A Downpour is the last thing we need IMHO . Steady soft rain to start , otherwise it will just run off and flood .
Trouble is, if it’s anything like it is in Somerset, a heavy downpour will just run off the fields into people’s houses. What we really need is a few days of light drizzle so the ground has a chance to soak it up. Can’t see us getting that though!
I've recently had a 4kw solar set up installed at home, and looked into battery storage - £2500 for the battery and a lifespan of < 10 years just didn't add up for me so am looking at other options. One is to install a controller that diverts spare generated electricity to my immersion heater during the day - the tank is very well insulated and will keep the tankful hot overnight so if my sums are correct, I won't need to run my oil fired boiler during the summer months to produce hot water for showers etc which saves money and reduces carbon footprint. Plus I still get paid for generating electricity even though I'll be using it during the day. My monthly electric bill is now under £30 so happy thus far. Tesla roof PV system is over complicated, overpriced and not as efficient as solar panels so Mr Musk needs to do some work on his prices before that will replace solar panels. Heat batteries will be another thing which can make a massive difference to household costs and carbon footprint. https://www.sunamp.com The beauty of a heat battery is that they are easily integrated into most household central heating systems and don't degrade over time so the setup costs and maintenance are much lower than battery storage. I've always thought that hydrogen fuel cells were the way forward, but it isn't particularly efficient to use electricity to produce hydrogen in order to then generate electricity...we already have the national grid to get electricity to where it is needed without having to put in additional infrastructure like we would with hydrogen so I'm now firmly of the belief that fuel cell technology is a dead end solution and that the answer is to increase national green energy production and invest heavily in battery research to bring the costs and weight down, and hopefully improve the life span too. I'm watching out for industry innovation and development and will change what I can as and when each new solution becomes viable.
Hadn't seen this Jasper, will certainly think about trying to get tickets for Bristol though. Cheers for the heads up
Yes I paid about £12,000 about 4 years ago for a combined 4.5kW PV array and battery system, which resulted in my getting free electricity, as my bills over a year were completely offset by the feed-in tariff. Obviously I had to amortise the replacement costs of the batteries but it’s irrelevant now as I sold the house 2 years ago! I agree with you though, the main issue for me with lithium ion batteries is the mining of lithium, which is about the least green thing imaginable. We need a better battery technology urgently.
Evidence suggests that the Greek fire was started deliberately. 82 Confirmed dead, but this may rise.
Had a few rumbles around 6pm in BH12, very muggy and close now. Think come 2am the heavens will open. Need it clear for tomorrow evening for the Moon eclipse and blood red moon
******Warning Geek Alert: 1 hour 43 mins and 35 seconds long - the longest this century (out of the 85 that will occur), starting at around 8:50pm when the moon rises EDIT: Sunset in poole is 9:01pm tomorrow, so be dark around 9:40pm, so about halfway through the lunar eclipse
