Paul Duffau

If you live in a hot climate, you've probably spent a significant amount of energy fighting the effects of the sun. In some parts of the country, air conditioning is as essential as water during the summer months, sucking the humidity out of the air and cooling things down enough so that you actually feel like moving around. Isn't it about time you started taking advantage of the sun's rays instead of feeling like one of their prime targets?

Solar power is a technology which has come way down in price over the past decade or so. This type of system uses the sun's energy to generate electricity that can power your home, heat your hot water or even be sold back to the local electrical utility. How does it work? In the simplest system, a solar panel is mounted in a high location on your property - usually your roof - and small photovoltaic cells on the panel are stimulated by the sun's light. This stimulation causes them to generate electron activity, creating a direct current that can be stored in batteries, or converted to alternating current in order to mesh with your home's electrical system. You can even use a combination system, so that during the day the panels are powering your home and simultaneously charging batteries that you can use during the night when the panels are no longer operational.

Solar panels are not nearly as fragile as they look, and their simple design sees many of them under warranty for decades. While the initial investment for a large number of panels can be pricey, the panels pay for themselves very quickly if you go for a full system that can virtually eliminate your home's dependence on the electrical grid. Many people instead opt to use solar energy as an additional source of power, only installing a small number of panels to provide them with a percentage of their daily electrical needs. This strategy also works well for those who want to build up their solar generating capacity slowly over time. Since the price of the technology decreases with each passing year, distributing your costs over a longer period can lead to significant savings by the time you are finished.

Of course, as with any form of power generation that is dependent on the environment, solar power does have its downsides. For one, the panels require unfettered sightlines to the sun in order to operate at maximum efficiency, and if your home is surrounded by trees or frequently under cloud cover, you might have some difficulty running a full system. However, the misconception that northern climates cannot take advantage of this type of energy is simply not true, as the dark coloring of most panels melts snow accumulation quickly in the presence of the sun. The only real downside to using solar power in the winter season is the shorter daytime and the previously mentioned cloud cover.

You don't have to jump into solar power with both feet in order to take advantage of this essentially free resource. Research your options and consider starting out small to supplement your current power consumption. You will be surprised at how much of a difference solar power can make in your life.

Coming up next - the low down on using batteries off the grid

I recieved the following email from the ASHI of Western Washington-

Well, it didn't take long! We have just received word that the first attempt to change the new Home Inspector Law has been brought forth in the Legislature. It is Senate Bill 5644, which you can review at: http://apps.leg.wa.gov/documents/billdocs/2009-10/Pdf/Bills/Senate%20Bills/5644.pdf Basically, the bill attempts to allow on-line learning and inserts the word MOLD into the requirements for a Home Inspection. We would expect the DOL to fight the on line learning change, as all Real Estate classes are currently required to be instructor lead courses. Both the Real Estate Licensees and Home Inspectors are under the Real Estate Division of the DOL. Of course, inserting the word MOLD into the Home Inspection requirements is contrary to industry standards and raises serious questions about insurability.

The following is the letter that I sent to my local representative:

Honorable Senator Schoesler, The above referenced bill has been placed on the agenda of the legislature for consideration by Senators Parlette and Kohl-Welles. A substantial change is the requirement to perform a home inspection with the express purpose of identifying mold. This is outside the Standards of Practice of all the major certifying bodies and I am not aware of any state in the nation that makes this requirement. There is no nationally recognized standard for sample collection, sampling methodolgy, chain of custody and reporting for mold. It would, however,. lead to tremendous litigation and would be detrimental to my profession and the consumer that the current licensing law seeks to protect. Further, it seeks to substantially undermine and weaken the protection of a well trained inspector workforce by watering down the education requirements. I urge you to reject the changes proposed in SENATE BILL 5644. Thank you, Paul Duffau

I know that MOLD is GOLD for some inspectors but I think that it is often a way to increase revenues rather than provide quality service. The testing that a home inspector does is radically different than that of a licensed and certified testing laboratory - and I used to work in one in the field of materials testing. If they really wanted to make a change that benefits the consumer, requiring E&O of all inspectors would be a more effective protection.

With the cold weather and low inside humidity at my house, my kids and wife have been having a problem with dry skin. If you have sensitive skin like my duaghters do and need to know what goes into your laundry detergent, now you can make your own. Costs are low and the process takes no more than 15 minutes.

Obligatory Cautions:

Don't mix any of the ingredients with ammonia derivatives (surfactants) or chlorine. Always use appropriate eye protection, a mask, and gloves if necessary. In addition, do not eat the detergent, poke it in your eye, or stick it up your nose. Any substance can be harmful if handled inappropriately.

Most homemade detergent recipes recommend the use of washing soda (available in grocery stores or from pool cleaning companies), but baking soda will work in a pinch. If you wish to substitute your favorite bar soap for Fels-Naptha laundry soap, use a full bar instead of 1/3 bar.

This first recipe is one I have made and enjoy. $3.50 buys enough ingredients to make 2 full batches. Use 1/2 cup to cup per load depending on level of dirtiness. Each batch yields 16 cups.

Ingredients:

1 gallon hot water

1/2 bar finely grated Fels-Naptha soap

1 cup baking soda

Grate soap into a saucepan and add enough hot water to cover it. Stir frequently on medium low heat until all the soap is melted. Meanwhile, heat 1 gallon of water in a larger pot (do not boil). Add melted soap and mix thoroughly. Finally, add the baking soda and stir it in well. Allow mixture to cool before pouring into storage container. Keep container sealed and stir contents before each use.

For extra cleaning power, you can follow the directions above using the following ingredients:

1 gallon water

1/3 bar finely grated Fels-Naptha soap

1/2 cup washing soda

1/2 cup Borax

If you prefer a dry detergent, you can use this recipe:

Powdered Laundry Detergent

2 cups finely grated Fels-Naptha soap

1 cup Washing Soda

1 cup Borax

Mix these ingredients well and store in an airtight plastic container away from heat. Use 1-2 tablespoons per full load.

Additional Tips:

1. All these detergents work fine in cold water, so save the hot cycle for soiled cloth diapers and other materials that need to be sterilized.

2. Contrary to what your mother taught you, neither your clothes washer nor the earth itself will cease to spin if you do not separate light and dark clothing. Once excess dye has been removed from dark cotton clothing by the first few washings, it is safe to mix colors. However, I still tell the kids to separate the reds. There's only so many pair of pink underwear I want in the house and none of them should be mine.

3. Try using vinegar in a Downy ball or add 1/4 cup during the rinse cycle as a natural fabric softener (just don't use vinegar and bleach in the same load).

4. You can fill a square of flannel with the fragrant herb of your choice (lavender works well) and sew it shut. Pop this in the dryer to add your favorite scent.

Whenever I think of company towns, I think of the Jimmy Stewart classic "It's a Wonderful Life", of Bedford Falls and the evil Mr. Potter. That is the usual image - big bad company taking advantage of the little worker. And there were far too many instances where this actually occurred.

But I also think of a town like Moscow ID. The largest employer is the University of Idaho (with the quite excellent Gritman Medical Center and the local school district as the next largest). When the University facing cutbacks, the whole town is substantially impacted. In a diverse economy, a downturn in one or even several segments can be offset with activity in others. That is not the case currently in Moscow.

The city has recognized this and is focusing on the necessity of widening the employment base. They have recently announced the hiring of Travis Cary as its new economic development specialist. He'll also be working with affordable housing issues and regional planning.

Best of luck to Mr. Cary and to Moscow.

One of the oddities of this region is that you can have a 10-15 degree temperature swing just by driving from Moscow, ID to Lewiston, ID. They are, quite literally, different micro-climates.

For those that think that the difference in temperature is important, try running in it. I'll be heading out the door in the next hour or so. The weather just outside my door is 26 degrees - cold by our standards.

Moscow is 10 degrees.

The difference for runners or any outdoor athlete is tremendous. Not only can I breathe better down here but I don't have to wear nearly as many layers. Add in the diminished wind (Moscow is frequently blustery) and this is just a more hospitable environment. And no snow on the ground means that I don't have to worry about falling. One of my friends in Moscow slipped on ice several weeks back - ended up with a concussion that took days to clear.

If I want to play in the snow (and I often do), I like driving to it rather than living in it.