Rethink Power & Energy Solutions – bright ideas to keep you warm
By Oleg K. Temple, November 2010. Published in PRIME Match Magazine #40.
The advent of the energy revolution in this new millennium is as unstoppable as sunrise on a new day, try as they might (by buying up and suppressing new energy patents, political lobbying etc.), the oil giants can do nothing to halt the inevitable. The technologies to heal the world and its people exist and once they become available at fair market prices (rather than at prices aimed at deterring the consumer), factories will begin mass production and the consumer will take to clean technologies like fish to water.
Just as superstition and religion were tools to dissuade free thought, control societal choices and hinder the progress of science in millennia past, so in our contemporary age people kowtow to money – because enough is never enough. We make most decisions based on financial gain or loss, thus, as long as the patent holders restrict access to new technologies through exorbitant prices, the general public will continue to opt for cheaper though antiquated solutions.
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However, the new technologies no longer reside in the psychedelic realm of imagination in the heads of a few eccentric scientists – they have crossed over into the real world and taken firm root – been successfully tested and implemented in countless projects. Even laymen have a general concept of the benefits and workings of various aspects of renewable energy and budding technologies such as hydrogen fuel cells. People have heard about the Tesla Roadster and other hybrid cars, they know the tech is out there and eagerly await its arrival at affordable prices in their local store. |
New ideas big and small always encounter resistance when they attempt to penetrate an established industry. Take for example the margarine war of 1880s in the US when the butter producers spread rumours about margarine being harmful to health and influenced legislation that mandated producers of margarine to colour their product a poisonous pink and other unpalatable tints, so that the consumer could 'clearly see the difference and not mistake it for healthy, natural butter'. This humbug of course failed to thwart public choice for long and was quickly debunked, as once the product was made freely available, non-biased and above all, scientific tests were carried out and people made up their own minds. Today, we stand at the brink of the next industrial revolution and the price tag alone will not forestall new technologies for long nor preclude their advancement. Once the patent holders refine production means and realize that it is far more lucrative to produce than suppress, the new technology will shrug off its shackles of price, competition will soar and the energy race truly commence.
The International Auto Show in Detroit this year proved that the vociferous cry for motor-electrification will not subside anytime soon. Empirical wisdom to anticipate future consumer demands and market trends drove nearly every automaker in attendance to announce plans for the launch of hybrid or pure-breed electric vehicles in the near future. Once unleashed, the genie can't just be shoved back in the bottle and over the past two decades, many a pioneer has popped the proverbial “cork”.
GENERATION:
| Renewable energy is generated from sources that are replenished in nature. Mostly harnessed from the sun, moon and the earth. Solar energy drives the global climate and eco-systems, acts as a catalyst in biomass creation, hydroelectric, solar heating and wind power. The moon holds the seas and oceans in thrall, giving rise to the ebb and flow of the tides. Whereas gravitational, chemical and geothermal energies are born of the Earth. |  |
Geothermal systems of NIBE, made available in Latvia by the Divine Heat Company, allow users to reduce their energy consumption by 80%, because the system uses sun energy trapped in the soil or nearby water bodies as its primary and above all, free energy source. Thus, by leading households away from the slippery slope of fossil fuels, geothermic pumps dramatically curb CO2 emissions. Installing a heat pump in your home is equivalent to taking your car off the road, if 1 000 000 heat pumps would be installed across Europe by 2016, CO2 emissions would be slashed by 3 600 000 tonnes per annum across the continent.
Sadly, wood remains the most publicly-accessible renewable energy source in Latvia. Forests cover over 40 percent of Latvia, however, stringent measures are required to prevent reckless harvesting and rapacious plundering of timber for export, which would drive up prices and place this energy source out of financial reach for the average rural family.
The State Geological Survey reports that peat covers about 10% of Latvia's territory. However, it is mostly used for agricultural purposes. In contrast, 10% of Ireland's energy needs are sated by its peat reserves.
Alternative sources alone are incapable of catering for the escalating energy demand. Given the current infrastructure and consumption trends, analysts predict that Northern Europe may be plagued by acute electricity supply deficiency between 2020 and 2030.
CONSERVATION:
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Although global issues such as key energy patent control are most likely out of reach for readers of this article, there is something we can all do on an individual level to take charge of our energy consumption by passively boosting the energy efficiency of our homes, if we approach the problem from the other end. In other words: we may not have the means to produce cleaner, safer power, but we certainly can make better use of the energy we have available and by using energy more wisely – spend less. A penny saved is a penny earned, right? While we wait for the price dam to inevitably collapse releasing new technologies that will engulf the industry and liberate us from the dark age of fossil fuels, we should consider investing a little to ensure sustained, guaranteed savings. |
In these sombre times wrought in austerity, as many businesses careen over the abyss of financial obliteration, it is wise to make long-term investments to ensure a safer, warmer and more economic household in the years to come. Charity begins at home – if we each solve our own problems, there will be much less depression circulating around.
Natural gas is one of the primary sources of household power in Latvia, although gas wears a very “democratic” price tag, the industry is ailed by antiquated and sparse infrastructure, as well as the ever-present fear of a Russian trade embargo. In 1995 the Riga City Council, Latvenergo JSC and the Latvian commercial bank Baltijas Tranzītu Banka joined forces to found Rīgas Siltums JSC. Gas is the main fuel (97%) consumed in the company's heat sources. The Rīgas Siltums manages and distributes 76% of the thermal energy in Riga and every year the price relentlessly hikes higher. It would seem that the best way to keep costs down would be to increase efficiency of heat retention and thereby use less energy to heat one’s home.
| A high-value solution is offered by BUMUS Ltd. The company installs Ecowool produced in Valmiera at the Vekover Plant, the largest and most advanced plant in its league in Eastern Europe. Ecowool is a breathing, fire-retardant and sound insulating material used in construction. The material is made of non-pollutant, recycled paper and is called Ecowool due to its ecologically-friendly nature. Ecowool’s excellent insulating properties are bestowed by the natural wood-fibre which comprises the product and allows for a light weight, fine-grained structure with high air permeability and natural humidity regulation. |  |
Unlike rock wool and glass wool, Ecowool fills all gaps precisely and efficiently, plus it contains no allergy-inducing antigens and is non-hazardous to the installer. An ideal choice for forward-thinking individuals both commercial and private, interested in taking responsible steps to stop their buildings from haemorrhaging heat and thereby eradicating the need to squander finances on wasted energy.
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