Category Archives: energy conservation measures

Off Grid Living – Site may be inactive but it has good content

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Sometimes I find sites that appear inactive but I post them anyway because, like yesterday, they have something of interest. This is another one of those.

http://lifeoffthegrid.info/?p=57

Off Grid Living-You Can Do It Too

January 21, 2009

More and more people are realizing that you can still enjoy modern amenities while enjoying the independence of off grid living.  Being off the grid means being exactly that, off the grid.  No power lines, no electric bills, and being free of utility grid demands, not to mention their ever-rising rates.  Off grid living is environmentally friendly and cost effective and it is an option available to almost any one owning a home.

The principles of off grid living may be applied to any home in the world, even those currently tied to the grid.  From solar panels, hydro power and windmills, there is growing curiosity in off grid living and breaking free from fossil fuel burning power plants.  The technologies have advanced and the costs have dropped greatly.
Even do-it-yourselfers can take leaps into off grid living with many kits, resources and manuals available for instruction.  As energy demands increase globally, those living off grid can rest easy knowing their own energy costs are diminishing.

The idea of off grid living can be scary to some who believe they will have to give up some of their most prized possessions and electronic gadgets to achieve such freedom.  This is very far from the truth.  Off grid living is simply about learning to moderate your use of electricity.  It can be as simple as turning off lights that are not really in use.  Purchasing appliances that don’t use energy when not in use (like clocks on microwaves and stoves).  Learning to unplug, not just turn off.  Things like computers and printers, well anything with the little green light that is always on, these items are stealing precious energy and adding to your bill.  Wanting to become part of the off grid living adventure, doesn’t always mean giving up everything, sometimes it just means getting smarter about the things you have.

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Go there and read. More next week.

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Life Styles Of The Off The Gridders – Gentle to the Earth

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This article speaks for itself.

http://science.howstuffworks.com/environmental/green-science/living-off-the-grid4.htm

How Living Off the Grid Works

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Off-the-grid Lifestyle

You’re excited about going off the grid now, right? You’re set to get your solar panels and septic tank. You have the well driller booked and you’re ready to say no to utility bills. Before you follow through on all these moves, you need to think about the lifestyle changes that come with going off the grid.

Even with solar and wind power, you’ll still need to limit your use of electricity. Most people interested in living off the grid do so at least in part to live a greener life, so conserving power goes hand-in-hand with this decision. With adequate solar and wind systems, you should be able to operate most of your electric appliances and gadgets, but not necessarily at the same time. If you’re using a hair dryer, avoid using the microwave. If you fire up the blender, unplug your space heater. Major electricity users like washing machines should be operated at night, when your other power needs are minimal. True disciples of the back-to-land movement wouldn’t use a washer and dryer anyway. Washing clothes by hand and using a clothesline is a rustic alternative.

The same goes for your water use. With a cistern system, in periods of little rain you might need to let the dishes pile up for a couple of days or limit your toilet flushes. Some people go so far as to turn off the shower water while they lather or wash their hair. Collecting additional non-potable water in rain barrels is a great way to water plants, wash dishes and keep your pets hydrated without dipping into your well or cistern.

Energy Star appliances are the most efficient on the market and a good way to save money on your bills. Look for the yellow stickers on the appliances when you buy them and compare the ratings. In addition to saving energy, the government offers rebates on Energy Star appliances, so you’ll be saving money as well. You should­ also switch your light bulbs to the energy-saving compact fluorescent bulbs.

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Go there and read. More tomorrow.

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Building A Cob House – It is not what you think

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When I first saw the headline of this next site, I thought: can this be? I had heard of actual corn cob houses in rural America. They are basically slatted walls filled in with corn cobs and then finished inside and out. They are sort of a variation of hay bale houses. But this is way different.

http://www.livingoffgrid.org/building-a-cob-house/

Building a Cob House

By Off Grid Ebert

In a time in which we are increasingly hearing scary statistics about the fate of our planet, the way forward in the field of sustainable, green building may just be to go backward.  This is certainly the case for people demonstrating a growing interest in building earthen homes and structures using an ancient method known as cobwork or cobbing.  Cobbing, believed to have originated in the Maghreb as early as the 11th century, spread into wide usage across many parts of the rest of Europe as the main building style for homes.  The name of this style of building comes from the word cob, which is the name of the building material itself, formed of a mixture of earth (such as clay, sand, and other soil), straw, and water.  Despite what the materials may imply, this substance, when dried, is fireproof.  It is also inexpensive, and naturally cool in the summer heat and relatively easy to heat in the winter.

Many homes built of this material centuries ago still stand and remain in use.  Pictured here to the left is a cob house in England, believed to have been built in the late 1700s. (Photo by Tim Green, http://www.flickr.com/photos/atoach/4927564858/) These homes typically have thatched roofs, while small but efficient fireplaces with chimneys provide warmth when the weather is cold.

The appearance and texture of cob varies from region to region, depending on the available natural resources and their characteristics.  As such, cob is one of the most versatile building materials on earth.  It can be molded and shaped into whatever form is framed by the builder.

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Go there and read. More tomorrow.

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Going Off The Grid Used To Be Hard – And many times ugly

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I mean this for the average Joe. Going off the grid for rich people was always easy. You buy a solar designed house and attach generation too it. Done. But for anybody without an open checkbook, especially in the 70s and early 80s, you had to kinda make it up. And it almost always involved burning some sort of wood. Even in the southwestern part of the US it can get cold sometimes. Now there is a whole cottage industry dedicated to the stuff. Here is a part of a piece from one of those websites.

http://www.offthegridnews.com/2012/01/30/so-is-it-global-warming-or-an-approaching-mini-ice-age-some-scientist-say-the-sun-will-have-the-last-word/

Global Warming or Approaching Ice Age? Scientists Say the Sun Will have the Last Word

Jan 30th, 2012 | By Tim George

LONDON – Met Office and the University of East Anglia Climatic Research Unit recently released data from 30,000 measuring stations that reveal there has been no global warming in the last 15 years. In fact, the findings suggest the earth might be headed for a mini ice age similar to one in the 17th century.

Several leading climate scientists told the UK Mail that the sun is transitioning from the unusually high levels of energy seen throughout the 20th century toward a “grand minimum” in solar energy output. Such a minimum promises colder summers, extended bitter winter, and shortened crop seasons.

The sun is entering the peak of another 11-year solar cycle. Termed ‘Cycle 24’ by solar scientists, this cycle continues a trend of lessening sunspots since a high in the 20th century. Experts at the University of Arizona and NASA have been studying magnetic-field measurements from 120,000 miles beneath the sun’s surface and predict ‘Cycle 25’ will peak in 2022 even lower than the current cycle.

Europe experienced such a lowered cycle of solar output from 1645 to 1715. The coldest part of that period, known as the “Maunder minimum,” came to be known as the “Little Ice Age”. This period causes severe disruption of crop growing seasons and occasional famines.

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I know, I know the article has nothing to do with going off the grid, but going off the grid does not mean losing touch with what goes on in the rest of the world.

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Go there and read a bunch. More tomorrow,

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Couple Tries Life Of Sustainability – In response to Peak Oil

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I am not sure that I believe in Peak Oil. At one level it is actually a distribution problem and the chaos that results when that distribution systems capacity is exceeded. Not an issue of how much oil is left. I think that global warming will get us much more quickly than Peak “any resource”. I also have my doubts about the sustainability of global capitalism and the devastation that may occur when it falls apart. But seriously, whatever the reason, living an uncomplicated, simple and frugal life is such a good thing. If we all did that the world of consumerism would go BOOM overnight. As always I have issues with videos. So:

http://peakoil.com/consumption/a-young-couple-find-freedom-in-simple-living/

A Young Couple Find Freedom in Simple Living

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gn3AX540j20

Rather than follow the customary American dream, Tammy and Logan sold their home and car, and moved to a bikeable/walkable neighborhood in Sacramento, California. After reading Derrick Jensen’s writings, this couple used Your Money or Your Lifeas a means to get out of debt and, they feel, regain their lives and their future. While they recount the psychological challenges of facing a future of declining resources, the catalyst that continues to move them forward is a dream of living in an affordable tiny house within a supportive community. (rowdykittens.com).

Listen to audio. Read in Janaia’s Journal about our visit to tape them.

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I found the video on Youtube and put the link in the story where it would be in the brief piece. But the video was posted 2 years ago and that means that it is probably older than that. Why is Peak Oil going with old content. Go there and read. Peak Oil is an interesting site. More tomorrow.

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Changing The Environment By Changing The Culture – How to classify this

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I have no idea how to classify this but I found it interesting nonetheless. She is kinda cute no matter what.

 

http://www.blueplanetgreenliving.com/2009/01/30/culture-change-drives-environmental-improvement/

Culture Change Drives Environmental Improvement

“What I’m doing is socially engineering organizations by working with employees so they can shift their company culture and drive business performance — and even personal performance,” says Elizabeth Frisch, president of Culture Technologies, Inc. and director of development for A Nurtured World.“

Elizabeth Frisch of Culture Technologies and A Nurtured World
Elizabeth Frisch of Culture Technologies and A Nurtured World

 

One of the things we’re committed to is inspiring people, enrolling them, and getting them connected with their passions in the workplace. This is just like we do on the consumer side with A Nurtured World, getting people to commit to green living in their home, so that being environmental is not about suffering, deprivation, and “something else that is on my To-Do list.” Instead, you create space around it, so that it’s this open frontier. There’s all this possibility!”

Culture Technologies is working with the Dallas Cowboys to green their new Cowboy Stadium, a topic you’ll read about in tomorrow’s post. Today, we talk with Elizabeth about how Culture Technologies helps businesses become more environmentally responsible through culture change. We spoke with Frisch from her office in Austin, Texas.

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Go there and read the really long interview. More tomorrow.

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Finally Get A New Water Heater – Do yourself a big favor and go Tankless

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Before I post that however let me thank:

Roger @

Ray’s TV

625 West Beecher ST

Jacksonville IL 62650  tel – 243-3051  email pegasus2112@frontier.com

He fixed my computer for next to nothing and I am here today because of it. (no boos or hisses) THANKS

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While Consumer Reports does not like “on demand” water heaters, I do. Once you get used to them they are a blessing and if you have a large family the money you can save is amazing. But for me it is a mental thing. First in mind solar water heating should have been the way our society should have gone 100 or even 200 years ago. I mean it is there and we “throw it away”. But there is also something so bourgeoisie about heating up a bunch of water to sit in a tank wating for us to (what?) fain to use it. But if we don’t then a heater comes on and heats it up again. The whole mindset there is flawed.

http://www.tanklesswaterheaterguide.com/

Tankless Water Heaters heat water directly without the use of a storage tank. Therefore, they avoid the standby heat losses associated with storage water heaters. When a hot water tap is turned on, cold water travels through a pipe into the unit. In an electric Tankless Water Heater an electric element heats the water. In a gas-fired Tankless Water Heater a gas burner heats the water. As a result, Tankless Water Heaters deliver a constant supply of hot water. You don’t need to wait for a storage tank to fill up with enough hot water. Typically, Tankless Water Heaters provide hot water at a rate of 2 – 5 gallons (7.6 – 15.2 liters) per minute. Typically, gas-fired Tankless Water Heaters will produce higher flow rates than electric Tankless Water Heaters. Some smaller Tankless Water Heaters, however, cannot supply enough hot water for simultaneous, multiple uses in large households. For example, taking a shower and running the dishwasher at the same time can stretch a Tankless Water Heater to its limit. To overcome this problem, you can install a “whole house” type Tankless Water Heater or install two or more Tankless Water Heaters, connected in parallel for simultaneous demands of hot water. You can also install separate Tankless Water Heaters for appliances—such as a clothes washer or dishwater—that use a lot of hot water in your home.

Other applications for Tankless Water Heaters include the following:

  • Remote BBQ or outdoor sink
  • Poolhouse or pool shower
  • Remote bathrooms or hot tubs
  • To serve as a booster, eliminating long pipe runs, for solar water heating systems, dishwashers and sanitation.

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Go there and see all their pretty pictures and diagrams. Read the text. More next week.

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Insulate Your Basement – Even in an already built home

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Yes, you can get a backhoe and dig a trench around your house for relatively cheap but, it really is a waste of time. Parging the walls first pretty much means coating the walls to make sure moisture does not get behind the insulation that you are going to put up. I suggest using a modern basement epoxy of some sort and I recommend rigid insulation after you have done that. Rigid is easier to work with and you can make the whole project into an adhesive affair where you adhere the furring strips to the epoxied walls and then you adhere the foam board (or whatever) to the furring strips. Boom, you are done unless you need to paint them for someone else in the house that hates the color of the “naked” board. You know who I mean. Like the article says as far as the vapor barrier placement you have to call your local building code people cause I got no idea,

 

http://www.green-energy-efficient-homes.com/energy-efficient-basement.html

Exterior wall insulation inside the walls

Insulating outside your exterior walls is often too expensive or impractical in existing homes. You can insulate the inside of your basement walls but you may exacerbate the problems associated with moisture if you don’t do the job correctly.

Parging: If moisture is seeping into your walls, parge the masonry walls to seal any cracks and strengthen any weak or porous masonry. This will help prevent water from seeping in from outside.

Vapor barrier: Vapor barrier should be outside the insulation if you are in a hot climate and only cool your home; it should be on the inside if you are in a cold climate and are mainly heating your home. Consult your local city building permits department to find out what are the suggested or mandated insulation and vapor barrier configurations for energy efficient basements in your area.

Framing: If possible, leave a gap between your framing and the exterior walls, to prevent moisture from the masonry from causing wood rot in your framing. Use small spacers behind 2×3 studs, rather than 2×4 studs against the outside wall, and you’ll still have room to install the standard insulation for 2×4, 16-inch-stud construction.

Insulation: If there is any likelihood of moisture getting into your basement, use a rigid foam insulation rather than batt or other fiber-based insulation. Moisture seeping through exterior walls will dampen the insulation and reduce its R value significantly within a few years, so you’ll start with an energy efficient basement and in a few years be losing as much heat to outside as before the renovation. Moisture will not have much effect on the R value of foam insulation. Buy the highest R value insulation you can – you can get an R value of 6 per inch in some insulating foam sheets. If you want both insulation and waterproofing, you could consider having Icynene insulation applied to exterior walls after framing but before drywall is installed.

Other places you should insulate

A couple of other important things to consider about basement insulation:

  • In an older house, where a shower stall is already installed against an outside wall, check the insulation level behind the shower. A prior owner or contractor may have installed the shower without adequate insulation. If you are remodelling or can access the wall space behind it, inject foam insulation or otherwise upgrade the insulation. You’ll have more comfortable showers and you’ll cut down on overall heat loss.
  • Insulate the perimeter of your basement ceiling (an area called the ‘rim joists’), from the outside walls to about 16″ to 24″ from the outside walls, to prevent moisture from creeping in between the upstairs

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In this case, go there and read a bunch. More tomorrow.

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Cleaning Your HVAC Filter – If you are still replacing it, STOP it

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If you are a home owner and you are still using the crappy disposable HVAC filters please stop. They are inefficient and expensive. For the price of 2 boxes of those filters you can buy a single washable filter that will save you a bunch of money on filter costs and equipment costs, and end up with cleaner home air and  house as a result. If you are a renter and you pay your own utility bills it is well worth your time to invest and you can take it with you to your next apartment or your first home.  As always, I have never owned this particular filter nor have I purchased anything from this company. It merely is an example of one of dozens of companies and types of filters on the market.

http://www.air-care-filters.com/

Electrostatic Air Filters

Air Commander electrostatic air filters are 10 times more efficient then the standard disposable filter. By switching to a permanent electrostatic furnace filter, the air inside your home will be cleaner and fresher. Our furnace filters are electrostatically charged to trap up to 94% of the dust and allergens in your home.

Just easily wash the filter every 1-3 months and put it back in place. The sturdy metal frame will stand the test of time. With a lifetime warranty and 100% money back guarantee, why not make the switch to a permanent air filter?

How Electrostatic Furnace Filters Work

Electrostatic Air Filters clean the air by using static electricity, a safe, naturally occurring phenomenon. An electrostatic charge is generated by air flowing through a maze of static prone fibers. Airborne particles are attracted and held by the static charge until released by washing. All Air Commander Electrostatic Air Filters contain an EPA registered anti-microbial material to inhibit mold and bacteria growth on the air filter surface.

The air you breathe contains many irritants such as pollen, dust, bacteria, mold spores, pet dander and smoke. Most of these particles are smaller than one micron. Our Electrostatic Air Filters are an effective and efficient way to reduce the number of these particles in your air. This illustration shows the typical dust loading pattern of the electrostatic fibers. This unique characteristic improves air flow while providing maximum filtration.

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Go there or google the subject and read. More tomorrow.

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Clean Your Dryer Lint – Save money and save lives

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When I start in on equipment appliance maintenance as part of residential  energy conservation, people start to lose interest and want to talk about the sexier things like new windows. Did you know that there are 15,000 house fires a year caused by dryer lint. That is right every year. If folks just took 30 minutes to clean their dryers out, especially the older one. You can save pretty good money and maybe your life. Here is an ad that I get for a device that could make it easier to do;

https://www.lintlizard.com/?uid=12FA483C0D3B2074C0E642987EF83D81

With the Lint Lizard™, you can reach right into your dryer and clear the dryer clogging lint at its source! Just attach the Lint Lizard™ to the end of your vacuum, and its built-in fan nozzle reaches easily into your lint catcher and even your dryer vent outside. Keeping your dryer free of lint maximizes energy efficiency, saving you money… and nothing works like the Lint Lizard.

Now, for a limited time, you’ll get the incredible Lint Lizard™ for the super low price of $10.99 plus $6.99 shipping and handling. *Act now, and we’ll double your offer and we’ll include the Dust Lizard, just pay separate $6.99 fee. You also have the opportunity to qualify for free shipping when you upgrade your order to the deluxe. And remember, this offer is not available in stores, so the only way to get it is to order now!

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Here is the old fashion way. It is probably more effective too.

http://www.familyhandyman.com/DIY-Projects/Home-Repair/Appliance-Repair/dryer-lint-cleaning-tips

Lint escapes through tiny gaps around the edges of the dryer drum and falls into the cabinet, especially when the exhaust vent or vent cap is clogged and airflow is restricted. The lint can get ignited by electric heating elements, gas burners or even a spark from the motor, and the flames then travel through the lint-lined exhaust vent. To make sure this doesn’t happen in your house, check the exhaust vent and the inside of the cabinet frequently.

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Go there and read. More tomorrow.

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