text:
Bill Murray Tells Charlie Rose About the Oscar Speech He Would Have Given
Last night's full-hour conversation on Charlie Rose was as entertaining and memorable as we expected.
The first classic moment occurred about ten minutes in, when Rose observed that his guest's trajectory seemed to have been "not a carefully thought out, well-planned life." Murray was genuinely gassed by the observation, laughing heartily and deadpanning that no one has ever been quite this compassionate towards him.
A little later, the actor explained that because of his sons' lives, he currently makes his home in South Carolina. Though he didn't choose to relocate there, the actor explained, he now loves it. "The people are kind, the place is beautiful. It's easier than being a parent in New York; being a parent there was quite a bit harder."
There was confirmation during this supremely pleasing chat that it is indeed great to get to work and-or play with George Clooney. Murray says The Monuments Men production was "the lightest set I've ever been on" and noted that wherever Clooney's house is usually ranks as an easy, good time.
Finally, while we could highlight a number of additional interview moments (including a warm shout-out to the Maitre D' and staff of the Lincoln Center location of restaurant The Smith), we will leave it with just this final one. Murray talked about being nominated in 2003 via Lost in Translation for the Best Actor Oscar prize, and the no-notes speech he had planned to give if awarded.
"I was going to say, 'You know, when I heard I had been nominated with – [and I would name the other people] – I thought I had a pretty good chance.' I just thought, no one had ever given that speech."
"It was great. [At that time] I didn't have agents, I didn't have managers. So I wouldn't have had to give that ordinary speech… I would just go out and entertain. I always figured, if you're on a TV show where there's a billion people [watching], show up and do something, OK? Give those folks in Bombay something…"
Prospective major-category winners at this year's derby, please, PLEASE take note. What the world needs is not another long list of played-off thank you's.
Meanwhile, can you imagine how great the close-up camera reactions might have been from Sean Penn, Sir Ben Kingsley, Jude Law and Johnny Depp if Murray had said this? It would have ranked as a 100% effective antidote to the boring trope "It's an honor just to be nominated." An instant-classic clip of Murray essentially joking: "I don't like you. I really, really don't like you!"
Bottom photo courtesy: Focus Features


text:
J'cans raring to go at ISKA World Champs
Jamaica's martial artists are savouring the thought of home advantage at the International Sports Karate Association (ISKA) Amateur Members Association World Championships, which gets under way today at the Montego Bay Convention Centre with an opening ceremony at 9 a.m.
Though nearly four years old, memories from the fifth International Taekwondo Federation (ITF) World Cup, historically held at the same venue in October 2014, are fresh in the Jamaicans' minds after a rich haul of 46 medals - 17 gold, 14 silver and 15 bronze - 44 more than the island had ever won at any ITF world tournament.
The signature moment at the 2014 ITF World Cup was Jamaica's male adult black belts closing the event by winning gold in team sparring, beating Canada and two powerful Argentine sides.
Coach Claude Chin described the historic medal, Jamaica's first and only sparring gold at an ITF world tournament, as "the best moment ever for Jamaican martial arts".
For the next three days, the Jamaicans, 30, though fewer in number than the British contingent of more than 100 and the United States' 60 fighters, tripling and doubling the hosts, respectively, are hoping to put on their best-ever performance at the event, which has traditionally been staged in Europe.
Among the Jamaicans are five ISKA Amateur Members' Association world champions - Olympian Kenneth Edwards, Nicholas Dusard, Richard Stone, and dual title-holder Sheckema Cunningham and the man of the moment, Akino Lindsay, both of who won gold in Greece last year.
"We could never put out a team to rival Britain or the United States in numbers. We just don't have that many fighters for the many diverse divisions. However, the ones we are putting out there are medal contenders who have chances of winning. Therefore, we are looking to quality of medal, with some quantity as well," promoter Jason McKay told The Gleaner on the eve of the event.
Dusard, who won gold in Cyprus at that year's ISKA Amateur World Champs and led the Jamaican squad, which celebrated wildly in the big ring in 2014, said the team division should again send sparks flying.
"In 2014, it was one of those teams on which Kenneth and I were under immense pressure to win our bouts. With Lindsay and Stone having now grown into top fighters, I can relax and not worry about the pressure of moment," Dusard pointed out.
Lindsay, in particular, is looking for a big tournament after leaving July's United States Open, an ISKA tournament, with four gold medals.
Armed with ISKA Amateur Members' Association World Championship gold medals won in Portugal 2015 and Greece 2017, fighting -86 and -90 kilos, respectively, Lindsay is a heavy favourite to defend his continuous sparring title at home, in addition to joining his teammates and idols - Edwards, Dusard and Stone - in team sparring.
Meanwhile, Cunningham, who won double gold in Germany last year, is looking to close her more than two decades of martial arts by defending her titles this week.
"This is my last year, the last time you will see me at home. I am retiring after the 2018 ITF World Cup in Australia," said the 33-year-old, who, along with Subrina Richards, ranks as one of Jamaica's most decorated female martial artists ever.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
My favorite part of being a freelance writer is interviewing experts. I can find out the deepest technical details from an expert that researching online would take days or even months. A case in point, is that I read in a news story that reason why Verizon Wireless was not providing 4G LTE connections in cars was that you can't talk and use data at the same time.
From my years writing about wireless, I knew that statement was incorrect but I did not why until I talked to an expert at Qualcomm for Automotive IT News.
First off, I know Verizon Wireless as the major U.S. carrier does not like other carriers gaining market share. I also know that Verizon Wireless bought Hughes Telematics in 2012. Hyundai revealed earlier this year that Verizon Wireless will be providing 4G LTE for the company in the future without setting a date. It has been reported that Verizon will offer data for Toyota and Mercedes-Benz.
Some journalists were stating that Verizon 4G LTE is not deployed in cars because it doesn't use SIMs. Verizon when its primary network was a CDMA network, only a few years back did not use SIMs. Verizon Wireless does use SIMs, now, which I found out when I talked to Verizon's Ken Muche during a Verizon Wireless event.
So what's slowing the Verizon 4G LTE race for automobiles? It's the way Verizon chose to change its standards and protocols. Vehicles should use the GSMA 3GPP international standard.
"AT&T, when it built its various networks, allows for the hand off (fall back) from 4G LTE data to 3G data in areas where there is no LTE coverage because it uses the 3GPP global standard.
Verizon Wireless' slower CDMA network is based on the 3GPP2 standard while its new 4G LTE network uses the 3GPP standard. When Verizon built its new network, it decided its chipsets would not allow the hand off between the two data networks."
We don't have to worry about Verizon Wireless not getting into vehicles because it builds out its networks quickly. Car makers are most likely waiting to use Verizon Wireless' 4G LTE until the network is every where that cars go.
Another thing that is very important to Verizon Wireless is testing. Typically, Verizon Wireless will offer updates after other carriers to make sure the software works with its networks.
Verizon claims on its website that Verizon's 4G network is 100% LTE and covers over 97% of Americans. AT&T may cover more areas when it drops down to 3G and even 2G.
AT&T claims it covers more than 99% of Americans. AT&T's 4G LTE network, covering more than 290 million people.
I check an Open Signal Map to find excellent AT&T coverage when it also includes 2G and 3G.
So what can we deduce? At some point Verizon Wireless will offer 4G LTE in vehicles. The only question is, "When?"


text:
Ground-breaking Passion Plays this Easter
Published on 11 April 2017
This Holy Week as people across Scotland celebrate Easter with everything from children's egg hunts to special church services, churches in Hamilton and Edinburgh will be taking the Easter message into their community with ground-breaking productions of the Passion Play.
The play in Hamilton, which will be performed in public for the first time, begins this week with a Palm Sunday procession that is expected to attract hundreds of people.
A Community performance
A cast of more than 30 local people have been brought together, alongside professional actors in the roles of Judas and Jesus, to create an ambitious performance portraying the events leading up to Jesus' death and resurrection.
Each year the churches of Hamilton take turns to host events to mark Holy Week. This year it's up to Hamilton Old Kirk, where a husband and wife team have lead the project.
Host minister Rev Ross Blackman is "incredibly excited" about the production, and emphasises what he hopes will be a sensory performance.
He says:
"The inspiration behind this is my desire to use more of the performing arts in worship and in Christian education.
"Already the cast and observers of the rehearsals are finding new depths to their faith, through these portrayals. Being part of this has had an impact on all those involved."
His wife Liz Blackman, a trained actress with a background in theatre and TV, is the producer and director of the Passion Play.
Palm Sunday
Starting on Palm Sunday, 9 April, at 12:30pm they will depict Jesus' triumphant entry into Jerusalem on Quarry Street. Then each night of the week at 7:30 pm in Hamilton Old Parish Church they will act out the Easter story, from the cleansing of the Temple and the Last Supper to the crucifixion.
On Thursday the scene of the Last Supper will include members of the local clergy as disciples, who will distribute the communion elements at the end of the service.
The Friday service will conclude with Jesus on the cross outside the front of the church before being "buried" in the church for the weekend.
The event will culminate on Easter Sunday, 16 April, with a dawn service of resurrection at 6:30 am followed by scenes from the Resurrection at 10:30am.
The meaning of Easter
Rev Joanne Hood, minister at St John's Church in Hamilton, is also taking part in the production, which hundreds are expected to attend. She said:
"We wanted to do something to help everyone understand the meaning of Easter, of Christ's resurrection and the joy it gives us. That's why we will be staging the Passion Play both in the streets of Hamilton and in our churches next week. It's a huge thing for us with all the churches coming together across denominations to put on a really special event for the community."
Passion plays became popular in the 14th century and are performed around the world every Easter, the most famous of which is staged in Oberammergau every ten years and features a cast of over two thousand.
Edinburgh play
The production has been supported by Suzanne Loftus, who is the producer of the Edinburgh Easter Play taking place in Princes Street Gardens on Easter Saturday at 2pm.
This is one of the biggest community productions in Scotland. A cast of more than 40 people regularly attracts audiences of 2,000 or more to see the Easter Story presented. Various kinds of plays have been done over the years, this year is a large-scale traditional Passion Play for the first time in six years.
There will be a twist on the story - the narrator will be a woman, Mary the mother of Jesus, a fresh new female angle on a traditional story traditionally dominated by men.


text:
The National Memorial Day Concert & A Capitol Fourth
For over two decades, Capital Concerts, Inc. has been producing these top-rated, multi award-winning PBS concerts performed on the West Lawn of the US Capitol.
This is the ninth year Capital Concerts, Inc. has used Marigold Media Group (and previously PoGo Promotions) to lead a multi-layer campaign, where we strive to solidify strong scheduling and increase station promotion of these beloved shows.
Both programs have consistently become two of PBS top-rated programs and annual tradition for viewers around the country.


text:
Welcome to Mas de la Trévouse.
Along the river Sorgue, in Vaucluse, le Mas de la Trévouse opens its doors the entire year for your week-ends, stays, seminars or celebrations.
Built during the 19th century, the appeals of the authentic Provençal "magnanerie" and its uncommon gypsy caravan will certainly seduce you. Right next to Avignon and l'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue, the Capitale des Antiquaires, revitalise yourself within a tree-filled park and enjoy relaxing moments by the pool.
The place will offer you the chance to discover the famous "Géant de Provence" and its unique point of view along with well-known local vineyards. We have three 75m² equipped cottages, which can welcome 4 to 6 people each; one gypsy caravan for 4 to 5 beddings; and 4 guestrooms (available this spring).
Christine and Christophe Bernigaud


text:
Initial Coin Offerings (ICOs) are becoming increasingly common as a form of fund-raising amongst small businesses. ICOs are in some ways a cross between equity raises and peer-to-peer (P2P) lending. Technically, the company takes a loan in in its newly created currency, and lenders, who will have paid for their cryptocurrency in mainstream, fiat currency, will find themselves with a holding that offers market risk (the exposure of the cryptocurrency to the mainstream cross-rate) as well as the lending risk.
Our friends at Crowdfundinsider report that mainstream credit-ratings agencies are now taking a serious look at cryptocurrencies. One likely outcome is a further increase in the popularity of ICOs. Read an extended excerpt from a recent article below.
Weiss Ratings, a company that currently provides investment ratings of over 40,000 investments including individual stocks, Mutual Funds and ETFs, is going crypto.
Weiss has announced that beginning this week, on January 24th, the company will be issuing letter grades on digital currencies including; Bitcoin, Ethereum, Ripple, Bitcoin Cash, Cardano, NEM, Litecoin, Stellar, EOS, IOTA, Dash, NEO, TRON, Monero, Bitcoin Gold and more.
The new Weiss Cryptocurrency Ratings is claiming to be the first by a financial rating agency. The ratings are said to be based on a model that analyzes thousands of data points on each coin's technology, usage, and trading patterns.
We currently have two A-rated, fixed-term loans on site. With fixed rates of 8 and 9 per cent and fixed terms of three and five years; they will close when filled.
Peer-to-peer (P2P) lending is about bringing individuals seeking a good return on capital together with businesses seeking funds to grow. The average gross return achieved by lenders is 8.6 per cent (7.6 per cent net). This compares with 1.3 per cent, which is the best return currently available on cash deposit with a bank or building society, according to comparison sites such as Moneyfacts. See also risk factors, at the foot of this page.
In addition to new loan offerings, our secondary loan market, offering existing loans for sale by lenders, is available to registered Money&Co. users.
All loans can be held, tax-free, in an Innovative Finance Individual Savings Account, or Innovative Finance ISA.
Risk: Security, Access, Yield
Do consider not just the return, but the security and the ease of access to your investment.We write regularly about these three key factors. Here's an earlier article on security, access and yield.
If you haven't made a loan via Money&Co. before, please read the risk warnings and the FAQ section. You may also wish to consult a financial adviser before making an investment. Capital is at risk, once loaned.


text:
Fast computation of three-dimensional fusion plasma equilibria
Antoine Cerfon, MIT
One of the most promising concepts for the achievement of magnetically confined fusion is the stellarator. It relies on magnetic fields with an inherently three
dimensional structure to confine the hot dense fusion plasma. Such a device presents several desirable features for a fusion reactor, but the lack of a
particular symmetry for the plasma and the fields also represents a major challenge for the computation of equilibrium configurations. If significant
progress in the development of numerical methods for the calculation of 3D equilibria has been made over the last 30 years, with the performance and speed
of present solvers, certain crucial applications remain a goal for the future.
Our approach to accelerating the calculation of 3D equilibria is to perform an asymptotic analysis based on a few small parameters typically found in modern
stellarator experiments. The end result of our analysis is a set of two surprisingly simple looking coupled partial differential equations for the plasma pressure and the magnetic vector potential, which, once solved, fully determines the equilibrium. A few examples will be given, to illustrate our approach.


text:
Do you have an email address? If you are reading this probably so. Ok, so having an email address is no bigger now, right? Since I started blogging three years ago I have started to receive unexpected and unusual E-mail requests. At first, I was flattered with requests to come preach in Africa, India and other exotic like locations. As I later found out, all these wonderful sincere e-mail requests were ministries asking me to come on my own dime and expense. You know the perception. If you are an American then you are rich. One such minister and I still write back and forth and he has even called me a few times. It's a genuine friendship now, but I just have not made it to Kenya yet as other pressing expenses and priorities have taken place, plus I have not saved up that many dimes yet!
Well this past spring I received yet another email. This time it was from a land far far away, but it was from people that were only asking for a little local help. They just needed a place to sleep for a few nights when they made their way to Orlando for an International convention that was held this past June. The request seemed simple enough.
It seemed harmless and easy enough at first to reply, "Sure what can I do to help you 53 folks with? Give me a few more details and I will see what I can do." Well as time progressed, I found myself caring, transporting and arranging more than I ever dreamed of by the end of a full 15 days of hosting people from Papua New Guinea. Of those 15 days 7 of them were days entirely spent in Deland with 29 of the 53 travelers on our grounds. I was spent as they say when it was all over. It was a good spent and I have no regrets, but it was some deal for sure.
Matter of fact since I've done it once, I feel I could do it again if needed, but I am certainly not searching the internet looking for people to host again by any means. I could never had done it without the gracious help of my staff, people and those precious ones in the community of Deland, and of course the wonderful grace of God. So many helped in big and small ways. After a couple of days my lovely wife said, "I think ill leave early on that trip to Ohio with the kids as planned, so you can open the house up to the others who are still sleeping on the floor.". Within hours I had 10 people sleeping in my home. What a time we had! I truly lived life to the fullest with our congregation that week. Our local church will never forgot those people and those special days. Just check out one of those service here! We went to the coast, watched the Deland Suns play ball and so much more. I even took a group of 12 downtown for a cup of coffee on the BLVD one afternoon and of course wal-mart was the destination of preference many times over. Heaven came down when they sang at church and the power of God fell when they prayed.
Ten years ago I could never had imagined so much life and excitement could flow out of simply answering an email over the Internet. On the day they left to the airport I wept as I saw my new friends fly 24 plus hours back around the world to their homes in Papua New Guinea.
In the 47th year of our local churches history we went from yellow pages to web pages for the first time. We now have had visitors from a foreign county as well as from the local area because of web pages. We even have friends and relatives in our congregation who have viewed worship services live over the internet from Key West to Maine. Now that is something this local church probably could never had imagined just a few short months ago. Truly the addition from yellow pages to web pages has expanded our world influence.
Our ministry model of outreach and influence has changed over the last 47 years, but probably not as drastically as what the web pages has brought to this local Nazarene church in 2009. Even to this day there still remain approximately 45% of all churches in North America that do not have web page. Given the choice today I would choice a web page over a yellow page for sure.
We are seeing the results first hand. The emails come in, the phone rings and I get comments from time to time how they found our church online. Who would have ever imagined people from down the street to people around the world finding a local church in the new global phone book called the internet.
I sure am enjoying the transition of how God is using the new phone book to build His kingdom among us in Deland.


text:
Case Studies - A Consumer Resource For Home Energy Savings 2020-10-22T18:03:02Z http://homeenergysaver.ning.com/forum/categories/case-studies/listForCategory?feed=yes&xn_auth=no Weatherization: Improving Home Safety and Reducing Your Energy Bill tag:homeenergysaver.ning.com,2016-12-14:6551471:Topic:15920 2016-12-14T19:44:44.705Z Mila Adamovica http://homeenergysaver.ning.com/profile/MilaAdamovica
Here, at PK Safety, we recently learned about a nationwide program instituted by the U.S. Department of Energy that promotes the use of clean and sustainable energy through weatherization funding. It's the Weatherization Assistance Program. This came to our attention when a couple of new customers approached us from community action groups that specifically carry out weatherization services. These customers purchased gas detectors for their organizations so we looked into it a bit to find…

Here, at PK Safety, we recently learned about a nationwide program instituted by the U.S. Department of Energy that promotes the use of clean and sustainable energy through weatherization funding. It's the Weatherization Assistance Program. This came to our attention when a couple of new customers approached us from community action groups that specifically carry out weatherization services. These customers purchased gas detectors for their organizations so we looked into it a bit to find out more about how they are helping their communities. We worked with the Illinois Home Weatherization Assistance Program and B.C.M.W. Community Services. They found us after being advised to purchase RKI Instruments four-gas monitors that would bring them into OSHA compliance for their services and qualify them for their state's funds. One of our Corporate Account Experts worked with them to help choose the right solution for gas detection in their projects and recommended the GX-2009 4-Gas Monitor from RKI Instruments.

What Is Involved In a Weatherization Project?

 In order for a building to be properly weatherized, it will need to undergo an audit during which several elements in the home are being checked and assessed for energy use with the aim to pinpoint problem areas. These areas include appliances, home electronics, insulation and air sealing, lighting, space heating and water heating/cooling, as well as windows and doors.

Services and upgrades may involve:

Home audit and assessment of energy efficiency needs

Testing heating systems and appliances for combustion safety

Testing for carbon monoxide and gas leaks

Monitoring for possible moisture damage or mold infestations

Checking insulation, windows, doors, basements and attics for outside leaks

Replacing and tune-ups of heating and cooling systems

Checking electrical panels and wiring for safety

Installing smoke and carbon monoxide detectors

Solar energy systems installation

Some upgrades that are most often needed in a weatherization retrofit include insulating walls, attics, water heaters and pipes, sealing doors, crawls spaces, basements, applying weather stripping and caulk, replacing doors, windows, walls and roofing, installing new HVAC and ducting, and even adding solar energy panels.

Why Are Gas Monitors Needed for Weatherization Projects?

Confined spaces, like attics and crawl spaces, may be poorly ventilated and, as a result, contain insufficient oxygen or hazardous levels of toxic gases. Contractors and service providers encounter numerous health and safety risks when entering a home to accomplish weatherization audits and services. In order to qualify for federal and state funding through the Weatherization Assistance Program, the organizations that carry out these projects need to ensure they are OSHA-compliant. OSHA requires performing gas monitoring of confined spaces before entering them in order to prevent serious injury or death.

In 2015 the definition of a confined space was expanded to include attics and crawl spaces. Most commonly, there are cases where a worker could be exposed to hydrogen sulfide, carbon monoxide, or combustible gases that would poison them or leave them with a lack of oxygen. Since RKI Instruments company is a very dependable and respected brand of gas detection equipment, it makes perfect sense that the OSHA representative recommended these devices to the Illinois Home Weatherization Assistance Program for their gas detection needs. PK Safety carries many RKI gas detectors and is happy to help you find the right gas detection solution for your weatherization projects.

What Are The Benefits of Weatherization?

Weatherization improvements in buildings and residences can make a positive environmental impact through clean energy use and reduced need for energy consumption. Through the program, organizations are working with the qualifying low-income residents who normally wouldn't be able to make this type of change, and also help them with a reduction in energy bills. In addition, the health safety of the residents is often improved with better air quality inside the home benefitting from the newer, retrofitted insulation and filtration systems. Improved insulation after sealing leaks around doors, windows and wall joints can keep heat out in summer and in during winter.

These simple changes can significantly reduce energy use through the busy seasons. Depending on your climate, you will have different needs for the levels of insulation, moisture control, and ventilation. Insulation provides resistance to heat flow. The more heat flow resistance is provided in your insulation, the lower the heating and the cooling costs are, and the more comfortable it will be for living. Not only is weatherization good for your energy bill, it can help with safety issues caused by aging appliances, insulation, and HVAC systems.

More About The Weatherization Assistance Program and Services

Instituted by the U.S. Department of Energy, the Weatherization Assistance Program funds qualifying community organizations like these, to help local low-income residents to reduce energy bills and improve health and safety. The U.S. Weatherization and Intergovernmental Programs Office coordinates with local and state leaders to accelerate the adoption of energy efficiency improvement best practices and technologies. These partnerships help American communities overcome barriers to clean and efficient energy use.

The state governments and local agencies usually work to leverage this Energy Department funding with other federal, state, utility and private resources to increase the amount of homes that can be weatherized. The local agencies and organizations work to provide weatherization assessments and services to those who may be in need of solutions or improved technologies for home energy upgrades.

The U.S. Department of Energy developed the Home Energy Score system to build market value for home energy efficiency with nationwide household recognition. In order to score a home, a builder or contractor will use the "house-as-a-system" approach for evaluation. A home is audited and receives a score that reflects its energy efficiency based on the structure, heating, cooling, and hot water systems. This approach ensures that the team of building professionals consider all the variables, details and interactions that affect energy use in the home. In addition to this, they evaluate the occupant behavior, site conditions, and climate.

Who is Eligible for Weatherization Assistance?

Weatherization Assistance resources are available in every state through the U.S. Department of Energy. According to DOE, more than 30 million U.S. families may be eligible for weatherization services. Energy services are provided by the states' local weatherization agencies. Those who receive Supplemental Security Income are automatically eligible to receive weatherization services. Not only house owners, but also renters who meet the corresponding criteria are eligible for weatherization if the landlord accepts the terms of the project.

The Department of Energy issued important guidelines that state that the priority must be given to the elderly, to people with disabilities, and to families with children. Income is one of the main factors affecting eligibility: those whose income falls below the "200% poverty level" are eligible.

Check your state and local government's Weatherization Assistance Programs and also your local power supply company's website for more information.

We are thankful to the organizations like B.C.M.W. Community Services or the Illinois Home Weatherization Assistance Program for promoting clean energy use.

 Everything You Wanted To Know About Solar Pool Heating tag:homeenergysaver.ning.com,2016-03-08:6551471:Topic:13163 2016-03-08T13:00:43.223Z Olivia Taylor http://homeenergysaver.ning.com/profile/OliviaTaylor

What is the use of a swimming pool at your backyard, when you cannot use it throughout the year? You have to pay the maintenance charges, clean the pool and repair the damages and then restrict your usage only for eight months when the temperature is favorable. So,…

What is the use of a swimming pool at your backyard, when you cannot use it throughout the year? You have to pay the maintenance charges, clean the pool and repair the damages and then restrict your usage only for eight months when the temperature is favorable. So, is it reasonable to spend so much when you can use the swimming pool only for a few months? For instance, if you are living in Florida, the weather conditions keep on changing because the state lies almost on the lap of the ocean. It holds the record for the costliest weather disasters in the U.S history. However, the region of Tampa usually has a tropical climate, except the four winter months. So, pool heater can be an excellent option for the residents of this city. But if you still think solar pool heating in Tampa is nothing but a luxury, then this FAQ can help you out.

What Is The Need for Heating The Pool?

After a lot of thinking, you decided to have a pool at your backyard. This will be a place for having fun with your family and friends, for exercising and relaxing. The money you have decided to invest for building the pool along with other therapeutic facilities and security system is definitely huge. These clearly imply that you are expecting to utilize the pool at the optimum level. But, what if the water of the pool is too cold to swim, especially in the winter? This will not allow you to fully realize the benefits of your investment. A solar heater can help you out. On installing it, the water temperature in the pool will remain comfortable throughout the year. No matter how cold the weather is, your pool will always be ready to welcome you at ease.

Is It Better than Pumps Used for Heating Pool?

In order to run the pump for heating, you have to use electricity, which has completely no use for a solar heating system. The heat pump depends on a refrigerant system which has a motor and compressor. If these mechanical parts go out of order, replacing them is very expensive. Solar pool heater, however, depends on sun's energy, which is completely free. However, you can keep an electrical heat pump as an alternative.

Is It Completely Environment Friendly?

If you are really conscious about the environment, solar pool heating will be the right choice. There is no chance of power wastage because no fossil fuel is used. Unlike the heating pumps, there are no refrigerants to create air pollution, ozone depletion or leave a 'greenhouse effect'.

Can the Solar Energy Heat a Pool Evenly?

If you have designed the solar pool heating system properly, there will be no chance of uneven pool heating. The energy of sun is the fuel for heating your pool to a comfortable temperature. So, on winter days, you not only get to relax at the poolside but can enjoy a swim in the pool cheerfully.

Is This Heating System Easy to Operate?

Operating a solar pool heating system is no rocket science. This is fully automatic and simple to use like any other electric or fossil operated pool heaters. The maintenance cost is less and you do not have to deal much with internal mechanical errors like wear and tear of motor or compressor.

How Does a Solar Heater Work?

In order to circulate filtered water in the pool, a pump is used. The solar heater system uses this pump to divert the cold pool water through small passages of the solar collectors. The system heats the water and drains it out back into the pool. Once the desired temperature of the pool is reached, the water by-pass the solar collector and return to the pool. There is an automatic control valve in the system that monitors the temperature of the pool and the collectors.

How to Maintain It?

Beyond the usual procedure of winterizing the pool, you do not have to do anything else to maintain a solar pool system.

How Much Will a Solar Pool Heater Cost?

The price of the heat pump is the same as your gas heater. That is the only cost you have to bear because rest the process is natural. You can save a lot of money because there is no cost involved in buying fuel. Solar heater is both durable and economic. The money that you would have otherwise invested in electrical heating can now be used to upgrade the swimming pool.

What Will Be the Size Of The System?

The size of the solar pool heater depends on a number of factors. Some of these are:

the size of the pool

hours and time of usage

geographic area

climate of the region

orientation of the solar collectors

The service provider needs to think about all these factors while installing the heater. It is better if you refrain from taking the decision yourself, and rather count on an expert to give you a better idea.

There is no dearth of sunshine in Florida. That is one of the reasons why solar pool heating in Tampa is a very viable option for homeowners. All you need to do is place the solar collector panel at a place where it can get a good exposure to the sun. The angle of the mounting surface is important as well. Keep these panels away from wind and let it run for some time, if you want the pool to stay warm longer. With these heaters in use, there is no need to leave your pool unused anymore during the winters. You can resume your swimming sessions at home and stay fit all the time. Cost of maintaining a swimming pool is high, so why not make the most use of it? Plus, you can expect a solar pool heating system to run for decades. This means, once you install these, you are looking at many years of 'warm' winters. Install a solar heater and brush up your swimming skills throughout the year, while the neighbors wait for the winters to pass.
 Efficient Usage of Electricity.. tag:homeenergysaver.ning.com,2015-09-01:6551471:Topic:11541 2015-09-01T06:15:27.059Z Shreya Vishnoi http://homeenergysaver.ning.com/profile/ShreyaVishnoi
In any country, the right to access sources of energy that are affordable, reliable and sustainable is a primary driver of the social progress of the country and how much it is doing for its citizens in urban as well as rural areas. Electricity and power are the keys to provide essential services such as telecommunications, banks, hospitals, schools, etc. and utilities and facilities within them. An efficient usage…

In any country, the right to access sources of energy that are affordable, reliable and sustainable is a primary driver of the social progress of the country and how much it is doing for its citizens in urban as well as rural areas. Electricity and power are the keys to provide essential services such as telecommunications, banks, hospitals, schools, etc. and utilities and facilities within them. An efficient usage of electricity in the rural areas of a country is the key to productively, healthily and peacefully use services that are taken for granted in the urban sectors.

India has consistently been listed as the third largest emitter of greenhouse gases in the world which has raised a lot of questions about its energy future- balancing jobs, growth and the environment.

However, if recent encouraging reports from the IRENA (i.e. the International Renewable Energy Agency) are to be believed, there is a renewed hope in the fact that a million jobs could be generated by year 2022 in the renewable energy sector if the goal of 100 giga watts (GW) of solar photovoltaic (PV) energy and 60 GW of wind energy is achieved by the current Government.
 Is building a new home energy efficient? tag:homeenergysaver.ning.com,2015-03-24:6551471:Topic:10446 2015-03-24T15:31:08.815Z Tori Newton http://homeenergysaver.ning.com/profile/ToriNewton
I've battled this dilemma for years, and since I constantly go back and forth on the subject, I figured I'd post my findings here in the hopes of garnering some advice. Folks, the struggle is real; give me your words, your wisdom, and your wealth (okay maybe not wealth, but feel free to give the other two abundantly)!

At first, I thought that living in an existing home (rather than utilizing the time, energy, and resources to build a new one) was the best way to conserve energy…

I've battled this dilemma for years, and since I constantly go back and forth on the subject, I figured I'd post my findings here in the hopes of garnering some advice. Folks, the struggle is real; give me your words, your wisdom, and your wealth (okay maybe not wealth, but feel free to give the other two abundantly)!

At first, I thought that living in an existing home (rather than utilizing the time, energy, and resources to build a new one) was the best way to conserve energy overall. However, my research suggests that this may not always be the case. In fact, many new homes are so energy efficient that they at least make up for the resources used to construct them, while many supersede this energy deficit.

If I was to build a new home, a whole-house systems approach could be implemented. This allows for builders and homeowners to have a say in the insulation, lighting, water heating, etc. Adding or altering variables like these to an existing home can take a fair amount of money, resources, and labor (not to say that it isn't worth it, but if you can avoid this step--why not?). Options like this in the new vs. pre-owned home battle are what make the difference in the HERS Index, which measures overall home energy efficiency. According to the scale, "used" homes score much worse than their newer counterparts. Revolutionary? Maybe not. Worth considering if you're making a lifelong commitment to greener-living? Absolutely!

But let's be honest. Like, real heart-to-heart honest. It's pretty much impossible to afford to build a new home unless the proper finances are available and credit is on point. Renting/owning a pre-owned home may be the only option. In this case, any changes I made/make (with the approval of the property owner) could cost me money that I may not have. There are some thrifty home efficiency improvements that most people could make, which could serve as a personal happy-medium (at least for now).

Does anybody have any thoughts on the topic?? I'd love some advice. Thanks!
 Your House is a System tag:homeenergysaver.ning.com,2013-12-09:6551471:Topic:5290 2013-12-09T16:33:05.454Z Mike Kandel http://homeenergysaver.ning.com/profile/MikeKandel
You understand that your car is made up of interacting components and systems - when one component fails, it affects the performance of the entire vehicle. But did you know that the same goes for your house?

Here's a scenario. You're uncomfortable; so you reach for the thermostat, but the HVAC still can't keep up. Your energy bills get higher. You notice condensation on windows. You find mold in the basement. The attic is damp and you worry about warping and rot. The kids seem to…

You understand that your car is made up of interacting components and systems - when one component fails, it affects the performance of the entire vehicle. But did you know that the same goes for your house?

Here's a scenario. You're uncomfortable; so you reach for the thermostat, but the HVAC still can't keep up. Your energy bills get higher. You notice condensation on windows. You find mold in the basement. The attic is damp and you worry about warping and rot. The kids seem to catch one cold after another. If your house were a car, the 'check engine' light would be blazing and mysterious fumes would be coming from under the hood.

So you spend money and a weekend or two putting in more insulation. The problem gets a bit better, but it isn't solved. You look at the condensation and wonder if you should get new windows. You install a new thermostat and think about replacing the old furnace with a high-efficiency model. You take the kids to the pediatrician for another round of antibiotics. Meanwhile, you're still uncomfortable and your energy bills are still way too high.

The 'process of elimination' strategy to home-performance repairs can cost a lot of money and time without ever achieving the goal of a comfortable, healthy, safe and energy-efficient home. To get it right, you need to consider the whole home using the house-as-a-system concept.

Finding the problems: How to conduct a whole-home assessment

The alternative is to conduct a whole-home assessment to find those relationship problems and tackle them at the root cause. It is best performed by a Building Performance Institute, Inc. (www.bpi.org) trained and qualified technician for two reasons:

Properly diagnosing home performance problems and prescribing solutions requires a background in building science that most do-it-yourselfers just do not have.

The job requires specialist (and often expensive) diagnostic tools—such as a blower door and perhaps an infrared camera—that are not likely to be found in the average do-it-yourself tool kit.

This initial assessment helps isolate root causes of the problems responsible for the symptoms. From it, an itemized and prioritized scope of work is developed. After the improvements are installed, a second comprehensive, whole-home assessment is conducted to ensure the house is now performing at expected levels and that the project has not adversely affected occupant health and safety.

Anything less exposes occupants to undue risk, and can create adverse consequences for contractors, manufacturers, program managers and anyone and everyone connected with the project, however distantly.

Show Me the Money

Upgrading your home's performance can increase its value and provide great rewards in terms of comfort and energy savings.

Visit the Database of State Incentives for Renewables & Efficiency (DSIRE) at www.dsireusa.org to learn about incentive programs in your area. You can also find an index of Home Performance with ENERGY STAR programs at www.energystar.gov or contact your utility to find out what's happening locally.

Most of these programs require contractors to hold specific qualifications, such as BPI Certified Professional or BPI Accredited Contractor. BPI credentials are specified in over 130 state, local and utility programs nationwide. Find a BPI certified professional near you at www.bpi.org.

Understanding how your house works as a system can help you identify the root cause of problems and find solutions to improve the performance of your home.
 Living Off The Sun, Or, No Electricity Bill tag:homeenergysaver.ning.com,2013-05-23:6551471:Topic:3963 2013-05-23T23:48:42.916Z Home Energy Saver http://homeenergysaver.ning.com/profile/MacieMelendez
One year into having our rooftop solar panels installed here in Portland Oregon, we're living off the sun. That's to say, we producing slightly more electricity than we're using. Yippee! (The wonks among us call this achieving net zero.)

What's the secret to living off the sun?  The secret is to use electricity…

One year into having our rooftop solar panels installed here in Portland Oregon, we're living off the sun. That's to say, we producing slightly more electricity than we're using. Yippee! (The wonks among us call this achieving net zero.)

What's the secret to living off the sun? The secret is to use electricity sparingly. Solar energy is created in real time, and therefore supplies a slow, modest trickle of energy. Coal, in contrast, took millions of years to form in the earth, and yet is our culture's main source of electrical energy. That's unfortunate, because burning coal and other fossil fuels is what's driving climate change, also known as global warming.

How much electricity do we use while living off the sun's energy? We only use 4,3000 kilowatts/year, while the average U.S. household uses 11,280 kilowatts/year. So we're using about 38% of the national average. That was true back when we lived in a small home built in 1940, and has remained true since we moved three years ago to our current home of 2,250 square feet that was built (to good, modern energy code) in 2010.

Does my home literally have no electricity bill? We still get a bill, but we only pay the basic service charge that keeps us connected to the grid. That's because our solar panels are feeding into the grid a little more electricity than we're using. This set-up is called net metering.

Are we depriving ourselves by using 62% less electricity than the average household? I think we live a wonderful life. And I've never heard anybody term me a martyr. The main ways our lifestyle looks different from most U.S. households would probably be these:

We have no flat-screen TV. Flat-screens, especially large and high-resolution ones, use a lot of energy. We actually have no TV at all. I think plenty of people watch some great things on TV, and I'm not telling you to get rid of yours. I do think, though, that having a TV would move me backward in my battle with "sitting disease."

We hang our laundry up to dry, rather than using our clothes dryer. I admit I'm not crazy about the aesthetics of our spare room being adorned on most days with underwear, dishtowels, socks and shirts hanging from the compact indoor clothesline we bought cheap from Target. But my husband Thor is passionate about the hanging up of clothes to conserve electricity, and he's willing to do it. I remind myself this is a very positive hobby, as husbands' hobbies go.

We have no air conditioner. When it gets hot we use fans, and shade the house with blinds, and slow ourselves down. Heating and cooling is where the bulk of everyone's energy use lies. We also wash all laundry loads in cold water.

How much did our solar panels cost? They cost $5,950 when we had them installed a year ago, and we're getting that whole investment back in Oregon tax credits over four years. Unfortunately, those tax credits have been reduced since then.

What's our payback period? Payback period refers to how long it takes for an investment to pay for itself. Our payback period on our solar investment is unusually short, much less than four years, due to Oregon's good tax credits in 2012. But let's say no tax credits are available as you're considering solar panels. That means it's only your reduced electricity bills that will pay you back for your solar investment. If you're paying $1,200 annually for electricity, which many households do, and if you combine serious energy conservation with getting solar panels, your payback period for your solar investment could possibly be as little as five or six years.

What happens after the payback period is over? That's when it really gets interesting, because then the solar owner's/solar producer's electricity is free, except for the basic monthly service charge. Twenty years worth of my household's pre-solar electricity bills equals $9,278 — which equals the electricity bills we won't be paying, since our solar panels are producing that electricity. Where else can you be practically guaranteed that much return on an investment?

Are we living off the grid? No, our electricity is hooked into our city's electrical grid, like most urban folks with solar panels. So, I should clarify that we do still receive a monthly electricity bill, and we pay a basic service charge Being part of the grid means that the energy we produce with our solar panels goes into the general power supply, and the energy we use comes from that same general power supply. Off-the-gridders are usually in rural areas. I would love to hear from anyone living with off-the-grid solar in the comments section.

Were our solar panels made in China? No, we made a point of buying solar panels made in Oregon. We paid a bit extra for this. We consider it money well spent if we can help a fellow Oregonian have a job.

We can't all get solar panels. So, what's the main takeaway here? If you're a renter, or condo owner, or your roof is old or is in permanent shade, solar panels probably aren't an option for you. But energy conservation will still both save you money, and make you more resilient to climate change and extreme weather events. Whatever your average monthly bill is, set a goal of reducing it by a third. Treat electricity as if it's precious, like gold, because someday in the future we may all need to be living off the sun and the slow, real-time energy that it produces.

Over to you. What is your favorite way to conserve electricity? Or, what do you find hardest about doing that?

- Alison Wiley, Diamond-Cut Life

 Kermit was Right! It's not easy being green... tag:homeenergysaver.ning.com,2013-02-28:6551471:Topic:2156 2013-02-28T20:43:59.286Z Evan Mills http://homeenergysaver.ning.com/profile/EvanMills
It's not easy being Gre en … even if you have a Ph.D. in the subject. Kermit was right, but I'm on a mission to prove him wrong.

Moving to a new home in mid-2008 presented a great opportunity to walk the talk (some say to "eat my own dogfood"). The late-1970s house was an eco-basket-case. To put it more…

It's not easy being Green … even if you have a Ph.D. in the subject. Kermit was right, but I'm on a mission to prove him wrong.

Moving to a new home in mid-2008 presented a great opportunity to walk the talk (some say to "eat my own dogfood"). The late-1970s house was an eco-basket-case. To put it more positively, it offered a lot of that proverbial low-hanging fruit: ancient heating system, incandescent lighting galore, inefficient appliances, you get the idea…. This will be like shooting fish in a barrel, I assured myself.

What better way to start than to jump on Google and see what the best products are these days? Easier said than done. I was quickly reminded that one of the largest obstacles to doing the right thing these days is having too much of the wrong information, and in a form that is inscrutable. Now I finally know what today's high-schoolers mean by TMI. (No, not Three Mile Island … Too Much Information.) The web provides access to various directories of consumer products ranked by energy efficiency. Some of these sites are absolutely choked with columns of data that have little meaning (and thus value) to the main-street consumer. Meanwhile, information that is critical is often missing, e.g. will this premium-efficiency fridge even fit in the opening in my kitchen? Can I get service for that brand in this area? What are the standby losses of those boilers?. (If anyone can point me to a standardized list of standby losses from boilers, I'll buy you a beer.) On top of this, some of the resources don't work on the Mac, kicking back un-formatted gibberish (so there goes 10% of the population right off the top). Often, it's difficult or impossible to get side-by-side comparisons. Computer geeks probably have their own special kind of sinister fun designing these resources, but we have a long way to go before consumers with a "change-the-channel" attention span will get what they need from these websites.

And, being in a small town in a relatively remote rural area, it was impossible to find contractors and product retailers who gave more than lip service to "green". I lost count of how many times I heard: "But Mr. Mills, doing that'll only save you pennies," followed by snickering when they thought I was out of earshot. It was like pulling teeth; so we did.

Switched fuels from oil to propane (no natural gas in this area) for heating, electric to propane for hot water and cooking: 14% carbon emissions reduction. We replaced an ancient oil furnace (which was also billowing flue gases into the house) with a condensing boiler. This gave us premium efficiency hot water as well (with an extra heat exchanger in the tank so we can add solar down the line). R-8 ducts and a programmable thermostat. Made a run at weatherstripping. Getting it just right is not as easy as it sounds; had to experiment a lot to get the right thicknesses.

We did a massive lighting retrofit--indoors and out--and there is not a single incandescent lamp left in the house. Trimmed a mind-numbing 5722 watts of installed lighting load by 2/3rds, increasing lighting levels in some dark areas. Premium T8-electronic lamps in the cove lighting, some dimmable CFLs, and even affordable LEDs for lighting in the closets – amazing how far 1 watt of LED will shine. Dual-tech wall switches save me chasing around after the kids all the time to turn lights off. I couldn't help but take the cover off of the nifty new bathroom fan-light to see how it was put together. I found two 18-watt fluorescents inside, pumping out more light output than a modern 4-foot lamp. Immediately unplugged one of those for a cool 50% savings on top of the savings from converting from incandescent to fluorescent in the first place, avoiding certain blindness in the process. Tucked between these two macho CFLs was a 4-watt incandescent bulb that was continuously on, thereby negating some of my savings and providing light (day and night) that I didn't need. I suppose it is there for the one hour a year that the power is out. It was gratifying to unscrew it, but most consumers wouldn't have bothered.

Called the utility to recycle our old fridge ($75 rebate to-boot). They're of course supposed to verify—but didn't in my case—that the unit actually runs, otherwise the utility shouldn't get any credit for taking energy and carbon out of the system. Next round: find new fridge. We hunted and hunted and found the one that had the amenities we wanted and super-good efficiency. Shortly after purchasing, Consumer Reports announced a scandal in which some manufacturers of this style unit had falsified their energy test results, claiming Energy Star levels of performance but in fact not delivering them. We didn't happen to get that model, but it leaves me wondering…..

Lots of other little things, like water-efficient showerheads and faucets, a door on the fireplace, replacing the snaking, crimped clothes dryer vent, and a nifty solar tube to keep a bathroom that would otherwise need a lot of electric light nicely lit all day with daylight. Best-available dishwasher, and boy is it quiet. Telecommuting now, and so burning less gasoline.

Moved the washer/dryer into unconditioned space to avoid the exhaust ventilation impact. Official info tells us there is no difference among clothes dryers. NRDC doesn't think so (see their latest study), but no products are correctly tested/rated, so I'm left hung out to dry, so to speak.

Oh, did I forget to say that the heating contractors who bragged so much about the meticulousness of their duct insulation forgot to do the "Y's"? They also forgot to insulate the hot water runs in the uninsulated crawlspace (yes, it was in their scope of work). I won't embarrass myself by telling you how long it took me to find these defects (hint: the warranty period was over). The building inspector? A sleepwalking apparition.

Despite all this inertia, I estimate that we've reduced the carbon footprint of this house by half, and we'll make another huge dent during round two when we get to beef up the rigid ceiling insulation when it's time to re-roof, and attack those windows. Maybe by then I'll get a second wind and be ready to try and teach the local window retailers not to sell low SHGC-windows in this cool, coastal climate…. "Oh," says the window vendor, "these are fine; we never get complaints."

Once we get the efficiency dialed up as much as possible, I'll look at solar PV and water-heating (and maybe reverse fuel-switching), although I'll have to calculate how much carbon is embodied in those redwoods I'd have to cut down in order to get unobstructed solar access ;).

A more fully fleshed-out and illustrated version of this saga can be downloaded here.
 Case Study: Low-Pain Gain in California tag:homeenergysaver.ning.com,2013-02-01:6551471:Topic:1199 2013-02-01T20:24:02.410Z Home Energy Saver http://homeenergysaver.ning.com/profile/MacieMelendez
In considering the electricity usage we wanted to offset, I imagined our 3,200-square-foot home's energy performance would be at least modestly good since it was built under California's progressive Title 24 energy code. Additionally, our climate zone in Oakland is mild and I considered my family to be energy efficient. I was in for a surprise.

I started sizing the PV system for our home by researching our history of…

In considering the electricity usage we wanted to offset, I imagined our 3,200-square-foot home's energy performance would be at least modestly good since it was built under California's progressive Title 24 energy code. Additionally, our climate zone in Oakland is mild and I considered my family to be energy efficient. I was in for a surprise.

I started sizing the PV system for our home by researching our history of electricity usage in past utility bills and found that we consumed an average of about 660 kWh per month. This was well below the national average. But when an estimate for an offsetting PV system came back at around $45,000, I was alarmed.

In order to parse our electricity bill further, I figured our average hourly usage and I was astounded. Our average electrical consumption was almost 900 watts. Where could all this electricity be going?

To get to the bottom of things, I purchased and installed The Energy Detective (TED) whole-house electricity monitor. It worked well, but I was frustrated because it told only how much electricity was being used, not where it was being used. I would watch in fascination as the monitor spiked 100 watts with no apparent cause, or I would sit in a dark house, refrigerator unplugged and everything off, while the monitor glowed to 200 watts.

It was obvious that I needed to find the devices responsible for the observed aggregate flow—something that required measuring current flows with greater resolution. Since the whole-house monitor was measuring current flows at the two main 120V electrical conductors at the home's main electrical panel, reducing the flow by turning breakers off would limit the flow at the main conductors to just the breakers that were operating. I switched all the breakers off, and then switched them back on one by one, noting the current flow associated with each breaker. (Turning the breakers off one by one and noting the reduction in overall flow is a potentially more accurate method, depending on the contributing devices.) I was astonished. With no lights, building systems, or appliances apparently operating, current was flowing at almost half of the breakers!

Gathering Tools

Cycling breakers was too disruptive for a viable protocol. In addition, the visual resolution on The Energy Detective was too crude to register very low flows (although it logs those flows); also, cycling current in the system might temporarily alter demand to some devices, skewing the results. However, resolution by circuit seemed adequate for an initial investigation, although findings on some circuits would probably require limited additional investigation. I searched for an appropriate tool.

The AEMC SL206 Dual (manual) Range Current Probe was the most compact instrument I could find that would measure the ranges of current I expected to see. It can measure from a few milliamps to over 50 amps. Its size mattered because it would be used in a cramped electrical panel. At the same time, it was reasonably accurate. It was still not ideal. Greater compactness, more accuracy, and lower sensing capabilities would all be better, but it was the best I could find. Since this device is only a probe, which converts current to voltage but has no display, it must be used with a voltage-sensing device, such as a multimeter.

I also picked up a clamp-on meter and line splitter, which made auditing individual plug loads convenient, and a plug load monitor, that allowed limited logging of cycling loads. If you opt to get a clamp-on meter for this application, make sure it has the range capability to work down to 5 milliamps or less, so that it will detect low flows. These low-flow meters are usually referred to as leakage meters.

Developing the Audit Method

To better understand electricity flows in a home, I sought a simple way to get the most information for the effort. However, since the method I am about to describe is not a prolonged monitoring of electricity flows—but rather an instantaneous snapshot—some of the blanks have to be filled in with educated guesses. This exposes both the advantages and the limitations of the method. Its primary advantage is that it is fast and relatively cheap.

The primary limitation of the method is that it is static. Therefore it cannot be used to pinpoint the contribution of dynamic or transitory flows to overall consumption. Mistaking these transitory flows for continuous flows could skew your results. Furthermore, since the method does not pinpoint transitory flows, you may fail to consider the devices that produce these flows as targets for conservation. To do so requires something more than a snapshot audit. However, as I will show later, a rough estimate will do for our purposes. Additionally, some of the equipment I suggest does not take into account power factors, which can skew some measurements.

The method can be summarized as follows: (1) identify all the current flows in a home as either active or passive; (2) isolate and audit the passive flows, noting contributing devices; (3) inventory the active devices and estimate their consumption; and (4) compare the findings to the historical consumption as shown by utility billings. The resulting data will give a rough picture of overall system flows, which can be used to inform a conservation strategy and predict the results of implementing it.

The passive flows are the base load flows—the near-constant background electricity usage that is not associated with actively operating appliances, lights, or building systems. The passive flows are associated mainly with idling electronics, such as unused furnace controls, TVs, or touch pad appliances. The active flows are everything else—the flows that are associated with devices that are switched or cycled on and off by occupants, timers, thermostats, and so forth. (Note that many devices, such as appliances and electronics, fall into both categories.) Because this method is static, it is best suited to evaluate conservation opportunities presented by examining passive flows. If the audit indicates large active flows, additional investigation using a different method, would be called for.

To isolate passive flows, switch off all dynamic and transitory loads, so that the instrumentation does not sense them. All lights and appliances are turned off; thermostats are set back so no demand is placed on conditioning units; and timed loads are disabled, as though the house were empty. Note that nothing should be disconnected. Many devices produce both active and passive flows, and disconnecting them during the audit will skew the results.

Next, I read the current flows at each circuit by removing the panel cover and inserting the current probe. I enter each reading into a spreadsheet, along with the circuit location. I assign the noted flows to one of six broad categories: lighting; entertainment; outlets (plug loads not part of any other category); building services (furnaces, water heaters, and so on); appliances; and miscellaneous (primarily mixed circuits containing more than one of the other categories). This makes it easier to examine usage patterns and pinpoints areas where electricity is being wasted. Table 1 shows the audited pre-conservation current values for our home.

I use the passive flow audit results to survey the system so that individual devices, or groups of devices, can be assigned to the circuit flows noted. The more accurately the home's electrical system is mapped, the less detective work this requires. A circuit designation as noted in the panel box may accurately describe the connected devices. If not, the system will have to be mapped. Even if the system is already well mapped, when considering certain conservation strategies it will be necessary to individually audit some devices or groups of devices if they are connected to a single circuit. This would be done to ascertain their contributions to noted aggregate flow so the conservation potential of altering their operation can be investigated. For plug loads I do this with a line splitter and a clamp-on meter. For integrally wired loads, I find somewhere to interrupt the circuit that isolates the device or device group and use the AEMC probe and multimeter or a clamp-on meter, whichever is appropriate.

For active flows, I usually inventory the home and then interview the occupants to see how the contributing devices are operated. How much effort I put into doing this depends on how much energy a given device uses, and how willing (or able) the occupants are to reduce that usage. For example, lighting systems are often a source of significant active consumption, and can often be modified relatively easily to reduce that consumption. For this reason, they often warrant investigation. The active-component consumption of a microwave that is used only occasionally probably isn't worth considering, since not only is cumulative consumption low, but the occupant would probably be unwilling to give up the convenience. The passive component of the same microwave, which in all likelihood exceeds the active component, is probably worth investigating.

Refrigerators present a special case. Since the length and frequency of their cycling affects overall consumption, a snapshot audit is insufficient. To get a rough estimate of how much a refrigerator is consuming, I monitor it over the course of the audit with a plug load monitor and insert the average rating in the spreadsheet. However, if the refrigerator is being considered for replacement, a longer monitoring is required, at least three or four days, to allow cycling through the defrost cycle. If the refrigerator is not on a dedicated circuit, I disconnect it during the circuit audit, so that I can measure the other flows on the circuit.

To estimate total system performance, I sum the audited passive flows in the spreadsheet in each category and then convert to watts by multiplying by the voltage and then add active flow estimates (see Table 1). These estimates can be derived in several ways. For lighting, I like to sum the wattages of lamps that are frequently used and multiply the total by the number of hours of daily use. Then I divide the product by 24 to find average hourly usage.

For other active flows, I usually simply enter an "Active Adjustment" factor—little more than an educated guess, which can get slightly more refined in the next step—as a multiplier of the passive flows for the same category. The product is then added to the Passive Watts and multiplied by the number of hours in a month to obtain the "Projected Monthly kWh" by category. The projected monthly kWh in all categories are summed to give the "Total Projected kWh/month."

Next I examine historical utility data and compare these data to the projection. For this, I like to average a year's worth of utility bills. Active-flow assumptions can then be adjusted in order to make the consumption predicted by the audit approximate that shown by historical utility data. Manipulating active flows like this essentially takes the portion of the historically observed consumption that cannot be accounted for in the audited passive flows and spreads it across the consumption categories. As I explained above, how accurate you choose to be in treating active flows will depend on the emphasis of the audit, and on whether a particular active flow is a good conservation target. Keep in mind that the purpose of the audit is not to predict overall usage, but to identify conservation targets. Truing up the audit predictions with the historical data by manipulating the active flows simply estimates the overall flows as closely as practicable, given the data we have.

Plugging the Leaks: Using an Audit to Green a Home

With the current flows in our house identified and quantified, I could see much more clearly where our electricity was going, and what steps we could take to reduce. I studied the spreadsheet and made a list of the contributors to overall consumption that were primarily operating passively. As applicable, I tested individual devices or groups of devices to ascertain their contribution to the aggregate flows noted. Through this process I discovered, for example

Unused X-10 automated switches and receptacles consumed between 2 and 3 watts each. This accounted for some of the noted flows at lighting circuits when no lights were turned on.

The warm-air furnaces consumed between 6 and 11 watts each continuously, and the tankless water heater consumed about 4 watts.

Entertainment electronics stacks consumed between 10 and 60 watts each continuously.

An idle computer and its peripherals consumed over 100 watts continuously.

Garage door openers consumed about 6 watts each continuously.

The telephone answering system consumed about 5 watts continuously.

In all, the passive flows accounted for well over half of our electricity consumption. A few simple steps could save a lot of energy. We considered doing the following things:

Remove X-10 components from the system.

Put electronics stacks on switched power strips.

Cycle current to the furnaces off in non-heating months by switching the circuit off at the breaker. (This can alternatively be done at the furnace, if the unit does not have a dedicated circuit.)

Install a switched power strip at the microwave oven.

Install switched circuits to the garage door openers so they could be turned off when a car was in the garage.

Replace the incandescent lamps of all commonly used light fixtures with CFLs or LEDs.

The effects of implementing these measures can be roughly quantified. I calculated the potential electricity savings using the data I had measured in the audit and estimated the cost of having an electrician or a skilled handyman perform each task. Savings are calculated using a blended tiered rate of approximately $0.22/kWh, applicable in my utility area between approximately 350 and 550 kWh consumption per month. The costs of implementing these measures are low, and returns on investment are favorable (see Table 2).

When we implemented all of the conservation measures I listed, I was shocked, but in a good way. Comparing July through December 2006 to the same period in 2007, average monthly consumption falls from 660 kWh to less than 360 kWh, a reduction of more than 45% and very close to the predicted savings. Since the reduction moved us to a lower rate tier, the result was a cost savings of almost 65%.

Our savings are even more impressive when you consider that because we now needed less electricity to run our home, we were able to install a smaller PV system. We shaved our average consumption by just over 400 watts. In our climate zone, offsetting baseload with PV solar capacity costs about $50 installed cost per baseload watt. This means that we saved approximately $20,000 in PV system costs.

These simple measures have had minimal impact on our lifestyle. The most intrusive change was having to power up a computer to use the Internet, although I found that I had simply gotten used to hopping online, and not having instant access cut down on my tendency to do so. Other than that, the only change in our lifestyle was learning to turn on power to a unit before using it.

- Frank Bergamaschi is a California licensed architect and currently practices in San Francisco.
 Case Study: Pacifica Coastal Cottage tag:homeenergysaver.ning.com,2013-01-29:6551471:Topic:897 2013-01-29T03:33:19.643Z Home Energy Saver http://homeenergysaver.ning.com/profile/MacieMelendez
The Pacifica Coastal Cottage was built in 1934 by the current occupant's father, a couple hundred yards from the Pacific shoreline, south of San Francisco. The original 700 ft2 shack was added onto haphazardly over the years to a total of 1,503 square feet, and it grew to 1,706 square feet in its 2008 DER. It has two bedrooms, two baths, and two occupants. It experiences approximately 3,200–3,700 HDD (Heating Degree Days) in Pacifica, California.

This house is notable for…

The Pacifica Coastal Cottage was built in 1934 by the current occupant's father, a couple hundred yards from the Pacific shoreline, south of San Francisco. The original 700 ft2 shack was added onto haphazardly over the years to a total of 1,503 square feet, and it grew to 1,706 square feet in its 2008 DER. It has two bedrooms, two baths, and two occupants. It experiences approximately 3,200–3,700 HDD (Heating Degree Days) in Pacifica, California.

This house is notable for its daylighting strategies, which are especially valuable in a home that is occupied all day, every day. Significant efforts were made to create a well-insulated and airtight building, yet the owners expressed disappointment in the results of blower door diagnostic testing (about 6 ACH50), which had not previously been performed.

This is an exemplary project that preserved the historical character of a family heirloom while at the same time making huge advances in comfort, energy efficiency, and sustainability. (See the table below for more details.)

This home has consistently exported net energy during several months of the year ever since its completion in 2008.

 Case Study: Experiences in an All-LED Home tag:homeenergysaver.ning.com,2013-01-29:6551471:Topic:895 2013-01-29T01:39:25.128Z Home Energy Saver http://homeenergysaver.ning.com/profile/MacieMelendez
This all started in August 2010 when we discovered that a rat had eaten gaping holes in the outlet hose of our dishwasher. When all the damage was counted, we were looking at a complete remodel of our kitchen area, covered in part by our homeowner's policy.

Eventually this led to a complete energy revamp of our home, and, very pleasingly, a dramatic drop in our electrical bill—from roughly $400 per month on average in 2008 to roughly $60 per month in 2012 (even including the cost of a…

This all started in August 2010 when we discovered that a rat had eaten gaping holes in the outlet hose of our dishwasher. When all the damage was counted, we were looking at a complete remodel of our kitchen area, covered in part by our homeowner's policy.

Eventually this led to a complete energy revamp of our home, and, very pleasingly, a dramatic drop in our electrical bill—from roughly $400 per month on average in 2008 to roughly $60 per month in 2012 (even including the cost of a swimming pool filter pump, which must run five hours per day, 365 days per year).

The kitchen is illuminated with ten 12W ceiling can lights. The two pendant lights are 3W LEDs. LED equivalents were not yet available for the fluorescent undercounter lights.

While planning the kitchen remodel work, we asked our electrician if LED lights were available for the ceiling cans. He said no, because our ceiling is slanted. However, on the day he came to do the electrical work, he said that there were some LED fixtures now available. So we told him to install them.

We were not disappointed. These LED lights (Cree LE6C-GU24) fit into a standard 6-inch ceiling can, connect using a fluorescent socket (now required for major kitchen work in California), are dimmable, give a very bright, true-white light, and yet use only 12 watts. They are easily the equivalent of 100W floodlights.

Lighting in the den is provided by six 9.5W EcoSmart LED ceiling cans, plus four 7W LED light bulbs in the ceiling fan.

Greatly encouraged by this, we started to wonder what other lights in our home we could replace with LEDs. I soon found some newly available can lights at our nearby Home Depot: EcoSmart 9.5W downlights (model EC0575L). These are very attractive looking, emit a pleasing warm white color (2,700°K), include a self-contained white exterior ring, and feature a standard end, so that they screw directly into existing fixtures designed for conventional incandescent can lights.

They currently sell for $39.95 at Home Depot stores. While we winced considerably at the steep price, we were so pleased with the first set of lights we purchased that we eventually replaced all the remaining can lights in the house—some 29 lights in total—with these EcoSmarts. I might add that they are now available at discount from online retailers such as Amazon.com, particularly if one orders in bulk.

We then vowed to replace all (or almost all) of the remaining lights in the home with LED bulbs. We first found that there are some very nice replacements available for standard 70W lightbulbs, namely the EcoSmart GP19 bulb (model #ECS19WW120), also available at Home Depot. This bulb is listed as using 8.6 watts, although when I measure it with a wattage meter it uses only 7 watts. Also, although the bulb is billed as a "40-watt equivalent" (430 lumens), we have found these to be equivalent to 70W bulbs, evidently because more light is directed upward rather than to the side. For this reason, these bulbs are particularly effective as replacements for the lights in ceiling fans (we have six fans with a total of 21 lights in our home). Their light (3,000°K) is somewhat bluer than the can lights we had installed, but is still entirely acceptable.

We also have three bathrooms with vanities featuring spherical bulbs—26 bulbs in total. Alas, we could not find any good LED equivalents at Home Depot or other nearby hardware stores. However, we did find an excellent replacement from Amazon.com: a General Electric model 76464 Energy Smart LED Globe Light Bulb. It uses only 2.8 watts, yet it gives light output comparable to a 30W vanity bulb. After I replaced these in three bathrooms, my wife and daughters could not tell any difference. Another choice here is Lights of America model 2035LED-30K-8, which gives a brighter, warmer light.

Lighting in bathrooms is provided by a series of 2.8W General Electric vanity bulbs.

One final application was our bedroom reading lights. We found that the EcoSmart GP19 bulbs just aren't bright enough here. However, the EcoSmart A19 LED bulb fits the bill just fine. It uses 13 watts, emits 3,000°K light, and although it is rated as a 60-watt equivalent (850 lumens), we find it to be equivalent to a 100–150W bulb.

In general, we are very pleased with the outcome—we have brighter, cheerier, and definitely more attractive lighting than before (which is a most important factor in selling LED lighting to the public). And every month our superlow electrical bill reminds us of how much energy we are saving. The other advantage is reliability—in the two years since we installed these lights (nearly 100 in total), only one, a bathroom vanity bulb, has failed. This very high level of reliability is in itself worth the extra purchase price to us.

- David H. Bailey is a senior scientist at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.

Photo credit: David H. Bailey


text:
board-out clause
A provision in a publicly traded company's charter or bylaws that allows the board of directors to invoke the supermajority provision. Should the board of directors decide to exercise the board-out clause, then the consent of more than a simple majority of shareholders will be needed for certain actions - especially in the case of a merger or acquisition. This clause is almost always used as an anti-takeover measure.


text:
Many things can impact an antenna's performance from where you have it positioned to what your home is made of. A team member here at Mohu gets 38 channels at their brick home with asphalt shingles (no metal at all) while their neighbor across the street gets 57 channels AND they have a metal roof?! It's all about location, positioning and available signals for an antenna to be successful. We figured out that in our team members situation there is a slight rise where the neighbor's home sits giving the roof mounted Sky 60 about 10 - 15 more feet of height thus better reception is obtainable.
Things to think about when your neighbor gets a better signal than you.
- Are you both using the exact same antenna?
- Did they add different type of coaxial cable or a different amplifier?
- Any other modifications?
- Is your home located "behind" their's and could their home be blocking the signals?
- Is their home located higher than yours? Often a few inches can make a huge difference with reception.
- Do you know which direction the towers are coming from and is your antenna facing the right direction for optimal reception?
- Do you have a home that is actually causing the signal to be diminished because of the building materials used to construct the home?
- Check out this "Building Material" link for more information on that topic.
- Have you tried the Amp Test if you are using an amplified antenna?
Hopefully you'll be able to find just the right spot for your antenna and will get signals that will make your neighbor jealous!


text: Ozzy Osbourne and Family Headed Back to Primetime TV 7:58 AM PST 3/5/2012 by Etan Vlessing FACEBOOK TWITTER EMAIL ME Getty Images Canadian cartoon factory Cuppa Coffee Studios will be shopping "The F'n Osbournes" at MIP-TV in April as a 20-episode animated series. TORONTO — Ozzy Osbourne and his family are returning to primetime TV, thanks to Canadian animation house Cuppa Coffee Studios and its upcoming animated series The F'n Osbournes. Cuppa Coffee will be looking for presales for the animated series at MIP-TV in April. "Teaming up with Cuppa Coffee has spawned a great opportunity to produce a unique animated primetime show," said Sharon Osbourne, Ozzy's wife, who will executive produce the primetime cartoon along with their son, Jack Osbourne. Both Osbournes are involved in developing the show's scripts. Adam Shaheen of Cuppa Coffee created the cartoon series and also will executive produce. The proposed 20-episode series is separate from MTV's fly-on-the-wall reality show The Osbournes, which aired from 2002 to 2005. FACEBOOK TWITTER EMAIL ME Etan Vlessing email@example.com @thr


text:
Out This Week: Chic, THE CHIC ORGANIZATION: 1977-1979
It's been more than four decades since CHIC first began filling dance floors with their music, and during the course of the first few years of their career, they provided the world with such classic singles as "Dance, Dance, Dance (Yowsah, Yowsah, Yowsah)," "Everybody Dance," "Le Freak," "I Want Your Love," and "Good Times." In celebration of the band's career, Atlantic / Rhino is paying tribute to CHIC's creative forces – Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards – by releasing a new collection: THE CHIC ORGANIZATION 1977-1979.
This compilation – which is being released as a 5-CD set as well as a 6-disc vinyl set – includes CHIC's first three albums: CHIC, C'EST CHIC, and RISQUE. All three of the albums have been newly remastered by Miles Showell, whose work on the material was overseen by executive producer Nile Rodgers. The vinyl edition of the set will also include an exact reproduction of CHIC's first single, a 12" promo for "Dance, Dance, Dance (Yowsah, Yowsah, Yowsah)" that Buddah Records released in 1977 prior to the band signing to Atlantic, and the vinyl set as a whole has been mastered at half-speed and pressed on 180-gram vinyl audio.
Both the CD and vinyl sets will also include 7" edits and 12" mixes of CHIC's singles from the 1977-1979 era, and – to go beyond their own work – they will also offer a newly remastered version of Sister Sledge's WE ARE FAMILY album, which was written and produced by Rodgers and Edwards. In addition, the box sets feature new essays about CHIC's work, with an exclusive essay by music historian Ashley Kahn available only on the vinyl set.
Here's the full track listing of the sets:
Nile Rodgers' Signature Edition Remasters
Album and Track Listings
Chic (1977)
1. "Dance, Dance, Dance (Yowsah, Yowsah, Yowsah)"
2. "São Paulo"
3. "You Can Get By"
4. "Everybody Dance"
5. "Est-ce Que C'est Chic?"
6. "Falling in Love with You"
7. "Strike Up the Band"
C'est Chic (1978)
1. "Chic Cheer"
2. "Le Freak"
3. "Savoir Faire"
4. "Happy Man"
5. "I Want Your Love"
6. "At Last I Am Free"
7. "Sometimes You Win"
8. "(Funny) Bone"
Sister Sledge - We Are Family (1979)
1. "He's The Greatest Dancer"
2. "Lost In Music"
3. "Somebody Loves Me"
4. "Thinking Of You"
5. "We Are Family"
6. "Easier To Love"
7. "You're A Friend To Me"
8. "One More Time"
Risqué (1978)
1. "Good Times"
2. "A Warm Summer Night"
3. "My Feet Keep Dancing"
4. "My Forbidden Lover"
5. "Can't Stand to Love You"
6. "Will You Cry (When You Hear This Song)"
7. "What About Me?"
Original '77-'79 Remixes and Edits
1. "Dance, Dance, Dance (Yowsah, Yowsah, Yowsah)" (7" Edit)
2. "Everybody Dance" (12" Mix)
3. "You Can Get By" (7" Edit)
4. "Everybody Dance" (7" edit)
5. "Le Freak" (7" Edit)
6. "I Want Your Love" (7" Edit)
7. "Good Times" (7" Edit)
8. "My Forbidden Lover" (7" Edit)
9. "My Forbidden Lover" (12" Mix)
10. "My Feet Keep Dancing" (7" Edit)
Vinyl Boxed Set Exclusive: Buddah Records 12" Promotional Single
1. "Dance, Dance, Dance (Yowsah, Yowsah, Yowsah)"
2. "São Paulo"
For more information, click the buttons below:


text:
Item condition:
Retail Price : $349.00
Your Price : $250.00
A premier metal axe with EMG pickups, and the simplicity and sustain of a fixed bridge.
The RG 321E electric guitar features a 3-piece bolt-on maple neck with the thin and fast Ibanez wizard II profile and a mahogany body like that offers extra power, warmth, chunk, and strong sustain. The bound rosewood fingerboard has 24 jumbo frets and pearl dot inlays. All hardware is black including a Gilbraltar Standard bridge, and die-cast tuners.
The RG321E is loaded with an EMG H4A passive humbucker pickup in the neck position and an EMG H4 passive humbucker pickup in the bridge position. The EMG H4A is a humbucking with a alnico magnet for well-balanced tone, with solid bass, pronounced mids, and fat highs. The Ibanez Infinity 4 pickup has a ceramic magnet that produces a tight bass, glassy mids, and crunchy highs. Controls include a master volume, master tone, and a 5-way pickup selector.
The Gibraltar Standard bridge combines rock solid construction with fine tuning capability. Each saddle is designed with a comfortable smooth top. The low-profile design of the Gibraltar Standard Bridge offers maximum playing comfort.
- Neck Material: 3-piece maple
- Neck Type: Wizard II
- Body: mahogany body
- Frets: 24 jumbo frets
- Fingerboard: bound rosewood
- Inlay: pearl dot inlays
- Bridge: Gibraltar standard bridge
- Neck pickup: EMG H4A passive humbucker
- Bridge pickup: EMG H4 passive humbucker
This guitar has been refurbished by MIRC. It is lightly stamped "used" on the back of the headstock, and a new serial number applied to prevent the guitar from being sold as new factory stock. That being said, this guitar is a fantastic value! Everything works, plays, and sounds as it should. There have been no structural repairs. There are some minor marks on the end of the headstock that can be seen in the last pic. Other than that, this guitar is in fantastic condition and plays beautifully! You WON'T be disappointed!
Guitar retails for $349.00
Free shipping in continental US. All other locations will be charged $125 shipping unless a shipping quote is obtained by contacting us before purchasing.
Appropriate sales tax will be added for buyers in Iowa.
Thanks for looking!


text:
Uber says drunk-driving crashes in Austin down since ride-sharing services hit
Uber, a prominent ride-sharing service, has urged Austin-area supporters to tell Austin City Council members not to limit how it does business in part, it says, because drunken-driving accidents declined after such services started locally.
"Ridesharing is moving Austin forward," Uber says in a web post including a petition for council members that we spotted in November 2015. "Recent news reports indicate DWI crashes in Austin dropped 23 percent since ridesharing entered the market."
We wondered about the declared link.
It seems plausible that if residents who consume alcohol avoid driving by enlisting a ride-sharing service, there could be fewer drinking-related accidents. In January 2015, indeed, Temple University researchers concluded from reviewing California data that the availability of ride-sharing at a lower cost than traditional taxi service in certain cities reduced drunk-driving deaths by up to about 6 percent. On the other hand, social scientists and statisticians are often quick to point out correlations don't prove causation. Even if DWI-connected accidents are down since Uber arrived in Austin, it's not a certainty that's because of Uber's presence.
Uber's backup
To our emailed inquiry about ride-sharing and Austin accidents, Uber spokeswoman Brooke Anderson pointed out a March 2, 2015, KVUE-TV news story stating that according to the Austin Police Department, DWI arrests and crashes were down citywide, "and there could be a few reasons why," the station said. The story said the number of DWI arrests had dropped 16 percent in 2014, according to APD statistics. "DWI-related crashes fell even more citywide, decreasing by 23 percent last year," as in 2014, the story said, which also is "the year ride-sharing started in Austin, with services like Uber and Lyft entering the market."
Asked when Austin residents became able to use a cell-phone app to call a ride-sharing service, Anderson told us Uber launched in Austin in June 2014. But it wasn't until October 2014 that the council gave permission to the Uber and Lyft ride-sharing companies to operate, effective a month later, and the city indicated plans to develop permanent rules later.
KVUE's news story quoted APD DWI Enforcement Lt. Keith Walker saying he didn't know how much of an impact its arrival had on drunk driving in Austin, but he said the more travel options people have, the better.
Police department figures
Next, we asked the police department for a month-by-month breakdown of DWI collisions.
To our inquiry about Uber's claim, department spokeswoman Amanda Cole also forwarded an email from Lt. Brent Dupre, then in the department's Highway Command, stating: "We cannot say any drop" in DWI collisions "is due to the ridesharing groups."
Different timeframes, different results
We crunched the department's counts of DWI collisions different ways, mostly finding decreases over the months that ride-sharing services have been available.
For instance, according to the department, Austin experienced 454 DWI collisions in 2014; that count was 24 percent less than the 597 DWI collisions in 2013, much as KVUE reported.
Then again, most recently, there were 445 DWI collisions in Austin from January through October 2015, the latest month of available data when we inquired--a nearly 6 percent increase from the 422 such collisions over the comparable stretch of 2014. Still, DWI collisions in Austin over the first 10 months of 2015 ran nearly 12 percent behind the 503 DWI collisions in the comparable part of 2013, according to the department.
Next, we compared tallies for the 12 months after the council's grant of permission to ride-sharing services took effect in November 2014 to the previous 12 months. According to the police, there were 497 DWI collisions in the city after ride-sharing was legal compared to 496 DWI collisions in the previous period--no change.
But we also compared DWI collisions over the 17 months from June 2014, when Uber started picking up passengers in Austin, through October 2015 to the preceding 17 months. According to the police, there were 821 DWI collisions in the city from 2013 through May 2014 and 675 DWI collisions from June 2014 through October 2015, or 18 percent fewer.
Our ruling
Uber said: "Recent news reports indicate DWI crashes in Austin dropped 23 percent since ridesharing entered the market."
That aligns with a local news report. Yet different timeframes for making statistical comparisons suggest a range of results--even, in one slice, more DWI collisions than before. It's worth repeating that Uber is referring to correlations between ride-sharing's availability and collisions, not necessarily causation.
We rate this statement Mostly True.
MOSTLY TRUE – The statement is accurate but needs clarification or additional information.
Click here for more on the six PolitiFact ratings and how we select facts to check.
To see the sources used in this story, click here.


text:
With: Carole Mortimer
Hi, Everyone,
Wow, can you believe it's another Valentine's Day? Hope you've all received your cards from your significant other, or maybe someone else! Hey, it's a day to celebrate love.
Talking of which… Today is publication day of Wicked Captive (Regency Sinners 5). The Sinners, eight Regency gentlemen who are also agents for the Crown, are still on the hunt for the female traitor, and the choices are now narrowed down from eight women to just four. Will Lady Jocelyn Forbes be that woman? It's up to Lord Jericho Black, the Marquis of Wessex, to find out. By fair means or foul. Or do I mean seduction?
The 6th book in this Amazon #1 historical Romantic Suspense series, Wicked Temptation (Regency Sinners 6), is also now available for pre-order on all ebook retailers, with a publication date of April 27th, 2018.
DYLAN (Dragon Hearts 4), the 4th book in this Amazon #1 paranormal Romantic Suspense series, is also available for pre-order on all ebook retailers, and will be published on March 16th, 2018.
Also why not sign up for my monthly newsletter? 2018 is the 40th Anniversary of the start of my writing career, and to celebrate the occasion I will have giveaways in my newsletter every month this year. Sign up details are below.
The stories in my Dragon Hearts, Regency Sinners, Knight Security, Regency Unlaced, and ALPHA series, are more explicit in their language and sexual content than my other books. In other words, they're hot, so you have been warned!
Have a Happy Valentine's Day!
Carole xx
Buy links for Wicked Captive (Regency Sinners 5)
Also available from ibooks, Kobo, and Smashwords
Buy links for DYLAN (Dragon Hearts 4)
Also available from ibooks, Kobo, Smashwords
Newsletter: http://eepurl.com/2rfzz
Facebook: http://facebook.com/CaroleMortimerAuthor
Twitter: http://twitter.com/@carole_mortimer
Website: http://carolemortimer.co.uk


text:
Customer Login
Registered Customers
New User/Customers
If you already have a Company Account Number, you can add New User/Customers within your company. Creating an account has many benefits: check out faster, keep more than one address, track orders and more.
New Company Account
If your company is new to Spectrum, you will need to create a New Company Account. Creating a company account provides all company members with access to B2B features such as company users management, quick order, and more.


text:
By Edmond Manning, Senior Instructional Strategist
"I don't have a spring-form pan. Can I use a regular cake pan for this raspberry truffle cheesecake?" – TV show host to guest chef, HGTV
I saw this question asked on television one Saturday afternoon.
One might argue that this TV show host didn't ask me this question directly. One might even argue that the question is not related to e-learning. Yes, one might make this case.
Tags: Edmond Manning • Iterative Development • Successive Approximation Model (SAM)


text:
According to latest rumors coming from the web, Canon next generation of tiltshift TS-E17mm F4L is coming in 2019. The lens is approx 10 years old now and waiting to be replaced.
We have already published a list EF lenses that may arrive next year. Well not only that we all know this year Canon is putting more attention towards its Mirrorless division and we may see a bunch of new Fullframe Mirrorless lenses announcement / development announcement at the end of 2018.
We will update you soon as we get any new information.
Check out some latest warehouse deals at Amazon
Subscribe to FACEBOOK | TWITTER | GOOGLE+ to get live news + Canon rumors 24X7