Blog entries from Earl

Energy Efficient Neighborhoods When?

Earl Energy Explorer — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 06:00:00 +0100

I've been asking questions of home builders (or their sales representatives) as I plan a new home. I am basically pleased with what I have seen in my survey but we still have a long ways to go. Case in point - the new construction I've encountered recently is much tighter and better insulated than I have previously seen (at least with a couple of better builders that I've checked out). On the "not so good news front" there is a real lack of knowledge about options for implementing new technologiRead more

Green police or self-help!

Earl Energy Explorer — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 06:00:00 +0100

It should come as no surprise that I am a big advocate of conservation. See previous post. Not to discount alternative energy and not to argue the global warming controversy - this is just too important. My point is simple - it is in the best interest of our national economy and security to reduce our demand for foreign energy! Conservation is the most cost and time effective way to go about this. So how do we do it?
The city of Austin, TX has a plan. They are calling out the Green PolRead more

Do You Trust Your Green Consultant?

Earl Energy Explorer — Sun, 19 Apr 2009 06:00:00 +0100

Yesterday I attended a Living Green Expo. I was impressed by the number of exhibitors. Even more impressive was the number of attendees. I've been sensing for a while that there has been a change in momentum toward living green and interest in renewable energy. That's the good news.

Now the bad news. I talked to a lot of the vendor representatives in the booths. I didn't go with this intention but I starting asking the same questions to different people. I got a lot of different answers. None Read more

Is it Stimulus or an Energy Policy or Neither?

Earl Energy Explorer — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 06:00:00 +0100

Fox News ran a story yesterday on where some of the stimulus money is headed. I am in favor of intelligent, "REAL" stimulus spending as I am in favor of a National Energy Policy. Our elected officials prove that they are either clueless or worse when they rush to spend our money on poorly thought out programs and try to muster support by calling it something it's not. I'm still waiting for some honest leadership. I'm not seeing it in either party.

Fox News Story

If you are going tRead more

Energy and Economics in China

Earl Energy Explorer — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 07:00:00 +0100

This is the final installment Earl's China Energy Adventure. Earl is not known for his macro-economic expertise but that doesn’t mean he’s not interested and paying attention. The stimulus programs that are being implemented aRead more

Earl's Energy Adventure - Part 3

Earl Energy Explorer — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 07:00:00 +0100

James Jao is a certified foreign expert so designated by the China State Council on Planning and Economic Development. In an op-ed piece in the China Daily newspaper Mr. Jao recommends that the Chinese government require mandatory adoption of green building technologies. Earl can’t agree more. He froze his “you know what” off in Beijing (because it was cold and snowing out) and in Shanghai (because if was chilly and few office buildings he was in had central heat) last week.
Mr. Jao pointedRead more

How Do You Convince a Billion People to Change the Way They Live?

Earl Energy Explorer — Sun, 22 Feb 2009 07:00:00 +0100

This is the second installment of Earl’s China Energy Adventure. Can you imagine getting everyone in the US to change their attitude about energy conservation and recycling? Can the government make it happen? It’sRead more

Earl's China Energy Adventure

Earl Energy Explorer — Sat, 14 Feb 2009 07:00:00 +0100

Your intrepid energy explorer is reporting this week from China. You’ve heard about the bad air no doubt. It’s no exaggeration. In an interior city, Changsha in the Hunan ProvinceRead more

Now This is More Like It!

Earl Energy Explorer — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 07:00:00 +0100

NPR ran a story this week about job creation in the renewable energy and energy conservation areas. Earl can embrace this element of the stimulus bill and I think a largeRead more

Can I build my Super Energy Efficient (SEE) home where I want?

Earl Energy Explorer — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 07:00:00 +0100

Blog #2 in my home building adventure - I know where I want to live but can I build the home I want there? I want to live in a passive solar SEE home. I have the general area in a wonderful city picked out. But guess what? I can't find any custom building lots that can be made available other than something way beyond my price range and with covenants requiring a "McMansion". I'm not planning to live in a tiny cottage but I don't need 5,000 sq. ft. either.

There are some terrific planned neigRead more

U.S. Congress's "Stimulus" Not What the Doctor Ordered

Earl Energy Explorer — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 07:00:00 +0100

Admittedly I'm neither a doctor nor an economist but I'm going to pretend for a moment. When a runner collapses from exhaustion the prescribed treatment is not generally a shot of electrolytes, vitamins, adrenaline, insulin, selenium, and Lipitor all at the same time hoping that one will get them up and running immediately. You'd probably kill him instead of fixing him. When our economy has collapsed from exhaustion (as well as stupid, greedy executives and politicians) a shotgun approach of speRead more

States to decide on fuel economy standards - Are you kidding?

Earl Energy Explorer — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 07:00:00 +0100

After a week of rapid fire Executive Orders and Memoranda from President Obama I have to wonder if someone fell asleep at the wheel? I take no issue with the need for improved standards as reported by FoxNews.com on Monday.
"The first memorandum ordered the Transportation Department to work out rules for automakers to improve fuel economy. It calls for the department to notify automakers by March 2009 to increase their fuel efficiency for 2011 model year cars and trucks. "
UnfortunatelyRead more

God Speed President Obama!

Earl Energy Explorer — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 07:00:00 +0100

We are about to witness an historic event. Who could have imagined? We’ve elected an African American to the most powerful office in the world. I tend to lean in the other direction politically but I have to say that I am proud to be an American when we’ve come this far. So what does this really mean? In the grand scheme of things it doesn’t matter Read more

Walking the Walk!

Earl Energy Explorer — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 07:00:00 +0100

This is the first of what is likely to become a long series of posts. I have made a decision. I want to build a new, energy efficient home. I do not yet have a timeline but I can anticipate that this will take the better part three years. If I can do it soon I will be happy but I don’t want to set an unreasonable expectation. It may actually take longer because I anticipate a great deal of difficulty in finding the lot that will meet my requirements. I promise a blog on this subject soon.

Conservation is More Important Than Renewable Energy Production

Earl Energy Explorer — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 07:00:00 +0100

This past weekend President-elect Obama stated in his weekly address that he wants to see the U.S. renewable energy output to double as a result of an economic stimulus program. That's a laudable goal but let's put it into perspective. Bear with me but we have to wade through some numbers.

The U.S. Department of Energy's Energy Information Agency publishes the Monthly Energy Review. The December 2008 edition documents the U.S. energy consumption through the first 9 months of 2008. IRead more

Energy Conservation is a Security Issue

Earl Energy Explorer — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 07:00:00 +0100

Time Magazine Online ran a story today about the bipartisan movement in the U.S. Senate on greenhouse emissions and energy conservation. The driving factor was not global warming on its own but rather the security implications to the U.S. that changed Sen. John Warner's mind. Sen. Warner, a Republican from Virginia co-sponsored a bill with Sen. Joe Leiberman, Independent from Connecticut.

A number of high-level retired military officers have come on board as well noting that thRead more

Put Your Idle Computer to Work!

Earl Energy Explorer — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 07:00:00 +0100

The World Community Grid is extending you the privilege to contribute to the research that will lead to the next generation of solar cells and later, energy storage devices. By harnessing the immense power of World Community Grid for the Clean Energy Project, researchers can calculate the electronic properties of tens of thousands of organic materials – many more than could ever be tested in a lab – and determine which candidates are most promising for developing affordable solar energRead more

Plug-in Cars - At What Price?

Earl Energy Explorer — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 07:00:00 +0100

An interesting story in the Wall Street Journal yesterday -
Squeezing More Miles Out of That Hybrid. There is obviously a growing cottage industry for converting hybrid cars to plug-in. The featured shop in California is doing it for approximately #7000.

Buried in the article is what I believe to be the most important fact - we haven't got the batteries right yet. Consider that they are still too expensive, potentially dangerous, not very environmentally friendly, aRead more

Large scale LED lighting conversion

Earl Energy Explorer — Sun, 28 Dec 2008 07:00:00 +0100

I recently ran across a group of people with an interesting business model. As you probably know LED lights, while significantly reducing power requirements, lasting a long time, and do not generate much heat, are expensive. They are proposing to a building owner to convert the lights to LEDs at no up front cost but for a significant share of the resulting savings on the monthly electrical bill.

It seems to me that it should be relatively easy to calculate the costs of the installatioRead more

Global Warming Doesn't Matter!

Earl Energy Explorer — Sat, 27 Dec 2008 07:00:00 +0100

What! Are you out of your mind? Before you freak hear me out. I’ve been thinking about this for a long time. I’ve previously expressed my consternation about society’s loss of ability to have honest debate. I am proposing to take debate out of the picture all together.

First we have to separate the irrefutable from the guesswork. Too much guesswork is being stated as absolute. Refusal to accept that absolute does not completely diminish the original premise. Here are a few examples: