Global warming is widely accepted. However, the consequences of global warming are still not clear and the debate rages on.
What is clear is that we cannot ignore global warming.
If we do it will be at our peril. This said there are clear advantages in reducing carbon emissions – the main contributor to global warming – in our domestic homes. Soon, everyone in the UK who wants to sell their home must provide prospective purchasers with a Home Information Pack (HIP). This will include an assessment of the energy efficiency and carbon emissions of the house. Like the energy-rating labels found on cookers and fridges, the Energy Performance Certificate will rate the property from ‘A’ to ‘G’ and give details of the current average costs for heating, hot water and lighting, as well as how to cut costs with energy-efficiency measures. There are several ways for you to not only make your property more energy efficient and at the same time reduce your fuel bills and make your home more attractive to the prospective purchaser.
One way to do this is to produce your own ‘clean energy’.
Solar energy, hydro- electric power and wind energy are some of the ways in which we can do this. Not many of us have a stream at the bottom of the garden or constant sun available to us, but most of us have plenty of windy days that we can use to generate electricity. Wind energy offers many advantages and is the fastest growing energy source in the world.
As wind energy is generated by the wind (obviously), it is a clean fuel source.
Wind energy doesn't pollute the environment unlike energy generation that relies on the burning of fossil fuels such as coal, oil or natural gas. There is an inexhaustible supply of wind and best of all, it’s free!
Once installed the actual cost per unit per kilowatt hour can be extremely low.
Set against this is the fact that domestic wind turbines will only generate limited amounts of electricity. For example, a standard three bedroomed home would require a wind turbine some twelve metres high with blades of five metres in diameter to produce enough electricity to become independent of the grid. Whilst this would reduce the annual carbon emissions from the property by some two and a half tonnes, this is clearly not practical for your average three bedroomed semi. There is also the energy cost in the manufacturing process of the actual turbine that should be set against the energy generated by the wind. Domestic wind generators that sit on your roof can be bought for around $3000 (Ł1,500).
In an urban setting where the wind is generally flattened out by the surrounding buildings, fitting a domestic wind turbine becomes somewhat of a gesture as the wind energy generated can be negligible. You will also need planning permission and cooperative neighbours as some wind turbines can be noisy. Also not everyone likes the look of a wind turbine sat on a neighbour’s roof. Remember the outcry when satellite dishes started to appear everywhere!
The other thing to remember is that whilst wind is abundant, it is not consistent. If you want to store any excess energy you will need bulky batteries to do this. You can, however, sell your excess energy to your local electricity generating company, diverting your excess power into the National Grid. Don’t expect huge revenues form this as the times you are likely to produce excess energy will be few and far between.
That is not to say that wind energy should be discounted in a domestic situation.
As I have said before, it is imperative that we all reduce our carbon emissions in order to help reduce global warming. It is possible that you will save on fuel charges.
The best thing about generating your own clean fuel is that you know that you are doing your ‘bit’ for the environment – reducing fuel bills – saving the planet.
