Believe it or Not: I love my smart meter!

It wasn't all that long ago that California's Central Valley erupted in a fervor. Not quite as monumental as the Arab Spring, but intense...for California.  And what was at the heart of this movement, this act of rebellion?  Class warfare?  Ineffective government?  Double digit unemployment?  Nope. It was this guy on the right.

The PG&E SmartMeter roll out in Bakersfield, California has been called a text book case on how not to roll out a smart meter installation campaign.  Lois Henry, over at the Bakersfield Californian has spent the last four years covering the brouhaha in great detail.  But I'm here to tell you a different story--a story of love. I'm here to tell you about my love affair with my SmartMeter.

Yup, Believe it or not, I live in central California and I LOVE MY SMARTMETER!

Over the top?  No, not once you understand our journey.  SmartMeter came to our house quietly in 2009.  I remember the "while you were out" notice on the door, and walking around the side of the house to say hi, but that's about it.  It wasn't love at first site.  Around the same time I had my head down and was working many late nights trying to learn my way through the energy industry and SJVCEO was still trying to find its place.   It wasn't until 2010 when I took over as the lead on the VIEW Partnership and fell into the rabbit hole that is energy benchmarking I started thinking more about my own energy use.  I wondered if I couldn't learn how to better serve our local governments through better understanding the way I used energy.

SmartMeter allowed me to see how I used my energy throughout the day.  I could log on to my PG&E account (before the launch of My Energy) and pull a graph from the day before.  It looked something like this:

Okay, that's a graph from My Energy, but with the exception of the pretty colors the content is the same. This was eye opening!  I could watch my habits throughout the day. That spike at 7:00 a.m.?  That's when I couldn't handle a blow dryer, curling iron and a house at 78 degrees and cranked the AC down to 74.  You'll notice it decreases after 8:00 a.m. when likely my husband woke up freezing and returned the thermostat to 79 (where he likes to diligently keep it). I could see Ryan (husband) and Dutch (Saint Bernard) warm up as the day progressed; as the the temperature crept up to 110 degrees so did our energy use.  And, back in these days things like laundry and dishwashers ran during the day so we didn't have to worry about chores eating in to our "us time". Well, we learned to adapt.

I realized that we could just as easily run the dishwater overnight, despite that it annoys Dutch to no end, and do the laundry in the mornings.  I also learned to wear my hair in a ponytail much more frequently in the summer months so I didn't have to worry about the heat of styling, which kept the AC off until after noon.  Oh, and those spikes at the end of the day? That's me again.  I hate sleeping in a hot house so I would turn the temperature down to go to sleep.  I had to give up the compulsion to sleep under a blanket no matter the season.  It was hard, but I've survived.  And, my power bill went down.  A lot.

Comparing August 2009 to August 2010 we had fewer peaks and less time in the 5 kWh+ zone, and a bill that was more than $100 less than the previous year.  Woo hoo!

That was my Koolaid; that's when I became and energy efficiency evangelist.

I realized it wasn't retrofits (although some serious insulation helped), but behavior modification that made the biggest difference.  And so it became my mission to integrate behavior modification recommendations in all our SJVCEO work.  My SmartMeter, and what I was able to learn and appreciate gave me a story that I could share and relate to the work that we were doing in the Valley.  Why benchmark thousands of municipal energy accounts (poor Maureen)? Because, seeing your energy habits sitting right next to cost makes a heck of an impression.  It also lets you see what you're doing right and not-so-right.  Now, I could tell a city, "hey, your office facilities are using almost as much energy at night as they are in the day.  Maybe we should take a look at what your staff is doing." But that usually elicits a "sure, let's look at it next quarter."  Now, if I have my laptop I can log in to the city's Portfolio Manager account and say, "See your use and how much it's costing you at City Hall? That's more than twice the national average for a similar space.  Why don't we take a look and see if we can't get this bill lower than $16,000 per month."  Then I'm more likely to get someone to escort me through the building after hours and see that office lights and nonessential machines are let on, and that the A/C is still kicking away at the government building standard--just short of Arctic!  That knowledge can lead to an education campaign to get employees to shut down at night, and perhaps even designates a person to make sure the A/C is turned up to keep the space controlled, but not freezing.  Say these simple steps, these behavior modifications end up saving a city $1,000 per month? Maybe more?  That's why we benchmark thousands of municipal energy accounts (still, poor Maureen).

So yeah, I love my SmartMeter, but the problem is not everyone has a SmartMeter--or an intelligent metering system.  Not even the everyone in the San Joaquin Valley has one...but that's about to change!

As mentioned in my ode to Carl and Eddy Southern California Edison's SmartConnect is coming to town!  This means that those residential and small business customers in our VIEW Partnership and beyond (Armona, California Hot Springs, Camp Nelson, Delano, Ducor, Earlimart, Goshen, Hanford, Ivanhow, Lemon Cove, Lindsay, McFarland, Pixley, Porterville, Springville, Strathmore, Terra Bella, Three Rivers, Tipton, Tulare, Tule River Indian Reservation, and Woodlake) are going to be able to track their energy use electronically and we don't have to do anything (yay for Maureen!).

At SJVCEO (even beyond my desk) we're pretty excited about SmartConnect, so we're going to take a team approach  to sharing the enthusiasm with the blogosphere.  On Wednesday, October 3 Maureen's Wellness Wednesday will address the question of intelligent meters and radio frequency, and on October 8th Dee's Money Monday will address how SmartConnect can help small businesses and residents invest wisely in energy efficiency.  I may even pull together another BION, but we'll have to see how October goes!  And because no one wants a Friday blog with out a couple of talking houses, here are my buddies, Carl and Eddy!  This time Carl gets the drop on Eddy and has to breakdown the super cool online tools that work with SmartConnect--darn, I gave it away!

 photo credit: Steve Wilhelm via photopin cc

Turintogreen Student Design Competition

So, I suppose we should have made a test run at getting our schedules in order before being all State of the Blog on readers, but we're ambitious-- and pretty stinkin' excited to get into the blog groove!  We probably should have waited until after we submitted seven energy action plans for review and submitted our final project reports and billing for our Energy Advisers to Valley Cities (Tom Jordan, if you're reading this--it is coming!).  C'est la vie! 

Here's what happened: I bungled the auto-scheduling for Money Monday, got Tuesday's post on green lawn care up just before midnight on Tuesday (it counts), missed Wellness Wednesday, and now Believe it or Not is going to come out on Friday.  Humph.  Progress is slow, but I'm in it for the long haul. I hope you are too.  

Thank goodness Dee was on top of the situation and had her Friday post in early so we can at least claim 4 out of five posts! 

As I’m going through my email looking for inspiration for a blog post, I came across information about a new student competition. What excited me about this particular competition is that it challenges young people to think outside the box. It is a multidiscipline competition that seeks to “transform or even replace the current models of urban management, life and development”. Students from disciplines like Architecture, Interior Design, Landscape Architecture, Engineering, Horticulture, and Urban Planning are invited to addresses issues of overcrowding, food supply, renewable resources, climate and social changes; while coping with global economic cycles. This could be a game changer for the vast majority of the earth’s population. 

Many Americans have no idea how it feels to live in a developing country where the infrastructure and housing needs are astronomical. Where drinkable tap water and a functional waste management system are only stories they have heard of but never seen. While doing my Graduate research I was able to spend a considerable amount of time in Nepal. Kathmandu Valley is one of the most beautiful places on earth; however, it has seen such an invasive amount of population growth that the area cannot sustain its population of 2.51 million.  With a population increase of 60.93% over the past 10 years bringing the density to 4408/sq km (one km is equivalent to 0.621371190 miles), that would make it roughly 6083/sq mile, can you imagine? 

Now you can understand why I’m so up in arms excited about this competition.

According to the competition website the deadline for submissions is December 21, 2012. That doesn’t give a whole lot of time, so students get busy! Oh, and the prize is 150 days in Italy with a daily stipend, the ability to work with some of the most influential architects, planners, engineers and designers on the planet; all working to bring your design into fruition, and as an added bonus, your ideas also get published. That would be enough to motivate me, talk about instant recognition on a global scale.

Okay, so enough of me preaching to the choir, if you’re a student or a prior student that graduated since 01/01/11 or know a student within these disciplines, please forward the link and help them change lives for so many people while jump-starting their careers. 

-Dee

http://www.turintogreen.org/competition/

http://www.urbangateway.org/content/news/ghs-2025-invites-students-all-over-world-enter-turintogreen-competition

http://www.facebook.com/turintogreen

https://twitter.com/turintogreen

Healthy Air Lawn Care

Our friends over at the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District have heard more than an earful about my disdain for modern lawn care.  The fumes from gas powered mowers and edgers, the early morning groan of blowers as they run through my neighborhood ever Thursday.  I cant stand it.  Although I sometimes come off sounding a little hysterical, so its nice to know that there are those out there fighting what I consider the most noble of fights: alternative and healthy yard maintenance!  Dee did some poking around and found a source close to home and shared what she learned.  

Coverage of a particular business is for informational purposes and should not be considered a recommendation or endorsement by the SJVCEO.

According to Doug Ambrose of Healthy Air Lawn Care, there is an alternative to traditional lawn care. I am pleased to see entrepreneurs in the Valley acknowledging the issue of poor air quality and putting forth efforts to make a difference. In speaking with Doug it is very apparent he has an infectious passion for what he does, as he shared some fun facts about green house gas emissions and your typical gas powered lawn equipment. (Which you can find on his web site http://www.healthyairlawncare.com/Facts.html) I am not really surprised at the vast amounts of air pollutants that are introduced into our valley air via lawn equipment; what did astound me was the idea that more gallons of gas are spilled each year while refueling lawn and garden equipment than was spilled by the Exxon Valdez disaster. Where does it all go? Ground water reservoirs and then back into the water distribution network. That opens a whole new can of worms I just don’t have the heart to dive into today.  Give Doug a call and get infected with his passion for air quality and healthy lawn care.

photo credit: Alexander Steinhof via photopin cc

Money Monday: Green Banks

Well, sometimes you schedule a blog post for 6:00 a.m.  and then you spend all morning wondering why there is no post.  Then you realize in the haze of birthday cake that you scheduled for the wrong day.  Darn!

Here is Dee's first Money Monday post on Green Banks that you were supposed to get this morning.  Sorry!  -Courtney

I’ve heard of a Piggy bank and I’ve heard of breaking the bank, but have you ever heard of the concept of a Green Bank? Well, according to the Clean Energy Finance Center, the development of state-level “greenbanks” are one of the most promising emerging ideas in clean energy financing.

Apparently, this quasi-governmental organization brings together public and private sector capital to finance energy efficiency, small-scale renewable energy, and other clean energy projects. Federal loans and loan guarantees are critical for all three clean energy sources (wind, solar and nuclear projects). Building efficiency improvements unlikely to accelerate without federal financing support is fueling a unique financing mechanism.

A principal aim of the green bank would be purchasing old coal plants from utilities and generators, and then scrapping them. The coalition estimates that 100,000 megawatts of coal plants could be retired in this way, opening room for investments in new clean energy generation.

Limited public sector capital is the main advantage of a green bank which uses public capital to leverage private sector investment. In June 2011 Connecticut passed a landmark energy bill that included the establishment of the first green bank in the country called Clean Energy Finance and Investment Authority (CEFIA). The CEFIA will be able to borrow money and aggregate new and existing capital sources, and will have the flexibility to fund many clean energy project types, including electric and natural gas vehicle infrastructure, electricity storage, renewable energy, and energy efficiency.

Aimed at providing low-cost financing for clean energy and efficiency projects the new entity offers Washington and other states a workable model for promoting investment in clean energy at a time of growing concern about the serious finance problems surrounding clean energy deployment.

CEFIA framework demonstrates how a green bank can combine several existing sources of funding without impacting the state budget. The Rockefeller Brothers Fund is helping to finance the development of CEFIA financing programs. If done right, CEFIA will serve as a model for green banks that can be applied to other states.

For more information see:

http://www.nytimes.com/cwire/2010/05/10/10climatewire-when-clean-energy-grants-run-out-will-a-gree-85696.html?pagewanted=all

http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2011/06/09/240624/connecticut-passes-america%E2%80%99s-first-full-%E2%80%98green-bank%E2%80%99-proving-clean-energy-is-a-bipartisan-issue/?mobile=nc

Space-based clean energy could alter the future

Harry Harrison at his best.

Clean and cheap energy has been percolating in innovators' minds for centuries.

Far longer ago, alchemists and wizards sought the source of ultimate power somewhat differently, calling it magic.

The economic consequences of cheap clean energy would be tremendous. Imagine energizing rural Africa or infusing India's poorest neighborhoods with uninterrupted inexpensive power. All that brain power just waiting for an opportunity to connect with a money-making idea could make substantial changes in technological development, not to mention economic might.

So far, however, that pursuit remains unrealized. Recall cold fusion? How about the mythic magnetic power generator, a device that purports to produce "free" electricity.

Alas, it's a crock. So far, anyway.

Pursuing clean energy

That doesn't stop the pursuit of some nearly free energy source. Or the daydreaming. Or the bona fide research bringing existing clean energy technologies more in line with the cost of conventional carbon-creating fuels.

Writers regularly take on the challenge, imagining star travel as the likely result of conquering energy. Isaac Asimov's universes were fueled by atomic power. Even Albert Einstein and Otto Stern envisioned a hidden source of power in all things. They called it Nullpunktsenergie, which was later translated to zero-point energy. Imaging that is one thing. Tapping it is another.

Clean Energy Cluster News

Process Water Reclamation an educational event presented by the  EDC Clean Energy Cluster       Presentations on the latest clean technologies systems and waste water projects.   Guest Speakers:   Tim Baker, LiDestri LiDestri Food & Beverage is committed to the ongoing implementation of increasingly effective business processes which reduce negative environmental impacts and increase positive awareness. LiDestri is committed to installing technology that will decrease their water usage by at least 50% by the year 2014. Mike Fields, WSI WSI International, LLC is a company specializing in the design and turnkey installation of water and wastewater treatment plants for water reuse projects. Mike Fields has experience designing and developing Ozone Generators and Ultra Violet systems for water and wastewater disenfection and treatment. Learn how water reclamation can save water and energy costs. Attend this event and get the answers you are looking for, seating is limited!   September 28th, 2012 10:00 AM - Noon   San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution 1990 E. Gettysburg Ave. Fresno, CA 93726   Free Entry Drinks & Appetizers Sponsored by WSI         Please RSVP by e-mail or (559) 476-2515 by September 24th. Economic Development Corporation serving Fresno County 906 N Street, Suite 120 Fresno, California 93721 For more information on the Fresno EDC, visit www.fresnoedc.com

I got the power--no you got the power!

Alright, it's no secret around the SJVCEO offices that I love me some Carl and Eddy. I always insist on Carl and Eddy posters for our community events, I've included C&E in a quarterly report to my board, and I may have tweeted about these guys once or twice.

Really--I think they're great! What, you don't believe me?  How about now?

What if I told you I make the rest of team SJVCEO live over in Carl? (what can I say, I like my space)



Carl and Eddy were a stroke of genius; somewhere, someone very smart said, "I bet people would listen more if the message came from talking houses."  Well, perhaps it wasn't quite like that, but Carl and Eddy get the job done.  Market research on these two showed that their fans had an 85% recall rate on the information in the videos.  They're so effective that SCE received a Buildy Award for "Customer-Focused Innovation" for the series.  It turns out that I'm not the only one who's fallen hard for these two talking houses.

So, what is my favorite rap session with these guys?  Oh, I'm partial to "I got the power"

Of course, that shows a bit of nostalgia on my part because "I got the power" was my first Carl and Eddy video way back in 2010.  At the time I thought, "well guys, that's nice, but you're still living south of the Grapevine. Call me when you get to the Valley".  Good news: they're here!

Better yet, Southern California Edison (SCE) is here and they're bringing SmartConnect to the Valley.

I learned this when a news release from SCE crossed my desk last week announcing that SmartConnnect is coming to the San Joaquin Valley.  Here are the highlights, just in case you don't want to click through:

• Installations in the Valley are planned for October through December 2012
• Communities set for installation include: Armona, California Hot Springs, Camp Nelsone, Delano, Ducor, Earlimart, Goshen, Hanford, Ivanhoe, Lemon Cove, Lindsay, McFarland, Pixley, Porterville, Springville, Strathmore, Terra Bella, Three Rivers, Tipton, Tulare, Tule River Indian Reservation and Woodlake.  
• SmartConnect meters are digital, secure, two-way communicating devices
• Customers with SmartConnect will be able to access their daily energy usage through their SCE.com account.  
• SmartConnect isn't mandatory--there is an opt out option--it's just really, well, smart!  

In a statement, Ken Devore, director of SCE's Edison SmartConnect program said, "Smart meters will empower our customers to become better managers of their electricity usage through new tools, programs and services that will help them save energy and money, and help protect the environment." Whoa, whoa, whoa--hold the phone, Mr. Devore!  Customers managing their electricity? That is what we at the SJVCEO love to hear!  In fact, we live and breath by the adage, "you can't manage what you can't measure."  Intelligent metering, by design, will allow the average homeowner to acurately, and in real time see the measure of their energy use and with that information make informed choices about how they want to use their energy. Whether by savings for that extra day of AC when it hits 106 degrees, or deploying no-cost conservation tricks around the house to make sure the energy bill stays within budget.  Smart metering allows all of us to make smart choices, and it puts the power in our hands.  

My good friend Eddy says he's got the power, but I hate to break to you Eddy--with SmartConnect, we all have the power!  

Believe it or not: a 3rd look solar roads

Yesterday I shared that I was quite looking forward to my time on the blog with 'believe it or not', and I even sought to channel the spirit of Mike Nemeth in the finding of something wonderfully odd.  Well, it seems that I channeled a bit too well.  I had prepared piece on something I thought was super cool--solar roadways.  Yeah, roads made of solar.  I was pretty thrilled until I was adding labels and 'solar roads' autofilled for me.

Crap.

Turns out Mike already covered these guys in 2011 and so did Sandy, in 2010.  So, I thought I could scrap it, pull together another post and voila! the first BION.  Well, that didn't happen.  You see, blogging is lovely, but it's not my day job--not by a long shot.  I like the open road--or so I tell myself. So in between a trip to Firebaugh Wednesday evening and an early morning in Visalia today the best I can give you is the SJVCEO third annual Solar Roadways post!

Cue the confetti!

I'm keeping my original post--you can find it down below. However, I felt the third annual look at solar roads deserved a little something extra; it needed a TED talk.  Why?  Because TED talks make me happy.  They make me feel infinitely smarter than I am. Sometimes they depress the heck out of me.  But no matter what feeling they produce, they always make me feel something.  That, and I have a nice little daydream about my own TED talk and being on that big black stage.  It is almost as awesome as my daydream of advising a sitting president on energy policy, or presenting to the UN General Assembly.  All awesome, just different levels.

Luckily, Scott Brusaw, the founder and engineer behind Solar Roadways hit the TED stage--or the TEDx stage.  TEDx is a totally new discovery for me. Turns out there are independently and locally organized TED-ish talks.  The self-organized events are designed to "spark deep discussion and connection in a small group".  The TEDxSacramento was in sync with Sandy, and in 2010 invited Mr. Brusaw to break it down TED style on solar roads.

I actually really like this talk. Once he gets past the nervousness and "early days" and gets into his passion, he sells it.  This could be huge, and it's Mr. Brusaw's love of the project that makes me think so.  We always say there's no silver bullet that can fix our energy conundrum; maybe, if solar roads make it we could at least have the LED lit road that gives us the path to get there.

*my first run at solar roads*

Occasionally, or every day, my husband will send me something he found on Reddit .  To his credit it is often something about a Saint Bernard, or politics, a really cool "I am a" but more often than not it's about something sort of related to my job.  That's right--my husband is my slave driver--never letting me leave the office behind!

Okay, okay, he's not that bad.  He finds me jewels like the video below.

These guys are making roads out of...wait for it...solar panels.  Yup, 'believe it or not' you could one day be driving on an energy producing, solar panel paved interstate! See what the heck is going on here:

The State of Our Blog

First, a little history for you.  When SJVCEO began, waaaay back in 2007 blogs were sort of a new deal. We had ten of them.  That's right.  Ten.  The blog that you know today began as our News and Events blog where the intent was to post meeting notices, conferences, and workshop flyers.  But something happened, better stated, nothing happened.  We had eight posts in all of 2008 and that number dropped off to six in 2009.  We just never acted like a "typical" non-profit.  Our meetings were reserved for the board, and we only ever had one conference per year and that ended in 2009!

We had separate blogs for sustainable communities, renewable energy, biofuels, board members--heck, we had a blog just for media releases that had all of zero posts!  Needless to say we were figuring it out as we went; or as our former Executive Director liked to say, "we're learning to fly while we build the plane".  Something had to give--and one day late in 2009 I just got tired of looking at so many pointless blogs and deleted all but one.

Something else happened in 2009, actually two somethings happened:

Somehow Mike Nemeth and Sandy Nax stumbled into our little operation.  With more than 50 years newspaper experience between them it didn't take long for them to realize the story was our blog needed some lovin'! Soon, between the two the SJVCEO blog was seeing an average of 20 blogs per month.

The most viewed post ever? This gem on electric cars and John Bonham (classic Mike).  The biggest month on record? May 2012 with coverage of everything from solar, to bios, to efficiency, a book review, and an EV shaped like a doughnut.  There was a heck of a lot going on.  And, somewhat fitting, it was Sandy's last month with SJVCEO, and the truth is we've never been able to keep it up since he left.

Then, in the betrayals of all betrayals (what, too much?) Mike abandoned ship and moved down the road to the Air Pollution Control District!

Obviously the wound is still fresh in the SJVCEO office, and one of us may have a flair for the dramatic...

Xenon: The Next Big Thing?

In late July the SJVCEO began looking for a new employee to fill the hole that Mike Nemeth left (because no one could ever really replace Mike), and part of the application process included a blog sample on one of five predetermined topics.  Originally, I thought we would share all of the blogs from the top candidates, but six out of seven submissions addressed "Xenon: the next big thing?".

Given those results I thought we would just share with you the blog by the newest member of team SJVCEO, Dee Cox!  

P.S. David Boldt, this topic was chosen just for you! 

Is xenon lighting destined to replace halogen lighting the way halogen lighting bullied incandescent lighting off the market? Some would say yes.  

The most famous xenon of all?  The beam of the Luxor  is currently powered by 39 Xenon lamps operating at 7 kilowatts each at an hourly operating cost of $53 (lamps, repairs, and electricity costs)

Xenon bulbs have advantages over traditional vacuum lamps--or those filled with argon or krypton--offerings suppressed tungsten evaporation, which results in a cleaner and longer burn with less blackening.  The bulbs also burn with a brighter, whiter light due to the higher filament temperature for improved contrast rations and an attractive, sparkling appearance. In addition to all of this, the lamps last up to three times as long with a continuous light output for typically 30 percent more luminous flux.  Compared to the argon filled lamps, xenon bulbs wall temperature is 30 degrees Celsius lower, which can have significant implications when the devices are in close proximity to materials such as plastics or wood.  

But what is a xenon bulb, and how is it different from the less expensive bulb that people use everyday? 

If you have ever been to a movie theater, chances are you have seen a xenon bulb at work.  Most film projectors use it because of its incredible brightness. The xenon bulb is also becoming the it light on roads.  You may have noticed its bright, blue-ish list as a car passed you on the highway.  Automotive parts stores market this bright headlight to car enthusiasts in search of an after-market part that will give their car a distinctive style.  

Money Monday: CEC 3% Loans

With the final reports been sent in on the last of the ARRA funded energy efficiency projects (our whopper of a report was sent off today, thanks, Mike!) many local governments are wondering how they can keep the momentum going.  Well, the California Energy Commission has come up with an way to help!

Utilizing a revolving loan funded program, the CEC is accepting 3% interest loan applications for energy efficiency and renewable energy projects from all eligible entities: Cities, Counties, Public Schools & Colleges, Public Care Institutions, Public Hospitals and Special Districts.  Residential and commercial projects are non-profit institutions are not eligible for these funds.

So what could be funded?  Well, the laundry list covers some of our favorite proven energy and capacity saving type projects, including:

• LIGHTING SYSTEMS
• PUMPS & MOTORS
• STREETLIGHTS & LED TRAFFIC SIGNALS
• AUTOMATED ENERGY MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS/CONTROLS
• BUILDING INSULATION
• ENERGY GENERATION INCLUDING RENEWABLE & COMBINED HEAT/POWER PROJECTS
• HEATING & AIR CONDITIONING MODIFICATIONS
• WASTE WATER TREATMENT EQUIPMENT

Of course, energy efficiency projects must be technically and economically feasible.  

Applications are accepted on a first-come, first served basis for eligible energy projects.  Please see the notice and loan application for qualifications, available at the link below.  Or, if you prefer to talk to a human being try the very helpful Karen Perrin at (916) 654-4104.

For more information: http://www.energy.ca.gov/efficiency/financing/index.html

photo credit: Alan R. Light via photo pin cc

photo credit: CMG0220 via photo pin cc

photo credit: ezrakilty via photo pin cc

photo credit: Paul-W via photo pin cc

Key to pollution reduction may be making more vintage cars

A well tuned engine produces less pollutants.

I spent most of the Labor Day weekend working on my VW.

Certainly not the pursuit many would choose. But getting the thing back on the road one of my over-riding goals. The next one is cracking that novel. Can't do one without finishing the other. At least, that's the way my mind works.

The engine's back in. The wiring harness is replaced. The engine-insulating tarboard is installed. Rust has been painstakingly removed from the floorboards and Por-15, the rust-murdering paint, applied. The interior heater hoses have been replaced (finally figured out how to source them). I figure the 1974 Super Beetle has several more major weekends before I can haul it off to somebody to put the final touches on the electrical and I can hear it roar to life.

Then it's off to my friend, another class of 1979, in downtown Fresno, Calif. for fresh paint.

All said, this will be a three- or four-year project. But we car guys do what we do. We love this stuff. I'd enjoy nothing better than pulling my bug into the Madera VW show and rubbing shoulders with more aging air-cooled enthusiasts.

Truly, this car is more sculpture than gas-burner. The NOx and related pollutants coming from its dual exhausts have been curtailed significantly.

Yet, that's exactly where many of our current vehicles are headed.  And that may be a good thing for the environment. Economics and regulations will be removing most of the older vehicles on the road that don't have support from nostalgic collectors like myself to restore and repurpose them as spares or show cars.

Reducing emissions

It's hard to imagine the discontinued Ford Excursion finding many such fans. Or the AMC Pacer. At one point, I day dreamed of taking a rocket launcher to that particular model. But the Edsel will remain. So will the 1955-57 Chevy and a host of others.