A Dozen Bad Things about Alternative Energy by AlternativeEnergy.com

[AlternativeEnergy.com]

Alternative energy is great. It is the future. It’s the only future. It’s sexy. It will create lots of jobs. That all sounds wonderful. It’s almost as cheap as coal and nuclear and maybe even cheaper. It’s all true, but is it priority #1? Is it the best, the fastest, the cheapest way to solve problems most agree are real?

In July, three energy proposals were offered. The first was by T. Boone Pickens. Thank you, Mr. Pickens. He emphasized wind turbines and natural gas automobiles to reduce the enormous $700 billion spent on imported oil every year. The second was from Al Gore. Thank you, Al Gore. He emphasized new sources of electricity to save the climate. A third proposal came from a group of dignitaries. Thank you, dignitaries. They suggest all solutions for the purpose of economic and national security.

The press widely covered Pickens, less so Gore, and much less the dignitaries. The almost total fascination of the press was the new forms of energy, particularly wind turbines on an industrial scale.
That’s what makes alternative energy so bad. It’s so sexy and cool that people don’t consider less sexy, less cool, but more sensible priorities.

So here are some really boring, uncool steps the government and individuals can take to make a significant difference that will save money, energy, and the environment … quicker than just about anything else.

1. Mandate residential energy efficiency, including insulated doors and windows and efficient attic fans.
2. Mandate highly efficient tankless or solar thermal water heaters.
3. Mandate CFL light bulbs. They last 12 times longer, use 1/4 of the electricity, and only cost 3 times more.
4. Mandate recycling of aluminum cans. Each recycled can is equivalent of watching 3 hours of TV on a 32 inch LCD.
5. Incentivize carpooling, video conferencing, virtual conferences, and telecommuting. Genentech's gRide program, for example, pays its employees $4 a day if they don’t drive to work; the result: 25% less cars every day.
6. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22425001/vp/25801182#25801182
   Mandate real-time displays of MPG usage for autos. It is only $150 from Amazon, today, and improves mileage by up to 30%.
7. Mandate capture of rain water from gutters. Water is equivalent to energy in many parts of the country because electric pumps need to move water to cities. The water can be used for lawns.
8. Mandate extreme energy efficiency on new construction or renovations, like highly cost effective geothermal heat pumps, solar thermal water heaters, and rooftop gardens.
9. Mandate meters that show precisely show how much energy is consumed for each appliance. (See related story.) Studies show that when people know what they’re consuming, they consume much less. This is not widely available now, but the technology certainly exists.
10. Mandate purchase of hybrid school buses, street buses, and garbage trucks. These vehicles are not widely available yet, but they do exist and the technology is proven. They have a much greater efficiency improvement than the average family car because they make frequent stops and are used all of the time.
11. Voluntarily eat a little less meat. Meat consumes more energy than other forms of food.
12. Let’s teach energy education in our schools. Energy encapsulates most of the things kids learn in school, like science, math, business, reading, writing, social studies, international relations, and politics.

Someone could jump to the conclusion that these mandates will cost a lot of money. On some level that is true, but they are also fantastic investments that are better than most other investments. Some of these investments have the equivalent of 100% returns. For example, attic fans could cost $1000 to purchase and install, but they could save that same amount in the first year.

It would be smart for the government to use taxpayer funds to provide low cost loans to implement these mandates. The only reason these investments are not being made right now is because people either are too short of cash or aren’t aware of the benefits. It is hard to imagine why people would choose not to take these steps if they knew all the facts. Indeed, it is a fantastic use of taxpayer funds. It is not spending. It is an investment. It is no less of an investment than building the railroads or the national highway system.

It is interesting to note some of the things that are missing from the list. The missing items are some of the hottest and sexiest products that are discussed frequently in the news. Personal hybrid vehicles and plug in hybrids are missing because these are only great financial investments for people who drive substantially more than the average number of miles each year. The market is already doing a good job with automobiles. These vehicles already have a 9 month waiting list and all the automakers are rushing to participate.

Another missing item is residential photovoltaic solar. At this moment certain types of solar, like concentrated solar thermal in the middle of the desert, are fantastic investments, even without subsidies. For now, only subsidized residential photovoltaic makes financial sense.

AlternativeEnergy.com advocates incentives on many kinds of alternative energy to incubate these technologies to the point that they can make financial sense. In the meantime, let’s pursue the boring, proven energy saving technologies that could make a significant, quick impact.

[hannah shen]

Mandate residential energy efficiency, including insulated doors and windows and efficient attic fans.

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[Jay]

I HAVE BEEN DREAMING ABOUT ENERGY EFFECIENT HOUSING. IT WOULD START FROM THE GROUND UP WITH A SLAB FOUNDATION WELL INSULATED UNDER SLAB AND SUB FLOORING PUT OVER THE SLAB HARDWOOD FLOORING. I AM PARTIAL TO A NEW DOME STYLE CURRENTLY CANADIAN WOODEN DOMES FRAME CAN GO UP IN 5 1/2 HOURS THEN FINISHED WITH TAB SHINGLE ROOF AND CEDAR SHAKE ISIDES. FOR INSULATION ISONEN FOAN INSULATION AND PLASTER WALLS THIS GIVES YOU THERMAL ENVELOPE AND ENERGY EFFECIENCT BENIGN BUILDING MATERIALS. ID SET UP A TRACKING ARRAY FOR SOLAR ELECTRIC WITH PROPANE FUEL CELL BY VOLLER SILENT ELECTRIC THEN ID HAVE COMPUTER CONTROLLED HEATING SYSTEMS. THE IN FLOOR HEATING SYSTEM COULD DISAPATE HEAT CREATED USING ELECTRICITY FOR SOLAR. THIS WOULD CREAT A MININUM HEAT INPUT DEPENDING ON TIME OF YEAR MAY BE ENOUGH TO ADJUST TEMPERATURE AS IN A GROUND SOURCE HEATING SYSTEM FROM 50 SOME DEGREES TO SEVENTY SOME DEGREES INSTEAD OF FROM AMBIENT OUTDOOR TEMPERATURE TO SEVENTY SOME DEGREES AND THE THERMOSTATS COULD ADJUST THE TEMPERATURE DOWN WHILE YOUR AT WORK OR ON VACATION. ANY TIME A HOUSE WAS DESTROYED BY NATURAL DISASTER THESE HOUSES WOULD GO IN QUICKLY AND REPLACE THE ONES FLOODED OR BURNT DOWN OR DESTROYED BY TORNADO OR HURRICANE. IN THIS MANNER REPLACED HOUSING WOULD BECOME EFFECIENT UP TO FIFTY PRECENT MORE EFFECIENT.

[ved22]

A sensible article in the midst of media hype on energy plans and energy independence. I am a strong believer of sustainable lifestyle.

It costs nothing to change habits and lifestyle. It requires commitment and strong resolve to continue to be committed for life.

A sustainable individual lifestyle leads to sustainable home. Sustainable homes form a sustainable community. Sustainable communities a sustainable economy. It is as simple as that. It does not require great amount of money to learn this basic fact. Live within means and know your means to achieve happiness and harmony in life.

I congratulate the editor for sticking to the basics. Government support- well if it is there it is welcome. If does not come it should not worry anyone.
Srini

[Jim C.]

This editorial is right on the mark. Energy management is where it all begins. For every dollar you spend to save energy in an existing home will save you 4 dollars in the cost of a solar and/or wind (alt.energy) installation cost. Look at your furnace, 100,000 btu's, Do you really need all that heat on a 50 degree day? How stupid is that? You only need that heat when it is 0 outside. Ed said he had a heat pump, cool, but what I bet he don't know is the bozo that put it in did not put a outdoor reset controller on it to shut the poor thing down when it gets 25-30 deg. outside so the poor thing is out there pumping its little guts out and the 3 or 4 - 5kw elements in the furnace are also running full blast. Ed, if you want to fix that get in touch and I will walk you thru this it is really easy to fix! William has it going on, Geothermal is the best. THE BEST!!!
Jay has brought up leaky duct work, and that is a big issue if you have a uninsulated area that the duct work runs in, if the ducts are in the conditioned space it is of little consequence. Doug has layed out the real agenda. Since all of the major HVAC manufacurers have made 95+ furnaces and 14SEER air cond. for more than 5 years, why are they still allowed to sell the old inefficient "contractor models" they still sell. The reason I use "contractor model" is because that is what the home builders want us to put in when they build these (energy pigs) that they sell to the "poor - unsuspecting, gullible, uneducated American consumers" that have to pay the energy bills on these units we call the American Dream, which is now turning into the American Nighmare!!!!
I would say it is time for the DOE, House, Senate, Administration, all state, county, city, neighborhoods, blocks and all the American People to stand up and say, ENOUGH ALREADY!! Let get in the game.
Jim C.

[William Corbin]

I have been singing the praises of Geothermal Heat Pumps and GeoExchange Systems for a long while and I commend you for at least mentioning it in your column. I wrote Al Gore and Boone Pickens about their lack of interest in talking about the one true answer to our energy problems and an environmentally friendly answer as well. Just think about it, six feet under the ground we walk on is an untapped source of constant energy that when harnessed and run through a Geoexchange system and controlled by a Geothermal Heat Pump can save up to 70% on heating and cooling expenses and the initial costs can be repaid to the user in 2 to 4 years at todays energy costs. Why is this not published by T.Boone or A. Gore or the news media? Why because it works and the utility companies do not want to compete with your back yard, because they can't win. There are over a million and a half homes and buildings that enjoy this constant temperature exchange in the US. If the Government subsidised a homeowner to the extent they spend money on other alternative energy exploration it certainly would help the people in the cold climates in the winter. Yes I am in the GeoExchange business and I sell Geothermal Heat Pumps so I know about what I say. Look out your back door homeowner, see that big green lawn, well 6 feet under it lies the answer to your future energy problems. Oh and by the way, commercial buildings, schools, apartments, etc.,they all apply.Take a look at my web page www.corbinenterprises.com Don't be misled you can also retrofit your existing home or building. You don't have to use my equipment, but please look into Geothermal Heating and Cooling in your home or building. Then spread the word like I am. Oh and one more thing it saves on hot water costs as well. Good luck to all. Lets not have the words of this winter be "Heat or Eat". Bill Corbin, President Go Green Development Consortium, Inc. a Vermont Corporation

[AlternativeEnergy.com]

We intentionally did not detail the meaning of the word mandates, as this piece would become too long. Let it be clear that we already have lots of mandates, such as emissions checking and automobile inspections and permits for home construction. The mandates advocated in the piece should be phased in and initially targeted to the largest consumers of energy. Aside from the plans proposed by Pickens, Gore, and the dignitaries, two things prompted this piece. In an an interview with GE executives about their fantastic new home heaters, they said only 5% of American in 5 years would use them, despite the overwhelming evidence that they make financial sense. The second motivator was a trip to a CA University... more later on this ... that had a house with an incredibly comfortable environment on a very hot day without any mechanical HVAC.

[Jay]

I like the way this article gives out the ideas we all should easily be able to agree upon without having to have mandates. The effeciency of the existing forced air heating systems in the apartment building throughout the united states and probably the world as well. leaking ductwork wastes 1/3 of the energy put into these ststems. These ducks leak heated air into spaces in the attic and crawlspaces under homes where it is wasted heating space where no one lives. There is little incentive for landlords to fix this problem if renters pay all utilities. If landlords include utilities they include the high energy prices in the rent costs. either way there is no incentive to stop the waste. In lighting newer earth LEDS claim they put out better quality light than previous units they cost eight dollars and use one dollar a year in electricity being left on 24/7 a study shows if all the light bulbs in the world were replaced with LEDS like these the amount of energy used for lighting could be reduced by half. With vehicles I advocate research into and the widespread adoption of gasoline additives specfically hydrogen produced on-board the vehicles worldwide adding hydrogen increases the effeciency of fossil fuels used in internal combustion engines be it diesel,gasoline of natural gas. this fuel additive of hydrogen burns hotter and more completely and thus increases gas milage. A side benifit being that exhaust emmisions are reduced 90% and that if this was implimented world wide could reverse the effects of global warming. Other technologies that could make a significant difference in fossil fuel use would be to replace small motors with even smaller fuel cells and the added benifit would be a great reduction in noise levels as fuel cells run silent and the only by-product they produce is pure water. One of the reasons our heating bills are high is that houses built in the 1950's had little insulation or the insulation has settled if combined with the in-effecient heating systems using forced air heating heat is lost on it's way to the house then thru the walls doors and windows. new housing can be built to utilize ground source heat pumps,net metering solar tracking arrays and hybrid systems wind,solar and solar thermal.