Local Family Uses Greener Energy

 

With the economy in shambles and the jobless rate close to the record high, the recession seems to be hitting very close to home for Rhode Island residents. The solution for some: Green Energy.

   South Kingstown residents Linda Lapin and Jim Normann, parents of 08’ SKHS graduate Alena Normann, have been living the green life long before it was the cool thing to do.

  The first thing a person would most likely notice about the Lapin – Normann residence is the 70-foot wind generator visible from the street. It’s a fitting introduction to the Lapin-Normann lifestyle.

  Their crusade to go green began long before the current craze, as most of the environment friendly components of their home were installed over 20 years ago when the home was originally constructed.

  The motivation of the Lapin-Normanns to go green began during the 1979 gas shortage. When gas prices shot up the couple began to take self-sustaining energy in mind while building their home.

  The more recent spike in gas prices over the summer has led to proactive measures. President Barack Obama has proposed 5 million “Green Collar” jobs, as he calls them, and investing $150 billion to catalyze the alternative energy movement.

  The president also plans to put 1 million electric cars capable of getting 150 miles per gallon on the road by 2015 and foresees 10 percent of all home energy to be alternative produced by 2012.

   The first step of building an energy efficient house included using local timber to avoid the costly and relatively wasteful process of shipping the wood from somewhere like California. The couple also erected a 70-foot tall Bergey wind generator in the front yard.

  The 23 year old generator resembles an aircraft in appearance. This is most likely due to the fact that it was modeled by the same man who designed the Cessna airplane.

  “It’s a wonderful machine,” says Norman. Aside from having an occasional bird’s nest removed from the tower, Normann claims the generator has required no maintenance, and is still spinning with its original bearings.

  The generator spins and creates raw power, known as Direct or DC current. It then passes through an inverter that converts the power into Alternating or AC current, also known as home power.

  “Although it’s very rare,” remarks Normann, “the (electricity) meter outside has spun backward when everything is off in the house.”

  Rhode Island as a whole has also begun to make a transition.

  Although Rhode Island isn’t exactly a perfect location for geothermal vents, or hydroelectric dams, many experts believe the state is prime waterfront for wind generation technology. This has become evident in the states declaration that they intend to eventually generate 15 percent of the state’s electricity from wind farms.

  Areas in and around Block Island Sound have already been zoned for the instillation of 338 wind turbines. RI State Governor Cacieri who is overseeing the mission has accepted seven bids for the proposed project.

  This wind farm would also help power Block Island, which currently runs on diesel generator power, costing the average Block Islander four times more for electricity than the average mainland Rhode Islander.

  Carcieri also recently appropriated $81 million to an energy producing plant at the Johnston landfill, which uses the methane emitted from decomposing garbage to power electricity producing turbines.

  The wind generator however is not the homes only method of energy conservation. The home also uses passive solar. During its construction the southern face of the building was purposefully designed to take advantage of passive solar heat.

  Upon looking at the building one will see that the south face is nearly entirely windows, except for an adjoining greenhouse, which produces green plants and vegetables all year round.

   “On sunny days it heats the house,” says Normann.

  For those not so sunny winter days the family turns to what the professionals call, “Biomass Heating”.

  Normann still refers to his Biomass heating component as a wood stove.

  “It’s a stretch to call it carbon neutral,” quipped his wife.

  Normann did mention, however, that the stove was relatively efficient and produces reduced emissions compared to less efficient stoves.

  Of the various technologies available, the Lapin – Normann family suggests going the Photovoltaic route.

   Photovoltaic (solar) panels, he said, can be used in any area that has direct sunlight, and can be linked directly into home power with a grid tie. The most expensive part of solar panels is often the batteries, he said.

   “Unless you are prone power outages battery backups are unnecessary,” says Normann.

  “And you can always add to them,” adds Lapin.

   In Normann’s opinion, the best deal in alternative energy today is a solar hot water heater. With a solar hot water heater accountable for 75 percent of a homes hot water needs the process can slash energy bills.

  Solar hot water heaters essentially pump water out of the tank, up through coils in a solar plate. This is the only energy used in the process. The water is then heated in the panel and siphoned back into the tank using gravity.

  Solar hot water heaters can cost up to  $7,500, and usually produce a payback period of 14 years depending on how sunny the region is.

However, places like Oregon offer tax rebates for tank installation. Some places with very little sun may have extremely long payback periods.  Chariho regional High School also has installed a large solar array on their premises.

  “It’s all site based,” says Normann. Many people go for wind but, “it’s very difficult to site.”

  Due to the glacial moraine there are lots of wind eddies and other strange effects on the local air currents, so much so that some people who think they have a wind lot may end up with up to 140 foot towers before their generator can reach wind consistent enough for power.

  “No one wants to climb a tower like that for maintenance,” says Normann.

  SKHS actually did have a wind generator above the auto shop, but it was taken down out of fear that a future hurricane could blow it down and damage something or injure someone.

  Other than being difficult to site, Normann claims that “Skystream” wind generators are the most advertised, and also, “poor products” in his opinion. Many users have had nothing but expensive problems with the machines.

  “It’s giving wind generators a bad name,” says Normann.

  Because of the Lapin- Normann’s environmental consciousness they had a hand in starting an organization about a year ago called the, “Sustainable Energy Group” which meets the 1^st Monday of every month at Cross Mills Public Library.

  “It’s more of a lifestyle than solving your problems,” says Normann. “Everyone’s looking for a payback, but there really isn’t. It’s like a furnace, you don’t get any money back from it.”

   The family sees the green movement as a good change but feels real change comes on an individual basis.

  “A lot of it has to be philosophical, although there are still some federal and state tax breaks for alternative energy installation,” commented Normann. “I think it should be incorporated on all buildings because once you start generating your own energy you are more conscientious of where it goes,” he added.

  “It’s like when you throw away your trash now, you just put it at the curb and it’s taken to some magical place,” commented his wife. “But we used to have to bring it to the dump and see where it was going…In SK we all knew what the dump looked like.”

  As for the state’s wind farm idea, “It’s not going to save anyone energy costs…as long as you keep providing people power they’ll keep using power,” believes Normann.

      When asked for any parting tips Normann commented, “just unplug it”.

 “A TV that’s off, uses up almost as much power as a TV that’s on…Anything with a remote is always on,” says Normann. “Shutting off lights when you leave and unplugging chargers, it’s just common sense.”