Category: Utility Costs

2023 Temperatures Exceed 1.5C

Posted on by

This announcement rattled me!  Do you recall the “Paris Accord” and all the pledges made by country after country to abide by it? The outcome? It seems that politicians say whatever gets a positive response at the moment, but they do not make genuine commitments. Also, if one administration does initiate some positive action, the next administration abolishes it.

When, as marketing consultant, I did market research to help a client better anticipate the future status of a given market, we consistently found that change was stronger than we’d forecast and also happened sooner.… Keep reading

Housing industry stopping energy efficiency

Posted on by

Change is difficult … for all of us. However, global climate warming and the threat is poses to our survival warrants our need to adjust our lifestyle, or there might not be one. Here’s an anti-change report from the housing industry, saying profit is still most important.  Comments afterwards.

 

●       ●        ●        ●        ●        ●        ●

 

How the housing industry is working

to stop energy efficient homes

Home builders have used their political muscle to

prevent states and cities from adopting the latest code,

which would lower the climate impact of new houses.

… Keep reading

Time for Free Electricity

Posted on by

When I say we can have free electricity, I’m not joking. The technology is here and is both available to all and very affordable – if you have sunlight reaching your home.  Our Garden Atrium homes have photovoltaic panels that provide 100% of the electric power we need – for home and car. On days when we generate more power than we use, the excess goes into the grid. At night, we take power back from the grid, and at year’s end, our meter should read zero. … Keep reading

Dollars & Sense

Posted on by

When I ask why they’re not adding photovoltaic panels to their home, or changing to electric cars, the biggest reason I hear from people is …

 

“I can’t afford that kind of money.”

 

I don’t understand that, because I have a 5kW array of photovoltaic panels and an electric car, and have no utility bill – unless my spouse uses her pottery kiln three times in the month. Even then, our bill is around $30. So, for his week’s blog …

I thought I’d lay out a process for determining what the real cost is for going solar. … Keep reading

Electric Grids Need Updating

Posted on by

Here’s a relatively unknown issue.  Power grid failures, especially with global warming, may lead to massive forest fires, and destruction of both natural and man-made environments, and deaths.  What can you do, personally?  We’ll add suggestions.

 

●       ●        ●        ●        ●        ●        ●

 

Hawaiian Electric Lawsuit Is More Evidence

That Electric Grids Across the U.S.

Need Updating

 

SIMMONE SHAH 

TIME

AUGUST 18, 2023

 

In the wake of the devastating Lahaina wildfire in Maui that left at least 111 people dead, Hawaiian Electric Company is facing a lawsuit claiming that the company “chose not to deenergize their power lines” before the natural disaster despite power lines being known to cause and exacerbate wildfires.… Keep reading