Alternative Energy Sources For Homes Natural gas and electricity are the two most common providers of heat and light in today’s homes. These two commodities have been around so long it is difficult to imagine a world where they are replaced with an alternative. So far as we can see, on the scientific horizon at least, they wont be replaced either by some such method as zero point energy, which is energy created by the mechanical oscillations of quantum particles...Sound like science fiction ? Well, so far, yes it is still in the realms of science fiction and if it were possible today, would be hugely expensive to produce. But don’t despair, because In 1989 two chemists, Pons and Flieschman conducted an experiment and claimed to have determined a process of cold fusion. Fusion is a process that happens in the heart of stars, while fission is something that occurs in nuclear reactors. Both very big and at least one, very expensive! Neither a viable option for sole domestic use. Anyway, Pons and Flieschman rocked the world when they published the results of an experiment they conducted that produced energy, namely heat, at room temperature by using some noble materials and heavy water, through a process of fusion, which generated heat from a sustainable source at room temperature. It wasn't until the end of April that year when the experiment was conducted by independent bodies, that they were unable to achieve the same claimed results as Dr's Pons and Flieschman. The process was deemed flawed and the two chemists were discredited and that, by and large, was the end of the matter. The two chemists were, as far as their careers were concerned, finished and they faded into obscurity. Pons and Flieschman committed the cardinal sin of the scientific world by releasing the results to the press first instead of their scientific piers for review. Tut tut tut, off to scientist hell, never to return again! However, twenty years on, research is still being carried out and there have been some promising results, not just with cold fusion but with hot fusion also. Hot fusion has had more media coverage, probably because it doesn’t attempt to side line conventional physics. Phenomenal heat, Phenomenal pressure, incredible amounts of money and wallah, fusion! Cold fusion on the other hand requires a glass beaker, some deuterium, palladium, heavy water. Now this, I am led to believe, is an atomic reaction and not a chemical reaction and as such may or may not produce a rise in temperature of a few points of a degree over a couple or so weeks, depending on impurities and how it is measured. Non the less, there have been significant advances in researching cold fusion that some serious companies have invested some serious money in its continued research. Before you clasp your hands in delight at the thought of having a particle colliding, atom smashing, deuterium and palladium guzzling cold/hot fusion reactor at the bottom of the garden, you may want to consider some readily available, non-controversial alternatives to supplying you with electricity. Wind Turbines 40 of the electricity a household uses in a year. Costs for installing a solar electricity system vary a lot - an average system costs between 8,000 and 20,000, depending on its size and type. The more electricity the system can generate, the more it costs but the more it could save. Solar tiles cost more than conventional panels, panels built into a roof are more expensive than those that sit on top but, if you need major roof repairs, PV tiles can offset the cost of roof tiles. Savings can be considerable - around 1.2 tonne of CO2 a year, and around 250 off your electricity bill. A 2.5 kWp system could provide 50% of a household's yearly electricity needs. Maintenance is generally small - you'll need to keep the panels relatively clean and make sure trees don't begin to overshadow them. This article has barely scratched the surface of what is available to enable the home owner to produce their own electricity, there are other methods such as Hydrogen fuel cells, Bio fuel for generators, recycled cooking oil for generators...and so on. However, implementing these technologies is pointless unless your home is adequately insulated first. By contacting Saving Energy Ltd at www.savingenergyuk.co.uk we can ensure your energy supply investment is maximised to it's fullest potential. So before you consider supplying your own electricity, contact us first for a free, no obligation consultation.
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