Comments on: How not to save the planet

By: foot pain

foot pain — Fri, 12 Aug 2011 22:03:43 +0000

We would like to thank you just as before for the stunning ideas you gave Jesse when preparing a post-graduate research plus, most importantly, for providing the many ideas in one blog post. Provided we had been aware of your site a year ago, we will have been kept from the needless measures we were employing. Thanks to you.

By: John Schembri

John Schembri — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 16:53:58 +0000

@ Daphne : now you reduced your electrical load by around 4 Kw so you can probably afford installing an air conditioner or two without overloading your power lines.
I am assuming you kept your three water heaters always on.
I hope this fits to your way of thinking.

By: John Schembri

John Schembri — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 09:57:02 +0000

@ Daphne :Well they all have a back up heater and a big storage of hot water.I am not going into details but it’s nice to have more than one spare wheel especially when the cost is nil. Same goes to your ‘spare’ water heaters .
If I were you I would keep the SWH electrical heater in off position until the UV index gets to around 6 ,that is until end of September.
You proved to us that you keep ALL your options open.

By: Daphne Caruana Galizia

Daphne Caruana Galizia — Sat, 02 Aug 2008 18:46:35 +0000

@John, apparently our solar water-heater (or so I’m told, because I didn’t see it), came equipped with a back-up system composed of a vast tank, with more capacity than our three boilers (I thought there were two) put together and a heating element connected to the grid. It has a thermostat which triggers the back-up system on days when the sun is not enough, or similar problems.
I’m pleased to report that so far, so good.

By: David Buttigieg

David Buttigieg — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 23:15:08 +0000

@John

“@ David:there is a threshold on subsidised electricity. Serrah rasek.”

Thank you

By: John Schembri

John Schembri — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 16:41:22 +0000

@ Daphne :”There are two functional large bathroom boilers or water-heaters or whatever you call them going spare” ; I left mine connected in place , in case the solar water heater gets damaged.

@ David:there is a threshold on subsidised electricity. Serrah rasek.

By: David Buttigieg

David Buttigieg — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 12:50:08 +0000

@All,

Sorry to bring up the issue of the surcharge again BUT as regards to those who don’t pay it, is there a limit on how much electricity they consume or is the Government – i.e. we – subsidising their ACs etc? Does anybody know?

By: David Buttigieg

David Buttigieg — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 12:47:03 +0000

@Matthew,

P.S. Hope I’m wrong of course!

By: David Buttigieg

David Buttigieg — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 12:45:19 +0000

@Matthew

Thanks for the link, I read the article – very interesting but I think we are still far behind in actually capturing the solar energy in the first place (Stictly my opinion – I am no scientist/engineer)

But still, at’s a major hurdle overcome, but I still have my doubts that homes will be self-sufficient energy wise within 10 years!

By: David Buttigieg

David Buttigieg — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 12:42:01 +0000

@Daphne,

How goes the clean energy :)

Issa keep an eye on the electricity and let us know if you notice a difference! U iva cheer up, you will save the planet single handedly :)

“two functional large bathroom boilers or water-heaters or whatever you call them”

To be 100% honest I still call them geysers *blush*