Wednesday 23 January 2008

EU reveals energy plan of action

European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso has announced "historic" plans to make Europe "the first economy for the low-carbon age".

He said Europeans wanted "a vision and a plan of action" against climate change and the measures would cost 3 euros (£2.10) a week for every citizen.

The aim would be a 20% cut in the EU's greenhouse gas emissions by 2020, which could rise to 30% with a global deal.

He told the European Parliament there was a cost, "but it was manageable".

'Not a bad deal'

Mr Barroso put the figure at 60bn euros a year until 2020: "a real commitment, but not a bad deal." It would mean a rise in electricity prices of 10-15% but there would be less reliance on energy imports.

He said work had to start to cut global emissions in half by 2050 and he said Europe could lead the way.

Addressing business critics who have complained that the proposals might drive industry away from the European Union, the commission president said energy-intensive industries would be given emission allowances free of charge.

He told MEPs the package was "not in favour of the environment and against the economy".

"We don't want to export our jobs to other parts of the world," he said.

Carbon allowances

Environmental groups believe the commission should be planning for the higher target of 30%.

"Scientists warn that a cut of at least 30% is required to prevent a climatic catastrophe," said Tony Juniper, director of Friends of the Earth UK.

"The solutions already exist. What we lack is political ambition and courage."


EU'S 20/20/20 VISION: KEY AIMS AND POTENTIAL CHALLENGES
"Zero emission" house. Image: PA
AIM: reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2020
AIM: reduction in energy imports, saving money and increasing energy security
AIM: world leadership in renewable energy technology
CHALLENGE: government and companies may try to weaken their emissions targets
CHALLENGE: some countries likely to find renewables targets very ambitious
CHALLENGE: wrangles likely over technicalities of ETS

Nations' reaction
Test your energy levels with our climate change quiz

The commission's proposals would see the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) extended to include more industrial sectors in the years between 2013 and 2020.

Apart from a few exempt industries, the power sector would lose the right to free emission allocations and have to buy all its permits at auction from 2013. Aviation and other industries would move gradually to a full auction.

Companies' carbon allowances would be decided at European level, replacing the current system where nations submit bids to the commission.

The aim would be to reduce allowances so that by 2020, emissions from the sectors included would be about 21% below the level they were when the ETS started in 2005.

For emissions not covered by the ETS, such as transport, buildings and agriculture, the commission has proposed national targets.

Richer nations would have to cut their emissions: the target for Denmark and the Irish Republic is a 20% reduction and the UK's is 16%. The poorest would be allowed to increase emissions, Bulgaria by 20% and Romania by 19%.

Carbon savings

Each country has been given a national target for renewable energy.

The UK's is 15%. Sweden which already has a thriving renewables industry has been given a tougher figure of 49%.

Graph showing greenhouse gas reduction targets

Countries would be allowed to trade investment in renewables facilities.

The target of powering 10% of Europe's road transport with biofuels has been retained.

But the Commission has drawn up a set of criteria designed to ensure the fuels used bring carbon savings of at least 35% compared to petrol or diesel, without causing other environmental problems

Before the commission's proposals are adopted, they will have to be endorsed by MEPs and member states. The final package might not come into force before the end of 2009.

Source - bbc

Tuesday 22 January 2008

Thanks for the feedback

Thanks to all the companies in UK / Africa / US / Far-east and other parts of the world for your emails, link exchange and comments on the site and the products as a whole.

Much apperciated will keep the good work and spread the word.


Tony

Solar energy 'revolution' brings green power closer

The holy grail of renewable energy came a step closer yesterday as thousands of mass-produced wafer-thin solar cells printed on aluminium film rolled off a production line in California, heralding what British scientists called "a revolution" in generating electricity.

The solar panels produced by a Silicon Valley start-up company, Nanosolar, are radically different from the kind that European consumers are increasingly buying to generate power from their own roofs. Printed like a newspaper directly on to aluminium foil, they are flexible, light and, if you believe the company, expected to make it as cheap to produce electricity from sunlight as from coal.

Yesterday Nanosolar said its order books were full until mid-2009 and that a second factory would soon open in Germany where demand for solar power has rocketed. Britain was unlikely to benefit from the technology for some years because other countries paid better money for renewable electricity, it added.

"Our first solar panels will be used in a solar power station in Germany," said Erik Oldekop, Nanosolar's manager in Switzerland. "We aim to produce the panels for 99 cents [50p] a watt, which is comparable to the price of electricity generated from coal. We cannot disclose our exact figures yet as we are a private company but we can bring it down to that level. That is the vision we are aiming at."

He added that the first panels the company was producing were aimed for large- scale power plants rather than for homeowners, and that the cost benefits would be in the speed that the technology could be deployed. "We are aiming to make solar power stations up to 10MW in size. They can be up and running in six to nine months compared to 10 years or more for coal-powered stations and 15 years for nuclear plants. Solar can be deployed very quickly," said Oldekop.

Nanosolar is one of several companies in Japan, Europe, China and the US racing to develop different versions of "thin film" solar technology. It is owned by internet entrepreneur Martin Roscheisen who sold his company to Yahoo for $450m and, with the help of the founders of Google, the US government and other entrepreneurs in Silicon Valley, has invested nearly $300m in commercialising the technology.

At the moment solar electricity costs nearly three times as much as conventional electricity to generate, but Nanosolar's developments are thought to have halved the price of producing conventional solar cells at a stroke.

"This is the world's lowest-cost solar panel, which we believe will make us the first solar manufacturer capable of profitably selling solar panels at as little as 99 cents a watt," said Roscheisen yesterday.

However, the company, which claims to lead the "third wave" of solar electricity, is notoriously secretive and has not answered questions about its panels' efficiency or their durability. It is quite open about wanting to restrict access to the technology to give it a market advantage.

source - scenta

New ehcarger and solar mobile charger online soon!

To all my customers new products will be online soon


Updating the site in a few weeks
Stay tuned

Saturday 19 January 2008

12 Simple Ways to Live a Green Lifestyle for 2008

"Focus on reducing your energy and water consumption and your waste generation, and you'll be on your way to reducing your footprint on the planet," says Malten.

1. Use fluorescent light bulbs. Yes, they're more expensive than incandescent light bulbs ($2 vs. $.50), but switch out your incandescent bulb for compact fluorescent bulbs (CFLs) in your house, and you could save up to 30 percent on your energy bill.

"According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's ENERGY STAR program, CFLs use about 75 percent less energy than incandescents and last 10 times longer," says Malten. "This, on average, results in $30 savings for the life of the bulb."

2. Keep your car in excellent condition. Of course, it's best to walk, bicycle, carpool or use mass transit for your daily commuting, but for those who must use their own vehicles, improving even the most inefficient of cars' fuel mileage is as easy as keeping your tires properly inflated and changing your oil and air filters regularly. And follow those traffic laws — your car burns less fuel when you drive slowly and obey the speed limit on highways.


3. Make sure your dishwasher and clothes washer and dryer are full before using them. The aforementioned major appliances consume large amounts of energy, so reduce their use as much as possible by only running them with full loads.

If you're in the market for new appliances or other electronics, look for the ENERGY STAR label to purchase the most energy efficient models available. "These appliances have been certified by a rigorous third-party review," says Malten. "In addition to saving energy and water consumption, they also will save consumers money."

4. Wash clothes in cold water and line dry. Using cold water rather than hot in the washer saves electricity and works just as well as hot with most clothes. Line drying not only is more environmentally friendly, but it also will keep clothes from shrinking and fading.

5. Shut down and unplug idle electronics. Your computer might be asleep, but if there's a light on, it's still using energy. Turn off and unplug your computer, printer, television, radio — any electronic device that you're not using.

6. Skip the bottled water. Sure, water is good for you, but the process of harvesting the raw materials, processing and manufacturing the petroleum-based plastic water bottles and shipping them to market is extremely energy intensive. So filter your own water and fill up your own reusable bottles for water on-the-go.

7. Supply your own bags and leftover containers. If you're headed to a restaurant that you know serves king-sized portions, bring a small piece of Tupperware along to take home the leftovers, and keep one fewer Styrofoam container from the landfill pile. Going to the supermarket? Opt out of the paper/plastic debate and bring your own canvas tote bags.

"Although many supermarkets recycle used plastic bags, the process still requires much energy to be used to transport and process the materials," says Malten. "Not only are reusable bags more sustainable, they are also becoming more of the norm, especially as more municipalities around the country are adopting zero-waste goals and banning the use of plastic bags."

8. Buy items with less packaging, and with packaging that your community recycles. It's convenient to buy snack crackers already divided into even, individual portions in plastic bags, but that creates much more waste packaging than just buying the full box.

"The old adage of reduce, reuse, recycle remains apropos," says Malten. "We must remind ourselves that the first step is always to reduce our demand of natural resources."

9. Support local farmers. Food grown or produced halfway around the world didn't just appear in the supermarket — it was shipped by plane, boat, truck or rail, and no matter which method of transportation it took, greenhouse gases were emitted along the way. Pick the apple grown in your state instead of the banana grown in another country.

10. Plant a tree in your backyard. It seems simple, but just one tree can offset tons of carbon over its lifetime. If planted appropriately, it also will provide shade on a sunny day, perhaps reducing the use of energy for air-conditioning in buildings and homes.

"While reducing energy will cut our carbon emissions, it also is important to restore more natural 'sinks' that capture carbon," Malten says. "Planting trees and perennials are an easy place to start."

11. Try used products first. Need a couch? Check newspaper classifieds or craigslist.com to see if you can find an acceptable used option before going to a showroom to buy a new one, which will have required both energy and materials to make and ship.

12. Ask about green power. Many utility companies offer renewable energy options, which is power generated by wind or solar energy.

"For those who are unable to install renewable energy equipment on their homes or businesses, many energy utilities offer programs that allow consumers to support the growth of the renewable energy markets in the United States by paying a small price premium," says Malten. "This is not an option for everyone, but it is one way to help spur the market for renewable energy technologies."

Source - sciencedaily

Tuesday 1 January 2008

HAPPY NEW YEAR FOR 2008 - AFRICA is going into darkness

Currently, 1.7 billion people worldwide are without electricity. The problem is most acute in Sub-Saharan Africa where over 500 million people presently lack modern energy, with rural electricity access rates as low as 2%.

Among the poorest of the poor, lighting is often the most expensive item among their energy uses, typically accounting for 10-15% of total household income. Yet, while consuming a large share of scarce income, fuel based lighting provides little in return.


for more information go to lighting africa