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1500 questions
3
votes
3 answers
Carbon emissions from Ethanol car fuel
I understand that much of the low CO2 emissions for ethanol as vehicle fuel are related to its entire lifecycle (CO2 is sequestrated when the crop is grown and released when it combusts so it is carbon neutral, except the emissions due to production…
Christopher Gilmour
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3
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0 answers
Can metal drink cans be melted at home?
Can metal drink cans be melted at home and reused, remoulded into something?
Olly St John Mildmay
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3
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5 answers
Is there standard methodology for assessing how environmentally friendly a particular lifestyle is?
The headline says it all, I'm looking for a standard way of assessing a lifestyle against environmental criteria. I'm thinking of some sort of lifestyle questionnaire that will produce a score from 0 to 100%
I have a friend at work with what I…
ConanTheGerbil
3
votes
2 answers
If water gets on solar panel connector from cleaning or rain will it cause problems?
I have a solar array with 8 panels. There is a slight gap between each panel. At 2 locations string MC4 connectors are placed between the gaps.
My question is if water gets on this connector (and not on the wires) during cleaning or from rain does…
user2134
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3
votes
4 answers
What is the typical embodied energy of a solar photovoltaic panel?
What is the typical embodied energy of a solar photovoltaic panel, in terms of nominal power output or panel area? The ideal answer would be in kWh/WP, but kWh/m2 would also be acceptable.
I understand there is probably a range of answers to this…
Nic
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3
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1 answer
What is the minimum indoor CO2 concentration that is achievable using houseplants?
CO2 concentration is linked to health risks and even our ability to think well. Meanwhile, houseplants decrease CO2 concentration when they receive enough sunlight.
However, both houseplant studies linked above used air with CO2 concentrations…
krubo
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3
votes
1 answer
With current technology, how much CO2 is emitted when making renewable power plants?
In order to make a solar panel or a wind turbine, a few basic inputs are required:
labor
energy
water
raw materials
Given the current abundance of renewable resources, I assume that the first three components can feasibly be provided with no…
LShaver
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3
votes
2 answers
Should the CO2 footprint of employment factor into purchasing decisions of consumer goods?
If my employer pays me £80 per day, and I can estimate the CO2 footprint of doing my job, compared not working, is around 15Kg CO2e. So my earnings have a footprint equivalent to 180g CO2e per £. (This might be from my daily commute, chunky work…
Christopher Gilmour
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3
votes
1 answer
Will I damage batteries by charging them directly with solar outputs?
I recently picked up a few cheap, mini photovoltaics. I'm planning to wire three in parallel for a 2V, 900mA max output. I'm not well versed in battery mechanisms, and I was wondering if I would significantly harm battery life if I were to just…
IncompleteBits
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3
votes
1 answer
To what extent do CO2 emissions from motor vehicles vary?
Do the CO2 emissions from petrol / gas vehicles vary depending on driving style? Are emissions a function of the engine type or the fuel efficiency?
If a motor car is rated at 105 g/km, but it is driven particularly aggressively would it actually…
Christopher Gilmour
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3
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2 answers
Does a short-term shut down of a coal plant cause more CO2 emissions than keeping it running?
According to this article from Reuters, it takes up to eight hours for a coal plant to reach maximum generation. This means that four up to eight hours after it starts up, the plant is burning coal at a lower efficiency (Btu/calorie per kWh) than…
LShaver
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3
votes
1 answer
With two 50W panels best to wire in series or parallel?
Charge controller (Renogy Wanderer 10A PWM) can handle the combined voltage when wired in series. From the spec sheet, it has a max PV input voltage of 50VDC.
Panels connect to a charge controller which charges a 12V lead acid battery. Panels are…
Alex Hale
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3
votes
1 answer
How to mark pavement and grass without harming environment
I'm looking for some kind of paint to make markings on the pavement and on a grassy area, so that the markings are well visible for a day or so.
Spray paint would do the trick but is not very environmentally friendly. Maybe grinding bright coloured…
Ivana
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3
votes
1 answer
Costs of transportation
I assume that it makes sense to ask for the energy costs of transportation of different goods per weight and volumetric mass density, depending on the means of transportation (truck, train, ship, etc.) and on the distance of transportation.
I assume…
Hans-Peter Stricker
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3
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1 answer
First plants to integrate with fish (carp) tank: Aquaponic floats or aquatic vegetables like lotus?
As mentioned in a previous question, I am looking at integrating aquaponics-type food growth into my multi-thousand gallon carp tank (two turtles live there too). I recognize that aquatic plants may be food for more than just us but figure we…
Chris Travers
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