Clik here to view.
Why I love paying my electric utility bill
I installed the first part of my solar power system in the fall of 2009 and immediately my power bills dropped considerably. The chart below shows the energy flows for my property over the last...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The Visual Handbook of Energy Conservation
If you have been reading my blog or website, then I assume that you're interested in energy conservation and living sustainably. A few years ago Charlie Wing published his excellent book: "The Visual...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Exploring time lapse photography
Brinno TLC200 Pro camera and weather proof caseA few years ago I became interested in time lapse photography and modified an old Nikon digital camera so I could shoot videos of flowers decaying. Click...
View ArticleClik here to view.
More fun with time-lapse photography
In my last blog post, I had just started getting to know my new Brinno TLC200 Pro time lapse camera. Since then I have made a number of videos under varying conditions, all of which have turned out...
View ArticleClik here to view.
I bought less than 40 gallons of gas last year and drove about 8000 miles!
2012 Chevy VoltI bought my Chevy Volt back in May 2012 and have over 50,000 miles on it now. I decided to review my records to see how much gas I have used and was pleased to find that in all of 2015...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Picking up roadside trash
Trash from 3/4 mile of local roads (I removed the redeemables and recyclables).For the last few years I have been walking around my neighborhood here in rural Maine picking up roadside trash every...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Easy composting using an Envirocycle
Nearly 20 years ago I purchased an Envirocycle composter and have used it continuously ever since. This elegant and simple to use device has been around for over 25 years andis made in America from...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Solar water heater dashboard upgrade
When I installed solar collectors for heating the hot water in my house back in 2006, I decided to add a small "dashboard" in the kitchen to monitor the temperatures. Since I am an electrical...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The benefits of a rain barrel
Rain barrel on the corner of my front porch with raised vegetable beds visible in the backgroundand Envoirocycle composter on the rightOver 10 years ago, I installed a rain barrel on my front porch...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Solar powered motion sensing yard lights
I live in rural Maine where there aren't any streetlights and on a dark moonless night it can be hard to navigate from my parking area to the front porch. Recently, I purchased a set of four motion...
View ArticleClik here to view.
A new meter for my solar charged electric lawnmower conversion
Okay, so I am a geek! 11 years ago, I converted an old gasoline lawnmower to electric by replacing the gas engine with an electric motor and a deep cycle 12 V battery that I charge from solar panels....
View ArticleClik here to view.
A real-time energy display for my solar power system
Ever since one of my electronic parts suppliers (MPJA) got in a line of cool blue digital meters, I have been applying them everywhere. See my recent blog posts describing the gauge I added to my...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Calculating energy cost of lamps and appliances
Conserving energy benefits the planet, while also conserving costs. With this in mind it is helpful to be able to calculate how much money one saves by replacing an inefficient appliance or lamp with...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Eliminating mosquitozzzzz in the home
Every now and then a male mosquito will find its way through my window screens or front door and into my home. Of course that sound is extremely annoying, but it's the females that don't make so much...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Treating bug itch with technology
In my previous post, I reviewed small plug-in bug zappers that work very well at eliminating those few mosquitoes that get into my home. Nonetheless, I get bitten fairly often while outside enjoying...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Roof mounted solar panels cool inside the building
I was looking up at my solar panels on a very hot sunny day recently. I noticed that they were shading the roof and wondered if they were having a cooling effect and thus reducing the air-conditioning...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Making crabapple butter and jelly
I have a large crabapple tree in my yard that can yield up to 70 pounds of ripe crab apples. I try to use as much of the fruit as I can to make crabapple butter and jelly. It is tasty stuff, and I...
View ArticleClik here to view.
clearing a tree that was shading my solar collectors and satellite dish
When a tree becomes inconvenient, it must go! Case in point is a pine tree near my house that had been partly shading my solar collectors for the hot water for my home in the afternoon. I was willing...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Installing a 245 W solar panel on my house
The solar array I have installed on my barn workshop currently consists of 31 solar panels all using Enphase micro-inverters. The original batch of panels were only 175 W and cost me over $4/Watt in...
View ArticleClik here to view.
A nice pice of ash - made into a bowl
Apple wood bowls One of my hobbies (some would say obsessions) is wood turning. In particular I like to make bowls from trees cut in my neighborhood or from logs that my friends bring me. I sell some...
View Article