Solar Power: Electricity from the Sun

F.W. Horch Sustainable Goods and Supplies, 56 Maine St., Brunswick, will host a talk by John Capron, of ReVision Energy, titled "Solar Power: Electricity from the Sun," on Thursday, October 9, from 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm. The talk is free and open to the public.

For each five hundred and fifty square feet (25'x22') of sunny, south-facing roof space in Maine, solar photovoltaic panels can generate 6,500 kilowatt hours of electricity every year -- well over 100% of an average family's annual power consumption. As Mainers consider higher energy prices and rising levels of global greenhouse gases from fossil fuels, many are turning to the sun to generate electricity reliably and cleanly on their own rooftops.

Capron's talk will explain the basics of generating electricity from the sun. Attendees will learn how photovoltaic systems work, how much power is available to be harvested from the sun, which types of solar electricity systems are available today, and how much they cost. The talk will also cover common questions and concerns, such as how a homeowner can find out if her roof is sunny enough, how long an installation will take, whether a system will pay for itself in energy savings, and what financial incentives are available.

ReVision Energy (www.revisionenergy.com) is a full service renewable energy company offering design, sales, installation and service. Formerly known as Energyworks, ReVision Energy has emerged as an industry leader, having installed more than half of all solar energy systems in Maine for the past three years. Their engineers from MIT and Brown University have a combined 25 years experience in the design, installation and service of renewable energy systems.

This talk is part of the F.W. Horch series on sustainable living. Each monthly talk is held on the second Thursday of the month at the F.W. Horch Sustainable Goods & Supplies store, 56 Maine Street, Brunswick. Space is limited, so those interested in attending are encouraged to call the store at 729-4050 to reserve a seat.

Vampire Loads - Sustainable Living Tip for February 2008

According to Efficiency Maine, 75% of electricity used for home electronics is consumed while the products are turned off. You can use a Kill-a-Watt meter to test which appliances are "vampires"--sucking electricity all night long. Stop them by unplugging them or putting them on a power strip with a switch.

More to know about Vampire Loads

• Electricity in Maine costs about 15.5 cents per kilowatt hour, well above the national average. Leaving a desktop computer in "idle" mode (monitor and hard drive powered down) for a year costs about $183 here in Maine.
• Any device that requires resetting after a blackout is a vampire. Some microwave ovens, for example, draw electricity to maintain clock settings. Try wearing a watch to keep time, then put your microwave oven on a switch outlet so you can turn it off. Ignore the blink when you turn it back on; you can cook with it just fine. The flashing time will remind you to turn it off when you're done. ("It's not a problem, it's a feature!")
• Always unplug cell phone chargers and other transformers from the wall. Any "wall wart" that gets warm to the touch is wasting energy! Don't just disconnect your cell phone or laptop from the charger. Remember to unplug the charger from the wall.
• Consider replacing old-fashioned incandescent night lights with the new Light Emitting Capacitor (LEC) technology. These blue-green nightlights are cool to the touch, consuming only 0.03 watts (that's three one hundreths of a watt). LECs are 8 times more efficient than LEDs and 200 times more efficient than incandescent night lights, saving you about $9.50 per year.
• The best tool to use to measure vampire loads is a Kill-A-Watt meter. Plug this electricity monitor into the wall, then plug your appliance into it. An LCD screen shows you exactly how much electricity the vampire is using.
• Keep in mind that simply turning lights and appliances off can often be a more effective conservation approach than buying the most efficient product and leaving it on all the time. For example, a 100 watt incandescent light bulb on a motion sensor that comes on only when someone comes to your porch will use just 0.1 KWh per day, whereas a 25 watt CFL left on all night will consume 0.25 KWh per day. You'd save 0.15 KWh per day ($8.48 per year) with the incandescent bulb that's on only when needed.
• Consider putting in a timer switch or a motion switch for bathrooms and other rooms where lights can be left on accidentally. A bathroom vanity with three 75 watt light bulbs left on while your family is away for a week's vacation will consume 37.8 KWh, costing you $5.86.
• The average household in Maine uses 500 KWh per month, or about 16 KWh per day. Take a look at your power bill. If you consume more than average, chances are that you have some vampire loads. Make some changes, then see if you notice a change on your power bill -- and in your bank account!
  

Featured Product

A Kill-a-Watt home electricity meter is an indispensable tool in tracking down vampire loads. More info »