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earth, the final frontier

Clean Energy, Clean Environment

We are at a cross roads in human history, we can choose to continue on as we have been, or we can make a change to improve our future and quite possibly the future for several generations to come. We are here to promote energy independence, a better environment with a higher return on investment for your hard earned money. It is what I believe in, it is why I am in the solar business.

Developments in LED lighting

31 Dec 08 | Environment, Solar Electric
Philips Lumiled high power light emitting diode

Philips Lumiled high power light emitting diode

As part of a general trend toward more efficient energy use, LED (AKA solid state) lighting shows promise.  From EE times.com:

White organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) are already producing more light per watt than incandescent bulbs, according to engineering professor Stephen Forrest, but it is trapped inside the device. By fabricating a tandem system of grids and micro lenses on a white OLED, the device can achieve a brightness of over 70 lumens per watt, compared with 15 lumens for incandescent bulbs–almost as much as fluorescent tube lights (90 lumens).

And from Scientific Blogging:

Current white LED’s require a substrate made of sapphire and an additional mirroring layer to reflect light that would otherwise be lost… Researchers at Purdue University have found one method of significantly reducing the cost of a white LED by eliminating the expensive layer of sapphire. Instead, they used silicon as the substrate (the material the diode is printed on) and zirconium nitride as the reflector.

And from RPI:

Solid-state lighting that replaces incandescent and fluorescent bulbs with light-emitting diodes can reap enormous savings in cost, natural resources and pollution, according to a recent study by Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. RPI’s Troy, New York-based Smart Lighting Engineering Resource Center claims that over the next 10 years savings of more than $1.8 trillion will eliminate the need to burn almost a billion barrels of oil in power plants that would otherwise produce 10 gigatons in the carbon dioxide emissions.

Lighting accounts for 22% of all electrical consumption in the United States.  If even half of the reduction claimed in the RPI report is realized, a significant step has been made toward reducing pollution and increasing energy efficiency.  For most people, the current color rendition of solid state lights (SSL) is harsh with too much blue light used.  This problem is being worked on.

Further, SSL systems are great companions to off grid PV systems that can use DC power distribution.  In an AC (alternating current) system, losses come from inverters, power supplies, and the LEDs themselves.  In a DC (direct current, e.g. 12 or 24 volt) system, the only losses are the LEDs.

Look for more developments in SSL in the near future.

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31 Dec 08 | Environment, Solar Electric | Comment (1)

Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP)

18 Nov 08 | Commentary, Conservation, Environment

Most HEAP (programs) are designed purchase heating fuel for those who can’t afford to buy it on their own.

To this, we should all say “Thanks, but no thanks.”

On the surface, it seems like a really good idea. After all, nobody wants to decide between heating and eating.  No reasonable person would want to see somebody freezing to death. Low income families who can least afford to invest in energy conservation are particularly dependent on HEAP.  This situation just perpetuates the cycle.  Many low income families are renters, they cannot afford to do energy saving improvements to the dwelling that they occupy.  Since the land lord is not incurring the utility expenses, there is little incentive for them to take any action.

HEAP should be geared toward energy efficiency improvements, not just paying for oil, electric, or gas.  Land lords need to be encouraged to retrofit older buildings with energy efficient windows and doors, adding insulation, installing energy efficient lighting and heating equipment.  There are millions of old buildings in the US that could use upgrades, the completion of which would save enormous amounts of energy annually.  Those types of improvements will net the biggest bang for a buck.  Instead of buying oil for one season, the HEAP money will improve the conditions inside the building for as long as it is standing.

It is really nice to see the fancy new Zero Energy houses, that is the future.  At the same time, existing structures are, more than likely, not going to be replaced any time soon.  Most older structures can be made reasonably energy efficient at some expense.  This is a quick list of energy saving items that will quickly pay for themselves:

  1. Perhaps the easiest thing to do is to add blown in cellulose insulation to the attic.  The material for a 1500 Square Foot attic (to R-49) costs about $850.00.  Installation varies, but it should not be more than $4-500.
  2. Caulking, weather stripping and sealing.  Easy to do, should cost about $1-200 tops.
  3. Adding blown in cellulose insulation to walls.  More difficult than attic insulating as often access holes need to be drilled in the walls.  Material costs depend on the size of the house.  Total job costs between $4-7,000.  Also, if the house was previously insulated with blown in cellulose, the insulation has a tenancy to settle, so it may need to be “topped off”
  4. Replacement doors and windows.  Depending on the number and size of the windows and doors, can range from $4-15,000.
  5. Replacement of older furnaces and boilers.  Most furnaces over 20 years old are inefficient by today’s standards.  Replacement can save quite a bit of money on heating fuel costs.  Usually between $3-6,000 depending on size and make of new equipment.
  6. Installation of energy saving devices such as programmable thermostats, out door temperature resets for boilers, temperature controlled steam vents for steam radiators, etc.  These costs vary, but often the device will pay for itself within a year or two.

In addition to the tenants saving money on heating, the property owner will increase the value of the rental property by having a more energy efficient building.  In short, these energy saving upgrades will be a much wiser investment than simply buying oil.

Related posts:

  1. National Grid petitions to Raise Electrical Rates by 21.7 percent
  2. Renewable energy as an investment
  3. Waste not want not; The coming new energy age.
  4. Five Good Reasons to Install a Solar Energy System
  5. Radiant floor heating

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18 Nov 08 | Commentary, Conservation, Environment | Comments (2)

Waste not want not; The coming new energy age.

29 May 08 | Conservation

Energy efficiency. It is not as sexy as installing a PV or solar hot water system, it doesn’t produce power, nor is it really something that can be seen or felt. However, I begin almost every sales call with the same statement:

The first and most important part of any renewable energy system is conservation. Take any and all steps necessary to reduce your electrical and heating loads first, then consider an alternative energy system.

These steps include:

  1. Replacing inefficient appliances with Energy Star models
  2. Replacing incandescent lights with CFLs
  3. Installing timer switches on bathroom fans, heat lamps and other similar fixtures
  4. Eliminate phantom (standby) electrical loads
  5. Add installation to attic, walls and floors
  6. Increase attic ventilation to reduce summer heating load
  7. Replace old single glazed windows with double pane units

Once these steps are done, then properly sized alternative energy systems can be installed. These include:

  1. Solar Domestic Hot Water. This requires a good south facing exposure with little or no shade between the hours of 9am to 3 pm all year long.
  2. Solar How Water space heating. This requires a very well constructed house, preferably with radiant floor heating and a very good south exposure with no shading.
  3. Solar Thermal air heating units. This requires a good south facing vertical wall with no shade
  4. Photovoltaics system properly sized for 50-90 percent of annual electrical load. This requires a south facing exposure with no shade between the hours of 9am to 3pm (preferably longer) year round.
  5. Small WInd Turbine. This requires a good wind resource and zoning allowance
  6. Micro Hydro plant. If a small stream or pond is available, this is an excellent energy source.

All of these systems are called distributed power generation. The advantage of distributed power generation is that is has no transmission line losses, which can be as high as 20 percent of the total power generated. They can be operated in a stand alone situation, grid connected or a combination of the two. Two systems can be combined to generate power in a hybrid system, an example of this is a PV/wind system.

In short, a renewable energy system allows you to control your own destiny and not be in the hands of the local utility company.

We are terrible at converting energy to useful purpose, with an overall efficiency of around 35%:

us energy flow 2002

Check out the transportation sector. Cars, trucks and other vehicles are extremely inefficient, averaging around 26%. In this time of $4.00 per gallon gas, that means that for every gallon of gas you purchase, 3 dollars is burned and dissipated as waste heat.

Unfortunately, the only control an average consumer can have over the transportation industry is to purchase the most fuel efficient options available. Thus, we are at the mercy of the car companies to design more fuel efficient models if we want to own a car.

Residential energy use is a different matter. As the chart shows, the largest energy waster is electrical generation. Every homeowner can take steps to reduce their electrical load right now. Here are a few things that everyone can do little or no cost:

  1. Vacuum the refrigerator condensing coils off every 6-12 months (the condensing coils are located on the back or bottom of the unit). Make sure the unit has enough air circulation to cool the coils as needed. If the air is restricted by dirt or blocked by a wall, it can make the appliance work harder. Many freezers have a “condensation saver” setting. This is a heat strip embedded in the freezer door that uses quite a bit of power. Turn it off and wipe up the condensation with a rag every so often.
  2. Make sure that your air conditioner is in good shape. Wash the condensing coils off at least once per year, (these are located outside and can often get clogged with dirt, leaves, and other debris) change or clean the air filter too.
  3. Dishwashers should be ran only when full. Use the “air dry” or “energy saver” settings for drying the dishes.
  4. Make sure that you clothes dryer lint trap is emptied after every load. Check the vent and make sure it is not clogged with lint, clean as needed.
  5. If possible, use a clothes line to dry clothes instead of a clothes dryer
  6. Don’t use portable electric heaters if a all possible
  7. Turn the temperature on your hot water heater down, it should be high enough to be comfortable, but not scalding
  8. Replace burned out incandescent lights with CFL bulbs. Remember to dispose of the CFL bulbs properly at the end of there life.
  9. Get rid of phantom loads by unplugging them or turning them off when not in use. These include things like laptop battery chargers, cellphone chargers, TVs, VCRs, DVD players (pretty much anything with a wireless remote control) microwave ovens, etc

One thing is very clear, energy is no longer cheap and in the future may not be plentiful either. I think that most people are used to electric lights, hot and cold running water, heated or cooled buildings, cooked food, cold storage for perishables, easy transportation, easy communication, etc. Ask yourself this question, could you live without electricity for a week? A month? A year? Longer?

Related posts:

  1. Radiant floor heating
  2. Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP)
  3. How long do Solar Systems last?

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29 May 08 | Conservation | Comment (1)