I bought less than 40 gallons of gas last year and drove about 8000 miles!

2012 Chevy Volt

I 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 I purchased only 39.28 gallons of gas and drove about 8000 miles.  My average purchase was for 2.7 gallons because Chevy recommends that you only put in one third of a tank in to keep the weight down.  There's no sense in hauling around gallons of gas that you never use.  So my total expenditure for gasoline last year was $108.55.

My Volt uses around $40-45.00 worth of electricity a month, and in the summer that is more than offset by my solar array.  So for 5 months I am literally driving for free on sun power.  In the winter months when we have less sun in Maine my electric bill goes as high as $70, with most of that going to power the car.  In Maine over 30% of our electric supply comes from renewable sources, so the bottom line is that the carbon footprint of my car is negligible.  That is the main reason I own it.

Tor those that may be unfamiliar with the Chevy Volt, it is unique in the industry because it is an electric vehicle with a built-in "range extender".  My model has an electric range of approximately 37 miles under ideal conditions.  When the battery runs down a four-cylinder gas generator kicks in that maintains a battery level allowing the vehicle to continue driving at around 40 miles per gallon.  Since most of my driving is local, I rarely use gas.  The vehicle does turn on the gasoline engine generator in the winter occasionally to help warm battery when temperatures drop below 20°F.

I recently test drove the 2016 model Volt.  The vehicle has been completely redesigned although it it looks rather similar from the outside - with some sexy improvements to the style lines, the interior is quite different.  There are so many changes in its design that it is essentially a different vehicle entirely.  The driving experience was even more sporty than my model because the 0 to 30 acceleration time has been shortened quite a bit, so it literally surges forward and burns rubber if you tromp the accelerator.  This model has a rated 52 mile electric range and gets better gas mileage when in "range extender" mode.  

2016 Chevy Bolt

I am now struggling  with whether or not to upgrade to the new Volt or to go with the brand new all electric Chevy Bolt that will be released towards the end of this year.  This impressive vehicle has a range of over 200 miles per charge and will cost around $30,000 after the $7500 federal tax incentive.  It is amazing that GM has managed to trump Tesla and bring out an affordable electric vehicle well before the much-anticipated Tesla model 3 has been released.  The real issue for me is whether or not I want to deal with the range anxiety issue when taking a long road trip.  I have grown so comfortable with the idea that the Volt offers me a no-worry option of driving as far as I want without any concern that it may be challenging for me to accept the limitations of an electric vehicle range.  I sometimes take trips down to Boston which is around 170 miles away.  While there are more charging stations available in the city, it would be inconvenient to have to take many hours to charge the car up.  Not to mention having to take a cab or public transportation between the charging station and my desired location.

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 really well.  Here's a picture of the camera:

(Click here to purchase on Amazon - As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.)

Once you own a time-lapse camera, you think of all kinds of uses for it.  I have always wanted to see a day in the life of my cat.  She is over 12 years old and relatively sedentary and she likes to sit in her window seat and sleep and then watch the birds at the bird feeder outside the window occasionally.  So I set up the camera to document her from mid-morning until dusk.

Click image to see YouTube video

I have been making wood bowls from freshly cut trees for the last few years.  When an apple tree blew down in a storm recently I was able to harvest some beautiful wood and made some bowls from it.  The rest of the tree will be harvested for firewood.  I set up the camera to take images once per second and got this great video.

Click image to see YouTube video

Update Feb 5, 2016:  I always wanted to see myself clearing snow using my Craftsman snow thrower and we got 7" today so I set up the camera outside with it's waetherproof housing.

Click image to see YouTube video

These videos were all shot in 1080 P high-definition video, so you can view them full-screen and they look great.  Stay tuned to my YouTube channel to see more videos as I put them up.

Exploring time lapse photography

Brinno TLC200 Pro camera and weather proof case

A 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 here to see my webpage that lists all of those videos, or click here to see my YouTube channel.  The process of creating time-lapse videos was tedious because I had to shoot stills first and then merge them into a video, and the result was not very high definition.

I decided to buy myself a Christmas present and purchased a dedicated time lapse camera.  The Brinno TLC 200 Pro HDR camera sells for around $200 not including the weatherproof case which goes for around $40.  Click here to purchase. (As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.)  It shoots in 1080p high definition and saves a .AVI file directly.  It can take images anywhere from one frame per second to 1 frame per day and anything in between and has a variety of advanced features such as HDR (High Dynamic Range) and the ability to program specific times to start and stop filming. 

For my first video, I set the camera up on a tripod outside in its weatherproof case so I could document the sunlight moving around my solar powered workshop.  I was able to program the camera to start around sunrise and stop at sunset.  Click here or on the image below to view the video. 

click on image to see video on YouTube

This video will be a useful reference to show the sun shading effect on my solar systems from trees at various times of day in the middle of winter.  I have needed to top some of them to capture the late afternoon solar energy.
 
I could not be more pleased with the video quality and all of the advanced features of this amazing little camera and look forward to using it a lot in the future.

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 Handbook of Energy Conservation".  (click here to get it from Amazon) Charlie is well known for his excellent books on a variety of building topics and I have met him and worked with him on a number of occasions.  In fact he used to live down the road from me a few years before I moved into the neighborhood.

I cannot recommend this book highly enough for anyone who is interested in reducing their energy consumption and lowering operating costs in their home.  The book is written in simple clear language, and every page contains exquisite illustrations, charts, and diagrams in Charlie's inimitable style.  He covers everything from the basic physics of energy to detailed specifics of how building heating systems work.  For instance, he covers every possible detail of every kind of building construction in order to explain what is optimal and how to improve it from an energy conservation standpoint.  

I was just re-reading the book and found that there were major "aha" moments for me in every chapter.  I found myself running around the house reviewing what I have done and considering improvements.  Most of his suggestions for energy conservation are easy, inexpensive things that any home handy person can handle.

I am confident that the investment of $20 or so in purchasing this book will yield an excellent return on investment if you only implement a very few of the suggestions contained within.  If you are planning to make substantial upgrades to your home's energy efficiency, then this will be the perfect handbook to guide you through optimal choices and could save you thousands of dollars both now and in the future.

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 several years:

Take a moment to study this chart and look at how everything interacts.  The yellow line shows how much surplus energy I export back into the grid on a monthly basis from the solar array.  Clearly, in the summer I am exporting a lot more and this more than offsets my net energy for the month.  Whenever the green net energy line goes below zero, that is when I have a credit.

This chart shows my actual bottom line monthly electric bill:

Over the years I have scaled up my solar power system and now my electric bills flatline in the summer, bottoming out to the minimum connection fee.  This year I had a surplus  from May through October and the utility gave me a credit that carried forward until it was used up.  This electric bill covers both my house, workshop, and the electricity used to charge my Chevy Volt.  So, not only am I not paying for utility energy for months at a time, I am also driving up to 37 miles a day for free on solar power.

During the summer months the energy I am exporting into the grid reduces the load on the power lines feeding my immediate neighborhood.  As neighborhoods grow, the utility often needs to upgrade the infrastructure in order to deliver power to outlying areas.  If new housing developments were all to incorporate solar roofs on their houses, this would reduce the cost of deploying and maintaining power lines to those areas.  You would think that utility companies would appreciate this benefit, but in reality they are pushing back against it because of the lost revenue.  Some utilities are even trying to punish customers with solar power with a surcharge to cover maintenance costs on their power lines.  

My solar power system, like most systems installed in the last 5 to 6 years is utility inter-tied.  This means that there is no battery bank and surplus energy is returned to the grid rather than being stored in batteries.  However, battery technology is now reaching the point where it is beginning to become relatively affordable to pull the plug on the utility altogether and simply store that surplus energy in a battery for use overnight and on cloudy days etc.  This is referred to as "grid defection".  Renewable energy pundits are suggesting that entire communities could pull the plug in the future and that utility companies will need to figure out a new business model.

Safely disposing old paint

Paint cans accumulating in my utility room

Do you have a place in your home where old partly used paint cans have accumulated?  Have you thought about how to dispose of those cans of paint safely?  Until recently there were very few options that are environmentally benign.  You can leave an opened can of latex paint out in the open until it dries out completely and then safely dispose it in the trash.  For smaller amounts of water-based paint left in the bottom of a can you can wash out the can in the sink and then put the cleaned empty can in the trash or if it is really clean - in the recycling bin.  This is not recommended for septic tanks however.  And finally, for solvent paints the only responsible option is to take them to a hazardous waste disposal facility which is tedious.

 
There is now a new option offered through a nonprofit industry trade association called PaintCare that is setting up return/recycling centers where old paint can be turned in and recycled or disposed of properly.  This paint can now be collected for reuse, recycling, energy recovery, or safe disposal.  As of this writing, in December 2015 there are only eight states offering this service and you can use a map on their website to find a drop-off location near you.  These are typically hardware or paint stores or hazardous waste disposal sites.

According to their website: "The program is funded through fees on each container of architectural paint sold in states with paint stewardship programs. Budgets and fees are set on a state-by-state basis. So far these fees have been the same in each state with a program: 35 cents, 75 cents or $1.60 per container, depending on the container size."

I was very pleased to learn about this program and will be going through my collection of paint going back 15 years to decide what to recycle.


UPDATE - a few days later

drying out old paint residue

I just returned from the hardware store that participates in the program.  I took five  gallon cans with varying amounts of paint in them and the first thing the guy did in the paint department was to turn the lighter weight cans over and tap them on the bottom.  From this he was able to determine that there was a thin layer of congealed paint in the bottom that he could not use.  He told me that they are recycling the paint as useful paint and not as dried out material and that I should leave the cans open outside until the paint dries out and then just dispose of them in the trash.  Any can that is one third or more filled with liquid paint is useful to them.  

I asked him how often the paint was picked up and he said they cart off 250 gallons a WEEK!  This is just from one local Ace Hardware store in Maine.  Wow, talk about a successful program!

From tree trunks to bowls

A few years ago my friend Tom asked me if I would clear some trees from the field below his house.  I was delighted to discover that there were several cherry trees with trunks ranging from 6 to 8 inches in diameter.  Since I enjoy wood turning, I brought some of the logs back and made bowls from them on my lathe.  Turning fresh, green wood is very enjoyable because it is so soft and cuts easily.  Then, as the finished bowl dries it changes shape and curves up into a boat shape which adds a lot of charm to a handmade bowl.  

some of the bowls I made this year

The bowl on the right is cherry and the three small ones are made from a small plum tree that died on my property last winter.  The large salad bowl came from a piece of maple that my friend Topher gave me from a tree that he had felled on his property this spring.  It is beautiful spalted maple, and took me hours to turn because that wood is so very hard.  


Below is a picture of that bowl, along with the other half of the log that it came from.

I have sold a number of these bowls at a local craft gallery and branded them as "Green Nut Bowls".  This is a play on words since these are typically used as nut bowls and they are made by me, a "green nut" - because they were made entirely using solar power.  I harvested the trees using my cordless and corded electric chain saws that derive their power from my solar power system.  And since my home and workshop are solar powered my lathe is also powered by renewable energy.

turning a small bowl (chainsaws in the background)

My lathe is a "hot rodded" 1950s Rockwell that I have heavily modified to use as a bowl lathe.  I removed the original motor and dropped in a 1HP electronically speed controlled motor that I can also reverse as needed for sanding and finishing.

Recently, some of my Bed & Breakfast guests have seen the bowls and asked me to make one for them and I was able to make one right in front of them since a small bowl only takes 30 to 40 minutes to turn.  I charge $7.00 per inch diameter, so a 5" bowl goes for $35.00.  I use the bowls I have made daily and the people that I have made them for tell me that they cherish them.  

From a sustainability perspective, I feel that I am making optimal use of a local resource in much the same way as Native Americans would have.  In the process of making each bowl, I consciously honor the life of the tree and give thanks for the gift of its wood.

Shopping at my local Farmers Market

Bath Farmer's Market on the riverfront

Now that I am renting out my guest room as a Bed and Breakfast (via airbnb), I have decided to feature local foods for breakfast.  So I go to the local farmers market in Bath every Saturday morning which is on the riverfront about 5 miles from my home.  It is late October here in Maine and today is the last day that it will be held outdoors and it was quite brisk with temperatures in the low 40s.  For the winter the market moves into a large boat shed further up the riverfront.

I offer my B&B guests a breakfast that includes eggs from free range chickens, locally made turkey or pork breakfast sausage and/or locally made bread with my homemade Crabapple jam or jelly.  I also offer them dinner if they wish and I prepare anything from burgers made from local grass fed beef to salmon cakes served with locally grown vegetables.  I often find home made pies or muffins to offer for dessert.  Blueberry pie is a local favorite.

Goranson Farm stand

It is always a pleasant experience to review all of the offerings at the market and bump into friends and neighbors who are also shopping.  Some of the local farmers are better known to me than others.  I have visited the Goranson family farm several times and have watched them processing maple syrup in the spring.  They are one of the biggest organic farmers in the region with a large variety of produce.  I am always pleased to be able to support my local farmers and my guests compliment me on the food I prepare for them.

Community Supported Agriculture is a growing and thriving industry here in Maine.  There is a Farm to School program that has become quite successful at bringing fresh foods into the schools.  It is encouraging to see this focus on natural and organic foods and the public response to it.  While natural food can be more expensive, I firmly believe in voting with my dollar for a more sustainable future for our planet while also the supporting local economy.

Renewable energy Net Metering billing explained

I installed the first phase of my solar power system back in the summer of 2009 with the help of many friends and neighbors.  Once the system was commissioned and approved by my utility, I signed a Net Metering Agreement with them.  This contractual agreement stipulates that they give me full retail credit for every kilowatt hour of energy that I export from my property back into the grid.  Originally, I had a traditional old-style analog meter and this meter would simply turn backwards on a sunny day before they came out and installed a second meter as part of the Agreement.  From this point forward my bill indicates readings from both meters.  One meter indicates how much energy I have imported from the grid, and the other indicates how much energy I exported.  I am billed (or credited) for the NET difference.

My electric meters

In the image above, the top meter shows that I have imported 22476 kWh and exported 11017 kWh since these meters were installed in April 2011.  Essentially I have offset 50% of my energy over six years using solar power.  Since the system has grown over time that percentage is currently higher.  For instance, over the last 12 months I exported 3383 kWh, imported 5222 kWh with a net usage of only 1983 kWh

In the summer months I export more than I import and thanks to the Net Metering Agreement, the utility gives me a full retail credit for every kilowatt hour exported and this credit is carried forward.  They do not pay me directly but simply apply this credit to subsequent bills until such time as I use it up.  They do not carry a credit forward if it has run over 12 months.  I have had a very good year this year and have not paid my utility for electricity since May (it is now mid-October) and I am still carrying a credit that will apply to my next electric bill.  Here is the section of my bill indicating the most recent meter readings:

Section of my electric bill showing imported and exported energy.

Not long after commissioning my system, I installed a TED 5000 real-time energy monitor in my circuit breaker box.  This feeds information to a web page that I can view on my local network.  This helpful tool allows me to view energy consumption in great detail in various charts showing energy consumption by the second/hour/day/month.  Below is a screenshot showing monthly energy flow for the last couple of years:

Chart updated in July 2016

 Blue indicates energy imported,  yellow  indicates solar energy produced and  green  indicates the net energy per month.  I had a net energy surplus for 3 months each summer.


In a larger context, I am considered a micro generator that contributes power to the grid.  By doing this, I am reducing the load on the local grid which actually does the utility a favor.  However, the utilities do not see it this way due to the lost revenue and many utilities are beginning to fight back to prevent them having to give credit or payouts to people that provide renewable energy into the grid.  This is shortsighted thinking and they are going to have to adjust their business model as more renewable energy systems are brought online.

Energy efficient motion sensing night lights

I am revisiting the topic of night lights.  Last month I wrote about "Low Cost to Operate Night Lights" and discussed electroluminescent and LED nightlights that provide a sufficient glow for navigating a dark home at night.  These lights stay on 24/7 and thus they are on in the daytime when they are not really needed, however since they only cost around $.02-$.10 per year to operate this is of little concern.

Motion sensing night light

Recently I decided to try out some motion sensing LED night lights that only illuminate when motion is detected in a darkened room.  These well-designed units are available in packs of two for about $20, and come in cool white and warm white options.  I placed one in my front hallway and another in the bathroom and have found that I now no longer need to turn on the lights when going to the bathroom at night or when coming into the house after dark since they provide sufficient illumination to see.  This is significantly more light than the always-on LED lights I reviewed recently.  It is quite pleasant to have a light come on automatically just when and where you need it.  They have an impressive range and turn on instantly when they detect someone moving around at night and remain on for 60 seconds.  If you stand or sit perfectly still, they will go off which can be sometimes disconcerting in the bathroom, but the moment you move again they come back on.  For this reason I wish there was a switch to enable them to stay on longer.

Motion sensing night light only activates in the dark

As an engineer I naturally needed to quantify how much energy these lights use compared to the LED lights I wrote about recently.   I found that they consume about 3 Watts in both the off and on state - about half the power of an old-style night light lamp.  I was actually a little surprised to find that the unit uses slightly less power when the light comes on!   Clearly the motion sensor is using power all the time to  detect motion and ambient light.  This means that their cost to operate if you are paying $.10 per kilowatt hour for electricity (which is the US national average) is around $.21 per month or $2.60 per year.  While this is more than the $.10/year cost to operate an always-on LED nightlight I find the trade-off quite amenable.

The sensor is a Passive Infrared Sensor (PIR) that works by detecting infrared light emitted by warm bodies.   The lens in the dome of these sensors focuses IR light onto a device that triggers when it sees warm objects passing across its field-of-view.  There is also a photocell that detects ambient light level and disables the light when the ambient light is above a certain threshold.

I am so pleased with these lights that I plan to order a couple more.  While they do use more energy than other types, I have enough surplus power from my solar array that I can spare a few Watts.  I have not paid for grid power since May (just payed my Sept-Oct bill and still have a credit on my account thanks to net metering).