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" POPULAR MECHANICS contributor Ben Hewitt keeps readers updated online as he researches a series of print articles for the magazine on alternative-energy technologies--using his own home as a test lab. Hewitt and his family live off the electrical grid in northern Vermont; they&amp;#039;re experimenting with ways to improve their lifestyle, while reducing dependence on fossil fuels. -- The Editors We are over two weeks without the generator, and the sun is still shining. Intermittently, sure, but enough to keep us chugging along, despite an ambitious weekend of vacuuming and laundry.  It&amp;#039;s been quite cold since last Friday; nothing extreme, but the constant wind has made it feel much colder than the single-digit temps that have prevailed. Our milk, located on the bottom (coldest) shelf of the cold box, developed some slushy ice and we had to crack the door to let some of the house heat into the box.  We are thinking about spring, and what that means for our cold box. In short, we&amp;#039;ll need to electrify our refrigeration pretty darn soon. Fortunately, we should have the sunshine and therefore, the power, to run it.--Ben THE PM ENERGY FAMILY BLOG "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.popularmechanics.com/science/energy/a439/2339491/>