old power station video

No, not Robert Palmer in the 80s, but the old power station in Portobello prior to its demolition. There's also a cool photograph of it on flickr, which I've posted a link to after the vid. Enjoy!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Flickr pic here -  according to the accompanying info, this building was demolished in the late 70s, so I guess that's when the cine film would have been shot.

Check back in the coming months for more stuff on old power stations from Scotland and beyond.

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Good Central Heating Practices

Your Central heating is not completely static, and it needs a decent bit of maintenance for it to run at it's optimum efficiency. When you are installing central heating it is wise to as the technician the best ways to look after the equipment. Of course it might be too late now so here a couple of tips to see if your central heating is up to scratch.

  • Bleed Your Radiators

This sounds a lot more harsh thanit really is, the simple fact is that from time to time air gets into the central heating system, and when it gets to the radiator it cannot naturally get out. Feel your radiators and if they are warmer at the bottom than the top then this has happened. If so, then turn off your central heating, find the bleed valve (a square valve at the top on one or either side), place a cloth beneath the radiator (to stop spillage) and with a radiator key (or bleed screw) (this should come with the central heating system, if not they are easily available in all good DIY stores) carfully open the valve counter-clockwise until the air begins to escape, when water begins to escape the air has been fully bled therefore close the valve in a clockwise direction. Job Done

  • Check the Thermostat

Strange as it sounds sometimes people find it a bit chilly because they have either changed the thermostat settings or the thermostat is malfunctioning, what you can do is alter the settings on your central heating to check if the temperature changes. If there is no change then the thermostat and not the central heating may be at fault, in this case you may have to call out an engineer.

  • Check your system for Leakage

Have a thorough look around your whole central heating system, look for any damp patches on or about the lagging on your pipes, check the sides of your radiators, check the boiler itself, and best of all, take your tools with you just to make sure that all the valves are nice and tight throughout the network.

Of course for most of the complicated tasks a trained professional will have to be called in, but if you do your best to help them, then your anual check up, and any maintenance will no doubt be much cheaper.

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Winter 2010-11 and energy

Well, so far it looks like this is the coldest winter since, well ... estimates vary. But the way some news reports are going on, it hasn't been this cold since the days of the Mammuthus primigenius. Okay, maybe not since as far back as that, but certainly back as far as before the Beatles were famous. 

Just what the weather means in terms of the environment is uncertain - for sure, fewer flights will have been taken and fewer road journeys taken, so maybe there is an eco-benefit. It's also been so cold that I'm sure many cryogenic research facilities could temporarily switch off their cold temperature equipment and not notice much of a difference.

With some reports even characterising the continuing cold weather as a mini ice age, there will definitely need to be a lot of government thought about what to do in the future. Because what if the past couple of years end up not being exceptional and end up being the norm? Even one winter out of ten as harsh as this and there would require to be completely new systems in place for coping. Anyone who witnessed the television news this year, with people stuck at airports and on motorways, would surely want to avoid being in a similar situation, ever.

But we have a lot to be thankful for - living in modern accommodation with such things as insulation, radiators and double glazing makes a lot of difference. Back during that 1963 cold snap, these mod cons weren't all that widespread. It makes you wonder how people in properly cold areas of the world, like Siberia, managed to cope,

Who knows, maybe in the future there will be so much solar energy (or other renewable clean form of energy) going round that even the pavements will have below surface heating, and slipping around while running for the bus will be a thing of the past. I hope so anyway.

 

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Scottish Energy Scene Christmas Greetings!

Hello – just a quick Merry Christmas post from Scottish Energy Scene!

 

This is my first time posting to the blog using my mobile phone, so apologies if this didn’t appear (and as a result you’re not reading it... how can that be...?) I know some people have been posting to their blogs from all kinds of locations via mobile devices for years and years, but I guess I’m just not that kind of blogger. I like to sit in front of a monitor with a cup of coffee and compose each post as if I’m some kind of serious writer of great intellectual worth.

 

Anyway, I’m attempting to get away for the holidays starting today. Who knows if I’ll a) get where I’m going or b) get back on the date intended – but either way, I’ll be back on the blog in January at some point.

 

Happy Holidays! (as they say in the USA)

 

 

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Winter Wonderland

Well we might as well just accept it, we live in Scotland, it is currently December, soon it will be January & February, it was always going to snow at some point, so why the panic. In my humble opinion when it snows and you can't do anything about getting anywhere then you just have to get on with whatever you can do.

And above all you might as well enjoy yourself, if you don't might end up taking things too seriously, after all it isn't too bad and there is never any other time when you can go out sledging is there? And when you get back from your winter activities you should be returning to a snug house as long as you have good central heating.

But beware any sudden snap in the weather because these are the things that can just suddenly tip you central heating installation over the edge, especially if it has not been in use recently. So before you do go out and enjoy your winter wonderland. Have a quick check of your boiler.

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UK winter, electricity and heating.

Another day, another blizzard of news stories about the cold weather. Even a severe weather warning from the Met Office. Where will it all end? 

Some news reports are even saying that there will be a White Christmas - meanwhile most of us, for once, are dreaming of a Christmas overcast, drizzly, anything but more snow.

In the meantime, I've been trying to save on the heating bills by wearing two jumpers, and resisting the temptation to have the gas fire on full every evening. So far, so good. But if the temperatures go back down below 10 Celsius, then it''ll have to be comfort before energy saving. Luckily the UK's mild climate means that generally the heating isn't on in my house between about March and November, so I'll make the savings then. 

But if things continue the way they are for much longer, electricity and gas companies might have to introduce a new Arctic Conditions Tariff. 

 

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Here comes the Winter

It's getting to that boint in the year when we start to feel like Scandinavians: it is dark when we get up and toddle off to work, it is dark when we get back home later that evening. It only seems to be light whilst we are cooped up inside the office with deadlines and all other types of pressures involved with working with people. Hardly seems fair, does it?

So what better than to get back home and snuggle up on the sofa in front of the telly with a glass of wine for the evening, but what if you live in a really old house. Is your current central heating up to the pressure of a really long bad winter, I think you had better make sure before it starts getting seriously cold at about the turn of the year [as it always does].

So go and give your old boiler a quick check and see if it will be up to the amount of work that it will have to do over the coming months, rememver that if you leave it until the last minute then there may not be a technician available, or if he is he might charge ridiculous rates to be called out in the middle of the bleak midwinter.

Central Heating Intallation, because forewarned is forearmed!

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smart meters

Does your energy provider do a smart meter? Smart meters haven't been around for long, so it's not every energy company that supplies them. Basically they are set to revolutionise the way that we approach domestic electricity.

By hooking up the smart meter to the laptop, you'll be able to get a much clearer idea of how much you spend at different times of year, and your patterns of usage. It will also help with planning your energy use.

Before the advent of the smart meter I wasn't even aware that there was suych a thing as off peak energy rates. Now you could conceivably stick the dishwasher on so that it's cheaper - but beware if the machine is anywhere near your sleeping place as the rumbling could affect your zzz's.

 

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Uzbekistan to supply China with Gas

The state run power company of Uzbekistan [Uzbekneftegaz] is in talks with the People's Republic of China so that the former Soviet Republic can supply power to the worlds fastest economy with power. The deal is still under negotiation depending upon agreements upon which side is to put in the correct gas installation for the transmission system.

This should be big news in the West not only because it shows not only how China's progressive demands for energy are growing, but also how it is moving into areas, which some Western Governments had earmarked for future supplies of the US and Europes energy needs [the caucasus and beyond]. This is sure to cause the the price of carbon based fuel to increase, not only through supply and demand, but through speculation.

This surely means that those who have the opportunity to turn as much as possibly to green, renewable energy ought to do so as soon as possible when they have the chance. In Scotland we have all the wind you could ever need so let's start harnessing it more.

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