mapawatt

Power4Patriots Beware

Chris — Sun, 03 Feb 2013 18:52:34 +0000

Power4Patriots says on their title page that they are going to show you a, ” ‘Weird’ trick to slash your power bill and beat Obama’s electricity monopoly for good”. The narrator, Frank Bates, says he lives outside of Nashville, TN and if Frank is a real person, he does his best to prey on your fears and tries to convince you that President Obama is behind a massive conspiracy with the power companies to raise your power bills.

Frank then claims he can help cut your power and heating bills by 75% , but then warns you that he may have to take the video down soon because the power companies are coming for him! He then drones on and on about how he lived in the northeast and he paid a lot for power and oil and it was unreliable and blah blah blah. This droning on is meant to infuriate you with the “direction this country is headed thanks to the liberals”.

Finally Frank gets to the rub, he is going to show you how to generate your own power because the solar and wind installers are also crooks and they are trying to rip you off.

Frank then introduces us to Brian Clark, an underground energy expert who showed him how to crack the solar code and he’s “personally built 100′s of solar panels”.

Frank then tells you that you don’t need to buy expensive solar systems from approved vendors. He says you can just buy all the components online on sites like ebay!

But then there is no real information revealed. To get all those goodies, you have to buy videos and manuals on how you can build your own power system to slash your power bill by up to 75% . With Power4Patriots, you get 6 videos and 2 companion manuals on solar and 4 videos and 2 manuals on a wind turbine. The solar panels are 70 watt panels and a the wind turbine can produce 100′s of watts! (this is great if you want to power 1 TV with your wind turbine). Frank advertises the wind turbine as under $200 dollars in materials. How much power do you think that will really produce? This isn’t the first time Mapawatt has warned readers about cheap wind turbines. Finally, Frank throws in the fact he will also show you how to build and install a solar hot water heater. A Mapawatt team member has a solar hot water heater on his house, but it was installed by experts, because it’s a bit complicated.

But wait, there’s more! A 35 page guide on solar heating systems! And there are also free bonuses, it goes on and on and on. The great news, is that Frank says that if his system doesn’t reduce your bills after you install your system, you just have to send him pictures of your system and your bills and he’ll give you triple your money back. If it sounds too good to be true….

The great news is that all this only costs $27!

Over at the site Open4Energy, they call Power4Patriots a scam, saying :

“You cannot build your own solar cells anymore than you can make your own plasma TV. You can purchase the parts, but the silicon solar cells are most of the cost of the panel. You can wire up your own cells and mount them in a frame, but there is no way you are going to get anything for $150 that will be of much use. You would be lucky to put together a 10W system that could power a compact florescent bulb for about 6 hours a day. This is no power sucking gadget at all!

If by some chance, the plans were for a real DIY solar panel, or DIY wind generator there is still no possible way to build a solar panel from components at a reasonable cost. It would like trying to build a car from spare parts.

These scams offering near free energy have hijacked the social media, Internet and search engines. The need for affiliate marketing has duped many publishers into allowing false positive commentary on these “near fraud” practices. Added to this, the perpetrators have engaged in a systematic program to create new web content, targeted at search terms looking for reviews, containing bogus rebuttals and further false energy saving claims.”

While calling it the Power 4 Patriots scam may be overkill, because the information Frank provides may actually show you how to build solar panels and wind turbines, I don’t think investing in a system like this is a good idea for the following reasons:

The claim that your own 70-watt PV panels and “hundreds’ watt wind turbine can produce 75% of a home’s electricity needs is preposterous. Is Frank going to show you how to build a battery backup system or DC to AC inverter? Because that is not cheap or easy.
If you could build clean energy systems that could cut 75% of your home’s energy needs, I doubt it would be cost effective from a product or labor perspective. How much time would you spend building, designing and testing these? How much space would it take up. How much more inefficient would it be than the real products?
Frank asks you to imagine how it will feel when your family is “warm, safe, and happy when the next black out hits”. How does he propose this will happen? Is he going to show you how to build a battery bank that will store enough power from your home made solar PV and wind turbine? That is the only way to ensure his claim is valid.
You absolutely will not be eligible for the Federal tax incentive, any state tax incentives, or utility rebates on clean energy systems you build yourself.
Most importantly, building and installing systems like these can be dangerous (potentially lethal), and without the UL label, could damage your homeowner insurance policy. Imagine your house burning down and the culprit is a solar panel you built yourself. Do you think the insurance company is going to cover that?

The information Power 4 Patriots provide may be legit, but the tactics used to sell these videos and guides to you are shady and misleading at best. This “service” is similar if not run by the same people as the Power4Home system. If you’re looking for a nice DIY hobby then maybe this is a good investment, but please don’t think you’re going to produce significant power generating system that can have a meaningful impact on your home’s energy needs. If you want to trust Frank’s “double guarantee”, try the videos and guides out and let us know what you think. But for others, all we can say is buyer beware.

Choosing energy in deregulated markets

Chris — Fri, 25 Jan 2013 00:24:20 +0000

The following guest post is written by Kristina Ross, Blogger at SaveOnEnergy.com, a site that helps homeowners (and commercial customers) in deregulated energy markets compare rates and options.

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“Deregulation” – it’s a term you’ve heard thrown around a million times in regulatory and political circles. In and about the energy industry, the deregulation discussion is picking up steam particularly quickly. That’s much in part due to the fact that states such as Texas and New York continue to implement policy changes that hinge on the deregulation of electricity and natural gas.

At its simplest, the idea behind energy deregulation is to give the customer a greater breadth of choice. Before the mid-90s, a consumer’s electricity and natural gas service was most often handled by the local utility company and local utility company alone. These days, in states that are deregulated or partially deregulated, the utility company still delivers your electricity and natural gas. However, there are a multitude of energy suppliers who actually sell you those two commodities. The supplier is who typically sends you a bill in the mail, but the utility is who you call if your power goes out. Suppliers handle your supply (easy enough?); utilities handle the logistics.

With that out of the way, it’s fair of you to wonder how deregulation affects your home or business directly. If you live in a deregulated area, here’s what you need to know:

There are many energy suppliers out there. It’d be foolish if you didn’t shop around a bit and read up on your options. Some suppliers have been in the business longer than others; some may have a larger, more satisfied customer base. Do your research before you sign any contracts.
Energy packages come in all shapes in sizes. Maybe you’re used to checking the box and moving along with whatever default plan you’re given. Rest assured, that’s not the smartest move when you live in a deregulated market. Are you looking for a fixed rate plan or a variable rate plan? How often do you want to be billed? Are you interested in incorporating green energy into your package? These are all questions you need to ask yourself before you make your choice.
Contract terms can vary quite a bit. Some plans operate on a month-to-month basis, while others can extend out to even five years. Think about what makes the most sense for your situation. And remember, if you end up moving or switching your supplier, some companies will charge you a fee for ducking out of your contract early.

Opinions vary on energy deregulation nationwide. While some experts point to the relative success of deregulation within the airline and communications industries, others question its ability to actually drive down energy costs. Wherever your opinion falls, there’s no doubt that deregulation is giving customers more options when it comes to their electricity and natural gas services. If you’re part of a deregulated market, be sure to take advantage of your power to choose.

How Energy Literate are you?

Chris — Thu, 24 Jan 2013 00:18:46 +0000

Thanks to one of our readers, I was informed of the Department of Energy’s Energy Literacy program and their webinar on Feb. 6 on the Energy Literacy framework.

You can go ahead and download the Energy Literacy guide from the website that is a great primer on the basics of energy. From the DOE site on the purpose of the Energy Literacy guide:

“The Energy Literacy document is the culmination of public listening sessions and thousands of experts contributing to a dialogue about what an energy literate person should know and understand. Energy Literacy looks at energy through the lens of natural science as well as social science. Energy issues require an understanding of civics, history, economics, sociology, psychology, and politics in addition to science, technology, engineering and mathematics. A comprehensive study of energy and curriculum designed using Energy Literacy should be interdisciplinary and use a systems-based approach to fully appreciate the complexities of energy issues.

The intended audience for the Energy Literacy document is anyone involved in energy education. Intended use of the document as a guide includes, but is not limited to, formal and informal energy education, standards development, curriculum design, assessment development, and educator trainings.”

The guide is built around 7 essential principles and fundamental concepts which are (with a related Mapawatt link):

Energy is a physical quantity that follows the precise natural laws. Mapawatt Link: Why free energy devices don’t work.
Physical processes on Earth are the result of energy flows through the Earth system. Mapawatt Link: Energy Flows.
Biological processes depend on energy flow through the Earth system. Mapawatt Link: Stop Global Warming Madness!
Various sources of energy can be used to power human activities, and often this energy must be transferred from source to destination. Mapawatt Link: Where does U.S. electricity come from?
Energy decisions are influenced by economic, political, environmental, and social factors. Mapawatt Link: The truth about gasoline prices and why politicians are liars.
The amount of energy used by human society depends on many factors. Mapawatt Link: Where does my home energy go?
The quality of life of individuals and societies is affected by energy choices. Mapawatt Link: What is the Value of Sustainable Living?

Of course, don’t forget the most fundamental concept in residential energy consumption: What is a kWh?

Check out the guide and let us know your thoughts!

MyEnergy helping you reduce your utility bills

Chris — Wed, 16 Jan 2013 02:57:57 +0000

The following guest post is written by the folks over at MyEnergy. They reached out to Mapawatt after we mentioned them at the bottom of our post on OPower.

I’m registered on MyEnergy.com and check it out every now and then. It’s a nice tool to get a good idea on how you stack up vs. others. What I’d like to see is how the others compare vs. me when it comes to home size, number of inhabitants, etc to get an idea of an apples-to-apples comparison. The site is very easy to navigate around in and has some nice graphs of energy history. I am still waiting on my natural gas provider to sign up with them.

Mapawatt’s original purpose was to do something very similar to MyEnergy, but we’ve refocused as of late and put our efforts on helping users compare energy with each other on hold for the time being (If you don’t get the name Map A Watt then that link should make it clear…). As we noticed with Microsoft Hohm, the home energy comparison market is challenging to engage with consumers. Katie Fehrenbacher is right on in her post from 2011 when she points out that OPower is successful because it uses an “Opt-Out” model and works directly with the utilities. Here’s hoping that MyEnergy can engage users and really make a dent in the home energy comparison market!

Check out their site and let us know what you think!

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People are always looking for ways to save money. Too often they overlook utility bills as an easy way to cut costs. According to the U.S. government, the average household spends over $2,000 per year on utilities. But pricey utility bills don’t have to be a given. Simple lifestyle changes and low-cost energy efficient improvements can dramatically lower energy bills. In fact, just discovering that one’s energy consumption is more than friends and neighbors is often enough to change behavior and lower costs.

At MyEnergy, we have seen many users cut their utility bills by more than 10% by employing very simple changes. That’s $200 per year in savings.

How does it work? www.MyEnergy.com is a free online tool that pulls data from utilities nationwide and allows users to track and compare their energy bills to others in their area. Users can even compare energy spending to specific friends or neighbors.

The site also includes energy savings tips, tools to set and track your goals, and allows you to invite your friends and neighbors to participate:

Energy Saving Tips

Energy Tools to Set and Track Goals

Invite your friends and neighbors!

MyEnergy‘s unique technology is built to allow almost anyone to track their home energy usage. Unlike other companies, which require a complex utility partnership in order to participate, MyEnergy simply asks users to provide their utility’s online login information. Currently, over two thirds of the U.S. population is served by www.MyEnergy.com and that number will soon rise to over 90%. It’s a simple, easy and free way to help you reduce your energy bills.

How to read a plug-in hybrid’s mileage sticker

Chris — Fri, 11 Jan 2013 02:26:58 +0000

Unless you’re Amish (but not if you’re part of the new show Amish Mafia, because they somehow drive cars) you know what miles-per-gallon (MPG) is for a traditional gasoline or diesel powered car. With plug-in hybrids, it’s a bit more challenging, because they are powered by both electricity and gasoline.

One of the best explanations on the web explaining how to read this sticker is the one who produces it, fueleconomy.gov for plug-in hybrids.

There is a lot of great information on this site, but the biggest difference between a plug-in hybrid’s sticker and a normal fossil fuel sticker is the addition of an MPGe rating (miles-per-gallon ~~electric~~ equivalent). They explain MPGe as:

The left-hand fuel economy box on the label displays the fuel economy when operating on electricity. This is described in miles per gallon of gasoline-equivalent (MPGe). Think of this as being similar to MPG, but instead of presenting miles per gallon of the vehicle’s fuel type, it represents the number of miles the vehicle can go using a quantity of fuel with the same energy content as a gallon of gasoline.

And from Wikipedia on the topic of MPGe:

The ratings are based on EPA’s formula, in which 33.7 kilowatt hours of electricity is equivalent to one gallon of gasoline

If you look at the image at the top of the post, you see two numbers in each box in the top left corner. These are:

MPGe or MPG
kWh per 100 miles or Gallons per 100 miles

These numbers are related to each other. If you divide 100 by the bigger number in the box, you get the smaller number! FuelEconomy feels it is important to add the value per 100 miles because:

While a miles per gallon (MPG) estimate is a required feature that has appeared on the fuel economy label for several decades, this metric can be potentially misleading when consumers compare fuel economy improvements, particularly when they use it in place of fuel costs. The following chart shows the non-linear relationship between gallons used over a given distance and miles per gallon. The fuel savings, in gallons, for a vehicle that gets 10 MPG versus a vehicle that gets 15 MPG is about 33 gallons (assuming 1000 miles). On the other hand, the fuel savings in gallons, for the same 5 MPG fuel economy jump, for a 30 MPG versus a 35 MPG vehicle is only about 5 gallons.

Which can bee seen in the image below seen on their website:

In other words, if you’re comparing two cars by their mileage (in MPG or MPGe), you shouldn’t subtract their difference (“eh, 10 MPG vs. 15 MPG is only 5 MPG different, no big deal”), you should divide them to see a percentage increase or decrease (“wow, a 10 MPG vehicle uses 50% more energy than a 15 MPG vehicle to go the same distance!”)

Of course, if you’re buying a car that plugs-in, chances are you will be curious as to how far you can go on just electricity (i.e. battery power) alone. This is the all-electric driving range shown by arrow 13 (but kind of small and sandwiched in some of the other values).

Hope this helps. So which plug-in hybrid vehicle do you want?