Earth Hour - Will You Participate?

Participation is easy; simply switch off your lights for one hour from 8:30 until 9:30pm, local time, on March 28th.

Earth Hour began in Sydney Australia in 2007, when 2.2 million homes and businesses switched off their lights for one hour. The goal this year is to have 1 billion people switch off their lights for one hour as part of a global vote. Also known as Vote Earth, this is a global call to action for every individual, every business, and every community. It’s a call to stand up and take control over the future of our planet. Your light switch is your vote. Results will be presented to world leaders at the Global Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen later this year. That meeting will determine official government policies to take action against global warming, which will replace the Kyoto Protocol. By taking part in Earth Hour 2009, you’ll send a message that we must act now to slow climate change.

Your participation in Earth Hour does more than just send a message; it’s an opportunity to think about your impact on the environment. As you sit in the dark for one hour, perhaps you’ll think about the ways you can reduce your carbon footprint. Consider an ongoing effort to conserve electricity and natural resources. Think about switching to energy-efficient lighting, appliances, and transportation. Try to make a difference everyday, not just one hour each year. Your grandchildren will thank you.

To sign up, or to learn more about Earth Hour, visit:

www.earthhourUS.org

John

Green, User-Friendly, and High-Tech

Solar panels and wind generators are two examples of green technology, but cleaning products and disposable diapers can also be called green products if they’re made to be environmentally friendly. Perhaps any device that reduces pollution, or cuts fossil fuel consumption can be considered a green product. A cell-phone, for example, has potential but I wouldn’t add it to my list.

I despise modern cell-phones. They tend to offer so many features that basic functions, like making a call, can be difficult. The poor design of cell-phones extends beyond a crazy menu system; the physical layout is absurd. I usually activate the “Speakerphone” function when I pick up my wife’s cell-phone because the button for that function is on the side of the phone. How, I wonder, am I supposed to pick it up? Developers could, if they wanted to, offer advanced features without making the device unnecessarily difficult to operate. Basic functions should be easily accomplished with a minimum of keystrokes, and advanced features could be accessed via a hierarchical menu system. The number of switches could be minimized. A cell-phone might save the user time and money, but I’m disappointed with most I’ve seen because they’re not user-friendly. Can a high-tech device be “Green” and “User-Friendly” at the same time?

My idea of a great high-tech device is one that makes life easier, and saves the user time or money. A really great high-tech device does those things, but also works right out of the box without a long learning curve. I bought such a device recently. It’s called a “Personal Travel Assistant”, or PTA. They’re also known by their brand names. Garmin, Magellon, and Tom Tom are a few you might recognize.

I must confess that I felt guilty for buying it at first. It seemed that I was wasting money on something that wouldn’t be of any real value to me. But to my surprise the device actually started saving me money on the second day. I’ll explain in a moment, but first let me tell you how it works. There are two basic modes of operation. Normally, the device shows your direction of travel and nearby roads. You’ll see the names of upcoming intersections and side streets before you get to them. However, if you pre-program a destination address the device will plot a route for you. It tells you in a pleasant voice when a turn is coming up. As a test of my new device I programmed in the address of a destination I occasionally travel to. As I drove toward the destination, I was surprised when I was given a shorter route than the one I usually follow. Eureka! I saved gas and time. It looks as though I’ll save even more time and burn less gas as I use other features. The device can help me locate restaurants and gas stations anywhere I happen to be, and I’ll avoid getting lost as I travel to unfamiliar destinations. I’ll no longer need to print out MapQuest directions, or to pull over and read a map.

I’ve changed jobs recently, and my new employer asked if I would be willing to spend 4 to 6 weeks working in Tampa Florida. Knowing that I would be leaving sub-freezing weather for a more favorable climate, accepting the assignment was an easy choice. I’ve never been to the Tampa area, and my new PTA has been extremely helpful.

Since my ultimate goal is to cut fossil fuel consumption, my “Personal Travel Assistant” is as important as my solar panels and my bio-fueled stove. Reducing my carbon footprint is something I want to do, primarily for the benefit of my grandchildren, and I’ll take advantage of every opportunity to do so. If I can have a little fun while doing it, that’s OK too.

John

What have you done for the earth today?

Within a century most of the CO2 presently trapped in oil, coal, and underground sources of natural gas will be burned and released into the atmosphere. All of this "extra" CO2 is creating a serious problem, and it's not going to go away without a serious effort by all of us. Since each of us contribute to the problem, we should all do what we can to resolve it. Even a very small commitment can make a big difference if enough people do it.


If you've already replaced incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent types you've reduced your cabon footprint, and that's great, but don't stop there. Reducing your carbon footprint should be an ongoing effort.

Did you replace all of your incandescent bulbs? I neglected to replace bulbs in a large chandelier because its bulbs are not the standard screw-in type. Bulbs with a small screw-in base were not available at the time I replaced the other bulbs in my home. I also neglected to replace incandescent bulbs in a light fixture that's controlled by a dimmer. Now that small base screw-in and dimmable CFL's are available, I have no excuse for not replacing the rest of the bulbs in my house.

By the same token you might have replaced weather stripping last year, but have you checked your doors and windows this year? You may have added insulation, but could you benefit by adding a little more? And what about your appliances? Is it time to replace that old refrigerator? If your refrigerator is old, replacing it with an energy-efficient model will not only help the planet, it will result in a significant reduction on your electric bill.

Perhaps you measure progress by comparing this year's energy bills with those from last year. You've probably seen a reduction. Continue to make energy-efficiency improvements to ensure a reduction next year as well. Stroll through your local hardware store and see if you spot anything else that might help. Tell your neighbors about your progress, and encourage them to do the same. Show them your energy bills. Give them CFL bulbs as a Christmas present. Send them the URL to this blog, and tell them that I have many more ideas in my archives. Spread good will, and help Mother Earth at the same time.

Happy Holidays!
John

Smart Appliances and the ZigBee Alliance

Imagine a vending machine that dispenses candy at a low price in the morning, but charges more for the same product in the afternoon. You would tend to make purchases in the morning, wouldn’t you? For those of us who pay for electricity based on demand, the grid is like that vending machine. We take advantage of the price differences by doing laundry, running the dishwasher, and using other appliances during those hours when electric rates are low. We ease up on heating and cooling when electric rates are high.

Although we make an effort to use electricity as efficiently as possible, our appliances don’t always cooperate. My refrigerator, for example, tends to go through its “defrost” cycle when electric rates are high. The energy consumption of my refrigerator while in defrost cycle is three times as high as when the refrigerator is running normally. Short of rewiring my refrigerator for manual defrost, there doesn’t seem to be much I can do about it, but that may soon change. Soon we’ll be able to buy “Smart” appliances. My refrigerator, for example, will no longer switch to “defrost” mode when electricity is expensive. Additionally, temperature settings could be adjusted upward slightly when electric rates are high, and lowered when rates go down. Because these changes will be small, you’ll save money without jeopardizing the contents of your fridge. Signals from the utility company will trigger the setting changes.

Smart appliances do more than cut your electric bill, they also benefit electricity providers. They reduce the peak demand, resulting in less strain on the power grid. With widespread use of smart appliances, slight adjustments to each one would result in a significant demand reduction system wide without a noticeable change at your home.

Most people, I suspect, won’t rush out to buy new appliances just to take advantage of this technology. You’ll probably wait to replace your refrigerator, dishwasher, washing machine, dryer, air-conditioner, and other appliances until a product failure creates a need. The first smart product you might buy, and perhaps the most useful of all, is an “In-Home Display”. This device receives real-time rate and consumption data from your electric meter. Not only will you know the exact cost of electricity at any time of the day, a quick glance at the color-coded display tells you if rates are low, medium, or high. With this device, you’ll know the best time to run the dishwasher and other appliances. You’ll know when it’s advantageous to cut back on the air conditioning a bit.



As useful as the “In-Home Display” shown here is, it lacks one important feature. It doesn’t have the ability to control other devices. If it included that feature you might use the device to perform one or more of the following functions:

Enable a battery charger when electric rates are low.
Enable supplemental heating when electric rates are low.
Pump water when electric rates are low.
Disable non-critical electrical devices when electric rates are high.

Charging batteries while rates are low would provide you with stored energy that could be used when rates are high. Supplemental heating could lower overall heating costs by limiting the amount of time the primary heater runs when rates are high. Water pumping could be enabled when rates are low, minimizing the need to pump water when rates are high.

Smart products, like the ones described here, are built around “ZigBee” technology. ZigBee is a wireless control technology that offers product manufacturers and developers the ability to build reliable, cost effective, low-power wireless control products. The ZigBee Smart Energy Profile was completed in January of 2008. A product achieves ZigBee Certified Product status after successfully passing certification testing. In addition to display units, ZigBee Smart Energy Thermostats are available at the time of this writing, and smart appliances should be available sometime next year. It is important to note that for Smart Energy products to work, you must also have a “smart” electric meter. My meter was installed when I enrolled in Ameren’s Power Smart Pricing program.

This technology will not be limited to communications and appliance control. V2G is another application of ZigBee technology that will someday benefit the consumer as well as the utility provider.

John

About Power Smart Pricing: http://www.powersmartpricing.org/

About the InHomeDisplay: http://www.comverge.com/products/ihd.cfm

Another Display Product: http://www.lsr.com/smartenergy/

A list of ZigBee Smart Energy products currently available: http://electronics.ihs.com/news/2008/zigbee-certifies-smart-energy.htm

About the ZigBee Smart Energy Profile: http://www.industrial-embedded.com/news/db/?10035

A Note to the President Elect

Since off-grid solar systems and bio-fuel home heating are not exactly mainstream, I often use on-line forums as an opportunity to learn from others. I contribute to those forums when I think that others can benefit from my experiences. On one such forum I noted that I’ve reduced my fossil fuel use by nearly 50% over the past three years, and I mentioned that if everyone would do that the impact would be tremendous. Someone followed my comments with the comment “You should tell the president about that.” I believe the follow-up comment was meant to be sarcastic, but then again it sounded like a good idea. Here is my message to Barak Obama, via his website, change.gov

Dear Mr. President Elect;

Under your leadership I’m confident that our nation is about to experience a period of unprecedented technological growth, and that we will finally begin to address the energy crisis and the climate crisis. The purpose of this message is to suggest ideas that if implemented, will lead to success. First of all, let me tell you about my own work:

My goal is to stop using fossil fuels and to help others do the same. I’ll not use fossil fuel for transportation or home heating, and I’ll stop using electricity generated by coal-fired power plants. I’ll generate my own electricity, and grow my own bio-fuel using farming techniques that do not rely on fossil fuel. I’ll drive electric vehicles. I’ll do all of these things without sacrificing comfort or my quality of life.

I’ve been working toward this goal for nearly three years, and I’ve already cut my fossil fuel use by almost 50%. I share what I learn with others, via my blog: http://solarjohn.blogspot.com My accomplishments have been due to conservation, energy-efficiency improvements, the implementation of solar photovoltaics, and home heating via bio-fuel. If everyone would do what I’ve already done, the impact on the economy and the environment would be staggering. I’ve done these things on a modest budget, and without financial help of any kind. That brings me to my suggestions.

Although grants are available in some states for putting solar panels on public buildings, and organizations like the National Renewable Energy Lab (NREL) in Colorado receive federal funds, I have been unable to find any source of financial assistance for the important work I am doing. While putting solar panels on a few buildings may result in a good photo opportunity, it does little to help reduce our dependence on foreign oil. State and Federal Government spend too little on renewable energy projects, and money is not spent wisely. Please make money available to people like me who are working on worthwhile projects. I’ve accomplished a lot, but just imagine how much more I could do with funding.

Secondly, I respectfully ask that you put engineers and scientists in charge once again. Engineers and scientists gave us an industrial revolution and put a man on the moon, but things are much different today, now that lobbyists and money managers are in charge. We now have a financial crisis on top of other problems. It’s time for new leadership in important government positions.

And finally, make it easier to buy electric cars and make solar panels and other alternative energy products more affordable. With your help, ordinary people like me will show the skeptics that alternative energy can eliminate our dependence on foreign oil. For many of us this is an effort to build a better future for our grandchildren. We are dedicated, and with your help we will succeed. With your help, eliminating oil imports during your administration is possible.

John

Look to Engineers for a Change We Can Believe In

How can the new administration fix the problems we face today? Putting engineers in charge would be a good start.

Engineers and scientists gave us an industrial revolution and put a man on the moon, but technology seems to have stalled now that politicians and money managers are in charge. While engineers do things that lead to real productivity, politicians and money managers don’t do anything productive, they just manipulate money. It seems that they’re not even good at that, as we now have a financial crisis on top of an energy crisis and a climate crisis. And, as everyone knows, money managers want the rest of us to bail them out. It’s time to put engineers back in charge. If we’re ever going to replace fossil fuel or solve the climate crisis, it will be because of the efforts of engineers.

Until engineers are in charge once again I doubt that we’ll see substantial progress. Politicians lack vision when it comes to renewable energy projects. You might find a grant for putting solar panels on a library, but nothing for an engineer working to make solar systems more efficient and affordable to the public. While they could be generating excitement about moving away from fossil fuels, instead they solarize a few buildings. It makes a great photo opportunity, but doesn’t really do much good beyond that. We need more money for renewable energy projects, and we need to use the available funds wisely. We need to investigate renewable energy solutions in actual homes, in all corners of the country, not just at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) in Colorado.

Don’t wait for wealthy industrialists like Richard Branson or T. Boone Pickens to solve the problems. Both claim to care about the environment, and both have projects in the works. Branson seems to love the spotlight, but it remains to be seen if he’ll make good on any of his promises. Boone hopes to recruit others to do his bidding, and it remains to be seen how much he’ll accomplish. I’ve written to both gentlemen about my work. It seems that if they truly care about the environment, they would be interested in what I’ve been able to do. I’ve cut my own use of electricity and natural gas by almost 50%, on a small budget, and without sacrificing my quality of life. It should be obvious that with funding, my work could be duplicated in households across the country, resulting in a large reduction of fossil fuel use and a tremendous environmental impact. This should be of interest to anyone genuinely interested in the environment, but I haven’t heard from either Branson or Pickins. I doubt that I’ll hear from the new president either.

So I’ll keep plugging away at my own projects, with my own personal funds, as will many other engineers and ordinary people who hope to make a difference. Maybe our grandchildren will have a better future because of our efforts, maybe not. At least I’ll go to bed at night, knowing that I did the best I could.

John