1 Green enery times May 4, 2009 premier issue • green energy t mes Energy Times... · 2016-07-23 · renewable energy: solar, offigrid .....5 wind power ... renewable energy systems

1 Green enery times May 4, 2009

announcing green energy times ..........1this issue’s top story, breaking news .......... 1step 1 - shelter, existing ........................2step 1 - shelter, new construction .............. 3alternative energies: solar, grid-tied ...... 4renewable energy: solar, offigrid .....5wind power ............................................6

appliances & energy .................................. 7on-demand hot water .......................... 7center ads........................................................ 8center ads .............................................. 9batteries & electrical ........................10solar hot water ..................................11masonry heaters.................................11

solarfest, tax incentives ...................12hydro power ................................................. 13resources ............................................14book reviews .......................................14green products ...................................15advertising in g.e.t./subscriptions… ..... 15back cover/gro-solar ad ........................... 16

premier issue • issue 1 • may 4, 2009

and the time is now!! read on…

Announcing Green energy Times! Dedicated to everyone living on this planet. A compilation of what you need to know to make the change!

this solar powered home is riGht here in the upper valley! Notice the solar hot water panels on the roof, too. breaking news tax credit hikeCongress Quadruples tax Credit for homeowners!Great news! Congress recently passed new tax credits helping homeowners and business owners fund clean energy solar systems! Now you can receive a 30% tax credit on your system installation and take advantage of your local state incentives. In many areas this cuts the payback time for your solar system IN HALF. If you are considering purchasing a system, there’s never been a better time to go solar! With a rate of return over 20%, it’s a smart and safe commitment against increasing elec-tricity rates and our unstable economy. A 4 kW solar system that could cost as much as $34,000 now qualifies for an $8,000 federal tax credit, which is up from the previous $2,000! ♻

contents

green energy t mesYes YOu CAN! …Be eNerGY iNDepeNDeNT!

green energy t mes... be energy independent!

solar power works anywhere

under the sun!

renewable energy systemsFor many people, powering their homes or small businesses using a small renewable energy system that is not connected to the electricity grid makes economic sense & appeals to their environmental values. In remote locations, renewable energy systems can be more cost-effective than extending a power line to the electricity grid (the cost of which can range from $15,000 to $50,000 per mile). But these systems are also used by people who live near the grid & wish to obtain independence from the power provider or demonstrate a commitment to non-polluting energy sources. Successful systems generally take advantage of a combination of techniques & technolo-gies to generate reliable power, reduce costs, & minimize inconvenience. Some of these strategies include using fossil fuel or renew-able hybrid systems & reducing the amount of electricity required to meet your needs. We will explore SOLAR, WIND, HyDRO, Solar/Wind, & Solar/Hydro hybrid systems. ♻

An area the size of the Nevada Test Site & Nellis

AFB, could deliver twice the needed

energy to meet the entire U.S. needs,

using existing photovoltaic technology!

The GREEN ENERGy TIMES is here for yOU! Our lives are busier than ever. Most people would never have the time to research the necessary steps to learn how to incorporate alternative energies into their lives, to do their part. This paper is put together by people who are living & currently using alternative energy for their needs. This paper is compiled, using 100% solar power!

The ‘green’ movement is a wonderful start, & it reduces our carbon footprint with every step we each take, but we need to prepare for our future electrical & fuel needs! This paper is aimed to give you the info you seek, all in one compilation of a quarterly guide. It is free & will be avail-able at convenient locations that we all visit regularly. Subscriptions are also available.

The information is geared to take you from talking about it, to being able to make informed deci-sions to incor-porate alterna-tive energies into your very home or busi-ness. We ALL must do this! Leave this mind-boggling task up to us, to give you the info you need. It may not all fit into this first issue, but we will tell you more & more with each pub-lication. We welcome ques-tions & will share the answers with everyone in future issues.

We recommend you join or start energy committes in your communities.

Take advantage of all of the tax incentives out there. you can now save at least 40% or more off a solar, wind or hydro system! NOW is the time to make the changes! ♻

In his Earth Day speech, President Obama says his budget will invest $15 billion each year for 10 years to develop clean en-ergy including wind power and solar power, geothermal energy and clean coal technol-ogy. He announced that his administration, through the Department of the Interior, is creating the nation’s first program to autho-rize the leasing of Federal waters to generate electricity from wind and ocean currents. He states that this will open the door to major investments in offshore clean energy . “ It’s estimated if we fully pursue our potential for wind energy on land and off shore, wind

can generate as much as 20 percent of our energy by 2030 and create a quarter million jobs in the process “. He asked for the same enthusiasm for the automobile industry that is being shown for generation of clean electricity for home and businesses. He said the automobile industry can’t survive by using the technology of the past. The industry has to be for-ward looking. “When gas prices spike up like they did last summer, sudden-ly the market for American cars plum-mets because we build SUVs. That’s it. It leaves the American economy ever more dependent on the supply of foreign oil.” Ending America’s de-pendence on foreign oil is the prime concern of many politicians including President Obama. That’s why Obama sees advanced biofuels and ethanol, as an important transitional fuel that

may help reduce oil dependence and are clean, homegrown sources of energy as well. “ We have to create the incentives for companies to develop the next generation of clean-energy vehicles -- and for Ameri-cans to drive them, particularly as the U.S. auto industry moves forward on a historic restructuring that can position it for a more

prosperous future. And while we’re creating the incentives for companies to develop these technologies, we’re also creating incentives for consumers to adapt to these new technologies. So the Recovery Act includes a new credit -- new tax credit for up to $7,500 to en-courage Americans to buy more fuel-efficient cars and trucks.” To encourage new innovations Obama’s recovery plan includes the largest investment in basic research funding in American history. His budget includes a 10-year commitment to make the Research and Experimentation Tax Credit permanent. “That young guy in the garage designing a new engine or a new battery, that computer scientist who’s imagining a new way of thinking about energy, we need to fund them now, fund them early, because that’s what America has always been about: technology and innovation.” Obama’s administration will also be pursuing comprehensive legislation to move towards energy independence and prevent the worst consequences of climate change, while creating the in-centives to make clean energy the prof-itable kind of energy in America. He be-lieves the best way to do this is through legislation that places a market-based cap on carbon dioxide and other green-house gas emissions. “ By setting an overall cap, carbon pollution becomes like a commodity. It places a value on a limited resource, and that is the ability to pollute. And to determine that value, just like any other traded commodity, we’d create a market where companies could buy and sell the right to produce a certain amount of carbon pollution. And in this way, every company can determine for itself whether it makes sense to spend the money to become cleaner or more efficient, or to spend the money on a certain amount of al-lowable pollution.” This makes wind power more economical, makes solar power more economical. Clean energy all becomes more economical. ♻

Did you know…that you can take out a loan for alternative energy and if you sell your house, the loan

stays with the house?

obama will make clean energy affordable

shelter-existing

Van de Ven Construction

LLC802.291.0403

[email protected]

InsulatIon specIalIsts

• Cellulose

• Spray Foam

• Loose Fill - attics

• Dense Pack - Walls

RetRoFit New CoNStRuCtioN

existing home Energy Efficiency Audits

2 step 1: shelter-existinG May 4, 2009

Efficiency Makes $ense

About three quarters of energy used in New England homes is for heating & the greatest heat loss, by far, is from infiltration or air leakage. Button up your home, save energy & money this winter.

Homes do require a certain amount of fresh air to keep occupants healthy. Mold builds up & back drafting of flu gases can occur in extremely tight houses without adequate ventilation, which can cause illness or death. Fresh air is best supplied in a controlled manner through powered & programmed fresh air vents. A blower door test can measure if you have adequate ventilation. You can always open a window! Most infiltration takes place as warm air rises & flows out openings high in the house, pulling cold air in through leaks low in the house. These leaks are easiest to find on cold days & are usually very cost effective to repair. Feel for cool drafts coming in low areas - where the sill meets the foundation, around low doors, windows & protrusions for pipes & wires. Hold something that smokes, like incense, & look for smoke being sucked out along potential openings - attic hatches, upper floor windows & electric outlets, etc. Seal all high & low openings with weather stripping, spray foam or caulk.

Close interior doors & turn off the heat to any rooms that are unused during the winter.Set your thermostat back at night & while you are gone during the day. This will save you about 1% on you heating use for each degree set back. Using a programmable thermostat to do this will allow you to bring the heat back up to a comfortable temperature before you get up in the morning or return home.

Weather-strip all exterior doors, including attic hatch, bulkhead door & doors to cold cellars & crawl spaces.

where to weatherizeIn the attic: weatherstrip & insulate access door; seal around the outside of the chim-ney with metal flashing & high-temp seal-ant ( flue caulk or muffler cement); plumb-ing vents in the attic floor & in the roof; top of interior walls in pre-1950’s houses with strips of rigid insulation & seal with silicone caulk; elecrtical wire penetrations at top of interior walls & for ceiling fixtures with fiber-glass insulation (only if IC rated for insulation contact); seal all holes between the heated space & the attic, ductwork ...

In the basement or crawlspace: seal & insu-late around any heating or a/c ducts; holes that allow air to rise into heated space above; plumbing, chimney & electrical pen-etrations; caulk around basement window frames; seal holes in the foundation wall & gaps in concrete foundation & the wood structure (sill plate & rim joist) with caulk or foam sealant.

Windows & Doors: replace broken glass & reputty loose panes; install new sash locks or adjust old ones; caulk on the inside around window & door trim & all woodwork joints; weatherstrip exterior doors, even to garage & porches. Use weatherstripping or temp. flex rope caulk for windows that will be opened.

In living areas: electrical outlets & switch plates (use foam gaskets); paintble caulk around bath & kitchen cabinets on exte-rior walls; cracks where floor meets exterior walls, even behind carpet; fireplace (if not used, with inflatable plug or rigid insula-tion plug) -make sure damper closes tightly when not in use.

Exterior: Caulk around all penetrations where electrical, phone, cable, gas & dryer vents & water lines enter house ( use fiber-glass in large gaps first); around all sides of windows & door frames; check dryer exhaust vent hood for tight fitting flapper (replace it); remove A/C unit in winter or cover tightly ( make rigid insulation covers for flimsy side panels; caulk cracks in overhangs of cantile-vered bays & chimney chases.

Insulation: Minimum of R-30 in floors, R-19 in walls or more & R-38-49 in ceilings.

Contributed from [email protected]

Batts, fiberglass or rock wool - 3.5”=R-11, 5.5”=R-19, 9.5”=R-30; Loose Fill, fiberglass, rock wool - R-2.7 per inch, or Cellulose - R-3.7 per inch; Rigid Board, expanded polystyrene - R-4 per inch, Extruded polystyrene - R-5 per inch, polyurethane or polyisocyanurate - R-7 to R-8 per inch; Foamed in Place, polyure-thane- R-7 to R-8 per inch; Radiant Barriers, no R-value assigned-most effective when reflecting heat back upwards, under floors to keep desirable winter heat inside your house.

Windows: can be the weakest link in a build-ing’s thermal barrier. The r-value of a single pane window is R-1. An energy saving ther-mopane is about R-2. The most advanced superwindows boast up to R-12. But, in ac-tuality, they should be measured by the U-value + the ERS rating. (See Windows, page 11). The most cost-effective time to install high-performance windows is when a build-ing is new, or when window replacement is necessary.

Quality windows create a more comfort-able space while reducing heat loss & con-densation. Windows labeled ENERGy STAR perform significantly better; typically they have a low E coating, argon gas filling, & a warm edge spacer between panes of glass & even fiberglass insulated frames, with many advantages.

ENERGy STAR labeled windows in a north-ern climate display a National Fenestration Rating Council (NFRC) label with a unit U value of no more than .35. Lower numbers mean more savings. All major window man-ufacturers have double pane windows with NFRC label U value of .32.

Check the window label to verify that the unit is ENERGy STAR labeled for a northern climate. Some window companies have even better ratings!!

Or Install clear plastic barriers on the inside of windows to cut heat loss by 25-40%; re-pair & weatherize exterior storm windows to increase the temp of the inside window as much as 30ºF on a cold day; install tight-fitting insulating shades; construct insulated pop-in panels or shutters; close curtains or shades at night; open curtains during the day! to let the sun in! & clean south-facing windows for more free heat! ♻

Check & replace weather stripping when worn.

If your exterior doors jiggle when closed, move the striker/latch plate closer to the door-stop so the door closes snuggly against the stop or add new weather stripping that snugs up against the door.

Install storm windows & doors. Close & latch them tightly. Caulk closed all leaky windows & exterior doors that you never open.

Close chimney & fireplace dampers when not in use. If chimney is unused, install an inflatable chimney pillow or caulked-in foam plug to better seal.Cover leaky windows that you do want to open in the spring with an interior plastic “storm” product, like Tyz-All, available at Energy Federation Inc. (800-876-0660, http://www.efi.org). Tyz-All can be removed in the spring & reused next winter. It will usually pay for itself in one year.

Stone wall foundations in old homes are incredibly leaky. Hiring a contractor to apply 2” of sprayed foam insulation from the subfloor down to 4’ underground will stop air infiltration, insulate against freezing tempertures & reduce moisture infiltration.

Make sure all fan-driven exterior vents (dryer, stove, bathroom, etc.) have an exterior flap that closes tightly when the fan is off. Clear vent flaps of lint & other debris so they close tightly.

If you can feel any heat coming off your hot water tank or hot water pipes, cover them with an insulated tank wrap jacket or foam pipe insulation available at your local hardware store or Energy Federation Inc. (800-876-0660, http://www.efi.org).

Turn your hot water on & let it run for a couple of minutes. If it is then too hot to hold your hand under the water, turn the thermostat on your hot water tank down to 125°. ♻

earth talktMFrom the Editors of E/The Environmental Magazine

dear earthtalk: We will need to replace our house gutters soon. What are our best options from an environmental perspective? -- Jodie Green, Dallas, TX

Use a material that is the most durable for your climate; ulti-mately the longer your gutters last, the less environmental cost there will be in the product life-cycle, from manufacturing to recycling. A cheaper product that degrades twice as fast as another would not be the best choice, even if it does have a greener production process: The extra cost of having to fix your water-damaged home—and the health problems that could arise from exposure to mold—would make a “cheaper” gutter in reality much more costly.

Galvanized steel, copper and aluminum are preferred gutter materials,” reports Austin En-ergy, the Texas capitol’s com-munity-owned electric utility. Copper is a more expensive, high-end gutter material, as are stainless steel and wood.

Steel and aluminum each have big pluses. Steel is sturdy, while aluminum will not rust. Copper and stainless steel are sturdy and lasting, but they can cost three to four times as much as steel or aluminum. Steel gut-ters can stand up to ladders and fallen branches better than alu-minums. Even thick galvanized steel eventually rusts. Gutters should be a minimum of 26 gauge galvanized steel or 0.025 inch aluminum.

Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) is also

used for gutters, but can get brittle with age or in extreme cold and cannot carry as much snow load as metal gutters. PVC is also not a very green-friendly choice. CHEJ calls PVC plastic “one of the most hazardous consumer products ever cre-ated…dangerous to human

health and the environment throughout its entire life cycle.” When produced or burned, says CHEJ, PVC plastic releases diox-ins, a group of potent synthetic chemicals that can cause can-cer and harm the immune and reproductive systems.

Replacing your gutters can be an unfortunate expense, but it can provide an environmental opportunity, because the way you handle your roof’s water is important. Consider link-ing your gutters to a “rooftop

catchment system” that captures rainwater in a cistern or rain barrels and can then be used to water non-edible plantings.

Efficient water use is a guideline in the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED for Homes standard for certi-fying green-built homes.

Consider a RainTube. This recycled-plastic gutter insert keeps gutters clear of debris, preventing overflow into your house. Of course, cleaning your gutters now and then is proba-bly the best environmental op-tion in that it may head off any need for replacement or modi-fication. ♻

FOUNDATIONSFOUNDATIONS

Phone 1 (802) 373-7793

www.technometalpost.com

Solutions for

technician

Jim Lyman Vermont103 Monkton Ridge, Monkton,VT

• DECKS• SUN ROOMS• HOUSE

ADDITIONS• POLE BARNS• NATURE

BOARDWALKS• CARPORTS• SOLAR PANEL

SUPPORTS

www.mbvt.com

Looking to reduce your carbon footprint & make your home more energy efficient? …go green with Merchants Bank and apply for one of our Home Equity Loans.

Member FDIC

next issue:“ask a natural builder”

send questions to:[email protected]

Spruce MountainGreen Building

Jacob Rogen802.793.5738Plainfield, VT

[email protected]

An inspired building company dedicated to

energy efficient and affordable practices.

•Super insulated structures

•Renovation

•Weatherization

•Custom plasters

•Decorative concrete

•Finish carpentry

building tips For your ENERGy STAR® Home

your home is a system & your planning & design efforts should take that into account. When you build an ENERGy STAR home, Effi-ciency Vermont helps you & your builder evaluate options to create a home that works efficiently as a system. There’s no simple formula for energy efficiency, just quality design & construction, & attention to details. The following are some tips to help you build an ENERGy STAR home.

Size matters. The smaller the footprint & the less the exterior surface area of your home, the more efficient it will be. Larger homes use more natural resources for mate-rials & more energy to produce those materi-als. Regardless of size, any home can be an ENERGy STAR qualified home.

Understand how the laws of physics apply to your homeHot goes to cold. The greater the temperature difference between the two extremes the faster this heat transfer will occur. We can’t stop the heat transfer but we can slow it down. We do that by building an

insulated building envelope & stopping air movement through that envelope.

Moisture is the enemy of most build-ing materials. Moisture is the enemy of most building materials & is the staff of life for mold, mildew & unwanted crit-ters. The design of your home must keep water out & must ensure that moisture you generate inside the home doesn’t cause problems.

Keeping water out requires an effec-tive unbroken drainage plane.Keeping water out requires an effective unbro-ken drainage plane that uses a variety of materials installed in shingle fashion to shed water away from the building.

Defense against interior moisture problems requires knowledge of the only two mechanisms of moisture vapor transport: Air transport (which follows heat transfer... remember hot goes to cold) - air leakage is the biggest concern because it moves the most moisture. Diffusion - vapor movement from areas of high to low vapor pressure through permeable or semi-permeable materi-als.

Warm air holds more moisture in vapor form than cold air.In cold climates during the heating season moisture levels in tight homes are almost always higher inside than outside. So moisture vapor transport is almost always from inside to outside.

your building envelope (exterior walls & ceilings) must prevent water entry from outside. your building envelope (exterior walls & ceilings) must prevent water entry from outside, prevent interior water vapor from getting into them, & if the interior of the wall does get wet it has to be able to dry out. Does your plan do this? Ask us. We can tell you.

The better the building envelope, the less heat you need to provide. The less heat needed the smaller the heating plant & distribution system. Instead of spending so much on the big, expensive high efficiency heating system & the fuel to go with it, spend more on effective insulation, on windows, on air-sealing, & on a ventilation system.

The technology exists to build a much better building envelope than is usually built. To achieve higher R-values, less ther-mal bridging, & less air-leakage consider: Advanced framing (less wood- more insula-tion) , SIP structural insulated panels , ICF insulated concrete forms

Don’t skip or skimp on basement insu-lation. An uninsulated basement wall has an R-value lower than that of a single pane piece of glass (R-values describe resistance to heat loss - the higher the number the greater the resistance). Even though much of the basement is below grade, concrete walls & floors suck up heat & transport it out of your home. Insulate outside or insulate

impacts; all worthy of attention. However, of these, excessive energy use is the larg-est of all of man’s environmental impacts. That’s because carbon based fuels are the single largest contributor to climate change - by far our most pressing envi-ronmental issue.

The United States Green Building Coun-cil recognizes this along with the design community’s aversion to the technicality of low energy design. Recently it revised LEED NC to make 2 of the 10 energy points mandatory. Previously it’d been possible to build a LEED building without garner-ing any energy points at all. Of the first 420 LEED NC version 2 certified buildings, 12% didn’t claim any of the 10 energy points, including, incredibly, 1 Gold building.

Here in Canada, Canadian Green Build-ing Council’s LEED NC has always had an energy prerequisite of 25% better than code - roughly the same as LEED’s first energy point.

When it comes to reporting on green issues in the built environment there are few more authoritative than Environmen-tal Building News. It weighed in on the green priorities question in their landmark article “Establishing Priorities with Green

May 4, 2009 step 2: new ConstruCtion 3

Like the rest of us, the design commu-nity, has a difficult time balancing green priorities. More artists than technicians, designers gravitate towards what could be termed “aesthetic green” rather than “techni-cal green”.

When it comes to green building; recycled carpets, natural materials & natural fin-

ishes are usually front & centre. Recycling old carpet into new carpet is an example of “cradle to cradle” that is the essence of sustainability. Natural materials have the possibility of being renewable in ways man made materials can’t. Natural finishes beat their solvent rich cousins every time.

But at the end of the day, green priori-ties need to be more than skin deep. We are responsible for a myriad of environmental

Green priorities - skin Deep Not Deep enough

“But at the end of the day, green priorities need to be

more than skin deep. We are responsible for a myriad of environmental impacts…”

Building”. In it they noted; “Ongoing energy use is probably the largest environmental impact of a building, so designing & constructing buildings for low energy use should be our number one priority”

Recognize too that energy use is related to the myriad of other environ-mental issues besides climate change. Although embodied energy is nearly always a secondary concern (see EMBODIED ENERGy column), it does reflect resource & hence habitat deple-tion. Buildings with lower embodied energy, consume fewer resources, deplete fewer habitats, & contribute less pollution.

So when it comes to green priorities, highly visible “aesthetic green” priori-ties are not as important as less visible “technical green” priorities. Skin deep green is not deep enough. Green Build-ing’s most important gains are those that reduce energy use. ♻

cont’d on pg.4 »

new construction

Asthetic Green or Technical Green by Stephen Thrwaites

All the remote control televisions in the u.s., when turned to the ‘off’ position, still use as much energy as the output of one Chernobyl-sized plant

The primary components of any grid interie solar electric system

The primary components of any grid interie system with batteries

4 solar, Grid-tied May 4, 2009

Grid intertied solar-electric systemssolar, grid-tied

without a battery bank or generator backup for your gridintertied system, when a blackout occurs, your household will be in the dark, too. To keep some or all of your electric needs (or “loads”) like lights, a refrigerator, a well pump, or computer running even when utility power outages occur, many homeowners choose to install a grid-intertied system with battery backup. Incorporating batteries into the system requires more components, is more expensive, & lowers the system’s overall efficiency. But for many homeowners who regularly experience utility outages or have critical electrical loads, having a backup energy source is priceless. ♻

Grid intertied systems with Battery Backup

system ComponentsUnderstanding the basic components

of an RE system & how they function is not an overwhelming task. Here are some brief descriptions of the common equipment used in grid-intertied & off-grid solar-electric systems. Systems vary - not all equipment is necessary for every system type. Solar-Electric Panels, aka: solar-electric modules, photovoltaic (PV) panels: PV panels are a solar-electric system’s defining compo-nent, where sunlight is used to make direct current (DC) electricity. Behind a PV panel’s shimmering facade, wafers of semiconductor material work their magic, using light (pho-tons) to generate electricity—what’s known as the photovoltaic effect. Other compo-nents in your system enable the electricity from your solar-electric panels to safely pow-er your electric loads likelights, computers, & refrigerators.PV panels are assigned a rating in watts based on the maximum power they can pro-duce under ideal sun & temperature condi-tions. you can use the rated output to help determine how many panels you’ll need to

meet your electric needs. Multiple modules combined together are an array.Although rigid panels are the most common form of solar electricity collector, PV technol-ogy also has been integrated into roofing shingles & tiles, & even peel &-stick laminates (for metal standing-seam roofs).PV modules are very durable & long last-ing -most carry 25-yr warranties. They can withst& severe weather, including extreme heat, cold, & hail stones. Array Mounting Rack: Mounting racks pro-vide a secure platform on which to anchor your PV panels, keeping them fixed in place & ori-ented correctly. Panels can be mounted us-ing one of three approaches: on a rooftop; atop a steel pole set in concrete; or at ground level. The specific pieces, parts, & materials of your mounting device will vary considerably depending on which mounting method you choose. Mounting racks may incorporate other fea-tures, such as seasonal adjustability. The sun is higher in the sky during the summer & lower in the winter. Adjustable mounting racks enable you to set the angle of your PV

« Building tips, continued inside but insulate. Call us, we’ll help you decide what’s the best way for you. With more traditionally framed homes compare the different insulation materials available: Fiberglass batts

& loose fill loose-fill, dense-pack or damp spray cellulose spray foams

To control air we must first contain it. A third or more of most heating bills is due to air leakage. Determine where & how in your building envelope you will create a continuous air barrier to ensure comfort & savings.

Windows are the weakest link. They pro-vide light & they connect us to the outdoors. No matter how good they are, windows are the weakest link in the building envelope. Frame your view to limit the amount of glass (decide what’s most important to see out your window).

Compare windows by looking for their NFRC U-value (U-values describe the trans-mittance of heat - the opposite of the R-val-ue - the lower the number the better).

you can also look for the ENERGy STAR qualifications that are specific to our region.

Don’t oversize the heating system. Make sure a heat load sizing is done & make sure that it is done with the understand-ing that you will be building a tight home. Many heating systems in Vermont are much bigger than they need to be. When a system is too big it never achieves the efficiency it was designed to reach which costs more in fuel, costs more to buy & may actually shorten its life.

Compare heating systems by looking for the annual fuel utilization efficiency (AFUE) rating.

Look for ENERGy STAR - for boilers .85 AFUE or better, for furnaces .90 AFUE or better to meet the ENERGy STAR criteria.

Most Vermont homes use boilers. Water heating can be accomplished efficiently with a storage tank with the water heated by the boiler. When a furnace is used, a separate stand-alone water heater is necessary.

Build tight & ventilate right. There is no such thing as a house that is too tight. There are, however, homes that have inadequate ventilation. Ensure good indoor air by con-sidering three factors:

Whole-house automated mechani-cal ventilation - a simple or sophisticated system to control indoor moisture levels. This provides fresh air, preventing growth

» cont’d, pG.5

of mold & building decay, & flushing out pol-lutants.

Spot ventilation - fans to remove large quanti-ties of localized moisture & pollutants.

Combustion safety - attention to ventilation details, preventing exhaust fumes from spilling into our indoor air.

Make sure a heat load sizing is done & make sure that it is done with the understanding that you will be building a tight home. Many heating systems in Vermont are much bigger than they need to be. When a system is too big it never achieves the efficiency it was designed to reach.

Put high performance lighting in high-use areas. which costs more in fuel, costs more to buy & may actually shorten its life. Look for ENERGy STAR on energy-efficient compact fluo-rescent lighting & linear fluorescent fixtures to overcome the old fluorescent drawbacks. you can have good color, instant start-up, much longer lamp life, energy savings, & aestheti-cally attractive fixtures. Start shopping earlier because you may have to order rather than buy off the shelf.

ENERGy STAR qualified appliances put the icing on the cake. Look for energy-efficient refrig-erators, dishwashers, clothes washers & room air conditioners. They’re made by manufacturers you know & trust. ENERGy STAR qualified products meet high standards for energy efficiency & qual-ity guidelines, which means they use less energy without sacrificing performance. ♻

http://www.homepower.com/basics/solar/

also known as on-grid, grid-tied, or utilityinteractive (UI), grid-intertied solar-electric systems generate solar electricity & route it to the electric utility grid, offsetting a home’s or business’ electrical consumption &, in some instances, even turning the electric meter backwards. Living with a grid-connected solar-electric system is no different than living with grid power, except that some or all of the electricity you use comes from the sun. In many states, the utility credits a homeowner’s account for excess solar electricity produced. This amount can then be applied to other months when the system produces less or in months when electrical consumption is greater. This arrangement is called net metering or net billing. The specific terms of net metering laws & regulations vary from state to state & utility to utility. Consult your local electricity provider or state regulatory agency for their guidelines. ♻

The primary components of any off-grid solar electric system

New England Solar Electric, Inc.Solar Electric kits, gas

refrigerators. appliances and information needed to

live independently with solar electricity. Free 96 pg. Catalog/

Design Guide. Solar Electric Independent Home Book $19.95 ppd. New England

Solar, PO Box 435, Worthington, MA 01098. 413-238-5974

solar power works… anywhere

under the sun!

104 River Street, Rutland, VT 05701(802)747-0577 Fax (802)773-0924

e-mail: [email protected]

Serving Vermont since 1996.

Specializing in Off-Grid, Grid Tie with Backup, andDirect Grid Tie Solar and Solar/Wind Hybrid Power Systems. We also sell and install solar hot water and solar heating systems.

We provide completely installed systems, installation assistance for homeowners, or cashand carry complete system kits.

Contact us about our Free Monthly Renewable Energy Workshops – and SolarFest Pre-Festival Installers Workshop

May 4, 2009 solar, off-Grid 5

solar, off-grid

althouGh they are most common in remote locations without utility grid service, off-grid solar-electric systems can work anywhere. These systems operate independently from the grid to provide all of a household’s electricity. That means no electric bills & no blackouts—at least none caused by grid failures. People choose to live off-grid for a variety of reasons, including the prohibitive cost of bringing utility lines to remote homesites, the appeal of an independent lifestyle, or the general reliability a solar-electric system provides. Those who choose to live off-grid often need to make adjustments to when & how they use electricity, so they can live within the limitations of the system’s design. This doesn’t necessarily imply doing without, but rather is a shift to a more conscientious use of electricity. p

Off the Grid solar pv systems

system Components, cont’d…panels seasonally, keeping them aimed more directly at the sun. Adjusting the tilt angle in-creases the system’s annual energy produc-tion by a few percent. The tilt of roofmounted arrays is rarely changed. Adjusting the angle is inconvenient & sometimes dangerous, due to the array’s location.Changing the tilt angle of pole- or ground-mounted arrays can be done quickly & safely. Pole-mounted PV arrays also can incorporate tracking devices, but donot work well in the northeast, due t the ice + cloudy days do not allow it to re-set, & they are a moving compo-nent that can break. It is better to spend that money for a few extra panels for the extra emergy output. Array DC or PV Disconnect: used to safely interrupt the flow of electricity from the PV array. It´s an essential component when sys-tem maintenance or troubleshooting is re-quired. The disconnect enclosure houses an electrical switch rated for use in DC circuits. It also may integrate either circuit breakers or fuses, if needed. Charge Controller/regulator: is to pro-tect your battery bank from overcharging. It does this by monitoring the battery bank. When the bank is fully charged, the control-ler interrupts the flow of electricity from the PV panels. Batteries are expensive & pretty particular about how they like to be treated. To maximize their life span, you’ll definitely want to avoid overcharging or undercharg-ing them. Most modern charge controllers incorpo-rate maximum power point tracking (MPPT), which optimizes the PV array’s output, in-creasing the energy it produces. Some bat-terybased charge controllers also include a low-voltage disconnect that prevents over discharging, which can perma nently dam-age the battery bank. Battery Bank: your PV panels will produce electricity whenever the sun shines on them. If your system is off-grid, you’ll need a battery bank - a group of batteries wired together - to store energy so you can have electricity at night or on cloudy days. For off-grid systems, battery banks are typically sized to keep household electricity running for one to

three cloudy days. Gridintertied systems also can include battery banks to provide emergency backup power during black-outs - perfect for keeping critical electric loads operating until grid power is re-stored. Although similar to ordinary car bat-teries, the batteries used in solar-electric systems are specialized for the type of charging & discharging they’ll need to endure. Lead-acid batteries are the most common battery used in solar-electric systems. Flooded leadacid batteries are usually the least expensive, but require adding distilled water occasionally to replenish water lost during the normal charging process. Sealed absorbent glass mat (AGM) batteries are maintenance free & designed for grid-tied systems where the batteries are typically kept at a full state of charge. Gel-cell batteries can be a good choice to use in unheated spaces due to their freeze-resistant quali-ties. System Meter/Monitor: measure & display several different aspects of your solar-electric system’s performance & sta-tus, tracking how full your battery bank is; how much electricity your solar panels are producing or have produced; & how much electricity is in use. Operating your solar-electric system without metering is like running your car without any gauges, although possible to do, it’s always better to know how much fuel is in the tank. Main DC Disconnect: In battery-based systems, a disconnect between the bat-teries & inverter is required. This discon-nect is typically a large, DC-rated breaker mounted in a sheetmetal enclosure. This breaker allows the inverter to be quickly disconnected from the batteries for ser-vice, & protects the inverter-to-battery wiring against electrical fires.Inverter: Inverters transform the DC elec-tricity produced by your PV modules into the alternating current (AC) electricity commonly used in most homes for pow-ering lights, appliances, & other gadgets. Grid-tied inverters synchronize the elec-tricity they produce with the grid’s utility grade AC electricity, allowing the system to feed solar-made electricity to the util-

ity grid.Most grid-tie inverters are designed to op-erate without batteries, but battery-based models also are available. Battery-based in-verters for off-grid oGrid-Intertied Inverterr grid-tie use often include a battery charger, which is capable of charging a battery bank from either the grid or a backup generator during cloudy weather.Most grid-Intertied inverters can be installed outdoors (ideally, in the shade). Most off-grid inverters are not weatherproof & should be mounted indoors, close to the battery bank. Inverter AC Disconnect: Just like the electrical circuits in your home or office, an inverter’s electrical output needs to be routed through an AC circuit breaker, usually mounted inside the building’s mains panel, enabling the inverter to be disconnected if servicing is necessary, & also safeguards the circuit’s electrical wiring.Utilities usually require an AC disconnect be-tween the inverter & the grid that is for their use, usually located near the utility KWH me-ter Kilowatt-Hour Meter: Most homes with a grid-tied solar-electric system will have AC electricity both coming from & going to the electric utility grid. A bidirectional KWH meter can simultaneously keep track of how much electricity flows in each of the two di-rections - just the information you need to monitor how much electricity you’re using &

how much your solar-electric system is pro-ducing. The utility co. often provides Inter-tied-capable meters at no cost. Backup Generator: Off-grid solar-electric systems can be sized to provide electricity during cloudy periods when the sun doesn’t shine. But sizing a system to cover a worst-case scenario, like several cloudy weeks during the winter, can result in a very large, expensive system that will rarely get used to its capacity. To spare your pocketbook, size the system moderately, but include a backup generator to get through those occasional sunless stretches. Engine generators can be fueled with biod-iesel, petroleum diesel, gasoline, or propane, depending on the design. These generators produce AC electricity that a battery charger (either stand alone or incorporated into an in-verter) converts to DC energy, which is stored in batteries. Like most internal combustion engines, generators tend to be loud & stinky, but a welldesigned solar-electric system will require running them only 50 to 200 hours a year. ♻

Wind electricity Basics

for maintenance of gears. In systems 20 KW or larger, as well as some smaller wind systems, a gearbox is used to increase alternator speed from a slower turning rotor. Since blades must turn to face the wind, a yaw bearing is needed, that allows the wind turbine to track the winds as they shift direc-tion. The tail directs the rotor into the wind. A governing system restricts the rotor rpm as well as generator output to protect the turbine from high winds. A shutdown mecha-nism also helps to stop the machine when it is necessary, like during a bad storm, when you don’t need the energy, or when it is time to service the system.

wind Generator systemsoff-Grid systemsOff-grid wind-electric systems need batteries to store the electricity. When living off-grid, homeowners need to learn to live within the limitations of their system. The main compo-nents are: Wind Generator > Charge Controller > Dump Load &/or Battery Bank > System Meter and Main DC Disconnect > Inverter > AC Breaker Panel > to the house for useage.

6 wind power May 4, 2009

Wind generated electricity systems can provide electricity on remote, off-grid sites, or in town (or anywhere) with a connection to the grid. And of course the Wind Farms are sure making headlines these days and really making prog-ress towards energy independence. Wind sys-tems generally require more maintenance and attention than solar or microhydro. With good equipment and installation, wind generation can make total sense for many. you can check the Gov’t wind maps to get an idea if where you live is a possible wind site. http://www.windpoweringamerica.gov/wind_maps.asp. These maps cannot take into account every situation or pocket. you can invest in a wind monitor, that records your site’s wind history. If you are not in a hurry, you can get on a list to borrow or rent one.how they workWhen the wind is blowing, the wind generator converts the wind´s kinetic energy on a spin-ning shaft. This shaft turns an alternator, which makes electricity. This electricity is then trans-mitted through the wires down the tower. The blades and the hub are attached to the rotor, which is the collector, intercepting the passing winds. Most turbines today are upwind machines. Their blades are on the windward side of the tower. Downwind ma-chines are also available, but neither seems to have a any advantage over the other. In small residential designs, the rotor is con-nected directly to the shaft of a magnet alterna-tor, which creates three-phase AC. Three-phase electricity means that the voltage and frequen-cy vary with the wind speed. They are not fixed like the 60 Hz, 120 VAC electricity coming out of normal AC household outlets. The unfixed output is converted to DC to either charge bat-teries or feed an inverter. In most designs, up to 15 KW, the rotor is usually connected direct-ly to the alternator, which eliminates the need

Grid-tied system with Battery BackupConnecting a wind system to the grid with battery backup is the best way to go. It gives you unlimited capacity, being on the grid, and you send your surplus energy back to the grid. When the grid is down, you can have electric, depending on te size of the battery bank and turbine. Since many grid outages are caused by high winds, this system is per-fect because this is also when a wind system works best. The drawback is that it is the most expensive type of wind-electric system you can install. Components of a grid-tie wind system with batteries are: Wind Generator > Charge Controller > Dump Load &/or Battery Bank > System Meter and Main DC Disconnect > Inverter > AC Breaker Panel > to the house, where it is then used &/or Kilowatt hour Meter > To/From Utility Grid.Grid-tied system without BatteriesThis is the the most cost-effective system. With no batteries, the only problem is that when the grid goes down, you don’t have electric, either. To send your excess

wind paybackThe wind power payback period for any resi-

dential wind system is determined by these variables: Wind speed at your location; Tower height;. System cost - including installation; State tax credits; How much you pay per kWh for elec-tricity; & size. Higher average wind speeds generate more electricity. The more you reduce your electric bill, the quicker the wind turbine will pay for itself.

Increase in tower height from 60 to 80’, can in-crease the output of your wind turbine by as much as 36% & decrease the payback period by the same amount.

The cost to install a wind power system de-pends on how much of the prep work you can contribute. Every $1,000 you save in installation costs will reduce the payback period by 5-10%. Estimate an additional 50-80% of the cost of the components for professional installation.

Tax credits for residential wind power are offered on a state by state basis & range from $1,000-$1,500. Any homeowner paying less than $0.09 per kWh for electricity is not a good candidate for wind power.

An average wind speed of 12 mph will generate 400 kWh/month. At $0.15 per kWh, this would mean savings of $60/mo, or $720 annually.

This translates to a 16-19 year payback period. However, the same system operating at an aver-age wind speed of 16 mph would generate 600 kWh/month for an annual savings of $1,080; re-ducing the payback period by 6 years.

This doesn’t take into account the potential cash flow benefit of net metering - the sale of unused power back to the grid.which will help shorten the payback period.

The amount you save on future rate increases will equal the percentage of your home’s total power usage provided by the wind turbine. If the wind turbine generates 70% of your power, you save 70% of the increase.

Homeowners who install residential wind pow-er systems, much like their solar counterparts, have a long term strategy for reducing energy consumption coupled with strong environmen-tal concerns. ♻

net meteringNet metering uses the excess electricity pro-

duced by a wind turbines & solar electric systems to spin the existing home or business electricity meter backwards; effectively banking the electricity until it is needed, providing the customer with full retail value for all the electric-ity produced. Under existing federal law (PURPA, Section 210) utility customers can use the electricity they gen-erate with a wind turbine to supply their own lights & appliances, offsetting electricity they would otherwise have to purchase from the util-ity at the retail price. But if the customer produces any excess electricity (beyond what is needed to meet the customer’s own needs) & net metering is not allowed, the utility purchases that excess electricity at the wholesale or ‘avoided cost’ price, which is much lower than the retail price. The excess energy is metered using an addition-al meter that must be installed at the customer’s expense. Net metering simplifies this arrange-ment by allowing the customer to use any excess electricity to offset electricity used at other times during the billing period. In other words, the cus-tomer is billed only for the net energy consumed during the billing period. Net metering is important because wind en-ergy is an intermittent resource, customers may not be using power as it is being generated, & it allows them to receive full value for the electric-ity they produce without installing expensive battery storage systems. It directly affects the economics & pay-back period for the investment. Net-metering reduces the installation costs for the customer by eliminating the need for a sec-ond energy meter, & it provides a simple, inex-pensive, & mechanism for encouraging the use of small-scale wind energy systems, which provide important local, national, & global benefits to the environment & the economy. Utilities benefit by avoiding the administrative & accounting costs of metering & purchasing the small amounts of excess electricity produced by small-scale wind energy facilities. Consumers ben-efit by getting greater value for some of the elec-tricity they generate & by being able to intercon-nect with the utility using their existing meter.

The only cost associated with net metering is in-direct: the customer is buying less electricity from the utility, which means the utility is collecting less revenue from the customer. That’s because any excess electricity that would have been sold to the utility at the wholesale or ‘avoided cost’ price is instead being used to offset electricity the customer would have purchased at the retail price. The bill savings for the customer will depend on the amount of excess electricity produced. In most circumstances, however, the difference will be between $10-40 a month for a 10 kilowatt residential wind energy system. Moreover, any utility revenue losses associated with net metering are at least partially offset by adminis-trative & account-ing savings, which are not included in the above figures. These savings can exceed $25 a month because, absent net meter-ing, utilities have to separately pro-cess the accounts of customers with wind turbines & issue the monthly checks. In practice, these checks can be for as little as 5 cents. The standard kilowatt-hour meter used for most residential & small commercial customers accu-rately registers the flow of electricity in either direction. This means the ‘netting’ process associated with

energy into the grid is the best choice. A grid-tie system without batteries may perform somewhat better from the wind turbine than the battery-based systems because the inverter can con-tend with the wind´s load better, run-ning the turbine at it’s highest speed, and extracting the most energy. Components of a grid-tie wind system without batteries are the same as with, except you eliminate the batteries. direct-drive system w/o BatteriesThis system is basically used for pump-ing water. The wind turbine corre-sponds with the pump, through a con-troller. When the wind blows, water is pumped to a tank or directly to it’s des-tination. It’s Productive for a low cost. Components of this system are: Wind Generator > Charge Controller > Direct-Powered loads. In our next issue of Green Energy Times, we will describe eash of these components. ♻

net metering happens automatically — the meter spins forward (in the normal direction) when the customer needs more electricity than is being produced, & spins backward when the customer is producing more electricity than is needed in the home or building. The meter registers the net amount of energy produced or consumed during the billing period. Many states have enacted net metering laws legislatively, including CT, MA, NH, VT, … Utilities are required to offer net metering for some wind systems, although many states limit eligibility to small systems. ♻

applianCes, on-demand hot water May 4, 2009 7

applianCes & enerGy

Contact us to learn about Federal Tax Credits!

No more running out of hot water in the middle of a shower, or having to wait for the water heater to recover. Endless hot water, & saving energy costs at the same time – You’ll wonder why you didn’t get one before! tankless instantaneous water heaters save money & are more energy efficient than tank type water heaters. on demand & water heaters, also called tankless, or instantaneous water heaters are becoming more popular in north america as people are become more concerned about energy conservation. a typical water heater is a storage type unit where 40, 50 or even 60 gallons of water is heated up to the set temperature which could be 120-130 degrees F., & maintains that temperature 24/7 so that the user will have enough hot water for their daily needs. it costs money & energy to keep the water temperature hot all the time, even when we are not using the hot water, so there is a substantial st& by heat loss & energy used to maintain these temperatures. the on dem& water heater only heats up the amount of hot water that you need for that moment, & when you do not require any more hot water, it turns off & therefore saves you energy & money.on dem& water heaters do not have any storage capacity, so they do not have a tank that holds the 40, 50, or 60 gallons, but in fact they have only a very small amount of water inside that flows thru a heating coil. when you need hot water & turn on the hot tap, the water heater senses the water flow & starts up the heater to heat the water as it flows thru the unit. the heating coil is designed to take the cold water that comes into the heater & then heat it up as it flows thru the heater, so that the outlet temperature is hot by the time it comes out of the water heater & flows to your faucet. the most common type of on dem& water heater is the natural gas or propane fired units & when there is a dem& for hot water, the gas flame comes on & very quickly provides hot water. in fact, it is essentially instantaneous, with the only actual delay at the faucet being the time for the hot water to flow thru your water piping from the heater to the faucet.the fact that this type of water heater does not store 40-60 gallons of hot water also is another huge benefit as it takes up hardly any space, & virtually no floor space. the area where the old water heater tank stood is now freed up for whatever else you may

want to use that space for, as the on dem& water heater is wall mounted, freeing up a large amount of floor space.these units are also very energy efficient & can save you 30-50% of your hot water heating energy bill depending on what type of water heater you are replacing & your usage. the initial cost is higher than a conventional tank water heater, but you will recoup your investment in a few short years in savings. although this technology is relatively new in north america, it has been in use in europe for many years where the technology has been well proven.if you are considering an on dem& water heater, it is essential that it be properly sized for your home & for the lifestyle of your family. these water heaters come in different sizes to accommodate various hot water needs & one of the most important aspects

of proper sizing is to calculate the flow rate in gallons per minute of the fixtures that could be used at the same time. the water heater needs to have the capacity to heat up the amount of water that will be required. on dem& water heaters will not only save you money in operating costs, but will provide your family with endless amounts of hot water – no more running out of hot water in the shower, or not having enough to fill your bathtub. every day more homes are converting to on dem& water heaters for their families hot water needs & making their homes more energy efficient in

the process. Editor’s Note: These heaters work beautifully in cun-junction with a Solar Hot Water System, making an even more efficient addition to your home. If you cannot afford Solar Hot Water, at least seriously consider an On Dem& Heater. We have personal experience with both the Rinnai & Aquastar br&s. The Rinnai meets & exceeds our needs. The remote allows us to easily turn even this unit on & off, as needed. Paloma is another recommended maker. We purchased our Rinnai from Perry’s in Bradford. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AlkJtya-iV0&NR=1www.On-Demand-Water-Heaters.net www.On-Demand-Water-Heaters.nethttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n-5rJTomTqE&NR=1 ♻

on-demand hot water

Whether you own or rent, want or need to reduce your spending, there are some definite steps you can take to help! you may not have control over the house structure, win-dows, heating system, but you can choose the light bulbs you use, the showerhead, & if appli-ances get turned off (REALLy OFF!) when not in use…

avoid using electricity for any appliance that produces heat. Making heat from electricity is like watering your lawn with bottled water. It would be very expensive & wasteful to do so. There are much better options. We are not just talking about room heaters, but also electric ranges & ovens, hot plates, skillets, waffle irons, waterbed heaters, the incandescent lightbulb. Most of these appliances can be replaced with less expensive ways to operate, ie: standard lightbulbs only give you back 10% of the energy as visible light. The other 90% disappears as heat. CFL’s give back 80% of their energy as visible light & last over 10 times longer.

If you have a choice to use gas or elec-tric for heating, water heating, or cook-ing, use gas, even if it means buying new appliances. Natural gas bills will be 50-60% lower than electric. Propane gas is 30-40% cheaper than electric. Gas

“All the remote control TV’s in the U.S., when

turned to the “off” position, still use as much energy as the output of one Chernobyl plant.”

- Armory Lovins, The Rocky Mountain Institute

clothes dryers are also more efficient, but a clothesline uses zero energy + your clothes last longer.Phantom Loads! Many appliances use

power even when they are ’off’. Any device that uses a remote control is a ‘phantom load’, so that it can receive the signal from the remote. TV’s use 15-25 watts. VCR’s 5-10 watts. Plug them into a switched outlet or powerstrip that you can turn off. Any appli-ance that has a light on it, such as microwaves, clock radios... are drawing electric! Put that microwave on a powerswitch or unplug it & use ‘recharge-able’ battery powered

clocks. Another big load comes from powercubes on the end of many small appliances or computer components. They are usually warm to the touch because they are sucking electric con-stantly, ie: plug-in flashlights, chargers... They should be unplugged or put on power switches that are switched OFF. Turn that computer, fax machine & components off when not in use. you will save yourself a ton of $ & help lower your carbon footprint, which we all need to do! ♻

YOu have control here!

refrigeration and lighting are typically the largest 120 vac energy consumers in a home (after electric heating loads) and these two areas should be looked at very carefully in terms of getting the most energy efficient units available. when buying an appliance, remember that it has two price tags: what you pay to take it home and what you pay for the energy and water it uses. energy star qualified appliances incorporate advanced technologies that use 10–50% less energy and water than standard models. the electricity you save can more than make up for the cost of a more expensive but more efficient energy star model. replacing a refrigerator bought in 1990 with a new energy star qualified model would save enough energy to light the average household for nearly four months. refrigerators and freezers from the 1970s cost four times more to operate. energy star is a joint program of the u.s. environmental protection agency and the u.s. department of energy helping us all save money and protect the environment through energy efficient products and practices. all major home appliances must meet the appliance standards program set by the us department of energy (doe). Manufacturers must use standard test procedures developed by doe to prove the energy use and efficiency of their products. test results are printed on yellow energyguide label, which manufacturers are required to display on many appliances. this label estimates how much energy the appliance uses, compares energy use of similar products, and lists approximate annual operating costs. your exact costs will depend on local utility rates and the type and source of your energy. energy star refrigerators and freezers use high efficiency compressors, improved insulation, and more precise temperature and defrost mechanisms to improve energy efficiency. energy star qualified refrigerator models use at least 20% less energy than required by current federal standards and 40% less energy than the conventional models sold in 2001. energy star qualified freezer models use at least 10% less energy than required by current federal standards. Qualified freezer models are available in three configurations: • upright freezers with automatic defrost • upright freezers with manual defrost • chest freezers with manual defrost onlyyou may also be interested to know that you can reduce the amount of energy your refrigerator or freezer uses, whether with a standard or an energy star qualified

model: • Position your refrigerator away from a heat source such as an oven, a dishwasher, or direct sunlight from a window. • To allow air to circulate around the condenser coils, leave a space between the wall or cabinets and the refrigerator or freezer and keep the coils clean so that the heat can move away from the unit. • Make sure the door seals are airtight. • Keep your refrigerator between 38 and 40 degrees Fahrenheit and your freezer between 0 and 10 degrees Fahrenheit. • Minimize the amount of time the refrigerator door is open. energy star clothes washers use next generation technology to cut energy and water consumption by over 40% compared to conventional washers. new front load washers tumble clothes through a small amount of water instead of rubbing clothes against an agitator in a full tub. advanced top loaders use sophisticated wash systems to flip or spin clothes through a reduced stream of water. both designs dramatically reduce the amount of hot water used in the wash cycle, and the energy used to heat the water. efficient motors spin clothes two to three times faster during the spin cycle to extract more water. less moisture in the clothes means less time and energy in the dryer or if you hang them out. gas ranges equipped with a power cord are now required to have electronic ignition. this includes all new ranges with the exception of only the very basic models. Most gas ranges with electronic ignition use a glo-bar type ignition in the oven which consumes a significant amount of electricity. this is of particular concern for off-grid households operating with a photovoltaic ( pv ) system. premier gas ranges use an electronic spark ignition for both the cook top as well as the oven. this eliminates the need for a constantly energized glo-bar in the oven and consumes only a small amount of electricity. this type of system, unlike the glo-bar ignition system, also allows the oven to be operated without any electricity. any appliance that operates at 240 vac (such as electric water heaters, cook stoves, furnaces and air conditioners) are expensive loads to run on solar. you should consider using alternatives such as lp or natural gas, solar air heating, and solar water heating for water/space heating or cooking. compact fluorescent lights use a quarter to a third of the power of an incandescent light for the same lumen output and they last ten times longer. these fluorescent lights are now readily available at your

local hardware or discount store. if you plan on having a renewable energy system with a battery bank, consider using a compact fluorescent lights that can be powered directly from the dc voltage of the battery bank (without the use of an inverter, which adds 10 to 20% loss of electricity). when it comes to renewable energy systems, for every dollar you spend replacing your inefficient appliances, you will save three to five dollars in the cost of a renewable energy system to run those appliances. so you can see that energy conservation is crucial and can really pay off when considering a renewable energy system. efficiency vermont provides technical assistance and financial incentives to vermont households and businesses to help them reduce their energy cost with energy-efficient equipment and lighting and with energy-efficient approaches to construction and renovation. effective april 1st, 2009 efficiency vermont is offering a $50.00 rebate on the purchase of new refrigerators that are at least 25% more efficient than the Federal minimum standard. they also offer a $50.00 rebate on qualifying energy star tier 3 washers. to receive the above rebates you must be a vermont utility account holder. recycle older or second refrigerators.u.s. households have 44.5 million fridges over 10 years old, 12.7 million of which are secondary units, often in basements and garages. and almost a quarter of these

fridges are at least 20 years old! Fridges made before 1993 use more than twice the energy of a new energy star qualified model. the u.s. department of energy, encourages every american who owns an old, inefficient refrigerator or freezer to take another step - to save money, energy and the environment by properly recycling that old fridge or freezer. refrigerators and freezers contain refrigerants, oils, and other compounds that, by federal law, must be removed and recovered. then the steel, other metals, and selected parts can be recycled. some recycling programs also capture the foam insulation inside the refrigerator doors for added environmental benefits. the average refrigerator aged 10 years or older contains more than 120 pounds of recyclable steel! the energy saved by recycling one such refrigerator is equivalent to almost 290 kilowatt hours. that’s enough energy to run a new energy star qualified refrigerator for 8 months. The Editor does not find it necessary to power lights with DC. We only use 3.5 kWh/day. Our system will go 5 days before the generator comes on. Awareness is the key. The average Vermonter uses 17kWh/day. Turn off lights when not needed…♻

energy efficient appliances- Submitted by David Perry

Hydro, given the right site, can cost as little as a tenth of a pV system of comparable output.

We are here to help reduce your energy costs !

go green with

Electrolux

from ENERGY STAR Refrigerators,Washers & Dishwashers

173 Main Street

Downtown Bradford, VT

(802) 222-9211

800-654-3344

A Family Business - Locally Owned and Operated - since 1926

PN 240006151 • 5/08

Specifications! Gas Fired Direct Vent Condensing Hot Water Boiler! Uses natural or LP gas! May be installed on combustible flooring

(No Carpets)! 8" clearance to rear, 1" clearance to top, front,

left side, right side and base to combustible construction

! Option of left, right, or rear exit for returnplumbing and gas piping

! 8" clearance to side where exits for air intake,gas, water and electrical installation

! 8" clearance to top, 24"clearance to front and leftside, 12" clearance to rear for service

! 0" clearance for vent and air intake pipes tocombustible clearances

! Water content in heat exchanger is 2.6 gallons

Standard Equipment! Aluminum monoblock boiler with painted

metal and plastic jacket! High limit Aquastat! Circulator (Taco 007 or Grundfos)! Manual reset LWCO! Pressure gauge! Temperature display! 30 psi ASME rated relief valve! Air purge vent! Service switch! Service receptacle outlet! Microprocessor based modulating control! Modulating burner! Modulating automatic gas valve! Modulating blower! Direct Spark Igniter! Manual Reset casting temperature switch! Air proving / blocked vent safety assembly! Integral condensate trap! Outdoor Temperature Sensor with cover! LP Conversion Kit standard

Options! Concentric Vent Kit! AMB Multiple Boiler Control – Outdoor reset, priority

override, lead boiler run time rotation. Available intwo sizes to allow stage firing of up to 8 bases

Connections! 120 Volts AC, 60 hertz, 1 phase, less than 12 amps! Vent pipe and air intake pipe

• Vent Pipe - first 2.5 feet is schedule 80 2" CPVC(provided), then schedule 40 3" PVC

• Air intake – schedule 40 3" PVC! Water In/ Out . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-1/4" NPT! Gas In . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1/2" NPT! Condensate Drain . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1/2" PVC! Vent length runs – minimum of 15 ft.

with a maximum of 100 equivalent ft.

UB95M-200 RATINGSHEATING CAPACITY I=B=R NET AFUE FLUE SHIPPINGMODEL INPUT (MBH) (MBH) RATING (MBH) (%) DIAMETER WEIGHT (LBS.)

UB95M-200Max 200 190 165 95

3" 284Min 80 76 66 95

Natural or Propane Gas-Fired Modulating Condensing Boiler

USA Homeowner Assistance: 866-847-6656

USA Contractor Assistance: 800-325-5479

LEFT SIDE FRONTTOP BACKRIGHT SIDE

307/8"

393/8"

18"

OPENINGFOR TEE

EXHAUST(2" CVPC)

STANDARD SUPPLYOPENING 11/4" NPTCONNECTIONSPROVIDED INSIDEBOILER CABINET

GAS SUPPLYOPENING 1/2" NPT(OPTIONAL)

GAS SUPPLYOPENING 1/2" NPT(OPTIONAL)

AIR VENT INTAKEOPENING 2" NPT(OPTIONAL)

OPENING FORRELIEF VALVEDISCHARGE PIPE

AIR VENT INTAKEOPENING 2" PVC(OPTIONAL)

CONDENSATEDRAIN OPENING 1/2" PVC

WATER RETURNOPENING 11/4" NPTCONNECTION(OPTIONAL)

WATER RETURN OPENING 11/4" NPTCONNECTION(OPTIONAL)

ELECTRICALCONNECTION FOR 120V POWER & 24VTHERMOSTAT LEADS

UB95M•200

P.O. Box 4729 • Utica, New York 13504 Tel. 315-797-1310 • Fax 866-432-7329Web Site: www.uticaboilers.comE-mail: [email protected]

ISO 9001-2000 Certified Company

ECR InternationalAn Brand

MEA #33906-E

Now, more than ever, We share your concernsabout making sure your Heating system &

Appliances are as efficient, reliableand affordable as possible

to ENERGY STAR Heating SystemsAt 95% Efficiency, Utica!s gas-fired UB condensing boilers are the most efficient and reliable Boilers in the industry

new Front Load Washers are 83% more energy efficient and use 56% less water

We are here to help reduce your energy costs !

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from ENERGY STAR Refrigerators,Washers & Dishwashers

173 Main Street

Downtown Bradford, VT

(802) 222-9211

800-654-3344

A Family Business - Locally Owned and Operated - since 1926

PN 240006151 • 5/08

Specifications! Gas Fired Direct Vent Condensing Hot Water Boiler! Uses natural or LP gas! May be installed on combustible flooring

(No Carpets)! 8" clearance to rear, 1" clearance to top, front,

left side, right side and base to combustible construction

! Option of left, right, or rear exit for returnplumbing and gas piping

! 8" clearance to side where exits for air intake,gas, water and electrical installation

! 8" clearance to top, 24"clearance to front and leftside, 12" clearance to rear for service

! 0" clearance for vent and air intake pipes tocombustible clearances

! Water content in heat exchanger is 2.6 gallons

Standard Equipment! Aluminum monoblock boiler with painted

metal and plastic jacket! High limit Aquastat! Circulator (Taco 007 or Grundfos)! Manual reset LWCO! Pressure gauge! Temperature display! 30 psi ASME rated relief valve! Air purge vent! Service switch! Service receptacle outlet! Microprocessor based modulating control! Modulating burner! Modulating automatic gas valve! Modulating blower! Direct Spark Igniter! Manual Reset casting temperature switch! Air proving / blocked vent safety assembly! Integral condensate trap! Outdoor Temperature Sensor with cover! LP Conversion Kit standard

Options! Concentric Vent Kit! AMB Multiple Boiler Control – Outdoor reset, priority

override, lead boiler run time rotation. Available intwo sizes to allow stage firing of up to 8 bases

Connections! 120 Volts AC, 60 hertz, 1 phase, less than 12 amps! Vent pipe and air intake pipe

• Vent Pipe - first 2.5 feet is schedule 80 2" CPVC(provided), then schedule 40 3" PVC

• Air intake – schedule 40 3" PVC! Water In/ Out . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-1/4" NPT! Gas In . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1/2" NPT! Condensate Drain . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1/2" PVC! Vent length runs – minimum of 15 ft.

with a maximum of 100 equivalent ft.

UB95M-200 RATINGSHEATING CAPACITY I=B=R NET AFUE FLUE SHIPPINGMODEL INPUT (MBH) (MBH) RATING (MBH) (%) DIAMETER WEIGHT (LBS.)

UB95M-200Max 200 190 165 95

3" 284Min 80 76 66 95

Natural or Propane Gas-Fired Modulating Condensing Boiler

USA Homeowner Assistance: 866-847-6656

USA Contractor Assistance: 800-325-5479

LEFT SIDE FRONTTOP BACKRIGHT SIDE

307/8"

393/8"

18"

OPENINGFOR TEE

EXHAUST(2" CVPC)

STANDARD SUPPLYOPENING 11/4" NPTCONNECTIONSPROVIDED INSIDEBOILER CABINET

GAS SUPPLYOPENING 1/2" NPT(OPTIONAL)

GAS SUPPLYOPENING 1/2" NPT(OPTIONAL)

AIR VENT INTAKEOPENING 2" NPT(OPTIONAL)

OPENING FORRELIEF VALVEDISCHARGE PIPE

AIR VENT INTAKEOPENING 2" PVC(OPTIONAL)

CONDENSATEDRAIN OPENING 1/2" PVC

WATER RETURNOPENING 11/4" NPTCONNECTION(OPTIONAL)

WATER RETURN OPENING 11/4" NPTCONNECTION(OPTIONAL)

ELECTRICALCONNECTION FOR 120V POWER & 24VTHERMOSTAT LEADS

UB95M•200

P.O. Box 4729 • Utica, New York 13504 Tel. 315-797-1310 • Fax 866-432-7329Web Site: www.uticaboilers.comE-mail: [email protected]

ISO 9001-2000 Certified Company

ECR InternationalAn Brand

MEA #33906-E

09/07/2007 05:58 PMDometic: Gas/ Electrical Refrigerators

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Start About Dometic Press Products Service Contact International

Products

Product overview

Recreation VehicleEquipment

Portable Refrigerators

Dual Energy Refrigerators

Gas/ ElectricalRefrigerators

Marine Equipment

Hotel Equipment

Compact Refrigerators

Commercial VehicleEquipment

Wine Cellars

Leaflets

Start / Products / Dual Energy Refrigerat... / Gas/ Electrical Refrig... / RGE 400

Leaflet Manual FAQ Compare

RGE 400Big capacity Gas and

Electric Refrigerator/

Freezer

A total capacity of 224 litresincluding a separate frozen foodcompartment of 47 litres offersmaximum storage volume. 240V LPGas Refrigerator/ Freezer - 2-doordeLuxe.

Operates on gas and electricity

Rust-proof, wire-grill shelves

Inner door with 4 adjustable racks

Bottom rack with bottle fingers and capacity for 2-litre bottles

Battery powered interior lighting

Ergonomical door handle

Control panel with fuel selector, combined electric and gasthermostat, piezo igniter and flame safety valve

Characteristics

Total gross volume (l) 224

Refrigerator volume (l) 177

Freezer volume (l) 47

Height (mm) 1613

Width (mm) 592

Depth (mm) 673

Weight (kg) 76

Energy consumption @ amb temp +25°C(kWh/24h)

3.9

Energy consumption gas (g/24h) 500

Max input 230V (W) 325

Max input Gas - Propane 30mBar 500

Max input Gas - Propane 37mBar 500

Max input Gas - Propane 50mBar 480

Voltages (V) 120,230

Frequency (Hz) 50, 60

Print

Products

RefrigeratorRGE 400

We stock most all Major Name Brand Appliances as well as Rinnai on demand gas water heaters and Space heaters Premier Gas Ranges & Dometic Propane Refrigerators

09/07/2007 05:58 PMDometic: Gas/ Electrical Refrigerators

Page 1 of 2http://www.dometic.com/templates/Product,20348,1207.aspx

Start About Dometic Press Products Service Contact International

Products

Product overview

Recreation VehicleEquipment

Portable Refrigerators

Dual Energy Refrigerators

Gas/ ElectricalRefrigerators

Marine Equipment

Hotel Equipment

Compact Refrigerators

Commercial VehicleEquipment

Wine Cellars

Leaflets

Start / Products / Dual Energy Refrigerat... / Gas/ Electrical Refrig... / RGE 400

Leaflet Manual FAQ Compare

RGE 400Big capacity Gas and

Electric Refrigerator/

Freezer

A total capacity of 224 litresincluding a separate frozen foodcompartment of 47 litres offersmaximum storage volume. 240V LPGas Refrigerator/ Freezer - 2-doordeLuxe.

Operates on gas and electricity

Rust-proof, wire-grill shelves

Inner door with 4 adjustable racks

Bottom rack with bottle fingers and capacity for 2-litre bottles

Battery powered interior lighting

Ergonomical door handle

Control panel with fuel selector, combined electric and gasthermostat, piezo igniter and flame safety valve

Characteristics

Total gross volume (l) 224

Refrigerator volume (l) 177

Freezer volume (l) 47

Height (mm) 1613

Width (mm) 592

Depth (mm) 673

Weight (kg) 76

Energy consumption @ amb temp +25°C(kWh/24h)

3.9

Energy consumption gas (g/24h) 500

Max input 230V (W) 325

Max input Gas - Propane 30mBar 500

Max input Gas - Propane 37mBar 500

Max input Gas - Propane 50mBar 480

Voltages (V) 120,230

Frequency (Hz) 50, 60

Print

Products

RefrigeratorRGE 400

Propane Refrigerators

Now, more than ever, We shareyour concerns about making sure

your Heating system & Appliances areas efficient, reliable and affordable as possible

to ENERGY STAR Heating SystemsAt 95% Efficiency, Utica!s gas-fired UB condensing boilers are the most efficient and reliable Boilers in the industry

3/19/09 10:54 AMMake your home energy efficient with Home Performance with ENERGY STAR

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Home About Us Press Room Contact Us Site Map

Make your home energyefficient with HomePerformance with ENERGYSTAR

Steps to Success

Learn More about HomePerformance with ENERGYSTAR

Incentives and Financing forHome Performance withENERGY STAR

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Make your home energy efficient with Home Performance withENERGY STAR

Save money and energy with Home Performance with ENERGY STAR®

New incentives and financing options are available in 2009 to help Vermonters improve theenergy efficiency of their homes and replace inefficient heating systems. Moderate and lowerincome Vermonters, Green Mountain Power, and Vermont Gas customers may qualify for anincentive equal to one-third of the installed cost (up to $2,500). These incentives helpVermonters pay for a comprehensive home energy efficiency project completed by anEfficiency Vermont approved Home Performance with ENERGY STAR contractor.

When you're ready to begin your project:

1. Call an Efficiency Vermont specialist at 888-921-5990.2. They'll walk you through the process and determine whether you may qualify for

available incentives3. Your project must be pre-approved by Efficiency Vermont before installation in order

to qualify4. Call Efficiency Vermont at 888-921-5990 to get started.

What Is Home Performance with ENERGY STAR?

Efficiency Vermont supports a network of Home Performance with ENERGY STARcontractors serving Vermont homeowners. These independent contractors are certified by theBuilding Performance Institute to perform energy audits, diagnose building problems such asmoisture, mold, and ice dams, and install the recommended energy efficiency improvements.Efficiency Vermont provides contractor training and quality assurance.

Learn more about energy saving home improvements with ENERGY STAR

Benefits of Home Performance with ENERGY STAR may include:

Incentives and financing options to help you pay for cost-effective efficiencyimprovementsA home that is healthier, more comfortable and has fewer problemsUp to 30% savings on your energy billsExpert technical assistanceAccess to trained and certified contractorsPeace of mind - Efficiency Vermont's quality assurance process ensures thatimprovements can deliver real energy savingsEnvironmental benefits including the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions

An Efficiency Vermont-approved contractor can develop a plan tailored to your home.

Search Site

new Front Load Washers are 83% more energy efficient and use 56% less water

$50.00 Rebate on selectEnergy Star Washers

$40.00 Rebate on selectEnergy Star Refrigerators

Current incentivePrograms :

RinnaiRinnai

We stock most all Major Name Brand Appliances as well as Rinnai on demand

gas water heaters & Space heaters, Premier Ranges & Dometic Gas Refrigerators

George Abetti, Pres., General Manager923 King’s Highway � White River Jct., VT 05001

802-295-9687 � Cell: [email protected] we cover all your

chimney needs…

top hat chimney sweep

peace of mindChimney Cleaning • Safety Inspections

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convenient Serving the Upper Valley and Lake Sunapee Area

800-821-1162 • 802-333-4789www.tophatchimneysweep.net

Call Us Today Memberof National VT & NH Guilds

Installation of Green Mountain Soapstone

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8 Center ads May 4, 2009

The Greenest Way to Get Around Town How far from home are your farmers’ market, coffee shop, grocery store & workplace? Chances are, not very. According to the League of American Bicyclists, 25% of all trips are made within a mile of the home, & 50% of the working population commutes five miles or less to work. yet, more than 82% of trips five miles or less are made by personal motor vehicles.

With the majority of automobile emissions released when a car is started, these short trips are especially polluting. Not to mention they’re the easiest to take on two wheels. Next time you head out the door, especially for a close-to-home trip, think about walking or biking, according to season.

GO SOLAR WITH VERMONT’SMOST TRUSTED SOLAR PROVIDER

462 Solar Drive • Hyde Park, VT 05655 • (802) 888-7194www.independentpowerllc.com • [email protected]

Make your own renewable energy, protect yourself against utility rate hikes - and get tax breaks for doing it! Independent Power offers:

• A-to-Z solar PV analysis, design & installation• 20 years experience - more than 300 systems• Highest rate of customer satisfaction in VT

GRID-TIE • OFF-GRID • HOT WATEROwner Dave Palumbo isNABCEP-Certified

Ready to go solar?Ask about our free

one-hour solarconsultation

30% Tax Credit for Renewable Energy Systems!Ask about state and local rebates as well.

Solar ElectricitySolar Hot Water SystemsWind and Hydro Systems

High-efficiency appliancesComposting and Recycling

Books, Toys and more

Your Local Green Energy Team:Cavendish, VT Cavendish Solar Store 802-226-7093Claremont, NH Clear Mountain Solar Store 603-543-9900Enfield, NH Enfield Energy Emporium 603-632-1263Groton, VT Green Works Solar Store 802-584-4977Keene, NH Green Energy Options 603-358-3444

• Idling your vehicle pollutes, wastes fuel, and contributes to climate change.

• Idling a car more than 10 seconds uses MORE fuel than turning the engine off and on.

• Warm up by driving slowly, warming the transmission, wheel bearings, and engine.

• Idling produces more than twice the normal harmful emissions and damages your engine by depositing

residues from incomplete combustion. • When you are Idling, your Fuel economy is ZERO.

May 4, 2009 Center ads 9

440 Old Stagecoach Rd.

Batteries are the ‘engine’ of an

off grid or emergency

back-up system. Installing and maintaining

them properly means a long,

problem-free life for your system.

disconnected from the electrical utility company sometimes have outlets which provide DC elec-tricity. The Editor feels this is definitely not neces-sary with today’s technology! This is because most alternative energy systems store their energy in batteries which use DC electricity. To convert this electricity into AC electricity requires the use of a inverter, to convert the DC to AC electricity. People living off grid will often use only appli-ances and devices which can run directly off of the DC electricity a battery bank can provide. The downside is that most common appliances only work with 120 or 220 volts AC. Again, the editor disagrees with any need to use DC. The invert-ers today run effortlessly, which allow you to use normal Energy Star appliances without a glitch.How Do solar Cells generate eleCtriC?

Photovoltaics or PV for short can be thought of as a direct current (DC) electricity generator powered by the sun. When light photons of sufficient energy strike a solar cell, they knock electrons free in the silicon crystal structure forcing them through an external circuit (battery, inverter or direct DC load), and then returning them to the

other side of the solar cell to start the pro-cess all over again.The voltage output from a single crystalline solar cell is about 0.5V with an amperage output that is directly proportional to the cell’s surface area (approximately 7A for a 6 inch square multi-crystalline solar cell).Typically 30-36 cells are wired in series (+ to -) in each solar module.This produces a solar module with a 12V nominal output (~17V at peak power) that can then be wired in series and/or parallel with other solar modules to form a complete solar array.Can solar eleCtriC Panels (PV) be useD for water or sPaCe Heating?

No! Well, not without great expense. Photo-voltaics (solar electric panels) convert the sun’s energy into DC electricity at a relatively low efficiency level (14-17%), so trying to oper-ate a high power electric heating element from solar electric panel array would be very inefficient and expensive. Solar ther-mal and passive solar design is the direct heating of air or water from the heat of the sun and is much more efficient (55-85%) for heating applications than solar electric panels. ♻

10 Batteries & eleCtriCal May 4, 2009

The amount of flow of electricity is called amperage or “current” and is measured in amperes, or “amps”(A) for short.

A battery stores your electricity. If you flip a switch connecting batteries to a light bulb or some other load, electricity begins to flow. The higher the voltage of a battery bank, the greater the “pressure” of the electrons flow-ing the wire. As electricity is drained from the battery, the pressure (voltage) slowly drops.

A nominal 12-volt battery has most of its stored electricity available from just below 12 volts to 12.6 volts. Once the battery is drained below 12 volts, there’s little amper-age that remains.

A solar electric panel (PV module) needs to be able to produce at least 15 to 16 volts in order to charge a 12 volt battery.Power is Voltage MultiPlieD by aMPerage

Electrical power (the ability to do work) is a function of pressure (voltage) and current (amperage). Double either one and you double the power the current is carrying through the circuit. The actual formula for calculating power is quite basic - simply multiply the voltage by the amperage. Power = Volts x Amps. This formula is known as Ohm’s Law. The watt (W) is the measure of the power of electricity and will be our basic unit of measure for determin-ing the size of our electrical loads.

A 1 watt load that is powered for one hour will consume one watt-hour (Wh) of power. A 100 watt load powered for 2 hours will consumer 200 watt-hours. And so on.

A 100-watt load could consist of a 12-volt appliance drawing 8.3 amperes or it might consist of a 120-volt appliance drawing .82 amperes (120V x 0.83A = 100W). And so on.

Another unit of measure that you will come across is the kilowatt (Kw). A kilowatt is 1000 watts. A kilowatt-hour could result from a 100-watt load being power for 10 hours or a 1000-watt load being powered for just 1 hour.

wHat is tHe DifferenCe between aC & DC? Electricity flows in two ways: either in alternating current or AC and in direct current or DC. The difference between AC and DC has to do with the direction in which the electrons flow. In DC, the electrons flow steadily in a single direction, or “forward.” In AC, electrons keep switching (alternating) directions, sometimes going “forwards” and then going “backwards.”

The power that comes from our wall out-lets is AC, the more common type of electric-ity. However, homes which are completely

about batteriesBatteries provide electrical storage in

renewable energy (RE) systems. If you want to use your electricity anytime other than when the system is producing it, you will need batteries. It’s also true that if you have a wind turbine or solar panel array that is connected directly to the Utility Grid with-out batteries, you will not be able to use the power they produce during a grid power outage. If you need to be able to use power at any time, you need batteries.

deep cycle batteriesBatteries used in RE systems are differ-

ent from car batteries and that difference is critical. RE systems by nature are cyclical: energy is captured and stored, then later consumed, in a (usually) regular charge cycle. For example, in a battery-based solar electric system, the energy produced daily by the solar panels is stored in the battery bank, which is then used by loads at night or on not-so-sunny days. This repetitive pro-cess subjects the batteries to a slow, daily charge and discharge pattern. Car batter-ies are not meant to be used in this way. They can release a great deal of their stored energy at once, to start the engine, then they immediately receive a rapid recharge from the car’s alternator. They’re not meant to recover their charge slowly, as would happen in a solar electric system. A car bat-tery in a RE system would quickly die and need to be replaced. Deep cycle batteries, on the other hand, can be gradually dis-charged by as much as half of their capacity and will patiently await gradual recharge. When properly maintained, a deep cycle battery can last 10 years.

There are two divisions and three main types of deep cycle batteries used in RE sys-tems. The divisions are flooded and sealed batteries. Flooded batteries use a fluid elec-trolyte, have ports to access their cells’ fluid reservoirs, and require maintenance (adding fluid). Sealed batteries use non-fluid electro-lyte contained in inaccessible cells. There’s only one flooded type: flooded lead-acid batteries. Sealed batteries include AGM bat-teries and gel cell batteries.

flooded lead-acid (fla) BatteriesFlooded lead-acid batteries, also called

“wet cells”, are commonly used in solar, wind and hydroelectric RE systems. They are often the least expensive type of deep cycle battery and can last the longest. They also come in a wide range of sizes. In FLA batteries, a sulphuric acid solution is the electrolyte which reacts with the lead plates in the cells to produce electricity. When FLA batteries are recharged or equalized, the electrolyte fluid boils, producing hydrogen and oxygen gases in a normal process called “outgassing”. These gases may escape the cells through the filler/vent caps, creating two problems: the fluid loss means that the fluid level in the battery goes down, poten-tially exposing the normally “flooded” lead plates—not a good thing. So using FLA batteries in your system means that you are committed to regularly monitoring and maintaining them by adding distilled water to each cell as needed. Water Miser vent caps

can help prevent some moisture escape, thus reducing watering frequency. The other problem is the presence and accu-mulation of explosive gases. Hydrogen and oxygen gases are extremely danger-ous and must be properly vented—to the outside air. So it’s clear that with FLA batteries, battery maintenance is an essential part of system maintenance.

sealed batteriesOne great advantage of sealed bat-

teries is that they can be placed in any orientation: upright, on their sides, and, in some cases, even upside-down. In a sealed battery, the electrolyte is sus-pended in either an absorbed glass mat (AGM) or in a gel. Sealed batteries cost more than flooded lead-acid batteries and don’t last as many charging cycles; however, they are the preferred choice for applications requiring frequent battery handling, or where the system needs to be left unattended in a remote location. Like FLA batteries, sealed bat-teries have vents to allow hydrogen to escape when necessary, though this should not normally occur. The differ-ence is that because the batteries are sealed, there is no way to replace the escaped moisture by adding water to the cells; that’s why a sealed battery won’t last as long as an FLA battery. Gel cell batteries have traditionally been a bit more expensive than AGM batteries; however, they have the unique advan-tage of performing better in very cold temperatures or in very deep-discharge applications.

In most cases, FLA batteries are an excellent choice for RE systems because of their cost-effectiveness, particularly for those systems which require a lot of energy storage. But FLA batteries do require maintenance! Regular monitor-ing and maintenance will ensure your system functions properly and your batteries live a long, healthy life. On the other hand, if you’re using the bat-teries in a remote area where regular maintenance is not possible, sealed batteries will be a better option. Fur-thermore, sealed batteries conform to situations with space constraints that require you to store your batteries in unusual orientations or where venting is not possible.

All batteries are sized based on their nominal voltage and Amp-hour Capaci-ty (Ah) of storage. For an off-grid system, the nominal voltage of the battery bank must match that of the solar array unless you are using an MPPT charge controller that can accept a higher input voltage than the battery bank voltage. Sizes vary greatly. The smallest batteries hold less than 20 Ah; the largest approach 2,000 Ah of storage. Usually, these very large batteries are only 2 volts each. If you want to use them in a 48-Volt system, you will need 24 of them, wired in series. Such large batteries could weigh 200-300 pounds or more. Often size and weight constraints affect the final bat-tery choice. ♻

batteries & electrical

12- 24- 48 VOlTs?The PV industry really began with the 12V

radio communications market. These systems were typically small (1-2 solar modules) and had all 12 VDC loads. As the solar industry matured and entered the home market, systems became much larger (16+ solar modules) and no longer used DC loads exclusively. Most home systems today are 24 or 48 VDC since the higher system voltage gives you a lot more flexibility as to how far away you can place your solar modules from the battery bank as compared to a 12V system. For a given power output, a higher system volt-age reduces your amperage flow (but not your power) which allows you to use a smaller & less expensive gauge wire for your solar to battery and battery to inverter wire runs. Of course, if you already have a lot of 12VDC loads, that may be your deciding factor as to what voltage you set your system up at. Most grid-tie systems operate at 48 volts or higher. ♻

electricity Basics

By National Renewable Energy Laboratorywater heating accounts for a substantial portion of energy use. solar water heating systems can efficiently provide up to 80% of the hot water needs.solar water heating is a reliable & renewable energy tech-nology used to heat water. sunlight strikes & heats an “absorber” surface within a “solar collector” or an actual storage tank. either a heat-transfer fluid or the actual po-table water to be used flows through tubes attached to the absorber & picks up the heat from it. (systems with a sepa-rate heat-transfer-fluid loop include a heat exchanger that then heats the potable water.) the heated water is stored in a separate preheat tank or a conventional water heater tank until needed. if additional heat is needed, an on-dem& heater is ideal.although solar water heating systems all use the same basic method for capturing & transferring solar energy, they do so with three technologies that distinguish different collectors & systems. the distinctions are important because different water heating needs in various locations are best served by certain types of collectors & systems.• Low-temperature unglazed systems operate at up to 18°F above ambient temperature, & are most often used for heating swimming pools. Mid-temperature systems produce water 18 to 129°F above outside temperature, & are most often used for heating domestic hot water (dhw). however, it is also possible to use mid-temperature solar hot water collectors for space heating in conjunction with fan-forced convection or radi-ant floors.• Mid-temperature collectors are usually flat plates insulated by a low-iron cover glass & fiberglass or polyisocyanurate insulation. reflection & absorption of sunlight in the cover glass reduce the efficiency at low temperature differences, but the glass is required to retain heat at higher tempera-tures. a copper absorber plate with copper tubes welded to the fins is used. in order to reduce radiant losses from the collector, the absorber plate is often treated with a black nickel selective surface, which has a high absorptivity, but a low-emissivity. Mid-temp. systems range in cost from $90 to $120/sq. ft. of collector area.• High-temperature systems utilize evacuated tubes around the receiver tube to provide high levels of insulation & often

use focusing curved mirrors to concentrate sunlight. high temperature systems are required for absorption cooling or electricity generation, but are used for mid-temper-ature applications such as commercial or institutional water heating as well. due to the tracking mechanism required to keep the focusing mirrors facing the sun, high-temperature systems are usually very large & mounted on the ground adjacent to a facility. evacuated tube collec-tors themselves cost about $75/sq. ft., but use of curved mirrors & economies of scale get this cost down for large system sizes to a relatively low cost of $40-70/sq. ft.in addition to solar collectors, all solar hot water systems have thermal storage, system controls, & a conventional back-up system.For small systems, storage is most often in the form of glass-lined steel tanks.conventional back-up heater solar water heaters save en-ergy by preheating water to the conventional heater. solar dhw systems are usually designed to meet 40% to 70% of the water-heating load. a back-up, conventional heater is still needed to meet 100% of the peak hot water demand for cloudy days.solar water heating systems should be designed to mini-mize life-cycle cost. it is never cost-effective to design a system to provide 100% of the load with solar because of the excessive investment in collector area and storage volume. Minimize life-cycle cost by designing a system that meets 100% of the load on the sunniest day of the year. such a system will usually produce about 70% of the annual load. other design considerations include maintenance, freeze protection, overheating protec-tion, aesthetics of the collector mount, and orientation. also, util-ity rebate programs may impose addi-tional design require-ments. ♻

May 4, 2009 solar hot water/plumBinG & heatinG 11

solar hot water plumbing & heatingmasonry Heaters

1. Properly locate the solar collectors. The best annual energy de-livery is achieved by facing toward the equator with a tilt up from the horizontal equal to the local latitude. Recent studies show that adequate performance may be obtained with tilt angles and orientations that vary considerably. In the USA, for max perfor-mance, collectors should be rotated within 30° of true (not mag-netic) south. Surfaces tilted up from the horizontal at an angle of latitude minus 15° maximize summer solar gains, but reduce win-ter gains. Surfaces tilted up at latitude plus 15° maximize winter solar gains and result in a solar delivery that is uniform through-out the year; such a tilt angle may be the best choice for solar water heating systems, as it can reduce the risk of summertime overheating while maximizing use of limited wintertime sunlight. It is usually acceptable to mount the collectors flush on a pitched roof close to the optimal orientation as possible in order to reduce installed cost and improve aesthetics. Resource maps and tables of solar resource information throughout the U.S. are post-ed at the Solar Radiation Resource Information Center(SRIC).

2. Protect against freezing. Damage can be caused if water freezes in the collector flow pas-sages or connecting piping. There are several strategies for prevention of freeze damage. The most common is to circulate a solution of propylene glycol (never use toxic ethylene glycol) and water in the collector loop of an indirect system. Another strategy is to drain the water from the collector back into a small drain-back tank. This drain-back configuration has the added advantage of protecting the system from excessive temperatures if hot water con-sumption is reduced due to seasonal use patterns, remodeling, or vacations. Where freezing is uncommon, a controller function that simply circulates water in the collector loop when temperatures approach freezing in conjunction with freeze protection values may be ade-quate.

3. Provide a tempering valve and bypass capability The tempering valve is very important to assure consistent temperature water is delivered at the taps. Bypass piping and valves allow the conventional system to provide hot water if the solar heating system is down for any reason.

4. Provide periodic maintenance for all systems Check for obvious damage such as broken collector glazing or wet pipe insulation. Ck pH and freeze point of heat transfer fluid. Ck con-trol temperature sensors against thermometers to be sure sensors are functioning. Ck proper pump operation, etc. Ck the preheat tank temperature, it should be hot after a sunny day.

Preliminary Screening To determine if your project is a possible candidate for solar hot water heating use Federal Renewable Energy Screening Assistant (FRESA) software. Developed by NREL, this software tool screens federal renewable energy projects for economic feasibility. It is able to evaluate many renewable technologies including solar hot water, photovoltaics, and wind.

Alternate financing is available for solar hot water systems: Energy Savings Performance Contracting (ESPC) and utility pro-grams including: DOE’s Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP) has established an Indefinite Quantity Contract (IQC) under which any Federal agency can issue Delivery Orders for parabolic trough solar water heating systems in an ESPC ar-rangement. See FEMP’s Solar Thermal Concentrating Super ESPC. Several utilities offer rebates, leases, or other solar water heating programs. A complete listing of incentives is provided in the Database of State Incentives for Renewable Energy. ♻

Design a solar H20 system

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MASONRy HEATERS are heat stor-ing fireplaces. They have been used for centuries in Finland, Sweden, and Russia. The heat from a short hot fire is trans-ferred to the masonry mass, which then radiates for 24 hrs or more. A Masonry Heater… burns a load of wood fast and clean, in excess of 1500F degrees, meaning maximum combustion efficiency,very low emis-sions, and zero creosote • stores heat from the complete combustion of wood in the ceramic coreand in the masonry facing • radiates heat all day from one short burn • is made entirely of ceramic and stone, and the warmth is just like sunshine • is a unique work of art hand crafted by a local mason • can be made of a wide variety of materials including brick, fieldstone, Soapstone, Granite, and Ceramic Tile • can be designed to heat over 2000 sq. ft. of living space • can incorporate do-mestic hot water baking, cooking, and

heated benches • heats long after the fire goes out, so you can leave the house or go to bed without concern for an untended fire. ♻

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solarfest’s place in the sunFifteen years ago, the idea of a solar-powered music and renewable energy festival seemed, if not revolutionary, then at least “way out there.” but the right idea at the right time attracts its own energy; and each year more and more people find their way to solarFest as attendees, workshop presenters, exhibitors, vendors and passionate volunteers. as “green” becomes mainstream, so does solarFest’s reputation as a reliable, comprehensive and fun place to learn about all aspects of sustainability.For three days (July 10-12), on an idyllic horse farm in tinmouth vermont, the “alternative” becomes the mainstream. thousands of people from all over the country come to solarFest to enjoy world-class music, innovative workshops, inspirational keynotes and unparalleled fun, powered entirely with renewable energy. the electricity for our two stages, six workshop tents and huge vendor arena comes from solarFest’s permanent pv array and our installed-each-year mega pv system and small wind turbine. For those interested in obtaining comprehensive knowledge and skills in solar energy technology and installation, solarFest offers a week-long in-depth pre-festival pv workshop run by long-time leaders in the field of solar power, richard gottlieb and carol levin. this intensive workshop provides participants with real hands-on experience - the opportunity to create and install the festival’s complex power system. but register soon, as this small intensive class fills up quickly.during this three-day festival, over 70 workshops are offered in five educational tracks. renewable energy and green building workshops, taught by knowledgeable green builders, veteran renewable energy entrepreneurs and installers, and leading visionaries, provide innovative and informative presentations for both the novice and the experienced. Festival attendees looking to develop their personal or professional skills in these areas will not be disappointed, as workshops on topics such as solar hot water, straw bale construction, small scale wind projects, and active and passive solar homes are offered throughout the three days.

but solarFest is not just for those with a desire to learn the ins and outs of renewable energy and green building. our sustainable agriculture workshops provide gardeners and “eaters” with information on topics as diverse as season extension, beekeeping and the development of sustainable food systems. our thriving locally track offers an array of practical, as well as thought-provoking, sessions about sustainability. we even offer a workshop track designed specifically for young people, appropriately titled the solar generation. these workshops provide our pre-teen through 20-something attendees with hands-on skills and inspiration to prepare them to take their places as leaders in a world that embraces renewable energy and community values. there is no doubt solarFest is the region’s premier educational experience – presented within the fun and celebratory environment of a music and arts festival. From mid-day until midnight, top-notch musical acts grace both our Main and Family stages. a singer-songwriter contest showcases up-and-coming performers from all over the country, as they vie for the coveted prize of performing on solarFest’s Main stage. theater-in-the-woods, a long-standing festival favorite, highlights the talent of the youngest members of our solarFest community as they perform original productions with playful but powerful messages. and you will not want to miss our world-class professional light show, as it dramatically demonstrates the sun’s awesome power.For 15 years, solarFest has been a family-friendly event that has something for everyone, at a remarkably low price. a three-day ticket gives you access to everything solarFest has to offer – music, education, theater, demonstrations, exhibitors – and costs less than $50. children under 12 are free. the time for change is now. come to solarFest and experience the power of positive energy! it’s the best place to learn what you, your business, your family and your community can do to be on the leading edge of this change. visit www.solarfest.org for more information. ♻

by Carol Tashie and Melissa Chestnut-Tangerman

f e d e r a l tax Credits for enerGy effiCienCy improvements

audits & inCentives for enerGy effiCienCy

SERG continues to provide Home Performance Assessments, including blower door tests, infra-red scans and a detailed report on how you can improve your home’s health, comfort, safety and energy efficiency. you can find more detail on SERG’s website at the “Residential Assessment and Survey” link. Fill in the first 2 items on the survey and it will automatically calculate how effi-ciently your home is heating. Many folks dodged a bullet this year as fuel prices fell, while others

have been hammered as they locked in at high prices for the season. Rest assured that fuel prices will rise again. Take this opportunity to tighten up your home to save energy and money.

There are a wide variety of state incentives in VT. They come from a variety of sources and are too complex to detail here, but you can get

information on the broad array of incentives by contacting Efficiency Vermont. Call your local bank to see if they offer low interest loans for energy efficiency retrofits. ♻

2009 federal tax inCentives for enerGy effiCienCy

you can find a summary of 2009 fed-eral tax credits for energy efficient doors, windows, insulating material, geo-thermal units, solar hot water and PV systems, and biomass (i..e. wood) stoves (including pellet stoves) at: http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=products.pr_tax_credits#c1

Here is a link to a Consumer Reports blog about these credits: http://blogs.consumerre-ports.org/home/2008/12/energy-credits.html. info: www.energytaxincentives.org. ♻

Great news: Congress reinstated the tax credits for improving your home’s energy efficiency and the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act expanded the amount of those tax credits! For 2009 and 2010, you can take a tax credit for 30% of the cost, up to $1,500, for approved replacement doors and windows, insula-tion, biomass stoves, and more. Better yet, tax credits for 30% of the cost, with no

upper limit, are available through 2016 for qualifying geothermal heat pumps, solar panels, solar water heaters, small wind energy sys-tems, and fuel cells. To find out more about what improvements qualify for the federal tax credits, visit www.energystar.gov and click on the Tax Credits for Energy Efficiency link at the bottom left of the homepage. For information on State tax credits contact

Efficiency Vermont at 888-921-5990 or the NH Office of Energy and Planning, (603)-271-6359. (thanks to Alice Stewart form TEC for this info.) ♻

federal stimulus funds in vt anD nh

VT and NH have each received tens of millions of dollars for their Weatherization Assistance, State Energy and Conservation Block Grant Programs. Each state is in the process of working out how these funds will be dispersed to these various programs. More information will be forthcoming over

the coming weeks and months. When they have any information,it will be posted at: Vermont: www.recovery.vermont.gov New Hampshire: www.nh.gov/oep ♻ ~ Contributed from SERG. Thx, Bob!

12 Community/inCentives May 4,, 2009

Green energy times asked Natural Design/Build’s owner, Ben Graham to describe a Natural Builder… Ben replied: “I would describe natural building as considering the ecological, social and biological health of your project above all else. Natural building projects are known for using local materials that are minimally processed and retain their original feel.

In the Northeast these include clay paints, plasters and floors, light clay infill walls, timber frames and site harvested wood frames and finishes, strawbale walls, thatch, slate and wood shingle roofs, wattle and daub walls dry stone walls and more.

Natural building is low impact construction that is in harmony with nature and works towards regenerative and healthful practices.” Ben is owner of Natural Design/Build in Plainfield, Vermont. He is not only a builder, but also teaches at Yestermorrow School. ♻

Wind & hydro energy sources are most often developed as a

booster or bad-weather helper for a solar-based-system.

These hybrid systems have the advantage of being better able to

cover power needs throughtout the year & are less expensive than

a similar capacity system using only one power source.

A voluntary statewide programencouraging everyone to save energy and reduce annual greenhouse gasemissions by at least 10 percent.

Accept the Challenge! Sign-up atwww.10percentchallenge.org andcalculate your household and business emissions online.

Begin taking actions today to reduce energy use and solidwaste. Worried about yourtransportation impact? Try using alternative transportation forcommuting and errands at leasttwice a week (e.g., walk, bike, carpool, bus or telecommute)

CCA collaborates with other entities to help make it fun and easy to save energy at home andin the workplace. Two exciting spring projects include: Way toGo! Commuter Challenge and Vermont Lawn Mower Exchange.

Links to TransportationAction

Way to Go! Commuter Challengewww.waytogovt.org

Go Vermontwww.connectingcommuters.org

Vehicle Idlingwww.idlefreevt.org

Real success requires hard work and dedication

There is no "magic bullet" or quick way to long-term carbon emissions reduction. Real success requires hard work and dedication on your part, but it will be worth it. You must be willing to make sacrifices for a carbon-friendly lifestyle: less mindless energy use, a few minutes to plan your commute and efficient transportation choices, and exploring significant long-termreductions to energy use and waste.

Get rid of the thought that consumption of resources comes easy to everyone but you. We can help Vermont move away from its dependence on fossil fuels by using less and invest those savings into energy efficiency and renewable energy solutions. The truth is that those who are successful work each and every day to be so.

Way to Go! Commuter Challenge is a one week event encouraging everyone to use a cheaper, healthier more earth-friendly transportation alternative. Sign up as an individual, business, school or community and walk, pedal, carpool or bus your way to a cleaner environment and, along the way, save money and create a healthier lifestyle too, May 4-8th atwww.waytogovt.org.

Curbing your car habitsGroup your errandsPlan ahead, bring your lunch to work, school or playTalk to co-workers, neighbors and friends about carpoolingPost a street map to encourage carpooling to and from your workplace--Ask co-workersto identify their home locationsDesign your work schedule to avoid out of workplace trips at least two days a weekBe aware of driving habits [rabbit starts, gliding to and between a stops, avoidunnecessary idling]

Tired of your old, polluting gas lawn mower? Deep discounts for cleaner option

Want a cleaner, quieter, and more efficient option? Here’s your chance to get a brand new Neuton® Battery-Powered Mower from Country Home Products - based in Vergennes, Vermont- at a greatly discounted price ($150 discount, while supplies last (14” model for $264 and $370 for 19” model) , and to recycle your old gas guzzler for free. Learn more about “Easy Tips for Healthy Lawns” and how to get a discounted mower at one of the three upcoming one-dayevents www.10percentchallenge.org or www.neutonpower.com/VT. All three events will be held on Saturdays from 9-1:00 p.m. [May 2 – Middlebury; May 9 – Brattleboro; and May 16 –Upper Valley, Hartford].

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• Greater efficiency - reduced installation cost - faster payback

• superior performance in wet clay soils

• easily expanded.• impressed current protection insures system will never rust

802.373.7793 Jim Lyman, technicianwww.technometaLpost.com monkton, Vermont

May 4, 2009 hydro power 13

Despite the careful design needed to produce the best performance, a micro hydro system isn’t complicated. The system is not difficult to operate & maintain. Its lifespan is measured in decades. Micro hydro power is almost always more cost-effective than any other form of renewable power. Who should buy a micro hydro sys-tem? In North America, micro hydro is cost-effective for any off-grid site that has a suit-able water resource, & even for some that are on-grid. Homeowners without utility power have three options: purchasing a renewable energy system, extending the utility transmis-sion line, or buying a gasoline or diesel generator. Transmission line extension can be expensive because its cost depends on dis-tance & terrain. Even the initial cost of a hydro system may be lower. A gasoline generator may be cheaper to purchase but is expensive to operate & maintain. The life-cycle cost of the hydro system (3-25 ¢/kWh) is much lower than that of a generator (60-95 p/kWh). Once the hydro system is paid for, there’s no monthly electricity bill & minimal main-tenance costs. Since utility rates tend to rise, the value of the power increases, making your investment“inflation-proof.”It is estimated that only 5% of the population in North America is fortu-nate enough to have a location suitable for generating microhydro electric power. To take advantage of this form of renew-able energy, you need a river or stream that provides sufficient water flow rate & head. Head is the vertical distance between where you would divert the water to your turbine & where it would re-emerge to be joined back with the original water source. you can have heads as low as 6 ft. (2 meters) but you will need to have relatively high flow rates to generate any significant power. To estimate the amount of in-stantaneous power (watts) you could

- Washington St. Dept of Ecology

If a flow meter is not avail-able or a rough estimate is ade-quate, you can measure flow by using a float. The float can be any buoyant object, such as an orange or a partially filled plas-tic water bottle. It needs to be heavy enough so that about an inch of it is below the water line. (Don’t use glass or any material that may cause problems if you can’t retrieve the float after the measurement.)

Measure off at least 50 ft. along the bank of a straight sec-tion of stream. If possible, string a rope across each end of the 50-foot length

1. Estimate the cross-sectional area of the stream at one of these ends by using the total stream width & the average depth. (Calculate the average depth from depths measured at 1- to 2-foot intervals.)

Total width (ft) x Average depth (ft) = area (ft2)

2. Release the float at the upstream site. Using a stopwatch, record the time it takes to reach the downstream tape. (If the float moves too fast for an accurate measure-ment, measure off 75 or 100 ft. instead of 50). Repeat the measurement two more times for a total of three measurements.

3. Calculate the velocity as distance traveled divided by the average amount of time it took the float to travel the distance.

If the distance roped off is 50 ft & the orange took an average of 100 sec. to get there, the velocity is 0.5 ft/sec.

4. Correct for the surface versus mid-depth velocity by multiplying the sur-face velocity by 0.85. 0.5 x 0.85 = 0.43 ft/sec

5. Calculate the discharge in cubic ft/sec. (cfs) by multiplying velocity (ft/sec) by the cross-sectional area (ft2) of the stream. 0.43 ft/sec x 10.73 ft2 = 4.62 cfs

6. Now convert cfs to gal/min. (gpm) 4.62 cfs x 7.4805 gal/ft3 x 60 sec/min = 2073.6 gal/min (ie. 2073.6 gpm). ♻ MORE HYDRO IN THE SPRING ISSUE!

- written by Paul Cunningham & Barbara Atkinson

micro-hydro power

GeoExchange is the industry’s term used to describe an alternative to traditional oil- gas- or coal-fired heating, ventilation and air condition-ing systems (HVAC). A geothermal system in-stalled in an average-sized home reduces fossil fuel emissions as much as taking two cars off the road, or planting an acre of trees. The idea is to take advantage of the ground heating and cooling properties (the same prop-erties that make any basement cooler in the sum-mer and warmer in the winter) to heat or cool entire buildings. The Thermo Post system is a Techno Metal Post combined with an internal patented ther-mo sheath that performs the heat transfer with the ground. As a fluid is circulated through the Thermo Post, the heat is attracted from the sur-rounding ground or is dissipated into it. The fluid returns to the heat pump or other exchanger to heat or cool down a building. The Thermo Post system performs heat ex-change with the soil through steel which is more efficient than plastic. As a result, the length of heat exchanger will be shorter for equivalent performance. This new technology is ideal for re-stricted or limited areas such as residential zones. Finally, the Thermo Post System is rustproof with

cathodic protection that can assure long life to the system. We talked with Jim Lyman of Techno Metal Post of Vermont and learned about this new Hydro system. Jim says: “This is the most energy efficient vertical loop system available today. In the Thermo Post the water is in direct contact with the inside of the steel pipe for maximum thermal transfer. In the vertical drilled well type the water runs through a plastic pipe loop inside the well casing. Consequently, the Thermo Post system requires 2-3 times less length of pipe to achieve the same result. The ThermoPost System requires between five to eight 10 foot posts per ton of heating/cooling depend-ing on moisture levels in the soil. The wetter the soil, the faster the thermal exchange takes place and the fewer the posts needed. Since the system requires no combustion, savings of up to 70% on heating/cooling expenses can be real-ized. Advantages of the Thermo Post system:• Can be installed in areas where a big rig can’t get to.• Greater efficiency means reduced installation cost and faster payback.• Superior performance in wet clay soils.• System can be easily expanded by simply adding more posts to the group.• Impressed current or cathodic protection insures the system will never rust.• System can be used with just a circulator pump to keep a garage, camp, warehouse etc. above freezing during the winter.” It also works well for Radiant heat in floors. ♻

geoexCHange teCHnology

Determine Flow

generate from your location multiply the head (in ft.) by the flow rate (in US gal-lons per minute) & then divde by ten: Head (ft.) x Flow (US gpm) / 10 = Output (Watts) For example, let’s say you had a site which had a head of 60 ft. & 100 gallons per minute. your instantaneous power available would be 60 x 100 / 10 = 600 Watts. This may not sound like a lot of power, however, remember that in most cases the river is flowing all day & all night long. As a result, to estimate the total daily energy being produced you would multi-ply the 600 watts times 24 hours, which equals 14,400 watt-hours. Over the period of a month

(~30 days) that would be 432,000 watt-hours (or 432 kilowatt-hours). This particular scenario would pro-vide enough electricity to power most energy efficient homes. Determing flow rate of a stream or a river is usually more challenging than determining the head. One method for determin-ing the flow rate is to see how quickly the stream fills up a bucket of a known volume (e.g. a 5 gallon bucket). For instance, if a five gallon bucket can be filled up in 10 sec., then you know that over a period of a minute (60 sec.) there would be 35 gallons (5 gallons x 6 re-fills of the bucket in a minute), or 35 gal-lons per minute (gpm). This meth-od is somewhat challenging as you sometimes need to dam up & di-

vert the stream entirely through a single tube that outputs into your bucket of known qty. Another method for estimating the flow rate of a river or stream is to figure out how how fast the water is travel through a particular cross-section. To do this you need to find a length of the stream which is relatively consistent in its width & depth. Measure what those cross-sectional dimen-sions are (width & depth). Then at the be-ginning of that known stretch of the stream drop in a floating object such as a ball or stick & time how long it takes to float to the other end of that known stretch. With this info, you can estimate the total float rate. ♻

Micro hydro electric power is one of the least expen-sive ways

to generate electricity for your home

with renew-able energy.

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From CHELSEA GREEN PUBLISHING - a local publisher of sustainable living books:The Transition Timeline, by shaun chamberlin, lightens the fear of our uncertain future, providing

a map of what we are facing and the different pathways available to us. it describes four possible scenarios for the uk and world over the next twenty years, ranging from denial, in which we reap the consequences of failing to acknowledge and respond to our environmental challenges, to the transition vision, in which we shift our cultural assumptions to fit our circumstances and move into a more fulfilling, lower energy world.

the practical, realistic details of this transition vision are examined in depth, covering key areas such as food, energy, demographics, transport and healthcare, and they provide a sense of context for communities working towards a thriving future. the book also provides a detailed and accessible update on climate change and peak oil and the interactions between them, including their impacts in the uk, present and future.

*G.E.T. highly recommends that you all read this book. A hopeful future is in our hands. We’re very excited about it!

Wind Energy Basics, Second Edition, by paul gipe, is as soberly critical of past energy mistakes as convincingly optimistic about the future. the overwhelming challenge of transforming our world from one of fossil carbon to one of clean power seems daunting at best—and paralyzingly impractical at worst. wind energy basics offers a solution.

gipe offers a how-to for home-based wind applications, with advice on which wind turbines to choose and which to avoid. he guides wind-energy installers through considerations such

as renewable investment strategies and gives cautionary tales of wind applications gone wrong.

*This is a brand new book that is actually an up-to-date Wind Energy guide. It is a must read!

The Passive Solar House, by James kachadorian, is a complete guide to heating and cooling your home.the new edition of this best-selling guide includes csol passive solar design software, making it easier than ever to heat your home with the power of the sun. profiles of successful passive solar design, construction, and retrofit projects from readers of the first edition provide inspiration to first-time homebuilders and renovators alike.

*A new edition that is full of proven techniques for the entire house. The author is from Vermont!

The Carbine-Free Home, by rebekah hren, stephen hren. read this book—then grab your handsaw, tape measure, and drill, and get started! a life powered by the sun is waiting for you. Meant as a guide for renovating existing homes, the carbon-Free home gives you the hands-on knowledge necessary to kick the fossil-fuel habit, with projects small and large listed by skill, time, cost, and energy saved. For every aspect of your life currently powered by fossil fuels, the carbon-Free home offers alternatives you can accomplish yourself to get started using renewable and sustainable sources of power.

*This is not just a book of energy tips. It is an actual guide to help everyone reduce their reliance on fossil fuels.

Visit www.chelseagreen.com for more sustainable books from Chelsea Green Publishing!

www.efficiencyvermont.com.This is a must go to site for immeasurable info

SEIA/ Solar Energy Industries Association: http://www.seia.org/ The SEIA Tax Man-ual to answer your solar related tax ques-tions.

DSIRE/ Database of State Incentives for

http://www.dsireusa.org. Renewables & Efficiency. Find state, local, utility, & federal incentives for renewable energy & energy efficiency.

www.renewableenergyworld.com. REW/ RE World Industry news of RE.

IREC/ Interstate Renewable Energy Coun-cil: www.irecusa.org. RE educational info.

NABCEP/ North American Board of Certi-fied Energy Practitioners: www.nabcep.org This organization that tests & certifies PV system installers. Individuals are Certi-fied, companies are not.

NESEA/ Northeast Sustainable Energy As-sociation: www.nesea.org. Focused on N.E. US, for consumers & industry with RE & clean building info, events…

NHSEA/ New Hampshire Sustainable En ergy Association www.nhsea.org.

NySEIA/ New york Solar Energy Industries Association: www.nyseia.org.

http://revermont.org/ REV/ Renewable Energy Vermont

Clean Power Estimator: www.consumer-energycenter.org/renewables/estimator

The Energy Grid: www.pvwatts.org

Find Solar: www.findsolar.com

www.energystar.gov/taxcredits. Energy Star, Federal Tax Credits for energy effi-ciency.

Tax Incentives Assistance Project (TIAP): www.energytaxincentives.org.

American Solar Energy Society (ASES): www.ases.org.

14 May 4, 2009 resourCes/Books…

solar & renewaBles links:resources book reviews

Burned out CFl bulbs can be recycled at:

• True Value• Ace Hardware

In Vermont: see link at bottom of www.mercvt.org for complete list.

• True Value in NH www.des.nh.gov/nhppp/mercury/

default.asp?link=recycle

participating upper Valley stores include:

• Fogg’s Hardware• Hanover Hardware

small hydro systems are well worth

developing, even if used only a few

months out of the year, if those months coincide with your highest power needs.

Go to www.vtbikeped.org for more information about Bicycle events in VT. Email: [email protected] or Call 802-225-8904.

Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy Clearinghouse (EREC): www.nrel.gov ; http://eetd.lbl.gov/newsletter/CBS_NL/nl6/Sources.html.

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC): www.ferc.gov.

National Association of Energy Service Com-panies (NAESCO): www.naesco.org.

National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL): www.nrel.gov

Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA): www.seia.org

U.S. department of energy, Energy Ef-ficiency & Renewable Energy: www.eere.energy.gov/consumer. Guide to energy efficiency

Online Calculations

www.realgoods.com

AEE Solar: www.aeesolar.com

Solar Components catalog: www.solar-components.com

Solar Depot: www.solardepot.com

AAA Solar Supply: www.aaasolar.com

www.backwoodssolar.com Specialize in solar for off-grid.

NEsolar.com

http://www.nationalsolarinstitute.com/

http://www.vthomeownership.org/ low-cost energy loans

www.energyguide.com Unbiased advice about today’s energy choices. Find ways to save, lower your bills & help the earth’s envi-ronment.

http://hes.lbl.gov/ Interactive site to help you identify & calculate energy savings opportunities in your home. A lot of great information!

http://aceee.org/consumerguide/index.htm Consumer guide to home energy sav-ings…

green products

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About the Author: Living off-grid in Spain. Growing all our own veg-gies organically. Raising poultry. Writing about our successes and failures trying to live sustainably.

It really is quite scary when you hit the supermarket and see just how many different cleaners there are. Surely the dirt in our homes isn’t that different from room to room? I am pretty sure nothing needs to be cleaned as much as my kitchen surfaces. They get greasy and grimy, becoming breeding grounds for bacteria. This is the most important area of my home with regards to cleanliness. If I find a green cleaning product that tackles the dirt there surely it should cope with anything else my house can offer, with ease.

Well I do use a variety of green cleaning products. Vinegar, baking soda, soft soap and microfiber cloths being the basics. The abso-lute ‘must have’ member of my cleaning cabinet, though is plain old mild dish-washing liquid. This liquid, we all seem to have sitting at our sinks is an invaluable multi-purpose cleaner.

Ideally, to make cleaning Eco friendly, I would suggest using a green hand dish-washing liquid. But, to be honest, a quick look at the labels on the conventional products may surprise you. They are not ideal. Many are made from petroleum derived detergents. But, most are now biodegradable and mild on our skin. Compared to most con-ventional c l e a n -ers the ‘washing up liquid’ has been a greener cleaner for years.

An Eco cleaning product will be less damaging to the environ-ment. Most are made of coconut or vegetable fats, and most of us would rather support a coconut plantation than an oil refinery! But, lets be realistic, ditching a whole range of other more toxic products in favour of even a stan-dard hand dish-washing liquid, is a vast improvement in the greener cleaning stakes.

That mild detergent by the sink can clean floors, walls, bathrooms, kitchens and cars. It can remove spots and stains on laundry or be a mild liquid laundry detergent for those delicate items you need to wash by hand. The windows, doors and furniture can all be given the green clean with liquid hand dish-washing detergent too.

I find, the best green cleaning product is this one I keep by the sink because it is so versatile. I save money, as it is traditionally one of the cheapest items in the cleaning aisle. It stops me being tempted by more toxic chemical cleaners dedicated to specific tasks. It improves my health as I no longer spray fine mists of chemi-cals around the bathroom just to clean up the mirror. All in all, I cannot recommend using your washing up liquid everywhere enough! ♻

Green CleaningBy Lec Watkins

Kitchen Composter By Lec Watkins

A kitchen composter ‘does exactly what it says on the tin’ so to speak. With it, you recycle all your kitchen scraps and organic household waste into lovely friable hummus. Because it works through fermentation rather than aero-bic decomposition, you can actually site your compost bin indoors.

I admit, I was very sceptical at first. But, it really does make sense. If you seal air out from organic waste, rather than rot, it will ferment. If you introduce helpful yeasts and bacteria into the mix it will start fermenting even quicker.

The beauty of the kitchen compost bin is that you add literally all food waste including bones, processed and cooked foods. Because you are keeping all the kitchen waste in a sealed environment you need not worry about vermin. This means you get to recycle more and get more viable compost too. your green cre-dentials increase as you send less food waste to municipal landfill. It is a win-win situation!

All you do is introduce a ‘starter’ to your kitchen composter. This can be a cheaply bought product, usually made of rice, sawdust or wheat. The rice, wheat or sawdust is impreg-nated with special cultures to provide your compost bin with all the enzymes necessary to get things started. you can even make your own kitchen compost ‘starters’, with newspaper and yogurt. There is lots of free information online with clear instructions.

I would recommend using a commercial starter to begin with though, so you can see exactly how the process works. That way, once you start making your own you will know if it is working correctly. No-one wants a pile of fetid vegetable matter in the corner of the kitchen!

The ‘original’ kitchen composter is the Bokashi kitchen compost bin. Used widely in the Japanese school system to recycle school dinners, the idea has also been taken up in the United States school system too. Although Bokashi is the original, there are other brands, probably the biggest is the Happy Farmer Kitchen Compost Bin. These are widely avail-able worldwide and come with their own brand of enzyme starter.

Although names and colours may vary every kitchen composting system is pretty similar. Indeed, there is nothing overly complicated involved. you can make your own, you just need a sturdy plastic bin with a very well fit-ting lid.

As foodstuffs ferment they will produce moisture. Each commercial bin for kitchen composting includes a tap, to drain off that excess liquid. If you make your own Bokashi style composter make sure to add a drainage tap too. ♻

Daystar Trail Lodge 802.439.6675now taking reservations

Solar Powered Lodge on our small farm. Situated on 26 secluded acres with 360º Mtn Views.Our charming place is a fully equipped cabin apartment with an open floor plan… Compost toilet. Re♻cycling. Great outdoor shower-heated with an on-demand system!Walk to hiking trails. Kayaking, swimming, great restaurants, shopping, farmers markets…

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May 4, 2009 Green produCts 15

The healthiest, least-toxic cleaners you can find are the ones you make yourself. They’re effective too: According to a study at Virginia Tech, spray-ing hydrogen peroxide & vinegar right after one another is just as effective at killing germs as lung-irritating, stream-polluting chlorine bleach. Here are a few easy cleaner recipes to kick-start your Saturday chores. EIGHT ESSENTIALS make up the basic ingre-dients for nearly every do-it-yourself cleaning recipe.Baking soda: provides grit for scrubbing & re-acts with water, vinegar or lemon by fizzing, which speeds up cleaning timesBorax: disinfects, bleaches & deodorizes; very handy in laundry mixesdistilled white vinegar: disinfects & breaks up dirt; choose white vinegar over apple cider or red vinegars, as these might stain surfaceshydrogen peroxide: disinfects & bleacheslemons: cut grease; bottled lemon juice also works well, although you might need to use bit more to get the same resultsolive oil: picks up dirt & polishes wood; cheaper grades work wellvegetable based (liquid castile) soap: non-petroleum all-purpose cleanerswashing soda: stain remover, general cleaner, helps unblock pipes; should be handled with gloves due to its caustic nature. Washing soda is usually found in the laundry aisle of grocery & drug stores. Don’t forget to pick up an empty spray bottle at the hardware store, & keep those old rags & used toothbrushes for wiping up & scrubbing.

whole house: All-Purpose Cleaner1/2 cup borax & 1 gal hot water

Mix in pail (or use smaller amounts in a spray bottle: 1/8 cup borax to 1 quart of

hot water) dissolving the borax complete-ly; wipe clean with rag.

floors: wood1/4 cp white vinegar & 1 gal warm water

linoleum: 1 cup white vinegar2 gallons warm water

Mix in mop bucket, rinse afterwards.furniture polish:

1/2 cup white vinegar & 1 tsp olive oil Mix & apply with a clean rag to dust & polish.

Reduce the olive oil if wood looks too oily.metal polish: Copper & Brass2 Tbsps salt & White vinegar

Add vinegar to salt until you’ve created a paste. Adding flour will reduce abrasive-

ness. Apply with a rag & rub clean.

stainless steel:Baking soda & White vinegar

Apply baking soda with a damp cloth, using the vinegar to eliminate spots.

Bathroom: toilet BowlBaking soda & White vinegar

To clean and deodorize, sprinkle toilet bowl with baking soda, add white vinegar

and scrub with a toilet brush.tub and tile

1/2 lemon & BoraxDip the face of the lemon half in borax to create a hand-held scrubber for dirty ar-

eas. Rinse and dry the surface afterwards.kitChen

Countertopsmarble: Mix one Tbsp castile soap with a qt of warm water, rinse well, then dry

with a warm cloth.other surfaces: half a lemon and dip the face in baking soda to scrub off residues. Follow up by spraying with glass cleaner

mix (below).drains

1 cup baking soda & 1 cup vinegarAdd baking soda and vinegar to a pot of boiled water and pour down the drain,

then flush with tap water. For more stub-born clogs, use a “snake” plumbing tool to manually remove blockage, or try suction removal with a plunger. To prevent clogs, install inexpensive mesh screen, available at

home improvement and hardware stores.Glass

1/4 cup vinegar or 1 Tbsp lemon juice2+ cups water Fill a clean spray bottle

w/ water & either white vinegar or lemon juice; wipe with a rag or old newspaper.

ovenBaking soda & Water

Sprinkle baking soda on surfaces, spray water, then let soak several hours or over-

night. Rinse with water.stovetop and oven Grease remover

1/2 tsp washing soda; 1/4 tsp liquid soap2 cups hot water

Add washing soda and soap to hot water in spray bottle. Since washing soda is

caustic, wear gloves.laundry room

Bleach alternative; 1/2 cp hydrogen peroxide

DiY Household Cleaners

transportation is responsible for be-tween 25% & 50% of

your carbon footprint

1 CFL = $42 savings! Switch 6 bulbs - save $250! 1 CFL = 10 incandescent bulbs! CFL’s can last 6-10 times

longer than incandescents !

green energy times (g.e.t.) 1749 Wright’s Mountain Road • Bradford, Vermont 05033Tel/fax: 802.439.6675 • [email protected]/editor/production … nancy rae Mallery

printer … upper valley press, n.haverhill, nh (a local printer) all newsprint has recycled content with variable soy content in ink. upper valley press is a conscientious, green company. they freely incorporate green policies within their company.

Distribution Coordinator … leslie battistoni

about g.e.t. the green energy times is powered by 100% solar, off-grid with a 3.8 kw pv system. we are extremely involved in promoting renewable energy. we know how smoothly it all works! there is no reason we have to be dependent on oil! Our mission is to motivate people, right where we live-to move on into an educated, Renewable Energy lifestyle, to reduce their carbon footprint, and to become energy independent now! Believe in our future! Believe in this earth! Solar works! … anywhere! under the sun! g.e.t. will be published quarterly, starting in January, 2010, by nrM advertising company. it is distributed free of charge in the upper valley - vt and nh, woodstock, windsor, weathersfield, ludlow, barre, Montpelier, Moretown and waitsfield.we encourage you to patronize our advertisers. we strive to selectively include those that we feel can offer trust-worthy services and products. g.e.t. cannot be held responsible for advertising claims.

To advertise in G.e.T. contact the publisher: 802.439.6675 email: [email protected] web: www.greenenergytimes.org.subscriptions: $18/yr. contact g.e.t. by email, for subscription form

Our next issue will be on the stands on September 3rd, 2009.

g.e.t. wants to thank everyone who has submitted articles or helped in any way to make this all a reality. we want to also thank our advertisers and ask that you support them. say that you saw them in Green Energy Times. now let’s all g.e.t. moving ahead towards a clean, renewable future - one where our children and grandchildren will be able to breathe and grow and live and love this beautiful land where we live. thank you, the reader, for reading g.e.t. send your comments and suggestions by email or snail mail to adress above. together we can make a wonderful world. peace! ♻

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16 BaCk Cover May 4, 2009