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Another mini Energy Recovery Ventilator for my home
Back in 2014, I installed a small TwinFresh Comfo Energy Recovery Ventilator (ERV) in my living room at a cost of about $500, and later added one in the master bedroom. TwinFresh Comfo heat recovery...
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I installed another heat pump, this one for my workshop
I have installed a multi-zone heat pump for my workshop. This was another DIY MrCool installation similar to the one I did for my house back in March except this one is a bit larger and has two...
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Adding 5 more solar panels to my array
Removing old solar thermal collectors5 new 375W solar PV panelsA few weeks ago I completed the DIY installation of a mini split heat pump system in my workshop. The system essentially replaces the...
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Home electrical energy monitoring with Emporia
www.emporiaenergy.comAs an energy efficiency maven, I am always interested in looking for ways to monitor my energy usage. The more I can learn about how my energy is used the more I can figure out...
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I recently added one more 375 W solar panel to my south facing array. I made a YouTube video that documents the process in detail to show how relatively simple it is for anyone with building skills...
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Effective tick control on a budget
It's spring in Maine and the crocus and daffodils are starting to come up and it's time to start thinking about tics. Last year I purchased a product called Thermacell Tick Control: It's basically a...
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Failed septic system and energy monitoring update
In late April my septic system failed. This constituted a household emergency and I had to scramble to get a new system designed and installed. For those of you in the city unfamiliar with septic...
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My new 27 inch Greenworks cordless lawnmower
A year ago I purchased a small 20" Greenworks cordless lawnmower to replace the old 22" gas lawnmower that I had converted to electric many years ago, here's a link to my blog post about those...
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When my septic system failed suddenly at the end of April 2022, I had to scramble to replace it. It turns out that the original system was over 50 years old and pre-dated state laws requiring that...
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My E-bike and repurposing a replacement wheel
A year or so ago I purchased a new E-bike made by Ancheer for around $700. It is one of the most affordable and highly rated E-bikes on the market and mine came with a 250 W motor in the rear hub....
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Induction cook top, pans, and a repurposed rug
In my ongoing effort to reduce my carbon footprint, I have replaced my propane heating systems with heat pumps in both my house (see this post) and workshop (see this post). Then I added six more 375...
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Replacing a 4ft. fluorescent with an LED equivalent
New LED light - and old fluorescentI teach wood turning classes in my workshop (https://www.arttec.net/Bowl_making_class/index.htm) and it is important to have plenty of good quality light. So for...
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Home grown food
This year's applesauceI live near the coast of Maine where the growing season is relatively short. Nonetheless I manage to harvest quite a bit of food from my property. For me, living sustainably...
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Solar water heating - 16 years of practical use
Solar water heating collectorsBack in 2006 I installed solar collectors on the side of my house that preheated water before it went into a propane water heater tank. (see my detailed blog about this...
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Chives from my garden
I have two chives plants in my garden beds, on the left is regular chives and on the right, garlic chives. The chives plant is over 15 years old and the garlic chives I've had for over three years...
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100% Recycled paper
When I buy printer paper from Staples (or any other office supply source), I always spend a little extra to purchase 100% recycled copy paper from a forestry certified source. Staples also sell 30%...
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Bedding in my garlic with wood shavings from my bowl turning classes
it's early November and the time of year when I plant garlic so it will come up in the spring. I purchase heirloom garlic from the local farmers market and simply break off cloves and put them in the...
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Whole house surge/lightning protection
As an engineer, I have a lot of electronic equipment in my home and separate workshop building. While I could plug all of these items into separate surge strips, that would be unreasonably expensive...
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Redeeming cans and bottles for fun/the environment/exercise/profit
My e-bike with panniersI purchased my first E bike over a year ago and put over 1000 miles on it in the first year. Prior to that I used to walk around my neighborhood with my friend to get exercise...
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My solar powered lifestyle
I am a DIY guy so I tend to do everything myself. Pictured above left is my grid tied solar array consisting of 40 solar panels that I have installed with the help of friends over the years. There is...
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Zero waste compostable garbage bags
It has always bothered me when I throw garbage bags into my trash bin because I know that plastic will last for decades in the landfill or elsewhere. So I was delightfully surprised to learn about...
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Repair, re-use, recycle, repurpose
Four words that represent a sustainable life. RepairMy first impulse when anything breaks is to see if I can repair it. I have enough skills to repair anything made of wood, metal, plastic and...
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My nearly new Chevy Bolt
Chevrolet BoltI have owned two Chevy Volts starting back in 2012 when I first heard about the vehicle and was a huge fan. It was GM's experiment to see how people would handle a plug-in electric...
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Removing my old solar augmented heating system
In 2001 my ex-wife and I purchased this property in rural Maine that included an open two-story barn that I converted into a heated and insulated workshop. Moving from California to Maine I was well...
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Emergency solar powered battery generator
Last winter we had a power failure which is something that happens often here in rural Maine due to snow and wind storms, but what was unusual was that my automatic backup generator didn't start. I...
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