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Alexbenady

by Alexbenady on March 6, 2010 · 0 comments

in EVENTS

SkyShades' Greg Norman

THE BEST GREEN BUILDING MATERIALS  FOR UK 2010 – LISTED BELOW

Not being an especially practical person, the prospect of spending the day at a building materials exhibition normally holds all the allure of, well, watching paint dry.

But far from being a dreary convention for construction workers’ accessories, the UK Ecobuild exhibition at London’s Earls Court was more like a gathering of impassioned revolutionaries conspiring to aid and abet off-grid living.

The environmental message has finally got through to the UK building industry -with a vengeance. “I’m here because Ecobuild is now easily the most important trade forum for the UK building industry,” said one senior local authority architect.

»Keep reading 'Building the off-grid revolution'

Government grants create turbine debacle

February 25, 2010
Government grants create turbine debacle The UK Government’s energy conservation watchdog has admitted that consumers were duped by inappropriate grants into buying wind turbines that never stood a chance of working properly. In an attempt to ensure that there is no repeat of the wind turbine debacle, the Energy Savings Trust, funded by Government and big energy companies, has embarked on the first large-scale trials aimed at providing definitive information on the performance of different green technologies in the UK. The first trial concluded that an unknown amount of government cash has been wasted encouraging urban consumers to buy wind turbines when no one really knew whether they were effective or not.

»Keep reading 'Government grants create turbine debacle'

Big Power’s green energy scam blocked

February 11, 2010
Big Power’s green energy scam blocked The UK power regulator Ofgem has launched a scheme aiming to stop big power companies ripping off customers with ‘scam’ green energy tariffs that do little or nothing to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. Ofgem's  ‘green certified’ label will only be granted to green electricity tariffs that have genuine environmental benefits. This is expected to exclude several "green" tariffs offered by major power companies (although at launch all the major power companies' green energy schemes were still included). For the first time green energy suppliers will have to prove to an independent panel of experts that their energy tariffs result in a reduction of a minimum threshold of carbon dioxide emissions.

»Keep reading 'Big Power’s green energy scam blocked'

Walking house, Air-borne hotel – Welcome to eco-prop

February 8, 2010
Walking house, Air-borne hotel – Welcome to eco-prop The world’s first walking home set off on vacation early this morning. The box-like dwelling which uses six hydraulic legs powered by solar panels left the Wysing Arts Centre in Cambridge UK where it has lived for the last 18 months, bound for an arts festival in Essen, Germany. Meanwhile in the virtual world, a British design company in cahoots with industrial giant Samsung unveiled a film of a “revolutionary transport system’” it calls ‘Aircruise’ –a solar-powered air-born luxury hotel.

»Keep reading 'Walking house, Air-borne hotel – Welcome to eco-prop'

Haiti rebuild starts

January 29, 2010
Haiti rebuild starts Off-grid technologies, such as lights and cookers has been a major feature of the Haitian relief effort. And as the international aid effort is finally getting through to the people, thoughts are turning to the next stage: the reconstruction. Now an off-grid approach is the best hope for the long-term reconstruction of the stricken country say politicians and development experts. The effects of the earthquake that struck on Jan 13 were so debilitating, at least in part because power, water, government, fuel, transport and distribution were all centered on the capital Port Au Prince. Once that was destroyed it was difficult to provide even basic amenities to the population of 7m. Speaking this week Haitian Prime Minister Jean-Max Bellerive said; "We have to decentralize. It's the only way to be efficient. It's also the only way to avoid the same problems happening in Haiti again."

»Keep reading 'Haiti rebuild starts'

The accidental environmentalists

January 24, 2010
The accidental environmentalists It’s hard to live off-grid, disconnected from mains electricity, gas and water, in a small, densely populated country like the UK. That’s why off-grid living in this country has hitherto been limited to travellers, hippies, dedicated greens, and unsociable eccentrics. But finally it seems that the appeal of the life off-grid is going mainstream as increasing numbers of perfectly conventional people choose to live sustainable lives unfettered by connected amenities.

»Keep reading 'The accidental environmentalists'

Home hydrogen to spark energy revolution?

January 8, 2010
Home hydrogen to spark energy revolution? An off-grid energy revolution was launched this week with the unveiling of the world's first domestic hydrogen generator at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. Although domestic hydrogen fuel cells are already on the market, their use has been limited by the availability of hydrogen. They have depended on the supply of bottled industrially produced hydrogen, or metal hydride canisters to make them work. The ‘Hydrofill’ which can fit on a desk top is a hydrogen refuelling and storage device that plugs into any available power source –mains electricity, solar panels or wind turbine.

»Keep reading 'Home hydrogen to spark energy revolution?'

Grid pollution kills 24,000 Americans a year”

November 27, 2009
Grid pollution kills 24,000 Americans a year” The coal-fuelled grid is the US’ biggest polluter pumping out three times as much CO2 as all the nation’s cars put together, says a new report. The study by environmental lobby group Environment America details the full extent of environmental damage caused by power plants in the US. It lists the country’s dirtiest 100 power plants and identifies Texas as the dirtiest state by far. Released this week, the report examines carbon dioxide emissions from power plants across the country using 2007 data from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

»Keep reading 'Grid pollution kills 24,000 Americans a year”'

Real-life Canute fights coast ruling

November 26, 2009
Real-life Canute fights coast ruling A retired engineer who built his own sea defences is trying to reverse a legal judgement which would result in his home being washed into the sea. 78 year old Peter Boggis has spent seven years and over fifty thousand pounds of his own money constructing a kilometre long sea wall from 25,000 tonnes of compacted clay.  He is trying to stop the sea eroding cliffs just a hundred yards away from his home at Easton Bavents, north of Southwold in Suffolk, UK. Mr Boggis started the work without planning permission.

»Keep reading 'Real-life Canute fights coast ruling'

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