Renewable Energy

Many recent press releases are selling us on using public tax dollars to fund private enterprise in the shape of biomethanization plants to "revalorize" food waste and feacal sludge into biogas - what is Renewable Natural Gas & is RNG even a good idea. Recent articles have praised major public investments in…

We were told about the PowerPod compact home wind turbine appearing on a Kickstarter campaign, but having seen a fair few home wind turbines in the past that failed to deliver on their promises, Ecohome decided to investigate. Countless inventors are stepping up to the plate with the latest and greatest green…

If you want to improve your carbon footprint but can't afford your own rooftop solar array, you can purchase clean energy credits and have renewable energy offset your power use. What is the cleanest energy? Despite how commonly  the term ‘clean energy’ is used, there is actually no such thing. At least not in the…

The Swedish company Azelio has an innovative solution for generating carbon neutral electricity with storage that doesn't need batteries. New technology combines solar power generation & battery free power storage The forever-changing landscape of the green home building industry sees ideas come and go, and on…

BIPV solar roof shingles are poised to take over rooftop solar installations with better durability, pricing and aesthetics announced for the Tesla solar roof - here we look at the competitors in the solar roof market. Rooftop solar-power production is fairly commonplace now, and you always know exactly which roof…

Finding a long-term roofing solution hasn't been the norm in the US & Canada, but the times they are a changing. Sustainable homes are gaining in popularity and the Tesla solar roof tiles are starting to make sense. The Telsa solar roof tiles are in the news again. They now have solar panel shingle installations…

Solar panels good, coal-fired power plant electricity bad. If only it were that simple to choose. We discuss the best alternatives for producing your own power at home, from solar to wind turbines to generator bikes. Home Energy Generation, which option is best? How the electrical grid is fed near you will be a huge…

Would you exercise for an hour every day if the workout powered your home for twenty-four hours? EcoHome investigates if Bike Generators cut the mustard. Mitigating climate change at home, get on your bike! As we look for ways to mitigate climate change , improving home energy efficiency and decentralising power…

The flat plate solar thermal collector from Viessmann has a modulating collector to prevent overheating. Solar thermal panels in cold climates are at risk of freezing in winter, so in the North, we use a glycol mix as a heat transfer fluid. This prevents panels from freezing but introduces new problems in the summer…

Choosing the right solar thermal water heater system. What is a solar thermal collector? A photovoltaic (PV) solar collector converts solar radiation into electricity , but a solar thermal collector is much simpler than that. It refers to a device that collects heat directly from solar radiation. That can be as…

A study showed that reflectors on solar panels can increase their performance by up to 30%. The continuing drop in cost for home solar power generation has led to a dramatic increase in the rate of installations, for both residential and commercial use. Increasing the yield through reflection could make that an even…

In 2019, renewable energy sources accounted for the majority of power used in the US, the first time since 1885 that coal was not the country's main source of power. Energy generated by fossil fuels has dominated the globe for generations . Some countries have pushed for a faster transition to cleaner fuels than…

Houston, Texas to be powered by 100% renewable energy by 2025 as part climate change mitigation strategy to become carbon neutral by 2050. City of Houston to be powered with 100% renewable energy In April, 2020, The City of Houston announced a renewed deal with NRG Energy as the City’s retail electric provider…

The IEA warns that Covid-19 may cause a slowdown in the world’s progress to clean energy & while the coronavirus may prompt a drop in global carbon emissions this year, long-term climate action will suffer too in it's wake. "The economic impact of coronavirus must not derail the switch to sustainable energy" In a…

Tesla Solar Panels "free" for US clients in September! If you do the math, this Tesla Solar panel rental special offer is actually even better than free - because if you live in the sunnier US states with the highest electricity costs, those solar installations are going to produce more payback than they cost to…