Common Sense Energy by Robert Freeman

Soapbox

"The war in the middle east is motivated by our lust for oil" she said. Everyone else seemed to agree. As I listened and asked a few probing questions I began to hear a familiar but empty argument. It seems most people spend a good deal of time and effort complaining, pointing fingers and laying blame instead of taking responsibility and doing their part to fix the problem.

Certainly cases can be made for liberating oppressed people, eliminating threats before they grow into a world war, the prosperity realized in democracy, etc... History proves these are valid endeavors but that is not the focus of this article. I would like to recognize the argument that oil has played a part in decisions concerning the middle east but also point out that few are doing anything about it except criticizing the decisions made by our politicians. We are the problem, our leaders are simply responding to the situation our actions have created. To get some perspective review these graphs of the petroleum consumers of the world and the suppliers. Note the trends of middle eastern countries and the United States.
No matter which political party we choose we should realize whoever we put in power is going to have enormous pressure to ensure we have a steady and abundant source of fossil fuels. Our entire economy would collapse without it. The Uppsala Hydrocarbon Depletion Study Group has just updated the peak oil model. The peak is moved from 2010 to 2008. This would not be true if we would change our consumption habits. What continues to baffle me is that it's not difficult to change and there are measurable benefits in our pocket book, standard of living and even national security in doing so. I have to assume a lack of knowledge is to blame so let me point out some facts.
First some important information that at a glance seems to invalidate my arguments. Approximately 90% of the natural gas we use is produced domestically and of that approximately 30% is used in homes (the rest goes to industry, manufacturing and some power production). It is cheap and clean burning. Why do I mention alternative ways to conserve this fuel? Because we can gain some conveniences by doing so and we shouldn't waste what we have and end up in the same situation we are in with our petroleum suppliers. Much of the electricity produced in the United States comes from coal. Efficiency in our electric consumption will certainly help protect domestic coal supplies and keep our air cleaner but there is a more important reason to make improvements in our electric consumption that I will reveal later. Lets get to the root of this article (oil) and I will get back to these in a moment.
Basically our petroleum related problems can be lumped into two groups... supply and demand. The easiest and cheapest thing we can do as individuals is reduce our demand for energy.

Demand

The Problems

• The lighting commonly used by most of us is very inefficient and some pose fire or burn hazards
• Inefficient lighting not only uses more energy it also needs to be replaced much more often than better alternatives
• Most of us heat a large tank of water all day long even though our use of hot water occupies a very small portion of it
• Tanks of hot water have the unfortunate tendency to run cold in large families or during that long shower following a tough workout
• The stuff we breath from our car exhausts not only smells but is harmful to us and the things we consume
• The fluids that our current automobiles use pose serious health and environmental hazards
• Internal combustion engines are loud and have many points of possible failure
• Most housing is not insulated well enough
• New housing is often built using sub-standard windows to save money (you know... their money)
• Builders/architects rarely take into account the benefits of proper building orientation on a site

I could go on but you get the point.

I'm the type of person that loves technology and "toys". Awhile back I was making a midnight trek to get a glass of water from my kitchen. Everything in the house was "off". It suddenly struck me how well lighted my journey was. Little lights and displays and clocks emitting their glow throughout the whole house. Now keep in mind that I would never suggest giving up the conveniences that our modern technology offers us. The point of this article is we can improve our standard of living by making different choices. I love my TiVo and realize it's hard drive needs to be constantly spinning and my broadband modem will never cease talking with the network but I have three clocks lit up in my kitchen (stove, microwave, phone) that I never use for determining the time. Clocks in the audio/video rack that are not needed. Even little red lights on equipment that are suppose to tell me the device is "off". YO Japan... if the "on" light isn't lit I think I can figure it out! It's this kind of unnecessary consumption that finally pressed me to action. LCD computer displays are cooler than CRT's and they consume less energy. Many flat panel TVs are more efficient (not plasma) and who doesn't want one of those. Also the hybrid vehicles are here and electric vehicles are all ready on the market. Hybrids are a much better choice than gas only vehicles and their success promotes the technology that electric relies on. Most people think being energy conscious means giving up the things they enjoy. They simply aren't aware that some of the coolest stuff is the more efficient.

Ok, so now that we aware of some of the problems what can we do to change the situation? Educate ourselves. Our taxes pay for government programs concerning this stuff so use them. I'm going to provide solutions from the easiest and cheapest actions to the more involved and more substantial up front investments. Most of our electricity comes from the burning of coal but bear with me and you will see how the following steps will help us reduce our need for foreign fossil fuels, lessen our dependence on the burning of dirty fuels and eventually lead us to a lack of need for gasoline and some other petroleum products altogether. Keep in mind these are all investments that profit us over the long term... yes... even photo voltaic (solar).

The Solutions

• Replace your incandescent and halogen lights with fluorescent, LED or OLED lights. One every payday makes for an easy transition. A note of caution if buying fluorescent fixtures... get a quality product. Cheap fluorescents flicker when you turn them on and this does not improve your standard of living. I prefer LED's because they are more environmentally friendly... though they are hard to find and the payback is longer right now... early 2006 will bring some great choices in this product. OLEDs are on the rise and hopefully late 2006 will bring some nice alternatives.
• Purchase a tankless water heater . They only heat water when needed and the hot water never runs out. I can't say enough about how wonderful these are. Make sure your baths have scald protection valves because these things create HOT water and you don't want your little ones getting hurt by turning the temp up too high. If you are able then add a solar hot water heater with a tankless as backup.
• Add insulation to your attic, exposed hot water pipes and anywhere else you can find a problem. Feeling drafts sucks and living with them costs more than fixing them.
• If your windows and doors are sub-standard consider investing in replacements. Do yours sweat in the winter? Do you feel drafts? Good replacement windows definitely improve your comfort level while saving you money in the long run.
• Make your next car a hybrid. We can do better but the petro guys still have their claws deep into this industry. Hybrids are a step in the right direction and will, by far, make the biggest impact on lessening our immediate need for foreign oil.
• If you are planning a new home find an architect that is familiar with eco-friendly building. Burying the north side and a southern wall of windows can eliminate virtually all need for artificial heat in the winter and most cooling in the summer. This design usually adds far more window space than a typical home also... and outside is more beautiful.

I could go on and on but again... you get the point so let me move on to the supply side of the problem. I will keep it short since these are more costly initial investments and by the time you are this committed you have already done your research. Just enough info so you understand my point and can begin developing your long term goals...

Supply

The Problems

• Our national security and economy is dependent on foreign supplies
• Portions of the profit made by some foreign suppliers is being used to actually attack us
• People are misled into believing alternative energy sources are not cost competitive... follow the money and you see why. When someone else (other than YOU) can profit and ensure you are a captive consumer this song will change. They will be boasting how great it is that you can buy clean energy from them... rather than producing it yourself.
• Pushing electricity down long power lines is inefficient... and they don't look all that great either

The Solutions

• If your electric company offers alternative power consider subsidizing it. They usually add a small fee to your bill.
• Support legislation that promotes alternative power plants.
• Support organizations that promote alternative energy sources.
• Invest in your own wind and solar power system. This is a substantial investment but is like money in the bank (assuming you intend to use electricity for the rest of your life... good possibility!). Get professional help designing your system.

The magnifying effect of change

So you probably have questions like "I thought this was about oil in the middle east but you mention so many problems and solutions that don't seem to have anything to do with that... what's up?"
It is true that the biggest impact you can have on reducing our dependence on foreign oil right now is buying a hybrid automobile but that pales compared to a future where you don't put any gas in your auto or have a need for foreign fuels for anything. Hybrids are a great stepping stone but only a stepping stone. Right now you will see all of the auto makers bragging about not having to plug hybrids into an outlet to recharge. Revisit the petroleum supply and demand graphs and note Japan's situation... we are in this boat together and Japan is not sitting idle. There will be a time very soon when you can choose to run hybrids on electric power only and have the ability to plug them in for recharging when you get home. This is exactly what we want and what we should be demanding. Also several new ALL ELECTRIC car companies are now in production and this is exactly what we should be pushing for! Why? Because all of these solutions lead us in a direction that solves all of our energy problems. Let me pull all of this information together.
When I was a child I remember "the future" being electric and builders bragging about an all electric house. It seems ridicules now with our attachment to gas stoves, furnaces, dryers, etc... but we made a mistake. Why, why? Because my friends electricity is the only power source that we have the ability to produce right where we live... impossible with natural gas, coal, oil, nuclear, etc. Most housing can take advantage of the sun through the installation of photo-voltaic panels and solar hot water pre-heating. Some can supplement solar with wind generators. I personally think wind will be more feasible to tackle as a community with one large wind generator (which are more efficient) than every house having their own. Put one large wind generator in every neighborhood park, that has suitable wind, and your set. If everyone would change their energy consumption to electricity only, reduce their consumption of it through wise building practices and purchasing decisions and start producing their own electricity it is entirely feasible that domestic reliance on all fuels could be eliminated... including the fuel for vehicles. If we reduce our other electrical needs to a point where we generate enough extra for our automobiles we eliminate all needs for outside supplies. We could be refilling our cars in our own garages using our own electricity. No more standing out in the blowing snow or blistering summer getting gas on your hands... just go home and plug in.

The Possibilities

Picture a country where vehicles don't expel anything from their tailpipes and can be charged up at home. Where fossil fuel use is within our abilities to produce domestically and reduced to the point that we all live more healthy lives. No more ozone alerts within our cities each summer. Housing that doesn't require natural gas pipelines and eliminates problems like carbon monoxide poisoning and some fires. Natural gas is especially problematic during other emergencies like earthquakes, tornados and hurricanes. Drastically reduced terrorist threats on our infrastructure... power plants and refineries are easy targets but you can't attack every house in the country and if every house is producing electricity our energy infrastructure will be robust. Noise levels near roadways are dramatically reduced if the gas hogs are gone (note: hybrid vehicles will go from 0-60 faster than gas only versions... these are not golf carts anymore). The need for nuclear power plants is gone... we have two (different types) and that's all we need... the sun (solar and wind) and the center of our planet (geo-thermal). Oh yeah, the moon kicks in with tidal currents which can be tapped. A reduced need to mine and burn coal which is very dirty. Don't send letters! I know coal is cleaner now than it used to be but that is like someone labeling themselves as a classy hooker... no thanks. Coal will never be as clean as the wind, sun, waves, heat from the earth or even natural gas. If pressed I will however take coal gasification plants with the latest scrubbing technology over a nuke plant any day. No more large power lines and towers strung for miles across our cities to feed our neighborhoods. No more monopolies in control of our power sources. Have you ever been the victim of a long power outage because ice, wind or lightning downed the power lines? These numbers would drop from thousands to small community pockets if power were produced where it was consumed. Other countries would no longer be outraged by our lack of concern for the environment... they will praise our actions and look to us for guidance, answers and energy products. Accusations of war for oil will be empty. I could go on for pages but I encourage you to think about the vast number of changes that would occur if we all produced our energy needs at home, or very near it, with clean natural sources and upgraded our appliances to better more efficient alternatives. Life would be good, health would be better, power would return to individuals, our global reputation would improve, etc...

Some things have to happen for this to come to fruition. First your demand has to drop to a level that your home (rooftop and lot) is able to produce. This means not only what you consume in the home but what your transportation will require. Buying that hybrid is a wonderful start but making changes around the house is also required. After you have addressed your demand take control of the supply side. Utilities are already starting big wind projects, in fact my state just voted to force our utilities to produce increasing amounts of electricity from wind and even solar sources. That is great news but the golden egg is a distributed power source owned and controlled by the consumer (in my opinion this is the modern "right to bear arms"... think about that for a bit). Wind, solar, tidal, gravity (dams) and geo-thermal sources, run by utilities, should only be used to provide for industry and large commercial demands and act only as a backup for domestic use. The technology exists right now to make this all happen and it will only get better with time but you have to change the way you think, quit laying blame elsewhere and start making different choices right now. Go buy one new efficient light bulb with every paycheck, make your next car a hybrid and plan on a all electric after that. Demand more in your next house and it's architect. In less than 10 years we could drastically change the situation we have placed ourselves in... but only if we all do our part.