Fuel Ghoul

Making Better Batteries: The Evolution of Energy Storage Systems

In the last decade, cordless tools have expanded in voltage and application to become primary work tools on residential and commercial job sites. It's all because of the batteries.

Batteries are the backbone of the solar revolution. Fuel Ghoul notes that here in Toronto Canada, there are quite a few different service companies claiming to be 100% sustainable and new batteries with improved power storage technology are the keys to their success.

EcoDeckBuilder uses ‘solar powered’ cordless drills and chop saws to cut and join lumber (that has been ecologically sourced), and Ecocut Lawns offers ‘zero emissions grass-cutting using Greenworks lawn gardening power tools with lithium batteries.

Raymi Toronto reports that Ecocut Lawns used to haul around all their commercial lawn care equipment in a high tech solar powered trailer on which there was a solar panel that would recharge their batteries in between jobs, but they learned after reviewing the data that simply by hauling this thing around, (when all their gear would otherwise fit comfortably in the back of a pickup truck), they were costing themselves more in terms of fossil fuel consumption, than their apparatus saved them in solar power.

Here's a picture of a solar trailer my buddy made from scratch to charge his lawn care appliances,

Pictures of the grasscutting rig are up on Greener People thread. This is one more service industry that has been affected by the introduction of lightweight, durable, rechargeable Lithium ion battery technology.

A Brief Discourse on Batteries

In engineering, the term ‘battery’ refers to a device for making electrically charged atoms (ions) travel from one point to another through a power system. When electrical charges move, they create an electric current and it is this flow of ions that ‘powers’ things connected to the battery. Batteries are based on ionic chemistry. The chemistry of how elements and molecules take up / lose valence electrons to become charged / uncharged ions, and how ions are central to molecules and elements being able to dissolve into polar liquids (electrolytes), like acids, bases, and salts dissolved in water. 

To physically make a battery you need two electrodes between which the ions will travel and in the middle of the cell, you need a substance for them to travel through, which is called an electrolyte. One electrode, called the anode is negatively charged. The other pole that’s positively charged is called the cathode. When the battery is discharging—i.e., when it’s connected to a device that draws power from it—positively charged ions shuttle from the anode to the cathode creating a current.

Photo source --- Popular science graphics on GM Volt battery (2008)

If you are looking at rechargeable batteries, just imagine plugging the device into a wall socket and pumping electricity back into the cells forces the ions in the electrolyte to shuffle back to the anode, where their potential energy is stored until needed again.

Almost everything in battery design comes down to the materials of which the device has been constructed. What is the anode made of? What is the cathode made of? And what is the chemical composition of the electrolytic medium in between? This chemistry determines how many ions the battery can store, and how fast it can pump them out as raw DC (direct current) power.

The First Batteries Were Made of Lead and Acid

The lead–acid battery was invented in 1859 by French physicist Gaston Planté and is the oldest type of rechargeable battery. Lead-acid batteries use Pb lead for the electrodes, and sulfuric acid H2SO4 is the electrolytic medium. Despite having a relatively low energy-to-weight ratio, and a low energy-to-volume ratio, its ability to supply high surge currents means that the cells have a decent power-to-weight ratio.

These features along with their low cost makes lead acid batteries attractive for use in motor vehicles which require a robust charge to start the internal combustion automobile engine. The modern starter motor needs a sustained 12-volt charge. The lead acid battery is not a very practical choice for portable equipment. I couldn’t imagine running a weed whacker or a cordless drill with a lead acid battery attached, as it would be heavy and dangerous.

Nickel Cadmium Batteries Versus Lithium batteries

The first Ni–Cd battery was created by Waldemar Jungner in Sweden in 1899, and like so many other electrical pioneers he had a patent dispute with the Edison Corp in the early 1900s which many people now believe Edison won only because he had greater financial resources to devote to the case.

The nickel–cadmium battery, NiCd battery or NiCad battery is a type of rechargeable battery using nickel oxide hydroxide and metallic cadmium as electrodes. The abbreviation Ni-Cd is derived from the chemical symbols of nickel (Ni) and cadmium (Cd), and interesting note - the abbreviation 'NiCad' is actually a registered trademark of SAFT Corporation which I believe is a direct descendant of the company that Jungner founded one hundred years ago.

Lithium Ion batteries were created at about the same time but it wasnt until the 1970s that breakthroughs made by Exxon funded labs made them feasible. Lithium ion has various formulas There are hundreds of formulas of lithium ion, each with various features and benefits.

Last decade, lithium-ion batteries gave transistor legs. Without the newly conceived lithium ion batteries developed by Exxon we would not have smartphones, tablets or laptops. 

Lithium ion batteries do not necessarily bring more power to the job.  Battery chemistry does not influence power - this calculation is determined by the voltage of the battery and the efficient design of the motor, transmission and mechanism at work. Increasing both or either voltage or efficiency increases power. An 18V lithium ion battery has the same potential to deliver power as an 18V NiCd battery because they are the same voltage. However, the ergonomic advantage of lithium ion batteries allows manufacturers to make higher voltage tools-and, thus, increase power-without increasing weight.

Lithium ion does not mean more run time The run time (or number of holes drilled on a single battery charge) is determined by three factors: 1. Battery voltage 2. Battery capacity (amp-hour) 3. Efficiency of tool design Increasing voltage, amp-hour or tool efficiency improves run time. NiCd and NiMH batteries range in capacity from 1.3Ah to 3.0Ah. In comparison, lithium ion batteries range from 1.1Ah to 3.0Ah.  The lithium ion battery is smaller in size and lighter in weight than a nickel cadmium (NiCd) or nickel metal hydride (NiMH) battery. In addition, lithium ion has virtually no self-discharge. This allows a lithium ion battery to be stored for months without losing charge.

Remember, amp-hour is only one factor in run time, just as the size of the gas tank is only one factor in how far a vehicle can drive on a tank of gas. The best measure of run time on a cordless drill would be how many actual holes are drilled on a single charge, or how many boards were cut on a single battery. But even using these true metrics, the applications per battery charge factor in voltage, capacity and the efficiency of the tool and operator. 

Its also worth noting that there currently is no industry standard for measuring the amount of recharges a user can get from the battery.

Greenmoxie Builds a Tiny House in Toronto

Although many people are watching this amazing homemade design & build project, Fuel Ghoul may be the first to report on how Greenmoxie magazine builds a Tiny House in Toronto.

Greenmoxie is a green lifestyle web magazine that is growing incredibly popular in Canada and beyond. The staff is finding its green legs and starting to do remarkable things offline - like building tiny houses. These are more sustainable shortterm accomodation but also permanent dwellings for tourists and backpackers.  Greenmoxie journalist Cornelius Quiring pledges to keep the world updated on the team construction challenges and developments as the cabin is constructed. Readers can follow along via email newletters and get constant updates on the progress of the Tiny House which will, upon completion, be available for rent. Another interesting part of the Tiny House project story is its 'birth place' location in Rouge Park more on that later.

David Shephard is seen above outlining the dimensions of the bed and bathroom including a hot shower. One of the differences in his tiny house design over competitors more low-tech solutiona (as per downlaod schematics) is the solar power technology that he and his half brother Dan Shephard bring to the projact. They also have the best batteries in the business. And the best insulation solutions, rain water filtration technology, and hyper modulation of space for storage capability.

All over the world, the tiny house concept is exploding as people opt for more sustainable, and more affordable housing options. That's why the act of making the cabin and recording the step by step challenges involved, capturing the information rich minutia of the experience, will be valuable for others on the same journey or simply researching the cabin before renting it for a weekend in the park.

Rouge Park

Photo Credit: Rouge Park

The cabin is on wheels but when completed it will be situated somewhere in the woods around the Rouge River.   Rouge Park is a natural wilderness inside the city of Toronto. The park offers great hiking trails, wildlife and Biodiversity and is close to the Toronto Zoo and Rouge Beach.

The GreenMoxie Cabin project is being constructed on a farm near Rouge Park, an urban wilderness park in Toronto . Here David points out the barn swallows that have nested in the stables below his century old workshop. Nobody is allowed to go into the stables unless absoluteley necessary so as not to distuirb these birds, twhich are now on the threatened list of species. They are disappearing because their natural habitat in old barns like this are disappearing. The swallows eat flies and insects that are abudant near cattle but these days the creatures have to fly some distance to find a herd of cattle near an old barn. 

Blueprints for Greenmoxie's Tiny House will be made available for a free download - link to follow.

David has cobbled together a crew of volunteers, skilled and handsome builders, enthusiasts and eco-friendly folks who'll work together to create a tiny home for readers and followers of Greenmoxie to marvel at and perhaps rent for a week and occupy its tiny dimensions on future occassions.

Greenmoxie Cabin Creation Ensemble

• David Shephard

  Greenmoxie Co-Founder

  

  David Shephard runs an advertising agency in Toronto by day and is the captain of this ship at night on weekends. He's a veteran serial entreprenuer that values efficiency and eloquent design. He is a builder of starnge things and businessman who respects someone who can do more with less stuff. His vision of the Tiny House became a rallying point to which the other artists and engineers gathered with their knowledge and reources. David's vision of the Tiny House to come inspired the other members of the team. .

• Ian Fotheringham

  

  Green building consultant

  As an advocate for green building, Ian will be designing the house, drafting the plans, and making it as eco-friendly as possible while maximizing theproject's limited resources. Ian recycles materials for the windows and doors

• Cornelius Quiring

  Storyteller & helping hand

  Cornelius can be found on site twice a month taking pictures and making notes and documenting the entire build process. He's recording the obstacles and challenges as they present themsleves,and remembering exactly how the team overcame their adverse challenges of making a tiny house. He hopes to update the journal atleast thirty times over the course of summer leaving out no new information or details regarding how the team incorporated high technology into the tiny wood frame house.

• Dan Shephard

  Solar Energy Consultant

  Dan is a certified solar energy system designer with dozens of grid-tied and off-grid projects to his credit. Dan will assist with the build, design, and installation of our off-grid energy system.

• Mike Seyffert

  Builder

  Mike was heard saying "We plan to build this home to code, well as close to code as a tiny house can get."  And Mike knows best. Mike brings over 10 years of home building experience to the project; he's expected to provide leadership and ingenuity and think through every tiny detail which will no doubt mean measuring twice and cutting once.

David Shephard took time out of building the Tiny House to set up the Bird Photo Booth which he hosted on the property,

It was in the middle of June when the fields were lush and the hay needed to be cut that the Toronto Bird Photo Booth Business Challenge came to the farm.

In Toronto Bird Photo Booth Business Challenge, the host business positions the booth and picks the birdseed and or other bird photo strategies which could include a

Birds are abundant here and I will update this post with pictures in keeping with the storytelling done around the Birds of Toronto initiative.

More to follow

Post by Robert Campbell on July 3, 2013

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Green Basement Renovations, Advanced Flooring and Insulation for Walls

Fuel Ghoul helps homeowners who are old friends finish their renovations, and install energy efficient appliances and advanced windows and doors before the start of the summer when their families are home making memories.

Professional speculators and building contractors who flip houses for a living must follow four basic rules,

1) They should try to make their client's space bigger by using newage building materials that are lighter, stronger and less bulky. Trimming an inch or two off the width of the walls can have a profound effect on the available space inside the home.

2) Professional contractors should endeavour to make the space brighter, by installing glass block in the exterior walls ( as seen below) or adding thermal windows into walls, or adding new sunrooms and skylights.

3) The experts should work to make the whole house more energy efficient by installing energy star appliances, and using new age building materials to capture heat loss. Best practices include designing thermal barriers and installing heat pumps. The latest trend is to put solar panels on the roof to collect the sunshine - free energy? It's not too late to get your solar rooftop subsidized by the Ontario Microfit program and the City ofToronto is where Hydro One most needs the power.

And finally,

4) The contractors should work to make the living space safer, and more efficient by redesigning utilitarian areas and removing walls and other barriers to movement, sight and sounds (unless sound barriers are required). The family room is gone, and now the whole first floor of the house is open and therein lives the modern family.

Smojoe describes how Kevin Dugald uses insulted wall panels and basement flooring to make over his basement into a showpiece of thermal efficiency and shag carpet comfort with a fireplace and big screen television opposite a huge long (sectional) leather couch and four easy chairs, two at each end. 

 

Below is Kevin Dugald remaking the ground floor of his townhouse in Toronto. The stairway in the sidewall to Kevin’s basement - the walls are composed of Amdry insulated wall panels and you can see me selecting the best examples at the Rona at Islington and 401 in Toronto. Its an investment property and he's doing a green flip, despite advice given in a recent magainze article, Green Flips Bring Only Red InK Kevin hopes future home buyers will appreciate the work he's put into remodeling the structure with green equipment and building materials.

There are a bunch of ways to make money transforming a thin, narrow Toronto townhouse into beautifully streamlined ship of convenience the whole family can enjoy.

RULES OF THUMB  one of the best ways to add value to the renovation is to brighten interiors and reclaim lost space by employing new age building materials. 

Kevin’s property in the Riverdale area of Toronto had already been ‘flipped’ a few different times by the time he bought it in 2010. The first floor had extensive renovations in the nineteen-eighties which completely remade its interior and did work to the exterior. Most Notably, the contractor had stuck some glass block in the exterior walls, in the kitchen area, to brighten up the counter tops. Say what you will about glass block, the idea is rather brilliant and does indeed define the room.

The glass block was added thirty years ago but still works to illuminate counter tops and food preparation areas with beautiful healthy daylight.

Kevin didn’t remove any interior walls.

Home Renovation Magazine Canada claims that removing the walls between the kitchen and living room remains the number one home renovation trend in the new millennium real estate contracting. I’m surprised that there are still any walls left to remove! Home renovations experts and interior designers have been drafting open concept living environments for almost sixty years now. Engineers are well paid to approve plans to remove structural walls and combine the kitchen and dining room into an open concept living space.

Kitchen islands become work platforms, cook stations and dish washing areas where the family meets, eats and finds entertainment.

basement renovations - start by lowering the floor and pouring a new conrete pad, then work up adding insulated walls and floors.

Kevin elected to use Amdry basement flooring which is screwed down directly into the slab which has to be pre drilled to accomodate the screws. Each 24″ x 48″ Amdry panels each provide a full 8 sq. ft. surface coverage. Amdry is a one-step insulated subfloor system with a moisture resistant protective surface film. It provides a healthy, comfortable, warm basement by significantly reducing slab surface moisture and temperature fluctuations that may lead to mold and mildew problems.

You can see more of the guys working and purchasingand then subsequently reselling basement flooring and insulated wall panels on Toronto Golf Nuts, and selling their surplus basement flooring and insulated wall panels on Red Flag Deals and a similar thread offering about insulated wall panels and basement flooring on Toronto Forums as the team liquidates the surplus for Kevin who characteristically overestimated and bought too much after being given a great price for a large order.

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Bill Watson Remote Controlled Helicopter Cameraman

The Fuel Ghoul has a friend named Bill Watson who goes by the nickname ve3bnw, and who runs RC Perspective, a remote controlled helicopter camera / aerial video company in the Hamilton / Niagara region of Ontario.

Bill will take pictures (or videos) of your house or business from the air, and he offers clients a fresh 'remote controlled' aeriel perspective on their property.

Recently Bill Watson drove out to Whitby Ontario and did some work for a solar power company specializing in the Ontario MicroFit program, putting solar panels on environmentally friendly peoples' homes. The property seen below was recently featured in a local green investing TV show. Bill's footage to be used behind a voice track of Calum Ross Toronto mortgage broker detailing exactly how participating in the Ontario MicroFit program and adding solar panels to your investment property can improve resale prices. Homeowners should be aware, this is something they can do to dramatically heighten the value and interest of property buyers without a lot of time and money and mess and inconvienence. Modern solar panels are lightweight and durable and you can add them the roofs of new and old houses - consider this another option in your list of possible ideas for value added improvements. They look great too, and even better when photographed from above!

The house looks spectacular as solar panels are very in suburbia now.

Bill's helicopter is also electric. This sophisticated camera platform is possible today because of the battery powered motor capable of producing 2 HP , flight time of 6 mins. and capable of lifting gross weight of 14 lbs.  Bill works the remote controls of the helicopter, while his wife Debbie operates the pan and tilt and zoom and focus on the remote controlled camera mounted on the underside of the vehicle. It also has a video down link so the pair can see exactly what the camera sees.

And the video is majestic - this is how you show a potential investor what he's getting when he buys into the program. Yes there's a certain amount of prestige that comes with being the greenest house on the block, and this video captures that magnificence as it soars over solar install.

Untitled from Willyflyboy on Vimeo.

Its good to back here on Fuel Ghoul. Please comment of you remember my blog from three years ago and are surprised or delighted to see me back here writing content again.