Woodworks

I doubt even the most avid Conservative supporter is surprised though Just yesterday the promised new funding for the NHS got stalled by the Treasury Do you need a hand out in Sweden 😆

The Daily Telegraph says the government is preparing to approve six North Sea gas and oil fields this year. It says Chancellor Rishi Sunak has asked the business secretary to fast-track the licences because of concern in the Treasury about the economic impact of making the UK a net-zero carbon emitter by 2050. A Whitehall source said North Sea resources were important - not only for jobs and tax revenue - but also for domestic energy security.

Maybe look out for an old Elu MOF96E? Mine is still going strong after 30 odd years. Occasionally needs a new bearing and thats all

I dont have the details on the installation date to hand but think its around 10-11 years ago. It was right at the beginning of the FIT system. The panels are REC . The inverter is an SMA which is still going strong and never had a fault. We have no record of what gets used on site and what was exported as the early system had none of todays Bluetooth connectivity to follow these things. As for Devon getting lots more sun thats not quite the case and just an illusion put out by the local tourist board IMO 😆. I once saw a map that showed actual PV production per kWh installed. The best areas were in an arc starting from Exeter going up to Bristol and coming down near Eastbourne. Then there was an area around the Wash that was super productive.

It's all a complicated equation. Our second system is at the supposed optimum angle of 36 degrees also supposedly the best panels at the time (Sanyo) Interestingly the 15 degree system out produces the 36 degree system annually. It's hard to be sure of all the reasons for this. There is a little bit of shading late in the day and shading is killer without micro inverters or what ever the equivalent these days but I doubt this account for all of the difference. The other aspect is our localised weather conditions. Being on the very west of Dartmoor we get a lot more cloud than places just 5 miles away. Interestingly a system at 0 degrees is more productive than any other angle when it's cloudy or overcast as the light is diffracted straight down through the clouds. A another thing to consider is an east west system should produce around 80% of a due south system with all other things being equal but morning and evening are times many of us are more likely to be in and able to use that production. When it was all about getting money from the FIT most opted for the max production per year but when you are looking at personal usage there are more things to consider.

No problem. Our fist set went on a barn at just 15 degrees but due south. It's a 3.8 kWh system and has produced 40650 kWh of electricity to date on a cloudy part of Dartmoor. If there was no grant at all and at the new price capped cost of electric at 28p per kWh that would still be £11382 worth of electricity generated.

Yes, many will choose a 20k+ kitchen (that will be ripped out in a few years due to fashion) over extra insulation and an efficient heating system. As you say we are greedy nation. Bet you wont be using as much as 22kWh a day in a small Passive House. Good on you for going the extra mile now as it protects you in the long run

The only short term fix is money for the most in need. All of the problems we have were predicted and not prepared for

We need to do lots of things. We need more wind, tidal solar plus sorting storage which is tricky but getting there. Improved interconnects between nations to distribute renewables would help no end with dips in production. 10000 square km of PV on the Sahara could power the whole earth if we could distribute it! 10,000 sq km of Solar in the Sahara could provide all the world’s energy needs - Energy Post ENERGYPOST.EU A little over 10 years ago David MacKay drew attention by saying “All the world’s power could be provided by a square... Nuclear has been kicked down the road by successive governments. Even if we changed our approach today it would take a long long time to get it up and running. Looks like it takes at least 5 years just to build one let alone all the planning, appeals amendments etc. By the time they are built we could have a massive amounts of renewables online. On the upside this current massive price hike will make so many renewables profitable and the market may take over. The other thing thats not very glamorous but can make a huge difference is lowering our energy demand in the first place. Improving home insulation can be done quickly and will save a fortune in the long run.

Pallet forks are my most used attachment by far I dont do site work so it maybe different for you but they shunt brash into piles, carry all the heavy lengths about. I palletised much of the kit in the barn so it can be moved in and out quickly with no need to hitch up. I have a grab and use it occasionally but the forks are the most versatile IME

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The proper Devon way then Kevin. Dont let the locals know you like your scones like that or you will be in for a lynching!

Thats as pissed the guy who put it together probably was 😆 2 days for a replacement is good going If I rejected my machine it would be months of waiting for a replacement plus a days work of swapping the bits over. Managed to get my machine working as it should with some minor mods to some easily replaceable parts. Not ideal but a lot less hassle

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Last major white good purchase we went for Miele based on the expected working life of 20 years. The well reviewed one had an expected lifespan of just 7 years. Time will tell if the extra upfront costs was money well spent, Thing is our whole system is based on endless growth which requires ever more spending. Making goods that last and/or are repairable will not aid growth so is not encouraged.

Things are already looking a trifle messy. Only once they have skimmed off the cream for themselves

They are a lot closer than they used to be on wood fuel prices. Its a nicely constructed table but sometimes fails under close examination or at least used to

"Yesterday: - heating bills went up £700 - a fossil fuel company announced record profits - people demanding home insulation were sent to prison. Several connected trends exposed on the same day"

And the country will be left in an Eton mess

This is more up to date than it is used to be on logs prices but its for back in October Energy Cost Comparison – Nottingham Energy Partnership NOTTENERGY.COM Visit the post for more.

2 cube of our hardwood logs work out at 7.6p per kWh presuming 4kWh per kg. Still haven't decided how much to put prices up. Have to add a bit for the Woodsure BS which I will have to sign up to soon plus inflation to add

Well that didn't take long Bingo! "I am waiting for the old classic "thats very unusual we have never had that problem before""

Thought this need reviving and I need to vent! Dont you hate when you buy some new machinery and its faulty. Worse still you have to jump through time consuming hoops to prove to them it's faulty and not user error. Spent a day and a half faffing with some new kit that I can see has been made out of true but no I have to take it apart do this do that and oddly its still f**king faulty. Not naming names as they will probably sort it but its a PITA and I am waiting for the old classic "thats very unusual we have never had that problem before"

Mitox for garden tools MG for cars (fast growing brand) Huawei for phones Prada for clothes (loads of cloths brands apparently) Lots of parts for almost everything! Underestimate China at your peril IMO

Joinery grade softwood would be the cheapest but not always the easiest to work but cheap to replace if you are making mistakes. Joints are easiest to cut in close grained woods like beech. Tulipwood is also easy to work and as soft as butter but not very pretty but paints very well. Sure other will chip and good luck in your new hobby 😃