Ecotricity goes after the 'Big 6'

The following video from Ecotricity is a fun one that pokes a stick at the Big 6. Worth a watch....

One point I would say is that I wish it was as easy as the video portrays at the end to put up a wind turbine!

i8 - Pleasing on the Eye

This is a commercial for the futuristic but under development for the real world BMW i8 plug-in hybrid...I have little doubt it will sell well if it looks as good as it does in this video!

Carbon floored....

In the week when UK emissions are reported to be up 3.1% it is disappointing to hear that the UK’s setting of a carbon floor of £25.00 per tC will have a potentially negative impact as power producers will ship generation elsewhere, meaning that emission levels will remain the same and the national economy will be adversely impacted by the move.


The Government’s Energy and Climate Change Select Committee announced the findings and stressed that the UK Government would be better served to make the EU Emissions Trading Scheme work more effectively than to try and do something on its own.

It is widely held that the value of carbon is too low and some form of underpinning is necessary to drive emission reductions, it is just such a shame that the ideal solution has yet to be found. It’s also a shame the the UK Government’s efforts to prop up the value of this ‘stock’ could be a hindrance rather than a help.

PV Breakthrough?

Terrific news has emerged in the last few days of a performance breakthrough for photovoltaics. Two companies in the US have hit new highs in terms of efficiency of solar panels.

Alta Devices have stated their standard pv panels now achieve 23.5% efficiency whilst Semprius have announced their concentrated pv systems (using lenses to enhance the light) hit 33.9% output.
This is an incredible performance and here's hoping both companies are able to make these panels commercial realities. Intriguingly their use of gallium arsenide has been key. Although dearer than silicon, it does have better electronic properties... as evidenced by their performance figure announcement.