Re generators.

If anyone is interested I can dig out and digitise the drawings I produced for a friend too far from the grid here in rural France.

It consists of an 8kw diesel generator, a 2.5kw inverter with deep cycle batteries and a 1000 litre fuel tank. It has been running for the last 6.5 years with only standard maintenance on the engine.

In this setup the inverter is the key element as it does all the switching and generator starting. The particular inverter also has provision for mains power bypass and auto takeover on mains fail.

Philip Bratby 9.33am enquired about my generator set up.
1. 2.2KW chinese made petrol generator (£199) to which I added 12" of flexible stainless steel exhaust to pass through garage wall to outside.
2. Called in electrician to fit 60A changeover switch next to consumer unit. Has to be 60A because in normal non generator use the household load passes through it. Cost £100
3. Fitted a blue 230v input socket to the body of the 60A switch.
4. Added fuel additive (lawnmower shop) to prolong life of fuel in tank which holds enough to run 13 hours.
5. Hang length of blue 13A cable complete with end fittings in garage next to generator.
6.When mains fails run out cable, connect and throw changeover switch having first ensured no heavy load is running.
7. Manage supply according to following loads, total not to exceed 2000VA

TV and Sky box 160VA
Computer etc 180VA
Freezer max (starting) 850VA
Central heating pump 60VA
Lights 500VA?
Fridge start 950VA Run 80VA

Plans for carbon-capture power station abandoned
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2012/jun/26/plans-carbon-capture-power-station-abandoned

Environmental Campaigners are pleased that a coal fired power station is not being built:

Environmentalists welcome Ayrshire Power's withdrawal of plans for coal-fired station at Hunterston due to financial concerns.

Controversial plans to build a major coal-fired power station in Ayrshire using unproven "clean coal" technology have been abandoned, to the delight of environmental campaigners.

While we can be content that money will not be wasted on CCS because the technology has not been proved.

Several major pilot projects, including a £1bn scheme to retrofit CCS at Longannet power station in Fife, have been cancelled in the last few years because of doubts over their financial and technical viability.

It is only the consumers who are being left out in the cold!

Some hand-wringing here about a scientist at Sao Paulo having the temerity to teach scepticism about AGW:

Climate Denial Hits Brazil

I wonder how the doom merchants will prevent us from benefiting from this good news:

LEDs are bringing a lighting revolution to our cities not seen since the days of Thomas Edison. The quantum dynamics that create light in the LED semiconductor represent as much of a technology step change as the move from candles to incandescent lamps in the 19th century.

LEDS OFFER ADVANCES IN

——Efficiency. Energy savings from 50% to 70% compared with conventional technologies result in similar cuts to carbon emissions.

——Controllability. Superior control over light color, intensity and direction allows novel lighting system designs that can deliver a wide range of social co-benefits. Outdoor LEDs offer improved visibility for pedestrians and traffic, as well as reduced light pollution. Indoor LED smart control systems have been shown to improve student behavior and study performance. And when smart controls allow LEDs to dynamically change lighting levels in response to conditions, total system energy savings can reach up to 80%.

——Lifespan. Well-designed LEDs are expected to last for 50,000 to 100,000 hours or more. Lifespans can be extended even further by coupling LEDs with smart controls.

The report concentrates on street lighting, a massive energy consumer responsible for up to three percent of world electricity demand, but including total lighting demand, the strategic implications are significant:

The numbers are big. Lighting worldwide accounted for 19% of grid-connected electricity generation and 9% of global energy use in 2006. The 6% of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions attributed to lighting is equivalent to 70% of the emissions from the world’s passenger vehicles.In the United States alone, cutting the energy used by lighting by 40% would save US$53 billion in annual energy costs, and reduce energy demand equivalent to 198 mid-size power stations