Posted by Damien Cabral on Thu, Feb 25, 2010
How will you power your home 10 years from now? At this point, it is unclear. Increasing fossil fuel prices, rising energy demand, and global warming are spurring an
unprecedented boost in research and funding in the alternative energy industry. One of the most novel inventions to emerge from the industry is the Bloom Box from
Bloom Energy. K.R. Sridhar, currently CEO of Bloom Energy and a former NASA engineer, says he hopes to be selling Bloom Boxes to homeowners within five to ten years at a price of
$3,000/unit.
A Bloom Box is essentially a mini-fridge sized power plant that is located on premises. A Bloom Box, aka Bloom server, is a solid-oxide fuel cell that converts natural gas into electricity on demand. The solid oxide fuel cells, flat 
coaster-sized ceramic plates with a secret coating, can each power one light bulb. When 64 plates are stacked together, they can generate enough energy to power a coffee shop. Oxygen and natural gas are fed into the Bloom Box fuel cells to undergo a high-temperature chemical reaction and produce electricity, heat, carbon dioxide, and water.
Currently, larger commercial Bloom servers are being tested on major corporation campuses including Google, FedEx, Wal-Mart, and eBay. One of these jumbo Bloom Boxes, which retails around for $800,000, could easily power hundreds of homes. eBay currently receives 15% of their daily energy needs with an estimated savings of $100,000.
Critics argue that the technology has some major hurdles to overcome before it can be rolled out. Similar systems already on the market are priced between $30,000 and $56,000. Even after federal incentives, the most affordable unit is costs $15,000. (Not an apples to apples comparison because Bloom claims to have a more efficient unit.) In addition, safety is a major concern for Bloom Box skeptics. Solid oxide fuel cells operate at very high temperatures and have been known to crack and leak.
While Bloom Boxes have some major challenges ahead, they have the potential to be a significant part of the future energy revolution. Will they be the silver bullet and bury the solar power industry? Absolutely not. The Bloom Box is projected to produce electricity at 10 cent/kilowatt after incentives. Existing renewable energy technology rates include solar at 11 cents and wind turbines at 5 cents. It is important to note, solar and wind power hold the advantage of not being tied to fluctuating gas prices.
Furthermore, solar power is very low maintenance because it has few moving parts and needs only periodic cleansing of the panels. Conversely, the Bloom Box has many moving parts and will need ongoing maintenance. Moreover, most solar systems come with a 20 year warranty vs. the Bloom Box's 10 year warranty. Finally, let's not forget that while the Bloom Box is very efficient, it still releases carbon emissions.
So where does this leave us? In a very good place! How great would it be to generating a large amount power from the sun during the day and meet your power needs at night via a super-efficient, on demand, gas power plant in your backyard?
If you would like to learn more about Solar Power be sure to check out our White Paper: Residential Solar Technology Made Simple or Contact Us for a Free Estimate.
Photo credit and source: National Geographic and Wired
Posted by Damien Cabral on Tue, Feb 23, 2010
Imagine being stranded on a dessert island while on the job? Well, this wasn’t quite Gilligan’s Island, but it was exciting as far as window installation goes! Let’s start from the beginning…
One late September day, Allan Langer, one of our senior window consultants, set out to visit a potential customer on Block Island in Rhode Island, normally an hour ferry ride. Al and the RenewalbyAndersenMobile set sail on one of the public ferries and arrived on the island in the afternoon. It is worth it to note here that this was in November, and the ferry schedule was thin, with only a few offerings to and from the Island, so timing was important for the visit.
Once on Block Island, Al visited the customer’s house and proceeded to explain the benefits of the Renewal by Andersen window as well as to customize the order to the customer’s specific needs. There was a deadline, however, as the last ferry off Block Island was at 6:00 pm, and it was already 4:00 when Al arrived. The ferry also requires that passengers with autos need to arrive 30 minutes prior to departure. As one would have guessed, 20 windows takes along time to discuss, and it became apparent that if the order were to be placed and written up, it wasn’t happening if Al had to stay at the house to do it, and then hustle to make the ferry.
So, at the suggestion of the customer, Al rushed to the ferry to check in, wrote the contract in his truck as he was waiting to be ushered into the loading area, and the customers drove up as the horns were sounding to load the cars. With the window blowing and the temperature plummeting, the customers signed the contract on the hood of their car as the ferry auto captain was screaming for Al to get his truck on the boat! He did, and the order was safely placed. And to cap Al’s evening, on the trip back, the sea was so rough that a wave crashed over the side of the ferry and soaked all the passengers, including our determined consultant, who’s cell phone was fried in the aftermath.
Fast forward 4 weeks to installation. It was now December and the weather was worse. Our professional Renewal by Andersen team set sail on the Block Island Ferry with a truck full of windows and construction equipment. Since this was the vacation home of the customer, the logistics and planning were vital and detailed. This was the only two days the install could take place. While at sea, however, the ferry captain announced they were expecting rougher seas than usual for the return trips, and to keep abreast of the schedule as it could change in the hours ahead. Once on dry land, the installation commenced.
And of cour
se, a few hours into the job, our crew received a call from our main office and was informed that all ferry service had been cancelled for the remainder of the evening, and there was a possibility that Saturday service would be cancelled as well. What to do now? Eight installers stuck on an island with a large truck and nowhere to go. While Renewal of Rhode Island scrambled to try and find them hotel rooms, a wonderful gesture was made by our customers – the crew, all eight of them, could stay at their house for the night, and finish the job in the morning!
And that’s precisely what happened. After venturing into town for dinner, installers slept on floors and couches, and awoke the next day to finish the job. When it was later discovered that the ferries would not be running all weekend, Renewal was able to reserve plane tickets for everyone, and by that afternoon, windows were completed and all installers were back in RI with a great story and an even greater appreciation of two wonderful customers that opened their home to them for the night. Later that week, the truck was rescued as well, and brought back on the ferry during much calmer seas.
“The RBA crew did a terrific job under some difficult and unusual circumstances. I’m glad we were able to help them out as much as we could. They handled it well!… I will be sure to recommend you and Renewal to anyone on Block Island that needs windows. There’s no need to look at anyone else, that’s for sure.”
–Block Island Renewal by Andersen Customer
Posted by Damien Cabral on Wed, Feb 17, 2010
Everyday I learn something new in the home improvement industry. Today, I stumbled upon a product that comes to us straight from NASA. (This is not the first great product to come from the space program, remember the microwave and memory foam mattresses?)
Recently, several manufacturers have brought "aerogel" technology to the market for insulation applications. Aerogel, also known as "frozen smoke", is a gel substance in which the liquid component of the gel is replaced with gas. Aerogel material is applied in two different forms to insulate buildings; these include a blanket application as well as loose granules.
Interesting properties of the aerogel include:
- Provide 2-4 times the insulating value per inch vs. fiberglass and cellulose
- Allows water vapor to pass through.
- Stiff density like styrofoam
- Can be applied to walls, floors, roofs and many other applications.
Manufacturers currently offering aerogel for insulation applications include: Aspen Aerogels and Cabot. While this material has not yet been widely tested, it will be interesting to observe the industries growth over the next few years. Hopefully economies of scale will drive down pricing and lead to higher adoption rates to increase America's energy efficiency.
Photo credit: Wikepedia and Cabot
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Posted by Damien Cabral on Tue, Feb 09, 2010
Are you
tired of listening to all this talk of installing the smart grid and
not seeing results? Well why don’t you install a smart grid technology yourself? Now you can!
Picowatt, a Rochester New York based start-up, is building Wi-Fi enabled smart plugs and putting homeowners in charge of their energy usage. Picowatt produces smart plugs that are strategically placed throughout the home to
minimize energy usage and
report real-time on energy consumption. The smart plug device is easily installed by placing it over an existing outlet.
The Picowatt plugs are essentially miniature routers running a Linux operating system. Each plug runs independently and collects data and controls the power released to the attached devices. Devices can be controlled remotely or set on automatic timers to control energy flow to appliances and home electronic devices.
The Picowatt system provides real-time data that can easily be summarized in energy usage reports. Both reporting and operation can be controlled from a traditional PC, Facebook Application, and even your Smart Phone.
Some useful applications of the Picowatt smart plug include:- Set the system to run you dishwasher during off-peak hours to lower your utility bills.
- Have the smart plug shut your refrigerator off for three hours overnight. You will save energy and your food will stay cold as long as you don’t open the refrigerator during this time frame.
- Eliminate standby power by using a smart plug on televisions and computers.
The Picowatt smart plug system will be released on Earth Day, April 22nd, on
Amazon.com for $79 per device. The manufacture claims you can save from 20-30% on your yearly utility bills. I know I will be buying one of these right away. What other purchase allows you to save money and comes with the same cool factor?…Well maybe a
Solar Hot Water system from Repower Home.
Posted by Damien Cabral on Mon, Feb 01, 2010
Energy-Efficient Duette Architella Honeycomb Shades by Hunter Douglas
While it may just seem like the catch-phrase or trend of the moment, there are many advantages to “going green” besides the fact that you are helping the environment; saving money being one of the biggest. How select your window treatments can have a huge impact on your utility bills and in some cases, can even qualify you for tax credits.
The main property you want to look for in an energy-efficient treatment is how effective it is at preventing heat loss or heat gain. If cold weather is more common where you live, you obviously want to prevent heat loss as much as possible. Draperies (when used correctly) can reduce heat loss by up to 25%. For the best results, use two drapes instead of one and place them as close to the window as possible. Use Velcro or magnets to seal the sides and bottom of the drapes and be sure to always keep them closed at night and even during the day if there is no sunlight coming through the window.
In warmer climates, blinds are probably your best option for preventing heat gain. Blinds are not as effective at preventing heat loss as the numerous openings between the blinds make it hard to control how much heat you are losing. But these openings can be adjusted to control ventilation and light. Heat gain can be reduced by as much as 45% with highly reflective blinds when they are completely closed and lowered on a sunlit window.
The type of material you choose is factor as well. Looking at the R-Value and Shading Coefficient of a material can help you figure out what would be best for your insulation needs. The R-Value tells you how effective the material is at preventing heat loss and the Shading Coefficient will tell you how much heat will come through the window. So, if your primary concern is heat gain, you want a material with a low R-Value and high Shading Coefficient.
When it comes to window treatments being eligible for tax credits, the law is very specific. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 states that, in order to be to be eligible for tax credits the window treatment must be "specifically and primarily designed to reduce heat loss or gain". The problem is that most window treatments are specifically and primarily designed for decoration and privacy. However, if the window treatment comes with a manufacturer’s certification statement, the consumer will get the credit even if the certification is later found to have been wrongly issued. Two products that come with this kind of certification are Hunter Douglas’ Duette Architella Honeycomb Shades and Comfortex’s Comfortrack Plus system.
Keep in mind that just because a type of treatment may be energy efficient for one home, it doesn’t necessarily mean it will be for yours. There are many factors involved including the type of windows you have and what your primary insulation concerns are. Hopefully, with this information, you’ll have an easier time selecting green treatments for your windows.
Guest blog by Richard Moyle of Horizon Window Treatments