Ed Begley, Jr.
Credit: Planet Green
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Living with Ed follows Ed Begley, Jr., and his wife, Rachelle, as they green their home, family, and celebrity friends. But if you've ever wondered what kind of advice they'd give the rest of us, then the Ask Ed forum is your chance to find out. Readers submit questions and comments about the show, green living, etc., and Ed chimes in with his green answers; here, we've rounded up some highlights of the past week.
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Q. I just bought a Fafco Solar water heater and since then wanted some help getting more green. My main reason for being here is to [find] a cheap, upgradable solar system for houses. I don't have a lot of money and just wanted to see if there was a system that started out with one panel and inverter. Then I could add nine or ten panels later.
My thought was that they could make a solar starter kit. The starter kit would make enough power offset the cost of your HVAC unit. Then it would go up from there. If I could offset the cost of HVAC and hot water, I could upgrade my system later, when it's all paid off. I have a SEER 7 AC unit and the power bill is $350 in the summer. In the winter my power bill is only $150 a month. So cooling my house is costing me about $200 a month. As you can see my HVAC unit is costing me more per month then my whole house.
A. It is certainly possible to put up a small amount of solar and then add panels over time...but I would suggest that you may get more bang for your buck through conservation efforts rather than production efforts. Given your budget, why don't you start with a home energy audit—taking a look at your insulation, windows, ducting, HVAC (as you already have noted you are), lighting, phantom power draw, etc. You may find that by spending the equivalent on a small solar array, you could actually lower your power bill MORE and save MORE money through conservation. The win-win is that after this process, with the money you save, you will be able to contribute more to solar later, and need LESS of it.
Ed
Q. I watch your show all the time and you are so innovative, I thought you might have some ideas. We live in a country area on a mountain and have a close neighbor that is extremely nosy and disruptive, and [we] don't have the financial resources to spend a lot on this project. We have a complete, flat 1/2 acre, the side needing the fencing the worst being about 215 ft, with one corner. We are trying to leave a better planet for our children and want to do something recycled and different. We do not have any real restrictions on height or materials. But we are looking to create a barrier so i can feel at ease to allow my kids to play in the yard and to try to deflect some of the noise from that direction. Any thoughts or leads would be greatly appreciated.
A. 215 ft. is a long way for a fence. But I agree with a previous post—an earthen berm would be a good idea—then the fence or plantings could go on top and that would make a nice barrier. Look to your local city green recycler for the possible supply of material for the berm—or perhaps a local construction site that has fill dirt available. Best of luck.
Ed
Q. My family is looking into electric tankless water heaters, but don't know which ones are good. Our hot water right now comes from our oil furnace. I'm looking to cut my oil usage down. Right now we use (May to Nov.) less than one gallon of oil a day, and in the winter about two gallons (we heat our home with wood 90 percent of the time). I figure most of the oil that we use goes to heating water. Can anyone give me suggestion on a good tankless water heater? We don't have a lot of money (I would love to go solar) so I need to stay on a budget of less than $800.
A. An electric tank-based heat pump unit would probably be more efficient. It will take up more space, but use far less power. AO Smith has a new 80 gal electric heat pump water heater coming out in early 2010. Contact AO Smith or your local Ferguson dealer for details on this unit. It will be just about the most efficient electric water heater on the market this year. I would continue to encourage you to look into solar options first as well.
Ed
Ask Ed: Leave Your Question for Ed Here
More about Ed Begley, Jr.
Living with Ed: Inside the Show
The TreeHugger Interview: Ed Begley, Jr.
Ed Begley, Jr., on Going Off the Grid, Greening Traffic, and More
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