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Pacific Gas & Electric, in conjunction with JACO Environmental, is offering their customers $35 to recycle old refrigerators and freezers. Visit the PG&E Web site or contact JACO at 800-299-7573 for more information.
PEACE OF MIND with FreezeAlarm… FreezeAlarmTM will actually dial three phone numbers when it identifies a potentially dangerous home temperature according to Louis Benny of Almanor Energy Plus. Often times their local company is able to fix the problem before the homeowner ever knows there is a problem. Homeowners can also reset and change the thermostats themselves by phone .
Don’t forget to roll up those hoses before freezing temperatures come. Be sure to get all of the water out of the hose first so it doesn’t freeze and crack this winter, even in the shed. Also, that sprinkler system will have to be drained and all the water blown out for all those living in the cold mountain weather. Forgetting a little thing like one of these will cost you.
Mark where your water main shut off valve is by measuring its distance and angle from two permanent points on your property. Leave written details where you will find them. When deep snow comes and you have a frozen pipe, you will be glad you did.
A towel rolled up tightly the long way can do a lot for keeping the draft from coming under doors until you can weatherstrip. Sometimes at craft shows you can find the a ready made “door snake” which is nothing more than a long tube of fabric, filled with tiny Styrofoam balls or other insulating material. Lay it across the bottom of the door jam when door is not in use. Get those air leaks sealed up as soon as possible.
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Jan Cox
I recently sat down with my very own contractor (and husband), John Cox, and had an interview about the latest home he built with all its energy saving features. Having just finished this home for David Ehrke and Cheryl Erwin on the Peninsula of Lake Almanor, he had a lot of information about what could be done to save energy in new construction and where to find that information. And because there is little building taking place at the moment, due to the state of our economy, he also filled me in on what can be done during remodels of older homes.
Solar Energy
The most impressive part of the Ehrke home, energy wise, is its solar energy system. There are two types of solar installations for homes. The solar electric system, also known as Photovoltaics (PV), generates electricity for the household. Using solar panels to convert sunlight into clean DC electricity, an inverter then converts it into AC so that it can power household needs. A utility meter tracks the solar electricity produced and fed to the utility grid. This gives the homeowner credit toward his electric utility bill for the electricity generated
In the Ehrke house, this meter keeps track of electricity production on a monthly basis and at the end of the year, he will be credited the amount he generated against what he used.
The second type of solar energy is called Solar Thermal. This solar system includes either vacuum tubes or flat panels that produce enough energy to meet 70-80% of a household’s needs for hot water. A solar water heating collector uses heat from the sun to warm the water flowing through it and sends this heated water to the storage tank. Solar thermal is used not only to heat water, but can be used with radiant floor systems to provide space heating by running hot water through pipes under the floor boards, or as the most cost-effective way to heat an outdoor pool. There are both active systems, with pumps to regulate and move water, or passive systems without pumps.
Generous government incentives bring down the costs of the initial capital outlay by as much as 30%. The California Cash Rebate offered through the CA Solar Initiative, allows rebates of 25-30% off total installed solar systems. A Federal Tax Credit is offered to any homeowner who installs a solar system, which is applied to their tax liability–not just a tax deduction–for the year installed. Solar systems also add significant resale value to your house and in CA are exempt from state property reassessment tax.
Local companies can assist you in this process as well as help you determine the best way to utilize solar energy in your home.
Radiant Floor Systems
Mentioned above as a way to use solar thermal, radiant floor systems are generally more cost effective for new homes. These systems can be used to heat sections of a house while closing off the heat to other sections. The heat is even and creates comfortable rooms without drafts or cold spots. It allows for lower thermostat settings and warm floors in winter. If properly designed, the water temperature is kept at 125′ to prevent damage to wooden floors. The Ehrke’s system heats the water with both solar and an on-demand water heater.
Energy Saving Window Treatments
The Ehrkes chose Pella windows with wood trim for their home. These windows are top of the line for several reasons. Thirty percent of a home’s heating and cooling can be lost through its windows. As a result, windows deserve the most attention in the house.
Today’s windows are more technologically advanced. Instead of the single or double panes of old, set in their metal frames, the best, high efficiency windows may now have two, three or even four panes, have been coated to reflect heat, have inert gasses pumped between the panes, and have frames that resist heat loss. Today, wood, fiberglass, vinyl or aluminum-clad wood window frames are less conductive than aluminum and perform better with less heat loss.
Fenestration is a word meaning an opening in a building. These include windows, doors, and sky lights. The National Fenestration Rating Council is a non-profit, public and private organization that provides accurate, standardized information to consumers, making it possible to measure and compare the energy performance. Look for the NFRC label on the windows. This label gives ratings for the following:  U-Factor, a measure of how well heat is transferred by the entire window–lower the number the better; SHGC (Solar Heat Gain Coefficient), a measure of the window’s ability to transmit warmth from sunlight–lower number means less heat getting through and lower air-conditioning costs during hot months; Visible Light Transmittance, a measure of how much light gets through–a higher number means more natural light in your home. These labels also have numbers for air leakage and condensation resistance. The California Energy Commission Website at www.consumerenergycenter.org is a valuable source for further information.
Tax Credit Available: Through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, homeowners who have installed replacement windows between Jan 1, 2009 and Dec. 31, 2010 can receive a tax credit of 30% of the window’s cost (not including installation), up to $1500. The windows must be installed in pre-existing homes and have a U-factor and SHGC rating of 0.30 or less. Keep all documentation on any remodeling or construction that improves the energy efficiency of your home such as insulation, heating, ventilation, or air-conditioning for further tax credits. Help can be found at www.replacement-windows.com/energy-star-tax-credit.php. Or at www.energystar.gov. Also see Rebates From LMUD (this issue of MVL) or check out your local Utility Company for other rebates and savings.
Additional information on solar energy courtesy of www.solardepot.com
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What if all of the oil in the world dried up? I know, it’s not going to dry up but what if for some reason, (natural disaster, political turmoil, plot by evil genius) the world was to see a massive shortage of petroleum? It wouldn’t be the first time and this is a scenario that we are certain to see again. (You know that sooner or later Mel Gibson will need money bad enough to do another Road Warrior sequel.)
If this were to happen in reality, the remaining operable public transit systems would instantly be overloaded and you could bet that it would be a good time to own either a bike shop or a store that sells comfortable shoes. How would people in rural and mountain communities, with no public transit and greater distances to travel, get around? For that answer, you only need to look back in history.
When fuel supplies were disrupted during World War II, Europeans sought any available alternative. Resourceful people thought back to the 1800s when it was common to use piped in coal-gas or town-gas to fuel streets lights, heat stoves and even to light some upscale homes.
These gases are made by processing coal or wood at high temperatures and extremely low oxygen levels; a chemical process that breaks them down to synthesis gas or syn-gas. It can then either be burned directly or made into liquid fuels. If you don’t count the first time early man braided up a vine and used it to lasso a wandering ox, one might argue that the move to fossil fuels was in fact, the first alternative fuel movement.
About the same time, someone figured out that town-gas could also be used to run an internal combustion engine. A quick Internet search will show a wealth of photos with vintage cars, trucks and tractors that have been converted to running on wood. How common was this? The biomass energy foundation says that during World War Two there were upwards of a million small gasifier powered trucks, cars, farm equipment and stationary generators. Coal/wood powered vehicles were even mass produced in Germany on assembly lines.
Thinking of turning your Suburban into a wood burner? Well, it’s not easy. First of all there are a lot of modifications that need to be made and the development alone of an efficient gasifier is something of a black art. You will also need to figure out a way to control the throttle, and don’t forget that most wood powered cars take about half-an-hour to “warm” up in the morning. One of the only vehicles that I’ve seen to solve those problems well enough to make this practical was built in the Netherlands by John Akkermans.
John’s bright red four cylinder Volvo sedan runs on wood chips and took him about 10 months (1000 hours) of develop time to perform the conversion to burn wood. This car looks clean enough that the kids might even let you use it to pick them up from school. If anyone asks what that thing is on the back, tell them that you had a giant espresso machine installed. John says it gets about 100 kilometers on 100 liters of loose wood chips. What’s that, you need me to convert? That’s about a mile to the pound. It’s no slug on the road either as it can achieve a top speed of around 120kph (75mph) making it one of the fastest wood burners in the world.
Time to convert the SUV? Not just yet. While I would like to see the look on the face of the smog technician when you roll up in your mini van/espresso machine, I doubt that it would pass and fortunately, at least in California, we can still buy gas at the pump.
Before you get the urge to send me a nasty letter, I’m not advocating converting all of the worlds Suburbans to burning wood and then cutting down all of the forests to keep them rolling. Eventually we will need to do something as an alternative and I’ll debate you for hours on the evils of converting food to energy. This is just an interesting look at an emergency alternative to fossil fuels that actually works. Look out Mel Gibson.
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What if all of the oil in the world dried up? I know,  it’s not going to dry up but what if for some reason, (natural disaster, political turmoil, plot by evil genius) the world was to see a massive shortage of petroleum? It wouldn’t be the first time and this is a scenario that we are certain to see again. (You know that sooner or later Mel Gibson will need money bad enough to do another Road Warrior sequel.)
If this were to happen in reality, the remaining operable public transit systems would instantly be overloaded and you could bet that it would be a good time to own either a bike shop or a store that sells comfortable shoes. How would people in rural and mountain communities, with no public transit and greater distances to travel, get around? For that answer, you only need to look back in history.
When fuel supplies were disrupted during World War II, Europeans sought any available alternative. Resourceful people thought back to the 1800s when it was common to use piped in coal-gas or town-gas to fuel streets lights, heat stoves and even to light some upscale homes.
These gases are made by processing coal or wood at high temperatures and extremely low oxygen levels; a chemical process that breaks them down to synthesis gas or syn-gas. It can then either be burned directly or made into liquid fuels. If you don’t count the first time early man braided up a vine and used it to lasso a wandering ox, one might argue that the move to fossil fuels was in fact, the first alternative fuel movement.
About the same time, someone figured out that town-gas could also be used to run an internal combustion engine. A quick Internet search will show a wealth of photos with vintage cars, trucks and tractors that have been converted to running on wood. How common was this? The biomass energy foundation says that during World War Two there were upwards of a million small gasifier powered trucks, cars, farm equipment and stationary generators. Coal/wood powered vehicles were even mass produced in Germany on assembly lines.
Thinking of turning your Suburban into a wood burner? Well, it’s not easy. First of all there are a lot of modifications that need to be made and the development alone of an efficient gasifier is something of a black art. You will also need to figure out a way to control the throttle, and don’t forget that most wood powered cars take about half-an-hour to “warm” up in the morning. One of the only vehicles that I’ve seen to solve those problems well enough to make this practical was built in the Netherlands by John Akkermans.
John’s bright red four cylinder Volvo sedan runs on wood chips and took him about 10 months (1000 hours) of develop time to perform the conversion to burn wood. This car looks clean enough that the kids might even let you use it to pick them up from school. If anyone asks what that thing is on the back, tell them that you had a giant espresso machine installed. John says it gets about 100 kilometers on 100 liters of loose wood chips. What’s that, you need me to convert? That’s about a mile to the pound. It’s no slug on the road either as it can achieve a top speed of around 120kph (75mph) making it one of the fastest wood burners in the world.
Time to convert the SUV? Not just yet. While I would like to see the look on the face of the smog technician when you roll up in your mini van/espresso machine, I doubt that it would pass and fortunately, at least in California, we can still buy gas at the pump.
Before you get the urge to send me a nasty letter, I’m not advocating converting all of the worlds Suburbans to burning wood and then cutting down all of the forests to keep them rolling. Eventually we will need to do something as an alternative and I’ll debate you for hours on the evils of converting food to energy. This is just an interesting look at an emergency alternative to fossil fuels that actually wor
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Driving to Reduce Fuel Usage
From the US Department of Energy
Car Maintenance Checklist:
• Use the right grade of motor oil for your car.
• Keep tires properly inflated and aligned.
• Get regular tune-ups and maintenance checks.
• Replace clogged air filters.
• Check out www.fueleconomy.gov.
Continue reading Driving to Reduce Fuel Usage
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It seems in this day and age, everyone’s cutting back to basics in one way or another. Whether it is those with ‘safe’ jobs out buying cars that run on less fuel or installing solar systems in their homes, or whether it’s the family cook in the grocery store who has learned to watch every price with extra care, it is obvious that America is cutting back. The changes in gas and heating oil prices over the past year or so have made us all realize that in some areas, we have absolutely no control. In the areas we do have control, it seems it is time to take it. Oprah put it perfectly, “You are the CEO of your family!”
Continue reading CUTTING BACK TO BASICS
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 Will Rogers was reported to have said “Buy land. They ain’t making any more of the stuff.” And the same is true for oil. I’ll tell you something that is sure to start an argument at a cocktail party. (I can’t wait) The price of oil being high as it is could actually, in the long run, be a good thing. See, I told you. You want to argue with me right now, don’t you, but hear me out.
If you are a transplant to mountain living, I’m sure that the crisp smell of clean mountain air with just a hint of pine made it worth leaving behind the 7-11 (where you can get a gallon of milk anytime of the night or day). Like everyone, everywhere, the high cost of oil is having a trickle down effect into every area of your life.
Continue reading Energy Alternatives
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Eileen | Mountain Valley Living Magazine
