09.01.2010 - However, there is a bewil­dering array of alternatives, even here in the Canaries.  So which environmentally friendly DIY initiatives will save you money, and which are little more than gim­micks?

Energy-saving light bulbs
These will soon be the only ones available.  However, you can start to save money now.  For example, all these lights use 18W bulbs.  You can run five of these for less than the running cost of one 100W traditional bulb.  They cost more to buy, but they are guaranteed to last up to 8,000 hours.  This means a saving of up to €15 over the lifetime of the bulb in addition to the saving on running costs.

This table is a guide to Energy Star bulbs which are very similar to those found in Leroy Merlin or the big supermarkets.

Apparently, you can save even more money if you run your light bulbs off a solar panel or wind turbine.  However, those available on the island will only generate direct current (similar to a car battery).  The supply to your house is alternat­ing current.  The panels or turbines available for the DIY enthusiast are only re­ally suitable for recharging your mobile phone or other batteries.  You would have to buy special bulbs or use the sort of gadgets that can be run off a car battery, for example a small portable TV that you might take camping, or a laptop computer. It would take a long time to recover the cost of buying one of these renewable energy systems.

The other type of solar panel is the one which heats water.  This is much more cost effec­tive.  There are several makes available on the Island.  These fall into two types.   Glazed flat-plate collectors are insulated, weatherproofed boxes which contain a dark absorber plate under one or more glass or plastic (polymer) covers. 
The other type, evacuated-tube solar collectors, feature parallel rows of transpar­ent glass tubes.  Each tube contains a glass outer tube and metal absorber tube attached to a fin. These are more commonly used in Northern Europe and are more expensive. 
Many new homes have the pipework necessary to con­nect to a solar hot water sys­tem.  It makes the job of the DIY installer that much more straightforward.  However, it is possible to install your own system from scratch.
Most of the modern panels are reliable, although beware of cheap versions from China!   Boiler manufacturers such as Junkers are now producing their own versions.  We are fortunate that here in Ten­erife, we have an excellent system, made by Constante Solar in Santa Cruz. 
These systems were devel­oped to the highest specifica­tions at ITER (the Institute for Renewable Energy).  All parts are guaranteed for eight years, so you are  certain to get several years of totally free hot water, once you have recovered your initial out­lay.  If recent price rises are anything to go by, how much will it cost to heat water  with electricity or gas in eight or ten years’ time?  There are systems on the Island which have lasted 20 years and more.  What will your electricity bill be in 2029?
In the next article, Robert visits the factory in Santa Cruz to see for himself the quality of the systems and to find out what they have to offer to the environmentally friendly DIY enthusiast.

This is a cheap and easy way to save money, using solar energy. Robert is laying plastic water pipe on a terrace.  This will be concreted and tiled in the normal way.  It will pre-heat the cold water supply for a remote bathroom which is too far away from the solar panel on the main roof.  The water can be brought to the required temperature in any electric water heater.  If the pre-heated water is to be further heated by gas, a special boiler is needed. 
This is also an inexpensive but effective way to heat a swimming pool.

Useful vocabulary

Hot water / agua caliente
light bulb / bombilla
Pipe / tubo 
Photovoltaic / fotovoltaico
Solar panel/ Panel solar
Wind turbine / turbina de viento or aerogenerador

If you would like advice or help with plastering or re-plaster­ing or any other DIY projects, you can call Robert on 922 814073 or 605 469 352. 
E-mail rjmcalees@yahoo.com



This article appears in the print edition 606 of Island Connections

Gallery: How to save money and help the environment

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