Alexander's Horse, Thank you...:)

[Ecthy]

Miles to gallon is such a stupid measure, being non-metric twice and all. Litres per 100 kilometres makes so much more sense.

Hey Vel, your plans sound astonishingly green for a yank. Also, good to notice you recovered from whatever it was that made people here jump around in frenzy.

[mrmitchell]

I'll replace a total of twenty bulbs in the house, which will put my initial outlay for this project at 80-odd bucks.

The really big energy consumers in the average house are air conditioning/heating and kitchen appliances (fridge, dishwasher, etc.)

Altogether you'll save a marginal amount with the lightbulb upgrade, but look into finding more efficient models of major electricity hogs to make bigger savings.

[child of Thor]

at Vel for giving this topic consideration

one of my favourite sites for info is:

http://www.cat.org.uk/information/information.tmpl?sku=info_home&subdir=information

Its basicaly a learning centre - the oldest in the uk for this kind of thing, so some of the info comes in courses they run, but they do have lots of free info and useful links to other sites etc.

I've done the light bulb change(saves me about £20 a quarter on my electricity bill i've worked out) and recycle most of my rubbish - if i had a garden i'd get a compost going which would make me around 90% recyclable.
I got rid of my car - in London i cant see the point of having one(unless you like the late for work excuse 'stuck in traffic')?
But for many people a car is a neccesity. hmmm check for info on using 'veg-oils' for fuel - actualy there is a link to something like that on the front page of the site i linked to. In png during the bouganville war, the bouganville side used coconut oil to run their regular(i guess diesel as toyota 4x4's) vehicles. better for the enviro and probably cheaper too?

Sounds like you got a project on your hands? Making a PC game not big enough for you? good luck and have fun. I cant wait to get my first proper house in the country to try some of this stuff out too

[alva]

Originally posted by mrmitchell

The really big energy consumers in the average house are air conditioning/heating and kitchen appliances (fridge, dishwasher, etc.)

Altogether you'll save a marginal amount with the lightbulb upgrade, but look into finding more efficient models of major electricity hogs to make bigger savings.

A dishwasher is more economical and ecological than the old fashioned way.

[Kinjiru]

Hey Vel,

As always, you are an inspiration!

Some thoughts...

You really really might want to replace the hot water heater. Next to the dishwashing machine (which I didn't see on your list), it is the biggest energy suck in (my) house.

Upgrading your AC/Heater will defintely be a good move.

You didn't mention your flooring? While hardwood is lovely, carpetting with a thick pad will reduce your energy consumption somewhat.

Invest in a space heater. During the winter months, during the week, in the morning, how many rooms actually see use? I would imagine two, possibly three. You can place the space heater in the room where you are for the longest time (likely the kitchen). In this fashion, you can turn the thermostat even lower than the two or three degrees already mentioned, and you won't really notice the difference.

Also for the winter, buy thick socks and soft sweaters, and a few soft throw blankets. You can be quite comfortable while keeping the thermostat turned down. Plus, the blankets promote snuggling, which promotes a happy wife, which promotes the frequent generation of body heat which might even allow (or require!) you to turn that thermostat even lower!!

I am sure you already did the research, but does your community have any regulations restricting the installation of things like solar panels?

If they aren't already, replace all your windows with the triple pane stuff.

If there are parts of your house that you don't use that often, consider replacing the normal interior door with one that truly closes off with an insulating seal.

Replace the normal TV with an LCD, replace the desktop computers with centrino laptops, dump most of your kitchen appliances (nothing beats a big bowl and a sturdy wooden spoon).

And if you want to get really extreme... buy some country land and some pigs. Then, "process" their waste for use as fuel!

Or hell, just build your own nuclear reactor. More easily done than your might think!

Finally, go for true independance. Replace your lawn grass with some "special grass". Harvest your clippings to make your own clothes and sell the excess to your neighborhood entrepenuers for cash and then don't file any taxes!

[Zkribbler]

Originally posted by Kinjiru
Invest in a space heater.

Bad investment. Those things use a lot of electricity.

[Velociryx]

Lots to comment on! I'll go one at a time so as not to miss anything!

Mr. Mitchell:
Hey Velocyrix, have you thought about independence from medicine?

Beef up and get strong and healthy now, because when the Apocalypse comes, you won't be able to go to the clinic or take a Tylenol...


A good thought, but sadly, with the whole pancreatitus thing, I fear it's an impossibility. If I don't take my meds, I don't eat...

Mad Monk
Vel, Consumer Reports is saying in its October 2005 issue that the government has been routinely over-estimating the fuel economy of the vehicles it tests.

If you are comparing your ranger's known milage to the Jetta's reported milage, you may be in for a bit of a shock.

See if you can rent one, and do your own tests.

An excellent plan! When I get the cash saved for it, I'll grab one for the weekend and give it a good workout. Also, I have *further* cross-checked my findings about gas mileage with Parker's online (indie group, based in the UK). While they didn't have data for the Jetta in particular, I found three other models that were in common with the US, and the mileage rates were within 1-2 of each other, across the board...a pretty solid indicator.

Mr. Mitchell again
The really big energy consumers in the average house are air conditioning/heating and kitchen appliances (fridge, dishwasher, etc.)

Altogether you'll save a marginal amount with the lightbulb upgrade, but look into finding more efficient models of major electricity hogs to make bigger savings.

Agreed...and I see three big appliances that I left off my list! Dishwasher, Washer and Dryer. Fortunately, of those three, two (washer and dryer) are nearly new, and highly energy efficient. The fridge is also very kind to the power meter. Dishwasher....pretty old, and I'll definitely be looking at a possible replacement there (since it doesn't half work anyways!). That should help.

I know that the lightbulb crusade won't cut the bill in half or anything, but....in the weeks leading up to the wedding, cash is a bit tight....I wanted to do *something* to get this little experiment off the ground, and that seems like something I can squeeze into the budget without disrupting the ongoing wedding plans....probably won't get the chance to do any MAJOR stuff til the first of the year, and even then, I've got to balance moving this project forward with everything else that's going on, so I anticipate that it'll be quite slow goings for a time, with my early efforts focused on conservation and tracking my power usage to build a database to work from.

Child of Thor


one of my favourite sites for info is:

http://www.cat.org.uk/information/i...dir=information

Its basicaly a learning centre - the oldest in the uk for this kind of thing, so some of the info comes in courses they run, but they do have lots of free info and useful links to other sites etc.

I've done the light bulb change(saves me about £20 a quarter on my electricity bill i've worked out) and recycle most of my rubbish - if i had a garden i'd get a compost going which would make me around 90% recyclable.
I got rid of my car - in London i cant see the point of having one(unless you like the late for work excuse 'stuck in traffic')?
But for many people a car is a neccesity. hmmm check for info on using 'veg-oils' for fuel - actualy there is a link to something like that on the front page of the site i linked to. In png during the bouganville war, the bouganville side used coconut oil to run their regular(i guess diesel as toyota 4x4's) vehicles. better for the enviro and probably cheaper too?
Sounds like you got a project on your hands? Making a PC game not big enough for you? good luck and have fun. I cant wait to get my first proper house in the country to try some of this stuff out too

Outstanding! Thank you very much for the link! I'm still very much the beginner here, so I'm spending a lot of my time just researching different ideas and trying to get a feel for what will work for me. So far, I've found nooooo shortage of stuffs!

Brother Kinjy! Where you been hiding!?
You really really might want to replace the hot water heater. Next to the dishwashing machine (which I didn't see on your list), it is the biggest energy suck in (my) house.

Upgrading your AC/Heater will defintely be a good move.
*shudders in fear* I know....I really should crawl back into the crawl space and take a gander at what the effie ratings are on the two heaters....it'll prolly give me heart failure. And, as I've continued to formulate my plans for making the house more energy friendly, I've just about reached the same conclusion. Sooner or later, EVERY major appliance is going to have to be given a hard, uncompromising look, comparing it's effie with that which could be gained by replacing it. Definitely something I'm going to have to address.

You didn't mention your flooring? While hardwood is lovely, carpetting with a thick pad will reduce your energy consumption somewhat.
Limited hardwoods...LR, DR, and hallway...tile in the kitchens and bathrooms, but the bedrooms, office and art room are all carpeted. Might look into carpeting the other rooms, but my future wife is kinna attached to those hardwoods!

Invest in a space heater. During the winter months, during the week, in the morning, how many rooms actually see use? I would imagine two, possibly three. You can place the space heater in the room where you are for the longest time (likely the kitchen). In this fashion, you can turn the thermostat even lower than the two or three degrees already mentioned, and you won't really notice the difference.
Even better...got a wood burning fireplace....if we can figure a way to rig it into the existing ductwork....

Also for the winter, buy thick socks and soft sweaters, and a few soft throw blankets. You can be quite comfortable while keeping the thermostat turned down. Plus, the blankets promote snuggling, which promotes a happy wife, which promotes the frequent generation of body heat which might even allow (or require!) you to turn that thermostat even lower!!
Yes indeed! already doing this!

I am sure you already did the research, but does your community have any regulations restricting the installation of things like solar panels?
Hmmm...actually, it hadn't occurred to me that there might be an ordinance against it! I'll check as we draw closer to setting that up!

If they aren't already, replace all your windows with the triple pane stuff.
Oh! Another excellent one...I'd talked about it when we first moved in, and then had forgotten about it completely! Pricey, but the added insulation would certainly be worth it!

If there are parts of your house that you don't use that often, consider replacing the normal interior door with one that truly closes off with an insulating seal.
I don't think this one would net us much, since we really do use every inch of space we've got.

Replace the normal TV with an LCD, replace the desktop computers with centrino laptops, dump most of your kitchen appliances (nothing beats a big bowl and a sturdy wooden spoon).

Can do much of this, but I can't talk Christina out of her Kitchen gizmos...that's okay tho...I can live with that, given all the goodies she whips up in there!

Or hell, just build your own nuclear reactor. More easily done than your might think!
Or hell, just build your own nuclear reactor. More easily done than your might think!
Really? :hmm:
And if you want to get really extreme... buy some country land and some pigs. Then, "process" their waste for use as fuel!

Finally, go for true independance. Replace your lawn grass with some "special grass". Harvest your clippings to make your own clothes and sell the excess to your neighborhood entrepenuers for cash and then don't file any taxes!
Okay, I don't think I wanna take it to QUITE that extreme, but an excellent thought!

-=Vel=-

[Ecthy]

I've heard of a guy who lives in a house with no radiator at all. All he has to keep it warm in winter is a big column of conrete (I think) in the middle of his house that his house is basically built around. It's supposed to heat up in summer and emit the heat during winter. Never quite convinced me.

[child of Thor]

My dream long-term project is to become 100% self suficiant with my energy needs(in fact make money selling my surpless back to the grid). Try to grow as much of my own veg as possible, maybe have a cow/goat hens etc - so i know my family is getting good food, not pumped full of chemical stuff. Then chill as my bills dissapear+ my future genes get cleaner

Still Vels one step ahead - he's got the house to start the project, i'll have to wait untill i'm out of the city.

[lord of the mark]

i cant read all the stuff here. I see something about being off grid, and then alot about buying a VW, using flourescent bulbs, etc. Are you gonna make your own replacement bulbs? Replacement parts for the VW? Gonna grow your own food? Have the acreage? Without modern tools? Or with the ability to replace them yourself?

Its great to be use less enery - I walk to the metro to get to work. But this talk of going off grid doesnt sound all that serious. Like all those silly people during late 1999.

Lessons of Katrina - when they tell you to leave, leave.
IF you want to wait out something bad, you should have food and water to get by for a couple of weeks. Oh, and try to not to live somewhere where this stuff is so likely. But offgrid fantasies are just that