Rainwater Harvesting
It is now viable to harvest rainwater for your whole household. This includes rainwater harvesting, storing and pumping rainwater for bathing, showering, toilet flushing, pool, laundry and irrigation. Rainwater harvesting together with other Water Rhapsody products can save up to 90% of your water bill.
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Monthly Archives: August 2010
Benefit from SWH Rebates while you can
Eskom generates about 95 percent of the electricity used in South Africa. The company has been battling with electricity shortage since January 2008, but its problems date a decade earlier and are due to lack of investment in new capacities and in updating the existing power stations. Last year, Eskom increased its tariffs by 31 percent and asked for 35 to 45 percent annual increases for three years in order to scrape together about R400 billion needed to build new power plants. However, in February 2010 the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (Nersa) approved lower increases: 24.8 percent for 2010/11 financial year, which will bring the average Eskom electricity price to 41.31c per kWh; 25.8 percent for 2011/12, bringing the average Eskom electricity price 51.68 c per kWh; and 25.9 percent in 2012/13, making the average Eskom electricity price 65.06c per kWh. Eskom will use part of the money it gets from the higher rates towards increasing its solar water geyser subsidies, from about R2,500 to about R7,000. The cost of subsidizing solar geysers is lower than the cost of building a new power station. With the new subsidy in place, almost half of the cost of a solar … Continue reading
Posted in Energy Saving, Renewable Energy, Solar Energy, Solar Geysers, Solar Water Heating
Tagged Energy Saving, Eskom Electricity Increase, Eskom's DSM Programme, going green, Solar Geyser Suppliers, Solar geysers, Solar power, Solar Water Heater Suppliers, Solar Water Heating Rebate, Yes Solar
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Use a Water Tank for your Garden
Using rainwater tanks is the perfect way for you to create the garden of your dreams and keep it green all year round. One of the biggest drains of a city’s water supply can come from people using their water for gardening. Most people enjoy the look of beautiful lawns and lush gardens, however this is using precious water that is needed for bathing, cooking or drinking. Gardens account for most of the water used in the home and is therefore the biggest domestic contributer to the water shortage. No matter what type of water problems you are experiencing and whether you stay in Western/Eastern Cape, Gauteng, Natal or anywhere else in the world for that matter, there is a way to have lush gardens without using up your city’s water supply. To build a system that is suitable for your garden, you need to calculate
50% Renewable energy by 2030 for South Africa – WWF
One-half of South Africa’s electricity generation could come from renewable energy sources by 2030, the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) said in a new report on Tuesday, 10 August 2010. “Renewable energy is not just an environmental issue anymore. It is about assessing the health of our economy going forward,” said WWF climate change programme manager Richard Worthington. He said that reaching the 50% renewable energy target by 2030 was distinctly feasible, despite the country’s heavy reliance on coal to produce electricity, and added that it was necessary to ensure low-carbon re-industrialization, which would be required under emission reduction commitments in the climate change arena. The report, entitled ‘Renewable energy in a just transition to sustainable electricity supply’, argued that South Africa had the potential to rapidly upscale its use of renewable energy, and with a combination of energy-efficiency measures, this would result in cheaper electricity over the medium term. The report also introduced the sustainable national accessible power planning (Snapp) tool, which was commissioned by the WWF, and was freely available on the Internet. The Snapp tool allowed for interrogation of government’s proposed energy plan, and allowed for the modeling of different energy scenarios, depending on the different inputs made. … Continue reading
Why Solar Energy in South Africa?
There are 5 Good reasons to use solar energy in South Africa: Power Shortage: South Africa cannot meet the energy demand in the country only with existing power generation capacity. South Africa must safe 10% on its electricity bill. Former finance Minister Trevor Manuel announced various steps and measures in his February 2008 budget speech which includes: ¨ Levy on electricity generated from non-renewable sources, such as generators. ¨ Promised to consider tax incentives for clean energy. ¨ Tax relief for generation of electricity from amongst others sunlight. Eskom has announced delays in quoting and perhaps supplying only part or none of the electricity requirements for new developments and requirements for permits. 2. Rising Energy Cost: Electricity costs are very low in SA, but Eskom forces a 25% price increase per annum over the next four years. Diesel price increased more than 200% in the last 4 years and will continue to do so for the unforeseeable future. (Source: Stats AS 2007) 3. Independence from providers: Solar energy ensures continued power supply on key appliances at home or in the office, thereby mitigating damage during power surges and outages. It reduces the household reliance on Main Grid Energy … Continue reading
Solar Water Heating
People have been using solar power for many years to heat up their water, light up their homes and for general low-voltage appliances. Solar power energy is now more easily accessible to the public than ever before, and millions of people around the world are installing solar geysers in their homes in order to save money on electricity consumption and thus helping the planet. Converting your home to use solar power can be a considerable undertaking, but the results are very rewarding. Going solar is a growing trend, but where do you begin the process? Solar power systems use energy from the sun – which is an unlimited source of renewable energy – and convert it into electricity or heat. The most practical place to start the process of conversion is with the installation of solar geysers on your roof. Solar water heaters use a roof-mounted, heat-absorbing panels (thermal collectors) to heat water with the power of the sun. The heated water is fed into a special solar geyser that stores the water. Firstly, you should find the most appropriate position suitable on your roof. The solar panels should not be shaded either by trees or any other obstacles. Even if … Continue reading
Will recent Rainfall bring some relief?
Rainfall figures for the last 24 hours as of 10 Aug 2010. Do you have a water tank yet? EASTERN CAPE ADDO ELEPHANT PARK 3 ALEXANDRIA – POL 16 BISHO 1 CAPE ST FRANCIS 17 EAST LONDON WO 4 ELANDS RIVER-BOSBOK RAND 14 FLOWER RESERVE ARS 8 GRAHAMSTOWN 5 HUMANSDORP 18 KAREEDOUW – POL 10 NGQURA (COEGA) 7 PATENSIE 3 PORT ALFRED – AIRPORT 15 ST ALBANS PRISON ARS 13 SWARTKOPS POWER STATION 7 UITENHAGE 2
Posted in Water Conservation
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Phosphate in Washing Powder destroy Water Eco Systems.
Phosphate is a nutrient that is essential for plant growth and is found naturally in the environment. But the excess use of phosphates by humans is overloading our water bodies, which can lead to toxic algal blooms. Have a look at this video to see the effects of overloading our environment with phosphates usually used in washing powders on a daily basis. Use our Eco-friendly Products links to find out more about phosphate-free detergents. Also read this very informative post on Eco-friendly Laundry: http://www.watersafe.co.za/2010/03/10/eco-friendly-laundry/
