Windows

When saving energy and tightening up the house envelope, windows are important.  When we moved to our house 30 years ago, the windows were the double hung with a separate double hung storm window and screen.
About 15 years ago, we replaced the windows with double hung double pane windows, with a gas in between the panes.  A drawback of these windows is that when they are broken, it is not just a simple window pane replacement.  We needed to take the window in to Solvay Glass to have the proper double glazing and sealing.  I added a plastic storm window over the inside of the windows last winter.  When the wind blew hard, you could see the plastic "ballooning".  Bottom line, if you have a window, no matter how well sealed, you have air infiltration through the cracks.

This year we are replacing the basement windows with Block Glass windows.  Over the years, the basement windows have been broken and replaced with a combination of boards, glass and plastic.  This will tighten up our basement, having already eliminated gravity flue connections to the chimney in our earlier renovations, we are now eliminating a lot of cracks that wind can blow into.

Our Prius

2005 Prius

We drive a hybrid Prius car.  In March 2005, we bought a 2005, generation II Prius.  We now have 110,000 miles as of November, 2010.  I had first seen a Prius at the New York State Fair about 3 years earlier.  I had talked to the salesman, and was shown around the car.  My car at the time was a Saturn 4 door, with a manual transmission.  We also had a second car, a station wagon that my wife and later my kids drove.  I couldn't get them interested in the stick shift, it was too complicated, though thru our first 3 cars together, my wife Ginny and I had had manual transmission cars.
So when we needed a replacement for the Saturn in 2005, we were looking for a $10,000 used car.  We ended up buying a $23,000 Toyota Prius.
What Mileage do we get?  About 45 to 50 miles per gallon in the summer, and as low as 35 to 40 miles per gallon in the winter.  Some items that reduce miles per gallon:  electric air conditioning system, electric heat in the winter.  Driving into the wind going west to Rochester, and driving with the wind behind us coming back to Syracuse, gives a swing of 40 mpg going west, and 50 mpg coming back east.  Going up hills, and we have very low mileage.  Going down hills, the generator recharges the battery.  Stopped in Traffic, the engine will shut off.  When the brakes are applies, the regenerative braking system charges the battery.
The car is not electric, it runs on gas.  There is an electric motor, but the battery for the motor is charged by the gasoline engine.  I still have to fill the tank with gas.
The car does have quirks.  When my brother rented a prius, he called me up one morning to say he couldn't get the car in gear.  I think this happens to us all, you need to press down the start button while simultaneously stepping on the brake to start the car.  The car also makes noises after it is shut off.
Sneaky, is a description of a Prius.  When it runs on electric, there is no noise.  People often will walk right  in front of us on city streets, not hearing the car.
This car is our first Toyota, and we are very pleased with the performance of the car.  We needed new brakes at 80,000 miles.  Other problems have been minimal.
Price of Gas, when we first bought our Prius, gas was under $3 per gallon.  We were told the breakeven gas price for the additional cost of a hybrid was $3 per gallon.  Since then the price has gone up to $4, and down to $2.65, now back up to $3 per gallon.
The car has done well in snow.  A few years ago, while visiting in the Catskill mountains, about 6" of snow fell overnight.  Our other car, a station wagon, had a hard time making it out of the long driveway.  Our Prius went right up with no problem, it is a heavier car than one would think and had good traction.

Pushbutton start, touch screen climate control and radio tuning

Bicycle Commuter

I have now been riding my bike to work from August, through September, now thru October.  How long will I be able to keep going in our climate.  I have added some accessories.  A bike light in front and back, that goes along with the blinking light on my backpack.  It is dark when I leave the house at 7, and twilight by the time I pull into the driveway.  Another addition is gloves.    If my hands are warm, then I am warm.  Though I do add a jacket and sweater.  I am experimenting with how many layers I need, because I heat up fast when riding a bike.  One day I put on my poncho because it was raining.  I ended the trip home very sweaty, as the poncho doesnt breathe well.
Mileage is 3.4 miles to work, and 4.6 miles back on back roads at rush hour.  A round trip of 8.  That is 40 miles per week, for 3 months, or about 480 miles so far.  Probably more like 450 as I have driven the car to work a couple of days.

Bicycling

After I was laid off at the beginning of the summer, my wife Ginny and I started going for bike rides on the Erie canal by Syracuse.  We started with just a 3 mile ride out and back.  after a couple of weeks of several rides a week, we went on a 12 mile bike ride to  Canastota, where we had lunch, then biked back.  I am now back to work with another company and I ride my bike 3 miles to work each day.  I feel much better health wise.  And we have a regular 6 mile trip out on the canal on Saturdays.  We have seen the seasons turn from late spring, and now into fall.  Often we see a great blue heron wading or slowly flying down the canal.  Early in the summer, there were geese families along the paths, with the parents hissing at us if we came close.  Ginny actually hit one by accident, as they refuesed to give us space on the canal.
We have had bikes in the past, but never did a lot of biking.  We both bought new schwinn bikes at WalMart last fall, for about $200 apiece.  And now we are in a biking phase.  So far only one  flat tire.

Universal Design

As I have aged, I have become more interested in handicap accessiblity.  We realize that our physical prowess diminishes.   We have lever type handles on all of our faucets.   When we switched our toilets to low flush 1.28 gallons per flush, we got the Kohler tank type "Comfort Height", meaning handicap height.  The higher toilet has been much easier to use.  Our contractor for the kitchen is "  ", which means

Kitchen Finished

Temporary Kitchen

After having our refrigerator in the living room, and using our toilet room sink for washing dishes for 4 months, we are moving back into our kitchen.
The room was completely rearranged, and appears to have more usable space.
Some new items:  The stove now has an exhaust fan, which also exhausts the new over the stove microwave. The dishwasher.  A large sink.  Lots of countertop.  New counters and countertop.  New walls, ceiling, refinished floor, plumbing, electric.  Part of the extra room was created by removing the cast iron radiator, which is replaced by a grill in the floor.  Ginny had a broom closet added as well, which is significant, since we have no closets on the first floor.
BEFORE PICTURES

Hoosier, toaster oven in background

Sink, radiator under window at left

Sink, Refrigerator, Stove at right

AFTER PICTURES

Stove and microwave/exhaust fan

Refrigerator where the stove used to be

Sink and Dishwasher

Central Air Conditioning

August 6, 2010  Today the geothermal heat pump was started up, and our central air conditioning is now on.  Hopefully we will have a hot August, so that we can compare our July electric bill using a window air conditioner in the living room, and a window air conditioner in our bedroom.
Earlier this week, Channel 3 news stopped by to do a piece on geothermal energy, clink on the link below.
Link for News Story

Mike delivering our Heat Pump