It is extremely easy to use. The kit we purchased for $99 included the base filling station, carbon dioxide canister, two very solid plastic bottles and twelve sample flavor packs. We simply assembled the base by screwing in the canister and within five minutes we started making our own soda.

Now let’s get down to business. We specifically purchased this device because we are sick of paying $1.59 for 20oz bottles and we’re sick of lugging heavy soda up to our third story apartment. We drink a lot of diet soda and it adds up pretty quickly. So the cost of this system needs to be at or below the cost of bottled soda for the environmental benefits to be truly realized. The initial investment was $99 and as I said it included one canister and twelve flavor packets which are each good for a liter. Refill canisters are $30 unless you bring in a spent canister, in which case refills are about $15. A bottle of flavor concentrate is $5. The concentrate is packaged saying it can make 50 8oz glasses, and the canister can make up to 60 liters. I will have to run some long term testing to see if there are real savings after we purchase another canister and a few more bottles.

One thing is for sure, the taste of the sodas are exactly identical to their name brand counterparts. Diet Cola taste just as good as the name brand stuff. This is great news for people who are sick of our two soda company global duopoly and would maybe even like to try making their own flavors.

More updates to follow after I have more time to crunch numbers.

11/24/2010: Account created at Sourcinggate.com and order placed. Grand total $10.80.  Paid with my debit card out side of my Paypal account because I was too lazy to log in.

12/29/2010: Email sent to SG:

“I placed my order more than one month ago and it has not arrived.”

12/30/2010: Response from SG:

“Your Ticket has been received and a member of our staff will review it and reply accordingly. Listed below are details of this Ticket. Please make sure the Ticket ID remains in the subject at all times.”

12/30/2010: Response from SG:

Dear Arthur,

Thanks for your letter! I’m sorry that we can’t find your order number!Could i bother you to offer us in your PayPal account:”My sourcingate”-”View orders”! Any problem, please feel free to tell us! We are looking forward to your reply early

Your Sincerely
Judy
Support Service

(*Please note, that at the end of each email from SG, the following message is placed to let me know that I and my lost order are a priority to the company.)

Ticket Details
Ticket ID: ZWS-681156
Department: After-Sales
Priority: Low
Status: Open

12/30/2010: My Response:

“My paypal user name is XXX and below is my receipt number.

12/30/2010: Reply from SG:

“Dear Arthur,
Thanks for your email, please take it easy, the order number is not like that , this it the five numbers such as the 31108, when you enter our website, you can click “mysourcinggate”and the then you use the email address and password when you registered in our web, then you click “view orders”, then you will find your order number ,  if you sticll can’t find your order number,please tell us immediatley , we will deal with it for you . wish you will have a nice day. wish you all the best  Any problem, please feel free to contact us.

Best regards
libby
support center”

12/30/2010: Reply to SG:

“I was able to log in but unable to find any order history. This is especially concerning because my credit card has already been charged for this purchase. Please find my order number and send it to me when you do find it. If you need more information from me, also let me know.”

12/31/2010: Reply from SG:

Dear Arthur,

Thanks for your letter! Could i bother you to offer us the transaction ID?It should be like this:81L11443UJ947064C including some letters!
Please check it with your local PayPal! At the same time,please tell us the item you ordered and your shipping address! Thanks for your cooperation!
Any problem, please feel free to tell us! We are looking forward to your reply early

Your Sincerely
Judy
Support Service

12/31/2010: My Reply to SG: (With images 1 and 2 )

“I do not have any transaction ID. You never sent me one. All I have is my paypal receipt. As for my order, if you see the first picture with the yellow and black iPhone case, I ordered a few of those in various colors. If you can not find my order, please refund my payment and I will order again.”

1/3/2011: Reply from SG:

Dear Arthur,

Thanks for your letter! My nice buyer,if you paid through Paypal successfully,you should get the unique Paypal transaction ID!
Please just contact with your local PayPal!The phone number is:
+1-888-221-1161 (US & Canada Free)
+1-888-215-5506 (US & Canada Free)
+1-402-935-2050 (International)
+1-402-935-7733 (International)
At the same time,please offer us the items you ordered and your shipping address that we can complete the order! Any problem, please feel free to tell us! We are looking forward to your reply early Happy New Year

Your Sincerely
Judy
Support Service

1/3/2010: My Reply to SG:

1/4/2011: Reply from SG:

Dear Arthur,

Thanks for your letter!
We can refund you but we should get the transaction ID first and then can refund! Could i bother you to contact with your local PayPal?You can resolve the problem with a call! Please have a try! Any problem, please feel free to tell us! We are looking forward to your reply early
Happy New Year

Your Sincerely
Judy
Support Service

1/4/2011: My Reply to SG: (Attached images 3 -6)

3. If you are unable to send me the products that I have ordered and paid for more than 1 month ago, refund my card. Do not ask for a transaction ID because again, I do not have one. All I have is a receipt number.

1/5/2011: Reply from SG:

Dear Arthur,

Sorry for the misunderstanding!
If you did pay it successfully through PayPal,you should get the unqiue transaction iD from Paypal,like this:12L42495P80007453!
It should be showed in your Paypal account but not in our website!Could i bother you to contact with your local PayPal?
They can help you!We are willing to refund you if you can get the transaction ID to us!
Sorry for the inconvenience brought to you!
Any problem, please feel free to tell us!
We are looking forward to your reply early

Your Sincerely
Judy
Support Service

1/12/2011: Message 2 to Paypal:

(* After calling 5 times and sending one message to through Paypal’s online web form and not hearing a response for four days, I tried calling and emailing again.)

I  tried  to  open  a  dispute  but  am  unable  to  do  so  because  I  was  never given  a  transaction  ID.  I  need  that  before  I  can.  I  have  sent  email after  email  to  the  seller.  Their  customer  service  department  speaks broken  English  and  even  with  photos  refuse  to  give  a  refund  or  fill the  order  I  made  and  paid  for  a  month  ago  with  out  the  transaction  ID.

Please  reply  with  how  to  get  my  transaction  ID.  My  receipt  number  was listed  in  the  last  email  I  sent  you.  I  think  you  should  call  me  when you’re  available  tomorrow  Tuesday  or  Wednesday.

1/13/2011: Responce from Paypal:

Dear Arthur Page,

Thank you for contacting PayPal.

We encourage you to contact the seller to resolve your issue. If you are
unable to resolve the issue directly with the seller, you can file a
dispute.

If you have the original email receipt for the transaction, you can file
a dispute using PayPal’s Online Dispute Resolution process accessed
through the PayPal Resolution Center.

To initiate a dispute, you must have a PayPal account. A “Save My
Information” link appears in the email if you don’t have an account. You
should be able to click the link and sign up for a PayPal account.

To be able to file a dispute, close your original account and contact
customer service to have the email receipt resent to you. Click
“Security Center” on any PayPal webpage and click “IDENTIFY A PROBLEM.”

If you no longer have your email, please contact us. Here’s how to have
the email receipt resent:

1. Go to the PayPal website.
2. Click “Contact Us” at the bottom of the page.
3. Click “Call us.”
4. Click “Continue” under “Unable to log in.”

Sincerely,
Lingjun
PayPal Account Review Department
PayPal, an eBay Company

1/13/2011: My Response to Paypal:

(*attached image 7)

Arthur

1/13/2011: Message to SourchingGate and Paypal:

Just thought you should know that I have posted our entire conversation to wordpress under the title: “Buyer Beware: SourchingGate + Paypal” as a warning to all those who may want to think twice about using your service considering the experience I have had with you.

Now with out further adue, it is celebration time.  Considering the detail and complexity of this problem I think that all parties involved deserve an award to honor their role.

SourchingGate: Classy Engrish Award:

I would like to thank SourcingGate for their broken English and relentless dedication to finding out my transaction ID despite being told multiple times I did not have one. Anyone else would have just given up and searched for a customer by email, address, or receipt ID.  Not you though Judy, you stuck to your guns and demanded an obscure and unattainable number which was never sent to me.

Paypal: Canned Care Maze Award:

I would like to thank Paypal for their canned responses and automated dispute resolution system. It is a one thing to care about a customer and a completely better thing to pretend to.  With your online web forms and non-answering phone system, receiving a pre-written email so you don’t actually have to provide any customer service feels almost real.

I would like to thank the contestants for playing their roles.  It is only through their tireless dedication can I rant on the internet with just cause.  We are coming closer to 2 months every day and neither one of these companies is any closer to helping me or caring, but… and here is the best part… they still have my $10.80.  They’re more than willing to forget about me and my situation so long as I just stop bothering them.

Last year I blogged live from the conference and this year I plan to do the same but with one slight difference.  Last time around I blogged over WiFi on my iPod touch and attached photos taken from my lousy 1.3 mega pixel Motorola Razor.  This year I will be blogging from my iPhone and uploading photos in stunning 2.1 mega pixel resolution.  I think you’ll see the difference!

If you are around Portland Maine today or tomorrow, I highly recommend that you check it out.  If not, then stay tuned for live blogging from the conference!

I did my homework and shopped around to all sorts of places before making a final decision.  I shopped craigslist, dealers, and on line retailers.  It seemed like the ads on craigslist were a gamble no matter how nice the scooter looked in the photo.  The dealers were selling the same scooters as the on line retailers but at a steep mark up.  Ultimately we ordered from an on line retailer.  The savings were just too much to ignore.  The $1600 scooter at the dealer in town was exactly identical to the $895+$200 s&h on line retailer.

Eventually I talked my girlfriend into the on line retailer because I thought the mark up was just to unpack the scooter and fill the battery. Was I ever wrong.

First of all, the company that I ordered from was not reputable.  They have a website at http://www.scooterdepot.us but answer the phone as Sunny Sports.  Often they would answer the phone saying, “Hello”. With out stating the business name, like the person forgot which business they worked for.  The scooter that was sent was not the exact scooter pictured on line.  It is actually made by a company called Tank Sports Inc., and came with a different set of decals than pictured.  Not to mention that one of the first issues I had with the scooter on the first day was due to the fact that the listed maximum weight of 330 lbs is actually false.  A parts/tech associate later told me that the actual weight limit is 270lbs (regardless, I’m only 230lbs and still messed up the scooter, details to follow).

Below is a time line of all the issues I have had with the scooter company.

June 12: Ordered Scooter.  Should arrive in 7-9 days with 24 hour advanced notice.

June 20: Scheduled Delivery Date, no call, no show.

June 25: Called Sunny Sports, scooter has not shipped yet, it was “Special order” because it was silver color (one of three options). Demanded compensation, was promised $30 refund and free $57 value helmet.

July 2: 24 hour delivery confirmation call.

July 6: Scooter delivery, 25 days after ordered due to 4th of July Holiday weekend for shipping company.  $30 received but still no sign of promised helmet.

July 8: Called for title to be shipped to register scooter.  Talked to representative about broken plastic on right side due to muffler being too close. The title should take 3 business days to arrive.

July 9: Sent email to parts and tech department about muffler too close, broken plastic on right side, and now the seat will not lock. Still no helmet.

July 14: I rode the scooter (unregistered) to meet my girlfriend for Chinese food.  The scooter was off for ten minutes or so before I tried to leave and return home for Chinese food.  The scooter would not start.  Made audio recording of scooter not starting.  Had to push scooter home 1 mile. As soon as I was home, scooter started.

July 15: Called again about the title. They said it must be lost, they will send another in 3 business days.  Frustrated, I demanded they send it overnight.  Rep agreed to send over night for no additional fee.  Also talked to parts person about scooter not starting.

July 16: Title delivered, sent email with moped starting issue.  Still no response from previous emails.

July 17: Moped registered for $40.

July 18: My girlfriend was going to ride the moped and meet me for ice cream at Dairy Queen when about two miles from home, the moped shut off while she rode it.  I called the company as we walked it home and let them know that I haven’t received any responses from previous emails and that I was pushing the moped home for the second time.  The moped has 200 miles on it from one week of riding.  The person said that parts and tech were gone home (after putting me on hold for about 14 minutes which is one of Sunny Sports favorite things to do; put you on hold for 15 minutes for people who have left for lunch or home) and that he could leave a message.  I told this person, that I want a call at noon tomorrow or I will be PISSED OFF.

July 23: No call from parts or tech.  Still no email responses, still no helmet.

August 3: Called customer service rep and explained entire situation.  Mary put me on with parts manager Mike who checks parts emails.  He never got parts emails I sent or messages (another Sunny Sport favorite, never leave messages they will never call you back).  We spent the day on the phone and I ended up tearing my entire scooter apart to trouble shoot starting issue, shock/plastic/muffler issue, seat latch issue etc.

August 5: Spent most of the day on the phone with or trying to get a hold of Mike. Got fed up and called Mary to talk about getting my money back.

August 6: Received certificate of origin.

August 7: Mary called back to say that there is a 30% restocking fee plus shipping on all scooters.  This means, if they send you a defective scooter and you want your money back, on a $1200 scooter, you will pay $500 to give it back.  You pay 50% and get nothing for it. Missed dinner with GF and family before class today because I had to send yet another email to Mike and Mary out lining all the issues I’ve had with them to date.  Also, helmet still not here. A while ago I called about it and they said it was in a container ship being held by customs, it would be shipped to me five days after that Friday. Never showed up.

August 10-20: I spent the better part of each Monday-Wednesday trying to get a hold of Mike to fix the scooter.  I gave up on Mike after I called once and was told he was at lunch after being on hold for 10 minutes.  I called Mary to complain, and Alan said, Oh Mike isn’t on lunch, he is shooting a movie today for one of the scooters.  I tried to get Mike for a Spark, Compression, and Gas test to figure out what is wrong with the scooter.  He also asked me to ship the shock back to him for testing.

August 20: After talking with Kelly in Parts yesterday, who actually knows what he is talking about I went out today and bought a new NGK spark plug.  Turns out all the plugs sent with the scooter are crap.  Next I got to spend $24 on a tool set to get the spark plug out (racket set with bits and a deep socket spark plug removal set of three sockets).  After that purchase, Kelly says its not the plug, we have to do a compression test, go buy a compression test kit with the 10-12mm adapter.  Another $40 later and 30 minutes later, I now know its not a compression issue, and I now own a $40 non refundable compression tool which I may never use again. I sent in the shock, ignition coil, and Stator to Kelly so they could diagnose the issue and send me new parts.  Interesting fact: If the company sends you a scooter with crap parts, you still get to pay the shipping to them, which today was $16.  If they prove to be broken, the company pays to send them back.  If they are not defective, you pay the return shipping! Wonderful!

August 21: Called about the helmet yesterday and said something to the effect of “You have had two months to get your ducks in a row and send this helmet and I still do not have it. I’m sick of waiting so you can just put the $57 value of the helmet on my card.” They said something to the effect of: “Company policy states we can either send you the helmet now (why wasn’t it sent if they have them now?) or we can give you the ‘at cost’ value of the helmet on your card.” Oh…great, I thought, “What is the at cost value?”… wait for it… wait… just wait… “The at cost value is $2.” I said, “2 Dollars!? After all of this you think you can give me $2!!! That is a slap in the face, put your boss on the phone, NOW.” Turns out the boss was Mike from parts who I guess picks up customer service calls.  He stuck by his guns and refused for a half hour (after putting me on hold for so long that I had to hang up for my class because they also called me back an hour and a half later than promised) to give me the value of the helmet.  As it stands the helmet should be her on August 31. I told Mike, I don’t want the helmet, I already have two that came on time 2 months ago and that I’m only taking the helmet so that the company loses $55 dollars.

Total Cost:

Scooter: $895

Shipping: $200

Helmets: $120

Registration: $40

Compression Tester: $39

Spark Plug: $2

Shipping: $17

Tools: $24 (They might say that this is not valid, but I bought these tools because the ‘tool’ they sent to get the plug out was to short, and bent when I tried to use it)

Total Cost (Aug. 28): $1337

Opportunity Cost: I have spent countless hours on the phone using up time and airtime minutes, been caused a great deal of frustration, and had to push this scooter home twice from 1-2 miles away.  Not to mention that this scooter was ordered in the begining of the summer, was broken down all summer, and sits in the basement still broken down at the end of the summer.  Lastly, if I send this piece back to the company, we are out half our money.  If we keep it, we could be out all of our money. The above figure does not include my time, my gas, or my air time minutes. Keep in mind, that this scooter to date is still not running so the battle is far from over.

Because Maine has no oil or natural gas reserves of its own almost all of the fuel that we use to create electricity, heat our homes, and drive our cars is derived from imported fossil fuels. Maine must import 85% of its energy from elsewhere which King says is, “downright dangerous,” because of the projected energy shortages resulting from a increasing energy demand from China and India.

To put the expected increase of demand for energy into perspective, King broke the numbers down into more manageable terms.  King stated that the average American uses 340 million British Thermal Units (BTU’s) of energy a year which includes heating, lighting, and transportation.  The yearly average energy consumption in BTU’s for a Chinese citizen is 52, an Indian citizen is 14, and lastly a sub-Saharan African citizen uses only 8. King concluded that because we have no right dictate energy consumption to other countries we need to prepare for what happens if China and India continue to trend toward American levels of energy consumption, otherwise we’ll face a spike of energy prices like the one we saw last summer.

“You know the old saying we dodged a bullet? We dodged a howitzer shell this winter, way beyond a bullet. If oil and gas would have stayed at $4.00 and $4.50, which is where they were in August, people would have died this winter in Maine. The fact that we didn’t have that happen is miraculous, its good, its a wonderful thing, but are we just going to run that risk every winter from now on?”

So what do we do? Instead of becoming frozen within indecision, King offers up wind power as part of the solution because he says its one of Maine’s few abundant indigenous clean energy resources. King co-founded Independence Wind LLC, a firm that helps orchestrate the development of large scale on-shore and off-shore wind farm projects in New England.

“The Gulf of Maine is the Saudi Arabia of wind energy,” says King before adding, “it is a huge resource. To put it in perspective the engineering calculations are there is something like 250,000 megawatts of potential wind electrical generation power in The Gulf of Maine.  To tell you what 250,000 megawatts is, all of New England today uses 30,000 megawatts. So its five times the electricity use of New England.”

In order to harness the power that King identifies in the Gulf of Maine, there needs to be a fundimental shift in the way that we think about energy. King says that when most of the people he talks to think about power in Maine, they think about electrical power but electrical power is only part of Maine’s total energy consumption:

“Usually when you say okay Energy in Maine, new energy sources in Maine, you think electricity.  Right, electricity? Wheres our power come from? Electricity. Here is something interesting. Electricity is only 10% of the energy usage in Maine. Its only 10%. 40% is heating our homes and buildings.  50% is powering our vehicles. So if you’re only talking about electricity you’re really not talking about the energy situation in Maine your only talking about a little piece of the energy. If you improve electricity efficiency by 10% you’ve only had a 1% effect on the overall energy bill of Maine Families.  So we can’t just think about electricity.”

Not all who attended the lecture were in favor of Kings proposed wind energy solution. During the question and answer session following the presentation, Brad Blake of Cape Elizabeth who co-founded the group Friends of Lincoln Lake asked King, “How can you sleep at night, knowing the damage that you will cause on Roxbury pond.” Blake adamantly voiced the group’s position against the proposed wind farm to be located on the ridge line above his cottage on Lincoln Lake. The group claims that wind farms are “sprawling industrial wind sites” that would devastate Maine’s natural beauty. Blake also added that the sign at the entrance of the region that currently reads, “Land of 13 Lakes,” would have to be changed to, “Land of 40 Turbines.” Blake was unavailable for later comment but encouraged the audience to visit his website to seek alternatives to the proposed projects, which he says only serve the turbine’s investors.

In response to concerns over the destruction of Maine’s pristine beauty, King is quick to point out that wind energy is not a perfect answer to our growing energy concerns, but openly invites anyone to offer up a better answer. He admits that wind turbines need to be placed at an appropriate distance away from residents or they can be loud and can produce what is commonly called the ‘flicker effect’ which is the result of sun light passing through the moving blades.

King concluded that wind is not a perfect solution but, “Its the best solution that I know of to a huge environmental problem and a huge economic problem for the state of Maine. If the worst thing that happens is that people’s views are modified, you know… I don’t consider that devastation.” If the state of Maine is to release itself from the grasp of foreign energy something will need to be done and a hard choices need to be made.  Whether or not wind will be part of the solution depends entirely upon the people of Maine.

Note:
This lecture was the second installment of an ongoing sustainability lecture series. the next lecture is featuring Dr. Harry Dresser, founder of Maine Energy Systems, will be from 6:30pm – 8:30pm on Thursday February 26Th at the Freeport Community Center.

Links:
Friends of Lincoln Lakes:
www.friendsoflincolnlakes.org
www.windaction.org
www.saveroxbury.org

Wolfe’s Neck Farm Calendar of Events

http://wolfesneckfarm.org/calendar.php

Governor Kings Wind Company:

http://independencewind.com/

A link to the complete audio recording of Gov. Kings lecture will be provided with online version of this article on the www.FreePress.org website.

Lets start with the most obvious point that any friend of Lincoln Lakes who want to do what is best for the lake should want clean wind energy for their cottage.  Ideally, a true friend of Lincoln Lake wouldn’t be living on the lake, they would be protecting the lake from development instead of cutting down trees so they can enjoy a view for the summer, but because asking Blake to live like a native American isn’t going to happen lets just say that clean energy is the closest he and his friends are going to get.

Second, lets take into consideration his comment that the wind turbines cause something that he calls “vibro-acoustic syndrome” which I am guessing is similar in its symptoms to the syndrome that people living under power lines experience but can’t really prove.  I have stood below a wind turbine, about 200 feet from the base and I couldn’t hear or feel anything from it.  What I could here is airplanes flying over head,  a skill saw buzzing from a distance, and birds singing.  Any claim that turbines are causing some syndrome are a hog wash scare tactic to influence people who have never seen a majestic turbine.

The only conclusion that I can find is that Blake’s lack of support for clean energy stems from his selfish desire to not alter the ridge line which lies in his view because he doesn’t like wind turbines.  I would suggest that if Blake and his friends really want to be the friends of Lincoln Lakes that they claim to be, they either adopt the wind farm or become zero net energy users.  There is a price to be paid for energy and that price is either dead soldiers (oil), nuclear waste, climate change (coal), high energy prices (natural gas), high food prices (debatable, ethanol), or a diminished view.  Given the options, I would sacrifice the view first. Blake’s solution to the problem is private small scale energy such as solar, micro-hydro, and wind hybrid systems but they are inefficient, expensive, and just a diversion from the hard choice that needs to be made.

Join the cult of spoiled cottage owners who claim to be friends of Lincoln Lakes, yet have no problem pumping their sewage into it:

http://www.friendsoflincolnlakes.org/

This design for a solar air space heater fits into a window and can help heat a room.

In 1979 President Carter installed solar water heaters on the roof of the White House. The first thing President Reagan did when he came into office was to take them down. According to Dr. Richard Komp, those water heaters were moved to the roof of Unity College, where they are still working just fine.

Dr. Richard Komp was the guest speaker at an event held at the Freeport Community Center on Thursday November 20th hosted by Wolfe’s Neck Farm and MainePIRG to spread awareness about sustainability and solar energy.

If you’re considering building a new home Dr. Komp would urge you to take into consideration the path of the sun. “Only barbarians build without regard to the path of the sun” he says, and that is because the sun has provided us with free energy for thousands of years. The Romans and Greeks built structures according to the path of the sun, and if you do the same, you could reap some very serious energy savings.

Dr. Richard Komp lives off the grid in his house in Jonesport. He bought the five and a half acres of ocean front property of land for his house in the 1970′s for $15,000 because the property is off the electrical grid. Because he is off the electrical grid, he hasn’t paid a utility bill in more than twenty years. His house is a sustainability dream. He has solar panels for his electricity, natural sunlight for warmth, and collects rain water because the bedrock doesn’t permit a well. The rain water he collects in a cistern also acts as a thermal mass that stores thermal solar energy in the daytime to be slowly released over the cold winter nights.

All of the modifications that Dr. Komp has made to his home have been made with easy to find supplies and have more than paid for themselves in energy savings. The solar water heaters, he proudly boasts, have been completely made from discarded sliding doors and parts from the local hardware store. His instructional guide has plans for all of the devices he was discussing in the lecture. His easy to build products are designed to grab the lowest hanging fruit so you get the greatest savings from the smallest investment. Sure you can go out and buy a really nice 95% efficient solar heater for thousands of dollars, or you can build a dog ugly 75% heater yourself for $40. The underlying principles are the same for both options, but if you’re willing to accept a little ugly and elbow grease, you stand to save a lot of money.

Wolfe’s Neck Farm is hosting the next sustainability lecture from 6:30-8:30pm at the Freeport Community Center on Thursday January 22nd featuring former Governor Angus King presenting The Future Of Wind Power in Maine. If you are a USM Student and would like to carpool to the lecture, contact arthur.page@maine.edu.

With all the gloom and doom on the news reports today, its important to remember that the sun is still still going to rise and shine. Dr. Komp has presented information on how you can take the sun’s free and abundant energy and use it to power your home. You can find out more information about Dr. Richard Komp, his designs, and Wolfe’s Neck Farm in the following

Links:

Wolfe’s Neck Farm:

http://www.wolfesneckfarm.org/calendar.php

Dr. Richard Komp, PhD

http://www.skyheat.org/

http://www.MaineSolar.org

Build It Solar: Plans to build and construct your own DIY Solar projects.

http://www.builditsolar.com/

North East Sustainable Energy Association: Information on green business and how to get in touch with them. The Green Yellow Pages.

http://www.nesea.org/

You can find Dr. Richard Komps book, Practical Photovoltaiacs Electricity from Solar Cells, on Amazon.com for about $12.

Thus I am proposing a few changes for refrigerators that may make them a lot more officiant, thus putting the chill on your electric bill.

First things first, while I’m stating the obvious of what a fridge does, I might as well point out that hot air is less dense than cool air and rises. Every third grader knows this but some engineers do not. If they did, they would put the fridge motor and heat exchanger on the top of the fridge instead of underneath and out back. Putting all of the mechanics under the fridge does nothing but put heat back into the box.

Secondly, I would like to share a revelation with you that I had today. It strikes me as odd that in the summer time we have the A/C on but also use appliances that produce heat like space heaters. It’s a bit self defeating. Why is there no exhaust fan for refrigerators?

I propose placing refrigerators on exterior walls and sealing the heat exchanger in an enclosed compartment separate from the house that would have its own small ventilation system. This compartment would take the heat out of the kitchen in the summer, and increase the efficiency of the fridge in the winter.

Think of how easy your fridge would be working if it was pushing 10 degree air over the exchanger rather than 65 degree heat in the winter time. If we could place the back of the fridge in a semi insulated wall, we might not need to refrigerate at all. We could just let winter do its job.

I know you might be thinking, “Well, in the winter time, a little extra heat is nice.” I would  remind you however, that a heater of any kind is going to be more effecient at producing heat than any applience that isn’t specifically perposed for the task.  Yes you may get a little extra heat, but it comes at a premium and you would be better off making your fridge more effecient and turning up the thermostat.

I’ve been thinking about this model and realized that many people already have this system partially installed. Partially installed because many people have a swimming pool.

A swimming pool could be used as a solar mass collecting heat from the sun and stirring it for those cold winter nights. The pool would work really well with a heat pump and a radiant floor heating system. Most people just cover up their pool with an insulating cover anyways, why not make that an extra thick and rigid cover capable of supporting solar water heaters that would circulate hot water into the pool.

With a solar hot water photovoltaic hybrid system on your pool, you now have hot water, a warm house, and electricity. if you were to add a wind turbine, you would have your Acme alternative energy kit!

Lastly, in the summer time you could use your swimming pool and your water heaters in reverse to radiate heat out of the pool. With a swimming pool full of cold water you’ll enjoy a cool home all day. You would be able use your home to heat your pool for a mid day swim.

I couldn’t agree more. That’s green-washing alright. They would have been better off throwing those solar panels up on a roof top some where. I’ve been saying for a while that we need to consider energy density in our consumption. It’s easy to make electric cars because they require low energy density. However, you must have high energy dense fuels to maintain shipping and air travel. Electric airplanes just aren’t realistic with current battery weight. We should be conserving fossil fuels for airlines and shipping while also drastically cutting residential lighting, heating, and transportation fossil fuel consumption. I say, put a $0.50 / gallon tax on gas under $3.50 a gallon to curb consumption and raise money for infrastructure.