Solar and Wind

Energy; Our Wise

and Efficient Use

by Randy Cooper

Environmental Engineer

Part One

09/02/09

Greetings local and visiting high-country folks. I’m pleased to write to you today about subjects that are truly exciting !

I believe the United States citizens can continue to live a comfortable lifestyle and, at the same time, for not a prohibitive cost, continue to use energy, however in a more cost-effective, efficient, cash saving manner. I’m going to show you how. I’ll document some facts, trends, and simple day-to-day activities that we can slightly modify and see immediate results.

This multi-article series will also give you:

The solar and wind newbie: some solid, basic, understanding so you can decide how you may want to go about developing your own personal home power plant to supplement your energy use and save money on your power bill.

The solar and wind maven or seasoned user: some information you may be able to use to augment your existing understanding, or an additional component to add to your solar and wind arsenal, to save money on your power bill.

Whether you live on- or off-grid, want or don’t want a solar and wind system, or just want some tips on cost-effective, efficient, energy use, sit back and take a minute and peruse these articles. I think they’ll give you understandable information you can get your hands around, give food for thought, and feel good that things aren’t all going to heck in a hand basket.

Our American School of Thought

We 21st Century Americans, rural and urban, use electricity, a boatload, and enjoy a pretty darn comfortable lifestyle. Regular gal and guy Americans (and huge conservative corporations), for the most part, are starting to be concerned with energy use. (Yes mountain folks, guys is a term that describes to me a group of men, not; a woman and man, gal and guy, folks, for example in greetings at a market, gas station, or formal/fast food restaurant). Whether it’s because of high gas prices, typically costlier monthly utility bills, our Country’s payment of our good money to oil-rich countries, or national and world policies that sometimes may be influenced by our overuse of oil; green is becoming mainstream, not just popular with 1970’s rebels.

Energy Cutting Tools

So where do we start to either, use energy more wisely or, design a solar/wind energy system? The same place: Use energy more wisely. What is an easy, available home energy use cutter? Have you seen the compact fluorescent bulb? I’ve seen statistics touting huge cuts in power use, CO2 (carbon dioxide), etc. I have seen huge cuts in my personal power use with these cost effective bulbs. Do you use any appliances in your home that have heaters in them? I do and these are our first two targets for slashing energy use and cost and improve our efficient enjoyment of our power consumption.

Compact Fluorescent Bulbs: Folks let me give you the nuts and bolts of compact fluorescent bulbs. Compact fluorescent bulbs are what I would currently consider “functionally and cost-effectively state-of-the-art”. The 100+ year old incandescent bulb has been replaced. Compact bulbs compete cost-wise and use-wise. See the problem with the incandescent bulb is: It is not just emitting light but also heat as a side effect. (You know like when a blood pressure medicine says it will help but lists about 50, unwanted, side effects that might occur, try eating salmon and trout). Light is the desired effect and heat is the unwanted side effect. Most of the energy it uses is given off in heat. For comparison purposes I’ll describe the 100 watt incandescent light bulb. This is a pretty bright source of light inside a home. I get the same equivalent amount of light in my cabin at night from a “100 watt equivalent” compact fluorescent bulb that uses 23 watts. The 100 watt equivalent is almost too bright. In some uses I’ve opted for the 75 or 60 watt equivalent. These chew up a mere 17 or 14 watts, respectively. If you light your house by electricity at all, here is a place where you can cut your lighting bill by 77-86% immediately, or a few bulbs at a time.

Naysayers may say the bulbs are too expensive. Are they? Five years ago they were but not today. Like most technology, it is high at first and then levels way off. I bought a package of three for less than some incandescents. How you ask? In both the Phoenix Valley area and at a big store here in the mountains I have seen next to the regular priced compact bulbs a special offer three pack for $1.00. How is this? Small print revealed a power company had worked a deal to supplement the cost. Why? Why would a power company want to sell less juice? That would be like an oil exporting country saying, “We’re going to charge you only 20% and sell you an oil that will technically save you another 75% in use efficiency. Or would it?

I don’t see the oil example coming true anytime soon but I do believe I know why the power company is covering part of the cost. Most likely because either, it saves them money, a Federal or State law or mandate requires some energy efficiency action on their part, or maybe both. It is very costly to build new electrical generating facilities. Sometimes we grip about the cost of power bills, but they do run a business and have fuel, maintenance, and generation expansion costs. If I own a power company, and it costs me less to supplement energy efficient products that to negotiate, permit, site, build, and maintain new electrical generating capacity, I’ll probably go the more cost effective and less riskier route. Plus, you still have to pay me to power your bulb. Or do you? Well I’ll get into that in the next article when we discuss the design of your personal solar and wind rig home power plant.

It wouldn’t be fair and impartial of me to just list the pros and not the cons of compact fluorescent bulbs. In my experience I encounter only one con and two maybe cons. The first maybe is, one of mine cracked in outdoor use last winter on the north side of my cabin. I don’t think it got wet so I wonder if it has a minimum temperature it should be use above. Or maybe sometimes in life glass cracks. I replaced it and haven’t had a problem since. The second is, some folks prefer the ambience of non-florescent light. Some regular fluorescents give off a predominately red or blue that some people find unappealing. Some folks notice a slight green to the compacts light. In indoor 35-mm photography I have noticed the green, but a filter could fix that and it may not be a problem for digital photography. The other problem is, since these compact bulbs are florescent they contain trace amounts of mercury that we environmental engineers prefer don’t end up in the landfills, seeping into groundwater, or anywhere loose in the environment. The problem is not the trace amount, it is the trace amount multiplied by 250 million Americans multiplied by bulbs used per citizens lifetime. You can see this adds up. The small print on the bulb currently above my desk recommends you inquire about “proper disposal”. From an environmental engineering regulatory point of view, regular florescent bulbs are sometimes designated as “universal waste” and there exists a mechanism for their disposal. This will come with time as more folks use the bulbs and the disposal need is filled.

Overall, compact florescent bulbs are my first choice for home, office, and commercial energy efficiency projects and the imperative first step in designing a solar and wind system. Remember: You don’t have to change them all out at once if you can’t get the smoking deals that I got. I bought quite a few back then and haven’t priced them recently as they last a long time. Change a few out each month and enjoy the benefits.


	Solar and Wind Energy; Our Wise and Efficient Use by Randy Cooper Environmental Engineer Part One 09/02/09 Greetings local and visiting high-country folks. I’m pleased to write to you today about subjects that are truly exciting ! I believe the United States citizens can continue to live a comfortable lifestyle and, at the same time, for not a prohibitive cost, continue to use energy, however in a more cost-effective, efficient, cash saving manner. I’m going to show you how. I’ll document some facts, trends, and simple day-to-day activities that we can slightly modify and see immediate results. This multi-article series will also give you: The solar and wind newbie: some solid, basic, understanding so you can decide how you may want to go about developing your own personal home power plant to supplement your energy use and save money on your power bill. The solar and wind maven or seasoned user: some information you may be able to use to augment your existing understanding, or an additional component to add to your solar and wind arsenal, to save money on your power bill. Whether you live on- or off-grid, want or don’t want a solar and wind system, or just want some tips on cost-effective, efficient, energy use, sit back and take a minute and peruse these articles. I think they’ll give you understandable information you can get your hands around, give food for thought, and feel good that things aren’t all going to heck in a hand basket. Our American School of Thought We 21st Century Americans, rural and urban, use electricity, a boatload, and enjoy a pretty darn comfortable lifestyle. Regular gal and guy Americans (and huge conservative corporations), for the most part, are starting to be concerned with energy use. (Yes mountain folks, guys is a term that describes to me a group of men, not; a woman and man, gal and guy, folks, for example in greetings at a market, gas station, or formal/fast food restaurant). Whether it’s because of high gas prices, typically costlier monthly utility bills, our Country’s payment of our good money to oil-rich countries, or national and world policies that sometimes may be influenced by our overuse of oil; green is becoming mainstream, not just popular with 1970’s rebels. Energy Cutting Tools So where do we start to either, use energy more wisely or, design a solar/wind energy system? The same place: Use energy more wisely. What is an easy, available home energy use cutter? Have you seen the compact fluorescent bulb? I’ve seen statistics touting huge cuts in power use, CO2 (carbon dioxide), etc. I have seen huge cuts in my personal power use with these cost effective bulbs. Do you use any appliances in your home that have heaters in them? I do and these are our first two targets for slashing energy use and cost and improve our efficient enjoyment of our power consumption. Compact Fluorescent Bulbs: Folks let me give you the nuts and bolts of compact fluorescent bulbs. Compact fluorescent bulbs are what I would currently consider “functionally and cost-effectively state-of-the-art”. The 100+ year old incandescent bulb has been replaced. Compact bulbs compete cost-wise and use-wise. See the problem with the incandescent bulb is: It is not just emitting light but also heat as a side effect. (You know like when a blood pressure medicine says it will help but lists about 50, unwanted, side effects that might occur, try eating salmon and trout). Light is the desired effect and heat is the unwanted side effect. Most of the energy it uses is given off in heat. For comparison purposes I’ll describe the 100 watt incandescent light bulb. This is a pretty bright source of light inside a home. I get the same equivalent amount of light in my cabin at night from a “100 watt equivalent” compact fluorescent bulb that uses 23 watts. The 100 watt equivalent is almost too bright. In some uses I’ve opted for the 75 or 60 watt equivalent. These chew up a mere 17 or 14 watts, respectively. If you light your house by electricity at all, here is a place where you can cut your lighting bill by 77-86% immediately, or a few bulbs at a time. Naysayers may say the bulbs are too expensive. Are they? Five years ago they were but not today. Like most technology, it is high at first and then levels way off. I bought a package of three for less than some incandescents. How you ask? In both the Phoenix Valley area and at a big store here in the mountains I have seen next to the regular priced compact bulbs a special offer three pack for $1.00. How is this? Small print revealed a power company had worked a deal to supplement the cost. Why? Why would a power company want to sell less juice? That would be like an oil exporting country saying, “We’re going to charge you only 20% and sell you an oil that will technically save you another 75% in use efficiency. Or would it? I don’t see the oil example coming true anytime soon but I do believe I know why the power company is covering part of the cost. Most likely because either, it saves them money, a Federal or State law or mandate requires some energy efficiency action on their part, or maybe both. It is very costly to build new electrical generating facilities. Sometimes we grip about the cost of power bills, but they do run a business and have fuel, maintenance, and generation expansion costs. If I own a power company, and it costs me less to supplement energy efficient products that to negotiate, permit, site, build, and maintain new electrical generating capacity, I’ll probably go the more cost effective and less riskier route. Plus, you still have to pay me to power your bulb. Or do you? Well I’ll get into that in the next article when we discuss the design of your personal solar and wind rig home power plant. It wouldn’t be fair and impartial of me to just list the pros and not the cons of compact fluorescent bulbs. In my experience I encounter only one con and two maybe cons. The first maybe is, one of mine cracked in outdoor use last winter on the north side of my cabin. I don’t think it got wet so I wonder if it has a minimum temperature it should be use above. Or maybe sometimes in life glass cracks. I replaced it and haven’t had a problem since. The second is, some folks prefer the ambience of non-florescent light. Some regular fluorescents give off a predominately red or blue that some people find unappealing. Some folks notice a slight green to the compacts light. In indoor 35-mm photography I have noticed the green, but a filter could fix that and it may not be a problem for digital photography. The other problem is, since these compact bulbs are florescent they contain trace amounts of mercury that we environmental engineers prefer don’t end up in the landfills, seeping into groundwater, or anywhere loose in the environment. The problem is not the trace amount, it is the trace amount multiplied by 250 million Americans multiplied by bulbs used per citizens lifetime. You can see this adds up. The small print on the bulb currently above my desk recommends you inquire about “proper disposal”. From an environmental engineering regulatory point of view, regular florescent bulbs are sometimes designated as “universal waste” and there exists a mechanism for their disposal. This will come with time as more folks use the bulbs and the disposal need is filled. Overall, compact florescent bulbs are my first choice for home, office, and commercial energy efficiency projects and the imperative first step in designing a solar and wind system. Remember: You don’t have to change them all out at once if you can’t get the smoking deals that I got. I bought quite a few back then and haven’t priced them recently as they last a long time. Change a few out each month and enjoy the benefits.