The Home Solar Panel blog

Is the world heading for an energy catastrophe?

Did you know that the accessible reserves of oil on the whole planet can only last another 45 years? (and probably less than this).

Did you know that by the year 2100, the end of this century, the world will need more than 3 times the energy that oil, coal and natural gas currently produce?

To generate only half of the energy needed at that time, when your children could still be living, would need 18,000 new nuclear reactors. This is not desirable or achievable.

Today the USA is experiencing increases in power prices by up to 29%, the highest in decades. Most of this is down to rocketing fuel costs. It is predicted that still larger increases lie ahead. Consequently families faced with the double whammy of high petrol/gasoline prices and hikes in food prices will be further squeezed. The present increases in energy bills come on top of a 30% jump in the last 5 years. Consumers have not had it so bad since the 1970’s energy crisis. There has never been a better time to look at methods of self generating power; for many this means starting on a small scale, gradually building power independence. Solar power is one of the best ways of achieving this, the home solar panel blog will show you where to start.

Since crude oil passed $100 per barrel this year, European citizens too are seeing massive increases in utility bills. Major companies in the UK and France have already announced plans to raise prices by up to 27% . Wholesale prices for gas and electricity have risen by 60% and 66% respectively since the beginning of 2007. Npower, the UK’s 4th largest energy supplier, after raising gas prices by 17.2% said that ‘(we) have been forced to put up prices because the cost of buying energy on the wholesale markets has increased dramatically’.

The coal price has doubled since last year; this primarily has been driven by accelerating energy use in China and India. Coal fires half of all US power plants. US consumers can expect further bad news for their pocketbooks if federal legislation forces coal-fired generators to pay fees to emit global-warming gases. This is expected by 2010.

Please visit my blog for ideas to make a difference, for today and tomorrow, using solar power.