You’ve put up your solar panels, turned down the thermostat, and spent a frustrating afternoon trying to make foam weather stripping stick to your window frames instead of your hair. Meanwhile, your neighbor’s living room could be mistaken for a sauna but for the six-foot high plasma TV that’s on all day. Why bother?
Your peers may be more influenced by your miserly ways than you realize. Utilities, including SMUD in Sacramento, Opower in Virginia and National Grid in the Northeast, have discovered that when they show their customers how their energy usage compares with that of their neighbors, usage drops. Information about how much energy others are using, especially information showing that others are taking steps to conserve energy, seems to exert peer pressure to conserve. No one wants to be seen as the neighborhood energy hog.
An Opower customer’s bill contains a bar graph like this:
The utilities’ peer pressure strategy is informed by advances in behavioral sciences that seek to understand what motivates individuals to change their energy use patterns. In the March 2010 issue of Science, researchers from MIT and Harvard report that the cost of programs designed to encourage individuals to conserve energy pales in comparison with the cost of other greenhouse gas reduction tactics. Eliminating a metric ton of CO2 with wind power, for example, costs $20; carbon capture at coal-fired power plants: $44; behavior nudging programs: -$165 (notice the negative sign there?).
One might think that with savings like that, the federal government would be falling over itself in its haste to ramp up programs aimed at improving individuals’ energy habits. But when Congressman Brian Baird (D-WA) proposed a modest $10 million Department of Energy program to simply study the prospects, talk radio host Glenn Beck warned of government mind control, and the bill was scrapped.
But the nudge strategy isn’t going away so fast. Slate is running an “Efficient Life” contest where you can submit your favorite energy-saving ideas and vote on ideas others have posted.
So yes, keep up the good work-tighter windows, smaller TVs, warmer sweaters-just be sure to tell everyone all about it.
We can all see the sun, and we can certainly feel the sun, but have you ever wondered what the sun would sound like? Well now you don’t have to wonder anymore. Researchers and composers from the University of Michigan have found a way to put sound to data collected on the Sun.
The project started when Thomas Zurbuchen, an engineering and atmospheric science professor, became concerned that scientists were missing critical data by only using visual data. Zurbuchen and his colleagues used sonification-the process of taking data and interpreting it musically-to understand the solar weather. Solar weather is made up of solar wind-a stream of charged particles emanating from the sun-and short-term solar occurrences like solar flares and coronal mass ejections (CME).
The process was performed on solar wind data captured by the NASA’s Advanced Composition Explorer satellite in 2003. Robert Alexander started by analyzing the features of terrestrial wind, and generated the sweeping wind sound from both solar wind density and velocity. The velocity measured controls the cut-off frequency of a band-pass filter placed over pink-noise which creates a whooshing sound, while the density dictated the volume of the wind sound; a higher density leading to a louder wind. During a solar flare this is further amplified and processed with a form of distortion known as overdrive which causes the wind to swell and ebb in a more pronounced manner.
Changes in the carbon state distribution were matched to six distinct vocal layers, while the value average charge state of carbon is represented by a further set of vocals, provided by Alexander’s sister, singing in a higher register. The ratio of solar wind density to oxygen (He/O) is represented by a chord composed of an extremely high frequency set of triangle waveforms which could be described as a “glistening”. During a CME the reverb suddenly swells to much higher volume before receding gently back to a baseline which creates a feeling of sudden expanse. A tribal beat was overlaid to represent the rotation of the sun and the playback speed of the data is scaled so that the rotation lines up precisely with the tempo of the music set at 150 beats per minute (bpm). This means a full Sidereal Carrington rotation (25.38 days) takes place every eight measures.
While the project did not reveal any new information about the sun, the product is an amazing creation that helps utilize all of our senses to gain a new appreciation for the sun.
For homeowners thinking about going solar, there are a few different ways of financing a system, including lease financing, power purchase agreements and PACE financing. It can all be a bit confusing at first but, by the end of this blog post, you’ll be a virtual expert and can assess which is the best option for your home.
The Solar Lease: A straightforward lease, like leasing a car-you make monthly payments and, at the end of the lease period, have the option of buying the system at fair market value, upgrading to a new system or renewing the lease. At the outset of the lease, some companies (not Sungevity) require a down payment. Under the terms of the lease, the amount of power your system generates is guaranteed.
Power Purchase Agreement (PPA): A PPA works like a lease but with one small difference: Instead of guaranteeing how much power your system produces, the PPA bases your monthly payment on the amount of power your system produces.
As you can see, there’s not a whole lot of difference between a solar lease and a PPA. Under either type of financing agreement, you’ll want to look carefully at the following details which differ depending on the installer:
Is a down payment required? How much?
Does the monthly payment increase over time? How much?
How long is the lease period?
What are your options when the lease expires? (Most leases and PPAs provide some mechanism for buying out the system or transferring it to the new owner. The Sungevity Solar Lease also gives you the option of having the system moved to your new home at no cost).
What services are offered with the system? Make sure to ask about monitoring, maintenance, insurance and repairs.
What about PACE (Property-Assessed Clean Energy)?
PACE is an exciting development for consumers in areas of the country that are not serviced by installers who offer lease financing or PPAs. If you participate in a PACE program, here’s how it works: Using municipal bond revenues and federal stimulus dollars, your city or county pays for your system to be installed. You pay the system off over time (usually 20 years) through an assessment on your property tax bill. If you sell your home, the new owner must continue paying off the system.
Because the interest rate under PACE is usually quite a bit higher than for a solar lease or PPA, the grand total you pay for your system is likely to be higher under PACE. Also, most PACE programs put a lien on your house in case you default. (Sungevity, in case you’re wondering, does not use liens).
PACE works a little differently in every municipality and, in many areas, the programs aren’t up and running yet. You can keep track of PACE developments in your area at pacefinancing.org.
Heads up San Francisco residents, you can use PACE to finance energy-efficiency and water conservation improvements, such as low-flow toilets, solar hot water heaters and insulation.
Now that you’re an expert on solar financing, share your wisdom with your friends and neighbors-there’s a solar financing mechanism out there for everyone!
I know winter is drawing to an end in most places, and already done in some, but I ran across a great article in Real Green, Winter-2010 entitled “Winterize Your Home, Save $, Save Energy.” This is the kind of knowledge that is timeless, and always worth knowing. Season independent!
Check for air leaks. It doesn’t matter how much you heat your home, with air leaks it’s never going to be enough… and that costs money.
Adding insulation can keep your home warm with less energy.
Check your windows. If they are drafty, you can do several things such as installing storm windows, putting plastic insulation on them and closing your curtains at night.
Use a programmable thermostat. There is no sense in heating your home when you aren’t even present.
In a similar vein, shut the vents in the rooms you don’t regularly use.
And finally, the one I found most surprising is to humidify. In addition to easing congestion from colds, and moisturizing lips and skin, humid air feels warmer than dry air at the same temperature.
While some of these solutions might cost a little bit up front, your eventual savings will far surpass the cost. In the US, 45% of residential energy bills went to heating in 2008. With those kinds of numbers, every little bit can help.
Annie Leonard, creator of the short film sensation, The Story of Stuff,appeared on Colbert the other night to talk about her new book by the same name. If you’re not yet one of the 10 million people who has watched Annie’s 20-minute documentary about how stuff is made, where it goes when we throw it “away,” and how quickly we’re using up our planet’s natural resources, it’s truly a must-see. While you’re at it, you can watch her new short, The Story of Cap & Trade: Why You Can’t Solve a Problem with the Thinking That Created It.
In addition to her book, there’s one other thing we’re pretty sure Annie wants you to buy–solar panels. Sungevity installed a system for her last year that powers her home and electric car. After watching or reading The Story of Stuff, it’s hard to buy anything without feeling like a planet-destroying low-life. But with solar panels, your conscience is clear.
For those of you in the Bay Area, Annie will be at Books, Inc. (1760 Fourth St.) in Berkeley on March 17, at 7:00 pm.
To be honest, I don’t spend much time staring at the sun, and I would suggest that you don’t either. However, astronomers and other scientists have some great methods that allow them to observe and record the activity happening on the sun.
One of the most well known phenomenons that occur up on our star are solar flares. A flare is a sudden, rapid and intense variation in light. On the sun, these flares occur when magnetic energy that has built up in the solar atmosphere is suddenly released out into space. This release of energy is emitted across the entire electromagnetic spectrum, everything from radio waves, visible light and gamma rays. The amount of energy released in a solar flare is monumental; think millions of 100-megaton hydrogen bombs exploding simultaneously! Solar flares can occur anywhere from less than one a week and up to several a day. The frequency correlates to the Sun’s 11-year cycle.
So you might be saying, “so what?” The “so what” is that solar flares affect us here on earth. Solar flares generate dangerous particles and radiation. However, for the most part, or atmosphere and magnetic field keep us safe. But what about the area surrounding earth?
Satellites in particular are affected by solar flares. When a flare occurs it heats our atmosphere and expands it. This expansion increases the drag on satellites and decreases their lifespan. Additionally the electromagnetic pulse associated with flares can affect the electronics on the satellite.
The most serious threat to our lifestyle occurs during geomagnetic storms, which are caused by coronal mass ejections-a phenomenon related to solar flares. During these geomagnetic storms, the shockwaves can cause high currents in power lines, which in turn can blow out transformers. The most famous blackout caused by a solar storm was in 1989 when the Hydro-Quebec Power Authority and the entire Quebec power grid collapsed, affecting 6 million people!
These events are just one more reminder of the power of our sun. If you are interested in learning more about solar flares, National Geographic TV has an episode on the subject.
We know, there’s no shortage of ways to waste time on the computer, and we’re not trying to get you in trouble with your boss–but before you get back to work, take a look at three useful tools for folks who are concerned about climate change:
Have you calculated your carbon footprint lately?
The CoolClimate carbon calculator covers it all–transportation, energy, even the food you eat and the stuff you buy. Be sure to check out the feature that lets you compare yourself (or your small business) to other households or businesses–but remember, even if you have the smallest footprint of any American, you’re still generating tons more carbon than most people in the world, so don’t skip the “Take Action” link.
The Good Widget
After calculating your carbon footprint, you might feel a bit despondent, so here’s something to renew your optimism. The widget below, courtesy of the Carbon War Room, shows the number of solar watts being installed in the US. Relax and enjoy the lovely vision of the flickering, ever-rising number.
The Wicked Widget of the West
Last but not least, prepare to get depressed again when you check out the Atmospheric CO2 widget which, like the solar widget, is endlessly ticking upwards. And on that note…use the tools, share them with your friends and turn off your computer when you’re done.
Solar energy is dependent on… the sun! Who would have guessed!? As solar studs, I think it’s pretty important for all of us to have (at least) a basic understanding of the star that unequivocally is the reason there is life on earth.
First, a little history; About 4.5 billion years ago, gas and dust coalesced and formed what turned into our solar system (you know, the sun, eight planets, one newly minted dwarf planet named Pluto and other comets and asteroids). Our Sun makes up 99% of the mass in our solar system.
Despite the importance we hold for our sun, it turns out that our personal star is one of over a 100 billion in the Milky Way Galaxy and happens to be pretty average in size. This is a good thing, because stars with a higher mass burn out after a few million years (a blink of an eye when discussing the cosmos). Our sun, on the other hand, is calculated to burn for another 4,500 million years.
The way the sun functions is pretty awesome. It’s essentially a giant nuclear reactor. At its super dense core, hydrogen atoms fuse to create helium at the incredible rate of 700 tons per second. This reaction creates energy. The energy is carried from the core to the surface of the sun with photons-particles of light. It takes the photons more than a million years to migrate from the core to the surface of the sun. The photons then travel down to us at earth.
The sun is about 10,000 degrees Fahrenheit on the surface and 28 million degrees Fahrenheit at its core. Think about that the next time you complain about your summer heat!
, I don’t spend much time staring at the sun, and I would suggest that you don’t either. However, astronomers and other scientists have some great methods that allow them to observe and record the activity happening on the sun.