Improving Solar Power Uptake

There are many ways in which the use of solar power has to be improved and one of the biggies is getting it to the general populace in a way that they will 1) want to use it, and 2) for a price  that they will find attractive. There are plenty of economic packages that have been introduced by various government bodies to assist in the cost. The problem is that for many people it still represents a cost t hat is too steep.

Here is an announcement made by Westville Solar in the UK in an effort to get solar power to a wider range of people:

“Following on from the introduction of the Solar PV ‘Feed In Tariff’ scheme, solar power advocates and experts Westville Solar have officially unveiled another new scheme aimed at widening the availability of cheap solar energy to all of the UK.

This new scheme provides free solar panels to households on a cost free ‘lease’ basis under which Westville will fit the panels for free and cover the maintenance costs for 25 years, before the panels officially become property of the home.

By now you’re probably thinking it sounds too good to be true, but the fact of the matter is, it is true, you can generate your own, free, environmentally friendly energy without having a single penny leave your bank account!

The installation and maintenance of the panels is paid for by the would be ‘Feed In Tariff’ payments going straight to Westville, meaning nothing leaves your pocket, and you’re free to benefit from your own energy, and some great savings!

So, its free, good for the environment, and can actually save you money! How many more reasons do you need? Solar is the way forward!”

This sounds as though it will be the type of incentive scheme that will get more people to want to put solar panels on their house.

Shop With Reusable Bags

We all use plastic bags when we go shopping. No, wait, strike that. We all used to use plastic bags when we did the grocery shopping. That practice is beginning to change and although I use green reusable grocery bags I still put the fruit and vegetables into the small clear plastic bags. This means that the larger plastic bags that held the majority of my groceries are no longer being used, but plastic bags are still available.

This is about to change in the ACT of Australia. South Australia has already imposed a ban on plastic shopping bags and the ACT government has announced that a similar ban will be introduced in 2011.

In August 2011 a transition period will begin where plastic bags will begin to be phased out of grocery stores and takeaway shops. This gives residents a good 8 months to prepare and to get their green bags ready. Also, the stores themselves will be able to stock up on a biodegradable alternative type of bag that can be used in place of plastic.

With hundreds of thousands of plastic bags being used every year in Australia the landfill sites around the country are being choked with them. They won’t break down for hundreds of years and it has the potential to become a huge problem.

Banning the plastic bag is a positive step towards reducing the waste from our environment.