How my computer will stay on when the lights go out

I don’t know if this is the most eco-correct solution (commenters feel free to weigh in), but I’m giving a borrowed solar panel a try to keep my laptop running after I snap off the circuit breaker to the apartment’s mains. To be precise, I’m using a SolarOne Harvester, an all-in-one unit that includes a panel, a battery and an inverter. As you all know, No Impact runs in stages and the no electricity stage begins on Saturday.

A lot of people suggested that, to run the blog and do my internet research, I should use public access computers at the library. That might be a good idea if, one, I didn’t have a computer already and, two, I didn’t spend several hours a day doing research. It doesn’t feel practical to me, given that I also have to bake the bread, stomp the laundry and find a little time to sing to Isabella.

Granted, there is definitely the impact of the manufacture of the solar panel, the battery it charges, and the inverter to supply AC. The good news is that the unit is borrowed from its manufacturer, SolarOne. It’s a floor model and will be returned to that use when I’m done with it in six months (that’s SolarOne’s President, Moneer Azzam, on my building’s roof with me in the photo).

It would not, by the way, have been a good choice to buy a new solar panel to use for the remaining six months of the No Impact experiment. A recent study shows that a rooftop solar panel system must run for about two years before it reaches the break even point in terms of generating more energy than it takes to manufacture it. A solar panel should last 20-25 years.

Oh, and in case you were wondering, the power from the Harvester will only be used for the laptop. We want to see what is like to live without a plethora of electric lights and whether we really do experience the second sleep phenomenon.

PS Mark your calendars! No Impact Man will be featured on both ABC's Good Morning America and Nightline this coming Thursday, May 10.

Comments

[Gwyn]

I reckon mother earth will be pretty happy with you for quite some time without you needing to sweat the small stuff!

[Greenpa]

Congratulations! I think you've made the right choice here. If I had put all the money I spent on small wind chargers into more photovoltaics- I'd have a lot more power today.

One little quirk that can matter- energy lost in battery charging.

Since you're just running your laptop on this setup- something you'll want to do is try as much as possible to use the computer, plugged in, when the sun is shining. That way, you mostly avoid the power lost to charging inefficiencies; the computer should be mostly running directly off photons.

Sounds like the setup has a lead acid battery- usual rough guess is you lose 10% of the energy you put into it, as heat. Not terrible- but if you run the computer straight off the sun, that's 10% more energy you'll have available later.

Charging the laptop battery; same thing- better done during good sun; otherwise it costs you 10% loss in the system battery, and another 10% (sort of) as the laptop battery charges.

But you already knew that, I bet. :-)

It's not that hard to fit other chores into this- heavy clouds? Good time to do other chores; maybe the sun will shine later.

[Emme]

I am glad that you mentioned

"there is definitely the impact of the manufacture of the solar panel, the battery it charges, and the inverter to supply AC. The good news is that the unit is borrowed from its manufacturer, SolarOne. It’s a floor model and will be returned to that use when I’m done with it in six months (that’s SolarOne’s President, Moneer Azzam, on my building’s roof with me in the photo)."

Although solar is great to use for many purposes, think about the impact of every family in the United States supplying its power from solar. The impact of the creation of the solar panels, converters, and batteries. I am happy to hear that instead of replacing all of your energy with solar, you are instead conserving and using solar to aid where it is absolutely necessary. We all need to thin about conservation more! Kudos to you! :)

[Judith]

Are you testing your alternative refridgeration before you pull the plug? I read your plans for the double walled pots containing sand and water with great interest. I am a potter, and was surprised to see the beautiful African outer pot with a glaze on it. Seems like the only evaporation would be off the top area of exposed sand, and likely a thick, damp cloth covering. An unglazed terra cotta pot would allow evaporation from its entire surface. The pot would just have to be raised off any good flooring that you wouldn't want to damage. Evaporation sure does work. On hot days I keep my butter dish cool on the counter with a damp cloth over it. Cheers!

[raffi]

this saturday, con-ed will not be happy. i commend you on your devotion to being an eco-being.

[Bracha]

Why not use the renewable energy that you are generating and that will ultimately go to waste if you don't use it? Also, why would you not want to continue to use the solar cell after the experiment is over?

We live in Israel and almost everyone here has a solar panel which is used to generate hot water. During the winter months we run a boiler only at times when there is insufficient sun and therefore not enough hot water....

[Peter]

Colin - it's great that you are taking such measures to truly experience a no impact lifestyle. You are inspiring!

[leigh]

i'll be thinking of you guys on saturday! the op ed piece about second sleep got me thinking...that is how my son sleeps, going to bed at 7:30/8 pm then waking up at 6:30 am. these children, for the most part, are just more intune with the simplicity of life...they don't have any stresses to cloud their natural clocks. i can't wait to read about how you all adjust, thanks for keeping it up!

[Anita]

There is also btw, a bike powered gen that will run a laptop.You just pedal away-

[Toni]

I love this idea...I've been doing the Compact since January - with some success. The question I have - that I'd love explored - what happens when you don't live in a city? Can you do the same thing in say - the suburbs - when you don't have a car??

[Sharon Astyk]

I admire what you are doing enormously, and I admire your turning off the power.

And maybe this is expecting too much, but it seems to me if you are going to write a book about your actions and solutions, engaging in actions and solutions that can be duplicated, or at least have educational or inspirational value would be the logical ones to pursue. The solution you seem to have come up with is "get famous enough to have a company give you stuff." I guess I don't see how that has wider applicability, or represents an experience that any reader could have, or learn something from.

Moreover, I think the idea that "if I don't buy it I'm not responsible for the embodied energy in it" is wrong. I would say at a minimum, if it were me, the amortized energy debt would have to go in the category of things to be compensated for later.

Obviously, none of us are perfectly consistent, but this somehow troubles me, because it doesn't answer any of the questions raised by the experience - that is, it doesn't suggest ways other people could also move in the same direction, it doesn't require you to deal with any consequences, and it also implies, in its duration, that at the end, you turn everything back on and go back to life as usual.

Sharon

[Gertrude]

"Cycles of conservation at BU

Nathan Phillips hasn't flipped a switch in his Boston University office for nearly two months. In his zero-carbon office, energy is generated strictly by a solar panel and a bicycle...."

I think your experiment is really interesting, and I'm enjoying reading about it.

[Alison]

I am actually nervous for you. I have butterflies. Why in the world would I feel like that?

[Karen]

FYI the Harvester solar panel link is broken. The correct link is http://www.solarone.net/products/harvester.cfm. Say BTW if you find a crank re-charger I would like to hear about it. I mean, a generic recharger, not something embedded in a radio (which I already have) or whatnot. Would prefer something manufactured domestically...

[Eric]

This week I started my own mini solar farm with a deep cycle battery, a solar car battery charger, and a power inverter. As of yet I haven't been able to get more than 2.5 hours of usage out of the battery, but I'm still tweaking & tinkering with my setup.

Today I checked your site and noticed that you had also gone solar! I'm not quite equipped to go completely off the grid just yet, but I'll be interested to see how it works out for you.

[Brendan T.K. O'Brien]

I agree with the commenter Sharon Astyk, it's really great - but.

It doesn't really seem on target to have a company "loan" you something to use - mostly because it can't be practised on a large by the general population.

Not saying everything and anything you are doing is a great thing, just doesn't seem to fit the scope of your project.

My 4 cents,
Cheers

[Colin aka No Impact Man]

@Sharon and Brendan,
Perfectly willing to accept your thoughts that it is inconsistent to borrow the panel. The extenuating circumstances are that 1. I can't afford to buy one right now, 2. I do need to keep the computer running for blog and research, 3. I thought it would be worthwhile testing the panel's use in an apartment dweller's living situation, 4. This is an experiment and I may conclude at the end that I do want a panel (if the building will let me keep it installed long term), 5. If I wasn't running the blog and writing the book, I wouldn't need electricity at all, 6. I agree that I need to debit six month's of amortized energy debt from my No Impact account, 7. I could have just kept one outlet on for the computer and not used mains for anything else, but 8. Gosh darn it, I just plain old thought it would be fun to give the panel a try!
All the best,
Colin aka No Impact Man

[Jacqueline]

Colin you Rock! I get so excited each day I get an email from your feed! Keep it up!

A huge fan...Jacqueline

[Cynthia]

Perhaps the owner or hoa of your building may be inspired enough to look into solar when your experiment is done!

Curious: What do your neighbors think? and are any of the neighbors taking their own steps in lessening their impact?

[Rob]

Colin:

Computers run entirely on DC power. Throw out the AC adapter for your laptop and the inverter. Then just get a cigarette adapter plug for your laptop and you can roll on straight up DC power! You'll save energy by removing the conversion back and forth from DC to AC.

Rob

[One Eyed Daruma]

I keep reading this and looking for something I might have missed...but how will you be cooking? Do you have a gas stove? Actually, the only thing you mention cooking is bread...and I know I'd have a hard time parting with that!

As for solar power, I've also seen miniature solar battery chargers and am certainly going to look into getting one. I already use rechargable batteries for my camera.

[Greenpa]

Rob- true about computers and DC; but it's not that simple, alas. My house runs on both DC and AC. Colin's problem is that his panel is on his roof- not sure what the wire run is to his apartment, but it's considerable. If you have to run DC power further than about SIX FEET- you need to think about increasing the size of your wires; otherwise you lose what you save in wire resistance. If your DC run is over 20 feet- it starts to be a question of what's cheaper; wire or generation capacity. Other thing is; most panels put out DC at a nominal 12 or 24 volts (up to 240, etc) - actual power intake for a laptop is surprsingly variable; I my current Mac laptop takes 24V; but the previous one wanted 16V, I think. So it's not just a matter of "plug it in" - you really need to do a bunch of homework; or it won't - work.

[Denise]

Will you play music on your laptop and dance with Isabella?

I love your project, and good luck!

[Kate]

Will the book and movie be "no impact"? Are you indending to offset the production of both of those? Are you intending to offset the environmental impact of all the people who go to the theatre to see your movie. It seems that although you are planning on doing this as an experiment for a year to reduce the impact on the earth and highlight an issue; you may create more impact on the earth in the long run.

[Susan]

I too am wondering how you're going to bake your bread or cook eggs?

I'm also wondering how you'll get hot water for washing. I really would like to know -- we're looking to cut significantly back on electricity and natural gas usage this summer. One large stumbling block is hot water. We live in a small city, but have an actual backyard in which to do things.