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Tell us about your experience with alternative energy:

I have been working very hard for the last 5 years to learn all I can and to share what I have learned with others.

I was lucky enough to have my efforts put in print on the front page of my local paper:

Brighter than sunshine
By GRANT HUANG Staff Writer
Subscribe to the Maryland Gazette
________________________________________
Jim Artuso is a man on a mission to spread the word about home solar power.
The Glen Burnie resident is one of more than 700 independent sales agents for a controversial Delaware-based energy startup called Citizenre.

The company is promising to bring solar power to the masses by allowing homeowners to rent the expensive equipment required at a fraction of the cost needed to buy it. Local experts say it's a claim that can't be fulfilled, a pipe dream likely to damage an infant industry's credibility.

But regardless of whether it can deliver, Citizenre's powerful message is spreading rapidly thanks to local sales agents around the country like Mr. Artuso. More than 20,700 homeowners nationwide - including 78 county residents - have signed up to reserve the company's solar power systems, which won't be ready for installation until sometime in 2008.

"The number (of homeowners reserving systems) is going up by hundreds each week. It's a wonderful number," said Erika Morgan, Citizenre's vice president of communications. "It proves our pilot proposition, which is that people will accept this deal and sign up for a long-term rental even knowing they won't get the system this year. It also proves our associates are interested in selling this deal even though they're not being paid a dime to do it right now."

That's right. Mr. Artuso won't get any money for his efforts, including the 50 signs he's erected along county roads this summer. He paid for those out of pocket, but that's no sweat for a self-described regular Joe who truly believes in the future of solar.

"I've heard about solar power since I was in elementary school. The technology has been there that long," said Mr. Artuso, who pays the bills by working as a production line mechanic for Phillips Foods Inc. in Baltimore. "It's just been out of reach for 30 years because it's too expensive. (Citizenre) is designed to bring solar to the average guy, like me. And if they don't work out, I don't lose anything but the time I spent getting the word out."

He gives only the noblest of reasons for getting the word out. Freedom from corporate titans like Constellation Energy. Reduced reliance on coal, which fuels the power plants providing the vast majority of household electricity. Oh, and a chance to save the world, one kilowatt-hour of pollutant-free, green energy at a time.

Money is the catch

Of course, solar power alone can't power a house year-round, even if the entire roof were covered with solar panels.

Electricity output drops on cloudy days, at nighttime and during the winter, when days are shorter. That means BGE and Constellation Energy will always supply some of the power.

But the biggest catch is money. It costs between $30,000 and $50,000 to buy and install a solar power system big enough to provide electricity for the average home.

That's why the whole point of Citizenre's residential rental model is affordability, Ms. Morgan said. To cut costs, Citizenre plans to produce its own solar panels en masse at a manufacturing facility that it will build and operate.

But the company won't say when or even where the facility will be built, only that it's "somewhere in the northeastern U.S." and that construction has yet to begin.

Critics see the secrecy as evidence of a possible scam.

"They claim they're going to build a factory that's going to revolutionize the price of their product. But it's the missing ingredient here, central to everything they're spinning," said Peter Lowenthal, executive director of the Maryland-D.C.-Virginia chapter of the Solar Energy Industries Association. "Maybe they'll raise a billion dollars and make this happen. But for now, selling promises is very upsetting to an industry that's just getting on its feet."

Ms. Morgan said the secrecy is necessary because Citizenre is in the midst of sensitive negotiations with two state governments, both of which are vying to host the manufacturing plant.

"We may look back on this and say we've been silent too long," she said. "But if we released partial information that people would poke holes in, we would regret that as well."

She said a formal announcement on the location and time frame for the facility will come within two months.

Not a scam?

Citizenre's secrecy and waiting period have stirred local skepticism.

Myrl Hartman was driving along Ritchie Highway in July when he noticed one of the signs Mr. Artuso had put up, advertising cheap solar power.

Though the 84-year-old Glen Burnie resident signed up with Mr. Artuso to reserve a system, he also asked the Maryland Gazette to look into Citizenre's business practices.

"I read the contract and I showed it to my daughter-in-law and she goes, 'oh it's got to be a scam,' " Mr. Hartman recalled. "It just sounded too good to be true."

Here's Citizenre's pitch.

Customers sign up for contracts lasting one, five or 25 years, paying a monthly rate per kilowatt-hour that's based on a 12-month average of utility rates in their state. This rate is only updated at the end of each year, which is why Citizenre's Maryland rate is only 8.8 cents per kilowatt-hour, far less than the 14 cents per kilowatt-hour BGE is charging after its rate hikes. Citizenre allows users to lock in the lower rate for the duration of their contract.

According to 2001 data from the U.S. Department of Energy, the average household consumes roughly 29 kilowatt-hours of electricity per day, which means Citizenre customers already signed up will pay a monthly rental fee of around $77. Using the same electricity consumption data, BGE customers would pay a monthly utility bill of approximately $122. These figures are based on many averages, such as a home size of 1,500 square feet.

On top of the monthly fees, Citizenre customers must pay a $500 security deposit that's returned at the end of the contract period. If the contract is broken, the company keeps the deposit and will rent the solar power system to another customer.

None of these fees will be charged until Citizenre actually installs the system, which means the company's early marketing scheme is legal.

"As long as there's full disclosure and they're not taking that security deposit until they come through (with the solar power systems), they're not scamming the consumer," said Racquel Gillory, a spokesman for the Maryland Attorney General's Office. "As I understand it, if they don't install the systems, the contract is null and void."

Citizenre's technical claims and business model also seem feasible, if impossible to prove.

"Everything they say is theoretically possible. I don't find any lies," said Paul Maycock, who created the Department of Energy's photovoltaics division in 1975 and now runs a consulting company called Photovoltaic Systems, Inc. "What I don't have is information on how and when they are going to get systems installed ... that result in their model being financially sound."

Ms. Morgan countered by saying outside observers are speculating without all the facts.

"If you try to reverse-engineer our business model, but don't have our proprietary information, of course you can't make it work," she said. "I think we've got the early mover black eye. I think we've responded to that by being very low-key. And time will tell whether that was wise."

A sunny solar future

Aside from waiting, there doesn't appear to be any sure way of knowing whether Citizenre can deliver. But one thing seems clear: residential solar power is poised to explode in Maryland, even if Citizenre winds up buried beneath a mountain of hype.

Chesapeake Wind and Solar, a Jessup company that sells and installs home solar power systems, has seen triple-digit sales growth over the last seven years.

"We're finding that our phone is absolutely ringing off the hook with people who are concerned about their future energy supply," said CEO Richard Deutschmann. "They're concerned about their bills, they're concerned about global warming ... and they want to talk about installing residential solar."

Chesapeake Wind and Solar now installs an average of five home solar power systems a month, with each system costing between $30,000 and $40,000.

State and federal incentives have played a major role in fueling the interest in solar.

For instance, Maryland is one of 38 states that have passed "net-metering" legislation, which allows homeowners to send any extra solar-generated electricity back into the utility grid. In return, they receive credit against their bill from companies like BGE, which must produce 2 percent of their power through renewable sources by 2020 under state law.

The Maryland Energy Administration issues grants of up to $3,000 for home solar power systems. Homeowners who install the systems are also eligible for a federal tax credit capped at $2,000.

Add it all up and it could take 40 or even 50 percent off the purchase price of a system.

The savings still aren't enough for Mr. Artuso to buy a whole system for himself, but he encouraged homeowners with enough money to take the leap without waiting for Citizenre. He plans to keep on spreading the word, and he's won at least one convert: Mr. Hartman, who's gone from skeptic to fellow Citizenre salesman.

"I believe in solar," Mr. Hartman said. "I believe in anything that will produce renewable energy for this country."

Asked what he would do if Citizenre proves to be a house of cards, Mr. Artuso smiled, only a little sadly.

"Hopefully someone else with bigger backers and more money will come along," he said. "I'll go back to trying to put solar on my roof, one panel at a time."
________________________________________
Published 09/08/07, Copyright © 2007 Maryland Gazette,
Glen Burnie, Md.

Please HELP do for solar what Pickens is doing for wind! Visit www.powur.com/homeenergy1 and click on View Our Mission - watch the presentation. Then join by hitting the backspace arrow and sign up by clicking Become an Ecopreneur.

contact me jimartuso@tmail.com

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What excites you about this campaign?

This campaign helps bring to light the fact that we all can see the trouble our country is headed for, and it shows that we will no longer wait for our leaders to finish making their profits before they move forward and help our nation.

What do you want to do to help?

Getting the word out is all fine and dandy, but I want to generate action on a large scale.
I would like to start a renewable energies expo in my state. I live right outside of Washington D.C. and we are clueless about renewable energy.
Saying that WE ARE ADDICTED TO OIL is a load of crap. How can you be addicted if you have NO other choice.

James Artuso's Blog

Homeowner seeking backyard wind power

Homeowner seeking backyard wind power
By ALLISON BOURG Staff Writer
Subscribe to the Maryland Gazette

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A Pasadena man is seeking permission to put two wind turbines on his property near Downs Memorial Park, apparently the first such request to come before the county.
Richard Hawse and his wife, Mary, are not only requesting a zoning variance next week to allow structures taller than 25 feet on his 4-acre property c… Continue

Posted on September 23, 2008 at 11:00pm — 3 Comments

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At 5:54pm on November 15, 2009, Union theocratic gov Divine of J said…: Harvest Time

Every seed takes time to germinate.
So too in the fields of the soul.
We must never give up and sow
because the results do not
immediate to our eyes.
Let us wait with patience.
In the right moment, the seeds
have driven in the soil of hearts,
there will produce mature fruit.
Understanding and sow Joy, Peace and
Courage, Forgiveness and Love.
Jesus bless you have a good nigh

At 2:11pm on November 7, 2009, April Sims said…: Hello James. Thank you for inviting me to become a part of your friend network.

April

At 2:51pm on November 4, 2009, Anachronism said…: Enegry Savers Blog Manager-11/2/09-Sent to their group.

Enclosed is the total description and methods that can create your Passive Solar Heating System. (In Vancouver Wash, my Passive Solar Heating system actually COOLS the complete building when the building interior determines it needs to be cooled.) I continued this simple solar system on the next four projects from Bellingham, WA. to Vancouver, WA. When I built the Vancouver project in 1989, just 1 mile from the Columbia River on Mill Plain Ave. I decided to create a "Solar Passive Cooling System" as the temperature in Vancouver was considerably hotter and needed "Cooling" along with the Passive System used in all the other projects.

-----INSTRUCTION TO CREATE PASSIVE SOLAR HEATING------
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!
I have built (5) commercial “Passive Solar Systems” starting in 1983 to 1989 in Washington State. My first system “COST” $48 in 1983 and has produced 95% of heating necessary to 70 degrees for 25 years. This building is 95’ long X 55’ wide x 28’ tall. The cubic area is the same as 14-1800 sq. foot homes. My monthly cost when 30 degrees outside cost $1.00 per day. The last project built in Vancouver, Wash in 1989 uses my combination “Passive Solar Heating and Automatic Passive Solar Cooling”. The building is 145’ long by 74’ wide and 22’ high. My winter gas bill for heating and cooling averaged $1 per day in 1989/90.
Look up on Internet (http://push.pickensplan.com/profile/Anachronism)

to see five projects using my Passive Solar Heating systems. (The
Site shown below has pictures of all my projects and will assist in your understanding of what I’m explaining actually EXISTS!)

http://push.pickensplan.com/photo/photo/listForContributor?screenName=36rfivc38zfq8

IT IS REAL AND WORKS. You need help? ASK.

“SPECIFIC INSTRUCTIONS FOR BASEBOARD ELECTRIC HEATING”
WITHOUT FURNACE 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.

NEXT--
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 ELECTRICIAN 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 POSITIVE ATTIC REMOVAL 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 BASEBOARDS 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? (1632)
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 23 deg. outside and “SIMPLY” “produced FREE” 65 degree heat!

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

At this phase of the projects building codes now required "Fire Walls" every 35' plus an 8" thick concrete separation wall to control fires spreading through the attic space and to separate the building into two separate units. With these requirements in play, I had to figure out a method using two separate 65,000 BTU furnaces to heat this 142 X 74 x 21' tall, two-floor building with 220 storage units and 1200 square foot managers apartment.. The cost of using the described gas furnace's for Natural Gas cost ----$1.50 per day---- during the four months of November, December, January and February. The balance of the year for cooling and heating were the expense of operating (2) squirrel cage fans when the building sensors indicated it needed heat or cooling. ( the cubic volume is the same as 14-2400 square foot homes) Heating these 14 homes for an expense of -$1.50 per day---

I designed this combined system, with the fire Marshal's permission and approval to create a "Super Passive Solar System" along with and automatic " Passive Cooling System". This Vancouver project used my designed system to "automatically" heat or cool the entire project with "NO" input beyond setting one thermostat to the desired "Heat" temperature in the main office.

All the projects I built never included any written or described heating system designs to be disclosed, therefore they are completely private and NO plans exist except within my mind. The beauty of the system is it costs approximately $200 in supplies plus the labor involved in the installation of the heating system. (1989 prices) The automatic air conditioning system is more expensive and cost $450 in 1989. These combined systems heats and cools a two story building of 74' wide x 142' long x 21’ high long. ( the cubic volume is the same as 14-2400 square foot homes)

These complete systems function using existing forced air heating systems and can be retrofitted to any commercial or residential in use. The one negative of this process is as follows: Once an owner understands how it functions, it will decrease their heating and cooling costs 85% forever. Are you (we can do) ready to use my knowledge?

The information above allows full disclosure as to location of these projects, pictures of interior conditions, 20 years after construction and long term viability of the concept. Thank You; "It's REAL"

At 7:27am on November 4, 2009, Warren Reynolds said…: James: I do not see any evidence of that. Central solar power will still be needed for businesses and industry.
Warren

At 12:59am on November 3, 2009, Louielamson2000 said…: Hello James. Thanks for posed up the articles [home solar power] on your page. Please keep in contact .Have nice day.