Comments on: We have power! / Temos o poder! http://www.portugalsmallholding.org/2009/05/we-have-power-temos-o-poder/ Quinta das Abelhas, Permaculture in Central Portugal Sun, 05 Sep 2010 16:40:23 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: andy http://www.portugalsmallholding.org/2009/05/we-have-power-temos-o-poder/comment-page-1/#comment-376 andy Sat, 27 Jun 2009 07:45:50 +0000 http://www.portugalsmallholding.org/?p=313#comment-376 we have a small coil of black pipe on our compost toilet roof, which cost nothing to install, so we plan to do the same on the house roof, perhaps 100m giving us plenty of hot water on sunny/hot days, with a wood fired range in the kitchen heating water on cold cloudy days, and electric immersion heater in our water tank for cool but sunny days (when we have plenty of electric but no sun heat). the commercial roof water heaters are efficient, but as we have several different systems running alongside we dont need efficiency, just free hot water in the summer. simple hose pipes on the ground have provided us with showers in the past... :) we have a small coil of black pipe on our compost toilet roof, which cost nothing to install, so we plan to do the same on the house roof, perhaps 100m giving us plenty of hot water on sunny/hot days, with a wood fired range in the kitchen heating water on cold cloudy days, and electric immersion heater in our water tank for cool but sunny days (when we have plenty of electric but no sun heat).

the commercial roof water heaters are efficient, but as we have several different systems running alongside we dont need efficiency, just free hot water in the summer.

simple hose pipes on the ground have provided us with showers in the past… :)

]]> By: Sandra http://www.portugalsmallholding.org/2009/05/we-have-power-temos-o-poder/comment-page-1/#comment-371 Sandra Thu, 25 Jun 2009 21:39:28 +0000 http://www.portugalsmallholding.org/?p=313#comment-371 Hi, just found your blog and like it very much. It's nice to be part of other people's experiences. Are you also installing a system for hot water? I've been thinking of it but I'm not sure if it's a good investment moneywise - I heard the early maintenance is costly. How about the fotovoltaic maintenance? Wish you the best. Hi, just found your blog and like it very much. It’s nice to be part of other people’s experiences.
Are you also installing a system for hot water? I’ve been thinking of it but I’m not sure if it’s a good investment moneywise – I heard the early maintenance is costly.
How about the fotovoltaic maintenance?
Wish you the best.

]]> By: Duda http://www.portugalsmallholding.org/2009/05/we-have-power-temos-o-poder/comment-page-1/#comment-334 Duda Sun, 14 Jun 2009 00:53:26 +0000 http://www.portugalsmallholding.org/?p=313#comment-334 Adoro o seu blog. It is inspiring. :-) Adoro o seu blog. It is inspiring. :-)

]]> By: andy http://www.portugalsmallholding.org/2009/05/we-have-power-temos-o-poder/comment-page-1/#comment-253 andy Wed, 13 May 2009 16:51:32 +0000 http://www.portugalsmallholding.org/?p=313#comment-253 i've just ordered some of the newer, brighter bulbs, 60 leds in each one. some rooms have dimmer main lights, with bright spots in places where we'll need to see clearer, while these 4 brighter non-spot bulbs will go where we want brightness throughout the whole room. unfortunately the supplier is waiting for new stock so will be a few weeks before we get to see how good they are. i think, though, that leds are the way forward. they are still pretty expensive (up to 15 quid for the bright ones, with others starting at 3 quid). if we were looking for a way to make an income, i reckon importing led bulbs and other seriously low energy technology isnt such a bad business to be in. especially as they dont have all the mercury etc. come see them next time you are out. i’ve just ordered some of the newer, brighter bulbs, 60 leds in each one.
some rooms have dimmer main lights, with bright spots in places where we’ll need to see clearer, while these 4 brighter non-spot bulbs will go where we want brightness throughout the whole room.

unfortunately the supplier is waiting for new stock so will be a few weeks before we get to see how good they are.

i think, though, that leds are the way forward. they are still pretty expensive (up to 15 quid for the bright ones, with others starting at 3 quid). if we were looking for a way to make an income, i reckon importing led bulbs and other seriously low energy technology isnt such a bad business to be in. especially as they dont have all the mercury etc.

come see them next time you are out.

]]> By: Wendy, Aonghas & Oonagh http://www.portugalsmallholding.org/2009/05/we-have-power-temos-o-poder/comment-page-1/#comment-219 Wendy, Aonghas & Oonagh Sun, 10 May 2009 01:29:15 +0000 http://www.portugalsmallholding.org/?p=313#comment-219 Cool. Thanks. That's encouraging. I guess it's another good excuse to pay you guys a visit to check them out next time we're over! Cool. Thanks. That’s encouraging. I guess it’s another good excuse to pay you guys a visit to check them out next time we’re over!

]]> By: andy http://www.portugalsmallholding.org/2009/05/we-have-power-temos-o-poder/comment-page-1/#comment-207 andy Fri, 08 May 2009 16:50:19 +0000 http://www.portugalsmallholding.org/?p=313#comment-207 the brighter ones are day white the majority of the bulbs are very soft light, but the spot bulbs, as sophie said, can be very bright. don't forget that cfls are full of nasties. leds aren't, which in itself is a good reason to switch to them. the brighter ones are day white

the majority of the bulbs are very soft light, but the spot bulbs, as sophie said, can be very bright.
don’t forget that cfls are full of nasties. leds aren’t, which in itself is a good reason to switch to them.

]]> By: sophie http://www.portugalsmallholding.org/2009/05/we-have-power-temos-o-poder/comment-page-1/#comment-204 sophie Thu, 07 May 2009 18:56:31 +0000 http://www.portugalsmallholding.org/?p=313#comment-204 you can get two different types "warm white" and another that i can't remember the name of right now (blame it on the bump on the head!). i really love the light of the warm white ones we've got in the chandelier in the kitchen. the brighter ones seem to work well in spotlights. in terms of power usage we've got from 0.1w - which we've discovered are useless, even in the multi-bulb chandelier we bought them for - up to 6w spotlights which are very bright. we've got lots of different ones so will be experimenting with what works best where when we finally move into the house. you can get two different types “warm white” and another that i can’t remember the name of right now (blame it on the bump on the head!).

i really love the light of the warm white ones we’ve got in the chandelier in the kitchen. the brighter ones seem to work well in spotlights.

in terms of power usage we’ve got from 0.1w – which we’ve discovered are useless, even in the multi-bulb chandelier we bought them for – up to 6w spotlights which are very bright.

we’ve got lots of different ones so will be experimenting with what works best where when we finally move into the house.

]]> By: Wendy, Aonghas & Oonagh http://www.portugalsmallholding.org/2009/05/we-have-power-temos-o-poder/comment-page-1/#comment-202 Wendy, Aonghas & Oonagh Thu, 07 May 2009 18:30:06 +0000 http://www.portugalsmallholding.org/?p=313#comment-202 What are the LED lights like in terms of the light they provide? The ones I've seen and heard about have been very bright white -- quite a stark "cold" light. I've been weighing this one up for our system and wondering whether to stick with the normal low wattage bulbs despite the extra power overhead because of the much warmer, more pleasant light they make. What are the LED lights like in terms of the light they provide? The ones I’ve seen and heard about have been very bright white — quite a stark “cold” light. I’ve been weighing this one up for our system and wondering whether to stick with the normal low wattage bulbs despite the extra power overhead because of the much warmer, more pleasant light they make.

]]> By: Nuno http://www.portugalsmallholding.org/2009/05/we-have-power-temos-o-poder/comment-page-1/#comment-178 Nuno Sun, 03 May 2009 13:14:29 +0000 http://www.portugalsmallholding.org/?p=313#comment-178 Thanks for all the info everyone- its exactly what I was looking for! It is quite a bit more expensive than I thought but it still seems like a really solid investment for environmental and security reasons, as Andy mentioned. Congrats once more! Thanks for all the info everyone- its exactly what I was looking for!

It is quite a bit more expensive than I thought but it still seems like a really solid investment for environmental and security reasons, as Andy mentioned.

Congrats once more!

]]> By: Jonas http://www.portugalsmallholding.org/2009/05/we-have-power-temos-o-poder/comment-page-1/#comment-177 Jonas Sun, 03 May 2009 11:23:06 +0000 http://www.portugalsmallholding.org/?p=313#comment-177 What a great blog. I will move from Sweden to Portugal in May and cant wait to find a nice piece of land and plant my veggies...I have heard that in Spain you can get the price of the sunpanels reduced by up to 50 % I dont know if this is correct or not?What about Portugal? Jonas What a great blog. I will move from Sweden to Portugal in May and cant wait to find a nice piece of land and plant my veggies…I have heard that in Spain you can get the price of the sunpanels reduced by up to 50 % I dont know if this is correct or not?What about Portugal?

Jonas

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