New here.

hey folks i'm (re) introducing myself here so i hope i'm posting in the right place. i'm currently studying environmental studies at UofT in Toronto.

I've joined some energy conservation groups on the web and trying to remain as active as I can about these global issues.

(God bless the internet!)

Hope to engage in some meaningful discussions here and share some tips and tricks along the way.

Oh jeez. More Canadians... just kidding :duck:

:welcome:

:welcome::welcome:

Great that you care about the environment. I love flashlights because I can turn off my lights at home and just use my lights sparingly much of the time. I love it when it's dark and I have just the right amount of illumination from my uber adjustable light in my hand.

Welcome to CPF!:wave:

:welcome:
A bunch of us are trying for a CPF GTA get together. If you have time come meet with us.
https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/201615

TedTheLed off grid for over a decade, at your service!

Wow Ted. Solar and wind with batteries?
I'd like to go off-grid when I or hopefully sometime before I retire.

yup and yup.

maybe you'll be able to go off grid too with the help of nanosolar and their under $2.00 a watt solar panels -- when they get around to selling a few in the US..

Thanks Ted! I'll have to check that out. Looks cool! Do you have your array set up on a pivot or the rooftop? Hopefully financing for solar will become more popular. I noticed that this company http://www.soltage.com/ offers an option for real estate developers. With any luck, it might become a popular option with new homeowners/developers.

Just checked it out. NICE! Cut to size, no solder, 25yr warranty... Looks very promising.

Welcome aboard :wave:

Thanks for the welcomes..

There was a blackout in my house today... i wish my laptop had a longer battery life!

One of the perks of energy saving that people often don't realize is that you can save alot of momney. I've watched my bill decrease over the past few months. I actually OVERPAID (unknowingly) for a couple months and now I actually have credit on my hydro account.

Hi there.

:welcome::welcome:

I hated the heat from the 100W incan bulbs so back in 1999 I special ordered some 11W Osram CFLs. They were heavy and rather dim. I moved to 15W & 23W as they became available.
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I tried electroluminescent nite-lites but they are not bright enough to light up anything but themselves.
I tried LED nite-lites but they lose most of their brightness in under 6 months,
I finally bought some 1W Luxeon LED bulbs (50,000 hour Luxeons last longer than 100,000 hour 5mm LEDs!). I now have enough light not not to trip over the furniture, only using my main room lights when needed.

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I bought a LCD computer monitor (my old mac does not support widescreen so I had to buy before the 4:3 screens ran out). I noticed a drop in electricity usage so I got a LCD TV as well.
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In each of the cases I noticed a drop in electricity usage. Unfortunately due to the cost of electricity I am paying more than in the past. The fixed costs of Hydro One/Hamilton Hydro hooking me up is more than my whole bill in the past.
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I use window fans instead of an air conditioner (not because I am an environmentalist but because I cannot figure how to install one in my rented apartment). I ran them at night bringing in cooler air, then shut my windows during the day to keep the cooler air in. I face NE so no afternoon sun to heat the apartment. My apartment is usually 2-3 degrees Celcius behind the outside as the air heats up in the afternoon.