It seems that much of our future in the energy market relies on the implementation of Smart Grid Technology.  According to EU authorities, having an electrical supply which is 40% based on renewable energy by 2020 needs the implementation of this technology, if it is to work to acceptable standards. Also, seemingly, using Smart Grid technology, will reduce the construction of excess, unnecessary, power lines and power plants. This is all well and good but what exactly is a smart grid? What does this “smarter” system do that our current …

Used predominantly in Spain and the United States, Natalie Kehle explains Concentrated Solar Power in more detail…

There are many methods used to harness the suns heat energy but this article is going to focus on solar thermal collectors (later articles will deal with other techniques).
A solar collector is generally a bank of tubing facing the sun. The tubing contains a fluid which is circulated through the system. There are various types of solar thermal collectors on the market today all with different designs but operating with similar principles. So how does this concept of solar water heating work?
It is possible to have a passive or active …

This article is designed to give a general understanding of the electricity generation industry in Ireland. It explains the fuel which we use, the ways in which we produce our electricity, a description of major power plants on the island and our electricity distribution system.
Types of fuel used to generate electricity
Ireland has an electricity producing capacity of approximately 6000MW. We produce about 25TWh per year which works out to be about 5.6 MWh per capita. We are one of the lowest consumers per capita of energy in Europe (Norway being …

We are hearing more and more about wood pellet boilers and their fuel these days. What exactly are they, How do they work and what makes them so different to conventional wood burning stoves. The following article will answer these questions and will attempt to explain the advantages and disadvantages of such a system.
The Fuel
Wood pellets are a type of fuel made from Compressed sawdust. They are usually produced with a low humidity content of under 10 % which gives a heating value of > 18 MJ/kg.  Good quality pellets …

In its most basic terms, a heatpump is in actual fact the opposite of a refrigeration system. A heat pump system takes heat energy from outside the enclosed space (generally a house, domestically speaking) and pumps it inside.
How does it do this? In order to understand this it is important to understand the effect which pressure has on a fluid.
This is a simple principle and is demonstrated in ordinary household pressure cookers.
The general rule follows this principle:
High pressure = High boiling point
Low Pressure = Low boiling point
Therefore, if a higher …