The UK green energy podcast covering everything from solar panels to sustainability, and doing it all with a cup of tea.
Episodes
Monday Sep 16, 2019
Monday Sep 16, 2019
The Green Room: What happens when you put two energy experts in a room and ask them how to prepare for winter? The weather is starting to cool a little, and we want you to be prepared. In this episode we take you through the best things you can do to save money on your heating and electric bills this winter. We also discuss some of the funding schemes you may be able to benefit from.
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THE GREENAGE’S TOP TIPS TO SAVE MONEY THIS WINTER
- Get your boiler serviced before everyone else. A healthy boiler will serve you well all winter.
- Invest in a cylinder jacket for your hot water tank so that your hot water stays hotter for longer. It’s worth insulating cold water jackets too to prevent them from freezing.
- Bleed your radiators to ensure you get them working at maximum efficiency
- Get to know your thermostat controls, and make sure all your radiators have thermostatic valves
- Lag (insulate) your pipes to keep you hot water hot, save money, and prevent them freezing
- Replace your lightbulbs with LEDs. Don’t wait until they blow, you’ll save more money by switching now
- Draught proof your most frequently used rooms - consider doors, floors, and windows
- Check the links below for more information on government subsidies and assistance. Some are automatic but some require you to apply.
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Read more:
Warm Home Discount 2019/2020
Winter Fuel Payment
Ecoease
Low Energy Bulbs
Thermostatic Radiator Valves
Monday Sep 02, 2019
Monday Sep 02, 2019
The Green Room: What happens when you put two energy experts in a room and ask them about a plan to save the world? We've been doing our reading this week, looking at Project Drawdown, a research project based on halting climate change and saving our environment. On this episode, we're taking you through the top 10 most impactful global changes we could make.
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1: REFRIGERANT MANAGEMENT
89.74GT CO2-EQ reduction by 2050
Uknown Net Cost (Billion USD)
$-902.77 Savings (Billion USD)
2: WIND TURBINES (ONSHORE)
84.6GT CO2-EQ reduction by 2050
$1.23 Net Cost (Trillion USD)
$7.43 Savings (Trillion USD)
3. REDUCEDFOOD WASTE
70.53GT CO2-EQ reduction by 2050
Unknown Net Cost (USD)
Unknown Savings (USD)
4. PLANT-RICH DIET
66.11GT CO2-EQ reduction by 2050
Unknown Net Cost (USD)
Unknown Savings (USD)
5. TROPICAL FORESTS
61.23GT CO2-EQ reduction by 2050
Unknown Net Cost (USD)
Unknown Savings (USD)
6. & 7. EDUCATING GIRLS & FAMILY PLANNING
102.96 CO2-EQ reduction by 2050
Unknown Net Cost (USD)
Unknown Savings (USD)
8. SOLAR FARMS
36.9GT CO2-EQ reduction by 2050
$-80.6 Net Cost (Billion USD)
$5.02 Savings (Trillion USD)
9. SILVOPASTURE
31.19GT CO2-EQ reduction by 2050
$41.59 Net Cost (Billion USD)
$699.37 Savings (Billion USD)
10. ROOFTOP SOLAR
24.6GT CO2-EQ reduction by 2050
$453.14 Net Cost (Billion USD)
$3.46 Savings (Trillion USD)
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Read more:
Monday Aug 05, 2019
Monday Aug 05, 2019
What happens when you put two energy experts in a room and ask them what the are with renewable energy? This week, we're playing devil's advocate. We love renewable energy, but this weeks episode is all about understanding how it works, and what limitations we have to work around if the UK is truly going to become carbon neutral.
If you want to know more about the current state of renewable energy in the UK, go to Episode 21, where we take you through where our renewable energy actually comes from.
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INTERMITTENCY
Without a doubt, the biggest problem with mainstream renewable energy is intermittency. Wind power is only generated when it’s windy, solar power is only generated when it’s sunny. This creates several fundamental issues.
SPACE & EFFICIENCY
Here’s the thing about most renewable forms of energy: they’re horribly inefficient. That’s why we need huge solar farms and hundreds of wind turbines and massive biocrop fields. One of the issues, if you think about scaling up our renewables, is where we’re going to put them.
COST
One of the great things about renewable energy is that the sun, the wind, and water currents are all free. That means that, theoretically, these kinds of technologies are one-time costs. In reality, the initial outlay can be huge and the continued costs can be far more than you might expect.
ENVIRONMENT & CLIMATE CHANGE
By far the biggest argument for switching to renewable energy is that we need to save the planet and stop relying on technologies that poison our atmosphere. But what is the carbon footprint of building a wind turbine, or transporting biofuel, or disposing of a defunct solar panel? And what is the impact on the local environment?
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Read more:
Where Does UK Renewable Energy Come From?
Introduction to Solar PV
Introduction to Wind Turbines
Introduction to Hydroelectric Power
Levelised Cost of Energy (LCOE)
The Truth About Nuclear Power
Swansea Tidal Lagoon Redesign
Germany’s energy consumption and power mix in charts
Falling costs of solar panels
Friday Jul 26, 2019
Friday Jul 26, 2019
What happens when you put two energy experts in a room and ask them how the UK makes its renewable energy? In our latest episode, we dig deep into the numbers and recent trends, and take you through all of the UK’s biggest renewable energy sources. We check out their benefits and drawbacks, and how the government plans to increase our renewable energy generation in the coming years.
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Friday Jul 05, 2019
Friday Jul 05, 2019
What happens when you put two energy experts in a room and ask them.... well, whatever you want? We've once again put your questions to James and Nick, from Government grants to ground source heat pumps. For more energy saving Q&A, see Episode 10!
Check the description to jump to the questions you'd like to hear answered.
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Thursday Jun 27, 2019
Thursday Jun 27, 2019
What happens when you put two energy experts in a room and ask them all about electric cars? This week we're going through the many different kinds of electric vehicles, with all of their pros and cons. From Tesla to Toyota, from hybrids to hydrogen cells, we take you through everything you need to know about electric vehicles; how they work, and which type is right for you.
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Thursday Jun 20, 2019
Thursday Jun 20, 2019
What happens when you put two energy experts in a room and ask them to get to the bottom of nuclear power. We take you through all the big questions of nuclear power. Doesn’t nuclear waste harm the environment? Isn’t nuclear power expensive? Aren’t nuclear plants dangerous? GreenAge, are you crazy?! We’re discussing it all.
Read the rest of this entry »Friday May 31, 2019
Friday May 31, 2019
What happens when you put two energy experts in a room and ask them their top tips for energy saving this summer? The weather is hotting up and so are we as we ask what are the best ways to stay cool and save energy in these (sometimes) sunny months, which energy-saving renovations are best done now, and what projects you can do yourself. We also discuss some more.... experimental ideas 😂
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Friday May 17, 2019
Friday May 17, 2019
What happens when you put two energy experts in a room and ask them what is replacing the Feed-in Tariff? The Smart Export Guarantee is a new policy that the government has announced to force energy companies to create competitive export tariffs for renewable energy. It's a big change for the industry and we have a lot of opinions about it!
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Monday May 13, 2019
Monday May 13, 2019
What happens when you put two energy experts in a room and ask them to explain the mysterious world of U-values? Oh yes, you guessed it, this week we delve even deeper into the wonderful world of insulation calculations and what they mean for you. Why do you need a U-value and why doesn't it matter? More importantly, what is why and how do you figure it out?!
After that, we discuss the climate change protests sweeping the UK and James drops a B-bomb on Nick. You've been warned, watchers!