Archive for the ‘Climate Change’ Category
Join The Surge For Solar Panels At Planet Solar
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2011 was an unprecedented year for Planet Solar. The demand for solar technology amongst UK homeowners was stronger than ever before with a record number of installations being completed up and down the country. Despite an adjustment to the feed-in-tariff late last year, we have already been inundated with requests from householders looking to follow suit.
Solar PV has proven to be the most popular form of renewable energy and it isn’t difficult to see why. Solar panels are easy-to install, reliable, environmentally-friendly, promise longevity and can help you save a huge amount on your energy bills. They also give you the opportunity to earn money back on energy as you can sell surplus electricity back to the grid.
Placed on the roof of your home with no detrimental effect on the overall appearance of your home, photovoltaic systems will supply your home with the vast majority of electricity it needs during the day simply by harnessing the natural light of the sun.
As a result of this, dependence on your standard electricity supply will decrease sharply and help us as a nation preserve essential fossil fuels. With energy prices at an all-time high …
Embrace Renewable Energy With Solar Panels
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A recent study by Barclays Bank (source: www.climateactionprogramme.org) has revealed that two in every five UK farmers are expecting to invest in renewable energy within the next few years. Renewable energy sources give many people the opportunity to make savings on electricity bills and provide additional income for their businesses.
There are many options available when it comes to renewable energy sources, from wind turbines to hydroelectricity, but solar PV panels are often the most appropriate as they can be attached to any building with very little fuss or effort.
Solar PV panel systems are fitted onto the roof of a building where they harvest free electricity from the sun. The light that is produced by the sun is the only thing that solar panels need to be able to work effectively, meaning that you could be saving yourself money even on the dullest of days.
Agricultural businesses often have very large buildings which are used for storage so they are ideal if you are considering investing in solar panels. The amount you can save and earn from your panels depends on how many you have and how much electricity you currently use. Any electricity …
Consider Solar Panel Installers In Lancashire Carefully
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The concept of renewable energy is slowly beginning to find its way into the consciousness of the UK homeowner as they look for environmentally-friendly and cheaper ways of powering their homes. A fixed set of solar panels on the roof of a home are powered solely by the solar energy generated by the sun and give you large quantities of the energy you need throughout the day.
However, just as with a double glazing company or any other form of home improvement firm, you need to carefully select the right solar panel installer in Lancashire to do the job. There are a small number of companies in the region supplying and installing solar panels, but it is unlikely that you will have ever heard of them, never mind come into contact with them so you need to do some research prior to committing to their services.
Any company who installs solar panels should be accredited by the appropriate body as it signals that the firm can be trusted enough to do the job and meet the levels of performance a customer should expect to receive.
You will be able to tell whether …
Britain Begins to Embrace Solar Technology
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When it was first announced by the European Union that the UK government would be expected to produce 15% of the UK’s energy from renewables by 2020, many Britons and fellow European countries thought it was an impossible mission.
But, why you may ask? Well at the start of 2010, it was calculated that only around 2% of UK energy was being produced via the numerous renewable sources available.
However, the government reacted to this in April 2010 by introducing a Feed-In Tariff (FIT) scheme in a quest to encourage more people to commit to renewable energy and reach this ambitious target. The fact that the tariff could help produce 8% of the country’s energy was also another factor as to why politicians were so keen to push it through.
This has resulted in a huge uptake in solar panels amongst domestic and non-domestic properties. Current government figures, as of May 2011, estimate that over 28,000 solar PV installations have taken place since the FIT scheme went live.
To put it in simple terms, FIT rewards those who invest into renewable energy. Because the costs of employing a solar panel installer and having
Planet Solar Is Renewable Energy At Its Best
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2011 is set to be a big year for renewable energy as the UK looks to meet certain targets set by the government to bring us in line with the rest of Europe. Energy costs have gone up rapidly in recent years as the demand for natural energy grows, but demand is heavily outweighing supply, hence this rise. Renewable energy can help us counteract this trend and Planet Solar has the solutions to help you and others around you to fight for the cause.
Solar panel installers in Cumbria come no better Planet Solar. We know exactly how to reduce carbon emissions and are here to advise you how you can do the same with our help. A solar panel in Cumbria when placed onto the roof of a property can help provide a home with the majority of hot water and electricity it needs to function properly throughout the day. It is powered solely from the light of the sun, so as you can guess it costs nothing to function.
Your traditional boiler will still have its part to play but on a much reduced scale. It will only need to be relied upon when …
Solar Feed-in-Tariffs (FIT) help make renewable energy more affordable
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The feed-in tariff system is designed as an incentive for energy producers to move away from conventional fossil fuels to renewable energy sources. Essentially, it is government legislation which guarantees a fixed, premium rate for renewable electricity fed into the national grid. The power companies are obliged by the government legislation to buy the renewable electricity, the additional costs of which are passed onto the customers.
The UK government is committed to reducing its carbon emissions through the adoption of renewable energy sources, particularly in regards to the generation of power in order to combat climate change. The Energy Act of November 2008 set out a series of provisions in order to help the government meet its targets. The need for a feed in tariff comes from the fact that it is far more expensive to produce energy from green sources than it is from fossil fuels. This of course renders the retail price of fossil fuel electricity cheaper than that from renewable producers. In order to attract renewable investors, it is therefore necessary to incentivise those wishing to invest in the installation of renewable plant.
Feed-in tariff legislation fixes an above market rate for utility companies to buy electricity …
Britain To Shift To Smart Grid, Meter Systems
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Britain is to shift to a smart energy system, including a national smart grid, which should pave the way to a low carbon future that includes large wind farms, more efficient heating systems and electric vehicles.
The government said smart meters, which provide real-time information to consumers about energy usage, and smart grids, which give real-time data about power demand and generation across the network, were integral for Britain to hit its carbon targets.
The Department of Energy and Climate Chance (DECC) estimated the cost of replacing the country’s 47 million meters with smart meters by 2020 to be around 8.6 billion pounds ($14.25 billion) and will publish a detailed smart grid route map in early 2010.
“Smart grids will help manage the massive shift to low carbon electricity such as wind power, nuclear and clean fossil fuels,” energy minister Lord Hunt said on Wednesday.
“Globally the business of developing smart grids has been estimated at 27 billion pounds over the next 5 years and the UK has the know-how to be part of that.”
It is the first time the government has talked about a smart grid, and it will provide 6 million pounds to …
Cutting emissions to mitigate climate change will make people healthier, according to research.
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A special series of articles, published in medical journal, the Lancet, outlines how such policies could have a direct impact on global health.
The series has been released ahead of the UN climate summit in Copenhagen.
World Health Organization (WHO) director, Margaret Chan, said health protection should be a criterion by which mitigation measures were judged.
Dr Chan was just one of the key figures in global health research who wrote a comment article that was published alongside the Lancet reports.
Another was Professor Sir Andrew Haines, director of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, who is chair of the international task force of scientists that wrote the series.
He said that the public health benefits of mitigation policies had not had “sufficient prominence” in international negotiations.
Dr Chan commented: “As this series shows, cutting greenhouse gas emissions can represent a mutually reinforcing opportunity to reduce climate change and improve public health.”
Some of the key findings presented in the reports included evidence that moving towards low carbon transport systems could reduce the health impacts of urban air pollution and physical inactivity.
Researchers also found that changes in farming practice to reduce livestock and meat consumption could …
Small-scale green energy schemes could generate more electricity than two nuclear power stations
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Small-scale renewable electricity schemes could generate more than twice the output of Sizewell B nuclear power station by 2020 if Ministers improve the proposed Clean Energy Cash-back scheme (or feed-in tariff), due to be launched in April next year, according to figures released today.
The environmental campaign group used figures obtained from the Government to show that introducing a more ambitious scheme than that currently proposed would only add an average £2.37 per year on to household electricity bills over the next four years – just £1.20 a year more than the Government is already proposing to add to fund the scheme.
The figures are published as 30 organisations and businesses – including Friends of the Earth, the Renewable Energy Association, The TUC, British Retail Consortium, the Co-operative Group, Country Land and Business Association (CLA), the Federation of Small Businesses, Unison and WWF – have written to MPs urging them to support an Early Day Motion (EDM 276) tabled by Alan Simpson MP calling for a much greater level of ambition for small scale renewable electricity generation than the Government scheme currently proposes.
Friends of the Earth, which led the campaign to introduce a feed-in tariff alongside …
Government urged to introduce local carbon budgets
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The Government should introduce local carbon budgets to help ensure that councils play their part in tackling climate change, Friends of the Earth said today. The call coincides with today’s speech by Local Government Secretary John Denham which urges local councils to “lead the way” in helping Britain meet its climate change commitments to drive down carbon emissions.
Friends of the Earth’s Executive Director Andy Atkins said:
“It looks like the Government is starting to get serious about the crucial role that local councils must play in tackling climate change – but Government action is required to ensure that every council plays its part in meeting UK climate targets.”
“Ministers should introduce local carbon budgets and provide adequate financial support to help ensure that every local authority cuts its emissions in line with the latest scientific evidence.”
“A strong local carbon budget framework would help the UK meet its targets for tackling climate change, create local jobs and help the UK in developing a greener future.”
Friends of the Earth is calling for local carbon budgets as part of its Get Serious About CO2 campaign, launched earlier this year, which is calling for all local authorities to play their part …