What are you doing to be more energy efficient?
October is Energy Awareness Month! Share your thoughts and stories on efforts you or people you know have made to improve energy efficiency.
Tags: efficiency, energy
Views: 181
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Geoff Bailey on -
Hello Army!
Welcome to the newly launched Energy Efficiency group here on Pickensplan.com. Ending our dependence on foreign oil is going to take all of us working together. Wind power and natural gas as a transportation fuel will help get the job done at the national level, but there are also things we can do in our own daily lives.
October is Energy Awareness Month, and I want to hear from you. Post an article on energy conservation and efficiency efforts that are important to you. Or, feel free to share what you are doing to help conserve energy? What steps are you taking to make your home, car or work space more energy efficient?
Talk to you soon!
Geoff
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Permalink Reply by Melvin C Green on -
I have increased my miles per gallon from 23 to 34 by adding hydrogen gas (HHO) developed from water by electrolysis and hope to convince others to do the same. My emissions have reduced to nearly nothing.
I have reduced my home electricity by 25% by installing a power factor corrector.
I have contacted a web site that compiles my carbon reductions and sells them to other companies and pays me for my work.
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Permalink Reply by Raymond Fontanes on -
Melvin Green,
why are so good at not giving us more info. We are here to share, not brag. Not that 34 MPgs is anything to brag about.
Strike two for you. Come clean and prove to us what you are doing.
Thanks,
Ray
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Permalink Reply by John Purvis on
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Why do you sound like you're just "full of it"? A "power factor corrector"? Who sold you that? Do you even know what power factor is? You just don't sound right to me.
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Permalink Reply by David A. Franklin on -
John,
You might do a little research before responding in such a manner. Power Factor correction is a common method of reducing electical utility usage. The reactive portion of electricity is typically slighlty out of phase on the inductive side and if your home loads can be matched with a capacitance bank that offset the inductive component, then you power usage can be reduced.
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Permalink Reply by neil cox on -
Hi Melvin: The power meter in private homes, typically reads real power, so you won't reduce your bill by correcting the power factor, but your power-factor reduction will reduce power company losses, which is good. It is almost free, if you salvage the big capacitors from air conditioners and commercial refrigeration. Put a ten amp slo blow or MDL fuse in series with each capacitor, or short length = one centimeter of fine wire, to be extra safe. These capacitors are very reliable, even when badly rusted. More than 20 microfarads may over correct, which will be counter productive.
The consensis of unbiased experts seems be that HHO does little or nothing useful. Neil
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Permalink Reply by Anachronism on -
Look at the pictures on Anachronism site under (Photo) In Vancouver Wash. I created a totally passive solar heating system and it also cools the complete building using my Passive solar cooling system. Consider this idea to create solar heat in your residence. To create the "cooling side of Passive solar Heating" is automatic and has functioned for 20 years with NO changes. This building interior volume is close to the volume of 14-2000 Sq. Ft. homes. The first 12 months of operation for the complete building was less then $1 per day. I have applied this for 25 years and it painless to keep my money in my pocket heating my business for NOTHING for 25 years.
I’m constantly reading about the need to consider the “application of Solar Panels to create electricity”, so the following information maybe irrelevant, BUT it makes sense to consider the actual fact that “IF” you have an “ATTIC” in your home “YOU OWN A PERSONAL SOLAR HEATING SYSTEM” and it sure makes sense to use it to “HEAT YOUR LIVING QUARTERS” AND THE MONEY SAVED, which “Anachronism” has proven for “25 Years” will help you save and “Purchase” your new SOLAR ARRAY!
“SPECIFIC INSTRUCTIONS FOR BASEBOARD ELECTRIC HEATING”
WITHOUT FURANCE UNIT AND OR “WITH FORCED AIR SYSTEM’S!”
1-When and before you enter your attic space, make sure you have proper light to observe all elements of your attic and the area where you will work.
2-You must use safe working planks to safely span the work area (Your attic is probably the structure that contains the insulation, wiring, heat ducts and other elements of the ceiling structure) so that you “DO NOT DAMAGE ANY OF YOUR FINISHED INTERIOR STRUCTURE”.
3-If you have a “Downdraft” furnace system with the return air piping going to your current heating system, you want to enter this duct air return as close to the furnace as possible.
4-The closer to the main suction point, more Passive Heat is “Pulled into” your house.
5-Start your upper suction position of the intake pipe at least 24” to 30” to draw from the “Hottest” collection point in the typical pitched roof area inside.
6-If needed, insert a short piece of metal ductwork into the new suction pipe to keep the flexible unit from sucking in and blocking the entering position in your attic.
7-Carefully attach to furnace “Suction pipe” and keep it straight and proceed to the position where you enter the “return air line”, use suitable adaptor when attaching into the furnace “return air ducting” of your existing furnace system.
8-Pick a location for your “Remote” sensor control inside your home and connect the wiring to the sensor inside your attic located at a distance of 36” to the side of your new intake pipe and level with the pipe opening located in the attic.
9-Follow instruction with the sensor and connect your wiring from the attic remote sensor to the “Sensor” unit.
10-Attach low voltage (dual wire) from the sensor to the connection block of furnace in the same positions your house or current interior thermostat is currently connected.
11-CONSULATE LOCAL ELECTRICAN IF NEEDED TO HOOK UP THESE LOW-VOLTAGE WIRES IF NECESSARY OR ANY WIRING!
12- Make sure to support the new pipe with suitable material and DON’T crush ANY of your air pipes.
13-Make sure the connection into your current intake pipe is airtight and don’t damage either piping.
14-NOW you need to close any current ATTIC venting openings in the gable ends to “CREATE YOUR PASSIVE SOLAR HEATER”. Understand that this is legal as you have now “CREATED A POSTIVE ATTIC REMOVEAL SYSTEM OF HEATED AIR”
15-Go to the, “10”, photo’s on Anachronism page and notice my designed “Intake” opening are located at the topside of the “attic ceiling structure”. This allows the “COMPLETE ATTIC AREA” serve as the solar collector unit.
16-NANCY,”ATTENTION, ELECTRICAL BASRBOARD METHOD”
Follow steps# 1,2,5,6,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,
(IF you don’t have a forced air furnace and currently use electric baseboard heaters you need to pick a location in your ceiling of the room that allows the most “equalized” location to bring your attic heat into your home or a specific room?
If needed, add a SECOND PIPE AND ANOTHER SUCTION MOTOR “OR” USE A CIRCULATION FAN FROM THE ROOM (to spread the heat) WHERE YOUR PASSIVE SYSTEM DELIVERS YOUR ATTIC HEAT INTO YOUR LIVING SPACE. (YOU WANT "VOLUME" OF AIR INTO YOUR HOME SO DO NOT USE SMALLER INTAKE PIPE.) OPTION--Control volume flow with a “Speed Control” switch.
Understand that you could remove “all the solar heat from your attic”, if temperature are cooler and no sun on your roof. "SUN CREATES YOUR HEAT", subject to the conditions that occurred in “BURLINGTON”.
“No sun/no heat????” (Read what actually occurred in Burlington on 12/23/1984 on the occasion of first operation, it was snowing with a 3” accumulation of SNOW on roof, cloudy and 22 deg. outside and “SIMPLY” “produced FREE” 65 degree heat!
Look up on Internet (http://push.pickensplan.com/profile/Anachronism)
17-Your pick of a location that equalizes the distribution within the room and, “if needed” use a metal or plastic pipe with holes around the pipe to cause the air to disperse and direct downward to the floor area. You figure out this problem to fit your house. (You can simply direct airflow to floor, you decide)
18. Use the defined “Inline Suction Motor” and consult your local electrician to make the electrical connections to this motor and use a suitable electrical switch to the “Remote Sensor” to make automatic or simply use a wall switch to operate this “Inline Suction Motor” by hand.
“You decide whether you want automatic or manual control of the passive Solar Heating system?”
19-Trim out the inside “exhaust opening” to a neat and clean appearance to finish the job.
20-You have created “YOUR OWN” Passive Solar Heating System!
Remember you “MUST” have outside air movement into the attic space from either the eaves or at the bottom of the gable ends or the vents under the eaves to allow “OUTSIDE” air to enter the attic space to allow your system to function. (NOTICE the specific location on each of my project’s “Attic Air intakes” as I designed, built and controlled every aspect to create workable Passive solar projects.)
Sincerely, Anachronism
Part #’s from Lowe’s—Dated as 08/19/08 (Parts & Pricing)
ITEM DESCRIPTION Vendor QTY. Price
82361 8” x 60”, GALV Pipe 1-08050 1 9.94
185010 8” Duct Fan (Sun court) DB208 1 29.93
36441 8”x 25’ Black Ins Duct (R4.2) BPC825 1 38.69
77405 6”x 25 Black Ins Duct (R-6) BPC625R6 1 25.98
USE THE SIZE PIPE OR MOTOR YOU WANT TO USE
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Permalink Reply by Chris Schneider on
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When was the last time you drove 795 miles in 1 day? To top that feat, I drove 795 miles in 1 day on Compressed Natural Gas (CNG).
I enjoy these rare opportunites to go to a public refueling system. It gives me a chance to see & experience new locations with new or different CNG refueling equipment. It also gives me a chance to accurately measure my fuel efficiency and the results were astounding.
Let's start this story in La Crosse, Wi with an 8 gallon tank full of CNG. Imagine driving 273.1 miles to the north side of O 'Hare Airport along Interstate 90 at 65 mph and refuel 5.429 gallons of gasoline equivalent (GG). A simple calculation 273.1/5.429=50.3 MPG! Astounding. And Ryan assisted me in the refueling process very professionally. But, since this is one of the few public refuleing systems in Chicagoland, I was charged $2.19 per GGE resulting in a charge of $11.88. Now, I know what you're thinking, how can you not be elated about driving 273.1 miles on $11.88. For instance, if your neighbor gets 48 mpg in their Toyota Prius, it would have cost them $15.30 or 29% more. But wait, this is just the 1st part of this astounding story.
Now, let's continue our journey east on I90 to my alma mater, Notre Dame to see none other than T. Boone Pickens! He engaged an audience of approximately 500 people about CNG as a transportation "bridge" to return to American fuel that is 50% more clean than diesel that we import from our enemies. He predicts that oil will reach $300 per barrel in 10 years. I get to shake his hand and give him a copy of our video, Journey to the Zone that is posted on my Pickens Plan page. It is a small example of our regional efforts that are dwarfed by the $62 million that he has spent inthe last 16 months across America.
Let's pop back into my 2006 Honda Civic GX (3rd generation of CNG Civics produced in America) and drive through the rain, road repair and speeds of downtown Chicago traffic to Racine. The rain and speeds reduce my mileage to 48.54 MPG but I refule for $1.109 for CNG! In total I have travelled 562.2 miles on $18.49 giving me an average of 30.4 MILES PER DOLLAR (MP$). Going back to your neighbors Prius getting 48 mpg, with gasoline at $2.69/ gallon, they would have gotten 17.84 MP$. I have completed my measured portion of the days adventure getting 70.4% better MP$ than a Prius. And that includes nearly half the trip calculations at fuel prices that are approximately double what you could refuel in your home with natural gas.
The third leg included more road construction, rain and finally fog but the Honda Civic GX slogged through 795 miles.
273.1 miles@50.3mpg@$1.109gge=$6.02
289.1 miles@48.54mpg@$2.109=$13.04
232.8 miles@48.54mpg@$1.109gge=$5.32
TOTAL 795 miles $24.38
If your vehicle gets 25 mpg, it would have cost you $85.54 to make the same trip. Saving $61.16 feels great but using clean American fuel is the part that T. Boone Pickens would appreciate for his grandchildren.
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Permalink Reply by Paul on
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Is there an online resource that allows people to determine the true cost of energy in terms of carbon content and financial cost? For example, is it better to ride public transportation powered by coal-fired electricity or to drive to work in a NG powered car?
Much of the debate is focused on cute polar bears, scenic windmills, etc. --- not focused where it should be: determining the most cost efficient manner to meet our energy needs.
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Permalink Reply by neil cox on
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I suppose there is such a resource, but it may not be accurate. There are too many variables to be correct in all cases. Typically the public transportation produces less polution than even CNG cars with one passenger, but that is not true if the public transportation is at less than 10% of it's capacity. Also true cost is evasive, and depends somewhat on how you evaluate the terrorist threat, the drowning polar bears, the spotted owls, oxides of nitrogen and dozens of other factors.
If the public transportation is over crowed when you ride, driving your car may prevent adding another electric bus which will jump the polution a bigger step than driving the car you already own. Neil
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Permalink Reply by David A. Franklin on
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Carbon Footprint is a Red Hering! 99+% of all lifeforms on the planet are carbon based and the foundation food source for all life is plants or algae that need CO2 in there life cycle. CO2 is fertilizer for plants. It is need to restore the rain forests. CO2 generators are commonly used in winter vegetable greehouses. We do not need to concern ourselves with CO2 just because some Al Gore worshipping, Chicken Little, lying UN scientists (environmental terrorists) have convinced our politicians that the "sky is falling"! If you are alarmed about polutions, then let's identify and concern ourselves with real problem emissions such as oxides of sulfur and nitrogen (SOX, NOX), particulate matter (PM, soot and ash), hydrocarbon (HC, primarily methane= natural gas), Carbon Monoxide, etc. By the way, natural gas is 28-32 times more reactive than CO2. The combustion products of natural gas is CO2 and water. Water vapor is the largest greeenhouse gas in the environment with very strong effect on atmospheric temperature. Why aren't the environmental terrorists decrying the use of water? If the absurdity of sequestration was applied to water as it is being proposed for CO2 we would run these idiots out of our country.
Yes, I understand that methane and lighter hydrocarbon fuels have a higher H:C ratio than the heavier hydrocarbon fuels such as gasoline or diesel. But, if you are really concerned about your carbon footprint (I am not!) then you should consider driving an electric car where the power is generated by hydroelectric, wind, solar or nuclear. Don't be a carbon footprint hypocrit and simply promote natural gas (hydrocarbon fuel) over gasoline or diesel (hydrocarbon fuel) that both send CO2 out of the exhaust stack.
I am promoting natural gas as a fuel based on economics (not beacause it is green). Natural gas is currently selling for ~$5/MMBtu and gasoline and diesel is selling for ~$20/MMBtu. You do the math.
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Permalink Reply by neil cox on
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Hi David Franklin. You are mostly correct, but you are more believable when you understate your positions. Green house warming has been seriously over sold. From about 2000 to 2030, average temperature are expected to get colder. After 2030 greenhouse warming may be a problem. Do we want to destroy modern civilization, to correct a possible problem that may not start until 2030? Warming so far has been close to negligible, and the math indicates that fighting green house warming was a significant cause of the present world wide recession. Worse, what we have spent so far is peanuts, compared to what needs to be spent to stop increasing the amount of carbon dioxide humans put in our atmosphere. This is partly because 90% to 99% of the carbon dioxide entering our atmosphere is natural; perhaps only 1% is the result of human activities.
On the CNG, the cost of supplying CNG and the cost of adapting vehicles to use it will exceed the savings, for some users. Considering start up costs, the savings are half, not 4 times for typical CNG users. Neil
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