How to Build a Solar Light Bulb

Solar power really is the wave of the future.  Currently it is a bit too expensive for many homeowners and not easily incorporated into rental units.  However, there are many simple, DIY solar projects using recycled or low cost parts that can help save a bit of money.  For example:  solar ovens, solar water heating,  solar window heaters, solar greenhouses and cold frames are all something anyone can make using recycled materials.  You really don't have to spend a lot of money to start using a bit of solar around you home.  What you do need is a bit of imagination!

I was browsing YouTube videos the other day for a few gardening ideas when I stumbled upon solar light bulbs.  Now this is about as ingenious as you can get!  Each light bulb is made using a recycled 2 L plastic pop bottle, water, a little chlorine bleach, a small piece of corrugated metal, glue and sealant.  As simple as this sounds, each one of these solar light bulbs produces the equivalent of a 50 W light bulb but uses only solar power.  Basically, the solar lights work this well because the water causes the natural light to refract resulting in a amplification of the light hitting the solar light.  These solar lights are being used in under developed countries like Brazil and Mexico, bringing light into homes where little existed and they are even being used in storage facilities and factories.  The down side is these lights only work during the daylight hours but that is when most of household lighting is used anyway so they will still save money.  Household lighting at night is task or room specific, usually only for a couple of hours.

I can see a definite use in our area of southwestern Ontario for lighting up chicken coops, out buildings like tool sheds and covered boat wells.  It might be possible to adapt these lights for use in an attic but that would mean cutting one or more holes in your house roof, something that might not be desirable.  Well sealed, the solar lights should not leak but for household indoor application an actual solar tub be a better solution.  It does freeze in our area during the winter but a clear anti-freeze agent could be added to the water that wouldn't interfere with the light refraction.  Either glycerin or alcohol would work to prevent the water freezing. 

Here's a video demonstrating how to make the solar lights: 

Garden Gnome
©2006-2012

Ontario Clean Energy Benefit

The Ontario government announced the Ontario Clean Energy Benefit, a 10% electricity rebate applicable to the entire electric bill, as part of their fall economic update today.  The rebate will go into effect January 1, 2011 but some will not see the rebate until May of 2011.  The rebate is retro-active to January though.  In perspective as a result of TOU pricing and the HST our hydro rates have gone up 17%.   So even with the rebate the end result will be a 7% increase on the hydro bill.  Initial predictions were by the end of 2011 hydro prices would be increased by 32%.  Finance Minister Dwight Duncan announced today that hydro rates will continue to rise with a projected increase of 46% by 2015.  The reality is as hydro prices continue to rise the rebate of 10% means virtually nothing!

As a result of today's announcements, I have stepped up our plans to get off the grid (going completely solar, not connected to grid at all).  We had a 5 year plan but now I'm rethinking that.  We will be using both passive and active solar.  I am seriously tired of being held hostage by the Ontario government and Hydro One.  The only consideration is the house being on the market.  If we sell, a solar system will be installed upon moving in at a DIY cost of $5,000 to $7,000.  If we don't sell then we will install a DIY solar system here.  We have no intentions of installing a solar system that would feed back into the hydro system (grid-tied) either.  Rather it will be a completely have no use for the grid including feeding into it.  At $5,000 the pay back period with average current hydro bill of $125 would be 3.4 years so even if we went as high as $10,000 with a pay back of about 7 years we would still be well ahead and no longer dependent on the grid.  After that the system is basically making money for us.  However, with the projected rate increases the system will realize a shorter payback period 6 years at the $10,000 price tag.

A bit of research found a few in southern Ontario that are fully solar.  One house in particular is very impressive.  This house is considerably larger than our current house or any we are likely to buy.  I find this very encouraging because if others are doing it, we can too!

Garden Gnome
©2006-2010

It's That Time of Year

Summer is half over here!  The gardening is producing nicely and I've been busy restocking the pantry with lots of home canned goodies.  Today I'm canning maple blueberry conserves, peach lavender jam and peach chutney.  As I've been getting all my supplies ready my mind has been wandering towards how the new TOU hydro prices that will come into effect in our area on September 8 will affect us.  At the same time the price of natural gas will likely see some type of increase just in time for the heating season.  The added new HST of 8% extra on home heating fuel is also a concern. 

While the canner runs churning out good food for the year or so to come I use my down time to identify a few projects that need being done before winter  giving a higher priority to those that will help save a bit of hydro or natural gas.  Topping the list are 2 on demand water heaters, one of which will eliminate about and 70' run to get hot water to the kitchen.  I am also hoping to get one solar tube installed and the first part of our solar system.  We are also planning on installing storm doors on the house.  So the winterizing ideas are coming in full tilt right now while the caulking gun is seeing a bit more action.

Garden Gnome
©2006-2010

Laureate 2010: Michael Grätzel for Organic Solar Cells

As a result of Hydro One moving to Time of Use (TOU) pricing and the HST that goes into effect July 1, 2010 that will see an additional 8% tax on our electric bill, I have moved up my plan to become totally solar powered.  Going solar is definitely heading in the right direction.  Not only will it eliminate a utility bill, going solar will bring us one major step closer to reducing our carbon footprint.

I have been doing a lot of research on solar energy.  Solar is either passive or active.  For example the solar tube alternate lighting I have on my list of must have solar items is passive as is most electricity producing solar panels.  Active solar is usually found in solar water and air heating where a pump in the case of water heating and a fan in the case of air heating is used.  In most cases the fan or pump is also solar powered. 

The main deterrent for most homeowners looking to go solar is the cost.  Solar panels are expensive.  While it is true there are a number of homemade devices for using solar power to heat water and air, if you want to generate electricity using the sun you need solar panels.  Despite their cost the beauty of setting up any solar system whether partial or entire household is it is a DIY project that is quite flexable and expandable.  The 2010 Millennium Prize Laureate Michael Grätzel is the father of third generation photovoltaic dye-sensitized solar cells (DSC).  These cells promise electricity-generating windows and low-cost solar panels.  The cells have just made their debut in consumer products so this is quite exciting news for homeowners.  Just imagine being able to replace your old energy inefficient window panes with these new cells that will turn your windows into electricity producing solar panels.  I am extremely excited about this!  Here is a video of Michael Grätzel explaining his new solar cells:

Garden Gnome
©2006-2010

Emergency Preparedness

My goodness over the last few years we have seen a rather dramatic increase in violent weather that is reeking havoc world wide.  Haiti is still recovering from a devastating earthquake,  China is still doing search and rescue from a recent earthquake, now the volcano eruption in Iceland is creating even more problems due to the ash cloud.  On the home side the spring season has yet to become violent with severe thunderstorms and/or tornados.  Just on the basis of weather it is extremely important that Canadians help themselves. 

The Canadian Red Cross recommends recommend all Canadians have and maintain a 72-hour emergency kit that include food, water, clothing, candles and other emergency supplies.  The kit should have enough to cover the needs of all family members and should include any necessary medications or special needs items.  The kit should be kept close to an exit to take with you should the need arise. This allows the Canadian Red Cross to focus those most in need first.  We take emergency preparedness a bit further.  At one time we had a large, self contained travel trailer that had all the amenities of home so when the hydro was out for 4 days we simply used all hydro related and some cooking needs out of the trailer.  Anyone with this option can easily last about 10 days for electricity and heat but drinkable water will be needed after about 3 days.

Essentially if we had to go an extended period of time in and around our house without being able to get out for food or other resources we could do so for well over a 6 month period.  If we had to vacate our house for a safer area we have enough for a good 1 month period along with whatever else we could hurriedly toss into the vehicles.  We have also made provisions to help our neighbours if needed.  Here is our emergency preparedness plan:

•  well stocked emergency first aid kit - Actually we have 4 well stocked emergency first aid kits, one for the house, one for the boat and one for each vehicle.  These are checked every 6 months to be sure any medications and salves are not expired.
• a six month emergency food stock in addition to to our normal 18 -24 month food stock - Emergency food items include those not normally used for day to day cooking.  Each list will differ depending on the family.  Our emergency food items include: powdered milks, powdered cheeses, powdered butter, dried fruits and vegetables, dried meats, water purification tablets, 20 L filled water bottles, instant and rice noodles, additional beans for sprouting, yeast, dried sour dough starter and that type of thing.  In addition to the food I also keep a good stock of items such as mason jars, canning jar lids, and that type of thing.
• a 6 month supply of personal hygiene items - This includes the basics of soap, shampoo, toothpaste, toilet paper.
• emergency equipment - This includes: candles, lamp oil, replacement wick, rechargeable batteries,  solar battery chargers, solar lights, wind-up/solar radio, butane flame lighter with extra cartridges, filled gerry cans of gasoline, back-up heat source.  While we do not have a generator we have access to generators on each side of us and we are considering buying our own.
• survival equipment - This includes: fishing equipment, cloth bags/equipment necessary for any edible plant foraging, and seeds to re-establish a garden. Food preservation equipment is necessary to replenish used food supplies.
• emergency escape routes planned - It is important to have more than one route of escape from your dwelling but also from your location if necessary.  A GPS is ideal however having paper road maps is a good back-up in case the GPS system is knocked out.
• alternate phones and communication - It is important to keep a rotary dial phone to replace cordless ones that will not work during power outages.  It is also important to have at least one working cell phone but realize that you will need solar powered charging capabilities for longer term outages.  It is also advisable to have 2-way radios for each family member in the event they get separated from other family members.   A CB radio located in your home is also a good idea if you need emergency help and the phone lines or cell phone transmission lines are down.
• good neighbours - I honestly cannot stress the importance of good neighbours in time of an emergency.  Get to know your immediate neighbours and foster a good relationship with them.  Do what it takes to nourish a good neighbour relationsip.  In times of emergency or disaster your neighbours are your biggest assets when it comes to preparedness!

Garden Gnome
©2006-2010

Moving Towards Solar Powered Electricity (3)

Passive solar is a must when considering active solar powered electricity because the first consideration for solar electricity is reducing the amount you have to generate.  Essentially for active solar powered electricity, solar panels are used to generate the electricity that is stored in deep cycle batteries.  That electricity then goes through an inverter to make the electricity usable for your household appliances and lighting.  By default a household system is limited by the number of panels that can generate the electricity.  Reducing your electricity usage prior to installing any active solar powered electricity system ultimately reduces the number of solar panels and batteries you need so in short the initial solar system set-up is less expensive.  This makes a whole house solar system more affordable with a lower payback period.

I needed to know the average kWh of electricity used per day.  This amount is on the hydro bill or to get an average it is available online by logging into your account.  The amount of energy used determines the size and number of photovoltaic solar panels needed to go fully solar.  However, going solar can be done in stages if using an expandable solar panel where another panel can be attached.  As I gather the research and get a better direction of where we are going with the active solar system I will share here.  As it stands right now this will be a done in stages project starting with one or more solar panels, inverter, controller and batteries to get a few electrical devices off the grid then adding to the system as we can until everything is off the grid.   Now it may be that we never reach the goal of being completely off the grid but I firmly believe if others have done it we can too.

Here's my current plan in stages:

• phase 1 - The first goal will be to get all lights off the grid.  While they draw the least amount of electricity they will be a good indicator as to how the initial part of the solar system is working.  At the same time the pump and furnace fan will be connected to solar.  Heat generating small appliances like the toaster, countertop oven roaster and slow cooker will be diverted to generator power that is at current rates cheaper than electricity.
• phase 2 - The second phase will focus on getting televisions and supporting equipment like satellite boxes off the grid. Small household appliances like battery chargers, clocks, and those types of things of which we have very few.
• phase 3 - The third phase will focus on computer equipment and supporting equipment.
• phase 4 - The forth phase will focus on providing solar generated electricity to major appliances like the stove, refrigerator, washer and electrical components of the natural gas dryer.
• phase 5 - This will be the tweaking stage prior to eliminating Hydro One entirely.  It may be we do not reach this stage although from preliminary research there is no reason we could not.

My current projections are this entire project from start to finish including the passive solar measures will take 5 years or less. That is with us doing all of the work for installing panels and connecting the system.  The components will be bought on sale and in some cases online as we need them.  So stay tuned as to how our goal for getting off the grid progresses.

Garden Gnome
©2006-2010

Moving Towards Solar Powered Electricity (2)

Solar energy involves a combination of passive and active solar power.  We want to decrease or eliminate our dependence on the grid.  In this case the grid is electricity supplied via Hydro One.  As you may have read we currently have our house for sale with a conditional offer on another house BUT there is a possibility we may remove our house from the market and stay here.   Now this presents a couple of problems when talking of going solar.  Obviously we are not going to be installing solar panels on a house that we might sell.  At the same time one of the factors influencing the offer on the other house was it's green potential.  As it is, all of the passive solar lighting ideas on the following list will work for both houses although the new house has a slightly better solar advantage.  Most in the passive list are designed to reduce electricity usage.  This is a key concern because reducing electrical usage during the mid-peak and high-peak hours under TOS rates is a key concern.  I'm currently doing the research on active solar that will actually generate electricity.  Since both houses are similar in size the information will only have to be adjusted slightly. 

Passive solar ideas:

• light reflecting colours - Lighter paint and floor colours reflect light making the space brighter and appear larger.  We've used this property in all of our houses going as light as possible for walls, ceilings and flooring.
• mirrors - Mirrors are an age old, eco-friendly way to amplify naturaal and artificial light but they have gone beyond just hanging on the wall.  A couple of houses ago I came across an interesting idea for using mirrors on top of coffee and end tables to brighten a room.  I had mirrors specially cut and absolutely loved the results.  That idea would not fit well for this house but what would work well is lining the family room foot wide window bank with mirror effectively bringing in more light and making the room appear a lot larger. It would also work well in the deep patio door recess.  The beauty of mirrors is even when custom cut they are quite inexpensive and it is an easy DIY project.  Any window with a bit of a depth can be lined with mirror.  In addition to these simple mirror applications there is a great way to provide a view for basement windows that I saw on HGTV using mirrors in a specially designed window well retrofit.  It too is an easy DIY project that will work well at either house.  We have a pass through at this house that really is rather useless so I'm thinking of hanging a framed mirror that will reflect natural light into the family room and laundry room while getting rid of the dated shutters.  This would recycle one of the end table mirrors costing only a frame, chain and hooks.
• solar tubes - I have been wanting solar tubes ever since I saw them.  These skylight tubes provide amplified natural lighting to the inside of the home eliminating the need for electrical lights.  The new house is actually better designed to take advantage of using solar tubes but this house can be retrofitted to use at least one if not two solar tubes.
• install storm doors - This house does not have storm doors so there is no way to let in additional light during the nice weather.  If we stay here that is on our priority list of to do projects.  Storm doors will add additional insulative value for the winter months but allow extra natural light in during the warmer months, only needing to be closed if the AC is on.  
• solar cooker - I have plans to build a solar cooker which is a realitively easy DIY project along with a hot box, an even easier project.  A solar cooker cooks raw foods while a hot box continues cooking partially cooked foods.  Both of these projects are more of an experiment to see how well they work.  At best in our climate they would work during the late spring to early fall months.  During the winter neither would be feasible for regular cooking. 

Watch for tommorrow's post on our active solar energy plans.  So watch for part 3.

Garden Gnome
©2006-2010

Moving Towards Solar Powered Electricity (1)

Hydro One, the hydro provider in Ontario, Canada, has announced a delivery rate increase that will amount to about $4 per month for the average household.  This will add an additional $48 per month to the overall electricity costs.  This charge is over and above the new TOU pricing that will be going into effect shortly.  In addition to that the HST will add an additional 8% on the hydro bill effective July 1, 2010 that will add a good $10 per month to the average household electric bill.  On May 1 the hydro rate will increase to 6.5¢ per kWh up to 600 kWh then 7.5¢ per kWh for kWh over the threshold.  This rate will be in effect until October 31, 2010.  The average household uses 1,000 kWh per month.  Our average use over the last 12 months was 623.25 kWh per month.  So we are just slightly over the 600 kWh threshold but the time period between May 1 and October 31 is the time running the AC is most likely to occur meaning for 2 months we will be paying the 7.5¢ rate at some point.  We are at the point that short of not using electricity getting our usage below our average rate is as simple as cutting all power to our house for a day.  Since that is doable but not the best solution, the push to move to more solar power is on.  Before I discuss that, here is what we have done so far to lower our electricity use.

• turn off anything that is not being used - Off is better than on as off uses no kWh.
• CFL - we have 4 fixtures that do not have CFL bulbs in them.  One of these is an outdoor mercury vapour light that sees on average a half hour of use per month if that.  Again lights are off whenever possible.
• EnergyStar® qualified appliance - All of our major appliances are EnergyStar® qualified meaning they are energy efficient and we chose our appliances so they were on the higher end of the EnergyStar® rating.  Each time we replace a small appliance we look for the EnergyStar® qualification.  While some small kitchen appliances do not have this rating others like televisions, computers, telephones as well as other electronics do have this rating. 
• appliance usage - We tend to be quite conservative when using appliances so that we get the maximum output while running the appliance the least amount of time.  That means the dishwasher and washer are run only when full.
• cooking - We tend to consolidate cooking to take advantage of the energy being used to cook one meal to cook more than one meal.  We also use smaller dedicated appliances like the countertop oven roaster rather than using the big oven when possible.  In addition to using eco-friendly cooking methods we use the natural gas grill for cooking during the summer months as it is about a third of the price of electricity  and we often eat raw during the summer requiring no energy usage.
• dryer - We have a high efficiency gas dryer since line drying is not an option for us.  It is used to maximum efficiency. 
• energy conservation - Anywhere we can save a watt we do.  We had electronic pest controllers that worked quite nicely to help until we got pest management in place.  Unplugging those and the nightlights saves 52.56 kWh per year ($6.31) which isn't a lot but it is kWh not being used and every kW counts.

Tomorrow I will discuss some of our solar plans.  Watch for part 2.

Garden Gnome
©2006-2010

Solatube Daylighting Systems With Ed Begley Jr.

During our last Florida vacation we stayed in a house that had 2 solar tubes. I blogged about the solar tubes as being great alternative lighting. Once installed the solar tubes bring free lighting to dark areas like hallways, bathrooms and other rooms. I calculated the cost of installation for each solar tube to be about $370 (DIY) to $500 (installed) so based on energy consumption alone the pay back period would be 37 years if installed. If you factor in the cost of the light bulbs the pay back period would go down to about $450. Clearly at today's electricity costs in our region the pay back period is not enough of an incentive to install solar tubes.

However, Hydro-One in Ontario has indicated most of the SmartMeters across the province will be activated by late June at which time the new Time of Use (TOU) hydro rates will go into effect. Essentially this means from 7 AM to 9 PM on weekdays year round except statutory holidays, we will be paying higher electricity rates. This time period is divided into 2 usages - high and medium depending on the season. As a result of these changes it becomes even more important to not use electricity you don't have to. Strategically placed the solar tube(s) will eliminate the use of electric lighting in certain areas of your home. The key concept to remember here that not using the electricity is better than reducing the electricity usage via energy efficient lighting. The solar tube(s) can be fitted with lighting for night use where they will function as a normal light so can replace an existing light fixture. This will allow us to take advantange of the lower electrical rates in the evening hours if necessary.

The solar tube(s) also improve the indoor comfort of your home. In northern areas such as ours where we see winter and several months of grey days, the solar tube(s) amplify and allow extra light into your home. This makes your home brighter and cheerier even though it is grey outdoors. It helps to ward off the winter blues so common in northern climate winter months and may even help to alliviate SAD (seasonal affective disorder). Here is a video of the solar tubes installed in Ed Begley Jr.'s house. Ed is an environmental activist who uses several eco-friendly methods in his home.

Garden Gnome
©2006-2010

Solar for Emergency Preparedness

Solar Emergency Preparedness

As summer comes to an end it's time to make sure we are well stocked for the winter months. Not only am I busy making sure the pantry is well stocked with home canned and dried foods, I'm also adding to the freezer stock. However, preparedness is more than just have a 1 - 2 year supply of food on hand. This is also the time of the year to stock up on sundry type items such as laundry soap, personal needs items, toilet paper, First Aid supplies as well as emergency preparedness items. I'll be making a few posts on getting prepared for winter.

During winter storms the prospect of having no electricity for short periods of time increase. The normal recommendations is to keep oil lamps with plenty of fuel and lots of candles in your emergency preparedness stores. In cold climates both serve to provide light with a bit of heat. I keep a good supply of homemade beeswax and soy candles on hand for regular and emergency use. However, in homes with pets or children using oil lamps and candles can present a risk of fire and/or injury if they get bumped or knocked over. Battery operated emergency devices only work if you have sufficient batteries. I've turned to solar devices as part of my emergency preparedness.

Pictured is the wind-up/solar powered radio, Coleman camp lantern, a few of our many flashlights, solar light stakes, battery operated lights, rechargeable batteries (AAA, AA, D), 6 V battery adapter and solar battery chargers. Not pictured are a couple of small camp lanterns that use only one 6 V battery and a wind-up flash light. The principle of using solar rests on turning solar energy from the sun into usable energy for lighting and heating. In emergency situations you cannot always rely on the sun however in most cases you will be able to get enough sunlight exposure to power emergency equipment such as the radio, some lights and solar battery chargers if need be. Combining wind-up power for essentials like flash lights and a radio makes good sense as these can be used without relying only on solar.

The light stakes are meant for garden use but can easily be charged in a sunny window to provide indoor lighting for the evening during a power outage. I like keeping a good supply of charged batteries on hand that can be recharged if necessary using the solar battery chargers. The 6 V battery adapter is a rather interesting find. It uses 4 - D cell batteries and can be used in place of a 6 V battery. I think these are great items to have in our emergency preparedness supplies.

Garden Gnome
©2006-2009

A Simple Inexpensive Solar Heater

Heating costs continue to rise and while energy conservation through lowering the thermostat combined with insulating and sealing your home helps keeps those costs down there are other ways to help reduce your heating costs. A logical place to look for a free heat source is the sun. Many of us already take advantage of solar energy during the winter months by opening window coverings on sunny days to help warm rooms and closing them on cloudy days and at night to keep the heat in the room. Using a few recycled items we can take advantage of those sunny windows to boost that heat output by using simple homemade solar heaters. Over the next month or so, I will be making a few posts on homemade solar heaters.

These solar heaters are not meant to be your sole source of heat. They are meant to supplement your existing heat. The more you use the more savings you will see on your heating costs. Keep in mind that if you live in an area that has a fair number of grey days with little sunshine, the solar heaters will not produce any heat. They also will not produce any heat in north facing windows.

I found the following video that shows how to make a rudimentary solar heater using recycled pop bottles and beer cans. Aesthetically this solar heater might appeal to you but it is a very inexpensive way to get a good idea of the possibilities of using a solar heater. Surprisingly this solar heater will work quite nicely in a sunny window. It would be a good project for parents or teachers to introduce solar energy to children.

This homemade solar heater follows the basic principles of all solar heaters. There is an air flow that goes through the collector (tin can) that is heated then released. The glazing (pop bottle) intensifies the heating effect. The air flow moves from the bottom of the bottle (cool air) to the top of the bottle (hot air) due to physics. Hot air is not as dense as cool air so it rises. This simple solar heater takes advantage of this principle.

Despite its looks this heater will work and can be modified to fit the size of your window. The best part is you are using mainly recycled materials so the cost is minimal. The kind of pop bottle really doesn't matter as long as it is a clear 2L size. Beer cans are taken back to the Beer Store for a cash deposit back so I would recommend using pop cans and adjusting the size of each solar unit to fit the can. The tape will make a somewhat adequate seal. What I would suggest is to run a bead of clear silicon seal around the bottom portion of the unit before pushing it into the upper portion then running a smooth bead of silicone on the resulting outside seam. Also hand painting is rather tedious. A spray bomb of flat black paint will have the cans quickly coated in a lot less time than brushing on the paint. When it comes to mounting this particular solar heater you will want it a few inches from the window sill simply for air flow but I don't think hanging the heater is the best way to go. Eventually the glue will give way causing the individual units to fall as well. What I would advise is using wood dowels. Attaching two dowels within the window frame on which each solar unit could sit then another dowel spanning from distance between the window frame would create the perfect spot to simply set as many units as would fit across the span of the window. The air flow would not be restricted either. So this simple design has a lot of potential. It would be an ideal way to add a bit of free heat to basement windows!


Garden Gnome
©2006-2009

Solar Tube (Alternative Lighting)

Lighting is an integral part of any home. It creates ambiance as well as allows the you to enjoy your home the way you want. At the same time lighting has created environmental concerns through rising energy usage of the incandescent light bulb that has now ceased being manufactured. Incandescent bulbs use a considerable amount of energy while adding heat to the room, something that is undesirable. In short incandescent bulbs were not energy efficient bulbs even though they were cheap. Fluorescent tube lights are cheaper to operate but not aesthetically as nice although I have seen some nice applications creating diffused wall lighting and lighted ceilings. When the first CFL bulbs came on the market they had bulky transformers in the base that prevented these bulbs from being used in all light fixtures but it was a start. Now CFL bulbs come in all shapes, sizes and types of light. They are inexpensive to buy and considerably less expensive to operate than the old incandescent bulbs. What we are seeing now is a trend towards solar with the most advances being made in outdoor solar lighting. It's incredibly inexpensive to set up outdoor solar lighting and requires little or no tools. Just coming onto the market but still a bit to expensive and needs fine tuning yet are LED bulbs that fit a normal light socket yet will use even less energy than CFL bulbs.

Our main living area is mainly below ground with one wall facing the water that opens onto the backyard. Natural light is at a premium outside of the kitchen and front part of the family room. In the summer the shade trees that save us so much on cooling keep the main level darker than it would be if located on the upper level. The design of the house means that even during the summer we have lights on during the day to prevent the main level from feeling like it is mainly below ground. We have 7 CFL 15 watt daylight bulbs on during the day most days that if on for an average of 10 hours per day cost us 6.4¢ or $23.44 per year. IIn addition to this we have various CFL lights on the main level that are used as needed. While this is a necessary cost due to the house design and while we make up for it in reduced heating and cooling costs, I'm always looking for ways to reduce our energy consumption for lighting.

Solar Tube
image source: Solar Tube Daylighting System

I think it was three houses ago (about 12 years) that I first saw this solar lighting called a Solar Tube. I've wanted one of these ever since I saw it. A solar tube gives you all the benefits of a skylight without all the problems. The principle is quite simple. A small dome allows light to enter into a highly polished pipe where it is amplified by bouncing off the mirrored surface and reflected into the house. To soften the light on the inside there is a diffuser. On the outside of the house there is little to see other than a small, clear dome on the roof. On the inside of the house the finished light looks like a larger flush mount pot light. Once the solar tube is installed which can be a DIY project there is no further cost of operation. You get beautiful, bright natural light in your home without costing anything! Environmentally this is a wonderful way to get that extra light without increasing your carbon foot print.

Solar Tube Installed

We just spent a lovely week away in the sunny south. The first house we stayed in was the guest house. The second was a rental house in the same resort. You can read more about the resort here and the food here. The rental house was a triple wide, manufactured home that gives a whole new meaning to trailer living! What caught my eye was two solar tubes, one in the guest bathroom and the other in the kitchen. Pictured is the kitchen with the red arrow pointing at the solar tube. As you can see it blends right in with the recessed lighting. What was very impressive was the amount of light the solar tubes let in even on cloudy days!

I really liked the solar tubes. They made both rooms quite bright and airy feeling. I think it would be great to be able to tone down this brightness if need be as they were quite bright even though it was cloudy outside. My husband could not quite get over the fact there is no switch to turn the thing off. I guess it was a mindset thing turning off the lights but there is no switch for the solar tube. There is a way to shut it off using the same type of mechanism as a camera lens if you install that option. Then you simply shut the shutter that might be a benefit on really sunny days.

Installing solar tubes are on my list of do the research this spring and possibly installing one early summer. Ideally I can find three spots that would be good for the solar tubes but only one location for sure will lend itself to the installation for on the main level. If installed it will not eliminate all 7 lights but possibly 4 of the lights. A total cost of installation from the prices we have seen doing it ourselves would be about $500 making the total payback time about 37 years. As an energy saving device the payback doesn't really warrant the change other than knowing once installed it will not cost anything. So this ends up being an aesthetic, decor type of improvement that will save your money but in terms of energy use you might not recoup the costs. The solar tubes are EnergyStar® rated so there may be rebates available offsetting at least the sales tax. At best this improvement will improve the enjoyment of your home and while it will save you money over the years, it is likely best to look at it as a decor enhancement.

Garden Gnome
©2006-2009

conserving our resources

Garden Path
Cypress House
January 16, 2008

I apologize for not making an entry sooner. Somehow with respect to homemaking aspects I had a serious case of writer's block. It's not like I didn't have ideas, I just couldn't get them to come out right in writing. So winter preparations gave way to Christmas then we were off on our winter vacation. Energy conservation is weighing heavily on my mind as so it was while on vacation so I thought I would share some of my observations and our recent changes.

We vacationed at Cypress House in Key West, Florida for part of our vacation then rented a condo at Hallandale, Florida for the remainder. There seemed to be a huge difference in terms of energy conservation. There were no CFL bulbs at Cypress House in the rooms however there was a friendly tag asking us to conserve electricity by turning it off when not in the room and there were recycling bins. They also asked that we be conservative in our use of water and re-use towels if at all possible. Walking around the area of Cypress House and Duval Street seemed dark compared to what we are used to in even smaller towns. There were street lights but the streets themselves appeared to be quite dark. Even Duval Street is not bright and glittering but more of a quiet ambiance. One reason for this is electricity is expensive and water resources are being stretched. In a region surrounded by a lot of water, water is becoming precious. This should serve as a warning to all. On our way to the Fort Lauderdale area we stopped at my husband's aunt and uncle's home on No Name Key.

Their house is beautifully located, looking very much like a home one might find in a subdivision except this house is very different. It is 100% solar and let me tell you I am in awe! Not only that under the large covered porch entrance was their water storage. This space had to be a good 10' x 10' x10' for water storage alone. Both just absolutely amazed me. Here they supplied their own electricity and water subsidizing only a bit of heat by propane as needed. So of course I looked for energy efficient appliances, CFLs and other signs of saving. Aside of using a laptop as the primary computer there were none! The washer and dryer were old (>15 yrs old) models and the fridge was a normal likely older than 10 years old. I saw no CFL bulbs but only one television instead of more. I didn't see a dishwasher or chest freezer either. What they would save in freezer costs would more than be made up in traveling to a grocery store and in fact it would likely be more expensive factoring in the traveling.

Onward to the condo in Hallandale. The condo was on the 14th floor overlooking the ocean with a view of the intercostal waters. All cars were valet parked. Each floor had a laundry room with energy efficient washer and dryers. That is where it ended. There were no recycle bins anywhere. This was a one bedroom condo with two baths. The main bath drove me completely nuts because when you turned on the lights three 150 W flood lights blared down but if you turn on both switches five of these flood lights would light up. That's 600 W total for one rather small room just for lighting! None of the appliances (all GE) were EnergyStar rated. Now this doesn't see like a real problem for one unit but given that in this building alone we caluculated there were 300 units not factoring in the common areas. This one building is a huge source of energy wastage! Now times that by the number of buildings just like this one we could easily see and that amount would increase almost by 10x. See where I'm going here? As a single family homeowner (single family) we are encouraged to save as much as possible yet a unit that could easily sit on our property with perhaps a bit of our neighbour's yet instead of an impact of two families could have an impact of 300 families and there is no incentive for those 300 families to conserve at all? It's this kind of thing that does really bother me. Conserving seems to be left up to the little guy with multi-family units and industry doing little to conserve.

Yesterday our Smart meter was installed. When fully functional we will be paying for electricity according to time of use (TOS). For the time being until the new rates become effective (yet to be announced) we are still paying the winter rate of 5 cents per kWh but when you factor in the service charges the real rate is about 11 cents per kWh. The new rates will be 3.4 cents per kWh off-peak, 7.1 cents per kWh mid-peak and 9.7 cents per kWh on-peak hours. One thing is for certain, the little guy who takes the measures to conserve will be taken advantage of by the mult-family units and industry. Mark my work on this one. While I am a bit bitter that those who use more electricity continue to do so without any seeming measures of conservation, I for one will continue to conserve and move towards the time we can move off the electrical grid.

Garden Gnome
© 2007

Our New Home

Our New Laneway

This is a picture of our new laneway. I really love it! So we are now all moved in and the fun begins. Now we start finding the problems the previous owner neglected to tell us or maybe didn't even know about. The property itself is divided into three major areas. The portion from the garage to the deadend road is the laneway and official front yard. The portion from the garage to the house is grassed surrounded by mature landscaping. The side yard is minor but leads to the back (aka our front) yard that is maturely landscaped ending at the breakwall on the water's edge. A dock completes the setting. The house is bermed slopping to ground level on the lower level with one foot thick walls making it quite energy efficient. It is a beautiful peaceful setting but not without problems. I will be discussing a lot of these problems as we remedy them.

Here are some of the problems in no particular order that we have discovered:

1. rodents - there is evidence of an indoor rodent infestation at some point but we have no idea if it is recent.
2. electrical - there are obvious brownouts
3. an ancient freezer with no ground
4. outdoor lighting issues
5. AC not working
6. aged furnace
7. in need of caulking and sealing
8. vegetation trimming for view and pest control
9. kitchen retrofit
10. indoor lighting - very minor, mainly upgrading some fixtures
11. gas line to grill is very wobbly
12. gas line to dryer is non-existent

There are likely more problems but we will deal with them as they arise. The next few posts will be before and after shots of how we solved the problems plus a bit more since there is decorating and other non-essentials to consider. So watch for them shortly.

Garden Gnome
© 2007