It’s official - I’m a watt weenie! Since starting this project, I’ve become conscious of our power usage in ways that I would not have thought possible. We don’t sit in the dark and huddle around a candle for warmth, but we have started turning more stuff off and unplugging power hungry electronics when we [...]
As I’ve stated before, this project was born out of a desire to eventually build a cabin off the grid. I have a loose design for our cabin (will need to negotiate this with Liz), researched solar and hydro for renewable power, water sources, and other aspects of this transition. Currently we are not ready [...]
With New Years day already fading into the distance, many of you may have hammered out some resolutions. Maybe you are with the millions each year who decide to go on a diet, join gyms, and try and live a healthier lifestyle. Maybe you are cutting expenses as the economy looks a bit un-sturdy. Possibly [...]
Those of you with an ample supply of network routers and switches for your wired network will be pleased to learn that D-link had come up with a line of power friendly products. Dubbed their Green Ethernet line, the series of 5, 8, 16 and 24 port switches employ special power-saving features that detect link status and cable length and adjust power usage to match demand.
What makes the Watts Up? PRO so unique is the data logging feature that can be downloaded to a computer via the usb or serial cable and their custom software. How deep you dig into the data is up to you, but it’s nice to have the level of detail and the ability to save the results over the long term.
Electricity bill are rising. Now you can cut down on costs and find out what appliances are actually worth keeping plugged in. Simply connect these appliances to the Kill A Watt, and it will assess how efficient they really are. Large LCD display will count consumption by the Killowatt-hour, same as your local utility. You [...]
All good solutions start with a real problem. Mine is that we suck way too much juice at the house. I’m not talking juice as in the Florida type; I’m talking the carbon producing, wallet draining variety. I bought the house that my wife and I currently live in back when I was young, single, and had other concerns in life beyond how efficient my house was. It’s a 1938 transitional ranch that measure approximately 1138 and has a partially finished basement that’s approximately 450 square feet. Construction is double bonded brick, plaster walls, and steel casement windows which have vintage single pane glass.
Alternative energy to me has always been a great promise packaged in not so meaningful applications. You could say the quest for free power has always left me feeling a bit underwhelmed. Whether it was the free battery of the month program at Radio Shack which seemed to die instantly, the potato battery science kit, or the pedal powered generator on my childhood bike, alternative sources never seemed to live up to the hype. Years, later, before my last Grand Canyon Trip, I purchased a pair of 12v portable solar panels which left my camera gear half charged after a couple of days in full sun - literally not worth their weight. A recently purchased 15 watt solar panel destined for our camping trailer barely pumps out 1 amp of power in peak sun, but I’m encouraged. Why?
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