Events and information on local energy issues.
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A Time Comes
This new film by internationally acclaimed director Nick Broomfield celebrates the spirit of direct action. It focuses on 6 Greenpeace volunteers who in 2008 were tried and acquitted for shutting down Kingsnorth power station in the UK, in protest at the government’s plans to build a new generation of dirty coal-fired power plants. Their thoughtfully staged defense included testimony from a NASA Director and leading climate scientist, and from environmentalist Zac Goldsmith.
Act on CO2
Find out how you can save energy and money here.
Fossil Fuels
As fossil fuels deplete Society will increasingly be required to live on out current account of energy. Just as we have lived on credit cards and mortgage loans in the past and these are drying up so will the oil, gas and coal fields.
Where as the Credit crunch, and credit crunch 2 that we are entering are man made manifestations by the banking elite to grab the remaining resources esp property and commodities from the citizens of the world (they lie when they say they didn’t see it coming – it is part of the plan). They now seem to be blackmailing governments around the world to bail out their fraudulent companies and make sure their golden parachutes are ready.
Energy depletion is now entering the geological phase when it will be physically impossible to increase production of just about everything therefore creating shortages and high prices across the board.
This means that living within our means from energy produced from the sun and the wind.
To this end I have been experimenting with commonly (for now ) available technology to power a typical dwelling in Whitstable.
Part of transition is making these decisions now while they are still options for as very soon the town will wake up and realise that business as usual was anything but.
The electrical generating system so far consists of an off grid hybrid solar PV / Wind generator setup with 240v pure sinewave output used to power the solar water heater pump, the tv and lights and the shed and garage and bread making.
The solar water heater consists of a 20 tube collector with a 200l twin coil tank and control system.
All in the systems produce 3kw per hour at peak between them.
Starting with the water heater the results have been astounding bringing gas usage down to £5 a month during the summer, the water system in the house needed replacing any way so the £1200 cost was a no brainer. even on marginal days it pre heats the tank and it very precisely controls the boiler to top up if necessary. The winter is coming so further updates will be posted when the data comes through.
The Electric generator has also performed brilliantly with 5 months uninterrupted supply during the summer with only brief outages in the doldrums which can for days shade the panels and cause battery voltages to drop. Solar electric on a local scale does work, the wind turbine increases the up time of the system but could not replace the panels. If you are thinking of getting a turbine my advise is to invest in solar first then back it up with the wind. Electric bills are still running at 15£ a month but plans are afoot to increase the capacity of the system and add additional loads like the fridge.
Andy Hawk for Transition Town Whitstable 2008.
