I am doing some research on the costs of PV solar. Is there a scenario where solar PV becomes very very cheap? As cheap as say glass or wood. Could we get to a stage where solar is ‘dirt cheap’ and everyone starts fitting it to their houses?

What would happen then? The price of houses may rise compared to flats with no available space for solar PV. Demand for energy would fall - at least on sunny days. The demand for batteries would rise. The cost of scaffolding would rise. Planning permission would need to be waved so not to upset thousands of homeowners. Landlords including Local Authorities would need to respond to ensure no part of the community was disadvantaged.

Central power generation and the electricity network would need to be more flexible to meet the volatility in demand.

Oh what a world - so should we go for it? What say instead of investing billions in nuclear we invested in bringing down the price of solar PV and improving its efficiency.

What companies would benefit from such a world - the manufacturers, utility companies, installers, etc.

With a wholesale move to solar the world could be a very different place - not least in the view of the skyline across London.

We all know that saving energy makes sense - saving money, saving the planet, etc. we also know that there are loads of tips out there. My job now is to get all those tips - and a few of my own - in one place. Do you want to help? Whether the tips are for the home, transport or buisiness I would like to hear from you. So please post your tips below in the comments box…many thanks. Naturally everyone that contributes will get a free copy of my ebook.

I don’t think so….plenty of oil left but it is not always where the users want it….. Higher prices  - I guess so but let’s hope that demand growth is restricted and maybe demand will even fall.  As they say necessity is the mother of invention so the higher the oil prices the more likely that renewable energy will develop economically .

That’s right, the sun can heat and cool your home and reduce its energy use. More importantly, the energy from the sun can make your home comfortable year round.
There are two types of solar design systems -passive and active.
Homes constructed as passive solar design use the natural movement of heat and air to maintain comfortable temperatures, operating with little or no mechanical assistance. It’s called passive solar because the design of the home maximizes the benefits it receives from the sun with standard construction features. Passive solar takes advantage of local breezes and landscape features such as shade trees and windbreaks, and uses a simple system to collect and store solar energy with no switches or controls.
On the other hand, active solar systems use mechanical devices such as pumps and fans to move heat from collectors to storage or from storage to use. Photovoltaic panels that collect solar energy, turning it into electricity, are also considered an active solar system.
Although, building a passively designed solar home takes careful planning, the task is relatively simple - if you use the five basic solar design principles:
Orientation
Overhangs and shading
Insulation
Windows
Thermal Mass
Actually, the first four principles shouldn’t be reserved for only the passive solar home - they work well with any home, custom-built or tract. Passive design features, such as shading or insulation, can be used to improve your home without major renovation. Windows and thermal mass, however, are best done during new construction or major remodeling.
Passive systems can be built with different configurations of energy-saving features and a variety of conventional and unique architectural styles. Rather than being totally different, a carefully designed and constructed solar home is more of a “rearrangement” of the same construction materials needed to build any home. Most new homes in California, for example, are constructed on a concrete slab - one of the basic design elements of a passive solar house.

Building to take advantage of solar energy need not cost any more than building a comparably sized non-solar conventional home. A home that is properly oriented, tightly constructed, well insulated, and has operable windows for air circulation is both comfortable for the occupants and easy on the wallet. You can call it passive design or just smart construction.

Yes I believe that the insurgency will end. Why? Well let’s look at history. There is no doubt that some areas of the world, including Iraq and Afghanistan, have a history of endless war and violence. But if we look at the more stable parts of the world for example Europe and India (the largest democracy on the planet) we can see that they too have a history of violence and war both civil and with neighbours.

Looking deeper we see that Great Britain was scared for hundreds of years leading up to the industrial revolution with endless wars between the small countries that now make up the United Kingdom - Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and England. From those desperate conflicts we saw the rise of democracy, social welfare and equality. Not I am afraid in a few weeks or months but arguably over hundreds of years.

I think that the Iraq question is about how outside powers can create the right environment for social, political (and perhaps religious) development. We cannot beat the insurgence unless we kill them all and then kill some more. So we need to create the right political, social and economic fabric in which the people of Iraq can build their future.

We have seen the rebuilding of many war torn countries and regions Germany, Japan, Vietnam and the surrounding countries, Poland and India. Lets try to stop thinking about how to beat the insurgence think more about how we can build a society that meets the needs of its people and is at peace with its neighbours.

It’s not easy going green as they say but there are plenty of books to help you on your journey. We have listed four great books that contain detailed information from wind power to chickens.

Ground source heat pumps (GSHP) transfer heat from the ground into a building to provide space heating and, in some cases, pre-heating domestic hot water. For every unit of electricity used to pump the heat, 3-4 units of heat are produced. As well as ground source heat pumps, air source and water source heat pumps are also possible.

The main elements of a GSHP are:

Ground loop - comprises lengths of pipe buried in the ground, either in a borehole or a horizontal trench. The pipe is usually a closed circuit and is filled with a mixture of water and antifreeze, which is pumped round the pipe absorbing heat from the ground.

Heat pump - although we may not know it heat pumps are very familiar to us - fridges and air conditioners are both examples. A heat pump has three main components:

1. Evaporator - (e.g. the squiggly thing in the cold part of your fridge) takes the heat from the water in the ground loop;

2. Compressor - (this is what makes the noise in a fridge) moves the refrigerant round the heat pump and compresses the gaseous refrigerant to the temperature needed for the heat distribution circuit. Condenser, (the hot thing at the back of your fridge) gives up heat to a hot water tank that feeds the distribution system;

3. Heat distribution system - consists of under floor heating or radiators for space heating and in some cases water storage for hot water supply.

Three options are available for the ground loop: borehole, straight horizontal and spiral horizontal (or ’slinky’). Each has different characteristics allowing you to choose the most suitable for your property. Horizontal trenches can cost less than boreholes, but require greater land area. For slinky coil, a trench of about 10m in length will provide for about 1kW of heating load.

The installed cost of a typical 8kW system varies between £6,000 and £10,000 plus the cost of the distribution system. Naturally costs are dependent on property and location so the cost for a system for your home may different to the estimate above.

The efficiency of a GSHP system is measured by the Coefficient of Performance (CoP). This is the ratio of the number of units of heat output for each unit of electricity input used to drive the compressor and pump for the ground loop. Typical CoPs range between 2.5 to 4. The higher end of this range is for under floor heating, because it works at a lower temperature (30-35C) than conventional radiators.

Based on current fuel prices, assuming a CoP of 3-4, a GSHP can be a cheaper form of space heating than oil, LPG and electric storage heaters. It is however more expensive than mains gas. If grid electricity is used for the compressor and pump, then an economy 7 tariff usually gives the lowest running costs.

You should consider the following issues if you are considering a ground source heat pump. An accredited installer will be able to provide more detailed advice regarding suitability.

· The type of heat distribution system. GSHPs can be combined with radiators but under floor heating is better as it works at a lower temperature.
· Is there space available for a trench or borehole to accommodate a ground loop?
· Is the ground material suitable for digging a trench or borehole?
· What fuel is being replaced? If it is electricity, oil, LPG or any other conventional fossil fuel the payback will be more favourable. This makes heat pumps a good option for off gas grid areas.
· Do you want to be 100% renewable? If so, purchase green electricity, or install solar PV or some other form of renewable electricity generating system to power the compressor and pump.
· Do you require a back up heating system?
· Is there also a cooling requirement?
· Is the system for a new building development? Combining the installation with other building works can reduce costs.
· Can you incorporate insulation measures? Including wall, floor and loft insulation will reduce your heat demand.

Visit the energybook marketplace to find great wind power products, books and more. Place you products on the marketplace.

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Here in he UK lots of people either burn wood or have the potential to burn wood to heat their homes. As oil and gas prices rise I expect the demand for wood to increase and if the laws of economics apply then the price will start to rise. This will be a great shame. What would be worse is if the price for biomass starts to rise just because oil and gas prices are rising - a quick buck to be earnt.

Interestingly unlike gas and oil that so many people heat their homes with wood is easy to store and transport. There are many sources from old pallets to logs in bags at the local DIY store. Will we see more sources of supply coming to the market. Will we once again see smoke rising from the chimneys of houses across Britain?

I would welcome peoples’ views on this.

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Biomass fuel briquette production, environmental conservation and income generation for sustainable development.

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Are we getting back to the 1970s when the high energy prices started the alternative energy movement? I think it was then that people started making their own energy devices again - wind, solar and biomass. The innovation was wonderful. Too often we see high priced products that just won’t pay and are difficult to maintain. (In my opinion sustainable living is not just about buying an expensive piece of equipment off of the shelf….but then again anything that helps is welcome. )With a low cost DIY project you can get the energy you need at a low cots, recycle parts around you, and have some great fun too!!