Did you see the Latest OIL SPILL news this morning?

Scientists are saying that the Deepwater Oil Disaster could be more than 10 times worse than initial estimates -- and the well could keep spewing oil into the Gulf for months before the oil companies figure out how to stop it.[1]

Meanwhile, some elected officials who insisted all along that offshore drilling was safe are trying to tell us that we just need better "backup blowout preventers" on offshore oil rigs.[2]

Here's the truth: The only way to end catastrophic oil spills like Deepwater is to end our dangerous addiction to fossil fuels.

That's why we're putting together a hard-hitting new TV ad that says: Enough is enough! It's time for clean energy and climate policies that finally end our dependence on oil!

Scott's Contracting GREEN BUILDER, St Louis "Renewable Energy" Missouri.http://www.stlouisrenewableenergy.com, contact scotty@stlouisrenewableenergy.com for additional information

Wood-gas Generator to Power Your Truck

If you have an older-model truck, a ready supply of firewood and a little ingenuity, you can build a wood-gas generator to run your truck.

I initially became interested in wood-powered vehicles as a kid when I saw an old World War II movie in which the hero escaped from invading Japanese forces in an old school bus powered by coconut shells. After that, if I came across any references to wood-powered vehicles, I read them. I even remember reading an article in MOTHER EARTH NEWS quite some time ago. (See the 1981 article, Wood Gas! Wood Gasification Powers this Truck.)

A couple of years ago, I bought a 1968 Chevrolet three-quarter-ton 4-wheel-drive pickup, along with a 1969 GMC three-quarter-ton 2-wheel-drive truck for parts. The GMC had a six-cylinder engine that was somewhat rusty, but still seemed to run OK. I thought, given the simplicity of its construction plus the generous engine compartment, it would be ideal for a wood-gas project.

Willie Hackett, the son of a friend of mine, did a small wood-gasifier project and put me in contact with Mike LaRosa through a wood-gas builder’s website. I built my gasifier based on one of Mike’s designs and was successful. The wood fuel is 2-inch-diameter lengths of hardwood limbs I gather in my woods and cut up with an old table saw. I dry the wood in the sun for a couple of weeks in a wheelbarrow with an old storm window on top of it. I also have used softwood scraps with similar effectiveness.

I have probably put about 500 miles on the truck running on wood. I have commuted 20 miles to work with it a number of times and taken many 10-mile trips.

I still am working out some bugs, such as reducing the amount of soot captured in the engine air cleaner, and eliminating a surging condition that is probably due to an air leak I haven’t found yet. The truck doesn’t have as much power with wood gas as it does with gasoline, but it will cruise at highway speeds and climb steep hills as long as I keep it revved up.

Rick Bates
Tully, New York

Scott's Contracting GREEN BUILDER, St Louis "Renewable Energy" Missouri.http://www.stlouisrenewableenergy.com, contact scotty@stlouisrenewableenergy.com for additional information

U.S. climate change bill unveiled

12 May 2010-- U.S. Sens. John Kerry, D-Mass., and Joseph Lieberman, I-Conn., have released their version of climate change legislation, the American Power Act 2010, that includes carbon dioxide reductions for power plants and revenue sharing for states that participate in offshore drilling.

The bill also includes a price for carbon starting at $12 and increasing at 3 percent over inflation annually, and a ceiling set at $25, which will increase by 5 percent over inflation.

The Senate's version calls for a 17 percent reduction in carbon emissions from 2005 levels by 2020, 42 percent by 2030 and 83 percent by 2050. Power plants will have the first restrictions and manufacturers' restrictions will follow six years later. The bill will also give distribution companies that service electric utilities free allowances through 2029.

The bill also allows states to opt out of drilling up to 75 miles from their shores and can veto offshore drilling plans if an accident will cause a significant impact. However, states that move ahead with drilling will receive 37.5 percent of the revenue.

The legislation would pre-empt states' ability to implement greenhouse gas reductions and provide credit through allowances for states that already have cap and trade policies that are supposed to end because of federal law. Even though the Environmental Protection Agency will have authority over many of the new climate programs, the bill restricts the agency's ability to regulate GHG under several sections of the Clean Air Act.



Scott's Contracting GREEN BUILDER, St Louis "Renewable Energy" Missouri.http://www.stlouisrenewableenergy.com, contact scotty@stlouisrenewableenergy.com for additional information

Scott's Contracting, Green Builder St Louis 'RENEWABLE ENERGY' Missouri

Scotts Contracting St Louis "Renewable Energy" Missouri

On this site you will find resources for an: Affordable, Punctual and Experienced General Contracting Services for your Home or Business. 

Scotts Contracting offers the following "Green Building Services": Upgrades, Construction, Remodels, and Rehabs.

Browse the Green Information for Your Home and Business Needs:

Weatherization, Solar Power, Wind Power, Energy Star Products, Energy Saving Devices,Renewable Energy Blog: Tips, Resources, Government Grants, more... "Build Green" and Reduce Climate Change - Global Warming and decrease USA's Oil Dependency!

Scott's Contracting GREEN BUILDER, St Louis "Renewable Energy" Missouri.

Here are some additional Resources via Amazon.com
 Insulate & Weatherize ( Build Like a Pro)

The Homeowner's Handbook to Energy Efficiency: A Guide to Big and Small Improvements

Lowe's How-To Series on DVD - Weatherize Your Home

 Power from the Sun: A Practical Guide to Solar Electricity

Solar Electricity Handbook - 2011 Edition

12 Volt Solar Power: A Do it Yourself Guide (Simple Living)

The Complete Idiot's Guide to Solar Power for Your Home, 3rd Edition

Technorati, Blog Linking Directory

Thank you for submitting your blog claim on Technorati. Scott's Contracting GREEN BUILDER, St Louis "Renewable Energy" Missouri.http://www.stlouisrenewableenergy.com, contact scotty@stlouisrenewableenergy.com for additional information

Inverters Lower Solar Costs

Inverter technology drives lower solar costs Leesa Lee, Enphase Energy, Petaluma, CA USA Info Provided by:Scott's Contracting GREEN BUILDER, St Louis "Renewable Energy" Missouri.http://www.stlouisrenewableenergy.com, contact scotty@stlouisrenewableenergy.com for additional information Distributed architecture is a leap forward for inverter technology with continued advances expected to drive lower installation and maintenance costs. Solar power is poised to go mainstream in North America. In the U.S.—the world’s leading energy consumer—the solar market is especially ripe. As with any new technology, though, how fast it happens depends largely on economics. Installation costs Solar system installation costs include three main components: solar module, 50%; balance-of-system (BOS) and labor, 40%; inverter, 10%. Solar module prices, while still accounting for the majority of overall system costs, have come down significantly—as much as 50% compared to 2008. Modules are becoming increasingly commoditized, and as their prices drop, BOS, labor, and inverters become more important as they become a larger proportion of the total cost of an installation [1]. Therefore, the BOS and inverter segments have seen increased interest over the past few years. One reason why inverters have received so much attention is changes in inverter technology, which impact not only inverter costs, but also BOS and labor costs. Improved inverter technology can also help with other challenges that PV must overcome to gain widespread acceptance in the marketplace. New inverter technologies Inverter R&D has focused on two areas. The first is incremental changes in the existing string/central inverter, and most of these changes are geared toward higher efficiency and larger capacity. These changes have led to bigger, more centralized inverters, for example, SMA’s new 500kW 500U PV inverter. The second recent inverter development is a move toward decentralized architectures, including partial solutions such as DC-to-DC optimizers, consisting of add-on electronics designed to augment a central inverter, and complete inverter solutions such as microinverters. System cost Inverter prices have not decreased significantly in the past few years, and with module prices falling, inverters represent a greater portion of the total cost of a solar installation. As mentioned, inverter technology can also have a significant impact on BOS and labor costs. For example, higher-capacity central inverters reduce the number of inverters that need to be installed in very large systems, thereby reducing labor costs. This is offset to some extent by the wider distribution of DC wiring and the need for bulky and expensive DC combiners and DC circuit overcurrent protection. New AC-based inverter systems can incorporate AC BOS equipment rather than DC junction boxes, DC combiner boxes, connectors, and fuses. Generic AC equipment is much cheaper than specialized DC BOS, and so total installation expenditures can be reduced significantly. Similarly, new inverter technologies, e.g., microinverters, avoid the need for a large central inverter, further reducing installation costs. This is particularly true for larger systems, where the large inverter can require installing a concrete pad, an air-conditioned hut, fencing, and a crane to lift the inverter into place. New inverter technologies also have the potential to reduce solar array operating costs. Microinverter technologies make the array less prone to performance degradation from dust and debris, meaning less frequent washing. Normal soiling of modules can easily reduce power output by 5 or 6%. Also, inverters based on a distributed architecture allow for delayed maintenance. In this type of highly redundant system, if one module or inverter fails, the outage is limited to that module. The rest of the array will continue to operate normally. System owners and operators can have a plan of scheduled maintenance rather than emergency maintenance. Furthermore, maintenance costs are lower because microinverters can be swapped out quickly and easily, and by less-skilled staff—compared to large central inverters, which require expert diagnosis, repair, removal, and replacement. Finally, systems that include inverter communication and per module monitoring dramatically reduce the time required to troubleshoot the PV array. Energy harvest Inverter technology has always had a significant impact on energy harvest. The serial nature of module installation results in the “Christmas light effect,” i.e., any impact (dust, debris, shade) on module performance will also affect the other modules in the string. Distributed inverter architectures mitigate this effect as each module becomes an independent power producer. Per-module MPPT enables increased energy harvest. SunEdison recently installed their first microinverter-based system, resulting in energy harvest numbers 20% greater than the figures estimated during the design process [2]. Reliability Every installer knows about inverter reliability problems. The biggest headache is sending a tech to a site repeatedly to troubleshoot a system failure, and then return to install a replacement inverter. Microinverter technology introduces both improved unit reliability as well as better system reliability. Unit reliability is improved largely due to the change in architecture to a distributed inverter system where each unit is only converting a small portion of the power of the array. Microinverters typically have a small thermal footprint and low nominal operating voltages, both of which reduce stress on components, thereby increasing reliability. For example, the Enphase Microinverter processes less than 215WAC at 95.5% efficiency and has a nominal operating voltage of 30 – 50V. System availability is high because even if one inverter fails, it represents only a tiny fraction of the array. Finally, new distributed inverter technologies include per-module monitoring, allowing the installer to identify malfunctioning modules quickly and easily, and then simply swap-out the problem inverter utilizing the lowest possible labor skill level. Safety Increasing PV safety means minimizing the risk of fire and DC arc faults. PV fire safety has two aspects: prevention and suppression. AC-based inverter technologies can help reduce fire risk because an arc in an AC system self-extinguishes 120 times per second (on a 60Hz power system), whereas a DC arc is continuous. An AC system has no distribution of dangerous high voltage DC. AC-based systems are also safer for firefighters. An AC-voltage distribution system can be shut off prior to fighting the fire, while the widely distributed high-DC voltage of a DC system remains energized whenever the sun is shining. Enabling technologies Microinverters are not a new technology, with several early models gaining popularity in the 1990s. These pioneering models were gradually phased out, primarily due to their inability to break through the 90% efficiency barrier. The new generation of microinverters has efficiencies that are comparable or higher than popular central inverters, and reliability rates that are far superior to central inverters. There are many advances that have made this new generation of microinverters possible. These include advances in semiconductor technology, the availability of silicon carbide diodes to enable higher efficiency, and ASIC technology that has played a large role in shrinking the size of the unit and improving reliability. In addition, potting compounds are now available that enable the unit to withstand colder temperatures, and MOSFET’s that have far lower resistance than those available ten years ago. Finally, new magnetic materials and electrolytic capacitors are particularly well-suited for high-reliability and long-life applications when implemented in the low-voltage design of microinverters. Future trends The next logical step for inverter technology is integration of the inverter into the PV module, to create an AC module. This evolution will benefit all members of the solar value chain significantly. Module manufacturers like the concept as a way to “decommoditize” their offerings, thereby enhancing revenues and profits. It removes an entire step in the installation process and streamlines ordering and procurement, and of course system owners get the benefits of an integrated solution. Distributed architecture is a significant leap forward for inverter technology. With the market share inroads that microinverters have made, we can expect to see additional models introduced. And as these advances continue to drive lower installation and maintenance costs, the industry will inevitably reach a price point where mass adoption becomes inevitable. Conclusion Microinverters were popularized in the 1990s but didn’t gain widespread adoption due to efficiency limitations. With PV module prices decreasing significantly, more attention is being paid to BOS, labor, and inverters, leading to resurgence in distributed inverter technologies. References http://www.deloitte.com/view/en_US/us/Insights/Browse-by-Content-Type/deloitte-review/article/cd308136aaea2210VgnVCM200000bb42f00aRCRD.htm http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_pwwi/is_200911/ai_n42129009/ Leesa Lee is the director of product marketing at Enphase Energy, 201 1st Street, Suite 300, Petaluma, CA 94952 USA; ph.: 877-797-4743; email llee@enphaseenergy.com. Analay Solar Andalay AC Solar Power System TM Delivers Maximum Performance With Enphase micro-inverters built right into each panel, Andalay delivers powerful performance over its 25 year lifetime. Unlike ordinary panels where their power production varies from hour to hour, each Andalay panel consistently operates at its maximum power potential. Additionally, these revolutionary panels continue to operate at maximum power even if one panel goes down compared to ordinary panels where the malfunction of one panel from shading or other failures takes down all of the panels. As a result, these revolutionary panels can perform 5% to 25% higher than ordinary panels.

Window Selection Guide

Optimizing Windows
Here’s how window design, placement, and performance can make a greater impact on efficiency and comfort without busting the budget.

By:Rich Binsacca http://www.ecohomemagazine.com/green-products/optimizing-windows.aspx?page=2

Scott's Contracting GREEN BUILDER, St Louis "Renewable Energy" Missouri.http://www.stlouisrenewableenergy.com, contact scotty@stlouisrenewableenergy.com for additional information

Rules of Thumb for Selecting Windows
Though windows are only one target among several products and practices toward a top-notch thermal envelope, there are still rules of thumb to follow to optimize their impact.

Southern Exposure: An all-day exposure, per the sun’s path. In heating (i.e., cold) climates, leverage it with a better U-factor (ideally 0.20 or less) but less-efficient SHGC (perhaps 0.50 or higher) to boost heat gain in the winter and offset heating energy; use overhangs or other shading devices to cut down gain in the summer, when the sun is higher in the sky. In cooling (i.e., hot) climates, spec windows with U-factors and SHGC ratings of 0.30 or better and use shading tactics. “If I have to choose between blocking the summer sun and some solar gain in the winter, I’ll elect to block it,” says Texas custom builder Don Ferrier.

Western Exposure: Solar gain mostly in the late afternoon. Bob Saxler, architectural marketing manager at Andersen Windows, advises builders to focus on this elevation first, as it is the most difficult to control. If possible, orient the house and floor plan away from this exposure, such as situating utility areas, bathrooms, and, ideally, the garage on that side, and specify small and fewer operable (ideally casement) windows with efficient U-factors and SHGC ratings to mitigate solar gain and provide some measure of passive ventilation. If you have a view to the west, he says, boost the SHGC even more and look for multiple shading opportunities inside and out.

Northern Exposure: In this hemisphere, the least opportunity for solar gain. A dual-pane window with a standard low-E coating on the inner face of the outside pane (cold climate) or the outer face of the inside pane (hot climate), is sufficient. “We always recommend a low-E window for north-facing windows for its insulating value alone,” says Val Brushaber, director of product management, certification, and architectural development for Hurd Windows & Doors. The number and size of windows can be dictated by views, exterior aesthetics, and floor plan as much as thermal efficiency, though fewer windows is always better in that regard. North is also notorious for prevailing winds, so think about air infiltration and passive ventilation through casement windows (instead of hung units) or fixed windows to lessen leakage.

Eastern Exposure: Rich in daylight, but far cooler than its opposite exposure. You can dial up the SHGC rating to 0.40 or more, especially in heating or mixed climates, while a U-factor of 0.30 is plenty to retard thermal transfer through the window.

AN INTEGRATED APPROACH

The breakfast room scenario, and even more dramatic examples of homes that use windows of varying U-factor and SHGC values to take advantage of passive solar heating, cut down on heat gain from a western elevation, or save costs on a northern exposure, underscores the merits of a building science (or integrated) approach to energy efficiency and thermal comfort.

“In reality, everything is related [to thermal performance and comfort],” says Saxler. “You need a total home evaluation if you want to fine-tune your windows.” An energy audit by a local rater certified by the Residential Energy Services Network (www.natresnet.org) is a good place to start, while most window manufacturers and/or their dealers employ software programs to determine ideal specifications based on other, whole-house factors, such as wall insulation values.

Gaiser is even more blunt about the role of windows in lowering a home’s energy demand. “If you want to save energy, put in fewer windows,” he says. Upgraded insulation costs far less than high-performance windows, he says, and results in a better thermal envelope and a faster return on investment. “Windows rarely pay back as well as other energy-efficiency measures. Put them in for light and views, but not for energy efficiency.”

Which takes us back to the original question of whether specifying window performance for each orientation is worth the effort, at least in terms of thermal value. For builders, the decision may come down to marketability. “It’s an opportunity to stay one step ahead of the competition, to offer a house that’s more comfortable and efficient than the next guy,” says Saxler. “If you do the building science, you’re in the top 10% of all builders.”

Contact Scotty@stlouisrenewableenergy.com for your next Window Order


RESOURCES:
The Efficient Windows Collaborative:
http://www.efficientwindows.org/

Energy Star (Qualified Windows):
www.energystar.gov/windows

Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory, Windows & Daylighting Division:
http://windows.lbl.gov/

National Fenestration Rating Council:
http://www.nfrc.org/

Residential Windows, A Guide to New Technologies
and Energy Performance
by John Carmody, et. al., available at http://www.wwnorton.com/