The ESB did not burn Book of Kells!

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No the ESB did not burn the Book of Kells
but they did something almost as insane,
they burned our precious irreplacable
peat bogs!!!

Now that is INSANITY

ESB Burning Book of Kells

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ESB Energy Policy?

Yerra lads just burn that old book - it'll make a bit of heat.
Sure they can't fire us - we have jobs for life and twice the pay!!



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Compulsory Battery Storage for Wind Farms?

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Compulsory Battery Storage?

Does Ireland need to make it compulsory for all wind farms to install Redox type battery storage in order to eliminate power fluctuations?

If wind generators had a sufficient degree of storage attached to them, they would be able to even out power demand v/s power generation. Much of the energy generated by windmills happens during the late night and early hours of the morning when there is a low demand for power. Then at breakfast time there are huge surges in the call for power with everyone switching on their toasters, kettles, coffee makers, radios, and heating systems. If the wind farms had say storage for even a half hour of power, they would be able to deal with most demand surges.

The ESB have been farting-on about the difficulties of wind power fluctuations - without of course actually doing much or indeed anything at all about it. If all wind farms had to install some sort of storage, even to the extent of 15 minute of rated output, it would even-out many of the power balancing problems - and shut the ESB up.

We could then aim for 100% wind power if we wanted.

Plurion, as Scottish company have developed the Redox flow battery to new levels of reliability and output. They have a very promising looking product indeed. Should we be looking in this direction??




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Airtricity Building US National Security

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Are we Irish Complete Gobshites?

Irish firm Airtricity buys $330 million worth of Wind Turbines for installation in Texas. This company are thriving and expanding in the US. They are strengthening the US national security by lessening its dependence on oil.

Why in heavens name are we not using this resource in Ireland? The policy makers are so shortsighted. The ESB is completely blind. We need the wind farm installation now.

Ireland could be 100% wind powered if we had the will to do so. With new battery storage systems coming on stream, it takes away the ESB's lame excuse of power fluctuations.

We are losing jobs and national security to the USA.


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Fuel Cells Chosen by Fujitsu

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Fuel Cells Better Alternative Energy?

Fujitsu wanted to go with alternative energy at their industrial site in Sunnyvale, California. They didn't go with solar or wind power like many other companies have, instead they chose to go with fuel cells.

They have installed a stationary fuel cell system, which they say, is more reliable than solar or wind energy, and needs a lot less space.

Fuel Cell Energy is a company that produce industrial size fuel cell installations. One of their 300Kilowatt installations only requires 37 feet by 29 feet of space. The cell can be run on anaerobic digester gas or natural gas.

I wonder how the costs compare with solar and wind?



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Ecowatts, Airoption now PowerGard!

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A Gizmo from the US that is said to save 10% Electricity

A gizmo that is supposed to store inductive fluctuations in mains current and feed it back into the system. They are claiming a 10% saving in power.

I have heard of such devices on a much larger scale for factories etc. I am doubtful of this type of device to say the least.

From PowerGard advertising:

What POWERGARD?

The POWERGARD is new, innovative device that filters the supply voltage while improving the efficiency and power factor of the electricity consumed in a home by electrical appliances. It's purpose is to save wasted electricity in homes. You can use it 24 hours a day all year round without increasing electricity expenses.

(A bit of a strange statement given it is supposed to save you 10%)

The amount of energy that can be saved depends on factors such as the type of electrical appliances used (i.e. air conditioning, garbage disposal unit..), the amount of electrical used and even the location of the home. Homes near shops, restaurants and light industries, where voltage supply is unstable and may fluctuate, will see higher savings. In addition to extending the life span of appliance motors, the POWERGARD also reduces the reactive power generated by inductive loads. This helps utility companies by eliminating interference to the community power supply.

The POWERGARD is a next generation device has been professionally tested and checked for compliance with International Safety Standards.

How much can I expect to save per month by using the POWERGARD?

That depends on many factors; the size of your home, the amount of inductive motor load, and the amount you are paying per kilowatt-hour for electricity. It's not unusual for users of the product to see up to 10% and more in reduced consumption.

(notice it says "up-to 10%" - Like the signs in supermarkets which say from €1.99)

Cost?

AFAIK it costs $200 dollars. If it saved 10% of energy bills it would be great. Realistically you might be lucky and get a 1 to 2% saving.



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Steorn, Ecowatts, Airoption part of a Phenomena?

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I Wont Hold My Breath!

We are coming close to the end of an Era. The era of carbon fuels. At major turning points in history, which IMHO the end of carbon fuel represents, there have appeared unusual manifestations of the needs expressed by the coming changes.

Over recent years there have been a plethora of "energy" devices. Many of these claim output "Over Unity" or an output of heat or power greater than that put in. Like the idea put forwards in my blog entitles "How Long Des it take to Boil a Kettle?" These ideas are all suggesting that they can boil the kettle, so to speak, for one half or less of the electricity.

There are literally dozens of these claims in various form. From the guy who claims to run a car on water - I kid you not - the water is broken down into hydrogen and oxygen and the hydrogen used in the modified engine. But we all know it takes a hell of a lot of electricity to break down water - so where is the power gain.

Airoption have an underfloor heating system that defies the accepted laws of science by claiming to heat a very average house of 1800 sq feet for the whole year on €500 of electricity or mush less. Ecowatts have a kind of "immersion heater" thingy that they claim puts out between 2 and 5 time as much heat as is put in.

Steorn and before them Perendev and others have claimed to have a magnet motor that runs forever without power.

Now there is the possibility that somewhere along the line a chink exists in the laws of thermodynamics, or some modifying factor that everyone has to date overlooked but I have my doubts. Nevertheless, I keep an open mind - in fact I really hope that this is the situation but at the same time I will not hold my breath waiting for these devices to come into the local superstore.




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Ecowatts, Airoption Core Tech, is there a Link?

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Over-Unity Electrical Heating Claims
I hope some Prove Real

I have been reading recently on the Daily Mail about an electrical heating device that gives out much more heat than the electricity put in would normally give. The company announcing this device are called Ecowatts. LINK: http://ecowatts.com/ The managing director Ecowatts is Chris Davies, the company number is +44 (01206) 322496

The Daily Mail report can be read on their site at: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/technology/technology.html?in_article_id=481996&in_page_id=1965

The concept is said to have been developed by a man named Christopher Robert Eccles, Ecowatts acquired rights and developed the idea.

THE PLANS ARE ON-LINE

If you would like trying to build one of these devices, there is a set of plans (I have no idea about their validity or safety) and details on the following site: http://www.rexresearch.com/eccles/1eccles.htm

VERY INTERESTING

What I find very interesting is that there are a number of similarities between Ecowatts "Super Efficiency" or "Over Unity" claim and that of Airoption Ltd.

1. Both use electrical Heating.
2. Both claim 200 to 300% or more energy gain.
3. Both companies are in the Eco business.
4. Both companies are into control devices for the Eco business.
5. There is an Irish connection in both cases.

(Eco watts directors met Mr Eccles in Shannon according to the Daily Mail report.)




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Geothermal Heating Obsolete?

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Geo-thermal Heating Obsolete?

I have been thinking more about the Airoption Core Tech heating system. It would appear that the system, as the company says in their advertising, is essentially maintenance free. The running costs of €500 or even less per year for electricity match or improve on those of a geothermal system.

I would also imagine the cost of installing an underfloor electrical system are just a small fraction of that of installing a complex geothermal system. Additionally, geothermal systems use very expensive heat pumps which are very high maintenance. The pumps will require regular service and the replacement parts can be very expensive. Geothermal systems are unsuitable for small urban properties, whereas the Core Tech system could be fitted to most properties.

If the Airoption Core Tech system can be proved to work, it would make geothermal systems more or less obsolete.



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Airoption Core Tech Staggering Claim

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Comment on the Airoption Core Tech Heating Claim


I wish Airoption Ltd well with their Core Tech heating. I sincerely hope that they have in fact got what they believe they have.

The Airoption Core Tech claim is just so important, big, staggering, mind-blowing (no amount of adjectives can really point to the implications and importance of this claim if proved). I personally hope they have stumbled upon some hidden principle of thermodynamics. And if they have, I hope that they will go national or international with it. It is too important not to.


In the National Interest

If they believe they have the means of heating homes for a third or less of the current cost, this claim is so important that it should go beyond the confines of one small company. This one fact would save the country BILLIONS in imported fuels. It therefore can be said that this heating efficiency claim is in the national interest if not the world's.

It should be researched at national or international level and developed, under licence of course, by nationally based and funded research facilities.

If this claim is proved by scientific study - it is way too important to keep it small, what with global warming and the world supply of carbon based fuels running out.




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Staggering Efficiency Claim Update

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Staggering Electrical Heating Efficiency Claim

I have made further contact with the company claiming the unusual high heating efficiency and got the door firmly slammed in my face. The company is Airoption Ltd. Their claim is published on their website at the following link: http://www.airoption.com/Products_Heating.html

It would appear that Airoption Ltd are somewhat sensitive to publicity and perhaps my off-the-wall approach has offended them. This is the essence of their latest response:

Hi,

... it appears that we are attracting the type of notice we don’t want. In view of this we will be making no further statements whatsoever in relation to our product or technology until such time as we see fit.

All information or other matters given are strictly proprietary and their publication or misrepresentation are forbidden.

We would thank you therefore to be careful in how you may represent or misrepresent all matters relating to Airoption Ltd.

Thank you,
Airoption Ltd



I am sorry that Airoption has taken such a defensive approach. In the light of this response I will remove all and any information they have published on their website or in their corrispondence with me. You can visit their site and judge for yourself.




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Extraordinary Heating Efficiency Claim

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I know you have been Waiting a While!!

I was hoping to have some information to share with you regarding the claim to heat an average 1800 sq ft house for the year on €500 worth of electricity or indeed less.

So far, I have not received the promised information and figures. If I don't get the information in the next few day, I will post the details of the company along with their published heating efficiency claim.

The reason I have held back on publishing, is that I had more or less given my word to wait for the official version of the claim.




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Strange Heat Effects

Is Science Being Made a Monkey?

Accepted Principles

In the light of this extrordinary claim of exceptional heating efficiency, (I am promised details by next Wednesday or Thursday) - I have been pondering some of the accepted principles of heating in the last few posts. At the same time, I have been trying to open my mind to non-standard thinking on heating.

One off centre idea that came to mind is the weird effect where boiling water freezes faster than cold water.

Not So Accepted Principle

Put two containers with equal amounts of water into the freezer, one boiling hot and one cold, they will both begin loosing heat to the freezer.

Contrary to general opinion, the hot water most likely will freeze first. You would expect the cold water to be the first to freeze simply because it has less heat to lose.

The phenomenon has been studied a lot with many experiments. It has been known for centuries, and was written about by several famous commentators such as Bacon, and Descartes. Modern science didn’t take any notice until 1969 when a Tanzanian high school student named Mpemba brought it to light.

Scientific study has a long history of ignoring awkward effects. “If it doesn’t fit our principles – it cannot exist” was their war cry.

The story of young Mr. Mpemba and his “re-discovery” of an awkward scientific fact gives us a darn good parable about not making snap judgements about what is possible or impossible.




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