The saying is "Once in a Blue Moon" and I always understood that a blue moon never happened.
But I was wrong! About a month ago, I was reading on a forum that there was going to be two moons in the month of July.
Last week in Science, the question was asked of the students "What is a Blue Moon?" I thought to myself, there's going to be some interesting answers here and yes there was a couple before some one said something about an extra moon. We/they are studying (I forget sometimes that its them that are learning, not supposed to be me) planets and the solar system.
Moon rotates once every 28 days and ever so often if there is a new moon very early in the month then there is time for a second new moon in that same month, the second one is called a Blue Moon. The second or blue moon will be on Friday night.
Showing posts with label solar. Show all posts
Showing posts with label solar. Show all posts
Monday, 27 July 2015
Thursday, 25 June 2015
Solar Power
A few years ago (about five) we put solar panels on our roof, I think we have seven and the first bill after was only sixty dollars. We thought wow this is good coming from bills for electricity of around $300 for a quarter. the bills gradually increased until we are paying back up around the $300 mark.
Almost two years ago the box in the garage rad something stupid, its supposed to show how much sunlight/solar the meter was taking in at that particular time. We rang the people and they would send some one out, which they did about three weeks later. Meanwhile we are off the grid with no solar power coming in.
March last year was when we got the meter box back on, nearly four months out of action. The company gave us a rebate of what we would have been generating in that time, thank goodness.
Three or four weeks ago, the box gave the same funny reading as before, we turned it off and then on again but nothing we did would get it going again. Warren rang them, some-one would come out. Friday he sent an email, they call within two hours and announced that the service man would be out on Tuesday 9am.
Ten past nine, a white van drove past our house (as our house is on the bend in the road, many people miss it and then find that they are at the next house which is four numbers past ours). Two guys and they replace the box with a completely new one and had to go up on the roof to adjust the panels. I went shopping while they were here and arrived home in time to offer them a coffee or tea but they said they had to get on as they had 35 houses to do in the next two weeks so no time to stop for coffee.
The new meter box is very low key, actually there is two boxes and unlike the original one that had a very bright red read out which could be seen as soon as we drove into the garage, this one one needs to be quite close to it to see what we are generating.
I really dont care as long as our power bill either goes down or stays stable. By the way at least it was under warranty so no cost to us, yay.
Almost two years ago the box in the garage rad something stupid, its supposed to show how much sunlight/solar the meter was taking in at that particular time. We rang the people and they would send some one out, which they did about three weeks later. Meanwhile we are off the grid with no solar power coming in.
March last year was when we got the meter box back on, nearly four months out of action. The company gave us a rebate of what we would have been generating in that time, thank goodness.
Three or four weeks ago, the box gave the same funny reading as before, we turned it off and then on again but nothing we did would get it going again. Warren rang them, some-one would come out. Friday he sent an email, they call within two hours and announced that the service man would be out on Tuesday 9am.
Ten past nine, a white van drove past our house (as our house is on the bend in the road, many people miss it and then find that they are at the next house which is four numbers past ours). Two guys and they replace the box with a completely new one and had to go up on the roof to adjust the panels. I went shopping while they were here and arrived home in time to offer them a coffee or tea but they said they had to get on as they had 35 houses to do in the next two weeks so no time to stop for coffee.
The new meter box is very low key, actually there is two boxes and unlike the original one that had a very bright red read out which could be seen as soon as we drove into the garage, this one one needs to be quite close to it to see what we are generating.
I really dont care as long as our power bill either goes down or stays stable. By the way at least it was under warranty so no cost to us, yay.
Saturday, 21 June 2014
$2000 a year to be saved off your electricity bill
This was a news item that was on the ads on TV a couple of night ago. Warren wanted to change channels and look at something else but I persuaded him to wait to see what they had to say about saving on electricity.
A professor had made this statement and had the figures to back it up, hummmm, how? I wondered.
First up was turn off the pool in winter saving s $200, we don't have one.
Next turn off second fridge another $200 saved, we don't have one.
That second TV, get rid of it and save $150, we don't have one.
There were a few other things such as the above so bit pointless for us. The last two things we could do and one was, instead of ten minute showers restrict them to four minutes and save $150 and turn off appliances at the wall for a savings of $80 a year.
I did set myself a challenge and that was to cut our electricity bill by 25% (even I thought it was high but figured it was just a ball park figure). Our three monthly account came in sometime in March and it was $382, wow! for just two of us and we have solar panels! Some times I speak without thinking (I know that's hard to believe!) and after, I did think 25% was way too much.
Anyway, I started washing earlier and turning off lights, cooking two things in the oven at once, even had a few days of filling the flask with hot water for cuppas during the day rather than boil the jug again. This week the second electricity arrived and it was for a small sum of $237 a whooping $145 off the first bill.
I did a happy dance but I don't think I can lay claim for all of it, after all the weather has turned cooler and therefore we are not using the A/C at all but whatever a $237 account is far better than $382. I wonder if I can get it lower for the next bill, hummmm something to work on.
A professor had made this statement and had the figures to back it up, hummmm, how? I wondered.
First up was turn off the pool in winter saving s $200, we don't have one.
Next turn off second fridge another $200 saved, we don't have one.
That second TV, get rid of it and save $150, we don't have one.
There were a few other things such as the above so bit pointless for us. The last two things we could do and one was, instead of ten minute showers restrict them to four minutes and save $150 and turn off appliances at the wall for a savings of $80 a year.
I did set myself a challenge and that was to cut our electricity bill by 25% (even I thought it was high but figured it was just a ball park figure). Our three monthly account came in sometime in March and it was $382, wow! for just two of us and we have solar panels! Some times I speak without thinking (I know that's hard to believe!) and after, I did think 25% was way too much.
Anyway, I started washing earlier and turning off lights, cooking two things in the oven at once, even had a few days of filling the flask with hot water for cuppas during the day rather than boil the jug again. This week the second electricity arrived and it was for a small sum of $237 a whooping $145 off the first bill.
I did a happy dance but I don't think I can lay claim for all of it, after all the weather has turned cooler and therefore we are not using the A/C at all but whatever a $237 account is far better than $382. I wonder if I can get it lower for the next bill, hummmm something to work on.
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