Andasol’s produces 150 megawatts,  which is enough energy for a city of half a million inhabitants.  This prevents nearly 500,000 tons of CO2 from being pumped into the atmosphere per annum.

The Ukraine has another giant solar plant, 100 megawatts. Activ Solar GmbH say the Perovo Solar Power Park installation will produce 132,500 megawatt hours of electricity per year and will reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 105,000 tons per year.

Other giants include:

Canada’s Sarnia with 97 megawatts generating power,

Italy’s Montalto di Castro, which generates 84.2 megawatts

Germany’s Finsterwalde, which produces 80.7 megawatts of electricity.

Wikipedia says  a 354 MW SEGS CSP installation is the largest solar power plant in the world, located in the Mojave Desert of California. Other large CSP plants include the Solnova Solar Power Station (150 MW) and the Andasol solar power station (150 MW), both in Spain. The 200 MW Golmud Solar Park in China, is the world’s largest photovoltaic plant.

The industry is warning that such a rapid and drastic cut will put the growth in solar installations at risk, along with around 25,000 jobs, there is likely to be a complete hiatus in demand between the date the reduced rates come in and the results of the consultation process are known, and many companies are likely to go to the wall.

The FiT makes solar installations more economical by providing guaranteed long-term prices for the electricity they produce.

Many companies are reporting a shortage of equipment as they try to install as many systems as possible prior to the 12th December cut off date. Debate rages about how the government can introduce a consultation process with the end set at the 23rd December, and the results being expected in February next year and yet the new rates are being introduced from the 12th December. Legal challenges, debates in the House and also within the EU Commission are expected as the industry tries to get this decision overthrown or at least the rate reduction deferred to the expected review date of the 31st March 2012.

To sign the online petition, visit http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/20912.

DECC is also holding a public consultation which can be found at http://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/consultations/fits_comp_rev1/fits_comp_rev1.aspx

A discussion thread has also been started on the AECB forum (http://www.aecb.net/forum/index.php/topic,3424.0.html) where members can share their opinions.

Ron Plascow, head of construction at Mills & Reeve, comments:
“As a firm, Mills & Reeve already shares a huge amount of knowledge with the construction industry and we are delighted to be able to add this new dedicated resource offering topical advice and updates.

“The launch of Practical Completion is particularly timely with the new Construction Act soon to come into force. We look forward to using this new platform to keep our clients, colleagues and readers well informed as the implications of the Act begin to unfold.”

Cob is a mixture of clay-rich subsoil with water and straw to create a substance akin to plastercine which is then used to build load-bearing walls which set like rock, forming a monolithic structure which has incredible strength. It can be found in patches across the UK and Ireland, depending on the subsoil available. Often the houses around the village pond will be cob, as the pond marks the hole from which the subsoil had been dug (and the clay levels needed for cob would be sufficient for the pond to hold water without the need for a liner). Provided, as the old cob builders used to put it, it has “a good hat and a good pair of boots” it should last indefinitely.

I found some nice pictures at polarbearstale.blogspot.com  

 

Eartherd World

Interesting video here with lots of different homes and here showing how you build them.

The NHS say:

The risk of fumes from modern household paints harming your baby is low. But it’s impossible to know exactly how small the risk is. This is because it’s very difficult to measure the substances and chemicals your body absorbs during activities such as painting.

Very little research has been carried out into the effects of paint fumes on unborn babies. However, the few studies carried out show that the risk is extremely low.

Any small risk there is to your baby is greatest during your first trimester (weeks 0-13). This is because your baby’s organs start to develop during the first trimester. Any harmful fumes or chemicals at this stage could affect your baby more severely.

Therefore, as a precaution it’s best to avoid painting and decorating until at least the 14th week of your pregnancy.

The device pictured will measure the temperature  where you point it. So on a cold day, when there is a large temperature difference I looked to see how well insulated my house was. And it did quite well, I couldn’t find any really cold spots.

Non-Contact IR Infrared Digital Thermometer with Laser from various places inclusing about £15 from ebay

on youtube here http://youtu.be/vs7hwS9RnUc

The eco toilets have dual flush, and waterless urinals.

The cabins are b rated, normally they are e. Elliot say they have an a rated one called solar but I cant see it on their website.

The 36-year-old, who last week won an 18-month struggle with planning authorities for permission to build a 40m-high wind turbine alongside his proposed new zero-carbon house set in rolling countryside near Bolton, Greater Manchester, has revealed that he will plough much of the revenue from a testimonial match next week against Juventus, which marks his retirement from the game after 400 appearances for United and another 85 for the national side, into a Sustainability in Sport fund, which he is launching to help grass-roots sporting projects to reduce their carbon footprint and to promote sustainable living. Next Tuesday’s match at Old Trafford will also be the first to be entirely wind-powered – by virtue of the strategic partnership Neville is forming with the green energy supplier Ecotricity. The company will vouch for all of the energy used when the Italians face a United side including Neville’s old friend David Beckham and other members of the club’s hallowed young “Class of ’92″, who won many trophies in the English club game.

Orbit Heart of England, in conjunction with Orbit Homes, has spent £2.8m to build the 23 homes in Sampson Close, in the Bell Green area of the city.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-coventry-warwickshire-13370875

21 April 2011 Two eco homes have been given the green light to be built in Coventry. Run as an experiment, the buildings in Canley
will be monitored for their energy efficiency, even when they are let out to council tenants.

The Coventry Telegraph reported that a post-graduate student at Coventry University will collate data from the buildings and see which is the most efficient. One of the homes will be built to Passivhaus standards, while the other will be built to Level 6 of the Code for Sustainable Homes. Work will begin in July after the city council approved the project.j