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Hot solar panels
Today was hot. I think like 95F and mostly sunny and humid. Anyway, the PV (solar electric) panels didn’t like it. They made 31.9 KWh vs 35.8 a few days ago (with what looks like a similar mix of sun...
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And I say… weird is good
“… Okay, you say it’s weird. And I say weird is good. People who show originality openly, without fear, are people I admire. And people I stand up for.” “… When people say I’m okay because I’m not as...
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What we pay for electricity
Our 6/15/2012 electricity bill was $15.86 even though we made approximately 200 KWh more than we used. That’s because we don’t have net metering here yet. (Yet, as in… I assume some day there will be.)...
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Do as I say, not as I do…
I have maybe written about this before, but if not… here goes. Some house-building advice: 1. Hire a builder, any builder. Just make sure they are obsessed with wanting to learn this stuff …...
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Drive to the library? Yeah right.
Careful towns of the world out there… before you spend lots of money on new or revamped libraries. Unless you are in a city, or near a walkable and vibrant town center, they are a tough sell, even with...
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Destroying the earth by buying organic locally produced food?
Philip Greenspun has a great point here. <> I think he’s right. I also have probably written on the blog before that CSAs that mean an extra drive each week needs to be considered (since the farm...
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“Even the hard core in the green movement use washing machine”
Hans Rosling: The magic washing machine — one of the best TED talks I’ve seen (or via youtube) He divides the world into 4 groups. Below the poverty line. (fire people) Below wash line (bulb people)....
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If you are pondering indoor air-quality…
If you are pondering indoor air-quality in your home… I urge you to look into the issue of flame-retardants in furniture — specifically in the foam used in mattresses and couches. Here is an upsetting...
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To figure out how much electricity/energy we use each month…
Like many/most people who have grid-tied PV solar panels…. to figure out how much electricity/energy we use each month I have to do some math. That’s because the smart meter doesn’t know how much...
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Some day houses for sale will have MPG stickers on them
There is sorta such a thing today. It’s called HERS. 100 is a “normal” house. 0 is a “net zero energy” house. And negative means you have even more PVs than you need. Nice. Someday websites like...
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When it’s 8F
It’s been cold for a change. Getting down to single digits (6F, 8F) at night. 1) When it’s 8F, that’s 33% colder than a more typical 23F. (If you assume a 68F temp in the house. Outside temps of 23F is...
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Let’s go North America!
“[People claim] that rich countries are better environmental stewards than poor countries. The widely cited Environmental Performance Index published annually by Yale and Columbia universities in...
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Our House for Sale: 147 N Shore Dr, Stow, MA 01775
It pains me to say it, but our house is for sale. We love love love this place, but the daily carpool/commute to our kid’s school in N Framingham is killing us. It’s 17*4 = 68 minutes in a car. When it...
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Busted. Or not!?
from wikipedia: “The DCSD [Danish Committees on Scientific Dishonesty] cited The Skeptical Environmentalist (book by Bjorn Lomborg) for: -Fabrication of data; -Selective discarding of unwanted results...
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Our oil problem
“Our oil problem is not that “we’re running out.” Our oil problem is that we’re producing so much of the stuff that we are changing the planet’s climate.” – David Frum, ‘Peak oil’ doomsayers proved...
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It’s payback time…. insulating a 1958 split-level house
We’re moving soon to a “normal house” built in 1958, and that means beginning to ponder what heating-system, insulation and air-sealing projects to embark on. My go-to blogger will be Marc Rosenbaum:...
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CFLs time has passed
I won’t be buying any more CFLs (compact fluorescent light-bulbs). Time for LEDs! CFL problems: 1. CFLs apparently often leak UV!!! — 2013 NIH report: http://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/120-a387/ 2. CFLs usually...
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Sold!
Well, the almost passive-house/almost net-zero Stow house sold in a week to a smart buyer who got a great deal. And we’ve already moved (to the 1958 split level mentioned earlier). I’m missing… - the...
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Concealed duct indoor units for air-source mini-splits**
idea 1) Add a single zone minisplit that directly feeds 3 rooms with only 1-zone via tiny duct runs. Mitsubishi and Fujitsu both have these. I think the indoor unit might fit in the ceiling of a closet...
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Article 0
New to me: look how low on the list the US is. ” In 2007–2008, the Gallup Poll surveyed individuals from 128 countries in the first comprehensive study of global opinions.”...
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