According to Which?, in the UK the average solar panel installation cost £1400 per kW last year. If you put in about 2.5kW, for a typical small house, that would cost about £3,500 and generate about 2,500kWh per year (based on the middle of England). If you are careful and you manage to use half of that electricity yourself, depending on how much you pay for your electricity, you'll save about £200 per year on your bill. You'll then get paid £30 or so a year for the electricity you don't use and that you export. So it'll take 15 years to get your money back. If you have a smart meter and you sign up for the right tariff, potentially you could save a lot more and get the 'payback' to be less than 10 years.
Gardening on the edge of Exmoor, in Devon
“It's still magic even if you know how it's done.”
With a net increase in world population of 50,000 per day every day, I'd suggest anything we do today will be nullified by this time tomorrow?
Nope. As has been pointed out in earlier threads, the population increase is largely in the developing world where the energy consumption per head is still very small.
Is there a benefit in offshore wind farms, if they can act as nursery areas for fish species that the trawlers won't be able to reach?
Maybe, but there is also a detriment to sea birds. Both birds and fish are far more badly affected by climate change though. So on balance there is a gain to wildlife.
Fear concentrates the minds of the people, and keeps them in order.
Your Mum told you not to touch the fire - was she doing that to control you, or was she just telling you that you SHOULD be afraid of it because it really will burn?
Gardening on the edge of Exmoor, in Devon
“It's still magic even if you know how it's done.”
1. The average American or Australian emits as much carbon dioxide in 2.3 days as the average Malian emits in a year. The US birth rate is about 1.6 (less than 2.1 means the population is reducing). The Malian birth rate is about 40. I.e. 25 Malians are born for every American. And those 25 Malians typically have a carbon footprint that is one sixth of the one American. As countries become more developed, their emissions per head rise and their birth rate drops. Whilst it is undeniably true that fewer people would be better, there is nothing useful that we can do about it - that's not just you and me, that's Governments too.
2. As I understand it, atmospheric carbon dioxide is concentrating over the north pole but I don't know much about the mechanisms or reasons for that.
3. Still not sure what point you're making in regard to climate change?
4. Yes. It's important to not believe everything you're told. It's also important not to dismiss information simply because you don't like the message or the messenger. If you can't be bothered to do the research, ask yourself what you have to lose by trying to stop wasting energy.
Gardening on the edge of Exmoor, in Devon
“It's still magic even if you know how it's done.”
The quotes for solar panels were around 7k,that was some years ago, couldn't afford that then,never mind now
I also could not afford my PV installation. That's why we took a loan. Long term, we'll be financially better off having the PV than not, including the loan repayment.
Before I became semi-retired we (as in the firm I worked for) were becoming increasingly involved in geothermal energy and I was involved in a couple of projects, if only in a small way, before I left. I haven't really kept up with developments since but it's a form of energy capture that I think has potential.
I haven't really kept up with developments since but it's a form of energy capture that I think has potential.
Quite right. I can't find a link right now but if you look for United Downs in Cornwall Geothermal project, they are up and running. It's not going to work everywhere, but it's definitely part of the answer, alongside hydro which we are stupidly bad at in the UK. And solar and wind
Gardening on the edge of Exmoor, in Devon
“It's still magic even if you know how it's done.”
Posts
If you are careful and you manage to use half of that electricity yourself, depending on how much you pay for your electricity, you'll save about £200 per year on your bill. You'll then get paid £30 or so a year for the electricity you don't use and that you export. So it'll take 15 years to get your money back.
If you have a smart meter and you sign up for the right tariff, potentially you could save a lot more and get the 'payback' to be less than 10 years.
“It's still magic even if you know how it's done.”
You lost me? Not sure what you're saying
Maybe, but there is also a detriment to sea birds. Both birds and fish are far more badly affected by climate change though. So on balance there is a gain to wildlife.
Your Mum told you not to touch the fire - was she doing that to control you, or was she just telling you that you SHOULD be afraid of it because it really will burn?
“It's still magic even if you know how it's done.”
raisingirl Help! I don't want to start a tit-for-tat, but I'm concerned about all the hype obscuring reality (or some of it), but:-
1) The developing world still needs food and raw materials, but can't afford the luxury of our morals.
2) Genuine question, really. How do air movements affect CO2 from one country arriving in another?
3) If we can stop the Russian factory ships taking thousands of tonnes of sand eels to make fertiliser for their farms, they'd be there for the birds?
4) Read 'State of Fear', a novel by Michael Crichton?
As countries become more developed, their emissions per head rise and their birth rate drops.
Whilst it is undeniably true that fewer people would be better, there is nothing useful that we can do about it - that's not just you and me, that's Governments too.
2. As I understand it, atmospheric carbon dioxide is concentrating over the north pole but I don't know much about the mechanisms or reasons for that.
3. Still not sure what point you're making in regard to climate change?
4. Yes. It's important to not believe everything you're told. It's also important not to dismiss information simply because you don't like the message or the messenger. If you can't be bothered to do the research, ask yourself what you have to lose by trying to stop wasting energy.
“It's still magic even if you know how it's done.”
Advantages and Disadvantages of Geothermal Energy (solar-energy.technology)
GT Energy - Geothermal in the UK
“It's still magic even if you know how it's done.”
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cornwall-54188071