Thursday 28 December 2006

DIY Energy

I read in PC Plus this month that several corporations (including Microsoft and Google) have (or are in the process of) installed solar panel farms on the tops of their buildings. Microsoft's provides enough power for 500 homes, whereas Google's will power twice that many.

I say that it's about time!

Imagine if all businesses took that attitude. What would that do for climate change? What if all homes did that, too? Who would need fossil fuel other than for transport? Imagine if some enterprising sub-Saharan African nation (or even Saharan) created a huge solar farm? Of course, you don't just erect solar panels, you build low-cost housing underneath them. Think of it. They get little rain there, so the grid would always be pumping power during the daytime, storing for the night. A network of farms could power the entire continent with no pollution. There would be some with the fabrication of the panels and power exchange, but they'd get years of power with no consumables, other than for maintenance.

Put solar panels on every roof as well as a small (DIY) wind turbines for cloudy seasons, larger ones at the tops of tall buildings. We'd save money on our electrical bills and where there is a surplus, help power other's homes and businesses. We would pay mostly for the upkeep of the grid, and cut pollution considerably.

Then we could seriously consider hybrid cars...and there must be something that could be done to reduce aircraft emmissions.

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