An informative guide to the current state of renewable, and potential, renewable energy that has been available for years, and what is currently under development. The Drive towards Sustainable and Renewable Energy. An Introduction, by John Ellis. I have called upon current descriptions in the sciences of renewable energies and fuels in this document. Please feel free to print it off. It is a long document. Some forty years or so ago, a program on BBC2 TV in the UK, ran a series on the building of an eco centre, and the building of an energy sustainable home, I believe it was this centre that went on to become ‘The Centre of Alternative Technology’ – CAT, in South Wales. Since then there have been huge advances in the technology that will allow us to move towards becoming self sufficient in heat and energy in our homes, our workplaces and much more energy efficient and ‘green’ in our means of travel, CAT has played no small part in educating people in the uses of renewable energy. First a look at where, when and why the advent of Solar Energy first started: Our sun, which is actually a star, or to put it another way, the nuclease of our solar system, is a source of unlimited energy given off by its inner nuclear furnaces, like the earth, it is a living, beating organism that goes through cycles of energy high’s and low’s. The energy from the sun many would say it is wasted, it isn’t, it is that energy that keeps earth and our neighbouring planets in orbit, gives us the warmth of balmy summer days, keeps us warm, drives our weather systems and through the act of photosynthesis promotes the growth of our crops, the pastures thereby feeding our livestock, gives energy to the woods and rain forests on our fragile planet. It drives the warming currents of our vast oceans, teeming with life. it is nevertheless capable of providing us with millions of kilowatts of power through the conversion of solar devices into heat and electricity, solar energy is a safe, pollution-free energy that has provided the energy on which living organisms from the single cell creatures in the primordial soup through the evolution of life since they first appeared on earth. It has been quoted that in the space of three days, the solar energy from the sun reaching earth more than matches the estimated total of all the fossil fuels on earth, from the time before the start of the industrial revolution to what is estimated to still be untapped – which is where it should remain – untapped! Harnessing the energy of the sun through solar panels is not new, its early conceptional development goes back over a hundred years, though of course it was then extremely inefficient and many, understandably, dismissed it as gimmicks by eccentric scientists – Thank God they persevered with their eccentricity! The Victorians in large country estates used solar power in a different way, many of these country estates had large greenhouses, positioned to capture the energy of the sun to grow their vegetables all year round, four estates in particular went much further, the building of purpose designed brick composting troughs the full length of the greenhouses on the outside of the South facing wall with wooden framed removable glass tops at waist height, thus trapping the heat in the composting troughs, speeding up the composting process but also generating considerable heat in the process – which can lead to spontaneous combustion if not controlled – much of which went into the greenhouse via ducts under waist high growing troughs promoting faster plant growth. On two estates however the heat from this method of composting was harnessed via air/water heat exchangers to contribute to the heating of the estates family house – an early type of ‘Solar Central Heating’. In the early 1970’s, a farmer in Kent, UK, nicknamed ‘Chicken Shit George’, had a large Anaerobic Digester installed on his somewhat large farm, all the animal effluent waste, household bio-waste, organic loo waste, chicken guava (poo) was fed into this digester, not only did he get perfect organic compost from this for crops and nutrient rich slurry to spread on the land, it also generated self sustaining heat and produced large quantities of methane gas in the process, which he harvested and tanked, using it to run his central heating, his cooking, a converted tractor. It was also rumored, but never confirmed, that he had his Rolls Royce converted to run on Methane gas as well. The earliest form of capturing the energy of the sun was in the heating of water, though even this has advanced beyond all recognition compared to the early pioneering designs with such designs of ‘Heat Stores’, ‘Thermal Stores’ and the various methods used to efficiently make use of this technology to store the heat for later use. The early light meters on camera’s, and indeed those on cameras today, were and are based on the development of the first early photovoltaic panels – as we now know them today. With the advent of semiconductors, Transistors, Photo-Transistors, Diodes, Zener Diodes and in the comparative recent developments of super efficient compact IC’s (Integrated circuits) the efficient harnessing of the solar power of the sun by photovoltaic panels has increased considerably. Though it hasn’t stopped there, to make use of and to store this energy you need electronic controllers and monitors and a DC to AC inverter to feed the power either direct to an ‘appliance’, sell the unused electricity back to the National Grid, or to store this energy somehow. The early way of doing this was by a bank of car batteries, or better still ships batteries, using an inverter to convert the DC power to AC when required, however ordinary types of lead acid batteries cannot withstand the deep cycle discharging and charging that this storing and usage imposes on them. The more batteries the better, as the discharge and charge rate becomes slower and more efficient. Eight 12V 170Ahr Ships batteries Connected in series will provide 96V DC, but no increase in the 170 amp-hour rate, all eight batteries wired in parallel, the voltage remains at 12V, amperage goes up to 1360Ahr, wired in Series/Parallel (4 + 4) will provide 24V at 680 amp hours, 16 of 12V 170Ahr batteries wired in Series/Parallel will provide 24V at 1360Ahr; that will provide 230V AC at 13A for 104 hours through an Inverter. In practice it would be considerably more than this as the Wind Turbines and Photovoltaic Panels would still be providing some energy to charge the batteries, excess would be sold off to the National Grid. All the Batteries or Super Cyclic Storage Devices must all be the same type and make, mixing different Amp Hour rating devices would cause failure of one or more of the devices. Enter the Super Cyclic Storage Device, this looks like a large type of very high-tech battery, which in a way it is, but it is much more than this, it is a hybrid design that uses an electrolyte jell in a fibreglass sheet, it stores energy at much higher levels and can withstand the deep cycle charge and discharge that this system imposes on it, connected in banks in series-parallel, these act as a large single storage device, although in practice they are many, as such they don’t rapidly discharge, or rapidly charge, the more batteries the slower the rate of discharge and charge. It is widely accepted that water heating and photovoltaic solar panels have a life expectancy of twenty to twenty five years, solar panels require little or no servicing, they do require cleaning perhaps every three to four years, likewise photovoltaic panels, depending on the air quality where they are located. In addition to the photovoltaic panels there is also the wind turbine method of electricity generation, simplistic in theory, straight forward in operation, however, you have be in an area where there is known air movement that will drive the wind turbines to make them worthwhile installing. If you have both solar and photovoltaic panels and wind turbines as well as Super Cyclic Storage Devices, then you will probably never use electricity off the grid again, but you will likely be able to sell the excess back to your electricity utility company, A sort of eating your cake and still having it. There is also the matter of saving water to be considered as well, with water likely to become more expensive as more and more people use it, it will soon become a very scarce resource, so how can you conserve this precious water. One of the easiest ways of doing this is to make use of ‘Rainwater Harvesting’, having tank(s) of an appropriate capacity for your property buried in an appropriate and convenient place relatively close to the property, so this stored filtered rain water can be used for flushing toilets, the washing machine(s), washing the car(s) and of course watering the garden and watering the plants in the greenhouse, as this is rain water its without any chemicals whatsoever – ideal for growing your truly organic tomatoes! The possibility of a house that is totally self sustainable in energy is no longer fiction, the technology is in the here and now, and has been for almost a decade, during that decade technology has continued to march forward. Low energy lighting arrived a long time ago, and is rapidly being upstaged by LED (Light Emitting Diode) lighting for the domestic household. LED’s come in all colours, but for household use, the Warm White and Warm Blue/White are the way forward. The big advantage here is that LED’s require relatively little in Voltage or Current, One Warm White LED will run happily on 3.72V DC at 1000mA. Screw in LED Light Bulbs (Bayonet type for the UK) can already be bought in high street shops to replace standard bulbs, unlike Low Energy Bulbs, LED Bulbs can be used with dimmer switches. house lighting with LED lighting can also be run directly from a 12V or 24V DC supply. The Centre of Alternative Technology, based in Wales, address; Llwyngwern Quarry, Machynlleth, South Wales. cat.org.uk is an organisation set up in the 1970’s developing Alternative methods of generating energy, whether it be electricity or heat, or a combination of the two. The centre is classified as the leading European Eco-Centre, they run short and long courses and are also the Graduate School of the Environment, course are both in theory and practical, the centre is well worth a visit to fully understand the programmes and systems it promotes not just Nationally, but Globally. Here we will look at what is available today for the home in the form of sustainable energy, and what could be available in the near future and the far future. Sustainable Heat Generation: 1. Solar panels: There are basically two types of solar panels for heating water, the flat panel uses the suns radiated energy to heat the water. These can be direct heating, or indirect heating. In the direct heating system, a small pump pumps water from the bottom of the domestic hot water storage tank, returning it to the top of the tank as hot water, a thermal detector will switch off this system if the heat from the panel is less than the heat in the tank. The Indirect system uses a liquid that circulates through the solar panels that’s heated by the sun, this passes through a coil in the water tank (heat exchanger) which in turn heats the water stored in the tank, a pump and thermal detector is also used in this system, along with a small expansion tank. The second type is the evacuated tube solar panel that uses the suns energy to heat the water, again this can be direct or indirect heating as with the flat solar panel, however the evacuated tube system which uses a number of parallel evacuated tubes per solar panel have the advantage of absorbing the suns energy from a greater angle than that of the flat solar panel. In both panels, the indirect method of heating water is ideal for contributing to the heating of Thermal Storage Units (see 3. Thermal Storage Devices) Planning Permission is required in the UK. You may be entitled to a government grant towards the fitting and installation of any renewable energy device(s) through the ‘Clear Skies’ Government Grant scheme in the UK. Advantages: Once fitted you can forget them, apart from cleaning every so many years, when the sun shines, even on semi-overcast days, you’ll get hot water.. Disadvantages: Initial high cost in the UK compared to mainland Europe, may take seven to ten years or more to recoup initial cost of installation. 2. Ground Source Heat Pumps: The Ground Source Heat Pump There are a number of types of ground source heat pumps available to suit the heating requirements of any building, whether its an existing structure or a new build. They can also be installed almost anywhere, provided there is sufficient space to lay the ground loops or drill a bore hole using a Deep Ground Auger. Heat Pumps function by extracting heat from the ground, or other source at a relatively lowish temperature, using this extracted heat to heat and warm a refrigerant fluid, which then expands, as it is pumped through a condenser in a closed circuit, it transfers this collected and expanded heat into the domestic heating circuit via a heat exchanger, the working of its function is similar to that of a refrigerator working in reverse. One unusual advantage of this is that it can be run in reverse in hot summers, so the Heat pump acts as air conditioning through a secondary heat exchanger. A Ground Source Heat Pump uses electricity to power the pump, and uses approximately 1/3 the energy it puts out in heat, achieving an efficiency of 300% by the heat pump compared to the heat drawn in. There are two main ways for a heat pump to extract usable heat from the ground, and a third less usual method; a. A Ground Coil, buried between 2 ½ to 3 ½ metres beneath the ground, the area of the ground coil will depend on the area of the property to be heated and the model of heat Pump employed, however you do need a large area of ground to do this, typically ⅓ of an acre. b. A sunken bore coil, in a vertical borehole, this can be anything between 30 to 50 metres deep, depending on the conditions, ground and rock strata, it is uncommon to have more than one borehole, but in theory a second usable borehole can be used, again this would depend on the type and model of heat pump. c. The third method is using a coil in a river or a stream that can be guaranteed to have a constant flow throughout the year, as the water will be of a relatively constant temperature, it also depends on if you are lucky enough to have a stream or river running through your property. In the UK you will need both planning permission and permission from DEFRA and the River and Waterways Authority. But Generally, the heat output of a Heat Pump system is slightly lower than that of a boiler fired or cooking range fired radiator c/h system, so lends itself perfectly to underfloor heating, providing an evenly distributed warmth through the building, and can be installed as a ‘zoned’ system controlled by a computer, as for that matter can a standard boiler fired radiator heating system. Planning Permission is required in the UK. You may be entitled to a government grant towards the fitting and installation of any renewable energy device(s) through the ‘Clear Skies’ Government Grant scheme in the UK. Advantages: The Heat Pump has very little to go wrong, As there are no moving parts within the Heat Pump – with the exception of the electric pump itself, there is in essence very little to maintain once installed and working, they should however, like all heating systems, be subject to checks and inspection yearly. Disadvantages: High initial cost of Heat Pump and installation. A large area is required to be dug up to install the ground coils if not using the borehole method which is quite expensive, the borehole method takes up less space, but requires access by quite large and fairly heavy (usually tracked) ground drilling machinery, again it is expensive to do. There are also Air Source Heat Pumps, these consist of an air conditioner unit indoors, and an ‘inverter’ outdoors, these are considerably cheaper and easier to install as there is no coil or borehole to consider, however the efficiency is considerably lower, generally around 180 – 200% efficiency relative to the air temperature around the Air Source Heat Pump, yet most modern units will nonetheless provide a considerable amount of heat when using the ‘Air Conditioner Unit’ as an air warming unit, one major advantage to the Air Source Heat Pump is that it also works perfectly as an air conditioning unit on Hot Sunny Days. Advantages: The Air source Heat Pump has very little to go wrong, There are the internal wall mounted or ceiling mounted heating units, or coil if fitted to a thermal Store – with the outside unit fitted to an appropriate wall with a space between the unit and the wall, there is in essence very little to maintain once installed and working, the internal unit filters do require periodic cleaning, as does the outside unit require cleaning should any debri or leaves infiltrate the unit. They should however be checked at least once a year. Disadvantages: Much lower initial cost of the Air Source Heat Pump and installation compared to the Ground Source Heat Pump, though can still be expensive to purchase and to install. Thermal Storage Devices: The Thermal Store has been around for over fifty years, however it is only in the last twenty five years that it has been developed to the degree that it has become a seriously viable addition to the heating of the home. Where the Thermal Store really comes into its own is when a bank of High Efficiency Solar Panels is used to heat the water in the Thermal Store, this would be done using the ‘closed circuit’ or ‘indirect heat transfer’ solar panels with thermal sensor and pump. Whilst the sun shines on the Solar Panels heating the liquid within, this is pumped to and through the lower coils within the Thermals Store, thus continuously transferring the collected heat. A Good Thermal Store will be very well insulated and keep the contained water within, hot for very, very many hours, thus domestic water, for a shower, or bath etc, will remain hotter for far longer than with a standard hot water tank. The Thermal Store can store heat from multiple sources, ie, the Solar Panels just mentioned, a wood or gas fired boiler, an Aga multi-fuel cooker with a water jacket; When looking for and choosing a Thermals Store, you should have a rough idea of how much hot water your family uses, showers, baths etc. as this will be a key part of determining the size of Thermal Store you choose. Generally speaking, the larger the Thermal Store, the more efficient it is. The Thermal Store is usually cylindrical in shape, with an integral expansion chamber built on the top but separated from the main Thermal Store. It is possible, and indeed, necessary sometimes to get an over-square Thermal Store, still retaining the separate expansion chamber. The same water remains within the Thermal Store, most are pressurised – that way it will absorb heat faster and retain it longer, having an automatic pressure relief valve, the pressure within a Thermal Store is usually around 1 bar, 14.5 psi. Some still retain a small header tank for topping up, which means they cannot be pressurised, this does reduce the heat retaining efficiency slightly. The thermal Store can be used for heating domestic water for showers, baths etc, also for supplying heat to the radiator central heating system in the house. Thermal Stores do require skilled installation engineers to install, connect up and commission. The thermal Store is a pressure vessel, so should be subject to yearly inspection at the same time your boiler is serviced. Advantages: The thermal Store will store heat for a considerably longer length of time compared to the standard hot water tank, this is in part due to the contents being pressurised, and part due to the same liquid being used in the Thermal Store, so there can be no thermal diffusion and dilution caused by cold water entering the thermal store, as can happen with a non-baffled and even a baffled hot water storage tank. One thermal Store can accept heat from three independent sources at one and the same time and supply heat to two sources via two High Efficiency Plate Heat Exchangers at the same and different times. The Thermal Store, once installed correctly is on average 70% more efficient than a standard heating system. Used with High Efficiency Solar Panels, averaged over a year, the Thermal Store will be up to 95% more efficient when compared to a standard hot water storage tank. Generally speaking, the larger the Thermal Store the more efficient the system becomes, this is of course relative to the amount of hot water used and the means to heat the Thermal Store. Disadvantages: Requires a much larger space than a standard hot water storage tank, it is also considerably heavier and much more expensive than a conventional hot water storage tank so will require careful positioning. Requires skilled engineers to fit and commission, pressurised versions requires yearly checks. Unfortunately, Thermal stores do not attract a government grant towards the fitting and installation in the UK, In Sweden this is a different matter. 4 The Anaerobic Digester: The anaerobic digester here is the odd one out, as in its original design of some one hundred and fifty years ago or so, was basically designed as a large scale composter for smallholdings and farms, the fact that it produces quite large quantities of Methane Gas in the composting process was largely overlooked until the late 1920’s, then somebody hit upon the idea of using the gas. However it doesn’t end there, there are large numbers of anaerobic digesters being used in Germany, Austria, Spain, in fact virtually all over mainland Europe. There seems to be little understanding about the complex factors which have to come together to make this finely-tuned gas generating technology actually work, also the potential social, legal and political barriers which can and often do stand in the way of using them. This is really such a great pity, when running properly they can produce vast amounts of usable methane gas, powering engines to drive generators to produce quite a considerable amount of electricity, not just to power all the farms electrical equipment, but also the gas to power the tractors and vehicles used on these farms. There are only twelve farms and one industrial complex using anaerobic digesters in the UK as I write this article, what has been discovered though is that they produce far more gas when used to dispose of waste food, almost a mechanical gut!. The industrial anaerobic digester in London, currently consumes 20 to 40 tons of waste food per week (that would otherwise go into landfill) and produces enough electricity to power 1000 homes, as well as provide gas to power the companies vehicles and to boost the anaerobic process. So whilst this is a brilliant concept, it is only practicable when used on a large smallholding or farm, disposing of large quantities of waste food and vegetable matter, or used to dispose of the waste from, say a large village, and produce the gas to provide the electricity via the generator for the whole village, as in many parts of France and Spain, it also produces vast amounts of good organic compost and liquid nutrient rich slurry for agricultural land use. Advantages: Uses waste food products and waste biodegradable matter that would otherwise go into landfill sites, produces vast quantities of methane gas to power gas powered generators to provide electricity, produces more than sufficient gas to also power a number of vehicles, produces large quantities of liquid compost to spread on the fields, much of the more solid parts, once dried becomes a superb organic compost as well. Disadvantages: The modern Anaerobic Digester is a large and quite complex piece of equipment, whilst not overly expensive for what they do, they are frowned upon by rules and regulations here in the UK, large units are cost effective, smaller units for the average home whilst they work, do not fare quite so well. Getting approval for the siting of an Anaerobic Digester in a domestic urban environment, a village or hamlet, may be problematical due to the environmental rules at present in place in the UK, As such they do not at the time of writing attract a Government Grant towards the installation. Sustainable Electricity Generation: 1. Photovoltaic Panels: There are two basic types of Photovoltaic panel, the Discrete Cell Technology where the cell is from a single crystal of silicon, and Integrated Thin Film Technology, a polycrystalline material. There is also the ‘Photovoltaic Roof Tile’ this is where the entire South or South West Facing roof, or part thereof, can be covered in ‘Photovoltaic Roof Tiles’ They do exactly the same job as the standard roof tile, except they generate electricity when the sun is shining on them. They do need to be cleaned once every three or four years, other than that, they are a fit and forget tile, However, you do have to have a monitor and controller that is capable of handling the maximum output of these panels/tiles to take the power generated to the Super Cyclic Storage Devices or to divert the extra power back to the national grid, this type of monitor and control equipment is likely to be subject to yearly test and inspection by the utility company. When considering the installation of Solar Panels or Photovoltaic panels, you should have a South or South West facing Apex Roof, if considering Photovoltaic Roof Tiles as opposed to photovoltaic panels, the company supplying and fitting the PV tiles will likely fit a fireproof or resistant membrane to the roof first, this is because when working, photovoltaic tiles and panels do get very warm – not hot. After all, they are designed to absorb the suns energy in order to convert it into electricity. You may be entitled to a government grant towards the fitting and installation of any renewable energy device(s) through the ‘Clear Skies’ Government Grant scheme in the UK. Advantages: Which ever type of PV panel – Photovoltaic Panel or tile you decide on, once fitted they only need cleaning every three or four years, the Monitoring and voltage regulating equipment and batteries or Super Cyclic Storage Devices that you will use with them will most likely require inspection on a yearly basis, lead acid levels in batteries on a weekly basis or as recommended. Apart from cleaning as mentioned, once fitted you can forget them and just enjoy the benefit of either much lower bills, or even being paid by the electricity utility company for generating electricity. Disadvantages: Apart from the artificially high price in the UK of Photovoltaic Panels and the necessary controls that go with them, there is no disadvantage, some councils may require planning permission applications depending on the number and size of the photovoltaic panels planned for installation. 2. Wind Turbines: Wind Turbines, we’ve all seen them dotting the horizon, love them or hate them, they produce electricity for free after the initial cost of installation and commissioning, providing there is air movement to make them work! They do require maintenance, but this is minimal. Air Movement, that is a key point here, because you cannot just plonk one here or there, you have to be in an area where there is a known movement of air, not necessarily high winds, but air movement, or air velocity of around five knots average and above. Domestic or Urban Wind Turbines are not necessarily very noisy, but do create a little noise, but rarely obtrusive even in urban situations. Output voltages for the smaller Wind Turbines are 12V to 24V DC, other larger wind turbines for domestic/urban use 48V, 96V,110V, 120V, 230V AC single or three phase, at anything from 1kw to 20kw, dependent upon make and model, both of these designs can be used to charge a bank of Batteries or Super Cyclic Storage Devices, a very high tech hybrid type of battery. The Small Wind Turbines with blade diameters of up to 1m diameter can be mounted on a stainless mast of 2 ½ ” x 10’ (65mm x 4.7m) to 4” x 15’ (80mm x 7.4m) diameter/length, the masts of which would need to be firmly anchored in the ground or to a very thick and substantial wall and perhaps be supported by guy cables, Wind Turbines of up to 3.7m and above diameter will normally be delivered and erected with its own dedicated mast, dependent on height, may also have to have guy cables. Dedicated Controllers take the output of the Wind Turbine and feed it either to the banks of Batteries or Super Cyclic Storage Devices, or feed it directly back to the National Grid, or both. Planning permission is required for Wind Turbines and consent from the electricity utility company to feed electricity back to the National Grid. Inspections will be necessary. The Wind Turbine is likely to require inspection and or servicing on a yearly basis and the monitor and control equipment is likely to be subject to yearly test and inspection by the utility company as well if selling the electricity back to the National Grid. You may be entitled to a government grant towards the fitting and installation of any renewable energy device(s) through the ‘Clear Skies’ Government Grant scheme in the UK. Advantages: Once erected and commissioned, even low amounts of wind will produce electricity for the home or to charge the batteries or other devices, or feed directly into the National Grid. Disadvantages: Planning Permission is required, not everyone is happy seeing even the smallest wind turbines, so objections could be raised by neighbors, or other groups. In the UK any type of Wind Turbine, or equipment for contributing to zero carbon is expensive compared to Mainland Europe. An Ecoturbine, a wind turbine that creates drinking water from airborne moisture as well as electricity, can’t be true surely, well actually, yes it can. A French inventor has designed and developed a wind turbine that does exactly that, generates electricity and creates drinking water out of the airborne moisture using part of the electricity to power a condenser, which operates a little like an air conditioner, a real bonus in an area of very scarce water and no power, it can provide up to thirty litres of drinking water per day. Two photovoltaic panels on the mast also contribute to generating electricity, so if there is no wind, then the photovoltaic panels would generate sufficient electricity to power the water condenser to continue producing fresh clean drinking water. It doesn’t come cheap, over 100,000 euro’s to develop, but this is just a prototype, when in full production it will become much cheaper. Advantages: The advantages speak for themselves, imagine an emergency after an earthquake destroys the water and power infrastructure to small towns or villages, portable Ecoturbines are brought into the area by specialised 4x4’s or flown in by helicopter, or as this is about green issues, even a modern airship, to provide life giving clean drinkable water and electricity to power any low voltage emergency equipment – LED operating theatre lighting in a portable or mobile emergency surgery or field hospital for example. Or even to small isolated villages in very dry arid areas. This is quite an exciting new development of the Wind Turbine. Disadvantages: The price is very high, but as this is only a prototype at this stage – a very successful prototype I might add, once production is up and running the price – as with everything will come down to relatively affordable levels. Whether it would come down to the level where ordinary homeowners would be able to buy their own Ecoturbine is perhaps open to conjecture, but it could well be the case. Watch this space, we are certain to hear much more about this development! 3. Stream Water Turbines: Using Stream Water to generate electricity is not new, a miniature form of hydro-electricity generation. You do require a stream going through your property that you can depend on flowing year round. The type of Water Turbine will depend entirely on the type of stream, whether there is a small head of water – small waterfall, or just a normally fast flowing stream. There are of course different types of water turbines for use in streams, their different designs are for different types of stream, fast, waterfall with relatively high head of water or diversion channel with drop or steady flow, the most common listed below. a. The Harris Pelton Turbine requires in excess of 60m head of water with a flow rate greater than 3gpm (gallons per minute), so would require a waterfall, or a long diversion pipe to effectively achieve this head, can generate up to 1.5kw. b. The Niade Turbine requires a 60cm head of water with a flow rate of 700gpm to generate 1.5kw. c. The Aquair design is fitted with a propeller and will operate in streams as shallow as 45cm with a flow rate of 9mph (8.4knots or 14kph) and provide up to 100W (12V DC 8A or 24V DC 4A) Advantages: a. The Harris Pelton design is ideally suited to a mountainous wilderness area where there are waterfalls and very fast flowing steep streams, robust in operation, is a fit and forget design. b. The Niade Turbine is again suited to mountainous wilderness areas in the UK, such as Derbyshire and Cumbria, the Highlands and the more mountainous remote parts of Cornwall where fast flowing rivers and streams are to be found. c. The Aquair design is the simplest, cheapest and the most efficient for using in the UK, where there are abundant fast streams around the country, lucky if you have one passing through your property, it will benefit from a Venturi Funnel to increase the flow into the turbine. Disadvantages: a. The Harris Pelton design, good and robust though it is, is clearly only suited to mountainous wilderness areas or high head of water, so rules out most areas in the UK, it would also be expensive to install due to the head of water required. b. The Niade Turbine is again suited to mountainous wilderness areas, but given the relatively lower head of water required, there are a few outling hamlets and farms in the mountainous areas of Derbyshire, Cumbria and the Highlands, and in some of the more mountainous remote areas of Cornwall in the UK where it could be used. c. The Aquair Design has no real disadvantages per se, getting permission off DEFRA and the Rivers and Waterways Authority could prove problematical in the UK, even if the stream or river flows through your property. There would most likely be objections from the various fishing clubs who may have bought fishing rights along the stream or river. 4. Super Cyclic Storage Devices: Super Cyclic Storage Devices are a type of very high-tech battery, actually a hybrid design which was, I believe, a spin off from a NASA project, designed to withstand deep cycle discharging and charging. The basic rectangular shape resembles a standard ships battery, albeit a little larger, it also has the standard positive and negative terminal posts, but there the similarity ends. Instead of the standard lead-acid, these devices have a semi-fluid electrolyte gel instead of acid, there are electrolyte soaked fibreglass mats between the plates in the cells. Performance is stated as being greater than the standard Lead Acid Batteries, and are able to tolerate harsher conditions and are more environmentally friendly. Advantages: Very robust design in a thick Divided Polyethylene case, can be treated as an ordinary lead acid battery, retains cranking power longer than equivalent lead acid battery, lends itself to being used as one of a number of identical Storage Devices in solar and wind power based energy storage systems, which is what it was originally designed for. Disadvantages: Very expensive, heavier than the standard lead/acid battery, though no doubt the prices will come down after gaining a wider acceptance. Early versions were not so reliable. A limited amount of choice for automotive service although as a shelf mounted device in solar back-up/energy storage use this is not a problem. 5. The use of High Efficiency and Low Voltage Devices in the home: The use of low voltage high efficiency devices in the home is not new, however this has been in the form of battery powered devices up to now, LED Lighting is a prime example here where advancing technology has found a niche opening in the automotive and home illumination markets. LED lighting is already finding wide acceptance in the automotive industry, in sidelights, indicators and brake lights as well as replacing the standard incandescent miniature bulbs in the dashboard. The vast developmental design improvements in LED lens technology has gone so far that the Ultra Bright LED’s can have their emitted Lumen Intensity of light ‘shaped’ and ‘tuned’ to specific requirements and needs in not just the automotive and home illumination markets, but in the field of medicine – operating theatre lights and examination lights and warning light beacons on very high aerial masts, high buildings, bridges, Traffic Lights and Railway Signal Lights, a British company, Carclo PLC Ltd, is a specialist designer and manufacturer in these particular fields. Controllers and Monitors for many applications: Central heating controls – main and remote, The control by PC of many household appliances, curtain blinds, lights, remote door access locks and controls are no longer the large box units that they once were – indeed many of these PC controlled appliances can now be controlled by a mobile phone from anywhere worldwide. You can of course have a refrigerator or freezer running on 24V DC, as the only electrical components in these are the refrigerant circulation pumps (called compressors) and the light when you open the door. Small12V refrigerators have been on the market for a long time now, for use in caravans or campers etc. Likewise if well away from the National Grid, or if aiming for total independence from the National Grid, Standard size Central Heating pumps can also be provided to run on 24V and 48V DC along with all the associated controls which go with the modern Central Heating Systems. Advantages: The ability to run all the usual lighting equipment, refrigerators and freezers from 24V DC, using DC-AC inverters for most other appliances from the batteries and Super Cyclic Storage Devices if using Solar panels and/or Wind Turbines. If just using LED lighting, then you are using less electricity straight away even if you are grid dependent. Disadvantages: Apart from the initial cost of replacing existing bulbs with LED lights, then there is no disadvantage at all. 6. Ceramic Fuel Cells Gas-to-Electricity Unit The Ceramic Fuel Cell that converts Gas to Electricity is another way in which electricity can be generated in the home, though this method means you must be connected to Mains Gas, and you are actually using the gas as the fuel to generate electricity, stated as being able to generate twice the electricity than the average house will use in a year, unfortunately, there are no figures provided or to give details of the amount of gas used to produce this amount of electricity, as figures are not given in any literature at time of this writing. Whilst encouraging home owners to get involved in generating electricity for their home, it does nonetheless prompt the question, is it money well spent when they are using gas for this generation, gas which in the UK is very expensive? So not really providing pollution free energy. Advantages and Disadvantages; It sounds good, generating electricity from your gas boiler, but as no figures are available to provide the viability or economy of this it is difficult to provide any advantage or disadvantage of this system, you are still using a fossil fuel, albeit Natural Gas which is not a renewable fuel in the accepted sense. Renewable Energy and the Car: 1. Hybrid Cars (Petrol or Diesel Electric/Battery): I think everyone has heard of the Toyota Prius, one of many hybrid petrol electric cars that has got many environmentalists smiling from ear to ear, there are however many more makes and models of the hybrid car, which can be either diesel or petrol electric, how do they work, well there are two ways in which they can be configured to work. The most common is by having a common drive train from the engine and the electric motor Through a CVT, (Constantly Variable Transmission), the car starts off under battery power via the electric motor only, and will remain on battery power up to the predetermined speed that the manufacturer has set the internal combustion engine to cut in at and take over, When the internal combustion engine is running it is also charging the main batteries as well as the cars standard battery. At relatively slow speeds – 30mph (50kph) the car will continue on battery power until the batteries require recharging at which point the engine will cut in and take over charging at the same time. The second method is where the electric motor is the only motive power, running off the batteries within the car as in a basic electric powered car, however a small petrol or diesel powered engine driving an alternator will cut in when the batteries start to run down, this method keeps the batteries charged up, this design is not so efficient, nor will the vehicle be able to reach or sustain a high speed. Volvo are at present working on a hybrid design that is a little different from the norm. by building a car that has the electric drive motors in the wheel hubs, not just two of them, but on all four wheels, think about all that for a moment. There are lots of advantages to providing traction to the vehicle this way, no prop-shafts or constant velocity joints limiting the angle of turn, there is nothing wrong with these components, except they are weighty, they also limit the turning circle of the car. By applying the power to all four wheels – ask any Land Rover owner – straight away traction improves a clear 100%, no trailing friction from the rear wheels (or front if rear wheel drive) thereby improving handling, control and response. This particular design of vehicle is at present undergoing trials, so far it is proving a very positive step in the right direction, change the engine for a Fuel Cell, even an Electrolytic engine and the possibilities are almost endless. A hybrid electric drive system for a 4x4 Land Rover was started some thirty years ago by the ‘Specialist Vehicles Department’ of Land Rover, with the MOD in mind, however before trials had even started the funding for this was withdrawn, even though the design concept and resultant tests thus far were quite impressive, it was believed at the time to have been thwarted by the oil barons, though no proof of this is to be found anywhere. Advantages: Environmentally acceptable, attracts lower Road Fund Tax, generally more economic to run at low speeds but at speeds above 65mph (appx. 90kph) the benefit of fuel saving becomes far less. Volvo’s wheel hub motor design looks far more promising Disadvantages: The Main Battery Pack is very expensive to replace, however this should not happen too many times in the cars lifetime. Must be serviced by a garage skilled in the servicing of such Hybrid Cars. Expensive to buy but as hybrids become more common, prices will come down. 2. Battery Powered Cars: Battery Powered cars again are not new at all, the first battery powered cars first appeared at, wait for it! Before the first world war! Yes that is right, over 100 years ago!! Then the only thing that has really held the technology back has been the batteries and high efficiency drive systems. Or to be more precise, the lack of batteries that can retain the deep cycle charge and discharge, however we now have li-ion batteries which whilst quite a new technology, have proven to have very good long term charge – discharge capability. Hi-Efficiency traction motors are here and now. However whilst the battery technology has proved to be a great improvement, and with it an improvement in mileage (kilometre) range. Top speed is slightly lower than the hybrid car, as is the range, it could be argued that it is more environmentally friendly, except that it just moves the point of pollution from the car to the power station, unless of course you are able to charge it up at home by Photovoltaic Panels or Wind Turbines. Then again you could argue that if you used a hybrid with a common drive train using a diesel engine running on used cooking oil, it would be more environmentally friendly with a higher range. No doubt in due course battery technology – even Super Cyclic Storage Device technology will improve to the point that it will become possible to drive at the same speed or faster than a normally powered petrol/diesel car, and no doubt the same range, but this at the moment is in the future, albeit at the present rate of development this is likely to be the near future!!. Advantages: No exhaust fumes, no Road Fund Tax to pay, no fuel tax to pay. Ideal for use in a big city – London, Paris, Stockholm etc. But would need recharging sites around the cities, which are not at the moment well catered for; in London, HARDLY AT ALL, King Oil Rules!! Disadvantages: Relatively Low Mileage between charges (kilometres). Lower Speed than conventional engines, lack of charging points. Moves point of pollution from the car to that of the Power Station, unless of course your useing photovoltaic panels and wind turbines at home and destinations. 3. Fuel Cell Powered Cars: There are not many Fuel cell Powered cars, buses or trucks in the UK at the moment as it appears there are too many obstacles put in their way, however, here is a photo of the Ballard Fuel Cell Powered Bus – zero emissions, not in the UK of course, why none in the UK, why so few Fuel Cell vehicles in the UK?, ask BP, Esso, Shell, or your MP, you probably won’t get an answer, as oil speaks far louder than environmental matters and oil companies make far greater profits in the UK than the rest of Europe too, there is also far more tax to be made out of oil in the UK than any other taxable commodity, a sure reason to retain King Oil – from the Chancellors view point. But they are coming, and they will eventually be here in the UK, lagging behind the rest of Europe of course as always when it comes to the environment. Below left, The Ballard Fuel Cell powered Bus, Right, Hydrogen Filling point at a Shell garage somewhere not near you. Bottom Left, Fuel cell Engine in a GM car, Bottom Right, Fuel Cell engine on test. What does the Fuel Cell work on? How does it function? There are two types of Hydrogen Fuel Cell engine. First; As with the Ballard Fuel Cell Bus, this engine runs by burning hydrogen gas as the fuel, the only exhaust is water vapour and no polluting particulates. Second; The Hydrogen Reaction Fuel Cell runs best on Hydrogen, but will also run quite well on Methane gas (Think Anaerobic Digester) This Fuel Cell is a multi-plate electronic device with an electrolytic wafer in between, that when fed Hydrogen or Methane gas, the gas is oxidised by an electro-chemical reaction in the plate, during this chemical reaction electrons are released, it is converted into electricity to run a highly efficient electronic traction motor which drives the vehicle directly or via an advanced CVT transmission. The exhaust is zero emission in the form of water vapour. To increase the power of this Fuel Cell Engine, either a larger Fuel Cell is used, or multiple fuel cells can be stacked together to produce higher voltages and current. The Fuel Cell was first conceived and designed Sir Humphrey Davy in 1802. A simple fuel cell with which he gave himself a very small electric shock. Sir William Grove, who in 1839 created the first Fuel Cell type based on reversing the electrolysis of water (he is often referred to as the Father of the fuel cell). He argued that by reversing this process electricity could be generated by the reaction of hydrogen and oxygen molecules together. Though the first Fuel Cell is nearly two centuries old, its development towards real world applications has been relatively slow mainly due to the use of and power of Oil and the Oil companies. It wasn’t until the Apollo Space Missions in the 1960’s that the Fuels Cell was developed to what it is today by scientists at Oxford and Cambridge for these Space missions. The designs of Fuel Cells are now leaping ahead which is only to be applauded. Advantages: The biggest advantage here is the zero emissions with both types of Fuel Cell, No Pollution. Effectively this (and the coming Electrolytic Engine) is the Holy Grail of sustainable energy in motive transport. Disadvantages: At present very expensive, there are very few hydrogen filling stations in Europe, though this is improving, the exception of course being the UK where King Oil Rules almost supreme. 4. The Electrolytic Engine: This is the one that has got a lot of environmentalists talking, yet the fundamental theory of design is years old! Experiments can demonstrate the splitting of water into their gaseous constituents, two parts of hydrogen gas will be produced to one part oxygen, (if you try this at home use safety goggles) But it took an American scientist several years to put this thing together and make it actually work! Basically it is a method of breaking down the water to the gaseous constituents, two parts of hydrogen gas will be produced to one part oxygen gas, this has to be stored in the gaseous form in a ‘storage buffer tank’ and drawn into or injected into the engine as a gas, the engine works, though the gas conversion of the water absorbs a fair bit of the engines power, it still requires some work to get this Holy Grail of free Fuel for the car working to the point that it will be problem free – which may not be so long. There are also a number of companies manufacturing Electrolytic Fuel Cells as an add-on to ordinary petrol or diesel engines that improve the economy of the engine by some 25% upwards to over 55%, depending on the engine and vehicle. In June 2008, Japanese company Genepax unveiled a car which it claims runs on only water and air, and many news outlets dubbed the vehicle a water-fuel car. The company says it cannot [reveal] the core part of this invention,” yet, but it has disclosed that the system uses an onboard energy generator (a membrane electrode assembly) to extract the hydrogen using a mechanism which is similar to the method in which hydrogen is produced by a reaction of metal hydride and water. The hydrogen is then used to generate energy to run the car. This has led to speculation that the metal hydride is consumed in the process and is the ultimate source of the cars energy, making the car a hydride-fuelled hydrogen on demand vehicle, rather than water-fuelled as claimed. On the companys website the energy source is explained only with the words Chemical reaction. However, this technology, sci-fi though it may sound, is known to work quite well, but requires a little further development at the moment. More development is ongoing. Watch this space!! Advantages: If developed to run perfectly reliably, will be the perfect ecological power unit of the future, that is if the Oil Barons don’t put a halt on its development either through the lobbying of MPs, ministers or buying up any designs or patents – as has happened many times in the past. There are some engineers in America and Australia who have converted their cars to run on this principle of power. Disadvantages: Apart from the development costs there are no disadvantages other than the space taken up by the ‘Water Fuel Cell’. 5. Used Cooking Oil (Vegetable Oil) Powering the Diesel Engine: This one method of powering the diesel engine, with little or no modification to the engine or injection system, has been gaining ground for some considerable time, it brings a whole new meaning – with a twist to ‘Fly and Drive’, becoming ‘Fry and Drive!!’ But joking aside, it is a technology that works perfectly well. In the UK used cooking oil usually goes direct into land fill sites, not very good for the environment at all. Several British companies have started buying used waste cooking, cleaning it of all the solids and marketing after mixing it, as a BioDiesel fuel to fill straight into your cars, van, bus, trucks fuel tank. Some smaller engines have to be started on diesel, then changed over to Vegetable Oil (used waste cooking oil) once the engine has reached normal running temperature, before turning the engine off, change over to diesel for two minutes, to allow diesel fuel to displace the vegetable oil in the pipes and injectors. This of course means having two tanks, an additional small tank for the diesel, and the normal tank for the vegetable oil. An additional heat exchanger (engine coolant warming the vegetable oil prior to entering the Fuel Injection Pump system) prevents any thickening of the vegetable oil in the pipes system in colder weather. This is a particularly good system as it also allows the fitting of an electrical miniature immersion heater in the Heat Exchanger to heat the coolant to normal working temperature before starting the engine, in such a design there is no need for two separate tanks, just the one for the Vegetable oil. But it may require the addition of a second battery for heating the immersion heater in the Heat Exchanger. Using Waste Used Cooking Oil (used chip oil) as a diesel fuel is a viable alternative to ordinary diesel fuel, though to use it in vehicle on the public road one has to declare it to the ‘Customs and Excise’, as soon as the waste oil is used as a diesel fuel, it immediately becomes taxable. This is a very common way of running diesel engines in Germany, France and some other European countries, where the drivers are given tax breaks before having to pay any tax on it as it is seen as a way of reducing the waste used cooking oil, not so in the UK, where it is frowned upon by the government as a tax avoiding scheme, one has to have a member of the Customs and Excise check the car and provide paperwork from where you will have keep mileage and fuel used log book, and pay tax on a regular basis according to how much used cooking oil you have used. Advantages: The vast majority of diesel engines can run on waste filtered cooking oil, with a few modifications, all diesel engines can run on this fuel, you still have to pay a tax on it as you are using it as a fuel, and not to cook with, which means keeping accurate readings of your mileage and quantity of waste filtered cooking oil used in a log book for the local Excise Inspector to check. Disadvantages: Some engines will need modification, most won’t, keeping accurate mileage reading and filtered cooking oil used in a log book for the local Excise Inspector to check. Apart from that it is Advantage, advantage, advantage. Electro-Magnetic Propulsion: 1. The ion Engine: The Ion Engine, we’ve all heard of this form of power from such people as Dr. Spock and Captain Kirk on the Starship Enterprise! Joking aside, it is a very real form of propulsion that was used by NASA’a Deep Space 1 space craft, An ion thruster is an electric propulsion motor used for spacecraft propulsion. Thrust is created by accelerating ions. Ion thrusters are either electrostatic or electromagnetic in force. The term ion thruster is frequently described as the Ion Engine. Due to their high power needs, given the specifics of power supplies, and the requirement of an environment void of other ionized particles, ion engines, electric thrust propulsion is currently only practical in outer space. So here there can be no Advantages, or Disadvantages here, unless of course you are on course to the G.Alpha Quadrant to liaise with the Star fleet command ship flying a Starship. 2. The Electro-Magnetic and Magnetic Drive Systems: Often referred to as the ‘Perpetual Motion Machine’. Well we all know that doesn’t exist, it violates the laws of physics, Albert Einsteins theory of relativity shows that energy and mass are the same thing, and that neither one appears without the other. Thus in closed systems, both mass and energy are conserved separately, just as was understood in pre-relativistic physics. The new feature of relativistic physics is that matter particles (such as those constituting atoms) could be converted to non-matter forms of energy, such as light; or kinetic and potential energy (example: heat). However, this conversion does not affect the total mass of systems, since the latter forms of non-matter energy still retain their mass through any such conversion. However, a new type of Magnetic-Electro Drive Motor comes extremely close to rewriting this law of physics; The Perendev and Bedini Magnetic Motor is a totally isolated magnetically powered motor, first demonstrated in 2006, it is not a free energy machine at this moment in time, the basic magnetic motor principle has however been demonstrated to work in a prototype design. It requires to be started manually, or by a battery ‘starter motor’ by rotating the shaft until the magnetic flux takes over, the magnetic motor then continues to run without any external fuel or power source, there is at the moment insufficient power from the motor to sustain driving a generator or alternator, so it remains as an experimental motor. There is however a second electro-magnetic motor which does generate its own power to maintain constant motion, it is only at the experimental stage at the moment, but does apparently generate more power than it uses. Designed and Built by an Australian Engineer. This is a permanent magnet motor using powerful neodymium magnets powering a high efficiency alternator, which in turn keeps a 12V DC battery charged, and driving the motor at the same time, the battery is necessary to start the motor and alternator, once running at the required speed power for the motor is then transferred from the battery to the alternator, this completes the closed loop drive, as this unit provides more power than it consumes it promises to be a significant development in the future. Below left. Below right, the ‘Cyclone’ Electro-Magnetic Engine’ requires a battery start, thereafter it runs continuously up to 2,500rpm, power output is said to be quite high, but no figures to back this up at present. Both these designs are in the development stage So there is no Advantage or Disadvantages at the present time, But – watch this space! Rainwater Harvesting: 1. Types of Harvesters: Water is becoming a scarce commodity in some countries, indeed is being used as a commercial asset, which if you think seriously about it from this stand point is immoral. So how can you preserve this water, one of the simplest forms of harvesting water is of course using a Water Butt to water the garden and plants in the greenhouse. However, using Water Harvesting Tanks, buried just under the ground surface near to the house, can accommodate up to 50,000 litres of rain water, this water would otherwise just go down the surface drainage system and be otherwise wasted. By harvesting this water in ‘Harvester Tanks’ with the necessary filters, sensors and pump, you can flush your loo’s, do the weekly wash with this water, wash your car(s), water the garden and plants in your greenhouse – grow your own truly organic vegetables in your greenhouse! Planning permission is required, inspection by water utility company may be required 1. Purpose: To Save and conserve the rapidly precious commodity that is life giving water. Advantages: Whilst the initial outlay of purchase and installing is not cheap, with the cost of metered water going up almost yearly, the amount of rainwater that you can store and use will reduce your metered consumption considerably, flushing the loo, doing the weekly wash, washing the car(s), watering the garden and greenhouse plants, keeping your garden pond topped up, you would save quite a lot. Disadvantages: The initial cost of purchase and installation can be quite high in the UK. Placement in a small garden could be a problem. Planning permission is required. As the world moves forward with the drive for renewable forms of power growing momentum, then the choices will become greater as regards suppliers getting ‘in on the act’, no bad thing as this will have the effect of lowering costs. In due course the move towards this type of energy will make us all more aware of what a fragile planet we all live on, that fossil fuels, oil, coal, gas, etc, is not going to last for ever, we Must look for sustainable alternatives now, so when the oil does start running out, we are all prepared, we must all be prepared. Living off of sustainable energy is possible, it is in the here and now, whether we choose to use it or not may become one of the biggest decisions the Human Race will ever make if our, great, great, great grandchildren are to see the 23 century arrive with the biodiversity of life still similar to now. Planet Earth is not ours to do with as we will, it is merely on loan to us from our Great Grandchildren yet to be, to take care of our precious and fragile planet now, is to take care of out great grandchildren yet to be.
Posted on: Thu, 23 Oct 2014 19:48:51 +0000
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