Design
Most energy comes from burning fossil fuels. This produces greenhouse gases which add to climate change. Designers need to think about the energy used in the production and use of products. The future of designing is in products that will benefit people and the planet. More...
Fossil Fuel
The energy in fossil fuels comes from the sun. The energy stored in fossil fuels was built up over millions of years. To replace this amount of energy by capturing it from the sun in plants and turning them into biofuels would require a huge amount of land. We need this land to produce food.
Wood
Wood can provide a carbon neutral source of heat and power. More...
Welsh Birds and climate change
Recent estimates of European bird populations have suggested that 71% of bird species have changed since 1900 and that 44% of them may be due to climate change. More....
Solar Thermal
Solar Thermal panels are usually used to warm water. Solar thermal panels however are not usually used for space heating. This is because the heat collected from the panels is usually at its lowest when heating demands are at their highest.
Hot water heating accounts for about 25% of domestic energy use. In the Welsh climate solar energy can be used to heat water for about 8 months of the year. Solar hot water heating is also suitable for commercial properties that have a high demand for hot water such as hotels, swimming pools and dairy farms.
A domestic solar hot water system consists of a collector, a cylinder to store the hot water, pipe work and controls.
Solar thermal plants which convert heat into electricity are also being developed.
