A Dozen Bad Things about Alternative Energy by AlternativeEnergy.com

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Comment by Jay on May 1, 2009 at 5:19pm

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.

Comment by Arnold L. Johnson on November 3, 2008 at 8:55pm

Well Robert, there is already a kind of anarchy caused by confusion in the leadership and the masses. The leadership says grow tomatoes and perhaps we should throw them. But for the masses to have an agenda of things they can do and do them (grow potatoes instead), we can reinforce that the leadership is on the wrong page, after all we've heard the experts also. And we don't have any political baggage to lug around. The hardest thing is for the masses to boycott to the point of real change. In Ohio the cost of gas has gone down to 2 bucks, there are no complaints about cost or global warming.

So, young people might refuse to be educated in the means to perpetuate the fossil fuel use. Folks should insist on products that are oil-free and eco-friendly and complain just as they did about lead paint. And that nasty word "conservation" should be on everyone's lips. I think it's about building momentum on an idea. During WW2, my wife's mother said they saved every kind of material, recycled it for use to make tanks, planes and bombs. Will there be any grassroots efforts loud enough to make "conservation" and sustainable energy a national civic duty and patriotic necessity? Because we have to be moved beyond "what's in it for me" and "can I make a buck off it?". So, on many levels we need to find the answer to "what can I do?" A mass recall of autos won't work, but adding a gadget to existing autos to allow flex fuels would help. Home centers might stock less incandescent light bulbs. If there is an outline of stuff we all can do without the funding of a gov program we should do it, but the actions must happen on the grass roots level. I would say the fossil fuel using public enabled by a fossil fuel using industry is the problem. If you have an alternative, you simply have to use that instead. This is more of willful determination to choose differently than civil disobedience. We have to move the base of the pyramid and let the top along for the ride.

Comment by Robert West on November 3, 2008 at 3:17pm

In this situation I don't advocate waiting for the time to be right financially to start aggressively pursuing alternative energy specifically in the forms of renewable energy resources. We are in the middle of an unseen crisis, therefore this is no crisis!? I advocate anarchy. Al Gore former Vice President of these United States advocates civil disobiedience among the young people who have taken up this cause. We've got to understand the money we're spending on bandages could finance a cure.

Comment by Arnold L. Johnson on October 25, 2008 at 10:38am

You folks are so right it is over the top. America has a leadership fetish, average citizens wait and see. We wait for "leaders to say" and corporations to make products and jobs. The problem is leaders never say for certain what we should do, they don't agree what the problem is. Corporations can't shift their whole supply lines, production methods and product outcomes to match new priorities. Businesses are fanatical about getting higher technology talent to devise more costly solutions from the fossil fuel infrastructure already in place. They say wait, we can turn lead into gold. Most of the existing and present solutions to our real problems require less higher technology. Fed and state govs might set the tone, local govs should press for the real action where people live. There has been little effort to push solutions down into the fabric of American life. While politicians debate and lawyers legislate, life down here on the ground doesn't change. But you folks are right in saying we can't wait for gov to take action for what we can do for ourselves.

So while we are trying to free ourselves from fossil fuel energy makers, we also should be re-educating every energy user. Conservation is on the energy user's side. Energy efficiency is also on the user's side. A concise list of stuff every home owner can and should do should be sent to every home owner. This is a great list, and I don't have to read a 200 page book to understand it.
I would ask how do you push this sustainable lifestyle stuff into the general publics' consciousness?

One of our area colleges has a sustainable student house. This should be expanded to a city block, placed in the middle of the town and become a center to test and prove what works. Then the whole community puts into it and takes from it so that it spreads. I really think a TV sitcom might illustrate the sustainable lifestyle, lighthearted but serious and practical. This sitcom must be regional, what happens in California won't matter to folks in Ohio. "Home Makeover" should be greener. Libraries should update their ho-to CD collections with green videos. Every big box building supply center should have regular green seminars from this list above. Local artist might have a poster thing to promote the conservation/sustainable idea, schools could do this also. What ever we do on the personal and local does in fact have impact in the broader matter. We just need to do it.

Comment by ved22 on August 3, 2008 at 10:05am

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

Comment by Jim C. on August 1, 2008 at 10:38pm

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.

Comment by William Corbin on July 30, 2008 at 4:18pm

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

Comment by AlternativeEnergy.com on July 30, 2008 at 10:34am

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.

Comment by Jay on July 29, 2008 at 10:19pm

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.