digg

Join DiggAbout

Donkeys and Elephants and Delegates,oh my!
Check out the most popular Elections 2008 content on Digg.

See the original image at ecoworldly.com

Five (very good) Reasons For Home Made Renewable Energy

ecoworldly.com — A British Government reports provides a series of compelling reasons to put a wind-turbine in your garden, solar panels on your roof, and a combined heat and power boiler in your basement. Here are the top 5 reasons why you should add renewable energy gadgets to your home today..

Bury
show profanity settings
expand all
  • marklad2020, on 06/05/2008, -0/+27Solar panels and home wind turbines are just such good gadgets..
  • tbhurst, on 06/05/2008, -2/+21Could it actually be that two of the big Western democracies are finally beginning to endorse renewable energy? Now, if only the policymakers in the U.S. and Britain could put some money where there mouths are, then we'd really be talking.
    • Beanbones, on 06/06/2008, -10/+4There is no such thing as renewable energy. There are long-term sustainable (fusion), short-term sustainable (fossil), and micro (for example wind) sources, but no infinitely renewable sources.

      A good strategy would be to use short-term sustainable energy (nuclear, oil, gas, etc) to develop systems to harness long-term sustainable sources (Dyson spheres, rings, or clouds), augmented by micro sources.

      A bad strategy would be to eliminate short-term sustainable sources in favor of micro sources, since those sources cannot generate the economic power needed to develop the framework for long-term sustainable resource exploitation.
      • thcobbs, on 06/06/2008, -0/+1As long as we don't have to deal with Pak, I'm all for the Dyson Rings.
      • xexx, on 06/06/2008, -0/+2When the sun explodes we won't be worrying about renewable energy.
      • roodammy44, on 06/06/2008, -1/+1"but no infinitely renewable sources"

        I think 4.5 billion years of energy from the sun should do.
        There's plenty of energy from wind, wave and solar - many times more than we use at the moment.
        The technologies haven't been perfected yet, but they're quite efficient enough. There's just no political will to change to them.
      • Sverre, on 06/06/2008, -1/+1Interesting use of the word 'sustainable'. Everything is 'short-term sustainable' until you run out, so that doesn't mean anything. 'Sustainable' is, per definition, something you won't ever run out of (for any reasonable perspective on 'ever').
    • RobertL, on 06/06/2008, -7/+2You not paying attention tb....... windmills are going up all over the place. I've seen so many new ones flopping around the last few years it makes me sick. They don't even get in the news when one of the workers is killed in a construction accident.


      With all these new windmills the total contribution of wind energy is still less than 1%. Their contribution is irrelevant.... If we doubled and tripled and quadripled the number of turbines and added even more solar panels the contribution would still be irrelevant...

      Let's stop putting huge investments (and these things are not cheap) into "irrelevancies".. let's start investing in something that gives us a return.
      • haydesigner, on 06/06/2008, -0/+1"'s start investing in something that gives us a return."

        ... such as...?
      • xexx, on 06/06/2008, -0/+1They do give returns or people wouldn't be putting them up. Simple huh?
  • GidsR, on 06/05/2008, -0/+15The government cut the subsidies to people fitting eco power solutions at the same time as making the process prohibitively complex.
    All they need to do is make all green power solutions VAT free and give another 17.5% rebate on council tax or corporation tax and the UK would get greener in a heartbeat.
    Brown is only interested in the green stuff; not being green.
    • borez, on 06/06/2008, -0/+3True, but oil generate far more revenue for the government.
    • thcobbs, on 06/06/2008, -0/+3OK, so you want them tax FREE and the government to foot 17% of the bill? Hell, I'd throw solar panels up on my roof in a heart beat. I might even consider solar shingles.
  • Surferess, on 06/05/2008, -0/+23Hard to believe anybody still needs convincing.
    • LocalDocal, on 06/06/2008, -0/+1With reasons such as those in the article, I don't find it so hard to believe. Seriously, becoming energy conscious is considered a compelling reason? No one is going to find these reasons compelling except those who wanted to conserve energy in the first place.

      If the primary population is to be convinced to start their own conservation efforts, you have to tell them about actual, tangible benefits. Using hydro energy will be cheaper? Great. Using wind energy will get you a huge tax rebate from the government? Nice. Using solar energy will increase your lifespan by 10 years? Fantastic. It's all excellent if the environment is helped somehow, but people are going to be more concerned about how much money they save, not how much they're cutting back on CO2 emissions.
    • monoa, on 06/06/2008, -0/+1http://digg.com/environment/5_Ways_to_Fix_Global_W ...

      ...and that's just the tip of the iceberg.
  • claybodie, on 06/05/2008, -0/+10I just moved to San Francisco and I'm amazed that this city isn't covered in small wind turbines.
    • gavinhudson, on 06/06/2008, -0/+2I'm amazed it isn't called the windy city. The place is constantly windy!
  • chemrat, on 06/05/2008, -15/+11Surferess: I agree, but...I still regularly run into people on the web who think that global warming is a scam designed to make money for Al Gore, and believe me, it is impossible to reason with most of them. There is also a large group that claims global warming is an anti-Christian religion started by Al Gore to worship the Pagan Goddess Gaia. Very bizarre stuff.

    Yesterday some guy claimed on a blog that he wasn't a scientist but he would make a better climate scientist than top NASA experts. Unbelievable arrogance. I'd like to take these fake scientists and self-proclaimed experts to a fake doctor the next time they get sick, and see how comfortable they feel with perhaps some minor surgery by a self-trained surgeon.

    Another person I ran into said that she never recycles anything, that green stuff is just hype, and that 99% of scientists didn't believe in GW and she could prove it. She cited the report that is discredited in the following expose' from desmogblog: www.desmogblog.com/flawed-oregon-petition-rises-again

    My prolog: In case you don't know because you may be too young to have lived through this stuff, "scientists" who worked for the tobacco industry to claim tobacco was good for you, didn't cause cancer, etc. are among the most reviled and discredited group of scientists in the history of mankind. Jim

    "Flawed Oregon Petition Rises Again-Climate "Science" by the Pound
    21 May 08

    A climate change petition started in 1988 by the tobacco industry's favourite scientist (Federick Seitz), has just been re-released with a reported 31,072 signatures of "scientists" - some of whom are reported to actually work in the field.

    The Oregon Petition was originally started by Dr. Seitz (formerly the principal adviser to the RJ Reynolds medical research program) and by Arthur B. Robinson, a lapsed biochemist who now operates the one-man Oregon Institute of Science and Medicine.

    Robinson himself was quoted recently saying that a survey was an inadequate way to pursue science. "The numbers shouldn't matter. But if they want warm bodies, we have them."

    But that turns out to be an overstatement. Seitz, for example, died in March."
    • bstory, on 06/05/2008, -1/+3No disrespect intended but how much ice has to melt before people will admit that there is change happening? If the change has been brought on or accelerated by man who can say for certain however, climate change happens on a global scale from time to time. I sincerely doubt that any scientist would deny that there was an ice age in our recent past unless of course the so called scientist was also a creationist.
      • thcobbs, on 06/06/2008, -1/+1No, I don't deny the climate is changing... hell, look at the continental shelf to realize how much oceans have "risen".

        Now, the part I have trouble with is that people claim it's all human-kind's fault.
    • haydesigner, on 06/06/2008, -1/+3reply button... it is a good thing.
      • chemrat, on 06/09/2008, -0/+1Not if you want more people to see your comment and feel it has a broader context that deserves to be seen at the top level. Of course, if facts cause a comment to be buried, it is hard to see the point of participating here.
    • monoa, on 06/06/2008, -0/+2...and, as usual, you're getting Dugg down for providing reasoned argument, backed up by evidence.

      There's some mass psychosis going on, driven by entitlement and greed - if anthropogenic climate change is real, people would need to change their consumption habits. They don't want to do that, so they deny the reality.

      P.S. At different times the, the Oregon Petition '31,000 scientists' has included 'Geri Halliwell' (Spice Girls), 'Perry Mason' (fictitious detective), 'Michael J. Fox' (Back To The Future!) and a bunch of others that show the list up for what it is - unverified *****. Anyone can sign the list with any name and qualification they choose - it will get added to the list of 'scientists'.
      • chemrat, on 06/09/2008, -0/+1Thanks for the supportive comment. It is weird the way DIGGers don't like facts. Thanks also for the additional info about the notorious Oregon Petition (and I have nothing against Oregon!).
  • crazyeye, on 06/05/2008, -0/+7Hard to see the downside
    • theRIAA, on 06/06/2008, -2/+1less efficient than massed produced eco power... therefore worse for the enviroment
      • haydesigner, on 06/06/2008, -1/+1Worse??

        I can can see saying "not as good", but worse?
        • theRIAA, on 06/07/2008, -0/+1if it's not the best, then in an economic sense, you are damaging the environment yes.
  • bstory, on 06/05/2008, -1/+13I wonder if placing some solar panels on top of street lights would be able to collect enough energy during the day to power the street light for the night. If it is not then wouldn't the few hours of energy it collected each day be worth putting into the grid?
  • DigitusAnonymus, on 06/06/2008, -13/+3Looking for a perpetually renewable energy source? It's called M A G I C. Learn it, it's good for you. INVEST in my magic company EKAF solutions. I offer Magic classes, for 20 easy payments of $9.99 you get 10 audiobooks, 5 ebooks and a GOLD MEMBERSHIP to our exclusive forums. Our customer support team is a top-notch group of certified magicians, we offer help telepathically. Call us now, we accept all major credit cards and crack.
    • DigitusAnonymus, on 06/06/2008, -5/+0Hey dudes, if I get lots of diggs I'll be working at cracked.com. This is a pre-employment exam I need to pass. Plz halp I need money to feed my newborn pussy cat. A kitty. I think kitty is a cute word.
    • GofG, on 06/06/2008, -3/+1You forgot to include a number!!

      Please hurry!
      • haydesigner, on 06/06/2008, -0/+3He also forgot to include a sense of funny.
    • roodammy44, on 06/06/2008, -0/+1*slow hand claps*
  • Pyroteknik, on 06/06/2008, -1/+6Should read:
    Five (very vague) Reasons For Home Made Renewable Energy
  • squidgravy, on 06/06/2008, -1/+6Where can I buy solar panels? Does one simply drive over to the local Home Depot grab a couple solar sheets and walk out?
    • gavinhudson, on 06/06/2008, -0/+5You can start by contacting your utility supplier or a local Home Depot, yeah. They'll give you all the info you need.
    • chemrat, on 06/09/2008, -0/+1I have some posts on how to install, or have installed, solar and wind power at home. They are at
      http://greenchemistry.wordpress.com/
  • Beanbones, on 06/06/2008, -10/+3If I hear one more media outlet suggest that people install solar panels, I'm going to blow a gasket. Those things are NOT GREEN!

    This is the problem: a rational consumer will replace their solar panels before they have "paid off" their carbon footprint. While they're great in theory, in the real world solar panels have a NEGATIVE impact on the environment.

    Solar panels sound like a great idea, since they are able to generate more energy than was needed to manufacture them. However, in order to do that, you'd need to keep currently fairly modern panels around for about twenty years. That's theoretically not a problem, however, a newer generation of more efficient solar panels will have come out long before that. So, as a consumer, you may find yourself in the situation where upgrading to newer solar panels will end up saving you MORE money than sticking with your current panels.

    Don't get me wrong, I love the idea of making homes more energy efficient. However, the media are failing to properly EDUCATE people on how to accomplish that by dumbing down very, very complex problems in order to sell them to a bigger audience. Because of that, a lot of people out there think they know far more than they actually do.
    • shodanx, on 06/06/2008, -2/+1don't worry not many people will buy the non-green panel, seeing that they will not deliver nearly the power written on the box, and this little power they will not deliver for as long as the warranty which is not one tenth of the time it would take to make them economically break-even
    • shodanx, on 06/06/2008, -3/+0don't worry not many people will buy the non-green panel, seeing that they will not deliver nearly the power written on the box, and this little power they will not deliver for as long as the warranty which is not one tenth of the time it would take to make them economically break-even
    • haydesigner, on 06/06/2008, -1/+3Faulty logic. Why are you assuming that people (and businesses) will automatically replace the panels when better ones come out? Do we all run out and buy new cars when the MPG on our model goes up by 2 gallons? No.
      • Beanbones, on 06/06/2008, -1/+1I'm assuming that people and ESPECIALLY businesses will upgrade if that move will save them money. Since solar panels are seeing an exponential rate of improvement right now, that is a very likely scenario. If you can save money by upgrading your equipment (okay, that sounded like Viagra spam mail), you'd be an idiot not to do it.

        That being said, the suggestion below of buying up discarded solar panels is excellent, and if anyone is interested in doing so, I would whole-heartedly encourage you to do that.
    • roodammy44, on 06/06/2008, -0/+2I'll buy all the old innefficient solar panels that you'll want to throw away.
      Buy old solar panels + buy cheap desert land = profit.
    • skiddles, on 06/09/2008, -0/+1Solar panels are not consumers of energy. I know that is stating the obvious but your logic is based of the efficiency of a consumption of electricity, not the production.

      The only way upgrading to a new more efficient solar panel will save you money is if you make some pretty broad assumptions:

      > The existing panels are working and in peak condition.
      > You could sell your existing solar panels for close to their depreciated cost.
      > You have no additional space to install the newer more efficient panels.

      This last point is the critical factor.

      Lets say you want to double your capacity and the efficiency of the new panels has doubled. You only need to expand your solar collection area by 50% to double your capacity. If you have the space, then there is no benefit to removing the older panels if they are in good working condition because it is a sunk cost. The only reason you would remove them is that they are damaged or you can sell them to someone else. Either way, you are improving the efficiency of the your installation and potentially someone else's.
  • byerspc, on 06/06/2008, -1/+3yeah great idea we should all have shingles with solar technology built in...someone sure isn't behind it ...if a company did start to produce something like that and make it mainstream they would be worth a fortune....
    If we all go to electric (rechargeable) cars we are just moving the problem to the grid.
  • Locnar, on 06/06/2008, -11/+4Ok prepare to dig down!! But not till I give the signal.....

    I am one of those folks that believe some of this is a scam... Yes there is such a thing as global warming... Yes there us humans prob did some of the damage.. no there is no way to reverse,stop or stall it..
    • elnerdo, on 06/06/2008, -3/+5I would've dugg you up if you also included something useful to say, like:
      "I think that we should wait for more efficient alternatives to current solar panel and wind turbine technology. Solar panels right now are simply too expensive, use too many resources, and are not energy efficient enough to be worth buying. "
      But instead, you were simply useless.
      • shodanx, on 06/06/2008, -7/+0you're doing a very poor job of getting dugg down
      • shodanx, on 06/06/2008, -7/+0you're doing a very poor job of getting dugg down
    • Hodor, on 06/06/2008, -0/+1that doesn't mean we should do nothing.

      solar and wind are safe, imo..
  • dmmd123, on 06/06/2008, -2/+3I study architecture and they are always pushing this on us at university. In fact its not such a great idea. The loss in transmitting electricity is only around 7% of production.

    Centralised power stations have the huge advantage of scales of efficiency. This is particularly true for wind generation, where turbine size and output is exponentially related. The chances that you have the best site for solar power, likewise is slim. Micro generation is relatively inefficient and the investment would be better spent on renewable centralised power-stations.

    (They also dont tell you that running micro generators is hard work)
    And why does the comment box on digg bounce like this in safari. :(
    • elnerdo, on 06/06/2008, -0/+2(It bounces for firefox, too. It sucks. Somehow, digg's programmers manage to be absolutely awful. I don't know why I keep coming to this site. )

      You're correct. Things are always more efficient when they're gathered together in bulk.
    • roodammy44, on 06/06/2008, -0/+2Efficiency won't matter if everyone's roof is made of solar panels.
      What's the point of having roof tiles inefficiently reflecting all the light off them when it can be put to good use?
      Plus, since there is such a lack of political will to get this done, it will need to be done at the local level, like the first electricity generators were 70 years ago.
    • chemrat, on 06/09/2008, -0/+2The reason for distributed power sources is not just efficiency losses due to transmission, it is because the present day power generation stations (like coal plants) run flat out and can't be regulated (without serious efficiency losses), so a lot of power gets wasted. Distributed power can lead to a lot more control and greatly-reduced waste.
    • chemrat, on 06/09/2008, -0/+2So, centralized, sustainable power is fine with me, but we are clearly going to see a mix, in part because only some areas are putting in solar and/or wind power in large installations (in the US). There are plenty of large installations in Europe.
  • Berkana, on 06/06/2008, -0/+1Here's one really good way to do micro wind power generation:
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q9flSPAdOLk
  • DeFex, on 06/06/2008, -0/+2I wonder if Britain will make the same rule as they have for water. even if you collect rain that falls from the sky you still have to pay the water bill.
    You can be sure of one thing, you will have to fill out 100 forms just to put up a tiny solar panel.
    • chili555, on 06/06/2008, -1/+2And buy a license from an arrogant bureaucrat. And renew the license every year. Yes, pay for the privilege of _not_ buying electricity. I can tell it's coming!
    • krnldmp, on 06/06/2008, -0/+5Anyone that tries to slow you down from becoming resource independent should be shot or have their necks broken with a sledge hammer.
      • krnldmp, on 06/06/2008, -2/+150 blows or until it's 1/16 of an inch thick, whichever comes first.
    • JayTee44, on 06/06/2008, -1/+2Does the british government care even remotely about the people? How do they stay in office if they never do anything for the british people? It's a common spectacle on digg and elsewhere, for the british to bemoan their government. I completely sympathize- but who votes these bastards in???
      • roodammy44, on 06/06/2008, -0/+1It's true, our government is *****.
        Most of the time it's been "better labour than the evil tories".
        There just hasn't been many good choices.
        I think they're both evil and I've always voted for the third party, the Liberal Democrats. But due to the way our system is rigged, it's winner-takes-all and they don't get much power.
  • UrbanVoyeur, on 06/06/2008, -1/+21. The price of electricity.
    2. The price of heating oil.
    3. The price of natural gas.
  • bonlebon, on 06/06/2008, -0/+5Remember that DEMAND PLAYS a very important role in the price of ANYTHING
  • theqazman, on 06/06/2008, -5/+0whatever why should I care about this 'Global Warming'. I'll be dead before any underlining changes occur, I will just leave it to you kids to solve this 'problem'. Im 68, I should be relaxing at a spa, not stressing myself over this nonsense. By the way, i dugg everyone of u naysayers down. Im going to bed.
    • Haoie, on 06/06/2008, -0/+3I take it you're doing us a favour and not having children of your own.
  • samotage, on 06/06/2008, -0/+3Our esteemed government here in Australia - recently elected after running a campaign promising action on climate change has just fired their first shots almost 6 months after being elected. Anyone guess?

    Drop the rebate on Solar installations AND lets also cut the price paid for solar generation into the network... What a remarkable early renege on promises. To say it’s killed the local solar market is an understatement.

    • bincoder, on 06/06/2008, -0/+1Amazing. So if you can generate excess electricity you are not allowed to sell it at a price you want? Cutting the price for energy back into the grid should apply boths ways, the power company should also be forced to cut the price they get when it flows into your home. Maybe its time for several households to pool their power and charge each other what they want, taking the power companies (and law) out of the equation.
  • JayTee44, on 06/06/2008, -2/+3No one is a bigger supporter of renewable energy than myself. However, this article is misleading and overly optimistic.
    "It's easily obtainable" - not even close. Solar PV is extremely expensive, at the moment. Hopefully this will change soon.
    "Everybody's happy" - no they aren't- your neighbors will cry bloody murder if you put up a wind turbine. In addition, the vast, vast majority of homes DO NOT have enough wind to make it pay off. I wish it were otherwise.

  • dubloe7, on 06/06/2008, -2/+2when do we get 5 reasons not to use wordpress?
  • openpaledot, on 06/06/2008, -0/+5Cities who have them also need to remove residential zoning restrictions on wind turbines.

    If anyone is interested in wind, PacWind makes great units for the home. http://www.pacwind.net/
  • bincoder, on 06/06/2008, -0/+3Forget global warming. Being independent of the grid is plenty enough reason to go solar on an individual basis. Remember Enron? The grid power was turned into a 'commodity', power flowed from the grid to whoever paid the most money and california went dark although california has enough power to supply itself several times over, just like oil speculation is doing now. Being offline with your own power makes such shady deals and scams impossible to carry out. People (or states) that create enough power for themselves deserve to keep it all for themselves. As for Obama, no thanks to your nationwide 'digital grid'. Here the electricity is plentiful and cheap using 3 nukes, hydropower and solar. I don't want to end up paying 3 times the bill and have blackouts to supply it to some state that still burns coal and refuses to build more powerplants of their own.
  • kd1s, on 06/06/2008, -0/+2I live in a place that has oil heating. With oil over $4 a gallon there is no way in hell I'm going to go that route. I've talked to the building owner and he's seriously considering solar. I hope the hell so.
  • nydwarf, on 06/07/2008, -0/+3This kind of stuff needs to be done now!
  •  

    Login or register to add a comment

    Create a new account or login to join in the conversation on Digg. You'll also be able to Digg stories to help promote things you like.


© Digg Inc. 2008 — Content posted by Digg users is dedicated to the public domain.
DIGG, DIGG IT, DUGG, DIGG THIS, Digg graphics, logos, designs, page headers, button icons, scripts, and other service names are the trademarks of Digg Inc.