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1500 questions
16
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3 answers
What's the average efficiency of pumped hydroelectric energy storage facilities?
Pumped hydroelectric storage has, to date, been the most scalable way to store electricity (in this case, in the form of gravitational potential energy), allowing us to spread the time between when the electricity is first generated, and when it is…
410 gone
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16
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What are the downsides to so called greenware items?
Greenware is the brand name of a 100% corn based cups produced by Fabri-Kal.
It is used to provide a plastic cup that can be composted.
I'm wondering what externalities might exist for this product and whether on the whole using such products is…
WilliamKF
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16
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6 answers
Are there any more sustainable alternatives to conventional commercial toothpaste?
Are there any sustainable (and useful) alternatives to toothpaste?
I've tried so far this kind of tooth tabs and I'm also aware of the existence of tooth powder but I haven't tried it yet. I liked about the product that I tried, that the package…
S -
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9 answers
What alternatives to batteries exist to store solar energy at home?
What viable options (other than batteries) exist for a home owner to be able to store energy from solar panels for use at night or when the sun isn't shining?
I realise there will be losses in the conversion.
paul digby
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3 answers
What's the fastest growing plant by carbon density?
What is the fastest growing plant by amount of carbon stored in the wood? Bamboo is one of the fastest growing woody plants (by height), but it is mostly hollow, and so I'm not sure that it stores that much carbon, relative to other plants.
naught101
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3 answers
How can I determine whether roof top wind turbines would be beneficial in my area?
Rooftop wind turbines seem great in principle, but in practice, especially in urban areas their usefulness and efficiency is debated, such as in this article.
The most general consensus seems to be that in urban areas where there are too many tall…
berry120
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3 answers
Would monocrystalline or polycrystalline solar panels perform best in a UK climate?
If I were to get solar panels installed on the roof of my home, in the UK, what type should I choose? There appear to be three main types, and at present the choice appears to be between the aforementioned two (thin film panels appear more expensive…
berry120
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8 answers
What Permaculture solutions are there for slugs?
My plants are under attack by slugs. I've heard a number of solutions for slugs over the years. There's the old beer trap, where you fill a bowl full of beer and leave it out. This works, but it's not terribly sustainable as you have to remember…
Daniel Bingham
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3 answers
Will supermarket-bought shiitake mushrooms be suitable to provide spores for growing some myself?
This is partially a follow up to my earlier question: Sustainably grown white button mushrooms at home; what sort of material to use?
It appears that manure might be the best medium for growing button mushrooms, so to make use of what I have…
Highly Irregular
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16
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4 answers
How much power does a computer monitor left switched on use?
It's a little niggling annoyance that always gets me in my office that when I work overtime and leave the office after everyone else I see row upon row of little orange lights where people have turned off their computers but left the monitor…
Jimmy
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1 answer
How do I recycle batteries in Argentina?
I have dead batteries and I want to know the best way to dispose of them, ideally by recycling. Here in Argentina there is almost nowhere to take them. We just put them in the garbage.
Roby Sottini
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4 answers
What has a lesser carbon footprint? Continue to drive my current car until it is no longer useful or to buy a new car?
I have 2003 Honda Accord. It gets ~20 MPG CITY (8.5 km/liter). I'm trying to figure out if it is more sustainable in the long run to:
continue to drive the Accord until it dies (it's still in great shape right now). I will continue to use gas and…
milesmeow
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1 answer
If I can create enough electricty from solar should I store and use it rather than feed back to the grid?
When we installed our solar PV system in 2010 there were several reasons it wasn't feasible at that time to store and use the power we were generating instead of feeding into the grid.
The main reasons I can remember were:
Apparently some part of…
going
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Alternative to paper towels for draining fried food?
When frying food, what's a good alternative to paper towels for soaking up/draining excess oil?
dax
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3 answers
Filtering indoor air with plants?
I have a daughter that has bad allergies. To help keep her allergies in check I use an electrical air purifier to keep the air in my house clean and filtered. I heard that houseplants could in effect do the same thing.
If that is true are…
Linger
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