Home Power 110, December 2005 & January 2006
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26-YEARS of dealer satisfaction! Evergreen 12-Volt PV Modules Hard-to-find 12-volt modules for battery charging systems; 110 watts. Small PV Modules Custom-Configured Our new proprietary line of 5-, 10-, 20- and Power Panels 50-watt modules for remote power, telecom Power panels with Outback, and water pumping applications. Xantrex or SMA inverters for grid-connected and stand-alone applications. Nanopulser Battery Saver 12-Volt LED Lighting Battery desulfator for Super-efficient 12-volt flood lamps. 12-, 24- and 48-volt Come in three sizes, with an array battery systems. of either 18, 45 or 99 white LEDs. We offer dealers and installers: 2005 AEE Catalog Available – with space for your name and logo! More Power, More Control Sunny Boy 3800 & Sunny Beam The Sunny Boy 3800U is the newest in our long line of high efficiency solar inverters. Compatible with today’s larger solar modules, the 3,800 watt Sunny Boy can handle the energy needs of a medium to large home and all at a lower cost than ever before. Pair any Sunny Boy system with SMA’s new Sunny Beam and see for yourself. A sleek desktop or wall mount unit, the Sunny Beam is a wireless meter that communicates with your Sunny Boy. It’s portable and provides daily, current and overall energy yield, along with internal data storage. It works with up to four SMA inverters and even connects to your laptop or PC. It is retrofittable and takes just minutes to install. Monitor and manage your Sunny Boy system with the Sunny Beam and watch your power and your savings soar. The Sunny Boy 3800 provides more power, at lower cost, than ever before. The Sunny Beam can prove it. SMA America, Inc. 12438 Loma Rica Drive, Grass Valley, CA 95945 Tel. 1.530.273.4895 [email protected] Fax 1.530.274.7271 www.sma-america.com Solar Today...Energy Tomorrow HP110 contents 10 wind power basics Ian Woofenden An introduction to the basic components of wind-electric systems, and a rundown of the most common system configurations. 20 efficiency pays off Lori Hauser & Ron Nichols This couple improved their home’s efficiency first, and then invested in renewable energy systems that met their budget. 30 biofuels Nick Janes Made from plants and grown by American farmers, biodiesel and ethanol are both ecologically balanced fuels that are already at —or coming to—a pump near you. 38 building natural Michael G. Smith Naturally heated homes deserve natural construction materials. Check out these sustainably harvested and low embodied energy options for building your passive solar home. 6 home power 110 / december 2005 & january 2006 On the Cover Tiffany Grisen fuels her Regulars Volkswagen Golf TDI with cleaner, greener, 100 percent biodiesel at Rising Phoenix 8 From Us to You Biodiesel in Phoenix, Oregon HP crew (phoenixorganics.com). Fueling change. Photo by Shawn Schreiner 92 Book Review Jennifer Barker Power down. 88 Code Corner John Wiles Ask John. 94 Independent Power Providers 44 water in the desert Don Loweburg Zeke Yewdall, Hildie Henderson & William Sisk Death of SB1. Engineers Without Borders directs a project in Mauritania, Africa, to upgrade a village water system with a solar-powered pump. 98 Power Politics Michael Welch Energy bill. 54 power of advocacy Michael Welch A California-based renewable energy advocacy organization installs 102 Word Power a showcase grid-tied solar-electric system with battery backup. Ian Woofenden Plugs & receptacles. 64 multimeters Richard Perez 104 Home & Heart Kathleen Learn how to choose and use a digital multimeter—an essential tool Jarschke-Schultze for renewable energy system installation and troubleshooting. Inverter ace. 70 energy savings 80 Subscription Form Bernd Geisler Save energy and money with these simple, inexpensive home 108 Letters efficiency measures. 116 RE Happenings 78 moon race Laurent Koechlin 120 Q&A A solar car race at night? Rallye Phebus fuels its annual solar race through the French Pyrenees by tapping into grid-tied renewable energy. 122 Readers’ Marketplace 82 tax free Chuck Marken 124 Installers Directory Do tax credits help or hinder the solar industry? A retrospective of the solar hot water industry reveals the consequences of federal incentives. 128 Advertisers Index www.homepower.com 7 HP staff Publisher Richard Perez Publisher & Business Manager Karen Perez CEO & Technical Editor Joe Schwartz Advertising Manager Connie Said Advertising Director Kim Bowker Marketing Director Scott Russell Customer Service & Circulation Jacie Gray Shannon Ryan Managing Editor Linda Pinkham ecent high gasoline prices have surely changed our lifestyles in Senior Editor Ian Woofenden a number of notable and positive ways. Gas-guzzling SUVs are being traded in for sleeker, fuel-sipping vehicles in record numbers. Alternative Submissions Editor Michael Welch fuels, such as biodiesel, ethanol, straight vegetable oil, and electric and Associate Editor Claire Anderson hybrid electric vehicles are options that are suddenly becoming mainstream hot Art Director Benjamin Root topics. Most of us are just driving “smarter,” while paying very close attention to Graphic Artist Dave Emrich our gas gauges and the signs at the pumps. Chief Information To help our budgets survive, we are becoming more efficient by combining our Officer Rick Germany trips, carpooling, or not using our cars at all in favor of entertaining ourselves at Solar Thermal home. If we go out, more of us are riding the bus, walking, and bicycling. Being Editor Chuck Marken able to work from home or living close to our work are new factors to consider Solar Thermal when choosing a job or housing. As a result of these changes, we lose nothing, but Technical Reviewer Ken Olson gain a better connection to our communities and greater quality time to spend Green Building with our families, while we engage in more healthful activities. Editors Rachel Connor Laurie Stone If we can learn anything from how high prices have affected our Johnny Weiss transportation habits, it will teach us what we can do to reduce our other energy Transportation needs and how those changes may make our lives better. High transportation Editors Mike Brown Shari Prange costs foreshadow what’s just around the corner with other fuels—heating oil, natural gas, and grid electricity. We will surely want to modify our use habits Regular Columnists Kathleen Jarschke-Schultze and make smarter lifestyle choices in our homes and businesses, just as high Don Loweburg prices for gasoline have changed the way we use our cars. Richard Perez R Michael Welch This is the perfect opportunity to explore your options. Making energy John Wiles efficiency a higher priority, trading up to Energy Star appliances, and taking Ian Woofenden advantage of the excellent tax incentives now being offered for implementing efficiency measures and renewable energy technologies can only improve your lifestyle, while saving you money. HP access Home Power Inc. As always, you can count on Home Power for the most up-to-date information PO Box 520, Ashland, OR 97520 USA on RE innovations, practical tips on how to get started with your efficiency 800-707-6585 or 541-512-0201 projects, and the best ideas for making lifestyle changes to save energy and Fax: 541-512-0343 money. Just turn the pages… [email protected] [email protected] —Linda Pinkham for the Home Power crew Subscriptions, Back Issues & Other Products: Shannon & Jacie Think About It... [email protected] Advertising: Connie Said & Kim Bowker [email protected] “We’re not there yet...” Marketing & Resale: Scott Russell —George W. Bush, President of the United States [email protected] (See Letters to HP, page 108) Editorial Submissions: Michael Welch [email protected] Legal: Home Power (ISSN 1050-2416) is published bimonthly for $22.50 per year at PO Box 520, Ashland, OR 97520. International surface subscription for US$30. Periodicals postage paid at Ashland, OR, and at additional www.homepower.com mailing offices. POSTMASTER send address corrections to Home Power, PO Box 520, Ashland, OR 97520. Paper and Ink Data: Cover paper is Aero Gloss, a 100#, 10% recycled (postconsumer-waste), elemental chlorine- Copyright ©2005 Home Power Inc. All rights free paper, manufactured by Sappi Fine Paper. Interior paper is Connection Gloss, a 50#, 80% postconsumer-waste, reserved. Contents may not be reprinted or elemental chlorine-free paper, manufactured by Madison International, an environmentally responsible mill based otherwise reproduced without written permission. in Alsip, IL. Printed using low-VOC vegetable-based inks. Printed by St. Croix Press Inc., New Richmond, WI. While Home Power magazine strives for clarity and accuracy, we assume no responsibility or liability for the use of this information. 8 home power 110 / december 2005 & january 2006 Introducing the EXV. Itʼs one of the most powerful electric cars more safety features and creature comforts than any electric car ever made. Itʼs patented design high tech components give the made today. The EXV is also versatile, it comes in a 4 passenger EXV a range of up to 55 miles from a single household charge and sedan, 2 passenger work truck and even an 8 passenger van. We still operates for under 2 cents a mile. Made by e-ride industries, invite your inquiries. Please contact a dealer near you or visit our an 18 year industry leader in custom electric cars, the EXV has web site for more info on our cars and our company. The next generation of the electric car is here. Are you ready? Washington-Oregon Ohio North Carolina Florida MC Electric Vehicles Baker Vehicle Systems Carolina Industrial Equip. Wheelz of Celebration Seattle 800-732-1108 9035 Freeway Drive Princeton, MN. 55371 PO Box 667907 741 Front Street, Suite 140 Portland 800-574-5455 Macedonia, Ohio 44056 800-950-4351 Charlotte, NC 28266 Celebration, FL 34747 mcev.biz 330-467-2250 • bakervehicle.com e-ride.com 704-588-4522 407-566-0009 wheelzofcelebration.com Wind-Electric Systems Ian Woofenden ©2005 Ian Woofenden Wind-electric systems may be the most captivating of the three main renewable electricity technologies.