Earth Notes: Diarycast - March Warm, April Snow, June Xmas (2021-06-14)
Updated 2024-04-20.Diarycast
Hi, I'm Damon Hart-Davis, and welcome to Earth Notes podcast on all things eco and green and efficient @Home!
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A very brief scoot through the last three months at EOU Towers, since census day on March 21st. It's warm here this evening at my desk at something like 28°C...[00:32]On March 23rd (and again on the 29th) the Enphase battery carried energy throughout the night to keep us off-grid.
On the 29th also, we ceremonially turned the central heating off at noon. It did get used very briefly a couple of times in April, once for an impulse heating test.
[00:49]On the 7th of April, according to the BBC and National Grid,
Great Britain's electricity system was the greenest it had ever been at lunchtime on Easter Bank Holiday Monday, ... Sunny and windy weather, coupled with low demand for power ... meant zero-carbon power sources made up almost 80% of Britain's power.On the 12th, on the day that the pubs could re-open, outside only, we had snow! I did somewhat grimly experience a few pub garden sessions, selflessly, in cold and lashing rain, just to prop up the local economy...
By the 24th it was warm enough to again wear the shorts that I had hung on the back of my chair "for a few days" at the end of March!
[01:29]On the 6th of May, while I'd normally be one of the first to the polling station at 7am for the London elections, I had already voted by post this time to reduce covid risks a little. First time postal vote for me I think.
On the evening of the 21st I enjoyed a beer or 2.5 inside at my local microbrewery Tap Room.
[01:49]On the 31st, according to Enphase, we had 100% "energy independence", ie we didn't import any electricity from the grid.
On the 1st of June, a tad delayed by covid, we had a belated Christmas with presents from one group of relatives. I got a neck warmer and a Christmas mug on a day where I am having to wear socks and sandals and mow grass that a cat could get lost in! The southern hemisphere Xmas Experience!
On the 6th I had my second covid shot, hurrah!
[02:18]On the 10th was my first in-person meeting wearing a suit for many months, and missing a partial eclipse.
And today, on the 14th, I got to see what I think is a pyramidal orchid in a grassy area near home!
There's more on my "Earth Notes" Web site at
Earth.Org.UK.
Show Notes
The full diary notes and extra pics:
- 2021-06-14: saw a pyramidal orchid today!
- 2021-06-14: Fame! Listed in a Tweet alongside some actual #EnergyTwitter luminaries:
Jenny Chase @solar_chase : How about @jojusolar @CarbonBrief @EarthOrgUK @DrSimEvans @DrJenBaker @jruddchemist @ChiefExecCCC @Jess_Shankleman @Emma__Champion @vhcuming @James_BG (Quite a random mix but all in some way relevant!)
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2021-06-10: was in my first external in-person meeting (wearing a suit!) for months, so missed viewing the partial eclipse. - 2021-06-01: slightly delayed by covid we had a belated Christmas today with presents from one group of relatives: I got wine, neck warmer, socks and a Christmas mug on a day where I am having to wear socks and sandals and mow grass that a cat could be lost in! The southern hemisphere Xmas Experience!
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2021-05-31: according to Enphase 16WW had 100% "Energy Independence". -
2021-05-29: resisting barbarous lures still! - 2021-05-27: a Historypin at RBK!
- 2021-05-21: this evening I enjoyed a beer or 4 (3 of them halves!) inside at my local Tap Room.
- 2021-05-20: a few days ago my daughter smashed the red one of the two 'designer' mugs that I think my dad bought for me from Woolworths when I went to uni: a 35+ year life isn't bad!
- 2021-05-06: no voting for me in London elections today: I have already voted by post to reduce coronavirus transmission risk. Normally I'm one of the first at the polling station.
- 2021-05-05: smug RE note: twice made green solar tea off grid but instead of starting with water from filter just at room temperature ~18°C used warm residue from kettle ~37°C, and instead boiling raised to 80°C as recommended for green tea. Thus halved the required lift (~40K vs ~80K) and energy input!
- 2021-04-24: I'm back in the shorts that I hung on the back of my chair "for a few days" at the end of March!
- 2021-04-12: some pleasant sunshine yesterday, then in the afternoon just after I came in a brief intense flurry of snow. This morning, on the day that the pubs can re-open outside, more snow at 8am!
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2021-04-07: Britain's electricity system 'greenest ever' over Easter: Great Britain's electricity system was the greenest it had ever been at lunchtime on Easter Bank Holiday Monday, its operator has said. Sunny and windy weather, coupled with low demand for power, led to a surge in renewable sources of energy, National Grid Electricity System Operator said. It meant zero-carbon power sources made up almost 80% of Britain's power.
- 2021-04-06: around freezing or below this morning and likely the same tonight, but MHRV and solar gain may help as not need the central heating back on (it's sunny right now at 8am BST).
- 2021-04-04: ambient bird calls from the cemetery in the afternoon; gulls, jackdaws, crows: 86s "20210404T1518Z bird calls gull jackdaw crow" Uploaded . Downloads:
- 2021-03-30: Enphase and off-grid storage managed to continue through midnight into this morning. However, my son left the microwave oven switched on when he'd finished making popcorn yesterday evening, and the clock will have wasted more energy than was saved off-grid...
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2021-03-29: provisionally turned heating off entirely at noon UTC! (Though there were two special bursts of heat used in April, ~21kWh total, even though April was colder than March. - 2021-03-29: Enphase energy lasted through midnight to this morning again, aided by getting my off-grid 'dump' to the router (~12W) working again.
- 2021-03-23: some Enphase AC Battery energy carried over midnight for the first time this year.
