Truths and Fiction About Solar and Wind Energy. Part I: Solar

(Due to the overall volume of information acquired regarding the subjects of wind, solar, high speed rails and alternative energies, the next few blogs will be split into "Truths and Fiction About Solar and Wind Energy" and "High Speed Rail vs. Alternative Energy.")


I was watching an episode of Simpsons about a beached whale which Lisa desperately tries to help. At the beginning of the episode, the family buys a wind turbine. The following from Wikipedia: 


" When Homer is outraged by the family's high electricity bill, they attend an alternate(sic)energy expo and purchase a wind turbine. At first the turbine produces an excess of electricity, so Homer decides the family will live off the grid. They soon discover that they have no electricity when there is no wind. Homer tries to power the turbine with fans plugged into Ned Flanders' house, but Ned angrily disconnects them."


Though it is fiction, this particular part of the episode falsely depicts wind energy as inefficient. Most turbine users in the present will connect a battery backup with an inverter to store the electricity so there is a continuous and uninterrupted use of the wind powered electricity.

A brand new solar stadium in Taiwan was unveiled this week,
 in preparation for the 2009 World Games.

See the Full Simpsons Episode Here


Watching this episode brought me to begin thinking about the truths and misconceptions regarding solar and wind power. So I want to make things clear for those who blindly disregard the benefits, efficiencies and costs of these technologies. Wind and solar are amazing and I think we tend to discount their values because we have notched ourselves into a cycle of reliance in conventional methods that keep us paying and paying. Don't get me wrong, I have yet to purchase solar panels and a turbine, however when I have found myself able to invest in such things, you had better believe that I will be using such applications.


Solar Power
First we have to understand that solar power IS currently more expensive than grid power when it comes to cost comparison. The initial investment can be out of range for many middle class people. But understand, with every residential solar system installed the price will drop. Every home can have at least a supplemental system that would reduce utility costs dramatically. And after you have paid for your system, the electricity you generate is not to be charged to you by an intermediary.


A major misconception about Solar power is that you will have to give up many of your conveniences. As a matter of fact there are a number of people in the very town I live in who use solar to power most, if not all of their home. There are a number of different techniques for using the suns energy use in your home.


 We'll start with the cheapest, simplest and easiest to apply,  Passive Solar Energy. In definitive terms, the website Solar Energy At  Home describes Passive Solar as "the harnessing of the sun's energy without the use of mechanical devices. Using south-facing windows to provide natural lighting and heating for your home are examples of passive solar energy." Along with Passive Solar is Passive Cooling; strategically placing landscaping, setting drafts and insulating your home to control your temperature levels, passive solar can be cheap and free if the right, creative mind can devise imaginative ways to use it.. My home has a great deal of shade on the south side that protects me from that hot, pounding mid-day sun. Keeping the shades drawn during the hottest part of the day keeps my home much cooler than outdoors. At night, when the winds are up I can strategically open and close certain windows to create cooling drafts. There are many creative ways to use the sun to create heat, light, even hot water.


We now look at Active Solar Energy. Once again, according to Solar Energy At  Home, "To heat the air inside your home, active solar space heating uses mechanical equipment such as pumps, fans and blowers to help collect, store, and distribute the heat...These systems can be either liquid-based or air-based...Liquid-based systems will use large water tanks or thermal mass for heat storage. Distribution is handled with radiant slab systems, central forced air systems, or hot-water baseboards....Air-based systems will use thermal mass or rock bins to hold the heated air for storage. Using ducts and blowers, the hot air is then distributed throughout the home..." Generally speaking, water, rock or some type of mass that holds heat will store such heat and then distribute it through a ducts just like your furnace system.

When it comes to heating water, Solar Energy At Home States, "Indirect systems use a heat transfer fluid which is usually a water-antifreeze mixture. After the heat-transfer fluid is heated in the solar collectors, it is pumped to a storage tank where a heat-exchanger transfers the heat from the fluid to the household water. This type of system is also known as a "closed-loop" system. Direct systems heat the actual household water in the solar collectors. Once heated, the water is pumped to a storage tank and then piped to faucets for use in your home. Since this system uses regular household water in the collectors, it should only be used in areas that do not experience freezing conditions. This type of system is also known as an "open-loop" system."





A pretty big misconception is that that it take more energy to produce a solar panel than the panel will ever produce on it's own. As a matter of fact, PV panels will have paid for themselves between two and four years and should still be producing electricity 50 years after they have been installed. 


Considering the fact that solar is a renewable energy industry, we can expect that the care for spent lead acid batteries will be handled with caution and care. With 60% of the lead used to initially create the batteries being recycled and over 90% of the lead from spent batteries being recycled back into these batteries, the solar industry is doing very much to be responsible in its use and disposal of the lead.


When it comes to what it would take to power all of the United States, according to the solar contractor site Calfinder.com, "All parts of our country receive enough sunlight to power both commercial and residential electricity. But OK, OK, suppose that our pristine coal mining towns of Illinois refuse to besmirch their scenic countryside with unsightly solar panels. In such a case, we’ll need to take a half-step outside the box. Good thing that a 100-by-100-mile patch of land in Nevada could generate enough solar electricity to power the entire United States of America.And that ain’t no myth.

If that area were broken up by state, that’s still only 17-by-17-mile plots of land. That space is available today in every state via rooftops, parking lots and abandoned industrial sites across the country. Whichever way you slice it, solar power makes crystal clear common sense."

There are many myths regarding Solar Power that I encourage you to research before believing. Don't count solar out. Wouldn't it be excellent to reduce our electricity bills by one-third within five years. It is feasible and realistic. I am certain it is realistic to eliminate all of our electrical utility costs if we just pull the trigger. But we have to put our minds, money and political power together and demand that this needs to be done.

I am a believer that everyone in the world should be able to have free electricity and water. There is no reason, this day-in-age that we can't provide basic services such as heat when it is cold and clean water for the citizens of this world. This is not about socialism. It is about everyones' right to survive with the least of the comforts that our technology has to offer. 

A PV panel similar to those used to power
the Stelle Telephone Company in Stelle, IL

I leave you with a few links to continue your research:

Ameco Solar
The Iowa Source
Residential Solar Panels
Facts About Solar Energy




There are a couple reps for SunWize Technologies that live and work in my town, Stelle, IL. If you decide to buy, call these guys. They are pros, and you are working with someone from the area.

Creating Satisfaction: Part 3

This final Blog in my "Creating Satisfaction" Series covers a mishmash of different things we can do to live more sustainably and interact with one another in positive ways. I will also cover some of my personal thoughts on a couple of topics that are important to me. I hope some of these and previous items have been helpful in demonstrating the point I am trying to get across. It has been a pleasure compiling these together into a reference source for use and enjoyment...

Wild and Perennial Edibles

To begin, it may be surprising to know that there are many edible plants that grow all around you that most of us look at as weeds. However there are many natural edibles all around you if you can identify and take the time to look around. I have friends in Stelle who have picked dandelions and, as a matter of fact I will be helping bottle wine made from these dandelions today! Making dandelion wine is easy and a good way of  putting to use what we think of as something that is invasive to our properties. If you don't have a bucket and airlock, you can use a gallon jug and balloon.

When I was a kid we would eat what we called "sour grass". It is very small with shamrock shaped leave and little yellow flowers. Actually "sour grass" is wood sorrel and has medicinal benefits.

Wood Sorrel

The following according to Botanical.com: "Wood Sorrel is more effectual than the true Sorrels as a blood cleanser, and will strengthen a weak stomach, produce and appetite, check vomiting, and remove obstructions of the viscera."

This is just one example of the benefits of one wild edible plant. I have inserted a link below that will give you a list of wild edibles and you can cross reference it with Botanical.com to find out what each edible has to offer.

Link: A list of wild edibles of the Midwest

Wild Asparagus Spear

Next I offer you perennial edibles. These can grow wild or be planted and enjoyed year after year. In Northern California wild blackberries grow in all the ditches, against fences and anywhere they will be allowed to grow. A good Midwestern example of a wild perennial edible is Asparagus. It grows just about anywhere there is a good source of water in a place that is generally undisturbed, like in rural ditches (just make sore to wash them very well because pesticide blow-over and run-off can add a little extra, unwanted flavor and a nice shock to the liver). From fruit and nut trees, to berries and grapes, there are many productive plants you can insert on your property that will provide an abundance with little work. And the satisfaction you get once these plants begin producing fruit is tremendous.

Wild Asparagus Fern

You can even transplant many of these wild perennials in you yard if you happen to stumble across them while enjoying a walk down a country road. There are so many good things to eat like mulberries, wild strawberries (if you can find them) and walnuts. And for the real "walnuts" out there, many different edible mushrooms exist, though I suggest doing your homework before you give it a try, because mushrooms can be tricky and have the potential to make people very sick.

Link: Perennial Edible Plants

On to other things. I think there are some fairly important ideas to address and grasp to continue on the road to Satisfaction...

Community
There is always a fish fry going on. There is always a fundraiser happening. There is always a local sporting event to go to. There are Euchre tournaments, softball leagues and community garage sales. Get out and about in your local surroundings and enjoy yourself in an atmosphere that isn't your local gin mill. Going to the pub is fun, but are you building relationships with a clear head? You work hard and deserve some good, clean leisure to unwind from all that work you do.

Charity
We don't give because it makes us feel good. We give because it is necessary to do. Don't be reactive in your giving; be preemptive. Even going to the local Red Cross and getting your CPR and First Aid Certification prepares you to give in a way that when help is needed, you are ready for it. Volunteering and community service should not be mandatory, but we have all had times that were rough enough that others have given to us, so we should understand the importance. We must not look at it as paying back, but a necessary function within his social system.

Homemade Gifts, Crafts and Services

My Pine Cone Sherlock Holmes

My Pine Cone Soldier Complete
With Acorn Gas Mask

The gift that is made with the hands, with creativity and care is the best gift to receive. The handmade, homemade gift is the best gift to give, because you made it with love. A friend I know collects pine cones, acorns and walnut shells and every Christmas season sits the kids down with fabric, pipe cleaners, googly eyes, glitter, glue, beads and all sorts of craft items to make "fairies" as tree ornaments and house decorations. It is one of the household highlights of the year. And every year the family of fairies grows and grows. It is really fun and the kids just love using their imaginations to visualize what they will be creating and make it. When money is tight around the holidays (and when isn't it?) offer your proficient skills to others in a hand-drawn or photo shopped gift certificate that is redeemable. Make the service custom tailored to each individual and it will make the gift of service that much more fulfilling.


Transportation

Nearly 50% of our energy consumption
comes from homes and transportation.

Sao Paulo, Brazil has a traffic disaster with some 6 million cars driving through their streets and have begun correcting it by implementing the above procedures and have drastically reduced fuel consumption while making mass transit the way to travel, because their policies have made bus commuting time comparable, if not faster than that of conventional transportation, including taxi cabs.  When we travel alone in our cars, it shows our thirst for fuel and hyperindividualism. Riding transit and carpooling is the first thing we can do to drastically reduce our usage of fuel, in turn saving us vast amounts of money collectively and if we can find other, responsible solutions for our fuel use, we can begin working our way toward making a statement that we will not stand for uncontrolled consumption that will be a major factor in economic downfall.

About 85% of our energy usage comes
from fossil fuels. Let's make that 1%
pie slice grow exponentially.

I thank you for reading and considering these ideas. They are not at all original. I just feel they need to be shared with those who have not yet been exposed to them. Good luck in your travels and the journey toward your own independence and remember that we don't need to compromise comforts to live responsibly.

JC

Coming Up...Truths and Fiction About Solar and Wind Energy...Plus, the Choice Between High Speed Rails and Alternative Energies.

Creating Satisfaction: Part 2

One thing we seem to overlook sometimes is that interaction is a great tool for health and well being. Today,we will focus a little more on interactive sustainability. When we build relationships, we build community. When we obsessively dive into our Man Caves, Internet, television programs and the like, we are doing something that is counter to our natural instinct. We are social beings and need interaction to feel good. Some of us even go to the lengths of dramatic behavior (anger, lashing out, sharing too personal information), just to get some kind of interaction. What are some positive things we can do to interact?

Reading
I remember cold winter Saturday nights living in the country. We had few TV channels and barely watched television. I remember on more than one Saturday night, my brothers and sisters and I gathering up all are blankets and pillows and all meeting down in the living room listening to my dad reading "Little House On the Prairie" to us until we dozed off in front of the kerosene heater. For some reason I felt closer to my brothers and sisters. I don't know why; maybe I wondered if they could see the vivid pictures described so well by Laura Ingalls Wilder. We shared the experience of the story told. Personally, it helped me visualize well and the stories gave me a compassion for those who made something out of nothing and that having that kerosene heat, a roof over my head and a full belly of food wasn't such a terrible life. I was 5 or 6 years old at the time. I'm not sure if it was typical of someone that age to be thinking about those things, but I didn't know any different to ask.

Reading to your kids shows you have time for them and it encourages the use of their imaginations to visualize the words coming from the page. I think it is one of the most important things you can do for a kid. It encourages educating yourself and builds a trust between parent/guardian and child.

It is also good to start book clubs or read the same book with a friend and discuss it later. Reading this way encourages free exchange of ideas and interpretation while keeping people safe from "wedge" conversations such as politics and religion (though I believe those should be discussed as well, just in a thoughtful way).

Recommended Non-Fiction Reading: Deep Economy By Bill McKibben


Farmers Markets
Do you ever stop and have a conversation with someone while you are shopping in the supermarket or grocery store? Most people don't...and when I say most people I mean ALMOST ALL. You spend a couple hours at the Farmers' Market and you will have ten...or so. Not only is it a great place to visit with the locals, you can get all kinds of great deals on all kinds of produce. There are many things there that you won't find in the produce section at your big stores. Also, many farmers that sell at the market grow organic food that is beautiful and tastes better. Plus, when you buy there, you are supporting local economy before global economy. When  Bentonville, Arkansas needed a new water waste treatment plant, Wal-Mart, a multi-billion dollar company refused to pony up anything to help out. If they are going to refuse to help their hometown, what makes you think they have your best interests in mind? These farmers growing and selling at the farmers' markets DO have you best interests in mind, because this is their livelihood. Try out the farners' market. See how many people you engage in conversation with and check out all the cool stuff you can buy. I'm sure you'll be pleased.

Link: USDA Farmers' Market Search Page

Cooperatives
In the town I work in we have a number of successful cooperatives, or co-ops. We have a tool co-op. You pay a minimal fee every year and have access to a shared garage that is stocked with various tools for use. For the most part it is wildly successful and it helps those who can't afford tools or don't have enough space to put their own. There is a lawn mower co-op. Why have your own mower when you can chip in and have a number of people use and maintain the mower. There is a garden co-op. This venture gives people space to grow food, while sharing hours with one another to get the more difficult tasks done. Mostly, everyone shares the produce. The importance of this concept is to practice interaction and sharing with people you may not see on a regular basis. It saves money. It, once again, builds relationships and cooperation, encouragement and organization. Think about starting one of these cooperatives or a bicycle or car share in your town.

Link: Join A Local Ride Share

Parks

The Natural Beauty of the
Kankakee River. 

One of my favorite past times when I was a teenager fresh out of mom's and dad's was to get out and explore my immediate surroundings. I am sure my Paxton, Illinois friends understand what I mean. I think we all did it at one time or another. What I found out is that there is a lot of natural beauty near us, we just have to seek it out. And aside from the occasional drunk, belligerent camper next to your site on a Saturday night, many fellow hikers and campers are very friendly and more than willing to stop and talk with you about this or that. It's nice to get out and see what your area has to offer. So get on google and seek out places near you that you have never been. It is quite an experience and a great way to share the outdoors, the journey and the natural beauty of your local environment.

Link: Find A National Park Near You
Link: Find A Campground Near You

Carpool
When I was a teenager we would carpool and didn't even realize what we were doing. We would arrange rides with the people we wanted to hang out with so we could have a good ol' time to or from school, or on the weekend out hiking at the forest preserve, or on Friday nights on the way to the football game. We chose the people to ride with because we WANTED to communicate with them.Now we have our lives and our needs for getting around on our own. Have many of us made time in the last 15 years to go out cruising together, just to catch up? The car is a great way to commit yourself to communicating. You are locked in this two ton projectile going 70 miles per hour; what else do you have to do other than get to know your fellow rider. When you have your grocery day, pick up a friend that needs to go to. Coordinate it. Not only do you have a way to communicate with a good friend, you are being responsible by saving fuel. Try taking more trips to the store with someone else who needs to go and you will not only have a good time, you will reduce a good portion of your fuel bill. Bring a picnic lunch instead of eating at a restaurant and you will save even more.

Link: Carpooling Facts (article)

Hopefully these latest tips will help you connect or reconnect with people while living more responsibly and frugally. Remember, the powers that be don't want you to do any of these things because it is in their best interests to continue consuming.

Next Blog I will get more broad with the subjects of community and also transportation. And also a couple more cool things you can do to hook it up in the New World.

Creating Satisfaction: Part 1

In my last blog I talked of things we can due to reduce bills, live responsibly and be involved more in our surroundings. I will now get specific with some very cheap and simple things we can do with our families and friends. Considering the amount of content, I will be splitting the information up over the next few blogs.

Many of you my be doing one or two things on this list. A few of you may be doing all these things. I truly believe that if we are all doing most of these things we will be creating a more appealing immediate surrounding that will be much more enjoyable to our existence.

Gardening
It was heartening to hear a friend of mine say that she has started her first family garden this year. Starting a family garden is good for teaching children responsibility while they commune with nature and still have the opportunity to get dirty. Ask the kids what they want to grow. And remember, you control the content of what you put into that produce.

Trellised Cucumbers

We can take the same concept into urban areas where there may be much more limited growing space. If you live in a thickly populated area, find friends in the neighborhood who would like to split the share of work and offer a neighbor who has some space produce in exchange for your maintaining the garden. There are also ways to create vertical growing space. For example, a potato barrel is no bigger than a garbage can so you don't need a lot of ground area to dedicate to such a project. Trellising cucumbers is also a good idea for using vertical space to reduce the use of ground area. Get creative.

Remember, if you try to grow something and fail, don't worry. The Earth isn't going to fire you for bad performance. She wants you to make things grow. And with most all things, practice makes perfect.

Rain Catchments

Typical Rain Catchment System...
It pays for its self very quickly.

A friend of mine has pipes attached to his downspouts that feeds a 1500 gallon cistern in the ground behind his house. It was a tank designed for septic, but was used to catch rain for the sake of watering his garden and orchard. You would be surprised how much water you can capture using rain catchments. In the wet season it would almost seem like you can't even keep up with using what a catchment collects. But in the dry part of the summer they are great to have as a substitute for the good ol' trusty hose-on-a-spigot. Plus the plants enjoy the rain way better than the chlorinated tap water.

There are 55 gallon rain catchments you can attach to the downspouts on your home. I am confident that if everyone had two or three on their home, there would be little need to use any tap water all year in your lawn and garden. They are available for under $100 each and no there is not much of a mosquito threat considering it is fairly sealed and there would be a low probability that the mosquito would be able to escape and cause havoc. Saving money on water, when it falls from the sky seems to be common sense.


A Tip: If you live in a climate that has winter freezing, make sure you empty the catchment at the end of the season because expansive ice WILL crack the spigot away from the barrel.

Clotheslines
Yes it may take a few extra minutes out of your day to hang the laundry, but the fuel costs save will put you well on your way to energy savings. When put together with other utility saving action, such as the above rain catchments and carpooling, which I will address, you begin to see changes in the bank account.

Link: How To Build A Clothesline

Composting

A typical, removable compost bin

One side is for  brewing compost
and the other for building a waste pile

Composting is a very easy way to create soil from household food waste. You can reduce your garbage up to 40% by using produce, paper products, ash, grass clippings, leaves, food waste such as egg shells and coffee grounds and so many things that many people wouldn't even begin to think could be returned to soil. If you recycle AND compost, the only thing that you would have in your trash can would be Styrofoam. We so quickly and easily discard trash into our cans and neglect to wonder where it goes and what it does to our environment. We are not collectively being responsible with what we are doing with our trash before it leave our homes. Dumps are so bad for the ground they sit on, they threaten water tables and emit methane gas. Compost gives you rich dirt that will supplement the use of store bought potting soil while reducing what we put into landfills.

Tidbit: If you are composting properly, it won't stink.

Canning
Canning seems to have become a lost art. Over the years we have become more reliant on large canneries and manufacturers to package our food. I was eating out of a bag of Vitner's potato chips the other day. My curious mind always looks at the ingredients and noticed about half way through the list one of the ingredients is Mono sodium Glutamate...trusty ol' MSG. Yum Yum! It's not good stuff. When we are able to can we control what content exists soaking into that produce while it waits on your shelf anticipating your enjoyment. Canning can be done very quickly and easily and you can preserve your food for years.

Link: Shop Pressure Cookers and Canning Jars



I would also like to encourage recycling. It is unnecessary to have such an industry as the trash business when we can conserve, recycle and re-use most of what comes into our homes. (Make it fun for the kids. Let them collect the cans in the house and be responsible for the saving and recycling and let them have the money they make from it. They can also be encouraged to be responsible for collecting the newspapers, cardboard, plastic and glass. Most trash companies that provide recycling cans do not require that newspapers, cardboard, plastic and glass be separated).


These ideas can be implemented and shared by every member of the family. It will be a good amount of work, but if you have loved ones to help with the process it will be much easier and you get the benefit of the interaction that we can have as human beings. And you can pass responsible behaviors along to others.

Remember to Have Fun!


Next Blog will cover some really cool and fairly unused and common sense ideas. Stay tuned....

What Is Satisfaction?

We look at our lives and many of us are satisfied with the direction we are taking. I find others are looking for a new way to live that isn't so demanding that they can have more opportunities to spend time with family and their interests. And isn't that why we live and reproduce?

As many of you have come to find out, I am pretty fed up with both sides of the aisle. No one is working for us anymore. And after research, I found out that they may never have been working for us in the first place. When the revolution was happening, our new government was encouraging people to buy "their" land out "west". These loans were low or no interest. We were taught in school that these people were expanding the U.S. territory for no other reason than to try to capture the American dream. The truth is the newly formed U.S. government was providing these loans to homesteaders to create equity and a credit line for the purpose of purchasing weapons for the Revolution.

So from our inception our country has built a line of credit to borrow...and borrow...and borrow...in this instance, borrowing to fund their war. Now I believe that every man has the natural right to be free to make his own choices. And I would personally stand up for the rights of people who are being wronged or their natural rights were being violated.. But we have built debt from day one. Don't get me wrong, there have been a number of times in this country's existence that we have paid these debts, however we perpetuate this belief that unregulated capitalism and borrowing are going to be our economic salvation. All the while, good, honest, hardworking people are losing everything from their homes and jobs to their retirements and investments.

Anyone who still believes in the "Right/Left" paradigm is only encouraging this behavior further. It is up to us to decide when we have had enough of their "representation" and create our own, new representation.

Is there a such thing as too much technology? When we begin working to pay for our technology, we have bowed to another slavemaster. Don't get me wrong, there are benefits to technology. But when technology becomes our obsession, we tend to forget there is a beautiful Earth beneath our feet and a mass of wonderful people who mostly want the same things we want. How did we get along until 25 years ago?

We want security for ourselves and our families. And we want to enjoy our loved ones and watch them flourish. How can we do that when we our breaking our backs just to keep up with the pace of an economy? Many a man and woman work so hard trying to attain and keep comforts so their families can live well. But stuff is not life. When we die we take nothing from this Earth but our reputation. And included in our reputation is the picture family and friends have created as a result of the quality of life and love we have offered to them.

So, would you be willing to comprimise a small amout of your quality of physical life for a larger portion of the quality of mental life so your loved ones can feel more secure? Is it all about stuff over satisfaction? You can still have stuff, but when do you have enough stuff and when you begin acquire new stuff are you feeling that there is not much satisfaction to "more"? And there is solid evidence that claims your quality of life peaks at a certain point of financial prominence before it plateaus and sometimes even begins dropping while wealth still rises. So, how can we make time to enjoy those around us? Simplify.

What does "Simplify" mean? In the next blog I will attempt to demonstrate what we can do to save a little money so our lives are a little less demanding that will hopefully free up a little time for us to enjoy and interact more with the people we care about. Some of these ideas are practical. Others may be a little unorthodox. But while we wait to find out, please ponder on the following question:

Would you give 80% of what you have so 5 people could have 80% more than they have?
I tend to believe I know what mothers will say..."I already have." So maybe the rest of us can be more like moms....

Every dollar that is made at the top is being taken from some unfortunate soul at the bottom.

Next Blog...Simple tips that will save us money and care for the Earth and its inhabitants.