This is so critically important we have a whole page about it HERE

For Your Home-Voltage Optimisation has been available for your home since November 2009
The low-cost VPhase unit, which has been developed by VPhase plc, part of Energetix Group, in conjunction with Liverpool University, is now in mass production for homeowners and SMEs and is being supported by a nationwide consumer awareness campaign
You can buy a unit for your home for £299 and reduce your electricty bills from 10 to 20%
You can Buy one HERE from VPhase

The Basics
Voltage optimisation is a term now commonly used to refer to the well-known energy-saving technique of reducing the electricity voltage supplied to a site in order to reduce losses in equipment.

Voltage optimisation works by reducing losses in electrical equipment thereby reducing

• energy consumption
• CO2 emissions
• your electricity bill!

The lifetime of equipment is also extended (because it generally runs cooler at the reduced voltage), with a consequent reduction in maintenance costs. Also known as "voltage regulation", "voltage management" and some other terms, the technique has been understood for many years, and has recently received increasing interest as an effective means of reducing electricity bills, with savings of up to 15% being realised on many sites, and up to 20% on some sites. (Savings of up to 25% or more are possible, but not very likely.)

The voltage supplied to many premises is much higher than it needs to be, leading to excessive losses in many types of equipment. This is partly because of the need to allow for voltage drops across the supply network, but is also a consequence of the harmonisation of supply voltage throughout Europe.

Nuclear fusion is one of the most promising options for generating large amounts of carbon-free energy in the future. Fusion is the process that heats the Sun and all other stars, where atomic nuclei collide together and release energy in the form of neutrons. Fusion scientists and engineers are developing the technology to use this process in tomorrow's power stations.

To get energy from fusion, gas from a combination of types of hydrogen – deuterium and tritium – is heated to very high temperatures (100 million degrees Celsius). One way to achieve these conditions is a method called ‘magnetic confinement' – controlling the hot gas (known as a plasma) with strong magnets. The most promising device for this is the ‘tokamak', a Russian word for a ring-shaped magnetic chamber.

See also: How fusion works 

Advantages of fusion power The world needs new, cleaner ways to supply our increasing energy demand, as concerns grow over climate change and declining supplies of fossil fuels. Power stations using fusion would have a number of advantages:

• No carbon emissions. The only by-products of fusion reactions are small amounts of helium, which is an inert gas that will not add to atmospheric pollution.
• Abundant fuels. Deuterium can be extracted from water and tritium is produced from lithium, which is found in the earth's crust. Fuel supplies will therefore last for millions of years.
• Energy efficiency. One kilogram of fusion fuel can provide the same amount of energy as 10 million kilograms of fossil fuel.
• No long-lived radioactive waste. Only plant components become radioactive and these will be safe to recycle or dispose of conventionally within 100 years.
• Safety. The small amounts of fuel used in fusion devices (about the weight of a postage stamp at any one time) means that a large-scale nuclear accident is not possible.
• Reliable power. Fusion power plants should provide a baseload supply of large amounts of electricity, at costs that are estimated to be broadly similar to other energy sources. 

Modern gas-fired power plants are much cleaner and more efficient than their predecessors. They are also larger, cheaper to build, less noisy, less polluting, and easier to switch on and off. In addition, obtaining permits to build gas-fired plants is usually much easier than an equivalent coal or nuclear plant for these reasons.

New Carbon Capture Technologies for Gas and Coal Fired Plants are in Place
11th February 2011
Scottish and Southern Energy/Shell/Petrofac are planning a carbon capture and storage project for their Gas Fired Power Station in Peterhead in Scotland
NEWS ITEM HERE

FROM THE UK DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY and CLIMATE CHANGE

"Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) Carbon Capture & Storage is a mitigation technology essential in tackling global climate change, and ensuring a secure energy supply. Without CCS, limiting a rise in global temperature to 2°C will be that much more difficult and costly; up to 70% more according to the International Energy Agency (IEA) [External link]."

......

Fuel Cells: A Better Energy Source for Earth and Space

Producing power without damaging our environment is a continuing challenge. Fossil fuels like gasoline, coal, and jet fuel are not renewable, and burning these fuels increases air pollution and harms the enviroment. Batteries have limited lifetimes and need to be disposed of in hazardous-waste landfills. Many environmentally friendly alternatives (solar, wind, hydroelectric, and geothermal power) can only be used in particular environments. In contrast, fuel cells can have near-zero emissions, are quiet and efficient, and can work in any environment where the temperature is lower than the cell's operating temperature.

A fuel cell converts hydrogen and oxygen into water, producing electricity and heat in the process. It has two electrodes, the negative anode and positive cathode, separated by an electrolyte that only allows specific ion flows. Fuel is delivered to the anode and oxygen to the cathode. (Credit: NASA)

A fuel cell combines a fuel (hydrogen or hydrogen source) with an oxidizer (oxygen or air) to produce electrical power. These electrochemical devices work similar to batteries, but they never run down or need to be recharged. Like a battery, a fuel cell has two electrodes (a cathode and an anode) that are separated by an electrolyte. However, batteries have at least one solid metal electrode that is slowly consumed as electricity is produced. In a fuel cell, the electrode is not consumed, and the cell can produce electricity as long as more fuel and oxidizer are pumped through it.

Fuel cells can use hydrogen directly, or they can obtain hydrogen from another fuel, like liquid methanol (wood alcohol), which is renewable and can be transported more easily than hydrogen. With hydrogen fuel, heat and water are the only byproducts. With methanol fuel, heat and water are still the major byproducts, along with only a fraction of the carbon dioxide and none of the other pollutants produced by a gasoline-burning engine.

Proton-exchange-membrane fuel cells are placed into long and short stacks to produce the necessary amount of electricity. (Credit: NASA)

The NASA Glenn Research Center is the focal point for NASA's fuel cell research and development. Glenn helped to develop the alkaline fuel cells that are the primary source of power on the Space Shuttles and developed fuel cells for electric vehicles and energy-storage systems. Glenn researchers continue to look for ways to improve fuel cells.

These improved fuel cells may soon be seen in many areas of our lives. For example, fuel cells may soon provide auxiliary equipment power on commercial aircraft. They could be used in cars, commercial powerplants, and personal electronics. Glenn is developing and investigating fuel cells for emissions-free aircraft, the International Space Station, reusable launch vehicles, a Mars airplane, and a Space Shuttle upgrade, as well as for systems to produce electricity and store energy on the Moon and Mars.

Proton-exchange-membrane fuel cell technology and next-generation fuel cell concepts are being explored for space vehicle applications, such as the Mars Flyer, and for aircraft power and propulsion systems. Credit: NASA

Alkaline fuel cells have been the primary source of electrical power on human spaceflight systems for over four decades. However, alkaline fuel cells use a costly, aging technology. Much work must still be done before improved fuel cells can be used in spacecraft, which operate at extreme altitudes and low temperatures for extended durations. This technology will enable new space exploration missions as well as fuel savings, quiet operation, and reduced emissions for aircraft.

Glenn is investigating three types of fuel cells: proton-exchange-membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs), regenerative fuel cell (RFC) systems, and solid-oxide fuel cells (SOFCs). NASA first developed PEMFCs for the Gemini mission, but because PEMFCs had water-management problems, alkaline fuel cells were used through the 1990s. Improved PEMFCs promise to be more powerful, lighter, safer, simpler to operate, and more reliable. They will last longer, perform better, and may cost much less than current alkaline fuel cells. PEMFCs use hydrogen fuel and produce only water--so pure that NASA plans to use it as drinking water for spacecraft crews. NASA PEMFCs may also produce electricity for spacesuits, airplanes, uninhabited air vehicles, and reusable launch vehicles.

In RFC systems, fuel cells use hydrogen and oxygen to produce electricity, water, and heat. Then a solar - powered electrolyzer breaks the water into hydrogen and oxygen so that the fuel cell can use it again. The waste heat is also used. RFC systems provide efficient, environmentally friendly, highly reliable, renewable energy conversion. Glenn researchers have developed RFC concepts for storing energy on the International Space Station, high-altitude balloons, and high-altitude aircraft. They are now investigating RFCs for storing energy on the Moon or Mars.

SOFCs are being considered for power generation and for use in space because of their high efficiency, high power density, and extremely low pollution. They have an all-solid construction and can operate at high temperatures--producing clean, efficient power from easy-to-transport fuels instead of pure hydrogen. SOFCs also are being developed for portable electronic devices, cars, and aircraft.

Because NASA SOFCs must operate at high temperatures (600 to 1000 °C) for thousands of hours in corrosive environments, Glenn researchers developed special sealing materials as well as a design that combines the separator and sealant. They also developed a novel process to make SOFC parts (anodes, cathodes, and cermets) that weigh less but provide support while correcting fuel-flow problems. Finally, they developed thinner, lighter, high-temperature interconnects that reduce the weight of the entire SOFC system.
NASA Glenn's fuel cell research could lead to new flight capabilities, electric power for long-term human exploration beyond Earth orbit, more efficient cars and trucks, and a cleaner environment.

Ground Source Heat Pumps (GSHPs) are an alternative form of electric heating, ideally suited to new, larger properties. They extract heat stored in the ground (which is replenished from the sun) and pass it through a heat exchanger to raise the temperature of water sufficiently high to heat a home. GSHPs tend to work most efficiently when raising water to a temperature around 40°C, and so are best matched to a wet underfloor heating system. As the heat source is the sun, the only energy used in a GSHP system is in the pumps and compressors needed to run the system; typically these use only a quarter as much energy as is released into the building in the form of heat. (In other words, a Ground Source Heat Pump can be 300-400% efficient.) As it is not normally possible to fit a wet underfloor heating system into an existing property, GSHPs are most commonly installed into new properties.

Trees absorb carbon dioxide and give off Oxygen- 'Simples' as the Meerkat might say

.....