The majority of the 100 million tonnes of plastic manufactured each year are made from oil, and as world stocks are depleted and the cost rises, supplies of affordable plastics produced from virgin chemicals are unlikely to be sustainable.

A little bit of scientific information: PET (polyethylene terephthalate) plastic bottles are a prime example of this: in the UK alone, it costs £100 million a year to dispose of these used items, while if correctly recycled and resold, the polymer materials could be worth up to £27 million. Similarly, if other plastics can be recycled at relatively low cost into high value, virgin-like materials and sold at a premium, companies could make large profits while reducing environmental impact and our dependency on

Article from: Isotherm

Whilst some governments and industries might be slow on the imperative shift towards renewable energy, the change is happening. Bottom line is the more demand there is, the more supply will happen. If you are an entrepreneur or investor, this sector of the market is ripe for getting involved financially

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What is Renewable Energy?

Renewable energy is energy which comes from natural resources such as sunlight, wind, rain, tides, and geothermal heat, which are naturally replenished. In 2006, about 18% of global final energy consumption came from renewables, with 13% coming from traditional biomass, which is mainly used for heating, and 3% from hydroelectricity. New renewables (small hydro, modern biomass, wind, solar, geothermal, and biofuels) accounted for another 2.4% and are growing very rapidly.[1] The share of renewables in electricity generation is around 18%, with 15% of global electricity coming from hydroelectricity and 3.4% from new renewables   / wikipedia

Where to Start?

You may not want to invest for financial gain just yet – but you can contribute towards tipping the scales of renewable versus fossil fuel energy:

Solar-Aid
Two of the biggest threats facing humanity today are climate change and global poverty. SolarAid helps to combat both, simply by bringing clean, renewable power to the poorest people in the world
See what they do

Practical Action
Practical Action’s energy projects aim to increase poor people’s access to energy technology options, through improving the efficiency and productivity of biomass use, and through small scale, low cost, off-grid electricity supply
See what they do

If you are ready to invest:

ONE: Look to China for the formation of new companies involved in renewable energy sources. Four Chinese companies, engaged in alternative energy include: Suntech Power Holdings, China Biodiesel International, Renesola and China Sun Biochem. Alternative energy companies doing significant business in China include: Canadian Solar Inc., Nordex, Camco International and Suzlon.

TWO: Identify and invest in established companies that are moving into the renewable energy market. This type of investment is less risky than investing in small start-ups. Favorable established companies include: GE, Sharp Solar, Johnson Controls and Waste Management.

THREE: Consider investing in companies that are part of the Climate Action Partnership. Together, these companies are lobbying for a nationwide reduction in carbon dioxide emissions. Participating companies include: GE, DuPont, Alcoa, Caterpillar, Duke Energy, PG&E, BP, FPL Group, PNM Resources and Lehman Brothers.

FOUR: Watch for the formation of renewable energy focused mutual funds. While there are not many to choose from currently, such funds will appear in the future. Current funds include the New Alternatives Fund and the Guinness Atkinson Alternative Energy Fund.

FIVE: Check out exchange traded funds (ETF’s) which can be bought and sold like stocks. Funds to look for include the following: PowerShares WilderHill Clean Energy, PowerShares WilderHill Progressive Energy, Market Vectors Global Alternative Energy and First Trust NASDAQ Clean Edge US Liquid.

Important considerations when sealing your home:

• Insulate your home to prevent warm air escaping from the top of your home by so doing you make your home more comfortable and lower your energy bills.

• Seal any holes and windows by using silicone caulk to seal air leaks or place shrink-wrap film over drafty windows to help reduce energy loss.

• Consider utilizing natural ways to heat in winter and cool in summer by using shade trees (deciduous) to cool the house from the intense summer sun and making the most use of large south facing windows to capture the winter sun.

• Add humidifiers to the living areas as it makes the air feel warmer in the winter, and dehumidifiers will make a room feel cooler in the summertime.

• If you have a standard thermostat, consider installing a programmable one. The heat should be used only when someone is home.

How much of my total hot water requirements can a solar water heater provide?

A solar water heater can provide between 50 and 90 percent of your total hot water requirements, depending on the climate and model of heater.

By how much will replacing a conventional geyser with a solar powered system reduce electricity consumption?

The electrical geyser uses 30 – 50% percent of your household’s monthly electricity bill. Replacing your conventional geyser with a solar powered system will reduce that percentage of your electricity consumption by up to 70 percent

Given our current electricity crisis, how much can solar water heaters help reduce demand?

If a 100,000 geysers were to be installed this would offset 300 MW worth of connected load. However if we take diversity and usage into account this equates to a 63 MW load that is actually removed during our peaks.

Do I need to install a new geyser or can solar panels be added to the existing system?

Standard geysers are not designed to be utilized with solar collectors as they do not have sufficient inlets and their linings are often not designed to withstand the temperature experienced from solar energy.

The supplier should evaluate the existing geyser and, based on your needs, the supplier can evaluate the possibilities of using the existing system.

How much will it cost to install a solar water geyser?

Costs can only be provided taking into account your specific hot water usage habits but an approximate cost can be given here. Installing a 200 liter solar water geyser costs approximately R10 000 with an additional R6 installation fee. The upfront cost of a solar water heater (including installation) is higher than electric or gas water heaters but the savings on your electricity bill will compensate for this over time. Once you have paid back your system, your hot water is for free!

Where can I obtain information on accredited suppliers?

The suppliers that are part of the rebate program (those that have passed quality and reliability tests) are listed on the supplier section on the Eskom DSM website. There are other suppliers in the market, but if they are not part of this program to reduce costs to the consumer, they may not have been passed through the SABS testing or approval.

What happens in winter or on rainy days, when there isn’t enough sunlight to heat the water?

Solar water tanks are better insulated than electrical geysers and can keep water hot for a longer period of time. This ensures that there is always a tank full of hot water (and a back-up of hot water) in the early evenings/mornings provided the tank size is correct. An electrical back up system is allowed on the program provided it has a timer switch that ensures it does not operate during Eskom’s peak demand periods.

What is Eskom’s involvement in the solar water heating programs?

In order to reduce the growing demand for electricity, Eskom is embarking on energy efficiency and alternative energy programs that promote energy savings on a large scale in order to mitigate system constraints. Eskom is working towards a goal to meet government’s target of 10 000 gigawatt hours of renewable energy generation by 2013.