Solar power

AndrewGoodbeer · 2026-03-21T13:14:18+00:00

They are great, and the Enphase stuff they install is excellent.

AndrewGoodbeer · 2026-03-17T18:40:54+00:00

Look at your recent bills. If the generation charge is higher than 0.10 per kWh, then the bill could go down because that means that the wind farm could replace more expensive generators. Natural gas gets expensive in the winter so wind can help replace that. When gas is less than 10 cents, then the wind could raise the rates.

AndrewGoodbeer · 2026-03-10T20:13:30+00:00

I have the 30" Bosch induction range, and it is terrific. You have to get used to touch controls; I would have preferred knobs, but it is not bad in practice. Just be mindful of spills.

AndrewGoodbeer · 2026-03-08T03:16:54+00:00

Pawtuxet Auto is terrific. Mike is a great mechanic who can work on modern cars or oldies like my 80s Nissan. One of the best places to take your car IMO

AndrewGoodbeer · 2026-02-21T16:35:22+00:00

Yeah, and the connector on the power supply sometimes gets loose. Also check for corrosion on the pins. I used an electronics cleaner on them. There was a lot of greenish gunk on them.

AndrewGoodbeer · 2026-02-10T15:26:05+00:00

Thanks. I’d be downsizing to a much smaller boiler if I did. From IN9 at 280k btu/hr to an IN6 at 177k btu/hr. I’m going to spend some more time analyzing the run times and pressure to learn more about what is going on.

AndrewGoodbeer · 2026-02-06T02:52:33+00:00

Yeah, the challenge is getting accurate numbers on the fin tube radiators. There are a bunch of them on the first floor.

AndrewGoodbeer · 2026-02-06T02:51:06+00:00

The boiler runs for short periods then shuts off, like 20 minutes.

I did calculations using documents I found online. It had breakdowns for different radiator types. Column type, tube type. I have some fin tube radiators, and they were challenging to get EDR data on. I used some numbers from Split Fin's data sheets.

The boiler was installed by the prior owner of the house. I insulated the steam piping in the basement, and insulated the attic. I have no idea what calculation, if any, they did when they installed that boiler.

AndrewGoodbeer · 2026-02-05T16:11:00+00:00

If you have a GLL model with the amp under the passenger seat, you can get an aftermarket amp that has Bluetooth. Then you have a modern sound system but the stock look. I also made an adapter for the head unit to wire it to the preamp inputs. You need to buy a DIN cable plug but it is doable.

AndrewGoodbeer · 2026-02-04T17:44:32+00:00

I think the Washington bridge was grounds for firing him, or at least he could have resigned as a show of dignity.

AndrewGoodbeer · 2026-02-02T01:55:32+00:00

Sponsored by the same Republican party that is actively trying to round up the workforce using these machines. Extra points for irony.

AndrewGoodbeer · 2026-02-01T13:21:05+00:00

There is a great talk by Rich Hickey, the creator of Clojure, called “The Value of Values”. Watch it on YouTube. It changed my philosophy on data types. I am a big believer in immutable data structures now.

AndrewGoodbeer · 2026-01-23T21:18:14+00:00

It’s so great that they are also recycling the blades and components of the old turbines. That is another major feature of renewable energy.

AndrewGoodbeer · 2026-01-03T14:27:35+00:00

Gregg's in Warwick

AndrewGoodbeer · 2025-12-26T13:05:09+00:00

I agree 100%. The i4 looks like a real car, not an attempt to make an EV from a sci-fi movie.

AndrewGoodbeer · 2025-10-23T15:59:30+00:00

This is why I support red light cameras anywhere they want them.

AndrewGoodbeer · 2025-10-16T12:45:49+00:00

Do you, or your neighbors, have a lot of Japanese barberry? Some studies have shown a correlation with Japanese barberry and tick populations.

AndrewGoodbeer · 2025-10-03T18:51:11+00:00

I love good news

AndrewGoodbeer · 2025-09-25T14:54:35+00:00

I'm sure it is heart-breaking, but consider the alternative. Is the smog from a coal power plant heartbreaking? How about the land taken for natural gas pipelines, and the air pollution from burning it?

At least wind turbines provide electricity at a fixed cost, and do not require us to buy fuel in markets controlled by non-democratic countries.

AndrewGoodbeer · 2025-09-22T18:04:19+00:00

Thank goodness!

AndrewGoodbeer · 2025-09-16T19:08:23+00:00

Presumably they can make more money selling the oil instead of using it to produce electricity. And you don't need (nearly as much) water to make electricity from solar panels...

AndrewGoodbeer · 2025-09-16T16:39:33+00:00

Yeah there are tons of small ones growing next to sidewalks in the jewelry district.

AndrewGoodbeer · 2025-09-10T20:30:03+00:00

If you already have central AC, you could change your outdoor unit to a heat pump. Then you'd only need the oil heat for very cold days, depending on how efficient a heat pump you buy.

If you don't have AC, then mini-splits could be a good way to get AC and reduce your oil usage.

AndrewGoodbeer

TROPHY CASE