Sun Wind and Rain www.sunwindandrain.co.uk

Mobile Renewable Energy

noreply@blogger.com (Sun Wind and Rain) — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 13:30:41 PST

PM hails EU Council “breakthrough” on climate change

noreply@blogger.com (Sun Wind and Rain) — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 12:42:07 PDT

The Prime Minister is optimistic a deal on climate change can be reached at Copenhagen in December after a “breakthrough” during talks at the EU Council.

Gordon Brown said three conditional offers will come from Europe: the provision of long-term finance for developing countries; public finance will be made available; and a fast-track scheme to allow countries to participate immediately after the Copenhagen discussions.

The agreement is conditional on other countries agreeing to contribute their share during the UN climate change conference in Copenhagen.

Halve your energy bills: win a 15k home refurb from 10:10

noreply@blogger.com (Sun Wind and Rain) — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 08:28:17 PDT

Would you like a £15,000 eco-makeover of your home?
This weekend the Grand Designs Great British Refurb campaign joined forces with the 10:10 Campaign to launch a competition where one lucky winner will win an eco-makeover of their home to the value of at least £15,000!

You can enter by visiting The Home of the Future website.

noreply@blogger.com (Sun Wind and Rain) — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 13:09:36 PDT

Sun Wind and Rain have joined the 10:10 campaign

Why 10%? Why 2010?

With climate change, everyone talks about long-term targets: Britain’s committed to an 80% cut by 2050, and at least 34% by 2020. But scientists say it won’t be possible to meet these targets without the right action now – and that means cuts of around 10% in the very near future.
For most people and organisations 10% is ambitious but achievable. It’s the low hanging fruit: eliminating waste, increasing efficiency, that sort of thing.

For more information on 10:10 click here.

Feed in Tariff for the UK

noreply@blogger.com (Sun Wind and Rain) — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 02:23:50 PDT

FEED IN TARIFF 15th July 2009

The UK Government has now announced feed in tariffs for small wind turbines and photovoltaic solar panels:
36.5p/kWh for small solar photovoltaic systems up to 4kW, and 28p/kWh for systems up to 10kW.
23.0p/kWh for small wind turbines between 1.5kW and 15kW.

These tariffs will replace the current ROC system. Payments will begin on 1st April 2010, but all small wind and solar systems commissioned from now on will be eligible for both LCBP grants and the new feed in tariff.

Read more information on the tariffs click here.

Eco-button

noreply@blogger.com (Sun Wind and Rain) — Sat, 15 Aug 2009 10:55:19 PDT

This simple little button could save you money and increase awareness on how much energy your computer uses.

How does the ecobutton™ work?

The ecobutton™ acts as a strong visual reminder and prompt for you to save electricity each time your computer is going to be left idle.

The ecobutton™ is illuminated and sits on your table/desk top next to your keyboard. It connects to your computer via a USB cable. Each time you take a short or long break, a phone call, go for a meeting etc. you simply press the ecobutton™ and your computer is put into the most efficient energy saving mode available - we call this 'ecomode'.

People generally do not like turning off their computers due to the time it often takes to restart (particularly when hibernate is used). However, with ecobutton™ by simply pressing any key on your keyboard (some computers require a momentary press of the power button) your computer instantly returns to where you left off.

There's also an additional bonus as each time your computer is put into 'ecomode' the clever ecobutton™ software records how many carbon units and how much power and money you have saved by using the ecobutton™.

Over time this can add up to quite a lot (especially if you have many computers running in an office) and you can use this data to help reduce your carbon footprint as well as your energy bills.

Climate Change: Global Poll

noreply@blogger.com (Sun Wind and Rain) — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 11:36:36 PDT

Publics Want More Government Action on Climate Change: Global Poll

A new WorldPublicOpinion.org poll of 19 nations from around the world finds that majorities in 15 think their government should put a higher priority on addressing climate change than it does now. This includes the largest greenhouse gas emitters: China (62% want more action), the US (52%), and Russia (56%).

In all but three nations most people think their government should give climate change a relatively high priority (6-10 on a 0-10 scale: on average 7.33). However in only four nations do most people think that is what their government is doing.

More here.

Cheaper water bills to come

noreply@blogger.com (Sun Wind and Rain) — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 09:52:50 PDT

Ofwat cuts investment programmes

Periodic price review for 2010-2015 slashes water companies' investment plans by 14%

27-Jul-09

Ofwat's five-year pricing plan will heavily curtail water companies' investment progammes, with the companies' £24.2 billion spending plans cut to £20.8 billion, it was announced last week. With a general election due by May, the regulator bowed to political pressure to put the interests of consumers first and reduce household water bills.

British Gas Energy Fund

noreply@blogger.com (Sun Wind and Rain) — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 15:01:22 PDT

British Gas launches £2 million community energy fund

British Gas is calling for entries following their launch of an energy fund of £2 million in the search for Britain's most innovative green communities.

The launch of the fund is part of the utilities giant's national Green Streets campaign. British Gas aims to support a growing grassroots movement of people who want to bring a new lease of life to their community with ambitious energy projects, but need help to get their plans off the ground.

Community groups working on local renewable energy projects - including solar, wind or hydro power to biomass, ground-source and air-source heat pumps - can compete for a share of the money.

Projects will be judged according to their potential for energy efficiency savings across the entire community, local renewable power generation, and ability to engage an entire community through education in local schools and mobilising the support of other local residents.

Champions of projects shortlisted will be asked to pitch for funding in community selection meetings. Around a dozen finalists will receive a share of the £2m funding.

How to apply

Interested energy projects should apply by 31 August 2009 through the British Gas website.

Britain Kicks Off Low Carbon Industrial Strategy to Ensure Green Job Creation

noreply@blogger.com (Sun Wind and Rain) — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 05:23:57 PDT

The Low Carbon Industrial Strategy, launched today, sets out the action the Government is taking to ensure that British businesses and workers are equipped to maximise the economic opportunities and minimise the costs of the transition to a low carbon economy.

The strategy follows from Building Britain’s Future: New Industry, New Jobs, and sets out how the Government aims to ensure that the transition to low carbon is a source of quality jobs and business savings in Britain: from our rapidly developing civil nuclear industry and renewable energy sector, to energy saving in our smallest SMEs.

The strategy identifies a range of low carbon sectors with potential for job creation and growth. These include: wave and tidal power; civil nuclear power; offshore wind; and ultra-low carbon vehicles. It also sets out the Government’s strategy for removing barriers that are blocking the development of Britain’s full potential in these areas.

Britain Kicks Off Low Carbon Industrial Strategy to Ensure Green Job Creation

Desert Power

noreply@blogger.com (Sun Wind and Rain) — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 05:25:51 PDT

I found this fascinating quote today:

One of the most ambigious renewable energy projects has had a sound start in Munich this week: Destertec. Within the next three years there are to be concrete plans for solar thermal plants in North Africa, the initiators, twelve major companies, said. Whilst there is still technical research to be done, the main objective now is the financing of the giant project that is to deliver up to 15% of European electricity demand within about 30 years, as well as to cover local demand. The investment will be around 400 bn. Euro until 2050.reegle.info, reegle Blog

You should read the whole article.

350

noreply@blogger.com (Sun Wind and Rain) — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 13:37:22 PDT

350.org is an international campaign dedicated to building a movement to unite the world
around solutions to the climate crisis--the solutions that justice demand.

Our mission is to inspire the world to rise to the challenge of the climate crisis--to create a new sense of urgency and of possibility for our planet.

Our focus is on the number 350--as in parts per million, the level scientists have identified as the safe upper limit for CO2 in our atmosphere. But 350 is more than a number--it's a symbol of where we need to head as a planet.
To tackle climate change we need to move quickly, and we need to act in unison--and 2009 will be an absolutely crucial year. This December, world leaders will meet in Copenhagen, Denmark to craft a new global treaty on cutting emissions. The problem is, the treaty currently on the table doesn't meet the severity of the climate crisis--it doesn't pass the 350 test.

In order to unite the public, media, and our political leaders behind the 350 goal, we're harnessing the power of the internet to coordinate a planetary day of action on October 24, 2009. We hope to have actions at hundreds of iconic places around the world - from the Taj Mahal to the Great Barrier Reef to your community - and clear message to world leaders: the solutions to climate change must be equitable, they must be grounded in science, and they must meet the scale of the crisis.

If an international grassroots movement holds our leaders accountable to the latest climate science, we can start the global transformation we so desperately need.

Muvbox

noreply@blogger.com (Sun Wind and Rain) — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 11:10:27 PDT

I like this idea a lot, click here for more information.

Offshore Wind Becomes a Priority for the Obama Administration

noreply@blogger.com (Sun Wind and Rain) — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 00:36:55 PDT

Calling it a major step forward in President Obama’s new energy frontier, Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar, joined by New Jersey Gov. Jon S. Corzine, today issued five exploratory leases for renewable wind energy production on the Outer Continental Shelf offshore New Jersey and Delaware.

“We are entering a new day for energy production in the United States – a time of clean energy from renewable domestic sources on our Outer Continental Shelf,” Secretary Salazar said. “Other nations have been using offshore wind energy for more than a decade. We made the development of offshore wind energy a top priority for Interior. The technology is proven, effective and available and can create new jobs for Americans while reducing our expensive and dangerous dependence on foreign oil.”

Read full story here.

Gulf prepares to lead global economic recovery

noreply@blogger.com (Sun Wind and Rain) — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 12:08:19 PDT

There are signs that the economic shock in the Gulf is coming to an end and the region will start leading the international recovery.

There's never been a worse time to be an economist. Most failed to forecast the scale of the downturn that began in the summer of 2008.

They are cautious about talking too soon about recovery. Some are even making us gloomier. On 21 June, the World Bank announced that it believed that the global economy would contract by almost 3 per cent in real terms in 2009. This compares with its previous forecast, made in March, that the downturn would be 1.7 per cent. If the latest one is accurate, 2009 will indisputably go down as the worst year, in terms of growth, since 1945. And the World Bank says the recovery, which it said could start at the end of the year, will be "much less vigorous than normal" because of the finance industry's limited capacity to lend.

For full story click here.

Deepdale Backpackers Hostel

noreply@blogger.com (Sun Wind and Rain) — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 14:35:21 PDT

Escape the beaten track and the smog of the big city to this wonderfully chilled out independent backpackers hostel in the heart of Burnham Deepdale on the north Norfolk coast. This beautiful village is by the sea in an ‘Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty’*. Open All Year, for Spring, Summer, Autumn or Winter accommodation.

The north Norfolk coast is a backpackers paradise offering watersports and outdoor activities of every sort, beautiful beaches and historical buildings, so you can be as active as you want. Of course you might just like to chill out and relax in our award winning backpackers hostel or try one of our superb local pubs serving local beers and excellent seafood! The village is famous for it’s mussels. Click here for more information on local activities and attractions .

Al Gore warns on latest climate trends

noreply@blogger.com (Sun Wind and Rain) — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 12:26:46 PDT

noreply@blogger.com (Sun Wind and Rain) — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 14:46:31 PDT

Desert solar takes leap forward
Regular readers of this blog will be familiar with the concept of harnessing huge amounts of power in the Sahara and connecting it to Europe’s electricity grid. Now the idea is taking its first step towards reality. A consortium of German investors led by Siemens AG (also turbine manufacturers) is looking to raise €400 billion to invest in the infrastructure that could provide 15% of Europe’s electricity by 2050. A Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) farm that would cover 50 square miles of Sahara desert could provide a constant source of clean energy and be transported to Europe through the new technology of highly efficient power lines.

"We want to start an initiative that would present concrete plans in two to three years time," said Torsten Jeworrek, the head of the consortium. They’re anticipating that 2 Gigawatts of electricity could be generated from Tunisia within five years, with the right political support.

It’s an exciting step forward for a project that could revolutionise our energy grid and might alter the balance of the world economy. No doubt there’ll be many obstacles to overcome, but it’s great to see the idea being taken seriously.

More info on this here.

YouGen » Blog » UK renewables lag behind Europe

noreply@blogger.com (Sun Wind and Rain) — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 15:11:06 PDT

I’ve got good news and bad about the UK’s efforts at introducing renewable energy. For all the Government talk, you’d think that we’re doing quite well at generating heat and power from renewable sources. But, no, we’re not. In fact, if we compare ourselves with other European countries, only Luxembourg and Malta generate less. And that’s despite the much heralded excellent wind resource we have.

Let me put this bad news into context. Sweden leads Europe - 40.8% of its energy came from renewable sources in 2005. Austria was at 23%, Spain at 7.6% and Germany at 5.9%. The UK languished at 1.3%. That’s an increase from 1% in 1995. If we only increased it by that tiny amount in 10 years, we’ve got a bit of a challenge to meet our commitment to getting 15% of our energy from renewables by 2020.

Actually we have upped the pace a little. A spokesperson for the Department of Energy and Climate Change told the Guardian that between 2005 and now the proportion has risen to "about 1.8%". Does that include all the hot air from politicians I wonder?

Before we totally despair of all politicians, there is some good news on the renewables front too. An early day motion supporting significant investment in solar electricity (PV) has got the support of more MPs than any other motion introduced in this parliament. As I write 258 MPs have signed. You can check here to see if yours is on the list

YouGen » Blog » UK renewables lag behind Europe

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Wind Week 2009

noreply@blogger.com (Sun Wind and Rain) — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 14:21:45 PDT

Britain needs more sources of renewable energy deployed in as short a time as possible.

The arguments are compelling: energy security, fight against climate change, the need to drive down the costs of electricity… and last but not least – economic opportunity: jobs, investments and the chance to claim our place as a nation setting an agenda when it comes to renewable energy.

If you want to see more wind, wave and tidal energy in the UK please sign this petition.

Instant Sandbags

noreply@blogger.com (Sun Wind and Rain) — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 11:36:22 PDT

Sun Wind and Rain has recently become agents for Instant Sandbags covering Norfolk, watch this video to find out how using an emergency sandbag is easy and can prove an important flood defence in an area where flooding is a threat. Flood alerts may not give you sufficient warning, but an instant sandbag can be stored easily, so you are ready to defend your home or business.

One in six UK homes at risk of flood...

noreply@blogger.com (Sun Wind and Rain) — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 11:42:20 PDT

£20bn needs to be invested in flood defences to protect properties from
rising sea levels and severe rainstorms, Environment Agency warns.

One in six homes in England is at risk of flooding, the Environment Agency warned today.

And with climate change likely to raise the risk of flooding through rising
sea levels and more rainstorms, £20bn needs to be invested in flood
defences to protect properties in the next 25 years, the agency said.

As many as 5.2m properties are already at risk of flooding, with 2.4m
threatened by rivers and the sea, and a further 2.8 million at risk
from surface water flooding from overflowing drains.

Thousands of health centres and doctors' surgeries, schools and miles of railways
and roads are also at risk, according to the agency's Flooding In England report.

Almost half a million homes, offices, factories and warehouses are at a
significant risk of flooding from rivers or sea, with a greater than
one in 75 chance of being flooded in any year.

The highest number of properties at significant risk are in the south-east of England,
where 111,356 are threatened with flooding.

Boston, Lincolnshire, has the greatest number of properties at high risk – 23,700 – of any local authority.

According to the latest analysis of the impacts of climate change on the UK released this week, the risk of flooding is set to increase due to rising sea levels, more rapid coastal erosion and increasingly severe and frequent rainstorms.

Without an increase in investment in flood defences, an extra 350,000
properties, including 280,000 more homes, will face a significant risk
of flooding by 2035, bringing the total to 840,000 under threat, the EA
said.

Approximately £150m each year will be needed just to address the risk of surface water flooding, which caused some of the problems in the devastating 2007 floods, the agency said.

In the floods two years ago, which hit parts of Yorkshire, the Midlands and the south-west ofEngland, 13 adults died as well as two premature twins, while 55,000 properties were flooded and thousands had to be rescued from the flood waters.

The Environment Agency said more than 430,000 people in flood risk areas had signed up to its free warning service, which provides alerts by text message, telephone or email, and urged those who have not subscribed to join.

In April, the Environment Agency and Met Office opened a new £10m Flood Forecasting Centre to provide earlier and more accurate flood warnings.

English regions ranked in order of the number of properties at significant risk of flooding:

South-east England: 111,356

South-west: 86,178

East Midlands: 81,096

Yorkshire and Humber: 65,380

Greater London: 40,412

East of England: 33,050

North-west: 28,941

West Midlands: 19,173

North-east: 19,167

Total: 484,753

Top 10 local authorities with the highest number of properties in areas with a significant chance of flooding:

Boston district: 23,700

North Somerset: 20,415

East Lindsey district: 14,949

Windsor and Maidenhead: 11,477

Kingston upon Hull: 9,825

Shepway district: 9,065

Sedgemoor district: 8,092

East Riding of Yorkshire: 7,513

Runnymede district: 7,007

Warrington: 6,533

via Environment news, comment and analysis | guardian.co.uk by on 19/06/09

Solar Botanic Secures funding

noreply@blogger.com (Sun Wind and Rain) — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 00:36:36 PDT

SolarBotanic Secures R & D Funding from California Based Renewable Energy Company

SolarBotanic has inked a major joint-venture deal with the renewable energy company GREENgENERGY, Inc. to fund the R & D phase for the company's patented energy harvesting artificial trees. The potential market for SolarBotanic's trees is virtually unlimited and it involves integrating a vast array of brilliant and cutting-edge technologies, said Craig Etchegoyen of GREENgENERGY. Mr. Etchegoyen, founder of digital security firm Uniloc USA, is recognized as a leader in developing technology-based IP.

London, UK (PRWEB) June 9, 2009 -- The company is very excited about the relationship with their American partners. They bring an expertise in financing and technical know-how that compliments SolarBotanic's existing board perfectly, stated a spokesperson for SolarBotanic Ltd. Their experience in one of the world's largest Energy-markets places the company in a very strategic position as it looks to expand in Europe, Asia and the Middle East, he added. SolarBotanic is in discussions with several very large technology firms and expects to have its first prototype tree in approximately 12 months.

The company's mission is to produce a cost-effective renewable energy solution that is easily implemented,carbon neutral, aesthetically appealing and community scalable.

To accomplish this goal, SolarBotanic (SB) has developed an innovative and efficient energy solution by combining bio-mimicry and nano technologies in unique, Patented, artificial trees.

To harness the power of the Sun and Wind, these artificial trees and plant structures are designed to utilize three major types of nano-technologies: photovoltaics, thermovoltaics and piezovoltaic, the result is a commercially viable alternative and/or supplement to other energy generating technologies.

Few sources of power fit the "renewable" bill better than wind and electromagnetic radiation from the Sun. Sunlight, wind and thermal (infrared) radiation is plentiful (supplies should last at least 5 billion years), emits no pollution and enough of this natural energy reaches the planet's surface in one hour (approximately 1,000watts/second/m2) to provide 100% of the world's energy needs for one year.

There are many exciting opportunities in the adaptation of solar, wind and thermal power. Large solar-arrays and wind-turbine farms are being developed in places that show the most geo-optimal concentrations of sunlight and wind, however, like all traditional power generation, none of these are likely to be the single "magic bullet" technology that will solve the entire world's energy demands. For one, they are usually extremely capitally intensive. They require large property acquisitions (trading one non-renewable resource like oil for another--land), and to date have not achieved grid parity. SOLARBOTANIC offers a piece of the energy solution that supplements, rather than competes with, these large-scale efforts.

Carbon Neutrality. The Kyoto Accords established targets for the global reduction of harmful green house gasses. There are many ways to achieve this goal. One approach is to produce things using less energy,and the other is to re-form waste into new products to minimize new GHG creation. Companies that do a particularly good job of reducing emissions can sell this value through Verified Emissions Reductions "VERs" and Reduced Emissions Credits "RECs". SolarBotanic trees will be manufactured from recycled and non-petroleum based materials.

Though the primary driver of the trees are the nanoleaves, the trunk can be designed for far greater purposes than merely holding up the canopy. Besides covering it's surface with PV or sound absorption materials, it houses the electrical converter units and filters which are designed to intake harmful GHGs and output clean air (just like real trees do to some extent). We believe that companies that generate a portion of their power from utilizing our trees will be able to create certifiable carbon credits that can be sold on the open market.

€18.85 million investment to develop wind farms in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania

noreply@blogger.com (Sun Wind and Rain) — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 11:35:40 PDT

I found this fascinating quote today:

The EBRD is providing an equity investment of €18.85 million to Freenergy AS, a leading Estonian investor in renewable energy in eastern Europe, to boost the volumes of green energy generated in the Baltic states.reegle Blog

Earthdrive

noreply@blogger.com (Sun Wind and Rain) — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 01:40:58 PDT

Designed with Recycled Material

The ATP EarthDrive™ is the world's first recyclable USB Drive, appropriately named the EarthDrive™. With years of product development and extensive research, the EarthDrive™ is designed and built using the maximum amount of biodegradable materials (PLA), resulting in a fully recyclable product. PLA (Polylactic acid) is a biodegradable polyester derived from renewable resources, such as corn.

American Forests Partnership
In partnership with the American Forests, a portion of all EarthDrive product sales will go towards the planting of trees.

Waterproof for all Conditions
In addition to being one of the most durable USB drives in the world, the EarthDrive is also one of the most versatile. Built with ATP’s SIP technology, all vital flash components are completely encapsulated allowing for shock proof, waterproof, and dust proof durability.

Security Protection
The EarthDrive's built in security software allows for password protection of private data.

ATP Part Numbers	AF1GUFE1BK, AF2GUFE1BK, AF4GUFE1BK, AF8GUFE1BK
Capacities	1GB to 8GB
Connectivity	High Speed USB1.1 / 2.0 compliant
Indicator	LED Light Indicator
Preloaded Software	Drive Partitioning, Password Protection
Data Retention	10 years
Length	35.7mm +/- 0.20mm
Width	23.3mm +/- 0.10mm
Thickness	10.31mm +/- 0.20mm