Just Because You Go Solar, Doesn't Mean You're Green...

The other day, a member of my family asked me if I thought their roof was suitable for solar panels. I went outside, took a look, and said, "sure, but why do you want solar panels?"The response I got was pretty funny... "I figured with all the incentives right now, I could get some solar panels and then I'd be doing my part by being green...". This response from a member of my family is pretty common these days, with so many people and companies pushing "being green" so many in the general public are so misinformed. This is my queue... my chance to spread the word.

Photovoltaic systems are awesome... if I had the funds, I'm sure I would be right there with the rest of the folks setting up appointments with the local solar salesman, but I tend to know a thing or two that keeps me away from PV systems... besides not being able to afford it.

Would you ever go out and buy new tires and an alarm system for a car you that you don't have? How about a new surround sound system and DVD player for the TV that you don't seem to have?? What I'm trying to get at... is why spend thousands of dollars on a new photovoltaic system for your house if the rest of your house is an energy efficiency "nightmare". If your home isn't energy efficient you'll never truly see the rewards promised by that solar salesman when you spent those thousands of dollars.

I always tell people that solar panels are an expensive band-aid when the envelope of your home is like "Swiss cheese". By "Swiss cheese" I mean that your home is leaking energy due to poor insulation, bad windows, poor heating and cooling, and so on... just like the holes in Swiss cheese. How about a home energy audit to see how much energy you're consuming and where you're wasting it? How about switching your incandescent bulbs to CFLs? What about the instant savings you get when you spend the money and time on weatherizing your home with weather stripping, spray foam, and caulking?? There are so many things a homeowner can do to be more energy efficient, truly "green".

After a fun, lengthy discussion I actually saw the light bulb go on inside my family member's head... "why don't they tell you about these things when you're considering buying solar panels?", was one of the many questions I heard throughout our discussion. I had to explain that at the end of the day it's a business just like any other money making business, people are into making "green" off of people trying to be"green". It's a shame that people take advantage of those who are trying to do good for the environment and be more sustainable. These are the kinds of discussions we need to have with our families, neighbors, friends, and coworkers. The more we educate one another the better chances we have at doing good and doing things right. It really does take more than solar panels to be "green" in this ever changing world.

One Bulb Can Change A Lot...

As the selection of light bulbs grow in the aisles of the nation's hardware stores, many arguments have begun to surface regarding which is better, worse, and everything in between. Like many products, there are pros and cons and these pros and cons only continue to multiply as the technology continues to grow.

On a short list it's pretty clear to see that CFL bulbs are better than incandescent bulbs, and LED bulbs are better than both of them, but one must really pull back the layers of the onion to see the true pros and cons for each comparison.


Here's a great comparison video courtesy of alternativee.org:



It's pretty easy to see where the energy efficiency lies, but many other factors come along with each type of bulb. In my own home, I have opted to go with CFL bulbs in almost all my fixtures minus the fixtures that are on occupancy sensors. CFL bulbs can't handle the constant on/off from the sensors compared to incandescent bulbs. I would love to use Edison base LED bulbs in my home, but the price point is still too high and the technology still has a little ways to go before they can truly compete with CFLs. I do recommend using LEDs for under-cabinet lighting, holiday lighting, and flashlights/lanterns since the technology is pretty stable and the use factor is pretty low.

Each bulb type has a few major drawbacks for me, but as long as you weigh the pros and cons it's easy to derive at a choice.

• Incandescent bulbs use a lot of energy and actually lose a majority of that energy through heat loss. If you live in a hot climate, you really don't need your light bulbs raising your home's temperature causing more money to be spent on cooling. Due to that heat loss, your incandescent bulbs are expelling more heat then you're receiving in actual lumens, i.e. LIGHT.

• CFL bulbs contain mercury which can be dangerous in certain amounts. Due to the mercury in CFL bulbs special precautions should be taken when disposing burnt out or broken bulbs. You should always dispose CFL bulbs at specialized recycling centers... never throw them away with your trash! Some people feel that the actual light output from CFL bulbs is sub-par to incandescent bulbs, but I have never personally had a problem.

• LED bulbs are still just too new in the market place to really be measured against other standard bulbs. Price is certainly a factor right now, but other factors include actual measurement of bulb life span, proper bulb ventilation for cooling, size retro fitting, and actual light output compared to incandescent and CFL bulbs.

There are many types of lighting available in the market place these days. There are also many other bulb types that I did not mention due to there use in commercial settings or the low level of use in residential settings. Lighting technology is still ever changing and manufactures are coming up with new ideas everyday... even the incandescent bulb is still being advanced to keep up with all the other new technological advances. It really comes down to what you want from you light bulb and how much you want to invest in it. Nothing is ever perfect, but as long you do your homework, the power is ultimately in your hands...

All hardware stores including major and mom and pop retailers carry some sort of line of incandescent and CFL bulbs, but LED bulbs are little harder to find. It's always smart to check with you local utility provider before going out to purchase light bulbs, some utility providers provide rebates, coupons, or even discount purchase programs for energy efficient light bulbs. Please see the links below for the Sacramento Valley:

Sacramento Municipal Utility District-

http://www.smud.org/en/rebates/Pages/index.aspx

Pacific Gas & Electric-

http://www.pge.com/myhome/saveenergymoney/rebates/light/products/

The Pyramid Of Conservation

I received this great action plan from a friend and had to share it. Minnesota Power created this based upon the old food nutrition pyramid that we all grew up with and it's an excellent chart for residential conservation and energy efficiency.

Check out all the information here:

http://www.mnpower.com/powerofonehome

I like this pyramid so much that I'm in the process of creating a slightly tweaked version for California. As you can tell from the organization of the pyramid, some items need to be moved around to meet California's climates and energy consumption.

Be looking out for my version in the coming month...