Easy Eco Blog » Alternative Energy

Wind and Solar Mobile Charger for Cell Phones, Gadgets, Yogen Universal Mobile-device Charger, Green Self-Powered Speaker

easy eco blog — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 07:00:40 +0000

The nPower PEG personal energy generator is placed in your backpack or purse or belt strap and generates energy as you walk, hike, or bike. The energy is stored in a battery and allows you to charge up your cell phone or mp3 player, etc. Exercise to lose weight and generate energy too! One drawback is that it costs $159.99.

K3 Wind and Solar Mobile Charger generated clean energy and saves it to its internal battery. It charges mobile phones, iPods/Mp3 players, PDA’s, GPS and Digital Cameras and a fully charged K3 will charge a Blackberry or iPhone 5 times. At $89, it is an expensive way to go green.

One of the most interesting dad-endorsed gadgets is the Solar Powered Battery Backup by Scosche Solar Products. The device (no bigger than a cell phone) is equipped with a 1500ma lithium-ion battery that stores power for when you need it and recharges from the sun (or the USB cable included). Perfect for charging iPods, iPhones, Blackberry, and cellphones, use your existing USB cable to charge your devices. For less than $20, the battery backup also comes with a windshield cradle and universal carabiner mount.

Self Powered, Foldable, Green Powered Speaker

Origaudio makes a unique green self powered speaker that is foldable. No need for any batteries, ac adapters, etc! It is also made out of Recycled Materials, comes in a variety of designs, and costs less than $19.99.

Samsung Blue Earth Eco Friendly Cell Phone

Samsung launched a new eco friendly Blue Earth cellphone that is made from old water bottles and has a solar panel for charging it. It uses very little power and they use soy-ink on the packaging. Samsung Blue Earth is launching in Sweden in October and will soon launch in France, Germany, Austria, Italy, Portugal and other European and Asian countries.

PG&E Wireless Smart Meter Controversy

easy eco blog — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 07:00:48 +0000

PG&E has started installing Smart meters in many locations throughout the San Francisco Bay Area. These industry standard gas and electric meters measure a customer’s energy use. Electric meters read power consumption hourly, while gas meters record information daily. Both types periodically transmit your energy use information over a secure wireless network back to PG&E or your local utility company.

A wireless smart meter controversy has arisen stating that the meters are not accurate and customers are being overcharged. Hackers may be able to hack into your meter and there are concerns about wireless RF radiation. PG&E counters by saying that a rate increase occurred during the smart meter rollout. Third-party labs need to test the meter to verify accuracy. At the end of May, 2010 PGE finally responded with a report. In early May 2011, PG&E finally admitted that some meters got to hot when internal temperatures past 100°, and misread electrical usage. Customers were overcharged due to this bug.

Health Effects

A small minority of people complain about headaches, insomnia, ringing in their ears, and other symptoms once SmartMeters were installed. This is a deeply disputed area though. PG&E has offered non-transmitting meters to these folks, but they content that the power switching device within these digital meters also causes symptoms. There will be a $75 one-time fee to switch to a non-SmartMeter plus a $10 monthly fee. The monthly fee would help pay for utility workers that manually read the meter’s numbers every month.

About 15 million customers Nationwide have these Smart meters, with more added daily.

The pluses of a Smart Meter

Utility companies could allow customers to see how much power, gas they are using. San Diego Gas & Electric even supports Google’s PowerMeter. Microsoft Hohm uses Smart Meter data to help you save energy.

PG&E lets SmartMeter customers check their usage power, gas online. You can see how it varies from day to day and compare your usage with others. Seeing your energy use and cost in real time allows you to adjust your lifestyle to reduce your power bill. Some PG&E smartmeters are made by Landis+Gyr. These show how much power you are using right now. SmartMeter technology can also give customers access to new electric pricing plans like the PG&E SmartRate summer pricing plan. If you use less electricity from 2-7 pm, on no more than 15 of the hottest summer days, you will be charged less.

A SmartMeter can alert PG&E or other utility companies if there is a power outage, so the power can be restored faster than before. In the future, a Home Area Network (HAN) will allow you to automate your energy use and take advantage of special variable time pricing plans to help you save money.

Power is measured in kilowatt hours (kwH). If you leave a 100 watt light bulb on for 1 hour a day, for 30 days, you will have used 100 watts x 30 hours = 3000 watt hours = 3 kwH.

In the San Francisco Bay Area most PG&E customers have tiered energy pricing (E1 Residential Pricing plan) that starts at 12 cents, but jumps to 14, 29 cents, 40 cents and 40 cents as you use more power. With a smart meter you know how much you are using. You can sign up for alerts via phone or email that tell you when your are entering a more expensive energy tier.

Future of Smart meters

Smart meters could automatically adjust appliance power consumption during peak times, causing a reducing in power costs. Reliant Energy in Houston has 2 price levels for power in the winter, 3 in Summer. The highest prices are from 4-6pm in the Summer. Cook dinner after 6pm, or turn off the air conditioning for 2 hours, and you will save money.

In California, days that require the most power cause the least efficient and most polluting plants to have to be put online. PG&E has Critical Peak Pricing (CPP) where you pay less in exchange for higher prices 15 days a year.

One thing is for sure, the meters add another RF radiation source to our lives.

Picking Solar Panels – Finding the Best Solar Panels

easy eco blog — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 07:00:34 +0000

The Earth receives more energy from the Sun in one hour than the whole World uses in a whole year. Time to tap into that. Solar power is used to power everything from calculators to Coast Guard buoys to highway signs to the International Space Station.

You have read Are Solar Panels for me? and Solar Panel Installation – Planning and are ready for more details. Photovoltaic Solar panels were invented at Bell Labs in 1953. They have evolved over the years and several different types of solar panels exist, and choosing between then is confusing. No one vendor will have access to all products, so you will have to do some shopping around to find the best solar panels.

Monocrystalline or Polycrystalline Panels

These solar panels are made either from single crystal cells or stringing ribbon of multiple crystals. They are the classic version of solar panels and are rated for good efficiency, around 12-13% power conversion, and a Long lifespan, possibly 30 years+? Sunpower has a model with a very high 19.3% efficiency. Monocrystalline panels are less efficient in hotter climates and work best in unobstructed sun. A panel’s power will drop by 50% if a even one cell on the panel is half shaded. Temperatures typically above 75 degrees F cause most solar panel power generation to decrease. Solar panel suppliers include: Sharp, Hitachi, Mitsubishi, Kyocera, Schott, SolarWorld, SunTech, Sunpower, bp solar, Mitsubishi electric, Evergreen solar.

Thin Film Panels

Less efficient than the Crystal Panels, but they much thinner and easier to make. Less efficient than monocrystalline, at 10-12% efficiency. They work better when you have slight shading and are not affected by hot weather as much as monocrystalline. Major Drawback of performance degradation over time. Possible lifespans of 10 years. Suppliers include: Nanosolar, Unisolar

Hybrid Panels

Hybrids of single crystalline silicon surrounded by ultra-thin amorphous silicon layers. Produces 10% or more electricity (kWh) than conventional crystalline silicon solar panels at the same temperature. Good efficiency levels of 16%. Hybrid Solar Panel Suppliers include: Sanyo

Federal Tax Credit for Consumer Energy Efficiency – Fuel Cells Power Generators and Microturbine System

easy eco blog — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 07:00:41 +0000

Fuel Cell Power Generators are now available for residential, home use. They claim to reduce your utility bills by up to 50%, and to cut CO2 emissions by over 33%. They take natural gas and produce electricity and heat for your home. ClearEdge is one of the providers of MicroCHP (combined heat and power) residential fuel cells.

A Federal Tax Credit for Energy Efficiency – Fuel cells and Microturbine System is also available. This can save homeowners 30% of the cost of the fuel cell unit, up to $500 per .5 kW of power capacity. This will typically yield a $5000 total tax credit. Businesses have a 30%, up to $3000 per kilowatt tax credit, making $15,000 tax credit available.

This Federal Tax Credit for Fuel Cells especially well when coupled with a state rebate program.

On the tax credit, existing homes & new construction qualify. Both principal residences and second homes qualify. Rentals do not qualify.

This Federal Tax Credit on Fuel Cells and Microturbine System reduces the amount of tax you owe. The credit is a reduction of total income tax at the bottom of your tax return. This tax credit is a non-refundable tax credit. Consult your tax adviser for details about Fuel Cell power. Use it or lose it!

How does it work?

Fuel-Cell Power Generators convert natural gas into clean hydrogen through lack catalytic process. Through a electrochemical reaction, the fuel cell creates electricity and heat. This unit helps reduce pollution and greenhouse gases. The power is converted to AC and connected to your home, while the heat is transferred using a hydronic system or a heat exchanger. Extra electricity is generated can be sold back to your utility company. The unit can work day or night, and in most environments.

The unit can generate electricity at 6 cents per kWh, compare that to San Francisco Pacific Gas and Electric rates from $.13-$.32 per kWh. This is based on $1.20 per therm for natural gas.

Ideal customers

To be cost effective, you need to spend approximately $1000 a month on your utility bill or use at least 44,000 kWh a month. You also need to have substantial heating demand for a pool, radiant flooring, etc. Businesses are clearly the biggest beneficiaries of this type of product.

How much can I save?

Most fuel-cell power generators that achieved a 30% electricity only generation capacity, qualify for a variety of rebates. Many utility companies have Self Generation Incentive Programs or SGIP available. These typically pay $2.50 per watt for fuel cells. A typical model would yield a $12,500 check from this program. Check with your local utility company.

These units are expensive at $50,000 for a 5 kW fuel-cell, costing roughly the same as they solar electric system of the same size. No doubt that they compare themselves the solar as pricing after rebates is pretty close.

Residential Wind Power Federal Tax Credit for Consumer Energy Efficiency

easy eco blog — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 07:00:19 +0000

The new residential Small Wind Turbine Federal Tax Credit for Energy Efficiency is a large credit with many advantages. The old tax credit was capped at $2,000. With the new one one you can claim 30% of cost, up to $500 per .5 kW of power capacity, for a new system. It expires 12/31/2016. This Federal tax credit works well when coupled with a state rebate program. Combine this with state rebates like those in California or New York and you have a sweeter deal. Moderate sized 10 kW wind power systems cost over $50,000. The rebate has a nameplate capacity limit of no more than 100 kilowatts.

Existing homes & new construction qualify. Both principal residences and second homes qualify. Rentals do not qualify.

The Federal Tax Credits for Consumer Energy Efficiency reduces the amount of tax you owe. The credit is a reduction of total income tax at the bottom of your return. This tax credit is a non-refundable tax credit. Consult your tax adviser for details. Use it or lose it!

All Small Wind Turbines has a good list of most of the world’s small wind turbines. American Wind Energy Association has lots of information on Wind power.

Interested in Solar?
Read our article Are Solar Panels for Me? and No money down Solar Panels.

Federal Tax Credit for Energy Efficiency on GeoThermal Heat Pump

easy eco blog — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 07:00:10 +0000

A reminder that there is a Federal Tax Credit for Energy Efficiency on Qualifying GeoThermal Heat Pumps, with no cap. If you have been thinking about replacing these items, you might as well upgrade now and save some money.

For 2012, the Federal Tax Credit for energy efficiency for GeoThermal heat pumps is 30% of the cost (including installation/labor costs), with no upper limit . (2010 Federal Tax Credit information)

Existing home and principal residence. New construction and rentals do not qualify.

Units must be placed into service by December 31, 2016.

Geo-thermal heat pumps are similar to ordinary heat pumps, but use the ground instead of outside air to provide heating, air conditioning and, in most cases, hot water. Because they use the earth’s natural constant heat, they are among the most efficient and comfortable heating and cooling technologies currently available. This allows the system to reach fairly high efficiencies (300%-600%) on the coldest of winter nights, compared to 175%-250% for air-source heat pumps on cool days.

Units can cost from $5,000 to $10,000 installed and take about 5-10 years for payback.

All ENERGY STAR geo-thermal heat pumpsqualify for the tax credit.

Criteria for heat pumps:

Water-to-Air

· Closed Loop: >=17.1 EER; >=3.6 COP

· Open Loop: >=21.1 EER; >=4.1 COP

Water-to-Water

· Closed Loop: >=16.1 EER; >=3.1 COP

· Open Loop: >=20.1 EER; >=3.5 COP

· Direct Geoexchange (DGX): >=16 EER; >= 3.6 COP

Energy Star has a store location finder to help you find local dealers.

The 2011 tax credit reverted to 2005-2008 levels. Anyone who previously took advantage of the program can’t apply for incentives that exceed $500. IE If you claimed $500 between 2005 – 2008 on a previous energy efficiency project, or at least $500 tax credit from 2009 – 2010, you are ineligible for the 2011 energy efficiency tax credit.

If you used say $200 of the $500 energy efficiency tax credit from 2005 – 2008, and did not utilize the 2009 – 2010 energy efficiency tax credit, you would still have a $300 credit available.

Federal Energy Efficiency Tax Credit on Qualifying biomass fuel stoves or Wood Heat Stoves, Pellet Stoves, Fireplace Inserts. There is also a Federal Tax Credit for Energy Efficiency on Water Heaters, Wood Heat Stoves, Pellet Stoves, Furnaces and Boilers, Geo-Thermal Heat Pumps, Windows, Doors, and Skylights.

Double dip! Local utilities like PG&E have their own rebates for Energy Efficient Appliances. To find out if rebates or other incentives are available in your area, visit the ENERGY STAR Rebate Finder.

See: Weatherize your home – Fix Leaky Ducts – Reducing Air Leaks

2011 – 2012 Solar Tax Credit – Solar Rebate

easy eco blog — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 07:00:13 +0000

Get a Free Solar Power Estimate from a local vendor by clicking the advertisement above.

2012 continues the very popular residential Solar Federal Tax Credit first enacted in 2009. The previous solar tax credit program was capped at $2,000. With the new one one, you can claim up to 30% of solar power costs for a new solar electric system. Existing homes & new construction qualify. Both principal residences and second homes qualify. Rentals do not qualify. Expires: December 31, 2016

This Solar Federal Tax Credit especially well when coupled with a state rebate program. (CA, CT, NJ, NY) Also look for city solar incentive programs, that can also save you money on your solar panels.

On the tax credit, existing homes & new construction qualify. Both principal residences and second homes qualify. Rentals do not qualify.

This Solar Federal Tax Credit reduces the amount of tax you owe. The credit is a reduction of total income tax at the bottom of your tax return. This tax credit is a non-refundable tax credit. Consult your tax adviser for details about solar power. Use it or lose it!

Example Solar Electric System cost with Rebates

A 3kW solar electric system costing $24K would get $5K in California state rebates and $7.2k Federal rebate. Final price $11.8k. System payback time could drop to 6-7 years. Rebates vary depending on location of course. Rebates make solar power Very attractive!

This Solar Federal Tax Credit is not affected by the AMT or Alternative Minimum Tax.

Interested in Solar Energy? Read our articles on solar power:

Energy Upgrade California (EUC) Rebates upto $4000 – PG&E, SCE, SDGE – Upto $10,300 in San Mateo County, $9500 in San Francisco

easy eco blog — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 07:00:19 +0000

It is getting cold, just in time for a crazy good rebate on heaters, insulation, and more. A very lucrative, new limited time California energy efficiency rebate is available where you can receive up to $4000 in rebates from Energy Upgrade California program. PG&E, SCE, San Diego Gas & Electric – SDG&E, or BVE. customers have this program available. This program is focused on a whole house approach to saving energy. San Francisco Bay Area information line 855-464-8484.

The goal of the program is:

Get rebates, financing, and incentives to reduce the cost of your home upgrade
Reduce energy use
Live in a more comfortable home

Even Larger Rebates

If you live in San Mateo County, the County will match the rebate, raising the potential savings to $10,300 for advanced upgrades. You can thank Stimulus funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Expires March 2012 or earlier. More information.

$300 towards the Energy assessment (Available for limited time only)
$1,500-$4,000 from PG&E
$1,500- $4,000 from County of San Mateo (Available for limited time only)
$2,000 from Association of Bay Area Governments (Available for limited time only)

San Francisco has up to $9500 available in rebates for a limited time.

Some Counties are even subsidizing the home energy audit costs. Check with your local County.

Acterra has free energy audits for residents of:

Atherton
Los Altos Hills
Monte Sereno
Portola Valley
Woodside

Funding for Energy Upgrade California comes from American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, otherwise known as Federal Stimulus Funds, California utility ratepayers, and private contributions.

Qualification:

You must own a single-family home, commercial, or multifamily property and be a qualifying California utility company customer.
You must be current on property taxes and liens.
Participating contractors are specially trained for this program.
There are 2 upgrade packages:

Basic Upgrade Package – 7 required measures (Air sealing, attic insulation, duct sealing, hot water pipe insulation, thermostatic shutoff valve, carbon monoxide monitor) that together could reduce your energy consumption by an average of 10%. Up to $1000 rebate.
Advanced Upgrade Package - A home energy audit which includes energy modeling must be completed by a certified energy auditor. A customized solution (Basic upgrade package plus high-efficiency furnace, energy-efficient cooling, water heater system, energy efficient Windows, duct replacement, wall insulation) with energy savings of 15 to 40%, with incentives from $1250 – $4000 depending on efficiency improvement. The amount of the rebate you get is based on energy modeling software that shows how much energy your home will save after an energy upgrade remodel.

Energy Upgrade CA approves the project after the audit is done and before the work is done.

A verification test is done after the work is finished by PG&E auditors.

Contact your qualified local contractor or Home Energy Audit firm via the Energy Upgrade CA website today to participate in Energy Upgrade California.

GreenPoint rating

If you add green measures to the Upgrade Package, your home may qualify for the GreenPoint Rated label and receive up to $1000. This validates that your home has been remodeled according to established green standards.

Be sure to take advantage of the Federal Tax Credit to receive additional money back in addition to those received under Energy Upgrade California!

Pollution and Wood Burning Fireplaces

easy eco blog — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 07:00:33 +0000

It was another Spare the air night in the San Francisco area, where it is illegal to burn wood, pellets, or manufactured fire logs. The Spare the Air winter season runs from November 1, 2011, through February 28, 2012.

An article showing how bad wood smoke pollutes during bad air days in the San Francisco Bay Area was surprising. Pretty shocking that 1/3 of fine particulate matter is from wood smoke.

How harmful is smoke from burning wood?

According to Sparetheair.org, “In the wintertime, fine particulate matter (PM2.5) becomes the pollutant with the greatest impact on air quality. Fine particulates can bypass the body’s natural defenses, penetrating deeply into the lungs and even passing into the bloodstream. Prolonged exposure to the fine particulates in wood smoke has been linked with aggravated asthma, lung and heart disease, and increased mortality rates.”

According to a UCSF professor of environmental science, wood smoke releases a lot of bad chemicals, chemicals not that far away from tobacco smoke and smoke from fossil fuel combustion engines. It is also harmful to your DNA. A Vancouver, Canada study found that children were 32% more likely to get ear infections in the areas polluted with wood smoke. Keep in mind that this is a neighborhood problem with the smoke you emit possibly hurting others located downwind of your area.

Wood burning fireplaces emit many times more pollutions than EPA-certified woodstoves or Pellet stoves. If you need to use one, try to improve your fireplace efficiency. Make sure that any fireplace you use has a good updrafts that doesn’t expose people sitting nearby. Also consider a HEPA air filter to clean the air inside your house.

Still want to start a fire?

Really into burning the fire? Consider Enviro-Log instead of wood for your fireplace. It is made from 100% recycled waxed cardboard boxes. No additional petroleum added. The ash can be used as fertilizer or potting soil.

If it is time to upgrade for the upcoming winter season, keep these figures in mind. You can be green and buy a more efficient stove or fireplace. Take advantage of the Federal Tax Rebate too.

EPA has information on Cleaner Burning Wood Stoves.

Federal Tax Credits for Energy Efficiency – Wood Stoves, Pellet Stoves, Fireplace Inserts

easy eco blog — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 07:00:53 +0000

A chill is in the air and temperatures are dropping fast. Wood stoves, Pellet Stoves, and Fireplace Inserts that heat specific rooms are popular and are aggressively marketed. Everybody want to save money, so here is a tax credit that helps make a new wood stove or pellet stove more affordable.

For 2011, the Federal Tax Credit for energy efficiency drops to 10%, up to a $500 maximum. (2011 Federal Tax Credit information for Biomass Stoves)

Oil and gas furnace and boiler incentives are capped at $150
Additional $50 for efficient furnace fans
Wood heating system, biomass stove incentive capped at $300
Oil furnaces, boilers, and gas boilers must be 95% efficient. (It was 90% in 2010)
Existing home and principal residence. New construction and rentals do not qualify.
Expires December 31, 2011 – Consult the What other rebates are available? below for other possible rebates.

The 2011 tax credit reverted to 2005-2008 levels. Anyone who previously took advantage of the program can not apply for incentives that exceed $500. IE If you claimed $500 between 2005 – 2008 on a previous energy efficiency project, or at least $500 tax credit from 2009 – 2010, you are ineligible for the 2011 energy efficiency tax credit.

If you used say $200 of the $500 energy efficiency tax credit from 2005 – 2008, and did not utilize the 2009 – 2010 energy efficiency tax credit, you would still have a $300 credit available.

Products qualifying for the Federal Tax Credit for Energy Efficiency

What are Pellet Stoves?

Pellet stoves burn compressed sawdust and typically hold 24 hours worth of pellets. Look for easy to load and clean openings in Pellet stoves. These stoves are more efficient than wood burning models, but need power to run circulation fans.

In 2009, burning pellets costs about 15% less than oil, and 40% less than electrical heat, but 25% more than natural gas. Prices change yearly though.

The Government has a powerful renewable energy incentive designed to reduce our reliance on foreign oil and increase clean, efficient home heating with wood logs and pellet fuels. The stoves must have a thermal efficiency rating of at least 75% as measured using a lower heating value. Vendors have labeled which of their products qualify. Regency Fireplace products has a list of products that qualify.

This credit reduces the amount of tax you owe. The credit is a reduction of total income tax at the bottom of your return. This tax credit is a non-refundable tax credit. Consult your tax adviser for details. Use it or lose it!

The US Government’s Energy Information Administration has a Heat Calculator Spreadsheet to help you compare alternative heating source like wood and pellet stoves.

What other rebates are available?

Delta County, Colorado has a rebate. Other areas have change-out programs.

Be sure to place carbon monoxide and smoke detectors near the stoves to ensure safety.