tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3033288879708780106.post6699054651765005280..comments2023-04-07T05:19:44.951-04:00Comments on Yes Vermont Yankee: Renewables and the Cost of ConservationMeredith Angwinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02737538041807740424noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3033288879708780106.post-56307390590073795752010-05-30T15:25:12.803-04:002010-05-30T15:25:12.803-04:00Kit
Best of luck with your invention!
I have a f...Kit<br /><br />Best of luck with your invention!<br /><br />I have a friend who is a serious inventor, and I admire him a great deal. A couple times in my life, I thought of something sorta good (while working at a company) and management said "hmm, we should patent this." That's how my few patents came about.<br /><br />I have never seen myself as an inventor, and I take my hat off to anyone who is an inventor, anyone who notices a problem and thinks of a solution.<br /><br />Tide HE. It's a long way from my house to the nearest Target. Keene, New Hampshire. Over fifty miles. Sigh.Meredith Angwinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02737538041807740424noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3033288879708780106.post-8888026024948940122010-05-30T15:14:38.060-04:002010-05-30T15:14:38.060-04:00Seth. Thanks for bringing this to our attention.
...Seth. Thanks for bringing this to our attention.<br /><br />This article lobs a pretty soft softball. And actually proves my point. Renewables are good, but they aren't going to replace Yankee anytime soon in Vermont. <br /><br />For example, for wind, what we HAVE in Vermont right now is 6MW installed capacity at Searsburg, and three projects (totally about 140 MW installed, or 40 MW considering capacity factors) moving along in the permitting process. Other projects face major challenges and their permit process is not progressing. Read the May 10 VTEP report on this. <br /><br />http://www.vtep.org/documents/VTEP%20ISSUE%20BRIEF%20-%20Renewable%20Energy%20Sources%20in%20Vt%20-%20A%20Status%20Report%20May%202010.pdf<br /><br />The author of the letter <i>believes</i> in wind power, though, and is making his living from installing small wind generators. In my opinion, small wind generators are truly a matter of faith, not fact.<br /><br />The Green Building Advisor, a respected website and blog for people living green, suggests people resist the allure of small wind turbines, because their economics are so terrible.<br /><br />http://www.greenbuildingadvisor.com/blogs/dept/musings/resisting-allure-small-wind-turbines<br /><br />The rest of the article seems to be the usual rant. Nuclear plants emit radioactivity! No actual numbers, no comparison with moving to Colorado or living on a granite outcrop or having a dental xray or a cross-country plane flight. Just fear-mongering 101.<br /><br />The author has very good economic reasons to prefer small wind turbines. More small wind turbines mean more money in his pocket. He's just a businessman trying to build his business. No big deal, really.<br /><br />It's a pretty soft soft ball. Maybe a nerf ball, really.Meredith Angwinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02737538041807740424noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3033288879708780106.post-70921241937829678702010-05-30T13:17:17.234-04:002010-05-30T13:17:17.234-04:00Wakey wakey folks its Sunday morning and time to g...Wakey wakey folks its Sunday morning and time to get into action. This your backyard and the forces of the darkside just lobbed a softball at you in Burlington. Go get em.<br /><br />http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/article/20100530/LIVING09/100528013/I-Believe-We-need-to-move-away-from-fossil-fuels-as-an-energy-sourcesethnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3033288879708780106.post-64357832618278151722010-05-29T20:34:01.467-04:002010-05-29T20:34:01.467-04:00My wife finds Tide HE scent-free at Target.
I a...My wife finds Tide HE scent-free at Target. <br /><br />I agree that you can not replace a nuke plant with conservation or renewable energy. In any case, it is false logic. Each is an independent variable that should be judged on its own merit. For example, new windows should have low-e glass but I am not going to replace pretty wood windows to save a little on electricity.<br /><br />The only new concept since the 80's is radiant barriers. I put that in my attic on top of the fiberglass insulation for about $125. I had a little left over and put inside the blinds on west facing bedroom windows.<br /><br />I am currently trying to patent a new invention called a share tree.Kit Pnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3033288879708780106.post-92047524575752194512010-05-29T17:14:57.643-04:002010-05-29T17:14:57.643-04:00Kit. Thank you for the comment. I agree with most...Kit. Thank you for the comment. I agree with most of it: there are low-cost conservation methods available. But once you have taken advantage of the low-hanging fruit, you are in the range of conservation options where the payback time on the capital investment is sometimes hard to justify, especially to an economically struggling town in Vermont. Hence the constant quest of our committees for grants and tax rebates and anything that can help. <br /><br />As an aside. Why is it so hard to find a High Efficiency detergent for a front-loading washer (like ours) that is also scent-free? You'd think the same group that invests in front-loaders would be a clear target for non-perfumed detergent. For a while, I was able to get Tide HE scent-free, but then I couldn't find it anymore. I get the equivalent detergent from Sears now, but it takes a special trip to Sears, not the grocery store.Meredith Angwinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02737538041807740424noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3033288879708780106.post-9916449323008141122010-05-28T22:12:09.609-04:002010-05-28T22:12:09.609-04:00For a few years I worked on biomass renewable ener...For a few years I worked on biomass renewable energy development. Making electricity with anaerobic digestion of dairy farm manure or wood waste as part of a forest health restoration are examples of projects that have very good environmental attributes. However, no good environmental deed goes unpunished. There is always some environmental group from the big city ready with lawyers to fight any project. <br /><br />I am also a big advocate of conservation. Low head shower nozzles have been required by code since 1986. Front loader washing machine and modern detergents (gone is TSP) do a very good job of washing cloths without hot water. Hot water heat pumps are more efficient but the pay back period for a $1600 unit is not very good because lower cost conservation measures reduce the demand.<br /><br />The point I want to make is that the low cost solutions have been around for years. The cost of food and energy are now a small fraction of family income. I have grown bored with people with big houses and cars complaining about big energy companies. Of course the reason people choose the comfort of modern life style because it is affordable and the environmental impact is insignificant.Kit Pnoreply@blogger.com