Category Archives: Energy

Solar project progress: Surveys and Rebates

There are a number of tools out there to help plan a PV installation. One of the most useful is the PVWATTS solar energy calculator. PVWATTS uses nationally compiled solar survey data to estimate location specific energy production based on array efficiency, panel … Continue reading

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We’re going Green!

These days, prices on Solar power panels have been dropping like stones while the technology to use them as well as the connection/mounting standards to install them have been advancing at “Warp Factor Nine”.   Of course, these rapid advancements … Continue reading

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Using Sunlight to increase the energy output.

This bridge technology can increase the fuel efficiency of NG fueled power plants by 20% on a sunny day! Source: txchnologist.com Publication date: April 12th 2013 By Michael Keller Scientists Inject Sunlight Into Natural Gas For Bigger Bang Government researchers have … Continue reading

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Another Capacitive battery hurdle crossed!

 I uncovered this while browsing the web earlier today.  I’ve always felt that capacitive batteries will become the ultimate energy storage device.  Now, they can be mass produced. Source: UCLA Newsroom Publication date: February 19th 2013 By David Malasarn Kaner and … Continue reading

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Tiny Efficient Fuel-Burning Generators Could Replace Conventional Batteries

Here’s an interesting article I found while surfing the web this morning.  Batteries as we know them might be changing soon to power our ever more hungry personal devices…. Source: txchnologist.com Publication date: February 26th 2013 By Charles Q. Choi   … Continue reading

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Halogen equivalent MR16 Tracklight LEDs have arrived!

Lighting Science Group has done it again, this time with a 12v MR16 tracklight replacement that’s a match for any halogen bulb. The best thing about these lights is that they only use 8w as compared to their 50w halogen counterparts.   … Continue reading

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New Nanotech Batteries Might Get Wind and Solar on the Grid

Here’s an article I found while randomly surfing today.  One of the biggest hurdles to the wide adoption of renewable energy sources is their intermittent availability.  A way to store that energy then meter it out in a measured, continuous … Continue reading

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Cree CR6. The ultimate LED downlight. Philips. The ultimate Customer Service experience.

After the glass bulb dropped off 2 of our Philips Marathon R40 CFL downlights, I decided to put in Cree CR6s, also known as the ecosmart 575-L over at Home Depot. According to the HD packaging, 9.5 watts = 65 … Continue reading

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Smart Meters and the Smart Grid

I’m sure that most of you have heard these terms, and I’m sure that all of the rhetoric has left you with some pretty distinct opinions on them as well, but what exactly is a smart electric meter and how … Continue reading

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Mini Splits have become efficient HVAC components

Mini Splits are small heat pumps that are typically used to service single or small groups of rooms.  Computer controlled and equipped with inverter powered DC compressors, they literally sip energy compared to their centralized counterparts. The indoor half of … Continue reading

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