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During the Ice storm, one of our more
enterprising customers ran a few key
appliances with his Prius.
He did this by hooking up a 12-volt off-grid
inverter to the Prius's 12-volt battery (the
Prius has both high-voltage batteries and the
regular 12-volt battery like every other
car). Then he plugged his key appliances into
the inverter. (click on the image to see the
outlets).
The inverter converted the 12-volt DC to
household 120-volt AC current and the Prius
kept the
battery charged. Our customer estimated that
he ran for more than three days on about five
gallons of gas.
And because the Prius has all the emission
controls of a car, our customer's Prius
generator is the cleanest running gas
generator out there.
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There was some confusion from my previous
newsletter regarding what's
happening with the state's Commonwealth Solar
Grants and federal tax credits.
Effective January 1, the grants will go down
and the federal tax credits will go up. The
base grant will go down $1.10 per watt of
installed solar capacity (from $2.25 per
watt to $1.15 per watt, On a 5,000 watt
solar system, that's $5,500.) The tax credit
will increase from a cap of $2,000 to 30% of
the system cost.
However, the 2008 grants will be awarded to
applicants who's applications get in before
the end of the year. The 2009 Tax credits
apply to systems that start-up in 2009.
So if you are considering a solar electric
system, we have a small window to file your
grant application and make you eligible for
the 2008 grants. We'll install the system in
early 2009 and you will get your tax credit
on your 2009 tax filing.
As always, New England Breeze is not an
accounting firm. Please check with your tax
professional regarding all tax related
questions.
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Turn down your thermostat, disable your doorbell, reduce waste, use a fan instead of an air conditioner, turn off the lights, switch to compact fluorescent bulbs, put computer gear on a power strip and turn it off at night, unplug unnecessary appliances, ventilate your attic, take shorter showers, walk instead of drive, ride a bike, group your errands, inflate your tires, grow your own food, eat locally-produced food, recycle, use your most efficient vehicle, get a hybrid vehicle, wash your clothes in cold water, buy less packaging, use a clothesline instead of the dryer, drink tap water, print with narrower margins, use both sides of the page, buy less, compost, install a renewable energy system...
Happy Holidays, Stay Warm, and Thanks for Reading The Energy Miser,
 Mark Durrenberger
New England Breeze, LLC
phone:
978-567-WIND (9463)
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