Using Appropriate Technology for Sustainable Economic Development
The goal of Appropriate Technology (AT) is to increase the standard of living for the developing world without requiring excessive resources and to use sustainable materials appropriate to the cultural aspects of the local community. Appropriate Technology is one step beyond the basic concept of sustainable development because it is culturally sensitive and does not...
Ground Source Heating: A Warmly Welcomed Innovation
When we think about getting hear from the ground we probably imagine geothermal energy; large magma chambers miles underground powering geysers and hot springs, or being tapped to generate electricity through steam turbines. But living next to a volcano can be a risky proposition and might be seen as an extreme way to get cheap...
How is Biodiesel Made?
Biodiesel is an alternative fuel made from renewable sources. Compared to petroleum, it burns cleanly and can be burned by itself or combined with diesel to make a biodiesel/petroleum blend. It is derived from feedstocks such as soybeans, corn and sugarcane. There are several means of producing biodiesel, the batch model being most common. Supercritical...
Where Does Plastic Come From?
Plastics are polymers (large molecules), made of long chains of smaller molecules, which are called monomers. Plastics are produced by polymerization, where millions of monomers are joined together to form a polymer chain. Much of the plastic we use is derived from petrochemicals, although plastic from plants (mainly corn starch) can be made. These are...
Wind Power for Homes
Most people only think of wind power as large-scale electricity generating projects- wind farms. But, smaller scale options are available for the average family home. Home wind power is a viable option for those living in geographic areas with an average annual wind speed of at least 10 mps (4.5 m/s). Those individuals living...
Nuclear Fusion – Energy’s Holy Grail
There’s a saying amongst nuclear physicists – ‘it’ll be 50 years before we crack nuclear fusion; and we’ve been saying it for the past 50 years’. This sums up the progress that has been made over the past decades in the search for energy’s Holy Grail. But finally progress is being made. Could controlled nuclear...
What Happens to Nuclear Waste?
When we talk of nuclear waste we imagine spent fuel from nuclear reactors. But many industries and even medical centers produce radioactive waste. What happens to it? There are two approaches to disposal. Dilution and dispersion is used for very low-level radioactive gases and liquids, which are released into the environment and then quickly...
Thorium – An Alternative Fuel for Nuclear Energy
Whatever your opinions on nuclear energy it’s unlikely to go away. Fossil fuels contribute to greenhouse gases, and are becomingly harder to exploit; energy security is an increasingly vexatious issue, and many renewable energy sources, although valuable, are often intermittent in their output. There’s no doubt we need an alternative to oil, coal and gas....
Windmill Power- an Old Fashion to Innovative Tech
Windmills conjure up romantic images of sails slowly turning amongst fields of wheat, the fabric sails gently rustling in the soft breeze. Or of course there’s Don Quixote riding at them on his horse and his trusty sidekick Sancho Panza looking on in despair. Or of Dutch mice running up and down them in clogs....
About Smart Grids
The electric power grid is a miracle of engineering. It supplies our homes with electricity 24 hours a day, seven days a week and rarely breaks down. But it has been around a long time – over a century – and is starting to creak at the seams. Much of it still relies on mechanical...
Hydrogen Powered Cars- Vechicles of the Future?
Hydrogen is the most abundant element in the universe. It powers the sun and is used a rocket propellant by NASA. Imagine if it could power your car. The benefits of using hydrogen as a fuel read like a wish list for the perfect fuel. It burns cleanly and produces no harmful by products...
Smart Electricity Meters Reveal Usage Habits
With the development of the smart energy grid comes the rollout of smart meters – a device which monitors your energy usage, giving you real time data and helping you optimize the energy you use. Smart meters will replace your existing meter. You can’t install them yourself – this has to be...