Solar energy and green energy news on Tuesday 31 January 2012 for the UK released by solar panel installers and solar panel installation companies on 31/01/2012 as well as government bodies. 31 January 2012 online solar energy news feeds and press releases for the solar, green renewable and alternative energy industry provided by the leading Find Solar Panel Installers directory. Search here for solar energy and information news releases on Tuesday 31 January 2012
- Make a Still
If you would like to distill your own ethanol you need a still into which your fermented brew is heated and the alcohol separated. In the UK it is legal to own a still, but it is illegal to use it to make alcohol. NEW (February 2012) Now available in the UK is the above pictured machine know as
Tue 31st Jan 2012 1:49pm - Written ministerial statement by Charles Hendry on the cost of installing underground power cables
31 JANUARY 2012
The Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) has today published a comprehensive study on the whole life costs of installing new high voltage transmission lines under the ground, under the sea and over ground.
This study has been undertaken at the Government’s request in order to provide an authoritative and independent point of reference for the Infrastructure Planning Commission in evaluating planning applications for new transmission connections and reinforcements.
Research and production of the study has been carried out by international engineering consultancy Parsons Brinckerhoff, in association with Cable Consulting International. It draws on a broad range of data from manufacturers, installers, operators and other parties. National Grid has funded the work, and the IET has provided independent quality assurance.
Main findings are as follows:
- the cost of new power infrastructure varies considerably but installing new power circuits underground is always more expensive than installing overhead lines
- the study also identifies factors that have an impact on costs - such as terrain, distances and energy loss
- the study’s remit purely relates to engineering costs, although it does acknowledge the aesthetic, human and environmental impacts, it makes no analysis of these areas
Over the coming years major transmission reinforcements will be needed to connect Britain’s new power stations. Many people are concerned about the impact that new transmission lines can have on the landscape and on local communities, and it is therefore essential that these reinforcements are taken forward on the basis of informed discussion and the best available knowledge. The Government welcomes this authoritative study which will provide a well-informed and objective baseline when considering the costs and impacts of different transmission line solutions.
Copies of the study have been placed in Libraries of the House and can be obtained from the IET website.
MEDIA STATEMENT
The Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) has today published a comprehensive study on the whole life costs of installing new high voltage transmission lines under the ground, under the sea and over ground. The study has been published on the IET website.
Responding to the study, Charles Hendry, Minister of State for Energy, said: "Over the coming years major transmission reinforcements will be needed to connect Britain’s new power stations.
"I know that many people are concerned about the impact that new transmission lines can have on the landscape and on local communities.
"It is essential that these reinforcements are taken forward on the basis of the best available evidence. While the costs of individual proposals will differ on a case by case basis, the IET’s report is a vital contribution."
Tue 31st Jan 2012 11:30am - Terraced house built inside a lab
Scientists put the trad British home through its paces in Salford University's Energy Hub.
In Manchester, architects have built a house in a lab to give researchers a unique testing centre for energy-saving technologies.
The replica of a traditional two-up, two-down pre-1920s terrace, dubbed the Energy House, has been constructed in a three-storey sealed testing chamber at Salford University. It was completed earlier this year, as part of the University’s Energy Hub research centre. It features original brickwork and tiles, and is fully furnished and functioning, with water, gas and electricity supplies. Moreover, the testing chamber reproduces weather conditions, such as rain, wind and sunshine. It gives researchers a unique way to assess out how energy consumption varies depending on a wide range of conditions.
Tue 31st Jan 2012 9:15am - Ecotricity takes plunge into wave power
Wind and solar energy company Ecotricity is for the first time taking the plunge into energy generated by the sea, announcing plans today that it is backing a novel wave power device called Searaser.
Read More: Ecotricity takes plunge into wave power
Tue 31st Jan 2012 11:44am - Ecotricity goes offshore to harness potential of wave power
Green energy company Ecotricity has announced it is to extend its wind and solar portfolio by adding the power of the sea to make green electricity.
The Stroud-based business will today announce it is developing a radical wave power device called Searaser – which it claims can address two of the biggest barriers to the deployment of renewable energy on the scale that Britain needs – cost and variable output.
Read More: Ecotricity goes offshore to harness potential of wave power
Tue 31st Jan 2012 11:41am - Ecotricity plans to rule the waves
Ecotricity, the green energy company specialising in wind turbines, is turning to wave power.
It wants to make 200 pumps, each 60ft high, to create enough electricity to power 236,000 homes.
The submerged pumps pipe water ashore, where power is generated.
The move follows the acquisition by Ecotricity founder Dale Vince of a controlling interest in the business behind Searaser.
Vince said he believed Searaser had the potential to produce electricity cheaper than any other type of generator.
Source: Ecotricity plans to rule the waves
Tue 31st Jan 2012 11:36am
