We have spent some enjoyable time on several projects to make us more eco-friendly and green living. None of them are going to save the planet, but every little help. Renewable energy is certainly going to become more important in the future, particularly using small-scale installations. Some of these projects are not strictly Alternative Technology, but here is a brief description of each of them, in the hope that you might be inspired to try some yourself, have fun and do your bit for the environment.
- Solar Power – I have three photovoltaic panels mounted at roof level providing electricity to charge a large carbon fiber battery bank in my workshop.
- Grid Tie – How we can feed our own renewable energy back into the electricity grid.
- Solar Thermal – My new solar hot water system
,using evacuated tubes on a west facing roof. - Big Solar PV – I have finally taken the plunge and invested in a professionally installed 4kWp photovoltaic grid-tied system.
- Wind Power – I have a small wind generator in the garden which also charges the battery in my workshop.
- Standby Lighting – The battery in my workshop is used to provide standby AC and DC lighting for the house.
- 12 Volt Lighting – If you don’t want to, or can’t use mains electricity, this could be the way to go.
- Emergency Generator – A medium sized petrol generator provides an emergency electricity supply for the whole house.
- Hybrid Car – I own a revolutionary Toyota Prius petrol/electric hybrid car.
- Chicken Keeping – We keep several hens in the garden to provide us with delicious organic eggs.
- Garden Water Pump – Water is pumped from a shallow well to provide water for the garden lawn and plants.
- Rainwater Recycling – This is our method of using rainwater to flush two toilets in the house.
- Loft Insulation – I have upgraded the insulation of the house by increasing the thickness of the loft insulation.
- Solar Water Feature – We use energy from the sun to power a relaxing water feature.
- Wood Stove – There is a nice cozy wood stove for heating the lounge.