Survey says that "greenies" will conserve ...

Earlier this month, I asked you about solar power.

The question came up because someone told me that rather than conserve, they would just add additional solar panels to their home.

So I wanted to know what dedicated "greenies" would do if all of their power came from the sun.

The answers are interesting and complex:

Survey Results

Survey Comments

• Of course I would still conserve if I were getting all my energy from solar. To do otherwise would mean I had used more rare earth minerals and other elements by buying more panels than I actually needed.
• The answer is, it depends. If i was 100% solar and was attached to the grid and they were paying me for the extra i was producing then i'd make the attempt to save as much as i could. But, i'd still turn off lights when not in use, because your affecting the longevity of the bulbs. The thermostat? no. again if i wasn't being paid for the extra energy then that is being wasteful. The sun is giving you the energy use it.
• Why? If the solar power had to be used just for my own home there's no reason. If a traditional power company purchased the unused solar power and in return lowered the cost of energy to its other customers, I probably would. But from what I understand that doesn't occur.
• I still think everything in moderation is key. I don't think anyone should over consumer anything...take only what you need.
• I would be donating unused energy to the grid thus saving fossil fuels
• Solar is not technically 100% renewable energy, given that it takes a tremendous amount of energy and materials to extract, manufacture, distribute, install and eventually, replace/repair/dispose. There are statistics that it takes approximately 4-8 years of 'free, renewable energy' to pay back the energy that it takes to get it to your home. While I am all for renewables, we MUST reduce first. Otherwise, renewables will never be affordable or desirable to the masses. You might enjoy this post: http://greengirlsuccess.com/2014/06/03/green-tech-or-low-tech/
• Well, I already do which wasn't an option on this questionnaire :). I wouldn't be changing my current habits. As a side note, solar for my small small home costs about $13-15,000 upfront to have it installed - which for me is not something I have lying around and would take 20 years for me to recup the cost since my electric is only $40/mo averag. While there are incentives and tax breaks, yes, you still have to come up with the whole chunk in advance, which makes it still close to impossible for most working class folks to afford. In Australia it's a microscopic cost in comparison...
• You know what, I have actually never thought about this before. I guess I'm kind of ashamed to say "no." But I guess society is sold the idea that if something is renewable (or plentiful) then you don't *have* to conserve. Conserving isn't good in its own right, it's only good if the resource in question is limited. But all energy use by me is energy I'm taking from something else. For example, if I power my TV from a power station that's a square mile of solar panels, those solar panels are blocking the sun from reaching the soil, and the bacteria in the soil, and the seedlings that would otherwise be sprouting. The earth is a zero-sum game, it seems. Maybe the idea behind conservation needs to change. Maybe the way it's sold to the public needs to change. Maybe instead of conservation, it could be use-appropriate consumption, or resource sharing, or something that implies balance and cooperation, instead of just staving off the next shortage until the next boom comes along. Thanks for making me think about this question! :)
• Absolutely! No need to be wasteful, especially if the energy is being stored in a battery for future use. If there's an emergency or a long stretch of cloudy/stormy days that backup power will come in handy.
• As we are 100% on solar power, and not meaning to be aggressive in my reply, responding to your question from our personal experience the answer depends entirely on what power input you have from your solar panels and what battery storage capacity you have. On cold, but sunny days our panels produce more power than on hot, sunny days. If you are aware that you are in for a couple of days of overcast weather, you tend to use as little power as possible in order to eke out the power that you have available. Once you reach float or absorb stage with your batteries (in our case our batteries are at that stage from +/- 12 noon onwards), you can use whatever power is being produced by your panels freely as your batteries cannot absorb any further charge. I, therefore, tend to switch on my washing machine then ;) One has to plan for those days of minimal power input, more than for the days where power is freely available. Investing in double glazing, manual kitchen / household gadgets, low watt (3 watt) LED lights, A+ (or better) appliances you can live your life quite normally. (Switching off 3 watt light globes when you're not in the room is still a good idea, but if you had ten on at the same time, they combined would only use 30 watts of power / hour, which will hardly make a dent on your battery power during a 4 - 5 hour evening. Basically, getting back to basics and ditching power guzzling air-conditioners / heaters / electric stoves, you shouldn't have a problem. A broom cleans as well as a vacuum cleaner, and a dishcloth in a sink of good hot, soapy water vs a dishwasher, etc - it just requires more effort from the human wielding the appliance :)

My Thoughts

I've thought a lot about this question.

One one hand, if we invest in enough solar panels, and they can supply a lavish lifestyle, then why not use liberally?

On the other hand, those panels aren't made out of air ... they require materials. So living large (power-wise) means that resources are being used to build additional solar panels for our lavish use. That seems wrong.

Our new home (a passive solar home) will be equipped with solar and photovoltaic panels. We are installing a net-zero system. That means that the total amount of energy we use, which will come from "the grid", will roughly be equal to the amount of solar energy we create (which will be sold back to "the grid").

You might be wondering why we chose this system as opposed to an "off grid" system.

Batteries which store solar energy are, at this time, expensive and have a short lifespan. Simply put, they are not cost effective for us. Hopefully, one day, they will be less expensive and more efficient. At that time, we'll upgrade and become grid free.

As I mentioned above, we are building a passive solar home. The house's orientation, along with the materials used to build it, will allow us to use nature to both warm and cool our home. With the net-zero system, we have the potential of generating more power than we use. That means that the grid will use less energy from other sources (in my area, most energy comes from coal).

I will continue to conserve so that the solar energy we generate will go that much further in reducing the need for "dirty" energy. If we generate more power than we use, then "the grid" benefits. That makes it very appealing to conserve.

Thanks to everyone who participated and left a thoughtful comment. As always, I learn so much from you!

Guest Post - Three Reasons Why We Should Still Be Talking about Solar Power

Solar power seems to have been around for ages now, and in fact its beginnings can actually be traced back to the 7th Century B.C. Everyone is aware of its merits by providing cleaner, cheaper energy, and those fully in favour of solar power will probably already have panels installed in their homes and businesses.

So do we really still need to be talking about it if all the information is already out there? With the world an ever-changing place, solar power may be even more important than ever right now. Here are three reasons why.

1. Solar Power is Closer to Home than Ever

The eco-friendly, idealistic vision of a future where everyone’s home is powered by solar power is yet to be fulfilled, but getting your hands on solar panels for your roof is now easier than ever. Companies such as MyFourWalls provide all the information you need and help you to get set up with solar power for your electricity and hot water, along with tailoring payment methods to each individual.

Many countries now have government schemes to help citizens afford solar panels as they attempt to rely less on fossil fuels. Despite first being a novelty, the sight of solar panels on neighbours’ roofs is becoming more and more common.

2. It Will Soon Overtake Fossil Fuels

One day solar power will eventually become cheaper than fossil fuels. That day appears to be edging ever nearer. The Financial Times reported that larger wind farms and solar plants are now cost-competitive with many gas-fired power plants in the USA.

As demand for solar panels increases, their price should drop, further tempting those less reluctant to invest. Even if people get on board with solar power for purely financial reasons, the environmentally friendly effect is not lost.

3. Innovation is Still Happening

The main uses for solar power in homes and businesses are for electricity and heating water. It doesn’t stop there though, with solar power being used for everything from buses to schools and everyday items such as phone chargers.

Research on solar energy is constantly being conducted, so further breakthroughs are likely to make it even cheaper within the next decade. As technology advances, solar power is being applied to that as well, with 3D solar panel printing now on the horizon. So far the Solar Cool Hat has to be one of the worst ideas though.

This post is shared at Healthy, Happy, Green & Natural Party Hop

Would you conserve if you had solar power?

The sun provides energy

Our new home will be solar powered.

As a "greenie", I am "geared" towards conservation. We turn off lights, use little or no heating/cooling, etc.

I spoke to someone who has solar power and they commented that they don't conserve energy.

That got me thinking and is the basis of this survey:

Create your free online surveys with SurveyMonkey , the world's leading questionnaire tool.

Interview - Lisa Bell of Solarproducts.me

Lisa Bell of Solarproducts.me

I first met Lisa Bell on Ozoshare. Her profile fascinated me. She shared a lot of great content on everyday solar products.

As I got acquainted with Lisa, I learned that she owns Solarproducts.me where, in addition to selling solar items, she educates both adults and children on solar energy. I've found wonderful articles and resources on the site.

I recently had the opportunity to ask Lisa a few questions. Here's our interview:

SF:  Hi Lisa, thanks for joining us today. When did you first become interested in solar power?

Lisa:  I have been interested in solar energy since my grown children were little. I don’t like to be wasteful and if the sunlight is there I believe we are wasting it we aren’t using it. We started the site back in 2008. Even then it was hard to find a .com with solar in it. My mom had told me that she thought we had an ancestor that was in the Blackfoot tribe. I went to the Native American Language Site and looked up the Blackfoot word for sun. It was long and unpronounceable. When my husband was in the Navy we lived out west and when we came east we passed many reservations. The Dakota Tribe interested me so I looked it up and their word for sun was Anpa Wi. We became Anpa Wi.com. Then about 2 years ago we added the domain Solarproducts.me. It sounds familiar and personal and that is the way we want people to feel when they visit our site.

SF:  How has solar power changed your life?

Lisa:  I have more lights in my yard than ever! I use the lights for everything from decorations to lighting our paths in the yard. It used to bug me when we would go off for the day and get back at night that there was no light. When you leave at 9 am you shouldn’t have to leave a light on all day just so you don’t trip at night. The solar lights that I use have photo sensors and some have motions sensors. The light does not have to be left on all day to work and it doesn’t cost me anything to use it.

I have written about, researched and gotten to try (maybe I should say play with since I have so much fun) with solar products. I am gadget lover so I like using the flashlights and the solar chargers. When I charge the batteries with solar power and put the batteries in my purse or pocket I think of it as keeping some sunshine in my pocket.

The most fun I think I had was building the solar mini house that I use for science fairs and school demonstrations. I made the floors and walls see through so that the kids can see how the wires go from the roof to the house and into the light and fan the run when the house is in the sun. I picked up some doll house furniture to go with it. That house also showed me that my carpentry skills need some work!

SF:  What, in your opinion, is the biggest misconception about solar powered products?

Lisa:  That the products are cheap and they don’t last. Also that they don’t work when the weather is overcast or cloudy. I have had some products that didn’t last as long as I thought they should have. I decided that quality was the better choice so I have taken on a lot of products that are American made. The manufacturers have been very helpful. Our SolarGoose flashlights are made in America from recycled Aluminum. The Gomadic portable solar panels are also made here and I have found the quality on both be very high.

SF:  I notice that you sell solar products on your site. What are some of the more popular items?

Lisa:  Our flashlights are very popular and so are the outdoor lights. I think the most popular are the portable solar panels otherwise known as solar battery chargers. I take them to craft fairs to charge phones and other devices as a courtesy.

SF:  Solar energy is very "green". What other steps do you take to live an Eco-friendly life?

Lisa:  I didn’t think we did that much until I started looking around the house. I know there is a lot more that we could do but here is what I have so far.

• 
  I have painted up a silhouette of a Greyhound (I volunteer at the local shelter). The wood that it was cut out of was repurposed from a crate they got. The hound has one of my solar lights around its neck.
• In my craft business/ hobby, I use repurposed slates to paint on and I have gotten wood from a local children’s furniture company that they were going to throw out.
• I reuse plastic peanut butter jars for use in the kitchen and I use them to give food gifts at the holidays. I use old medicine bottles to save my small craft and other small items.
• I reuse the plastic takeout containers for use in my kitchen. They recycle a lot more than plastic zip bags, which I also reuse, and they are clear so it is a lot easier to organize.
• I donate old blankets to the local animal shelters and old clothing goes to people who need it.
• I shop at yard sales and thrift stores for some things as well.

SF:  Do you utilize solar and/or photovoltaic panels on your home?

Lisa:  No, we don’t have an array for the house. We are renting in anticipation of moving to our own home. We have plans already in place to use solar energy when we do move.

SF:  Any advice for folks interested in solar power?

Solar Fountain Pump

Lisa:  Yes. Remember solar energy is not something that you have to either go big or go home with. If you are not familiar with it start small. Use quality small products like battery chargers and flashlights. Keep them on hand for emergency or everyday use. They are so easy to use, just set them in the sun and go about your business. It doesn’t get much easier than that. When you have used the small products you will be more mentally prepared to go to your own solar electric and hot water systems. I find that when people get familiar with solar energy, or anything, it doesn’t seem nearly as mysterious and then they move forward with more projects.

SF:  Thanks, Lisa ... it's been a pleasure chatting with you!

Lisa:  Thank you for inviting me. I have enjoyed reading your blog and I am happy to be a part of it!

Lisa: Thank you for having me on a Small Footprints. I love getting to chat with others like this. I wanted to let you know that you and a few others inspired me to do a basics article about things to consider when you want to put in a solar energy system. Go to this link and follow the instructions to get the free download. Also stay tuned as we will be getting a little more technical with the next article.

Have a very Sunny Day!

If you would like to contact me you may do so at:
Lisa@Solarproducts.me
Our Website: http://www.solarproducts.me/
Our Phone number: 866.478.9080

Review - SunRocket Portable Solar Hot Water Kettle and Thermos

Look at this:

Looks like a rocket, right? It's not!

Introducing the SunRocket Portable Solar Hot Water Kettle and Thermos.

This is one of the coolest products that I've ever used. It arrived on a cloudy day and, since the forecast didn't look promising for a week or so, I decided to try it out ... after all, if it could work when the skies are Gray, it would have no problem with full sunshine. So I opened the lid and filled it with cold water (it holds 500ml/17oz). The inside of the kettle is red, rather like looking into the center of a volcano. To give me a baseline of activity, I checked the temperature of the water ... it was 73.9°F (approximately 23.28°C).

Next, I opened up the solar panels and placed it in the brightest spot I could find with the panels facing the sun ... or about where I thought the sun might be if the clouds weren't restricting my view.

I waited an hour and tested the water temperature again. This time it was 86.3°F (approximately 30.17°C). Not bad on a less-than-desirable day.

After another hour, I checked again: 117.8°F (approximately 47.67°C). Definitely hot enough for washing dishes or one's hands/face, having a warm cup of instant soup or coffee or dehydrating vegetables/fruits for cooking. It wasn't hot but impressively warm considering I didn't have any sunshine.

The instructions state that, after heating, closing the solar doors will turn the kettle into a thermos, keeping the contents warm for hours. So I closed the panels, waited an hour and a half and checked the temperature again ... 110.8°F (approximately 43.67°C). Nice heat rentention!

Let's take a closer look at this marvel:

This unit weighs in at 2.6 lbs (1.2 kg) and measures 17.7 x 4.2 x 4.2 inches (45 x 12 x 12 cm). It is BPA free and the high-grade glass means that water tastes like water ... no weird flavors. Since temperatures can get well above boiling, the kettle includes a pressure-release valve making it safe to use. The only cautionary statements that I could find on either SunRocket's website or the package is that the contents can become very hot so users need to demonstrate care when opening the unit and pouring out the liquid.

How would one use the solar kettle?

I can think of many uses ... while camping, hiking, picnicking or boating to warm water for coffee, hot chocolate, soup, or washing up (how many times have you had to wash up with cold water ... burrrrr). Perhaps carry it to a sporting event (think winter Football games) when a nice hot drink would be welcome.

It's also perfect as part of an emergency kit, for those times when your power fails or when your drinking water is contaminated ... yes, it pasteurizes water killing Giardia, Cyrptosporidium and other water-borne bacteria.

At home one could save energy by using it to warm water for an afternoon cup of tea or for washing dishes. And, it would make a wonderful gift for anyone on your list.

The SunRocket Solar Hot Water Kettle is a great product ... it's lightweight, convenient and provides hot water ... all with energy from the sun.


I received a SunRocket Solar Kettle & Thermos in order to write this review. I received no other compensation. All opinions expressed are mine and mine alone and reflect my honest opinion of the product reviewed.

Images courtesy of the SunRocket site.

This post was included in the Dude, Sustainable! Blog Hop!

Guest Post - The Solar Timeline

Solar Energy has been touted as the clean sustainable answer to many of our energy problems. As recently as February this year Ofgem announced that between 2015 - 2018 we will be dangerously close to a crisis that will push up energy prices further, a worrying proposition.

This may not come as a surprise to you, but you may be surprised to know that Solar energy has long been heralded the answer to our energy issues, as far back as 1905 when Einsteins paper, that later won the noble prize engaged the Photoelectric effect we celebrated using the Sun to power our world! So it struck us that sometimes that new technology that you hear about, maybe took longer than you thought. This timeline takes you through some of the landmark solar events on our journey to harness the power of the sun. We hope you enjoy it!

Click twice for a larger version

Original article: http://www.theecoexperts.co.uk/the-history-of-solar-energy-infographic

Link - Created by Alex Vasili of http://www.theecoexperts.co.uk/

Alex writes about all issues on the green agenda, he has a specific interest in the growth of Solar technology and currently manages the leading solar panel comparison site and one of the most active green agenda blogs in UK. You can tweet him @TheEcoExperts

"Gators Go for World Championship With Record Prices for Solar Power" by Tom Rooney

In January we met Mr. Tom Rooney, CEO of SPG Solar. At the time, he was taking issue with some comments made by Bill O'Reilly and, in the process, shared his take on solar panels (you can read that article HERE).

Mr. Rooney recently returned from a trip to China and shares his thoughts about their solar energy efforts ... and the efforts of one, progressive city in the U.S.


Gators Go for World Championship With Record Prices for Solar Power

Something’s gotten into those Gators.

First, they won back to back championships in college basketball. Then they added a national football title to the mix, along with a Heisman trophy.

Now the city surrounding the University of Florida is doing something of even greater national import. Something that just might be remembered in 100 years as the place where America began its march to world energy leadership:

The Gainseville city leaders became the first in the country to set a competitive price for people who create renewable energy with their solar panels or wind farms or whatever, and who sell it back to the local utility.

They call it a feed-in tariff, if you must know the technical term. But it is simply the price you receive for generating your own power then selling it back to the utility.

Many solar leaders regard it as the key to the next step in the growth of solar in America -- both the use and manufacture.

Which is also the key to creating energy independence and reducing carbon.

Which of course we are not doing enough of.

On a recent trip to China, I visited several large factories where they make solar panels.

I wish everyone who wishes America to be an energy super power could have seen what I saw. These factories are world-class models of efficiency and skill. Their managers, many of whom are trained in the United States are very good and getting better.

Many of the panels they make are going to places where local utilities pay premium prices for solar power generated on rooftops; there is no doubt that wherever solar owners receive higher prices, more solar power exists.

In Germany and Spain and France and Italy, the feed-in tariff is as high as 72 cents per kilowatt hour. In Germany it is the highest, that is why they have more solar than anyone anywhere.

And most of this they did ten years ago.

In Gainseville, they recently set their price at 32 cents per kilowatt hour. Interest in solar in this college town is exploding far beyond what an economist might expect from the financial incentives alone.

Which tells us that people have important economic and non-economic reasons for using renewable energy.

If only they get the chance.

A competitive feed in tariff is just the beginning. The bigger the local market for solar, the greater the chance for local manufacturers to compete.

And that is what is missing in America so far. Missing from the plans of those who hope for tens of thousands of green jobs; Missing from the folks who crave energy independence. Missing from those who say solar is the cure for carbon.

But not missing in Gainseville -- where their 32 cent per kilowatt hour is a message to the rest of the country that this is what people do who are serious about energy independence and carbon reduction.

Compare that with California, the most solar friendly place in America, where solar power owners are lucky to get 1/3 of that.

There’s always a reason why we are not going whole hog on solar. The grid is not ready. The price is too high. We have more and better energy in -- fill in the blank -- that all we have to do to get it is -- fill in the blank.

But the blanks are always years and years and trillions of dollars away. Meanwhile, Asian suppliers and European competitors are racing ahead.

Today our national leaders correctly say that America can and should be a world power in renewable energy. But business leaders in Asia feel America will not get there.

If we are going to compete -- let alone win - for this world energy championship, we are going to have to act like winners. And we can begin by acting the way they do in the hometown of the national championship Gators.

I'd like to thank Mr. Rooney for that interesting and informative article.

As always, I would love to hear from you!

Guest Author ... Bill O'Reilly and Me, by Tom Rooney

When you want the facts on environmental issues, where do you go for information? The Internet ... the library ... television? Many people turn on "news" programs ... but these days, "news" programs are more about ratings and less about the facts.

I'd like to introduce you to Tom Rooney, CEO of SPG Solar. He recently took issue with the words of a popular television personality. His report shows us that we have to dig a little deeper than so-called "news" programs if we truly want to be informed consumers.


Bill O'Reilly and Me
By Tom Rooney

I’m not a Bill O’Reilly hater. Neither do I camp out in front of my television five nights a week to watch the world’s most dominant cable TV news host.

To steal a phrase from Bill O, himself: ‘I’m just one of the folks’ -- who happens to be the CEO of a large company that builds solar energy systems.

So it was with great interest when, in between talking football with one son, aviation with another, and getting my daughter squared away on college, and of course talking to my lovely bride, that I caught Bill O’s riff on solar energy.

“I’d like to put solar panels on my house,” said Bill O, the most dominant newscaster in the history of cable TV news. “And heat my house through the sun. I would like to do that for a reasonable amount of money. I don’t want to buy the oil every month. They can’t do it for a reasonable amount of money, number one.

“And its so complicated ... I can’t do it. ... So don’t tell me about my grandchildren. If they can figure out the solar panels, they can have them. But its all bunk. It’s all bull at this point for a guy like me. ...I want a clean planet. But I’d like the stuff to work.”

So there you have it: In the world according to cable news superstar Bill O, solar is too complicated and too expensive.

Bill O may have been living up to the old saying that ‘journalism is the art of speaking with absolute authority about something you know nothing about.” But in doing so, he also violated the top -- and probably only -- rule of journalism: If your mother says she loves you, check it out.’

He did not.

Here’s why: O’Reilly’s remarks came just a few hours after the Irvine Unified School District selected my company, SPG Solar of Novato, California, to install one of the most ambitious solar school projects in the country. With panels on 21 of its schools, the district will save at least $17 million over the life of the 20 year project; and will produce about half of its energy.

This will be an immediate 10 percent reduction in the district’s energy bills.

And ready for the best part, Bill O?

All at no cost to the district.

The financing is not complicated: The cost of buying and installing panels has come down so much, and incentives are so good, that the Irvine school district was able to finance this system through the savings it realized from going solar.

The building and operation is not complicated either. Not even for a Long Island mansion.

At least not compared to the solar energy system we installed at one of the great wineries of the world, Far Niente in Napa Valley. There we built the world’s first solar panels that float.

That may have been a challenge to build, but now that it is up and running, the only thing the winery operators have to do is sit back and watch the sun shine. When it doesn’t, the backup from the grid kicks in.

Without any assistance from anyone. It is seamless and automatic and not noticeable, Bill O.

SPG Solar also built five acres of solar panels at one of the most desolate -- and beautiful -- places in the world: The Furnace Creek Resort and Hotel in Death Valley, California.

But now that it is up and running, this solar system is generating power that could have come from a nuclear plant or a few thousands chipmunks on treadmills, for all guests know.

In Livermore, we built the world’s largest solar array ever put on a movie theater -- and all the time the patrons never knew we were there.

Bill O is a smart guy. No doubt about that. But some times even smart guys who don’t pay attention can be in the dark about America’s brightest technology, solar power.


I'd like to thank Mr. Rooney for that report. My personal feeling is that living a green life means that we take responsibility for making informed decisions. Becoming informed is not always easy. But we owe it to ourselves to search out all sides of an issue and listen to what everyone has to say. Mr. Rooney, of course, supports solar panels ... Mr. O'Reilly, it seems, does not. But hearing both sides helps us know the issue better.

As always ... I would love to hear from you!