| Off Grid Solar PV - Measuring Progress |
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| Energy Tech - At Home |
| Friday, 01 February 2008 01:49 |
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In a speech at the World Future Energy Summit recently, Department of Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman told the audience “the biggest source of immediately available “new” energy is the energy that we waste every day.” Those words reminded me of my own conservation efforts. My habit of turning off lights and resetting thermostats can almost be called obsessive-compulsive behavior. But my past efforts have not been particularly satisfying because I’ve never measured progress. Because of that, I had no real sense of accomplishment. To generate interest, I’ve decided to track my electricity use over time. I was able to get records of my electricity use for the past two years from my utility company’s website. I entered that information in a spreadsheet, and could immediately see that past efforts have been worthwhile. My use of electricity was significantly lower in 2007 than it was in 2006, with the greatest reductions being in the most recent months. This was expected, since I’ve recently replaced a refrigerator and a TV with energy-star-rated models. Here is the data for November: My electricity use in November of 2006 was 747kwh. My electricity use in November of 2007 was 562kwh. The 185kwh difference was a huge reduction, and perhaps somewhat of an anomaly. The October 2006 to October 2007 difference was only 22kwh. Still, I’m quite pleased with my overall progress. As my use of utility-provided electricity is going down, my use of solar- (PV)-provided electricity is increasing. My current average monthly use of PV-generated electricity is about 12kwh. I’ll soon be applying a system upgrade, and expect my average monthly use of PV-generated electricity to be about 45kwh. If I can continue to use less electricity, and generate more of electricity I use, I’ll eventually be able to meet all of my needs with solar panels. And while my figures seem to show that the date is many years in the future, it may be sooner than expected. In the not-to-distant future my wife and I will become empty-nesters. When the kids leave, electricity use will go way down. Unused rooms will be closed off, and we’ll seldom need to use lights or appliances in those rooms. Our laundry and dishwashing loads will decline. At the same time we’ll continue to replace worn-out appliances with energy-efficient ones. We’ll replace more of our lights with CFL’s, or perhaps with LED lighting. I look forward to the day when I can finally flip the utility breakers off, and still live comfortably with energy from the sun. Last Sunday I used surplus PV-generated electricity to make toast. My batteries were fully charged at the time, so this was an opportunity to take advantage of solar energy that otherwise would have been wasted. I’ll be watching for more opportunities like this in the future. Energy Secretary Bodman would be pleased if he knew about my efforts, but more importantly, I feel good about what I’m doing. Sunday Morning Toast - Courtesy of the Sun  Please take the time to answer the survey question; “How much electricity do you use each month?” Provide a monthly average if you can. Look for a line on your electric bill that states “total usage in killawatt hours (kwh).” Keep the information you’ve collected so that you’ll be able to measure progress as you take steps to reduce consumption. John |
Off Grid Solar PV - Measuring Progress In a speech at the World Future Energy Summit recently, Department of Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman told the audience “the biggest source of immediately available “new” energy is the energy that we waste every day.” Those words reminded me of... Read more At Home | | Friday, 1 February 2008 |
Make Solar Panels - Save Yourself Some CashStop using regular sources for energy and start using renewable resources! Solar power is one of the best renewable resources that you can use out there, as well as one of the most reliable. While it"s been around for quite... Read more At Home | | Wednesday, 6 August 2008 |
Off-Grid PV System Performance Data The graph shown below is the result of battery voltage readings taken every 30 minutes for 5 days and nights. Battery voltage increases during the day, even on cloudy days, as a result of charge current from the solar panels.... Read more At Home | | Marchonday, 10 March 2008 |
Make a Wind Generator Easily and EfficientlyIf you have been looking into investing money into manufactured wind generators, have you considered building your own? While the task may seem difficult, building your own wind generator is easier than you think. Not only that, but it makes... Read more At Home | | Augustonday, 18 August 2008 |
Hybrid RefrigeratorsTechnology Review has an article on a hybrid refrigerator will bring "efficient, cheap cooling" to India and lessen dependence on diesel powered refrigeration - Cheap, Off-Grid CoolingA startup based in Cambridge, MA, has developed a new solar-powered refrigeration system for... Read more At Home | | Sunday, 5 October 2008 |
I've Automated my Off-Grid PV System Because over-discharging batteries can ruin them, I only connect loads to my photovoltaic (PV) system on weekends and evenings, and only when I’m home and awake so that I can carefully monitor battery voltage. I’ve been getting 10 to 12kwh... Read more At Home | John | Februaryonday, 25 February 2008 |
Pop Culture now involved in Energy is Good!Many people have seen the Paris Hilton advertisement regarding "her" energy plan that is a compromise between the mainstream competing plans by the presidential candidates McCain and Obama. She was responding to the John McCain advertisement that compares Obama to... Read more At Home | | Saturday, 16 August 2008 |
Grow your own home MSNBC has an article on "plantware" - coaxing trees to help form habitable structures - Live architecture: Grow your own home.Tolkien"s hobbits would feel right at home in new dwellings made out of living tree roots and designed to protect... Read more At Home | | Sunday, 31 August 2008 |
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