Start Small

Beat the Vampires - get a power strip

Did you know your house was full of vampires? Such is the nature of appliances which remain plugged into the wall and soak up just a tiny bit of electricity even when they are turned off. Just a bit… trickle trickle trickle. But you know, eventually, that trickle adds up. Some things you really can’t unplug – like the dish washer or washing machine (mainly because you can’t reach the plug.) However, there are appliances which could be removed from their “source” with no ill effect. Like your computer, the iron, the toaster and possibly even the TV or stereo. If you put your entire computer blob (monitor, tower, printer, scanner, etc…) on a power strip, it would be so easy. After turning off your system, merely tap the power strip “off” button with your toe and effectively shut down any dastardly energy stealing habits. The added bonus is that by unplugging your computer, you are further protected from power surges. If you do this simple action every day – unplugging the hair dryer and the iron and putting your computer on a power strip, you can save 1-2% off your power bill. Doesn’t seem like much, till you remember that your power bill could be $2000 or more per year, which makes those few moments potentially worth many dollars. Nice return for a little bit of time.

Exterior Solar Lights

Do you feel safer if your business or residence is lit at night? Many of us do. Here is a nifty idea the Queen got from studying the structure of airports. During your next visit to the airport, note the long distance between light poles. So much cable to run for individual lights. Did you know some airports have solar powered lighting? ‘Tis true, and with good reason. The lights leading up to the terminal are far away from the power source anyway, so why not take them off the grid? The decision is generally based on a wise cost analysis of the situation. An exterior stand alone lighting system consists of a solar photovoltaic panel, a battery system, a controller to tell the lights when to turn off and on and of course the light itself. You can have one light, or you can have multiple lights, each with its own panel.

The key to a good exterior solar lighting system is to get the maximum amount of light – or lumens – for the minimum electricity or Watts needed. This is tricky since some lights illuminate as a byproduct of heat and use lots of electricity (relatively speaking) to the amount of light produced.

A champion for lots of light produced for not much electricity is the LED or Light Emitting Diode. Some of these little guys are just a little bigger than the tip of a ballpoint pen. (By all means if you are feeling up for a really technical discourse, go look up LED’s on the web.) One bulb is suitable for a small flashlight and would nicely illuminate the living room of a hamster, but at the moment there is no such thing as a really big LED light bulb. In other words you won’t find an affordable LED household bulb till about 2020 – they’re still working on it. However, the fact that they draw so little wattage and like DC electricity makes them ideal for our application.

The Queen has known all this for some time, and has searched and searched for an external lighting system that could deliver the goods. The good news is, she found it! And recommends it so highly she has outfitted her own home with these systems. Remove the bulbs honey – we’re going solar!

The beauty of this system is that it uses multiple LED bulbs in a highly reflective fixture. It is hard to believe this system can possibly put out as promised, since the solar panel is quite small (about a foot square), but it does. The Queen will be honest here, the light fixture itself is no work of beauty. No art deco style – this is utilitarian. The system comes out of the box ready to go with the light, the battery and the controller together in one housing. Just plug the panel into the light, put the panel in the sun and you are ready to go. As always, a solar panel should be mounted on a south facing surface. This light needs only 4-5 hours of sunlight per day for a full charge – though the Queen’s has operated on less. The light comes on at sunset and turns off at dawn. And if there is not much sunlight for a few days? The light still shines, but is more dim.

The only slight advantage or disadvantage (depending on your point of view) to this system is mounting. The advantage is that the system can be portable. Charge with the panel during the day, and you have a big powerful light ready to go at night – wherever you want it. The disadvantage is that if you want to mount the system permanently, it can require a little bit of work. However, in most cases, you can do the work yourself if you want, no solar contractor needed.

Want a larger system? That is possible as well. Solar lights are used in places you’d never guess. Contact the Queen for more information on larger systems.

Order Exterior Solar Lights – look on website for prices www.queenofgreen.net/store/

Interior Solar Lights

Most homes have interior rooms which are rather dark even on a bright day. Usually the laundry room, kitchen, and almost always a bathroom. All rooms need illumination, and here’s a way to make that happen and give yourself excellent full spectrum light at the same time. The concept of these solar lights is straightforward and elegant.

As you can see, this system is simplicity itself. It is different from a regular skylight for a number of reasons – a few of which are easier installation, and an inventive design, allowing greater flexibility in use. A small 10" light will nicely illuminate a room up to 12x12 and can be installed along with a regular light fixture since of course, the system only works during daylight hours.

Order Interior Solar Lights – See website for prices www.queenofgreen.net/store/

Solar Attic Fan

Here is an item which is rather inexpensive, and really can make a difference. Let’s think for a moment about how your attic is set up. Most of us give it no thought at all. Who wants to go up there? Good thought. Most attics are very unpleasant because…

The roof is up and the insulation is down. Heat of course is a rising sort of thing, so the main part of the house stays nice and cool with its protective blanket of insulation above – but the attic turns into an oven, with the passive vent being, well, passive. The solar attic fan takes the passive part out of the venting of the attic. When the sun comes out and starts to heat up the attic, it also activates the solar panel on top of the unit. With that, the fan starts turning, and the air starts moving through the enclosed space. Let’s take a sunny hot day in Arizona. It is 100°F outside, and a normal attic could easily hit 150°F. With the solar fan in operation, the air in the attic is constantly circulated and is “cooled” down to the outside air temp of 100°. Not a temperature the Queen would like to spend much time in as sweating profusely can be so unladylike, but 50° cooler than it would be otherwise. With that advantage, perhaps the air conditioning unit in the house would have to turn on 45 times during the day rather than the normal 50.

Specific numbers are hard to come by for this unit, but those who have them generally love them. Solar attic fans are highly recommended because they are inexpensive and can make a real difference in power savings (which of course means money savings as well.)