How The Netherlands is dealing with Climate Change

Global Climate Change has many potential hazards. One of the more likely hazards is a planet-wide rise in sea level. Rising sea levels make already low-lying coastal regions (Bangladesh, Netherlands, New Orleans, to name a few) more vulnerable to flooding from storms.

The Netherlands (Holland) is dealing with Climate Change on several fronts. To deal with Global Warming, Holland has a massive wind power program to reduce the production of greenhouse gases. To deal with the rising ocean (24% of the country is below sea level), the Dutch have instituted a massive public works program. An excellent Wired.com article details how the Dutch, masters of dealing with flooding and storm, are coping with Climate Change.

What's good for the Group is good for the Environment ...

A new study suggests that following the crowd is the way to influence sustainable behavior. When hotels changed their re-use your bath towel info tag from a "save the environment theme" to a "everyone is doing it theme" they saw a much higher rate of compliance! Talk about "herd" mentality ...

The story is at the Human Factors International site.

While I'm waiting for the solar install ...

I've starting work on another hobby, amateur rocketry. I have many kits around the house waiting to be built. This one is an Estes Saturn V, 30th anniversary edition. I've always liked the big moon rocket and building a scale model is always a challenge.  Fortunately most NASA stuff was designed to be stable, unlike the "twitchy" military rockets. This stability usually scales down to smaller rockets. It increases the chances of getting my hard work back in one piece!

LED light bulbs are becoming more reasonable ...

LED light bulbs continue to advance in output and drop in price. Check out the post at MetaEfficient.com that talks about the new ZetaLux line of LED light bulbs. 60 watts of light for 5 watts of electricity! Hard to beat that comparison. But wait, the article states that one light bulb costs $89.99, you can buy a lot of CFL lamps for that price.

The good news is the price has dropped to $49.99 and a LED will easily outlive an incandescent bulb. Look for more price drops in the future as the technology scales up. The ZetaLux and other LED lamps can be purchased at EarthLED.com.

Suppose Climate Change isn't real -- other reasons to become more efficient ...

OK, what if all the Climate Change experts are wrong? Are there other reasons to become more power efficient? How about National Security and our economy? Check out this report from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce entitled, "Transition Plan for Securing America's Energy Future."  It'd be a real "bummer" if one of America's so-called friends pulled the plug at an inopportune time.

Replace those old Christmas lights with new LED lights

A quick way to save power this Christmas is to ditch your old Christmas lights for new LED lights. The web site http://www.holidayleds.com/ not only sells LED holiday lights, they will take your old ones and recycle them. And if recycling doesn't make you feel cheerful enough, Holiday LEDS will send you a 15% off coupon for new lights when you recycle the old ones.

Other bonuses: you'll have more money to pay for Xmas gifts in January (lower power bill) and your new lights will last longer :)

Solar Power System Installer chosen ...

The winner is Brothers Electric & Solar ! Quite frankly either of the two solar installers I talked with were fine. The other installer, Puget Sound Solar, also has excellent references and competitive prices. I chose Dave Cozine (owner of Brothers Electric) because he's nearby and had excellent "word of mouth" from the recent Tacoma Solar Home tour ( a great way to check out existing installs).

The system itself will be 10 Sanyo 200 watt modules (a single panel is a module), 10 Enphase 32vdc inverters, an Enphase energy management unit, and Unirac mounting hardware. More details on the system in upcoming posts ...

The Home Owners Association approves the solar install!

The Lakeland Hills Architectural Review Committee approved the solar project! Maybe being "Green" is getting easier :-) Next I need to get some final quotes from the solar contractors. After that it's time to select the contractor, order the system, and have the contractor install it. Might be pumping power into the Grid before Christmas! The next post should have details on the system (it'll be 2kw).

Want to help stop Global Climate change?

Try this. Homebuilders will occasionally have meetings with local community about a new development. Go to the meeting and ask what "green" features are in their new homes! For example, a developer in the Redmond, WA area is now offering solar panels with their homes. If they think you're joking, keep asking until they don't!

PV (Photo-Voltaic) System install -- roof completed

Well the old roof is history and the new roof is installed -- clearing the way for solar modules. Jeremy and Sean, of Puget Sound Solar, came by to do the site assessment. They cranked out a report with their site assessment tool (a Compaq handheld hooked to a fish-eye lens). Dave Cosine from Brothers Electric came by later to look things over. Both have sent estimates as of 11/05/2008. Looks like 2kw will run us around $17k. Worth it if the solar array slows Global Climate change!

The next step is getting approval from the Homeowner's Association. Stay tuned.

Installing a 2kw Photo-voltaic system, a new adventure

I've finally decided it's time -- time to do what our leaders refuse to do, lead. If we, America, don't soon take action to reduce our dependence on foreign oil we risk damage to our economy, environment, and our children's future. My family's first step will be be to install a 2kw photovoltaic system on our house's roof. We've already taken some simple steps, like exchanging incandescent light bulbs for compact fluorescent or LED bulbs, but this will be a major and expensive project. I'll chronicle the process each step of the way on this blog. I'll also point out solar installers and equipment suppliers as I come across them.

Hot, Flat, and Crowded -- a new book from Thomas Friedman

It's about time someone told Americans the hard truth - the age of oil is coming to an end. It's as simple as that. Whether you believe in climate change or not, Friedman lays out a multitude of reasons why we need to create a new economy based on clean power and a renewed environmental ethic. Failure to act now will compromise our future and our children's future. Read Thomas Friedman's book and you will demand changes in our "business as usual" economy.

Link to "Hot, Flat, and Crowded"

2008 Oregon Star Party

The 2008 Oregon Star Party was great! Some of the best viewing conditions I've ever seen. Good speakers, good friends, and great weather, OSP at its best. There was a threat of forest fires just before the event, but rain and cooler temperatures finished off the fires. I finally got my Pentax 75mm setup to work well and it delivered great wide-field photos. The photos will be in the gallery soon.

It's been a loonngg time!

Since my last post:( Truly both the web site and blog need attention. The kids are getting older and more independent -- that may help. The Two Cats Observatory is up and running, so check that one off the list. Maybe some day I'll catch up to the list:-)

Check out the POD from Google Earth:



Bill C.