Home Power Saver

Nanomesh, and Accelerating Breakthroughs in Solar Technology

2012-12-14T16:13:00.000-08:00

I've written on this site many times that solar is not for everyone. Many climates, roof architectures, and other factors often make solar uneconomical. (Let's ignore government and power company subsidies, because there are subsidies for almost all forms of power).

Flexible solar panels, micro inverters, improved manufacturing technique, and scale have helped little by little, but there are still relatively few cases where a homeowner can be 100% guaranteed that solar will save them money. There is still this pesky maximum theoretical efficiency limit in today's cells - 37% of the suns energy is the maximum that could ever be retained.

In the last few weeks new data was published by Princeton that shows they can significantly improve upon this 37% limit. New "nanomesh" technology limits the amount of energy that is reflected away from panels. And there is some promise that this can be manufactured at reasonable rates.

Read more about this solar breakthrough here on extremetech.com.

Home Power Saver for Black Friday and the Holidays

2011-11-20T15:17:00.001-08:00

Wow, did time creep up on me this year! We're less than a week away from Thanksgiving, and the stores have been decked-out for Christmas for weeks.

This is the time of year where utility usage can go through the roof, given all the extra baking, entertaining, heating, and holiday lights that are on. With that in mind, I wanted to review a few posts from the past that may be of help in reducing your electric and other utility bills.

Why not invest some of your holiday time off and save money for years to come?

Be Productive and Seal Those Gaps

I just moved into a new house a few months ago, and the priority for me was getting my family settled. Now that we are pretty much unpacked and in a routine, I turned my sights to getting the house nice and sealed - and wow am I glad I did!

The biggest bang for the buck in my house was checking the HVAC vents. Our house, like many in California, is a crawl space house (i.e. not a slab foundation or house with a basement). Turns out almost every ground floor duct had a gap where it came up to the vent attachment, allowing lots of cold air in! But this is nothing that a $4 can of Great Stuff Insulating Foam could quickly remedy. That link is to Amazon - please click on it to check it out - but I recommend you buy it locally at Ace, Lowes, or Home Depot, and save a few dollars.

Anyway, be sure to check out Mind the Gap for more tips on sealing up your home.

Buy Efficient Holiday Decor

We all know that LED Christmas Lights are more efficient, brighter, and pose less fire risk. And prices continue to drop. Check out Six Ways to a Green Christmas for other ideas that will save money (and automate!) your holiday displays.

Energy Saving Gift Ideas

If a friend or family member is into DIY projects, consider helping them in their hobby with some power saving gifts?

Start with Shopping Gifts to Turn Black Friday Green, then check out Seven Gifts For The Energy Conscious.

And I'd love to hear about other holiday-centric saving ideas and gifts that fit the Home Power Saver theme. Be sure to come back and comment below.

Happy Holidays!

Thermostats by Nest

2011-11-14T17:21:00.001-08:00

Update December 2012: Nest now has their 2nd generation Nest Learning Thermostat available on Amazon.com. Read on for more on the Nest thermostat.

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The Nest Thermostat

At homepowersaver, I like to keep an eye out for new technology that might help us save on our energy bills. It is easy to get swept in to the big breakthrough technologies, like the Bloom Box, the latest electric car, etc. But in more practical terms, I am more interested in products entering the market, or about to enter the market (i.e. I'm eagerly awaiting the Vu1 ESL lightbulbs soon to be available at lowes.com and later in stores, and trying to figure out what happened to Clarian).

Along those lines, I read with interest a recent article about a Silicon Valley startup called Nest. Led by a former Apple executive that provided much of the brains behind the iPod design, it might be surprising that their next generation energy saver is a simple thermostat!

Mercurial Rise in Thermostat Tech?

Read any home energy blog or book and you'll quickly see that programmable thermostats can be big money savers. Why run your AC or heater at full throttle when no one is home? Or when everyone is under the warm covers at night?

The problem is that most households, even with best intentions, often revert to the "hold" setting to override their programs...if they ever even got around to programming the thermostat in the first place. Recent studies have shown this fact.

To a Silicon Valley entrepreneur, this fact presents an opportunity. Nest has taken on thermostats, applying design principles taken from Apple and artificial intelligence (AI) to remove the prospect of programming. After a few days of care and use, the thermostat will learn when you are home and when you are not; when you turn the temperature down and when you turn it up. And at the same time, it no longer looks like a thermostat - it is more of a work of art.

Nest decided that simply learning your habits over time was not enough. It can also tie in to your network using wifi, allowing for remote control - turn up the heat when you are on your commute home so the house is nice and toasty by the time you arrive; or simply track your usage over time.

Prospects for Nest

Personally, I do not plan to purchase the $249 Nest thermostat, which will be sold at Best Buy and other stores. And I'd suspect most of the readers of this site would be better served with a cheaper traditional programmable thermostat, which can be found for $70 or less. Why would I assume my readers may not be interested? If you are reading this site you probably have more than a passing interest in saving energy, and thus will be more likely to actually program your thermostat. However, I do see a market driven by the trendy among us, home automation aficionados, those not wanting to deal with 'one more device to program', and interior designers.

Nest has hinted that they will take on other energy products as they begin to grow. --

Vu1 Poised to Make a Lighting Splash December 1

2011-11-03T19:46:00.000-07:00

For those missing my earlier Vu1 post, Vu1 offers an innovative lighting technology that looks well positioned to compete with LED and CFL technologies. Their technology, called ESL, hits a sweet spot in terms of light quality, efficiency, price, and expected life. ESL shine especially bright when it comes to light quality, with color temperature and dimability equal to incandescents.

Vu1 had promised to send me a first generation R30 test bulb for me to evaluate on my site. Unfortunately, it never happened. And in following the company, there have been a number of disappointments in terms of meeting delivery dates.

However, it looks like they are poised to turn things around, having announced a major agreement with Lowes to sell the R30 bulb in their stores for $14.98 each. That price easily beats LEDs, and offers a competitive option to CFLs.

Here is the most important quote from the Business Week report on the press release: "Vu1’s bulb, which can be dimmed, will sell at $14.98, according to a company statement. While that exceeds the $12-to- $13 cost of a comparable dimmable compact fluorescent bulb, it lasts longer, is mercury-free and produces every wavelength of light, the CEO said. Lowe’s will sell the bulb online from Dec. 1 and in its stores from February, according to the statement."

Further, Vu1 has received UL certification for an A19 lightbulb. The R30 bulb is a flood light bulb, which is more an more common in new homes. My house, recently remodeled, had 36 R30 fixtures, for example. The A19 is the traditional lamp bulb. Between the two, they should offer a compelling product line.

Back to my house - all but two of the 36 R30 fixtures are attached to a dimmer switch. Given CFLs limitations for dimming (even the 'dimmable' ones aren't great), this limits me to incandescent, halogen, LED, or Vu1's ESL. LEDs are still too expensive, and light quality isn't where it needs to be at the more affordable end of the spectrum. Halogen and incandescent are not great for as expensive as energy is in California. That places ESL at the top of my list.

Readers - when Vu1 bulbs show up at your local Lowes, give them a try, and report back here what you think!

Making A Comeback

2011-10-25T21:24:00.000-07:00

Wow, what a crazy few months it has been. New baby, new job, and a new house in a new state. I *thought* I'd had plenty of content pre-written to cover a period with no time, but I didn't anticipate being out of the fold for about 8 months!

The good news is that there is a light at the end of the tunnel. My new location (California) presents me with plenty of new ideas to discuss. My new home is a two story stucco, with a crawl space, presenting some new opportunities to learn (my first home with a crawl space).

Anyway, today's posting is just to check in and let anyone stumbling across my page know that after this long lapse in posting, I am starting to rumble back to life. It may be another few weeks, but be sure to check back for updates on Vu1, Clarian Technologies, the Bloom Box, and of course, more tips, tricks, and cost-effective projects to save you money on your utility bills!

The Creeping Disaster

2011-08-10T06:25:00.000-07:00

Today's title comes straight from a NY Times post about the disaster of drought and permanent "aridification" or areas.

Droughts come and go, but population increase, redistribution of population, and other factors create increasing pressure on water supplies.

Today most parts of the US and Europe can withstand droughts - even severe droughts. Rationing occurs, our landscape plants may suffer and die, and we go without washing our cars. But much deeper impacts are already being felt.

In the southwest USA, massive fissures open up due to depleted ground water supplies leading to ground settling (in some cases, damaging homes and other buildings). Rivers that once flowed, supporting farming, critical wildlife habitat and migration corridors, no longer flow. Wildfires have become more massive due in part to water policy issues. Droughts (and increased demand from growing populations) constantly cause food prices to move upward (recall the huge impact of the Russian drought on global wheat prices last year). And this is just the start give the population stresses and natural weather cycles.

Save Water Today

Fortunately, there are many ways we can save water with no impact to our quality of life. Unfortunately, these methods are largely ignored. Like so often in this country, it seems clear that it will take an emergency before serious consideration of water policy occurs.

Today I hope you will take the bull by the horns and be proactive in addressing this issue. I'm going to offer a number of simple steps that can reduce your water usage. And I also hope that you will share this article with those that you know to help raise awareness.

What are some examples of ways water consumption can be reduced? Slightly less than 70% of our water use is for agriculture, and largely overlooked flood irrigation is often much more efficient than traditional overhead watering. At home, dual flush toilets, common in Europe, are almost non-existent in the USA. Even "low-flow" showerheads can be further reduced to 1.5 GPM with minimal impact. Choosing drought tolerant native landscape plants and using directed drip irrigation can save hundreds of gallons. Rainwater can be harvested by connecting simple collection barrels to downspouts.

When you purchase your next washing machine, get a high efficiency model. This could save a family of four 50 to even 100 gallons per month! Make sure you run your dishwasher on the shortest setting possible - why run the "pots and pans" cycle when your dishes only had a few crumbs?

Home Power Saver has had a number of articles going in to more detail on saving water. Please check them out:

http://www.homepowersaver.net/search/label/Water

Take the bull by the horns, and do your part today!

A Solution For Hot Garages

2011-07-12T15:56:00.000-07:00

After months of consideration, I finally decided to do something about my hot south facing garage. I'd previously insulated the doors and made sure my entry door was sealed well, but in the Arizona desert, it seems to take much more than that.

I'm not so concerned about how hot the garage gets, but rather the living spaces above the garage (my daughters bedroom in particular).

The solution - a through the wall ventilation fan operated by a programmable timer switch.

Basics of Garage Ventilation Designs

There are a ton of ventilation systems available, but all consist of two main components:

Exhaust Fan
Intake Vent

Most ventilation systems are based around the concept of replacing a specific volume of air. For example, a garage may have a specific volume. For example, your garage may have ceilings of 9', be 18' wide and 20' long...that is a volume of 9x18x20 = 3240 cubic feet.

Different applications requiring exhaust have a requirement to replace air at a specified rate. They call this Air Changes per Hour (ACH). For example, some toxic chemicals may have a higher ACH requirement than a woodworkers bench.

Exhaust fans capability to move air is measured in CFM - Cubic Feet per Minute. Using the above 3240 cubic foot garage as an example, a 160 CFM fan would exhaust 3240 cubic feet in about 20.5 minutes, or resulting in just under 3 ACHs. That is pretty low, but perhaps adequate for simply cooling (or keeping a garage cool).

Additionally, intake is a necessary requirement of a system. If your garage door is sealed tight, then you will need to add an intake vent. More on this later.

Exhaust Fan Selection

Considerations for selecting a fan are:

CFM rating (to achieve the desired air changes per hour)
Sones rating - this is a measure of the sound level of the fan. A higher value is a louder fan.
Power usage (efficiency)
Design of the unit - through the wall or through the ceiling/roof?
Is it rated for outdoor use? Yes, there are many exhaust fans designed for interior use only.

For me, I went with the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000WT8FOM/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=natusarch-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399369&creativeASIN=B000WT8FOM">Broan 509 180 CFM 6.5 Sones Through Wall Ventilation Fan, White Square Plastic Grille</a>. I chose through-the-wall because I had a nice open area up high on my wall, and a through the wall installation seemed easier and faster.

Garage Exhaust Design Considerations

As mentioned above, I am assuming the only use is to ventilate the garage in order to cool it. With that in mind, these are the primary considerations:

Where will you place the fan? Place it up high (duh...heat rises). And place it on the opposite side of your air intake vents.
Related to #1, place your air intake vents on the opposite side of the garage from the fan. Place the intake low so cooler air can be drawn in. And if possible, chose a cooler side of the house (north side or east side if possible).
How will you operate the fan? You can connect it to a standard wall switch, to a programmable timed wall switch, or any other sort of switch with an appropriate amperage rating for your fan.

And make sure your garage entry door is well sealed! You don't want your new exhaust fan to be pulling cool air from your home's interior into the garage. And this is especially true for those installing high powered fans.

I chose a programmable timer wall switch (<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000F3ZR8C/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=natusarch-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399369&creativeASIN=B000F3ZR8C">Aube by Honeywell TI033/U 7-Day Programmable Timer Switch, White</a>). I have it run in the evening for a few hours (about 8 PM to 11 PM) to exhaust the "heat of the day", and again in the morning before it starts to heat up (4 AM to 6 AM).

Does This Project Save Electricity?

I think it is safe to say that this project does not save any money on my monthly electric bills. It does, however, make for a more comfortable room for my daughter, and helps exhaust noxious fumes from the cars and chemicals in my garage.

And who knows? Maybe it will become a net saver in the future when it keeps my daughter from turning the thermostat down lower (when she is tall enough to reach it!)

The Two Critical Facts You Must Know About Your Air Conditioner

2011-05-02T21:00:00.000-07:00

For the vast majority of the United States, air conditioners are a near necessity. As the years have progressed, a higher percentage of homes have gotten them, and older homes have been retrofitted.

If you have an air conditioner to cool your house, there are two critical specifications that you must know. These facts are important when you are shopping for a new AC unit, and are equally important when trying to get a handle on your current electricity bills.

Further, these two facts are often confused, resulting in homeowners spending too much on a AC replacement.
What are these two facts? Well, these facts are actually specifications (specs) on your AC unit.
The first you must know is the cooling capacity of your AC, measured in tons. A “ton” is equivalent to 12000 BTU/hour. That value is pretty abstract (i.e. how do you know how many BTU/hour your house needs to keep cool?), but it is a useful comparative metric. Common central AC units range from 3 to 5 tons.

The second key spec is the efficiency, rated in SEER (Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio). This ratio is actually pretty basic – it measures the total cooling produced over a typical season, divided by the amount of energy consumed. Thus, a higher SEER value means a more efficient unit.

State of Confusion, and a Simple Definition

Many homeowners confuse these values and end up asking for too large of an AC. And some unscrupulous contractors try to turn a homeowners limited familiarity with these terms into sales opportunities.

To avoid these pitfalls, think of it this way:

Tons directly relates to the size of your home. Unless you’ve added on or your AC unit was previously undersized, you should never have to buy a large AC unit.

SEER directly relates to the efficiency of a unit. It does NOT mean more cooling capability. It does allow you to compare the efficiency of units of equal size (tons).

Put It To Practice

If you are looking for a new AC unit, it is important to understand the current size (tons) and efficiency of your unit. With a little luck the model information will still be readable on the unit itself, and Google can help you figure it out. If you can’t read the model, you should be able to ask your servicer.

When its time to get a new AC, you’ll likely want to get the same size (tons) as your older unit.

My AC has trouble keeping my house cool. What now?

But what if your current AC has trouble keeping your house cool? This may be a sign that you need a larger AC unit, but you may also have other problems. The questions to consider are:

Has your AC always had trouble 'keeping up' on hot days? If not, then the size is probably OK, and the recent problems might be something else.

Has your AC been serviced recently? Perhaps there is a coolant blockage or it needs to be recharged. Older units should be checked annually to keep them running at their most efficient levels.

Its time for me to replace my AC unit. How can I lower my electricity bills at the same time?

And if you want to lower your electricity bills, you should look into a higher SEER AC unit, and NOT a larger (higher tonnage) unit. In fact, stretching your budget to get an extra SEER or two usually pays for itself within a few years.

How One Bad Driving Habit Can Cost You $600 A Year

2011-04-25T21:00:00.000-07:00

I drive on a divided highway most of my way to work. It is about a 22 mile drive one-way, with a speed limit ranging from 55 mph to 65 mph for most of it.

I’ve always been surprised at the number of speeders and dangerous weavers on this road, and I often have to try very hard to not take it personally when other drivers jeopardize my safety. I know, it is easy to get behind the wheel and only think of yourself – i.e. “I have to be to work by 8:00 AM”, or “I hate waiting for traffic”, etc.

But not only is this driving dangerous, it is extremely wasteful.

I think most people know that jack-rabbit starts are terrible for fuel efficiency. But the one area that people don’t often think about is how speeding impacts fuel performance. In fact, it can cost you $400 to $600 in an average car, and much more if you drive a truck or SUV!

Most cars run at their optimal efficiency in the 40-60 MPH speed range. In fact, most cars peak at about 55 MPH. Any speed faster and you’ll see a decrease in performance. Go much faster than 65 MPH, and the efficiency performance rapidly drops off.

Consider the Cost

The average car on the road in the USA gets about 25 mpg on the highway, and the average car sold in 2010 gets about 32 mpg on the highway. Lets use these two average mpg ratings and my 44 mile commute as an example.

The 25 MPG Average Car
Assuming $3.20 gas:
Drive 65 MPH instead of 80 MPH: save $620 a year
Drive 65 MPH instead of 75 MPH: save $430 a year

Now imagine if gas prices hit $4 per gallon - those numbers change to $800 and $530!

The 32 MPG Average 2010 Car
Drive 65 MPH instead of 80 MPH: save $475 a year
Drive 65 MPH instead of 75 MPH: save $330 a year

If gas prices hit $4 per gallon - those numbers change to $600 and $420!

Of course, the price you pay by slowing down is losing 5 - 7 minutes a day. Assuming the worst (7 minutes) over 240 commute days a year, gaining back that $800 dollars is like paying yourself $28.50 per hour - not a bad wage.

What About an SUV?

OK, I had to test a worst case - what if you drive an SUV? The average 2010 SUV gets about 18 mpg on the highway - older ones are worse. I'm not one for hyperbole, so I'll stick with the 2010 average.

The 18 MPG Average 2010 SUV
Drive 65 MPH instead of 80 MPH: save $850 a year
Drive 65 MPH instead of 75 MPH: save $600 a year

If gas prices hit $4 per gallon - those numbers change to $1070 and $750!

For more custom calculations, check out www.mpgforspeed.com.

A Lifetime of Savings

My numbers above consider a year with a 22 mile one-way commute. Some people have longer commutes, and some shorter; some people drive in traffic and don't have the option of speeding. Regardless, this provides an idea of what can be saved.

Now consider these numbers over a lifetime. Lets be conservative and say that you can save $350 a year. A 45 year working career translates to almost $16000 of savings over your life. At a conservative 5% interest rate, a $350 annual investment would be $59,000 at the end of your 45 year career!

Moral Of The Speeding Story

If you slow down, you will:

Have more time to react to other drivers
Reduce dependence on foreign oil
Reduce greenhouse emissions
And save A LOT of money

Five Frequently Asked Questions About Reducing Your Electric Bill

2011-04-18T21:00:00.000-07:00

When I tell people about this website, I often immediately get asked a simple question or two about reducing electricity bills.

These questions are often based in a dispute that the asker has had with their husband or wife, and often "loaded" in some way. Often, something based in fact has been twisted just enough to make the answer difficult.

For those who love semantics, you'll love this Q and A session. When you read the first question you'll see what I mean.

1. Does a ceiling fan really cool a room?

Maybe, but usually not. However, a ceiling fan WILL make a room FEEL cooler.

The best benefit of a ceiling fan is that it creates a bit of a wind chill effect, helping to make a room feel cooler. That said, if a room is unevenly cooled it might help distribute the air better and reduce temperature a little bit.

For these reasons it is generally best to turn off ceiling fans when you leave a room. i.e. a human must be in the room to benefit from the "wind chill".

2. Will I save more energy by leaving a light bulb on if I only leave the room for 15 minutes? Is it more cost effective?

No. There are a lot of myths and myths based in some level of fact surrounding this one. Just be aware of these main points:

While a bulb uses a bit more electricity when first powered on, it is fleeting (i.e. sub-second) and NOT significant.
The one wrinkle is that CFL bulbs will wear out much more quickly when turned on and off frequently. So in that scenario, it might be worth it to leave a bulb on if you are leaving for a few minutes (i.e. to save a power cycle). But this is because of concern of the bulb wearing out and not saving power.

3. When my office first got computers 20 years ago, we were told to leave them on all the time so they'd last longer. Should I leave my home computer on all the time?

No. In the early days of PCs there was more of a concern of premature failure. Much of this concern was overblown - one of those myths that makes some sense on the surface. But today it is best to turn off your PC when not in use.

Ideally, you'd shut down entirely. Alternatively, you can use sleep mode and reduce power consumption down to generally 5 - 8 watts.

4. What is better - running the air conditioner all day, even when not home, or turning it off and running it when I get home?

In most cases it is better to turn the AC off when you are away, and let it run longer to cool the house down when you get home.

By "better" I mean more energy efficient AND better for the longevity of your air conditioner. The best solution for this type of saving is to install a programmable thermostat and let it manage the AC for you.

5. Energy Star is not accurate - after-all they certified a gasoline powered alarm clock!

Well, a major procedural hole was found in the Energy Star certification process when a gasoline powered alarm clock got certified. Apparently, in an effort to expedite energy star approvals as a concession to the business community, automated process was put in place to accept products which document proof that they are 20% more efficient than others in their category. This left the program susceptible to fraud.

However, it is generally safe to say that when dealing with reputable companies such as GE, Sony, LG, etc, and when dealing with mainstream products that people like me actually test, you have little to worry about and Energy Star is very valuable as a guideline.

Energy Star, for its part, has revamped its process and reduced the automation (to the dismay of the business community - but for the good of the consumer).

Paint It White - Can Paint Save You 10%, or even 20% on Cooling Bills?

2011-04-11T21:00:00.000-07:00

Light Colored Roofs

There has been a growing buzz for the last couple of years about a new way to cool houses in hot climates. The buzz has reached a louder tone lately since Steven Chu, the US Energy Secretary, brought the topic of money saving paint to the forefront.

So what is this magic paint that saves money? It is light colored roof paint. Yes, paint your roof and you may see noticeable savings of energy in your home (though reports of 20% are almost certainly overblown).

Now, this sounds crazy, and as of yet not many people have taken the leap. So lets take a closer look and see what roof painting is all about.

The Theory of Painting Your Roof White

The basic idea behind painting your roof white (or a light color) is that light colors reflect more heat, whereas dark colors absorb heat. Case in point, I was on my roof last November on a nice 75 degree day, but that roof surface was almost too hot to touch.

That heat absorbed by the roof can then radiant into your attic, and ultimately your home, creating a direct affect on your homes comfort and cooling bills.

Steven Chu also points to an indirect affect on climate. The urban 'heat island' effect has long been known to exist because of the colors and materials used in cities. An extreme example is Phoenix Arizona, which on the hottest summer nights may not cool below 90 degrees, but the surrounding suburbs and desert may be 10 degrees (or more) cooler.

Steven Chu claims that this effect, which causes everyone's cooling systems to work harder all night, could be noticeably reduced. Just look to cities and towns in Greece and Israel, where white and off white creates a cooler (and picturesque) cityscape.

Further, on a global scale, more solar energy we be reflected back into the atmosphere, reducing one undisputed affect humans have on climate. According to the Nobel Prize winning Chu, a global scale of painting roofs white would have the same effect on climate as taking every car on earth off the road for 11 years.

How To Paint Your Roof White

Perhaps you are convinced, are looking for a project, or simply want to do everything you can to reduce your environmental impact. Or maybe you are skeptical but figure 'its worth a try'. Before you run down to your paint store and pick up 5 gallons of outdoor white paint, there are a few things you need to know.

There are a vast number of coatings, seals, and paints available for a roof. You must know what material your roof is (asphalt shingle, tile shingle, etc), and preferably the age and general condition. Some roof types need to breath, and others would need specific types of sealers or paints.

There are seals, coatings, and paints available, each with varying pros and cons. Paints will accomplish the reflecting goal, but not much else. Some seals and coatings will actually increase the longevity of the roof as well - again, depending on what your roof is made of.

All require reapplication after some period of years.

But Is Painting A Roof Really Worth It?

At this point I think it is generally unknown if you will achieve payback on a roof painting project. Expect to pay $400 to $800 on the coating/paint alone. But if somehow the claims of 20% cooling savings are true, you would achieve payback and even some return on your investment over time. I just have a hard time believing that much savings is possible - perhaps only on flat roofs would you approach 20%.

And I know that painting my roof white would not go over very well with my neighbors, HOA, or wife.

Radiant Barrier and House Paint - More Practical?

As an alternative, you may want to consider a radiant barrier in your attic instead. The radiant barrier also helps reduce heat transfer from the roof. The benefit of the radiant barrier is that it is entirely inside the attic, so you won't have to worry about aesthetics and maintenance.

Further, if you live in a hot climate, it is also worth considering painting your house exterior (i.e. your walls, not the roof) a shade or two lighter next time you re-paint. This simple step could save a few dollars each year, and you'd be performing a task (repainting) that would have to be done anyway.

Have You Painted Your Roof?

If you've painted your roof or know someone who has, please leave a comment or send your acquaintance to this post so they can leave a comment. It would be great to get some real-world feedback on how it has worked out, and the pros and cons.

An OLED revolution? Organic LEDs

2011-04-08T07:12:00.000-07:00

Early Flexible OLED Technology

Organic Light Emitting Diodes (OLEDs) have been around for years, if not decades, when you consider research in universities and labs. But only now are OLEDs reaching mainstream, and starting to turn up on consumer products (TVs, monitors, watches), advertising, and more.

So what is OLED, will it compete in the lighting industry, and what is its potential for the average household?

Like many emerging technologies, there is as much incorrect information on the web as there is correct information.

OLEDs are basically an LED based on organic material. The major promise of this technology is that it should become cheaper and faster to produce than traditional LEDs. Further, OLEDs can be made in thin sheets in almost any form factor. Lighting designers love this fact because they can eliminate the point-source lighting that is ubiquitous today with sheets of diffused lights.

To help sum-up OLED, here are the main points:

OLED Pros

Should be cheap to manufacture
Should be fast to manufacture (Dupont printed a 50" OLED TV in 2 minutes!)
Very light weight, thin, and flexible substrates
New form factors should improve lighting ambiance and design
New form factors can integrate lighting into new places (clothing, safety systems, etc)

OLED Cons

For lighting, less efficient than traditional LEDs
Lifespan is less than LED and LCD, limiting applications it can currently be used in
Can be damaged by UV light exposure
For displays, high reflectivity and screen burn-in are potential problems

Basically, in consumer electronics OLED is well suited for small displays with a short lifespan (i.e. less than 5 years). However, improvements are being made in lifespan.

In lighting, niche applications, creative lighting designs, and similar areas are well suited for OLED. It does not appear that OLED will ever be more efficient than traditional LED lighting.

OLED in Today's Products

OLED is not a future technology (though refinements and improvements are occurring rapidly) - it is available today in many products.

Here are a few products that an Amazon search turned up:

Sony even created the first OLED TV (XEL-1), which many believe is how future TVs (maybe even in 5 years) will be made.

Four Myths of LED Light Bulbs

2011-04-04T21:00:00.000-07:00

As with any emerging technologies, there are many myths surrounding LED lighting. Some make LED lighting sound terrible, and others make LEDs sound like a revolutionary technology. It is easy to confuse “potential” with “capability today”, and it is easy to confuse yesterday’s capability with an inherent flaw.

Today I’ll take a look at a few current myths that persist for LED lighting.

1. LED lighting is the most efficient lighting available.

OK, I already know people will dispute this one, but please read on and see my explanation.

This myth falls in the category of potential being confused with what is sold today in the big box stores and hardware chain stores.

Now, LED lighting is VERY efficient today, and in some cases, is the most efficient lighting available. And it has the potential to be even more efficient in the near future. But when you browse your local hardware store you’ll likely observe that CFLs tend to provide the most lumens per watt for most consumer household lighting. If you truly want to find those super efficient LED bulbs, you often have to thoroughly search the internet, and accept "cooler" colored LEDs.

Of course, there are trade-offs with CFLs, such as the “slow start” delay before maximum brightness is achieved, and the small amount of mercury that is used in each bulb. And this “myth” has a short shelf life – it will switch from myth to fact within a matter of months or a couple of years when LEDs clearly overtake CFLs in efficiency.

2. LED lighting is always blue colored.

This myth is based on yesterday’s capabilities being confused with inherent limitations. This is compounded by the fact that many mass marketed bulbs at Walmart and other stores continue to have blue-tinged color temperatures in the 3500 K range.

However, LED lighting can achieve “soft light” categorization today, with temperatures below 3000 kelvin (K). While some incandescent lights are in the neighborhood of 2600 K, providing a warmer hue, there are now a few mass-marketed LEDs in the 2900 to 3000 K range and some specialty LEDs at 2700 K. While 3000 K may look cooler colored than 2600 K, it is a in the range which people can easily adjust to.

3. All LED Bulbs Can Be Dimmed

This myth is just a bit of hyperbole. MOST LED bulbs can be dimmed, but do not assume they call can. Read the package label!

4. LED Lightbulbs Are Not Cost Effective

Well, this entirely depends on your application, and is certainly not true as a blanket statement. Obviously, replacing a light bulb you use 10 minutes a day with a $30 LED bulb is not very cost effective. But replacing a bulb you run 10 hours a day with a $15 bulb might be. I’ve profiled three cases where LED bulbs made sense for me – my outdoor coach lights, my landscape lights, and my daughter’s night light. Oh, and they can also be cost effective for holiday light displays, too.

As you can see, LED bulbs hold a lot of promise and in some cases can help reduce your electric bill today.

Personally, I use my payback calculator and determine if an LED bulb makes sense for a given application. I’ve exhausted my current options given the LED prices, but given the price decreases and efficiency improvements, I expect to slowly start adding more LEDs to my house in the next year or two.

Clarian Power 'Plug-n-Play' Solar Update

2011-03-30T19:00:00.000-07:00

Clarian Smart Box Solar (http://www.clarianpower.com)

A few months back I posted about a new solar niche emerging, being partly driven by Clarian Power. The niche - plug and play solar.

They offer stand-alone solar panels, rated at 200 watts, that can be connected to the power grid via a standard electrical outlet. Micro-inverters and a simple mounting system make this possible.

Clarian's price point at that time was $600 - $800. A check back on their website today reveals an increase to $700-$900, with another part of the site indicating "less than $1000). This increased price point will make payback even harder to achieve, though we still don't know the full specifications of their panels. But assuming typical efficiency specs, I was really thinking a $600 price point would be needed to be viable.

And on a side note, Clarian seems to have re-branded this product as the "SmartBox' (previously SunFish).

I'll continue to keep an eye on Clarian to see when their product is released to the general public.

Where Have You Gone, Energy Efficiency Blogs?

2011-03-28T03:00:00.001-07:00

I love reading about saving energy and saving water. I read the magazines, I scan google for news on the latest products, I watch EurekaAlert for the latest breakthroughs, I check prices on Amazon, and I search out other bloggers like me that use energy saving practices.

While I focus on products, tips, and tricks that almost anyone can perform, it doesn't mean I don't like reading about the over-the-top fanatically green practices that some employ, too.

But where are the energy saving bloggers? If you google for them the top matches are almost exclusively sites that have had no updated posts in 18 months or more! That astounds me given how much interest there is in the topic, and how many topics there are to discuss.

After 5 months online, my site only shows up on the first page of a few specific google searches. I know search engine ranking takes time, so if I'm not making the first page of search results, I know that there is a lot of other good content out there not making it, too.

I'd love to hear from readers as to what there favorite energy saving, water saving, or general efficiency sites are. I have my Recommended Blogs list (see right column) and would love to add to it! I want Home Power Saver to truly be a resource - not just for my content, but a resource for other interesting and useful ways to cut energy bills, carbon emissions, and our general energy 'footprint'.

Pass along your finds either via email (see the About link) or better yet, comment below.

What is More Energy Efficient – LED, CFL, ESL, Incandescent, or Halogen?

2011-03-23T19:00:00.000-07:00

In my quest to make my home as cost-effectively efficient as possible, I’ve spent a lot of time researching and trying different lighting solutions.

My first step was to use lights less often, my next step was to question how much light I really needed (i.e. do I really need a 100 watt bulbs, or is a 60 watt bulb enough?), and the last step was to replace bulbs with more efficient ones, which is a continual process.

You're probably thinking that LED is the clear-cut winner in the efficiency war. Well, you may be surprised to find out this may not be the case today!

Deciphering Marketing and Potential from Reality

For generations consumers have become familiar with incandescent lighting. We all have a general feel for how much light a 25w, 60w, 75w, and 100w bulb produce.

When Compact Fluorescent (CFL) bulbs hit the market, the makers smartly identified their bulbs based on a rough equivalency to incandescents (i.e. “60 watt equivalent”). That is helpful to the average consumer looking to get a rough idea of the brightness of a bulb.

However, the real measure of brightness is lumens, not the wattage of a bulb. This is important to note because any manufacturer can claim “60 watt equivalent”, but the reality may be that their bulb produces much more or much less light output. The lumens rating will help decipher this.

A simple metric to determine the most energy efficient bulb is to determine the lumens produced per watts (LPW) consumed (i.e. lumens divided by watts).

Common knowledge says LEDs are the most efficient lighting available, and CFLs are much better than incandescent. And what the heck is that ESL I mentioned in the title, anyway? (Read here for more about the Vu1 ESL technology).

Let’s take a look at some comparative analysis based on a selection of bulbs on or entering the market today. Note that I picked a handful of bulbs as examples, so the LPW ranges may vary a bit more than shown if all bulbs were to be considered.

Incandescent: 11 - 18 LPW

Halogen: 12 - 24 LPW

LED: 45 – 70 LPW*

CFL: 40 – 70 LPW

ESL: approx 31 LPW

*To get optimal LED performance, color temperature must be cooler than typical 'soft white'.

As can be seen, CFL is comparable to LED. In fact, in many cases the LPW is better in CFL when comparing “warm” color temperature bulbs.

Power Factor

When reading bulb spec sheets, you may occasionally notice a “power factor” rating, which typically looks like this:

Incandescent: 1

LED: .80

CFL: .52

ESL: .99

Power factor is the measure of real power to apparent power. Without going into the theory, devices with a worse power factor draw more current and tax power distribution systems more than those with a high power factor. Thus, utilities require more infrastructure to support low power factor devices such as CFLs.

So, from a utilities perspective, the “power factor” adjusted LPW looks more like this:

Incandescent: 11 – 18 LPW

LED: 36 – 56 LPW

CFL: 20.8 – 36.4 LPW

ESL: approx 31 LPW

From an electric utility perspective, suddenly LEDs look a whole lot better, and ESLs seem viable (especially for a new entry…remember, LEDs have been being developed for a decade now).

The Future of Lighting Efficiency

We've seen CFLs make rapid strides in price and quality, but they still require toxic mercury, and still don't have the capability to turn on instantly at full brightness (though they have gotten better). These issues are insurmountable, in my opinion, and it is probably safe to say that CFLs are ultimately a 'bridge technology' that will disappear over the next decade.

LEDs have much more long term potential than CFLs. Price (and especially price of 'soft white' 2700 K color temperature bulbs) is the biggest hurdle. It is expected that LED efficiency will improve by as much as 50% over the next couple of years, making them the clear-cut LPW winner. LEDs still have some limits when operating in hot environments, which must be overcome. But if price can come down in the important soft white category, then LEDs are well positioned.

ESL is a bit of a wild card, being a unique technology. VU1 is hoping to seize a small window of opportunity, providing a quality of light equal to incandescent, at a price much better than LED, while providing solid efficiency, if not top of the line, efficiency.

You Don't Have to Be Perfect - Just Be Better

2011-03-21T03:00:00.000-07:00

I've been around long enough to know that everyone has different personality traits. I also know that everyone learns a bit differently and reacts to their environment differently.

But at the same time, I've noticed that if I'm thinking something, questioning something, or encountering a specific problem, there are always others out there that are in the same boat.

That's why I'm writing today - I have a personality flaw that sometimes gets in the way of completing projects, or more accurately, even starting them in the first place - but I think I can fix this flaw! And yes - this applies to saving energy and reducing power consumption!

I am a perfectionist. I want to do things right, be thorough, and perhaps most importantly, be complete. If I can't do all of that, I sometimes don't do anything at all.

Now, how does this apply to cutting your utility bills?

Well, perhaps you have a time intensive project to perform - like installing outlet insulators, sealing your windows, or sealing the rest of your house. It is very easy to sit back and wait until you have the time to do it all and do it right.

But for most of us, it is hard to string together four or six hours to perform a project like that. It is human nature to what to see hings through to completion, and it can weigh on us when we can't complete a project.

Prioritize

However, I've finally learned to play with my brain - tell myself that it is OK to leave something incomplete to be finished next weekend, especially if it is a project that can be easily divided.

For example, try installing outlet insulators in just the bedrooms this week, and the rest of the house next week. Or prioritize the coldest or hottest rooms first.

Perhaps all of your doors are leaky but you only can squeeze 30 minutes into your schedule - just do one!

One major hang-up of mine for years was caulking. I wasn't particularly good at it, and it probably took be three times as long as some people. For some reason I let that stop me from sealing some known air infiltration areas.

In talking to friends I've found caulking to be a major issue for many people - its messy, time consuming, and the pros do it so much better. This is no reason not to start! Caulk cleans up nicely when still moist, and you can always touch it up later - scrape some off or touch up adjacent paint.

Are Electric Cars Worth It?

2011-03-16T03:00:00.000-07:00

Ford Focus Electric

A hot topic this month and in coming months will surely be whether all-electric cars, such as the Nissan Leaf, Chevy Volt, or Ford Focus Electric, are worth the expense.

First, 'worth' is highly subjective. Most people think of worth as a purely financial metric. Some think of worth in broader terms, considering the environment, helping in building demand for a "morally good" product, whether it employs local people, or other meaningful metrics.

I think the majority fall in between, leaning towards financial. In other words, most people are willing to pay a small premium if it satisfies one of the other metrics important to you.

So given all of this subjectivity, how can we determine if an electric car is right for you? Today I'll talk about some interesting ways in which you can make that determination.

Rate what is important to you

Ask yourself what is important, and then rank your results. Some ideas include:

Initial Cost
Total Cost of Ownership (TCO). This includes not only how much the car costs, but also maintenance, insurance, and fuel
Mileage (miles per gallon, or miles per full charge)
Range (how far you can make it on one tank or one charge)
Size
Need (i.e. do you need a commuter car, a family car, or a offroading vehicle)
Emissions and overall environmental impact
Looks/Image
Trend setting
Made in the USA (note that many foreign brands are made in the USA, while some USA brands are made in foreign countries!)

Consider the Electric vs Gasoline Cost

A typical small commuter car, which most (but not all) current electric cars are, can get about 30 miles per gallon. Assuming an increasingly high gas price of $4 per gallon, that means a 100 miles trip would cost $13.33.

Next, consider the specifications of the electric car you are considering. The Chevy Volt uses about 36 KwH to drive 100 miles. Where I live in Arizona, I pay around $0.14 per KwH - slightly higher than the national average. Assuming electric rates go up to $0.15, then the electricity cost for 100 miles is $5.

So we're looking at an $8 savings per 100 miles driven.

Other Cost Considerations

The $8 per 100 miles savings is of course highly variable.

Remember that there are very large tax rebates available for electric cars - up to $7,500
Electric cars get slightly worse mileage in very hot weather
If you have a solar system on your home, your electricity costs may be much less
You will have to consider the cost of replacing batteries at least once in the life of an electric car
However, other maintenance for electric cars is generally less than gasoline cars
You will need to purchase a charging station for electric cars (some include this, some don't)

Consider What Is Available

The table below is based on availability in the USA. Many of the cars listed, and many more not listed are already available in Europe, Japan, and other parts of the world.

Note that the current selection includes a sports car (Tesla), a minivan (Ford Transit Connect), and a number of commuter cars. Expect many more cars to be added to the selection over the next few years.

**All-Electric Cars**
Make	Model	Year Available	Cost	Range
BMW	Megacity	2013	tbd	100 miles
Chevy	Volt	2011	$40,280	300 miles
Ford	Focus Electric	Late 2011 or 2012	tbd	100 miles
Ford	Transit Connect BEV	2011	unclear; around $23,000?	80 miles
Honda	Fit EV	2012 or 2013	tbd	tbd
Mitsubishi	I-MiEV	2012 or 2013	tbd	low $20,000's
Nissan	Leaf	2011	$32,780	100 miles
Smart	Fortwo	2012	tbd	tbd
Tesla	Roadster	2011	$109,000
Think	City	2011	$34,000	99 miles

Home Power Saver Six Month Birthday!

2011-03-12T21:00:00.000-08:00

Home Power Saver has just reached a milestone - six months in existence.

After six months, I want to say thank you to all of the readers who have subscribed to the RSS feed, or simply check in on occasion to see what is new. I've seen readership (subscriptions and page views per day) slowly and steadily increase in five of the six months, with February reaching an all-time high.

A lot has happened in six months. My family has grown, gas and oil prices have jumped, and we've just been through a crazy winter that most climatologists expect to become the norm in future years (i.e. you may want to plan for wild fluctuations in weather and add some insulation to your home).

This site is a hobby for me. I love sharing information and what I've learned about saving water, power, and gas. In these times where the economy is still shaky and there are few safe investments, it is nice to know that there are simple ways to save money and get a return on investment in your own home or car. That is the number one goal of this site - to reveal cost effective ways to save money while saving energy.

Looking ahead, I'm also happy to say that I have a lot of interesting ideas and plans. Expect to see continuing articles on sealing and insulating your home, everything a home owner should know about air conditioning efficiency, and we'll be taking on many energy myths. And of course, expect to see more reviews of products claiming to save energy or water.

Six Ways To Reduce Your Outdoor Water Consumption

2011-03-09T21:00:00.000-08:00

Last week we took a look at seven ways to reduce your water consumption indoors - by as much as 5000 gallons a month! And the great thing about reducing indoor water use is that you also reduce your water heating costs.

Today, we'll move outside, and look at ways to further reduce your water 'footprint'. As you might expect, most of the savings revolve around your landscape and how you water - but you might be surprised at some of the ways you can save!

1. Install a drip system

Difficulty: Easy to Moderate, but could be time consuming
Cost: Varies - $100 to $1000 typical
Side Benefit: Saves you time and automates watering.

Drip systems are the most efficient means to effectively water your gardens, trees and shrubs. Most plants benefit most from infrequent, deep watering. This promotes strong root growth, making for a healthier, more drought tolerant plant.

Drip systems work by delivering water straight to a plant. Emitters, rated in gallons per hour, are placed within the root zone, and are allowed to run for a long duration. This allows for deep penetration of the water, and less evaporation as compared to pop-up sprinklers.

Drip systems can be entirely automated on a timer, or connected to an outdoor hose bib. Typically, you'll want to create more than one zone, organizing plants with similar water requirements on the same zone.

As an example, here in the desert I have a three zone system - one for high water use plants (like vegetables), one for medium water use plants, and one for low water use plants. In the middle of summer I water once a week for about 2 hours.

Installing a drip system is actually pretty easy, but requires some planning and some manual labor (digging). If you go fully-automated with buried valves, there may be some pipe soldering required.

Low-flow and drip kits can be purchased for small installations, and a lot of water delivery options exist (such as dripline, micor sprayers, emitters, etc). It is probably best to browse the hardware store first and review some online guides such as the irrigation tutorial.

2. Water At Night Or At Sunrise

Difficulty: Easy
Cost: Free

Watering at night reduces evaporation. Further, it is typically less windy, so more of your water will actually hit the ground.

In humid parts of the country, it is better to water at sunrise or immediately before to avoid mold and fungus problems.

3. Use a Quality Hose Nozzle

Difficulty: Easy
Cost: $5 to $20

Using a quality hose nozzle allows you to stop wasting water as you walk around the yard or wash the car.

4. Mulch Your Plants

Difficulty: Easy
Cost: $5 to $20

Using organic mulch (like leaves, bark, pine needles, etc) will help reduce evaporation and save on water. Further, mulch will even out soil temperatures and organic mulch provides a steady stream of nutrients to the plants.

Inorganic mulch (rubber chips, gravel) is also a water saver and never/rarely has to be replenished.

5. Collect Rainwater From your Gutters

Difficulty: Easy
Cost: $50 to $150

Rain barrels are easily attached to downspouts and typically store 50 to 75 gallons of water. Position one near a patio or courtyard and use it to water plants in pots and other nearby plants.

6. Fertilize your Lawn Less and Cut Grass Higher

Difficulty: Easy
Cost: Saves money

The rule of thumb for most lawns is four annual fertilizations. If you decide to reduce the amount of fertilizer or cut one application, your grass won't grow so fast and will require less water.

Similarly, cut your grass on the lawn mower's highest setting, especially in the middle of summer. This not only provides a mulch effect by shading the soil, but will reduce your work load by not having to cut the grass so often!

Saving Energy is An Apolitical Endeavor

2011-03-06T21:00:00.000-08:00

When I started Home Power Saver last year, I strategized not to make this a “green” site or an environmental site. I wanted to avoid any perception that politics skew the content. I hold the belief that saving money through saving energy is apolitical.

For that reason, I decided I’d report on ways in which we can control our utility and gasoline bills. I promised to keep an eye on the cost-effectiveness of solutions, and occasionally provide insight into options that may stray a bit more out of the mainstream for the more fanatical energy reducers out there.

After all, saving money is generally a universal desire, and doing so while saving energy has a lot of nice side effects, regardless of your politics.

Regardless, I’ve had a few friends suggest that I need to be more opinionated in my blogging. They suggest interspersing a well articulated opinion on occasion. Opinion drives a loyal readership, they say.

I’ve given this a lot of thought and to date have decided to hold the line and stick to my original plan with one exception – today’s post.

Why? Well, the following surprising email received causes me to simultaneously question and validate my points above.

Email text (left unedited):

I just red your blog and wanted to know which liberal organization you work for? Media propaganda. Why should I be told what light bulb to use and how much gas I use – where’s my freedom? The ony reason prices go up is gov regulation and taxes. Go back to 1920 regs and we’ll go back to $1 gas and affordable electricity. Spew your propaganda to your friends, not to me.

I felt compelled to respond to this at the risk of ‘feeding a troll’ and deviating from my original mission for this site. At the same time, it reinforces my belief that saving money is apolitical, and saving energy is one way to do it – and it has many indisputable benefits. Thus, saving energy is apolitical.

Granted, this is one email. In fact, it was odd that this response was sent via email, and not as a comment to a post. I’m not sure what that means in terms of sincerity – less sincere “trolls” tend to publically post comments to spark a reaction, so I think this email is based in a sincere belief of the sender. It potentially shows the tip of the iceberg when talking about these issues in today’s polarized world.

So let’s take a minute and dissect this email.

Sender:

“I just red [sic] your blog and wanted to know which liberal organization you work for? Media propaganda.”

My Response:

For many people, such as this emailer, it is much easier to assume people you disagree with have a hidden agenda or are part of a conspiracy rather than have an open mind and pursue intelligent discourse. If you believe everything is a conspiracy, as he/she implied, then you can readily dismiss any argument, no matter how many facts support it.

I truly hope that opinions like this person’s are the minority, but reviewing the comments on any energy related story posted to sites like Yahoo! and local newspapers gives an impression that this sort of “rationalization” is not uncommon.

And I find it very sad that saving energy is thought to be a ‘liberal agenda’. Saving energy can be cost effective for you, in some cases turning nice 5, 10, or even 20% returns on investment. It reduces dependency on foreign oil, reduces the need to expand costly infrastructure, reduces our burning of fuels that pollute, reduces the need to encroach on environmentally sensitive areas, and reduces carbon emissions.

Sender:

“Why should I be told what light bulb to use and how much gas I use – where’s my freedom?”

My Response:

Who is telling you what light bulb to buy? I’ve reviewed the pros and cons of incandescent, halogen, CFL, and LED, and even ESL on this site. I’ve made some brand suggestions and suggestions as to where a LED or CFL may provide the most benefit – quantifying the savings when possible. I think you still can choose from any bulb they have at the store.

Given the email tone, it is more likely you are saying the government is telling you which bulb to buy. In reality, the government has made a requirement that efficiency be improved by certain percentage-based benchmarks. Any technology that meets the efficiency requirement is viable. Further, the benchmarks appear specifically crafted to allow Halogen to remain an option for many applications. This is an important note because Halogen, while more efficient that incandescent, is still not very efficient. This inclusion allows for plenty of consumer choice that is often overlooked, and results in many thinking legislation has not gone far enough.

Sender:

“The ony [sic] reason prices go up is gov regulation and taxes. Go back to 1920 regs and we’ll go back to $1 gas and affordable electricity.”

My Response:

First, this is an unsupportable claim. There is no way to know how the market would adjust to those sorts of changes to regulations. And generalization like “1920 regulations” is impossible to nail down anyway.

Second, arguments like this tend to forget about indirect and unintended consequences. Let’s not even consider global warming, endangered species, and ecosystem impacts, because I am assuming you feel those are all bogus concerns. Then consider this – it is almost certain that energy exploration and development with “1920’s” regulations would result in more on-the-job deaths and injuries (think coal mine accidents, Hoover Dam deaths, etc). Insurance premiums for those companies would go up, lawsuits would go up, and people would be losing their lives. Not only would there be unintended cost increases (insurance, lawsuits, etc), but there would be increased worker compensation requirements and worker revolt if things got too bad.

From a ‘free market’ standpoint, consider the fact that acid rain would drastically increase if you removed smog regulations and coal power plant scrubbers. Suddenly farm yields would drop when much of the country becomes unsuitable for growing crops. Food prices would spike.

And remember, population is growing and demand is growing. Supply and demand dictate prices will go up as demand goes up, so good luck seeing $1 gas with an almost 7 billion population.

Further, if energy efficiency was not regulated there would be significantly more demand on our already out-dated and fragile electric grid. I’m not talking about power generation, but the distribution system that delivers that power to our homes. How does that grid largely get developed, maintained, and protected? That’s right – largely from the government.

Sender:

“Spew your propaganda to your friends, not to me.”

My Response:

Well, just a few words ago you were questioning where your freedom was. I suppose that same freedom you desire can’t be extended to me in my writing?

And I think I addressed the propaganda claim above (it is much easier to assume people you disagree with have a hidden agenda or are part of a conspiracy rather than have an open mind and pursue intelligent discourse).

In Conclusion…

I know, I’m at risk of ‘feeding the troll’ with this response. It will be interesting to see if this person decides to comment on this post or not. I suspect not if they are sincere in their request to ‘stop spewing propaganda’ to them because they would have tuned me out by now.

And with that, back to your regularly scheduled Home Power Saver posts.

Seven Ways To Reduce Your Water Bill – Indoor Edition

2011-03-02T03:00:00.000-08:00

As Spring approaches, thoughts turn to making your landscape look great – the manicured lawn, the well-watered shrubs, and healthy trees. For those in many locations around the USA, it also signals the time of year for higher water bills.

Here in the western USA, it is not uncommon to see water bills move from $50 to $100 during peak months. And these rates are only going to increase as population increases demand, water rights battles come to a head, and weather becomes more variable.

What can you do about this? This week we’ll look at some things you can do indoors to save. Follow these seven steps and you’ll save anywhere from 2000 to 5000 gallons per month - and reduce your water heating costs, too!

And check back next week for tips on reducing water usage outdoors.

1. Install a low-flow shower head.

Difficulty: Easy
Cost: About $20

Anyone with a wrench and some Teflon tape can replace a showerhead. While recent regulations have required 2.2 gallon per minute (GPM) low-flow fixtures be installed in new construction, don't assume that is as efficient as it gets.

You can actually purchase 1.50 GPM or less showerheads. For a family of 4 taking 6 minute showers this $20 per-head expenditure will save 500 gallons per month.

Now imagine replacing an old 5 GPM showerhead with a 1.5 GPM head. That same family of four will be saving 2500 gallons in a month.

Either way, these are significant savings. And this doesn’t even consider the fact that your water heating costs will drop.

2. Time Your Showers

Difficulty: Easy
Cost: Free

Start timing your showers. See if you can shave a couple of minutes off. Even if you’ve installed a 1.5 GPM head, if a family of four can each reduce their shower time by 1 minute, that is 180 gallons per month.

And remember, less shower water also means a smaller water heating bill!

3. Modify Your Toilet

Difficulty: Moderate
Cost: Varies

A number of products exist to reduce the water consumed by toilets. “Bladders” can be installed to reduce the amount of water available for each flush. Or some toilets can be converted to European-style dual-flush (i.e. a low water flush for liquids, and a standard flush for solids). This dual-flush convertor on Amazon seems to be the highest rated.

Consider that today’s toilets use 1.8 gallons per flush, and a family of four uses them about 14 times per day (assuming the family all works or goes to school for part of the day). If an average of a half gallon per flush can be saved, 210 gallons per month are saved.

4. Install Faucet Aerators

Difficulty: Easy
Cost: Less than $10, usually less.

Just like showerheads, most faucets today are limited to 2.2 GPM. However, many companies offer aerators that can reduce this to 1.5, 1.0, or even 0.5 GPM. Depending on how much you run your faucets, this may or may not be a huge saver. But it is cheap and easy and may just keep your usage under the next tier level.

5. Fix Leaky Toilets

Difficulty: Easy to Moderate
Cost: Less than $20

Over time seals in toilets can leak and cause your toilet to “run” to re-fill the tank. Use of drop-in tank cleaners often hasten this failures.

A leaky toilet may be wasting gallons per day, not to mention be very annoying.

6. Replace Top-Loading Clothes Washers

Difficulty: Easy, most appliance stores will install for you
Cost: Varies, $350 - $1000+

If your existing clothes washer is a top loader and is showing its age, consider replacing it with an efficient front loader. Many top loaders use 30 to 40 gallons per load. Doing 7 loads a week, that is around 900 to 1200 gallons per month.

I recently purchased a $500 front-loader that uses about 15 gallons per load. That translated to about a 600 gallon per month saving, as well as some electricity savings.

7. Replace Old Dish Washers

Difficulty: Easy, most appliance stores will install for you
Cost: Varies, $350 to $1000+

Older dish washers may use 15 gallons per cycle, some even more! Without costing an arm and a leg, you can easily find one that uses 3 to 5 gallons, and some very high end models use less than 2!

I think my household is typical in that we do one load a day. Moving from 15 gallons per cycle to 4 gallons per cycle would translate to 330 gallons per month. And many newer models are quieter and more energy efficient.

Bye Bye Standby

2011-02-28T03:00:00.000-08:00

Remote Control Outlet

Vampire power. Some people call it ghost power, phantom power, or standby power. Basically, they all mean the same thing - power that is consumed by devices even when they are supposedly turned off.

Last year I devoted an article to vampire power and what it can really be costing you. Some worst case scenarios may include home entertainment centers or computers with peripherals using 30 or 40 watts of power, even when "off"!

Now consider all of the devices in your house that are always plugged in - TVs, monitors, stereos, cell phone chargers, coffee maker, microwave, alarm clocks, etc.

In 10 years, 100 watts of 'vampire' power could cost you $650 (assuming devices should be off 14 hours a day, and a 12.5 cent per KwH electricity cost).

Luckily there are many solutions to vampire power. You can unplug devices when not in use (this is somewhat tedious and difficult for hard to reach plugs). You can attach consumers to a power strip and "flip the switch" when not in use.

You can also use "smart strips" as discussed in the original article.

Or you can use any number of remote-controlled switches. There are a number of remote controlled switches available on the market - most involve plugging a sensor outlet into an electrical socket. That "sensor" outlet receives the on/off signal from a remote control.

One of the most highly rated, highly reviewed, and cheapest solutions is the Stanley indoor remote controlled electrical socket three-pack (photo above). This system is nicely designed in that when connected to an electrical outlet, it doesn't block both outlets.

If you check out Amazon, you'll see a number of remote control switch/outlet products from Bye Bye Standby, Woods, and others. As always, shop around, and enjoy having this additional tool in your vampire fighting toolbox.

Special Report: Where Do Gasoline Prices Go From Here?

2011-02-25T05:32:00.000-08:00

Where do gas prices go from here?

Up. Sorry to spoil the ending of this article, but that is a fact. The rapid raise of oil will translate to higher prices at the pump in the short term. And even after the immediate turmoil in North Africa and the Middle East passes, world production of oil is getting more costly, more dangerous, and more difficult to maintain.

The more interesting question is how high will gas prices spike in the short term, and what should we be watching to clue us in to when the rise will stop?

A few weeks back I wrote about the turmoil in Egypt affecting oil prices, and how it was mainly over speculation that the upheaval may spread (especially to more impacting countries). Recall, Egypt is a net importer or oil, and has minimal impact on the global supply, so that rise in oil prices was totally speculation.

Unfortunately, the upheaval has in fact spread, and a somewhat under-the-radar country has triggered another 10-15% rise in oil prices. That country – Libya, is a net exporter of oil.

hile Libya produces 1.5 to 2 million barrels per day, that is a “drop in the bucket” compared to what other countries can and do provide. In fact, Saudi Arabia can single-handedly increase production to offset the potential loss from Libya.

So again, why is Libya driving prices up? This answer is slightly more nuanced than the Egypt answer was.

Libya's Oil, Fear, and Speculation

As mentioned, Libya is a net exporter, so a disruption in their contribution to the global supply does have a short term impact on markets until others can increase production. However, part of the issue is that the oil found in Libya is the low sulfur, easily refined “sweet crude”, which is more desirable than ‘sour crude’ found in many areas.

The more important reason for the steep price increases is the same one that we discussed regarding Egypt – the fear (speculation) of further spreading of the unrest. Libya has proven that it can spread, and to a country that wasn’t really thought to be a top 5 at-risk country. Now the concern is that Algeria may be next. And Saudi Arabia still looms as a worst case scenario.

What To Watch For

There are three items to watch that will tip off where oil is heading next.

Will Saudi Arabia (and OPEC) follow through and step up production if/when/as Libya production falters?
Will the unrest spread to other important countries? Keep an eye on Algeria news in particular, but don’t ignore Kuwait.
Pay particular attention to Saudi Arabia. While the chances of significant government disruption is low, Saudi Arabia produces so much more oil than other nations, even a small hint of problems will provoke speculation.

What You Can Do

I’ve talked a lot about ways to reduce gas consumption and improve fuel economy. The problem is that many of these methods are very difficult for drivers to see on a daily basis. Slowing down, using cruise control, and ensuring fully inflated tires can improve fuel efficiency by as much as 25% (depending on what your previous driving habits were – perhaps more). But in a single commute or two, the fruits of these efforts aren’t clearly seen.

More drastic savings can be made by car pooling when possible (remember you do not have to carpool everyday – maybe just Mondays and Fridays, for example) Consider changing your commute times to coincide with periods of less traffic, telecommute if allowed, or seeing if you can change your work schedule to perhaps work longer hours over fewer days.

The best thing we can all do is change our long term habits to reduce oil consumption. Remember that gasoline is only a fraction of the oil consumed in the USA. Plastics and fertilizers directly use petroleum, so keep that in mind when you make purchases.

From a pure financial standpoint, there are investments that can be made within an IRA or other brokerage account that can help dampen the affect of oil price changes. This site is not an investment site, but I wanted to provide a few ideas that readers may research further.

For example, ETFs exist that track oil prices (DBO is one example). There are also inverse ETFs (DNO is an example) that will produce returns if/when oil prices drop. And oil companies themselves, such as Chevron and Exxon, generally profit when oil prices increase (though refiners often see decreases in their stock prices). Obviously, commodities, and especially oil, are extremely volatile, so investments should not be made lightly.

Does Solar Make Sense For Me?

2011-02-23T03:00:00.001-08:00

Over the last several weeks we've taken a look at home solar photovoltaic (PV) systems. We've talked about many of the components of those systems, how they work, and what options exist. But how can you tell if solar makes sense for you and your home?

For something as important and expensive as solar, it is important that you spend some time reading and learning. As we've discussed, a well designed solar system is more than a few panels on the roof. The placement of the panels, inverters used, shading considerations, and how you intend to use the system all alter a design.

Most importantly, if you are considering solar, get three estimates and pick-apart and compare each design. You'll likely see that some companies simply offer "cookie cutter" approaches that may not be as efficient, while others may offer more custom solutions for your specific environment.

Anyway, lets get started and determine if solar makes sense for you.

The best way to consider whether solar makes sense for you is to consider the main decision points.

First, you have to have some idea of the type of system you want. Do you want grid-tied or a stand-alone self-sufficient system? And are battery backups an option for grid-tied systems on your utility? See Part 1 for more on these topics.

1. Do you have enough cash for the up front costs?

Depending on the size of your system and any rebates you may be eligible for, you may be looking at $2000 to $15000 in up-front costs to own your own system.

Note that most state and federal rebates come in the form of a tax rebate, so you will not see that cash until you file your taxes.

If you cannot afford the up-front costs, there may be financing available. Alternatively, you can look into a solar leasing program, which I discussed last week. These programs don't offer as much potential savings, but they avoid the huge up-front costs and will reduce your bills.

2. Does your local city or state provide any rebates?

My city offers a $0.60 per watt produced rebate, with a cap. This is atypical, but worth looking into. And many states also offer their own tax rebates, perhaps adding up to $500, $1000, or even $2000 in some cases.

Check out the Database of State Incentives for Renewables and Efficiency (DSIRE) for information on your own state.

3. Does your local utility provide any rebates?

Utility rebates are often the biggest rebate among federal, state, and local rebates. In Arizona, for example, $2 to $3 per watt is not uncommon. Thus, a typical 5 KW system could net $10,000 to $15,000 in rebates. Better still, these rebates usually are applied up-front.

Check the DSIRE link as a starting point, and if your utility is not listed, contact them directly.

4. Do you have adequate south facing roof space?

Your roof space need not be facing due south for best performance. In fact, even just a few degrees of southward component may be adequate.

However, this space needs to be unshaded. Trees and neighboring houses may cause shading for parts of the day, especially in winter. Also, chimneys and other roof protrusions can have a surprisingly negative impact on efficiency - if one panel is shaded, the entire string of panels must reduce their output to match (exception is if microinverters are used).

Anyway, most panels produce 180 to 240 watts, and measure about 2.5' x 5'. That should allow you to roughly estimate how many panels would fit - but take care to leave 3' or more clearance around chimneys when doing your rough guess.

5. Do you have any concerns about aesthetics?

HOAs cannot prevent you from installing solar panels. They often have design 'suggestions', but the bottom line is they cannot intrude on this right.

However, these sorts of issues are often more nuanced. HOAs can sometimes be very friendly, and sometimes very petty. You may want to talk about your plans with your neighbors and have the solar company performing your work submit the plans to the HOA as a show of good faith.