Infra-red light from modern fluorescent bulbs can be ‘mistaken’ by electrical equipment as commands from a remote and therefore items such as TVs may change channels.

Traditional light bulbs also produce infra-red however they do not flicker like energy-saving light bulbs therefore they tend not to interfere with electrical equipment.

Naturally, the easiest solution is to move either the electrical item or offending light-bulb. However moving equipment isn’t always practical and if you are deliberately trying to minimise your energy usage or up your environmental credentials, moving away from energy-saving lightbulbs is not ideal.

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Sales of the traditional incandescent lightbulb are said to be up by 34 percent in the first six months of 2009, compared to a drop in the numbers being bought in most other European countries.

The EU is banning all pearl or frosted traditional bulbs and clear 100 watt lightbulbs as part of a CO2-emissions reduction drive. Stocks of the incandescent lightbulbs are expected to run out next month in most stores, with homeowners then forced to buy the new energy-saving bulbs instead.

Energy-saving lightbulbs are not liked by everyone. Some people have claimed to have had skin problems and migraines from the lightbulbs, whilst others are concerned about the health and environment risks posed when the lightbulbs reach the end of their lives.

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The trial was launched in January 2007 and surveyed 57 UK-based domestic wind turbines for at least 12 months. The results of the trial show that anyone considering installing a wind turbine should research local wind speed carefully to establish whether a domestic wind turbine is suitable for their location.

The survey found that wind turbines do work, however they must be properly installed in an area with good wind speed. Wind turbines have the potential to change energy usage in this country – by using wind turbines in appropriate areas, nearly 2 million tonnes of CO2 could be saved thanks to around 3,500GWh being produced. The best place for wind turbines was found to be in Scotland.

Wind speeds were found to be highly variable and difficult to predict therefore it is important to look at best available wind speeds on your land along with wind speed distribution to ensure that the wind turbine is not only viable, but is also located in the best place possible.

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There are two size of mini allotment on sale – the smaller measures 6 inches tall, 8 inches long and 2 inches wide and is designed for fruit, herbs and flowers. The larger mini allotment is suitable for plants which require larger growing areas such as potatoes.

NASA’s allotments were created with astronauts in mind. The pods were initially designed to help their astronauts get their five portions of fruit and vegetables a day whilst away on missions.

America has already been able to buy the pods for around a year. The UK can now buy the pods online and it is hoped that they will be on sale on the UK high street by next year.

It is claimed that plants growing in these tubs can end up being stronger and bigger than a standard crop, and can also produce a crop in half the usual time.

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The wind turbine will be visible from the surrounding countryside and houses. Campaigners have said that the turbine will be a blot on the landscape, with others deeming it a ‘monstrosity’.

Dimbleby has responded by saying that he feels the ‘anxiety’ over his wind turbine is misplaced and that he has carefully considered the best place for it to reduce its visual impact. Dimbleby has said that the wind turbin will be below the skyline and therefore won’t be in direct view of any of the neighbours.

The wind turbine is a 12,000 kilowatt turbine and half the power it produces is likely to be fed back to the National Grid.

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At present, the renewables part of power bills stands at around £55 on average. Subsidising renewable energy further could more than double this figure to as much as £120 per year by 2014. The UK Energy Research Centre has predicted by 2050, the renewable energy subsidy will cost the economy £17 billion a year – around £700 per household.

The UK is pushing hard to find more renewable energy sources as the Government has pledged to cut greenhouse gas emissions from the UK by 34 percent in 11 years and 80
Percent in 40 years. At present, the UK is the only country with legally binding CO2 targets. The UK is facing an uphill struggle with just three percent of electricity currently coming from renewable sources.

To ensure that more people don’t fall into fuel poverty, the Government is also thought to be planning social tariffs whereby the poor and the elderly will not have to pay the full extra subsidy and energy companies will instead by forced to subsidise this cost by adding extra to the bills of better off clients.

To push the green incentive even further, householders may be offered incentives to produce their own energy for example through solar panels. Smart meters may also be introduced to help householders analyse their power use and help reduce it.

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Households who don’t want to install double glazing or insulation may be penalised according to the latest proposals drawn up by ministers. To encourage households to install the greener measures, a carrot and stick approach will be used by introducing ‘green mortgages’ where homeowners can apply for loans to spend on green equipment such as solar panels or new, more efficient boilers.

As yet there has been no official statement regarding the proposals and none is expected before the autumn.

It is expected that the Government will offer loans for environmentally friendly products such as double glazing, cavity wall insulation, loft insulation, solar panels and wind turbines amongst others. It is proposed that the loans will be made available by high street banks in partnership with councils. The loans are expected to be between £10,000 and £15,000 and repayable over 25 years. Householders who refuse to take part in the scheme are likely to be hit with higher council tax rates and there may also be the added threat of higher stamp duty payments which may put off prospective property purchasers. Any charges on the house would be passed to the new owner if the property was sold.

There has been some backlash over the proposals with some believing that features such as Victorian sash windows could be removed in favour of double glazing – when sash windows are actually quite energy efficient.

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Sewage treatment goes on for 24 hours a day so there is always a supply of the raw materials. Sewage is broken down by microbes by the anaerobic process. The by-product of this process is methane. Most sewage plants burn this methane to produce energy however this new biogas plant will remove moisture, carbon dioxide and sulphide traces as this will produce a pure methane that is almost as clear as the methane which is derived from the North Sea. Just like the gas from the North Sea, this biogas will be odourless so an artificial gas smell is added before it is piped into residential homes.

Some people have voiced their concerns over cooking from a product made from human waste. Experts have quelled these concerns stating it is hygienic for use in the home, including through cooking. Drinking water has been through the water cycle and is safe for imbibing, and this sewage methane gas is exactly the same.

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And it isn’t just the flooding we should be concerned about – losing gardens to concrete also has an impact on the local wildlife, particularly birds and insects. The loss of greenery also helps contribute to the ‘urban heat island effect’ – a phenomenon where areas with lots of hard surfaces such as in towns and cities have a higher temperature than those with less hard surfaces.

However there is a middle ground which sees people having parking whilst minimising the effects of transforming a garden into a parking area. Make sure that instead of using concrete you use a permeable material which can absorb some rainfall such as artificial grass or gravel. Or alternatively, lay two concrete tracks through your garden to allow you park your car at the front of your house whilst retaining most of the grass and plants in the garden.

And if you have already concreted your front garden over, consider either turning some of it back to grass, or add plants in pots around the front of your house to help increase the greenery at the front of your house.

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There are plenty of variations on the theme, most of which revolve around vertical farming. This is, essentially, a larger scale vertical garden with plants growing on the outsides of buildings. Not only does this help with retain heat in the building in winter and help keep the building cool in summer, the vertical farm can also help produce food to feed the people in the building. The plants will also catch some rainfall thus helping to reduce the risk of flash floods.

One of the latest ideas is the Dragonfly building, a concept from Belgian architect Vincent Callebaut. His Dragonfly is 100 percent self sufficient thanks to a combination of solar and wind power. Spanning 132 floors and 600 metres high, the Dragonfly incorporates up to 28 different agricultural fields for the production of various crops including meat, dairy, fruit, grains and vegetables. Offices and residential area share the space and the rooms can be found between the agricultural area. Plant and animal farming is spaced in a specific manner so soil nutrient levels are maintained and biowaste can be reused.

With an increasing number of people trying to reduce the number of miles that their food travels before they buy it, we would not be surprised to see some of these urban farm units spring up in a major city before too long.

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