This group is interested in all the different ways we can generate energy, including solar, wind, biomass and more.
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Choosing a solar hot water unit can be a confusing experience for the average consumer. There are many types available and many traps for the unwary. This fact sheet hopes aims to provide some basic information to assist. Solar hot water uses the energy of the sun to heat domestic hot water. They can provide up to 85% of domestic hot water energy over the whole year. All systems require an uxiliary energy source during winter, this typically being an electric immersion heater in this region (where gas is available this is a better option). Solar hot water is probably the most cost effective way of reducing energy consumption in the home.
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A heat pump is a device that moves heat from a source location to a sink location. Most heat pump technologies move heat from low temperature heat source to a higher temperature heat sink. Common examples are refrigerators, freezers, air conditioners an reverse cycle heater cooler combinations. All matter above absolute zero (appox –273C) contains energy. This can be captured by using the energy present to evaporate a refrigerant (same principle as why evaporating sweat cools you down by taking heat away). This can then be recovered in part by condensing the vapour back to a liquid form by a compressor, the heat being used to heat and the liquid then being recycled through the system.
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