Gmail Is Energy Efficient

According to Google, their data centers are roughly 2x as energy efficient as other data centers (imagine one you run yourself, Google’s will be twice as energy efficient). In addition to their energy efficiencies, they also recycle the water used for cooling their components. Re-using their cooling water makes Google’s data centers even more environmentally friendly – and better re-use of water is another one of Google’s priorities as they evolve their data centers.

Data Centers, or "Server Farms" use huge amounts of power and water, so I was glad to find this article that includes the quote above.

In Defense of "Cash For Clunkers"

I keep reading critical articles about Cash For Clunkers(CFC) that focus on the weak mpg requirements.  I think these critics should do a little math.

Worst case scenario: If the owner of a clunker that gets 18mpg drives 15,000 miles per year and trades it in for a truck or SUV that gets 22 mpg, they will save 318 gallons of gas per year. In order for the owner of a 24 mpg clunker to save the same amount of gas, over the same number of miles driven, they would have to buy a new car that gets 48 mpg.
CFC isn’t perfect, but it’s not nearly as bad as mpg numbers make it seem. We need to start thinking of more useful rating systems for vehical efficiency.  Gallons per 10,000 miles driven makes sense to me.

CFC should also reduce auto accident injuries(newer cars are safer), and reduce smog forming emmisions, although the exclusion for cars older than 1984 limits the latter possibility.

SRP EZ-3 Rate Update

SRP has an "estimate my bill" feature if you have one of their smart meters installed.  Based on about 10 days worth of data for August, my bill is estimated to be $130.  That includes a $27 voluntary "Earthwise Energy" surcharge(which helps me imagine that my power is coming from renewable sources and helps fund SRP's "green" initiatives).

Take out the Earthwise money and I'm looking at an August bill of about $100!  My July bill was $185(with the Earthwise surcharge and 1 week of EZ-3).

The most difficult aspect of EZ-3 is keeping the A.C. off from 3pm to 6pm.  My house's envelope is efficient enough that the indoor temp only rises about 3-4 degrees during that time - depending on outside conditions.  That's not so bad if you crank up the ceiling fans.

Conclusion: EZ-3 will most likely save me a boat load of money vs. Time-Of-Use (30%?). I'll update again once the actual bill is calculated in early September.

"Unquenchable", Author Signing

I just heard Robert Glennon, author of Unquenchable: America's Water Crisis and what to do about it.

He spoke at Changing Hands Bookstore in Tempe.  I had already heard him on NPR and saw him on the Daily Show, so I knew the basic pitch, but he had much more time to go into detail, so I'd say it was a worthwhile event.  I'd sum up his message as: we need to treat water like a finite and precious resource, through apprpriate pricing and smarter legal and regulatory structures (he's a law professor).

He also reminded me of the link between energy production and water consumption.  It takes a tremendous amount of water to produce energy by most traditional means, so when a teacher asked him: "what do I tell my student's when they ask what they can do to conserve water?" - his response was: "turn off a light".

I have a link to his book on my product page.

Poor Man's Radiant Barrier (Update)

I posted a few weeks ago about ordering a case of emergency blankets.  Well I received them and took advantage of a relative lull in the summer temps to staple some in the attic.  You can see from the pictures that I did my best to lay the sheets out on top of the insulation.  I used a staple gun to tack them down, but I'm afraid they are prone to tearing.  I'm curious to see if they stay in place after a monsoon, or simply end up crumpled into a ball in a corner of the attic.  I'll never really know how effective they are because I can't physically reach most of my attic space.  These photos show about 5 blankets out of maybe 7 that I installed.  It would probably take 30 or 40 to cover the whole attic.  I'm also using these sheets in a few windows to keep the heat out.  They only cost about $1 each when purchased in bulk from Amazon, so if you think you could use a radiant barrier somewhere, you can't beat these for value.