Winter
2001/2002 Flier
Times and lifestyles are changing in the aftermath of the
September 11th terrorist attack in NYC, DC and PA. We in the
renewable energy industry hope that those responsible will be
brought to justice—but we also hope that we as a nation will
resolve to be energy independent of those oil-producing nations
who hold our purse strings due to our dependence on their oil.
Earlier in 2001, the current presidential administration was
negotiating with the Taliban in Afghanistan regarding the
oil-rich deposits around the Caspian Sea. Wouldn’t it be great
to never have to do business with those jerks—or with any
country who would compromise our energy security? We hope to
offer some alternatives and insights as to how we can positively
effect the changes necessary for energy independence—with the
side effect of a cleaner environment.
THINK GREEN!
—Chris Daum of Oasis MT |
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THANK YOU for
your interest in renewable energy and Oasis Montana Inc! Whether you
have a remote home, RV, ham radio, emergency back-up project, or are
upgrading an existing system, do not hesitate to call or e-mail us with
your power needs; we'd be glad to specify a system sized for your unique
power requirements. We offer competitive pricing on a variety of
components, and we also may know where to refer you for that obscure
item you seek.
For those of you who aren’t "on line" or
are beginning your project, we have an extremely informative 40 page
Design Guide and 141 page Product Catalog for ten dollars ($18 out of
country)—essential for your energy library! Products, system sizing,
pricing, components, energy efficient and
LP appliances, battery
care,
gas generators and wind turbines are just some of the topics covered.
We have several new web sites for you to peruse at
your convenience. For efficient appliances, see www.eco-fridge.com; for
solar modules, www.PVsolarmodules.com; for our gas appliance offerings,
www.LPappliances.com—which includes gas refrigerators, ranges and
freezers. Our main index page is www.oasismontana.com/PV_index.html —
which offers information on inverters, batteries, wind generators, and
pretty much all of the goods we offer. There’s a great deal of
information on our site—please feel free to utilize it.
| Regarding crude
oil, according to a recently published book by a petroleum
engineer (who also taught at Princeton for years), we will see
world oil production peak somewhere between 2004–2008 (this
same model was used in the 50’s to correctly project U.S.
production peaking in the early 70’s). Use your imagination to
think where the cost of oil will go as the developing world
grows their economies (particularly India, China, Indonesia,
Brazil). Would it be grand—and smart—if more policymakers
believed we should use dwindling fossil fuels to develop
renewable energy —use the energy in a barrel of oil to build
PV modules and subsidize clean fuel cell technologies? |
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| The
Importance of Energy Efficiency:
Many first-time inquiries shock the would-be
customer — "I can’t believe that system would cost SO MUCH! Why
is the cost so high?" Powering a conventional home with renewable
sources is unnecessarily expensive—you don’t have to live in the
cold, or in the dark, but you do need to utilize appliances that
use considerably less electricity. Most homes powered by renewables use
one to five kilowatt-hours a day (one thousand to five thousand
watt-hours) - about 5 to 15% what a conventional "energy hog"
home uses. Those efficiencies are achieved by using efficient
refrigeration, compact fluorescent lighting, other efficient appliances,
and most heating loads are provided by natural or propane gas (cooking,
space heating, water heating, clothes drying), wood, or by incorporating
a passive solar design into the home at the onset. Planning a house from
the ground up will tend to make such efficient use of energy much more
plausible, with a design that uses less energy for the same comfort
level. Some things are simply very costly to power with renewables—typically
baseboard heat and air conditioning are not feasible due to the huge
load this takes (interesting that 40 to 50 years ago, hardly anyone had
air conditioning, and now many feel they "can’t live without
it"). Phantom loads are a problem – like the instant-on circuitry
in your TV, which typically uses about 20-30 watts per hour for every
hour the unit is off. Multiply that by two hundred million households or
so, and you’ve got the output of several 1GW power plants, per day,
just to keep our TVs turned OFF! Stereos, office equipment, microwave
ovens all can be put on their own switch so they are turned on only when
in use. Proper design helps eliminate loads like heat tape and all-night
yard lights.
Several thousand dollars spent on upgrading to a more
efficient lifestyle will save you more energy and reduce your electric
bill more than an equal amount spent on a power system producing your
own energy.
Incorporating some passive solar (whether for hot water or
air) into your home and practicing conservation techniques are things
you can do to make a difference NOW. And, you’ll have to do these
things prior to a serious investigation of solar or wind energy anyway.
It’s simply the best place to start! |
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