Solar Powered Homes, Our Future.

Solar Powered Homes! What can I say? Solar powered homes would be the idyll for all of us, but as ever, with existing technology, solar power on a scale large enough to run even a modest well insulated energy efficient home, is well beyond the financial means of most of us. Certainly with all the add ons, as in the 2 videos below of homes with Hydrogen generators, and all sorts of other stuff, which to be honest went right over my head. No, not really, but it’s all pretty overwhelming, and expensive.

Anyway, these solar powered homes are possible, though I would say that on a large scale, not really a practical reality, wholly because of the several lifetimes it would take to not only pay off the loans, but also to have payback in energy terms. I know it’s not all about the money, but unfortunately, if you can’t afford to go solar, then that’s it, no solar house.

I’m definitely not trashing solar homes, I think that what has been achieved by the people in the solar home video’s below, is fantastic, and should, and will be the idyll. However, on a brighter note, the future is looking very promising, and a lot cheaper, with the new generation of solar cells, as shown in the last 2 video’s, courtesy of Nanosolar. These cells should be with us in the very near future, and will put total solar energy within affordable reach of most of us. In fact these new solar cells will enable affordable, much bigger solar arrays to be used, therefore making redundant, the necessity for extra power storage in the form of Hydrogen, and all the added expense of the related equipment. In fact, as you can see in the first solar home video below, it’s perfectly feasible to use only solar cells to power a whole house.

The last video below, is an insight into how Nanosolar are progressing with their new solar cell technology. The domestic market is not really hinted at, but as all things, the real money is with industry, and large projects. I think it will take some time for this new technology to percolate down to the domestic consumer, but that market cannot be ignored, and certainly, as the old silicon technology expires into the annals of solar power history, which, I think, will not be in the too distant future, we, the guys at the bottom of the user chain, will be swamped with this new, or by then, newish technology. It is a bit irking that us, the reliable, faithful, (depending on who has the best deal), domestic consumer, is usually at the bottom of the technology user chain. On the bright side, it’s possible that in not so many years, or less, many of us will have affordable, totally sun powered homes

So there you are, and as I’ve touched on in a previous post, the solar cell future is a very bright future indeed.

Flywheel Hybrid Technology?

Here’s something new, well new to me anyway, “Flywheel Hybrid Technology”. We all know that flywheels store energy, and have been an integral part of the conventional internal combustion engine since day one.

As the term “Flywheel Hybrid Technology” implies, this is a method of storing energy in a flywheel, and releasing that energy in short bursts.

In the video below, the idea is mooted to use “Flywheel Technology”, mated to an internal combustion engine, to give bursts of power when needed, so making the engine more efficient, and therefore using less of our precious, dwindling supply of fossil fuel. So, here we have the stumbling block, the good old smoky Joe, which, no matter how efficient, will still use that precious black gold, which will in the not so very distant future be rarer than rocking horse poo. So it doesn’t matter how advanced flywheel technology becomes, it won’t stop the certain decline of the smelly old polluting gas guzzler, or the use of fossil fuels.

The same could be said for the Gas/Electric Hybrid, which is a view I hold for any Hybrid, where any kind of natural resource burning is in the equation, which really trashes all current Hybrids.

The guy from Torotrak, in the video, rubbishes the standard Gas/Electric Hybrid, and he’s right to do so. Take the heavy batteries and other electrical gubbins out of the Prius, and the 1600cc engine would probably return not so different mpg figures as it does in its Hybrid guise.

So, if “Flywheel Technology” can be so advantageous when mated to a conventional internal combustion set up, then why should it not be of the same advantage when mated to a pure electric motor set up? Why not mate the best of both the electric and the mechanical worlds, to give the best of both worlds?

Whether the suck squeeze bang blow, (Induction, compression, power, exhaust), brigade like it or not, the electric motor, or variations of such, is the motive power of the near future. So if the two disciplines, mechanical and electrical, can work together without resorting to setting fire to anything, then that will truly be a match made in heaven.

So, watch the video, and see if you can fathom out the workings of this magical “Flywheel Technology”. The chap from Torotrak wasn’t very forthcoming, though his model is very technical and baffling.

Bamboo! Sustainable House Construction.

Using Bamboo as a sustainable resource is something I haven’t covered up to now. Pretty well everyone knows about bamboo, but how many people really know about what a miraculous material it is. It’s as if bamboo was designed specifically as a sustainable resource, and it’s amazing that it has been practically ignored for use on a large scale, for any number of things.

My topic for this post, is Bamboo for sustainable house construction, though as you can see from the article below, Bamboo is probably one of the most versatile materials naturally produced on our planet. It can literally be used for a million and one things. It really is a 200 million year old miracle. It’s certainly a baffling miracle that it’s not woven into the fabric of our everyday lives.

I could sit here typing away for ever, ok, a very long time, extolling the virtues of bamboo, but my aim is to be informative, without belabouring the point. So I’ll leave my introduction here, and let you get on and have a read of the article and watch the video’s below.

______________________________________________________

Bamboo Facts
Bamboo has been around for over 200 million years, and is the fastest growing plant on earth. It is used to make thousands of useful things, including housing, furniture, musical instruments, art utensils, paper, and food. Bamboo is a real symbol of flexibility.

• Strong as steel, nuclear tough, and striking beauty in both its natural and finished state, these qualities have given bamboo a longer and more varied role in human cultural evolution than any other plant on earth.
• The needle in Alexander Graham Bell’s first phonograph was made of bamboo.
• In 1882, Thomas Edison used bamboo as filaments in the world’s first light bulb manufacturing.
• Some bamboo can grow 18 inches per day and reaches a height of 100 feet. A bamboo stand generates more oxygen than an equivalent stand of trees.
• A suspension bridge on the river in China is 250 yard long, 9 foot wide and rests entirely on bamboo cables fastened over the water. It doesn’t have a single nail or piece of iron in it.
• A typical bamboo has a tensile strength of 28,000 per square inch vs. 23,000 for steel. That makes it one of the strongest materials in the world when it comes to tension structure.
• Used in ladders, scaffolding or fencing, bamboo is twice as stable as oak, and harder than walnut and teak.
Source: “The Book of Bamboo” by David Farrelly.

__________________________________________________________

Ok, not a lot of action, but I like the music

Solar Powered “Rock”.

Today ladies and gentlemen we have some solar powered “Rock” music for your entertainment, courtesy of the “Marsh”, a rock group I’ve never heard of, which shows how much I don’t keep up with the modern pop scene. I’m from the “Beatles” era, though I have to say, I think that a lot of modern pop is ok, and the “Marsh do sound pretty good.

Anyway, to Solar Power. The portable solar array set up to power all that sound equipment would certainly power anything you would care to take on a camping trip, including your telly, and the proverbial kitchen sink. Sorry I don’t have the specs for the Solar Array, or the sound equipment, but having a quick look on the internet, I should think that you are looking at three or four hundred watts, or more. I’m sure someone out there will have some idea.

This does show the tremendous advantage of solar power, over any other power source, Solar Cells being very portable. Just lay them out, connect them up, and away you go. There is always sun, and there is always day light. For camping, during the day, solar cells can be charging batteries for night use.

The only draw back with solar power is for its use in the Polar Regions, where it would be great for six months of the year. Not that most of us will be doing much camping in those areas, or even living there. But I’m sure that it would be windy enough during the Arctic or Antarctic winter for wind turbines to take on the load.

So, for the vast majority of us, solar power is King.

Now sit back, relax, and enjoy the vid. (It’s only a short video, but good nevertheless).
__________________________________________________________

The Marsh playing at the Rainbow Gathering in Mendocino National Forrest in May of 2007. They set up their Solar Rig and played for 2 days out in the middle of nowhere.

Pledging For Change: A Hand Up For A Sustainable Future!

Pledging for Change is a non profit community interest company, concerned with environmental projects and charities that are helping the world get back on its feet, and is the brainchild of Karen Maskall, a very dynamic lady, who is passionate about our environment, and about helping people, and who is bringing her vision of a better world to life, through positive action.

The list of charities and charitable projects that Pledging for change is involved with and helping, is growing daily. I haven’t the room on my post to cover the whole spectrum of Pledging for Change’s activities, well I do, but it would be a very long post. The article below gives a general outline of what Pledging for Change is about. To find out more, follow any one of the links in the article. You will be very impressed.

Below I have incorporated one of Pledging for Change’s many ongoing projects, the replanting of trees in the Kenyan rain forest. It’s really frightening to know that only 3% of the Kenyan rain forest remains. The rain forests have been depleted through lack of knowledge and awareness of what their loss will mean to the world. Which leads to another very important area that Pledging for change is working in, namely the education of local people in endangered areas, in the good husbandry of their environment through sustainable farming methods. It’s a very great pity that mankind has lost the ability to live in harmony with the environment, if indeed we ever had that ability. The local population in these areas are not to blame, they have had to survive by any means they can, and this is a case where ignorance is an excuse. So education is paramount, and with education comes awareness, and that is the key.

Pledging for Change funds its charitable work through donations recieved, and an Advocate scheme that pays a commission on any Advocate fee. Charities and non profit organisations have free admission to the scheme, and can then use any commission they themselves gain, as funds for their charity, as well as helping other charities along the way.

Many thousands of charities and individuals will benefit from joining the Pledging for Change community, where everyone has a voice, and everyone has the ability to make change happen.

I have never had the intention of promoting products or services that I am affiliated with, within my blog posts. But I am shamelessly promoting Pledging for change, because it is a service, a service for our planet and our environment, and ultimately for all of us. I’m very proud to be a part of the Pledging for Change community, where I can be part of the team working towards a brighter future for our planet.

If anyone is interested in finding out more about Pledging for change, and why wouldn’t you be? Click on the share link in the article below, and join for free, under any one of the charitable links. Then if you feel that you would like to become an “Advocate for Change”, you can take the next step to that.

So without more ado, I’ll let you get on and see something of what PLEDGING FOR CHANGE is about.

_________________________________________________

Pledging For Change

Who Are We?

Pledging for Change is one of the growing number of non-profit’Community Interest Companies’, or CIC’s.

This type of company, also known as a Social Enterprise, operates in the same way as any ‘normal’ business. We are able to sell things, pay wages, and we set out to make a profit.

However, unlike a normal company any profits made do not go to the owners. Instead they are re-invested and used to help the community (members of this network)for which the company operates.

So far Pledging for Change provides many free services and promotes active members in our free ezine.
We are legally regulated and able to accept donations and we also rely on investor members to generate revenue for distributing via referrals and grants.
For more information on CIC’s please visit – www.CICregulator.gov.uk

“Our Mission”
” To be the very BEST Visionary Business inspiring all visionaries for a better world to unite in the creation of a sustainable future for all by working and supporting each othere “In the Spirit of Harmony with our Planet”

“Our Pledge“: Please open link.
________________

We currently have three major projects lined up or already happening on Pledging for Change.

Trees for the Future: We will plant a tree for every new member who joins Pledging for Change, and we will plant a tree for every £1 donation we recieve and we will plant 50 trees for every investor member.

World Land Trust: For every 20 investor members we will purchase an acre of threatened rainforest to help protect endangered species.

Aceer Foundation: We will provide educational visits to the Amazon Rainforest as part of our incentive and achievement awards for our Share Program.

Pledging for Change will Plant one tree for:

* Every member that joins the network
* Every £1 donation that we recieve to help us continue our work on behalf of all our members
* Every organisation that signs up to our “Share Program”

Pledging for Change will Plant 50 trees for:

* Every investor member
* Every recurrent investment for Premium Advertising on the right hand side of the network viewable on all pages.
_____________________

This is just one of the projects we are involved in.

The Project Trees for the Future: Kenya Project


Overview of Social and Environmental Issues

Poaching in the National Parks close to Somalia and Ethiopia has been increasing in recent years and the Kenya Wildlife Service may close those parks because of the danger and expense. There has been extensive deforestation for firewood and other uses. Only 3% of Kenya’s original forest remains. There has been extensive cutting of native hardwood species by carvers and carpenters.

In early 2008 Kenya was encompassed by post-election violence, primarily in Western Kenya. The issues have not been resolved, despite the violence ending. Kenyans understand the importance of tree planting and there are many groups and individuals who want to work with Trees for the Future. There is population pressure on the arable land in Central and Western Kenya.

The Response

Kenya has large projects throughout Central and Western Kenya. There are several demonstration farms that are being developed to educate local communities on sustainable agriculture and agroforestry. There are several reforestation projects in and near protected forests, such as Mount Kenya, and Kakamega Forest Reserve. Trees for the Future is working with several women’s groups and some local trade schools.

2008 saw a large expansion of the Kenya Program. Many organizations are interested in the program and tree planting. In 2009, Trees for the Future has hired a Kenya Program Coordinator to implement projects throughout Kenya. The Kenya program projects focus on reforesting natural areas and working with local community organizations to provide economic opportunities for rural youths. Trees for the Future distributed 300,000 seedlings in 2008.

With you help Pledging for Change can continue to support this project.

Please invite as many friends as possible to Pledging for Change and lets make it our year for Planting over a million trees in Kenya.

Photvoltaics – Affordable Renewable Energy?

Photovoltaic cells have definitely moved to the next generation, and I predict that the new plastic photovoltaic cells are within months of being in mass production, and where the silicon photovoltaic’s cost around $2.40 per watt, the new plastic variety are mooted to cost only around 1 cent per watt. This will put solar power within the affordable reach of everybody. I say everybody, because even the areas of the world that are still under development, will benefit through the aid of charities, that will now be able do divert resources to the implementation of solar energy.

I do have another blog post on the same subject, but looking at the information on the web, there are more and more companies delving into the technology of thin film plastic Photovoltaic’s. I say plastic, but as you will see from the YouTube footage below, the cells, or strip, is made up of plastic that is sprayed with compounds in layers, with each layer reacting to a different light frequency, so making these photovoltaic’s truly versatile.

Watch the YouTube video’s, and be as excited as I am at the prospect, of cheap, truly renewable energy, that will be available to us all in the very near future.

Renewable Energy – Battery Powered Bikes And Trikes.

A quick look today at Battery powered bikes and trikes. I do like battery power, and electrical power in general, because electricity is a truly renewable fuel. It’s all around us, and apart from the initial materials to be able to access it renewably, electricity is there for the taking in abundance, and the taking of which, compared to non renewable methods, has a minutely minimal, if any, detrimental effect on our environment.

As you can see from the YouTube video’s some of the designs, look pretty easy to put together on a DIY basis.

My favourite design for its quirkiness, is the rechargeable drill driven trike. Though this might turn out to be an expensive option, as it’s not really in the DIY field. Its range is only really limited by how many batteries you can carry, but on one battery, it’s ideal for a quick trip to the local shops, so long as they are not more than 2 miles away, or less, because if you’re doing the weekly shop, well, best to use the car, preferably an electric one. If you do use this trike for a shopping trip, remember to disconnect the drill, and take it with you, and make sure you have plenty of chain and padlocks, because with such a tempting item on display, the not so honest citizens, who seem to abound nowadays, would soon make it disappear.

I have to say though, that the last video does grab my attention, and is the best example I have seen yet of a DIY or otherwise, electric bike. It ticks all the boxes.

If you do actually want to buy a ready made battery powered bike or trike, as I’ve said above, it probably won’t come cheap, I’d love to own one, $3.500 is just a bit too steep, though doubtless there are cheaper options on the market. I think the DIY route would certainly be very much less expensive, and achieve the same ends, with a good deal of satisfaction to boot.

The everyday bike or trike looks to be a pretty easy conversion to battery power, and as an exercise in learning and understanding battery powered vehicles, and also as a precurser to more ambitious projects, bikes and trikes are a good place to start.

A bit of advice though, if you are thinking of building an electric trike, the 2 wheels at the front, 1 at the back configuration is the best, assuming that the drive is going to be at the back, because then you won’t have to worry about a differential in your drive train. Because remember, when you turn corners, the outside wheel always travels faster and further than the inside wheel., and if you have a solid axle, then you are going to have problems.

Environmental Conservation Initiative, Feodosiya Green Party.

This is a very interesting article on an initiative by the Green Party in Feodosiya, a Ukrainian town on the Black Sea Coast. I have a literal translation which I have picked the bones out of, so it may not be entirely accurate in every detail, but the content is sound. My wife, who is from Foedosiya, and is always on the lookout for green news for my blog, saw this article on the internet as she was catching up on local news.

I have condensed the article considerably, and cut out a lot of local content, but the main message of conservation is clear.

_____________________________________________________________________

Article From “kafanews.com“. Kafa being the old name for Feodosiya.
__________________________

Last Christmas the Green Party in Feodosiya offered townspeople a fir tree for hire service, whereby live fir trees could be purchased and either returned in the new year for a partial refund, or kept and planted in the garden for future use.

As the scheme was so successful last year, and made people realise that the cutting down of fir trees ad lib is not a good idea, the leaders of the Feodosiya Green Party, Dmitry Achkasov and Dmitry ShChepetkov, the instigators of, ‘ A fir tree for rent ‘, have decided to repeat the service this year.

Any profits from this initiative are used for the replanting of any returned trees, and planting new trees in areas where they are needed. There are also plans to plant trees in the grounds of schools and hospitals.

___________________________________________________________________________

The Crimean climate is in a delicate balance, it has its own micro climate, if you like. 150 years ago, the Crimea was a very arid dry place, similar to most Middle Eastern regions today. Over the last 150 years though, the climate has changed dramatically. Now, although the summers are still excruciatingly hot, and the winters can be really vicious, where once there was an arid moonscape, there are now forests, streams and grasslands, in fact during the more temperate months, it could be anywhere in Europe.

So it’s understandable that there are concerns, especially now during the upheavals that world climate change could herald, that any upset to the delicate balance of the micro climate of the Crimea could bring about another reversal of the climate, and move it back 150 years.

Lets hope that the Green Party in Feodosiya can bring about an awareness, in that part of the Ukraine, of the necessity to safeguard the environment.

Unfortunately, as everywhere, there are those who just do not care.

I have spent some time in the Crimea, and it is a very beautiful place

The photo’s below show the Crimea of 150 years ago, and the Crimea of now. I apologise for the before photo’s being of the Crimea war era, but they were the only photo’s I could find of that time. Though doubtless there are many sources available, I just couldn’t find them.

As a footnote, I would like to say a big thank you to my very lovely wife Galina for bringing this article to my attention.
_____________________________________________________________________________

THEN

AND NOW

You can see from the before and after photo’s, the trmrendous importance of environmental conservation, not just in the Crimea, but Globally. The ‘THEN’, might so easily be the ‘NOW’, much sooner than we realise, for all of us.

Energy Conservation Guide From The Colorado State University

Below is a pretty comprehensive guide from the Colorado State University, on how to practice energy conservation in your home. I know a lot of homes nowadays are well insulated, but this is a really general guide and there is some information in there for everybody.

Just a quick note about appliance energy ratings.

The energy rating of an appliance is denoted in the United States, by the energy star label, and in the United Kingdom and Europe, by the ECO label. Bear in mind that these energy ratings are only an energy consumption guide, and not a guide to performance or reliability.

_____________________________________________________________

Energy Conservation in the Home
by K. R. Tremblay, Jr. 1 (6/09)
Quick Facts…

* The average house uses 38 percent of its total annual energy use on heating.
* When a house is occupied, the thermostat should be set at 68 F for maximum energy efficiency.
* Install a central air conditioning system only when whole house air conditioning is needed.
* A sun tempered superinsulated home uses passive solar design concepts with superinsulation construction techniques.
* Replace aging appliances with newer energy efficient ENERGY STAR models.

When comparing an average house to an energy efficient house, it’s possible to reduce annual energy bills up to 40 percent. Prudent homeowners should consider developing an energy conservation plan for their home. This is both an environmentally friendly and economically sound action.

In developing an energy conservation plan for your home, use the following approach: identify the problem areas where energy is being lost or inefficiently used; prioritize the problem areas according to how much energy is being lost or inefficiently used; and systematically correct the prioritized problems according to the limits of your household energy improvement budget.

A good way to find out where energy loss is occurring is to conduct an inspection. First, close all exterior doors, windows, and fireplace flues and turn off any gas burning appliances and water heaters. Second, turn on all exhaust fans and use floor or window fans to pull air out of rooms in your house. Finally, search for air leaks in the following places: attic hatches, baseboards, corners of rooms, cracks, doors, fireplace dampers, mail slots, outlets, outdoor faucets, switch plates, and windows. Simply dampen your hand and place it by the suggested locations. Your hand will feel cold near a draft. Another method is to light a stick of incense and hold it near the suggested locations. If the smoke from the incense wavers you have found an air leak.
Heating

* Set your home thermostat as low as comfortable (68 F is suggested) when the house is occupied.
* Set back the thermostat by about 8 degrees at night or when the house is unoccupied during the day.
* Set back the thermostat to 50 to 55 F when the house is unoccupied for over 24 hours.
* Install a programmable thermostat to automatically provide the setbacks mentioned above.
* Close the fireplace damper – except during fireplace use.
* Reduce heat to unused rooms in the house – close doors and heat registers too.
* Close curtains and shades at night, and open them on sunny winter days.
* Replace furnace filters once a month during the heating season.
* Remove any obstructions and clean heating registers regularly.
* Have certified maintenance personnel service and check your furnace regularly.
* Seal all joints in sheet metal ducts in a forced air furnace with mastic or appropriate tape; insulate ducts passing through unheated spaces.
* Minimize the use of kitchen, bath, and other ventilating fans or install a timer switch on them.
* Install insulating gaskets behind electrical outlets and switch plates on exterior walls.
* Caulk and weatherstrip doors and windows.
* Caulk and seal leaks where plumbing, ducting, or electrical wiring penetrates through exterior walls, floors, and ceilings.
* Use an inexpensive door sweep to reduce air leakage under exterior doors.
* Seal small holes around water pipes and stuff insulation into larger holes around plumbing fixtures.
* Use foam gaskets that fit behind cover plates to reduce heat loss around light switches and electrical outlets.
* Upgrade ceiling insulation to R-38 (higher R values mean greater insulation levels and thus more energy savings).
* Insulate exterior heated basement walls to at least R-11.
* Insulate floors over unheated areas to R-19.
* Install storm windows over single pane windows.
* Replace aging furnace, when needed, with an energy efficient ENERGY STAR model.
* Replace single pane windows with energy efficient double pane windows mounted in non-conducting window frames.

Hot Water

* Repair leaky faucets.
* Reduce the temperature setting of your water heater to warm (120 F).
* Add an insulating wrap to an older water heater. For a newer model, check your owner’s manual.
* Install low-flow showerheads.
* Wash clothes in warm or cold water using the appropriate water level setting for the load.
* Replace water heater, when needed, with an energy efficient ENERGY STAR model.

Energy Star

ENERGY STAR is a national program from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Energy StarU.S. Department of Energy. The program includes a system that rates furnaces, water heaters, major appliances, and electronics such as televisions and computers based on energy savings and carbon emissions. ENERGY STAR’S website (www.energystar.gov) includes the ratings as well as suggestions for energy efficient home improvements and buying an energy efficient new home. Look for the label when making purchases.
Major Appliances and Other Appliances

* Maintain refrigerator at 35 to 40 F and freezer section at 0 to 5 F.
* Maintain stand alone freezer at 0 F.
* Choose a refrigerator/freezer with automatic moisture control.
* Keep your refrigerator door closed whenever possible.
* Regularly clean dust out of the coils behind or under your refrigerator with a tapered appliance brush.
* Minimize freezer ice build-up.
* Use toaster ovens or microwave
* Use toaster ovens or microwave ovens for cooking small meals.
* Adjust the flame on gas cooking appliances so it is blue, not yellow.
* Replace a gas cooking appliance with a unit with an automatic, electric ignition system.
* If you have a newer dishwasher, skip pre-rinsing the dishes.
* Run the dishwasher only with a full load of dishes.
* Air dry dishes in a dishwasher.
* Regularly clean the lint filter on your dryer and inspect the dryer vent to ensure it is not blocked.
* Shut down home computers when not in use or put them on sleep mode.
* Select small appliances (i.e., curling irons, coffee pots, irons) with time limited shut off switches.
* Plug small electronics into a power stip so you can turn them off at the same time.
* Replace aging major appliances, TVs and DVDs when needed, with energy efficient models. Compare the annual energy consumption and operating cost for each appliance by looking at the bright-yellow and black Energy Guide label when shopping for new appliances.

Caulking Tips

1. Remove old caulk or paint and apply caulk to a clean, dry surface.
2. Hold the gun at a 45 degree angle and apply caulk in a straight, continuous line.
3. Send caulk to the bottom of an opening to avoid bubbles.
4. Release the trigger before pulling the gun away to avoid applying too much caulking compound.
5. Apply caulk to all joints in a window frame and the joint between the frame and the wall.
6. Make sure the caulk sticks to both sides of a crack or seam.
7. Remove excess caulk with a putty knife.
8. Reapply caulk if it shrinks overnight.

Lighting

* Turn off lights when not in use.
* Use task lighting whenever possible instead of brightly lighting an entire room.
* Install compact fluorescent lamps in the fixtures which receive high use.
* Control outdoor lights with sensor timers so they stay off during the day.
* String LED lights during the holidays.

Now you have reviewed the above items and marked those you need to address. The next step is to prioritize these items according to their cost and appropriateness for your situation and lifestyle. Next, refine your home energy conservation plan using these prioritized items as a guide. Finally, implement the plan as time, your energy, and budget allows.
Cooling

While the above items are the main energy users in a house, in certain parts of Colorado keeping a house cool in an energy conserving manner also needs to be addressed. Consider adopting the following energy conserving cooling measures, as well as the heating measures listed above, in developing your home energy conservation plan.

* Open windows at night to bring in cool night air; close them during the day.
* Close your blinds and drapes during the day.
* Shade west facing windows.
* Draw cool night air into the house with a whole house fan.
* Install an evaporative cooler.
* Use room air conditioning only where needed and install energy efficient models.
* Install a ENERGY STAR central system air conditioner only when whole house air conditioning is needed.
* Maintain an air conditioned house at 78 F or higher.
* Regularly change air conditioning system filters and clean the condenser.
* Plant deciduous shade trees on the west and south sides of your house.

For both heating and cooling purposes, caulking can result in major energy savings. The cracks and gaps around your home can be filled with caulk to prevent air from leaving or entering it. You can use caulk to close gaps along the baseboard, gaps around windows and doors, and cracks in your walls, corners, ceiling, and floor. The process is simple and inexpensive.
Caulking Tips

1. Remove old caulk or paint and apply caulk to a clean, dry surface.

Caulking

2. Hold the gun at a 45 degree angle and apply caulk in a straight, continuous line.
3. Send caulk to the bottom of an opening to avoid bubbles.
4. Release the trigger before pulling the gun away to avoid applying too much caulking compound.
5. Apply caulk to all joints in a window frame and the joint between the frame and the wall.
6. Make sure the caulk sticks to both sides of a crack or seam.
7. Remove excess caulk with a putty knife.
8. Reapply caulk if it shrinks overnight.

Sun Tempered Superinsulated (STS) Homes

If you are considering buying or building a new house, you might want to incorporate concepts found in a sun tempered superinsulated (STS) house. A STS house uses passive solar design concepts with superinsulation construction techniques. Colorado’s cold but sunny climate is well-suited to a STS house. Elements in a STS house include: solar orientation; increased insulation levels; effective air/vapor barrier; controlled ventilation; and energy efficient window treatment.
Solar Orientation

* Orient main activity rooms and windows to the south.
* Locate patios and decks on the south side of the house.
* Properly shade south exposure with roof overhangs and correctly placed shade trees to provide summer comfort.

Increased Insulation Levels

* Superinsulate walls using 2” x 6” framing, R-19 insulating batts, and a layer of rigid insulation over the exterior wall framework.
* Insulate ceilings to R-40.
* Insulate foundation walls with exterior rigid board insulation.

Effective Air/Vapor Barrier

* Install a continuous impervious membrane on the inside of exterior walls with no breaks; seal all penetrations with gaskets and caulk.

Controlled Ventilation

* Install an air-to-air heat exchanger to control ventilation rates in the house.
* Use a furnace and water heater that draw combustion air from the outside.

Energy Efficient Window Treatment

Use this STS checklist to compare house designs you are considering building or buying. The STS measures add only a small increase to the overall house cost and will be paid back many times in lower energy bills and increased comfort.

Colorado State University Extension’s Web site (www.ext.colostate.edu) contains additional information on energy conservation for homes. Once you are on the site, click “Family, Home and Consumer,” then “Online Publications,” and finally scroll down to “home.” There you will find the following three fact sheets: The Sun-Tempered Superinsulated House, Energy Checklist for Homeowners, and Energy Checklist for Renters.
Resources

Amann, J.T., Wilson, A., & Ackerly, K. (2007). Consumer guide to home energy savings. Gabriola Island, Canada: New Society Publishers.

Consumer Reports. (2006). Reducing energy costs. Washington, DC: Consumers Union.

Energy Star, www.energystar.gov

U.S. Department of Energy, www.energy.gov/energyefficiency/buildings.htm

Xcel, www.xcelenergy.com/residential/saveenergy_money

1K.R. Tremblay Jr., Colorado State University Extension housing specialist and professor. Originally written by L. Walker. 3/02. Reviewed 6/09

This Is Renewable Energy, Thermal kettle Style.

Wow, a Thermal Kettle.

This photo turned up on a Russian site that my wife uses to keep in touch with her friends.

It looks to be out in the Russian steppes, or maybe Uzbekistan, but certainly somewhere very remote, where the people probably have never heard about solar energy, but they do know that there is a lot of heat in that sun, and that that heat can certainly be used to boil a kettle. The kettle is essentially being used as a thermal oven to heat the water, what could be more simple than that?

If this guy had the materials, he could very possibly build a quite serviceable thermal heating system for his house, just by using the method he is using there, so long as the sun is shining.

So, 10/10 for initiative, that man.