acquired by BSH Group in Germany.

Traditional stove, uses firewood, hence resulting in depletion of forest resources and often lead to ecological disasters like erosion and flooding.

Smoke from burning firewood damages human health - such as eye and lungs - and aggravates air pollution.

LPG stove on the other hand emits high levels of carbon monoxide, a chemical that harms the environment. This type is also too expensive to majority of the Filipinos.

Protos has been tested by 100 households in selected areas in Leyte, which yielded a monthly average of 11.64 liters per month of plant oil consumption at a daily cooking time of 1.53 hours.

Six small restaurants at the VSU market also tested the device and consumed an average of about 28 liters per month at an average daily cooking time of 5.24 hours.

Guarte also said that commercial production of the plant oil stove can provide Net Present Value of P666,017 and Internal Rate of Return of 25 percent and Benefit Cost Ratio of 1.02.

This was based on a computed financial analysis, as of year 2007, the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Forestry, and Natural Resources Research and Development (DOST-PCARRD) said.

The VSU engineering workshop produces 1,500 units of plant oil cook stove per year in coordination with BSH Group in Germany.

VSU established a complete production line to ensure sustainable production of the plant oil stove for marketing and distribution in Region 8.

By expanding its production to cooperatives, this project has a potential to help create jobs in the rural areas, provide income to the poor, and cooperatives with additional profits, hence bringing not only environmental, but also economic and social benefits, the PCARRD said. (PNA)
DCT/MPC