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Saving Energy Without Derision
George Maschke writes "Saving Energy Without Derision (5 mb PDF) is a new (and free) e-book by former Sandia National Laboratories senior scientist Dr. Alan P. Zelicoff. This book is intended to be a real-world, no-nonsense, thoroughly documented collection of easy-to-implement recommendations to help the average thoughtful person to pick the 'low-hanging fruit' of conservation and renewable energy. The author is after the easy 75% of actions we can all take (but almost uniformly ignore) that most certainly make a difference in energy costs (after all that's what most people care about) and adjuring a bit of unnecessary adverse impact on the environment (which a few folks actually think is important beyond the mere dollar valuation). The author welcomes comments and intends to continuously update the book (consistent with readership interest) and address many new topics. For example, next on his list is an analysis of the economics and scientific basis of fuel-cell vehicles powered by hydrogen. (Bottom line, he maintains, is that it's a cruel hoax and energy disaster, and far less useful than, for example, heavy hybrid automobiles that get about 50 - 60 miles on an electric charge alone -- which accounts for more than 85% of driving in the US and elsewhere on a daily basis -- and which are available now.)"
Read the HTML version instead, without the pretty graphs
Google is your friend.
Please tell me that was sarcasm.
Fuel cells will not provide us with energy. They will only help store it. If we had the perfect battery (long life, close to completely efficient, no leakage, no memory, high output, quick recharge) then the electric car would become a lot more feasible. The electric car is a good thing because your power plant can burn oil and coal at around 80% efficiency. Your car burns gas at, IIRC, a meager 20%-40%. Also, this would allow new forms of electricity generation to not only affect your home, but also your car, trains, trucks, and planes.
Help I'm a rock.
But the first movers on the "big ticket" efficiency ideas are the ones that get all of the press. I am not against PVs. I think it is great that the technology is progressing as it has, but there are millions of households that could save ~$100-$300 worth of electricity per year with very simple, inexpensive, boring improvements. These aren't whizbang enough to attract media attention, so people just don't know about them.
Fuel cells, PVs, super-insulated passive solar houses...these get the press...or at least did at different times since the 70s. Turning down 10% of the water heaters in America by 5 degrees and installing a water heater blanket will save more energy than produced by all of the PVs ever produced. See, my argument is that it must be economically viable in order for Joe Average to bother with it. There are economically feasible efficiency ideas that are commonly overlooked because they are so boring.
Good example. I have a ground-source (aka geothermal) heat pump in my house. I had a hard time finding a dealer to install it. They just aren't that popular. During heating season, it operates at a coefficient of performance of about 4. Every watt of electricity I put in, I get 4 watts of heat out. My electric bills are only about $100/month, even in the winter (Southwestern PA)...compared to people who got $400 gas bills last year. That is an energy efficiency and an economic win. But, there was no promotion of geothermal heat pumps. There was no discussions of them in the press. Energy efficient ideas have been divorced from economic viability for far too long...lining them up right next to people wearing hemp clothing. This needs to change. It should not be "fringe" to be energy efficient.
Yes, indeed when the "Slashdot effect" took over, the server where my website is hosted crashed. The server owner/host isn't very happy, but this is my mistake and I apologize to all of the MANY readers who want to download the book. If you can't connect (I have no idea how much longer it will be before the server is rebooted, and when it is, I may be forced to remove the book), just send me an e-mail and I'll send you a copy (and hope you'll find it useful enough to send a small voluntary donation of $5 or $10 so that I can continue to update it with useful science and new technologies). My e-mail: zalan8587@qwest.net
My apologies to all for not being able to access a copy of the book. The server did INDEED crash, but it's my fault for posting such a large item and then not taking into account the "Slashdot effect". I would be happy to e-mail to individuals a copy of the book, and will consider in the meantime putting it into html format. Drop me a request at: zalan8587@qwest.net (assuming your e-mail service doesn't mind 5MB e-mails! Zipping doesn't reduce the size much). And, if you like the book, please consider passing it on to friends and colleagues. A small donation ($5 or $10) would be nice so that I can continue to spend time (LOTS of time) updating and improving the scientific and practical content. Al Zelicoff, Albuquerque, NM
Plus I've mirrored it here, with the author's permission: http://s108450040.onlinehome.us/savingenergy.pdf.z ip. Al asks that I should "let your mirror users know that substantive comments (that is,
science based as opposed to political ranting) also welcomed."