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Columnists
The Solar Report
Home EV Charging
Cindy Davis
Fri, Aug 19
Category:
The Solar Report
One of the greatest concerns potential owners have regarding the purchase of an electric vehicle (EV), is charging the battery. The question of how, where, and for how long to charge an EV are readily answered, and should not deter potential EV owners. A detailed description of the science behind...
- THE SOLAR REPORT -
Wade Ortel
Fri, Aug 5
Category:
The Solar Report
Last October I accepted the position as program director of the Solar Initiative (tSI). I have had the pleasure of working with a wide array of individuals, making strides towards the common goal of reducing the consumption of fossil fuels on Block Island. To this end, tSI has offered and continues...
- THE SOLAR REPORT -
Wade Ortel
Fri, Jul 22
Category:
The Solar Report
In previous articles, I presented a technical overview of the refrigeration cycle. However, even with this background, it can be difficult to recognize the vast utility of this technology, especially in the context of domestic heating. For the purpose of effective cooling, either in order to keep...
- THE SOLAR REPORT -
Wade Ortel
Sat, Jul 9
Category:
The Solar Report
In this week’s article, I would like to take a brief respite from the regularly scheduled educational content and technical treatises offered here. Instead, I will provide an exciting public service announcement regarding one of the Solar Initiative’s most popular subsidies. I also wish to take a...
A brief overview of the refrigeration cycle
Wade Ortel
Fri, Jun 24
Category:
The Solar Report
In my last article, I offered an introduction to the operating principles of refrigeration. Let’s continue where we left off. I believe a closer examination of the thermodynamic cycle and the construction of the applicable components will offer greater utility for consumers who want a deeper...
- Promotional feature -
- THE SOLAR REPORT -
Wade Ortel
Fri, Jun 10
Category:
The Solar Report
Before embarking on a closer examination of refrigeration, it is prudent to begin with a somewhat mundane and innately familiar scenario: boiling water on a stove. To begin this process, one typically fills a pot with roughly room-temperature water drawn from a tap. This pot is then placed on a...
- THE SOLAR REPORT -
Wade Ortel
Fri, May 27
Category:
The Solar Report
Electric current, the flow of electron that powers our lives, can be classified into two broad categories. Direct current (DC) is a unidirectional flow of charged particles. The current and voltage can be time variant or invariant, but the polarity remains fixed. Plotted versus time, DC often...
2022 Block Island electric vehicle subsidies available
Wade Ortel
Fri, Apr 29
Category:
The Solar Report
Transportation accounts for more than a quarter of all U.S. greenhouse gas emissions. By switching from vehicles powered by gasoline to those powered by electricity, each of us can make a significant change in our personal environmental impact. The adoption of EVs today, along with the...
From noisy and smelly to quiet and clean:
Wade Ortel
Fri, Apr 15
Category:
The Solar Report
On Block Island, the reassuring call of the spring peeper marks the arrival of spring. However, another, less pleasing sound is soon to follow: the inexorable drone of lawn mowers and other petroleum-powered equipment. While we have been dulled to this veritable aural assault, it is, unfortunately...
Your mileage may vary:
Wade Ortel
Thu, Apr 7
Category:
The Solar Report
While an internal combustion engine vehicle can be refueled rapidly and universally at any gas station, the state of EV charging is stratified, and recharging times vary. EV charging typically falls into three major categories, referred to as levels 1, 2, and 3. It is important to emphasize that...
Energy independence and renewables
Wade Ortel
Thu, Mar 24
Category:
The Solar Report
Most cogent arguments for the adoption of renewable energy technology hinge on the far-reaching environmental benefits of such actions. However, demand side electrification coupled with an energy generation mix that heavily favors renewables would also be a boon for achieving energy independence...
Batteries: Only as strong as the weakest link
Wade Ortel
Thu, Mar 10
Category:
The Solar Report
The electrical potential or voltage of a battery is dictated by its chemistry. There is a specific range of operating voltages over which each type of chemical cell operates. For example, the nominal voltage of a lead-acid battery cell is approximately 2 volts. Common lead-acid batteries, such as...
By virtue of inefficiency
Wade Ortel
Fri, Feb 18
Category:
The Solar Report
Internal combustion engines, such as those found powering gasoline or diesel-fueled vehicles, generate a lot of waste heat. Of the energy yielded by combustion, a larger portion is lost to the surroundings as heat than is available to propel the vehicle. While limited efficiency is certainly a...
Skip the oil change
Wade Ortel
Thu, Feb 10
Category:
The Solar Report
For more than a century, the internal combustion engine has reigned supreme in the automotive industry. Consumers and mechanics alike have become accustomed to the maintenance regimen for this type of powertrain. While decades of engineering progress and refinement have resulted in a significant...
A brief history of horsepower
Wade Ortel
Thu, Jan 27
Category:
The Solar Report
While today it may appear both a strange and outdated measure, the horsepower (hp) originates from a practical historical problem. In much the same manner as other thermodynamic units, terms and sign conventions, the horsepower traces its roots back to the early industrial period and the advent of...
Watt’s a Watt-Hour?
Wade Ortel
Thu, Jan 13
Category:
The Solar Report
“I lifted 25 degrees Fahrenheit at the gym today.” The above apocryphal statement is utter nonsense. This conclusion is not reached by contesting whether the speaker did, in fact, lift 25 of something at the gym today, but because it is obvious that they did not lift any quantity of degrees...
The first law
Wade Ortel
Wed, Dec 29
Category:
The Solar Report
While in daily life it is frequently useful to consider energy consumption, this concept is not scientifically well-defined. The process that is generally termed energy consumption is, in fact, energy transfer and transformation. The first law of thermodynamics mathematically states that the total...
Electric vehicles and miles per gallon
Wade Ortel
Wed, Dec 15
Category:
The Solar Report
Pure battery electric vehicles (EVs) do not consume gasoline or any other fossil fuel, at least not directly. However, they currently exist in a market where buyers might be cross-shopping between a gasoline model and an EV. In order to allow for comparisons between conventional vehicles and EVs,...
Electric vehicles, renewables and the grid
Wade Ortel
Tue, Nov 23
Category:
The Solar Report
Operating the electrical grid is a constant balancing act between supply and demand. In order to keep voltage and frequency within specifications, careful oversight is required. Since demand is highly variable throughout the day and year, a grid operator faces the challenge of matching supply to...
Heat your pan, not your stovetop
Wade Ortel
Thu, Nov 11
Category:
The Solar Report
Conventional electric stoves use resistive heating elements, much like a space heater, in order to heat the cooking surface. This heat is then transferred, through conduction, to the cookware and, in turn, to the food. An induction stove instead utilizes electromagnetic induction to directly heat...
Heat pump hot water heaters are highly efficient
Wade Ortell
Thu, Oct 28
Category:
The Solar Report
Heating water takes a great deal of energy, due to its high heat capacity. In fact, domestic water heating accounts for 19 percent of total energy consumption in the average American home, according to the US Energy Information Administration. Therefore, increasing water heater efficiency results...
Changes at the Solar Initiative
Tony Pappas
Thu, Oct 14
Category:
The Solar Report
As any organization matures and goes forward, it undergoes various changes. No less so with the Solar Initiative. En route to a separate 501-c-3 status, a Solar Initiative board has been formed. Its members are Tom Durden, John Spier, Samantha Hester, Seth Draper, and Tony Pappas, who will serve as...
Are you considering a solar system for your island home?
Tony Pappas
Thu, Sep 2
Category:
The Solar Report
Dear island neighbor, If you are considering installing a solar system on your island home, we invite you to submit an application to the Block Island Power Company and send a copy to the Solar Initiative (tSi), cc myself at pappas.anthony@gmail.com in order to get the tSi subsidy. The application...
EVs for Ever?
Tony Pappas
Thu, Aug 19
Category:
The Solar Report
At the Car Show held on July 28 on the front lawn of the Harbor Church and featuring cutting edge EVs (electric vehicles) – a Tesla and a Mach-E – the most frequently asked question was: How far do they go before the electricity runs out? In a recent edition of the AAA online magazine, that and...
Gates before the flood gates!
Ian Murphy
Thu, Aug 5
Category:
The Solar Report
In his recent book “How to Avoid a Climate Disaster: The Solutions We Have and the Breakthroughs We Need,” Bill Gates discusses the daunting challenge of mitigating climate change with clarity and optimism. He describes the current situation – how we are adding billions of tons of greenhouse gases...
Driving the future and the past
Tony Pappas
Thu, Jul 22
Category:
The Solar Report
On Wednesday, July 28, from 4 to 5 p.m. on the front lawn of the Harbor Church, there will be the first ever Block Island Electric Vehicles and Antique Auto Show. All are welcome to come and browse fun vehicles from the past as well as learn more about electric vehicles, the wave of the future. No...
New net metering legislation passes both chambers of RI Legislature
Tony Pappas
Thu, Jul 8
Category:
The Solar Report
A huge thank you to our Senator Susan Sosnowski and to our Representative Blake Filippi for shepherding this bill over many months through to passage by the Rhode Island General Assembly. The services of the Mayforth Group were also most helpful. What does this new law change? Previously by law,...
Getting into hot water
Tony Pappas
Fri, Jun 25
Category:
The Solar Report
The Solar Initiative is expanding its subsidy program to include heat-pump powered hot water heaters. The total subsidy of two-thirds of the cost, up to a maximum of $6,000, remains in force for year-round occupied homes, but now hot water heaters can be included in the installation costs. Hot...
Announcing our new intern
Tony Pappas
Thu, Jun 10
Category:
The Solar Report
The Solar Initiative is pleased to announce that our intern for the summer of 2021 is Ian Murphy. Ian has a long history of connection with Block Island, coming out quite frequently in his teen years when his grandparents, the Devlins, owned a home on the island. Since entering college, Ian has...
Three reasons to put solar panels on your roof
Fri, May 28
Category:
The Solar Report
First, it could save you money. Recently I was speaking with a homeowner who had photovoltaic (PV) panels installed on his roof last year. He expected to receive a $40 credit this month from the Block Island Power Company by providing that much more electricity than his house used. Factoring in his...
Solar cell basics
Tony Pappas
Fri, May 21
Category:
The Solar Report
Isn’t it shocking how a little chunk of silicon can produce electricity? When I asked the U.S. Government, Department of Energy, how this worked, this is what they told me: “When light shines on a photovoltaic (PV) cell – also called a solar cell – that light may be reflected, absorbed, or pass...
Bigbellies are here
Tony Pappas
Fri, May 7
Category:
The Solar Report
Bigbellies are here...but you don’t need to hide...they won’t eat you, just your trash. Bigbellies are the brand name of state of the art trash receptacles that have now been placed strategically around Old Harbor. Bigbellies feature two bins, one for recyclables and one for regular trash. They...
Can you do one thing to restore the earth?
Tony Pappas
Fri, Apr 16
Category:
The Solar Report
Earth Day is Thursday, April 22, this year. (Actually, it is always April 22, in commemoration of the first Earth Day celebration on that date in 1970.) This year’s theme is “Restore the Earth.” So, we at the Solar Initiative are challenging you to do one thing toward the goal of restoring the...
Good news for heliophiles and taxophobes
Tony Pappas
Fri, Apr 9
Category:
The Solar Report
Back in 2005, the US Congress passed a bill giving federal tax credits for the installation of renewable energy sources. The bill has been extended multiple times since then and the terms have changed multiple times, also. The good news: The tax credit was scheduled to decline to 22 percent in 2021...
The Solar Initiative offers revised subsidy programs for April 1 to June 30, 2021
Tony Pappas
Thu, Mar 25
Category:
The Solar Report
It is the mission of the Solar Initiative on Block Island to reduce fossil fuel emissions by offering incentives to energy consumers to move to renewable sources of energy. Our primary means of making progress toward this goal is education (e.g. columns such as this series) and subsidies to make...
“The sun also rises”
Tony Pappas
Thu, Mar 11
Category:
The Solar Report
With apologies to Hemingway, the sun is rising on solar generated power (and other renewables). Consider the following data: • In 2019, 72 percent of power plant additions utilized renewables. • The European Union now generates more power from renewables (38 percent) than from fossil fuels (37...
Every 38 years
Tony Pappas
Thu, Feb 25
Category:
The Solar Report
The year is 1983. The committee has organized its annual House and Garden Tour. This year’s theme is “Solar Energy,” featuring four residences, a business, and the Southeast Lighthouse was thrown in as a bonus! (Tickets were $5 but $4.50 if purchased in advance – and net proceeds of $1,300 were...
Everything you always wanted to know about heat pumps but were afraid to ask
Tony Pappas
Thu, Feb 11
Category:
The Solar Report
The Solar Initiative’s (tSI) heat pump subsidy program has proved to be very popular. Over 40 island families have signed up or are ready to learn more. tSI is offering up to $6,000 to offset the cost of a home heat pump installation. That sounds great, but what is a heat pump and how does it work...
Why your next car should be an EV
Tony Pappas
Thu, Jan 28
Category:
The Solar Report
,
Features
There are many reasons to replace your current gas guzzler with an electric vehicle. Let me count the ways: 1. You can save money on operation. Green Energy Consumer Advocates did an analysis using the Block Island Power Company’s rates and determined that using an EV on Block Island in the winter...
The EV Revolution is Here!
Tony Pappas
Thu, Jan 14
Category:
The Solar Report
Well, at least an uprising. In the fall of 2020, the Solar Initiative offered subsidies towards the purchase of electric vehicles. From 14 applications, eight subsidies were awarded. And now the first six have arrived on the island. Look at these smiling faces (behind their masks). Pictured above...
Good news and bad news
Tony Pappas
Thu, Dec 31
Category:
The Solar Report
Well, I have good news and bad news for anyone hoping to go more solar in the immediate future. The bad news is that the Solar Initiative will be unable to accomplish installations at the present time. This is due to a couple of unfortunate factors. Firstly, the winter season makes roof work...
The Solar Initiative subsidy programs are extended through March 31, 2021.
Thu, Dec 17
Category:
The Solar Report
Yes, Block Island homeowners can get a discount of $800 per KW on our rooftop mounted solar systems (up to 15KWs). This coupled with the Federal Tax credit for 2021 makes for a good deal through the first quarter of 2021. And up to $6,000 discounted off heat pump installations.
Contact Tony...
B.I. Resident purchases Chevy Bolt through the Solar Initiative grant
Thu, Dec 17
Category:
The Solar Report
“We are so grateful to the Solar Initiative grant for making the purchase of a fully electric vehicle possible for us. We are thrilled with our new Chevy Bolt. We charge it at our house each night so it’s always full and is very fun to drive and ideal for the island. It has lots of instant torque,...
This should rate your interest!
Tony Pappas
Thu, Dec 3
Category:
The Solar Report
The first major initiative of The Solar Initiative was to put solar panels on the roofs of the Block Island Power Company facility. The intent was to reduce the need for local diesel generation and/or decrease electricity purchase from mainland non-renewable suppliers. This has been accomplished to...
Eight smiling islanders
Tony Pappas
Thu, Nov 19
Category:
The Solar Report
More solar-sourced energy; less fossil fuel emissions. That is the goal of Block Island’s Solar Initiative. Towards that end, the Solar Initiative (tSi) has recently awarded eight subsidies toward the purchase of an electrically-powered vehicle to island families. The subsidies run over three years...
Let’s have some fun in the sun
Tony Pappas
Thu, Nov 5
Category:
The Solar Report
We at the Solar Initiative hope that this series of columns has convinced you to at least consider installing a solar system at your home. It is a big step with financial and ecological ramifications, heavy stuff. So while you are deliberating, take a moment to look at the light side. Fun facts...
Meet David Reidy
Tony Pappas
Fri, Oct 23
Category:
The Solar Report
Why should I meet David Reidy? Who is he anyway? David is the installation contractor for the solar systems sponsored by the Solar Initiative. David can save you money while you help save the planet! He is the President of Cool Energy — but let’s begin at the beginning: David is a native Rhode...
Island Buzz
This weeks Nature Conservancy Schedule
Posted By
The Block Island Times
1/31
Check out this weeks Nature Conservancy Schedule at https:// www.natureblockisland.org
TimberTech by AZEK
Posted By
Riverhead Building Supply
1/26
Riverhead Building Supply offers TimberTech by AZEK Building Products. Click here for the latest collections and styles...
Thinking of Listing Your Home For Sale?
Posted By
Ballard Hall Sales Group
12/12
We would love the opportunity to meet with you! When listing your home for sale, our goal is to market your property in an...
Christmas at Highland Farm
Posted By
Highland Farm Inc.
11/20
Highland Farm supplies all the holiday magic you and your family will need this season! We have beautiful cut Balsam and...
FALL SALE! 20% OFF
Posted By
Highland Farm Inc.
10/27
Highland Farm’s Fall sale has begun! 20% off all trees, shrubs, annuals, perennials, statuary, and lawn ornaments! ***Sale...
Spring 2022 Update
Posted By
Highland Farm Inc.
10/14
Hello all! We are now open for the season, call today to get your orders in! A rriving daily; New inventory of Trees and...
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Island Religion
PART 4 THE SPIRITUALITY PUZZLE
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