Energy questions from a new friend

When people find out I work in green energy technology, I’m immediately bombarded with questions. “How can I cut down on my utility bills?” is the one I get the most. Well, the other day, I made a new friend. We went out for lunch and got a chance to know one another better. Turns out, she and her husband are looking to buy a new house, and they’re concerned with energy efficiency and being “eco-friendly,” as she put it.

Here a couple of questions she asked:

What are some specific warning flags to look out for when taking a tour of a house?

Realtors usually try to show you the parts of the house they want you to see. Make sure you ask them about the air conditioning and heating systems. How old are they? How much energy do they consume during peak months?

Outside, take a look at the landscaping. Are there native plants? Do they require a lot of water? Is there a sprinkler system? If there is, make sure you check for leaks.

If you get the opportunity, ask the previous owners if you can take a peek at their utility bills. How much water and electricity does the house consume on a daily, monthly, annual basis?

Although going green is always easier when you’re starting from the ground up and building your own home, you can always make upgrades to greatly increase an older home’s energy efficiency, not to mention your property’s overall value.

What upgrades can I make if I do decide to buy a less-than-efficient house?

Tons! Here’s a quick breakdown of the easiest do-it-yourself upgrades you can make, but trust me, there are many more:

-      Replace old windows with energy-efficient versions.

-      Using duct tape, seal air leaks around doors and windows.

-      While you have the tape, grab a ladder and seal the air ducts too.

-       Add more insulation.

-      Swap out water-thirsty plants in the yard with ones that require as little water as possible. Cactuses are nice and prickly.

-   Install barrels to collect rain runoff. The water can be used to irrigate your landscape and lawn, so you won’t have to use the hose.

-      Replace incandescent light bulbs with more efficient fluorescents.

-      Check the EPA's Energy Star rating and replace your old appliances. Go ahead, you deserve it! Throw out that old coffee maker. Better yet, donate it. Then go out and buy yourself something nice. Spend a little now, save a lot later…

What’s the most important piece of advice you can offer an energy novice like me?

Stayed informed! Watch the news. Read. Instead of wasting time online with mindless games, Google your environmental and energy questions. Stay inquisitive. Check out the EPA's Energy Star website, EnergyStar.gov. Get acquainted with calculators and other useful tools that can help you manage your carbon footprint.

For example, you might not think of your home as a carbon-emitting source, but it is! It’s a major contributor, in fact. The energy you use for cooling, heating, lighting, and general power are, more likely than not, connected to a dirty main source. A coal-burning facility. A nuclear power plant.

To start, visit nrglab.asia. We’ve got a slew of green energy projects in development that are sure to change the way the world looks at energy. Waste-to-fuel gasification. The polycrystalline SH-Box generator.

The future of energy independence is coming. We’re ushering it in. 

[ Sh-box generator, EPA's Energy Star rating, nrglab, nrglab pte ltd, nrglab сингапур, nrglab singapore, anastasia samoylova nrglab, ana shell, annie j, alternative energy, cheap electricity ]

Cut costs and energy consumption in 10 easy steps

You don’t have to take drastic measures in order to adapt to the energy and climate crises. By adhering to these 10 simple steps, you’ll cut down on your carbon footprint while simultaneously shredding your monthly utility bills!

It doesn’t take expensive solar panel instillation to do it, either. Just take a little bit of time out of your day, walk around your home, and consider the following:

• Set your thermostat to 78° Fahrenheit (about 25 C°). It’s a low-energy yet comfortable temperature that’s sure to save you big bucks during those long, sultry summer months.
• If you’re running the air conditioner, make sure the windows and doors are all closed. Waste not, want not, as they say.
• Make sure those vents aren’t being blocked. A lot of times (often for feng shui), people will unknowingly position furniture against the AC vents. This restricts the flow of cool air throughout your home, forcing you to run the unit longer.
• Another common decorating mistake – make sure your TV, lamps, and heat-emitting appliances are positioned away from the thermostat. They have a tendency of tricking the AC into thinking it’s hotter than it actually is.
• Did you know that your water heater is generally your third largest energy expense? Turning it down just a few degrees will help you save money consistently month-to-month.
• Washing your clothes in cold water instead of hot will pocket you an extra hundred dollars or so every year. Also, stashing a dry towel in the dryer with each load of freshly washed clothes reduces drying time by absorbing dampness. That means running the dryer less. Using less water. Less energy.
• Microwaveable TV dinners – not so bad after all! The microwave oven uses about ½ as much energy as a convention one. So don’t feel bad the next time it takes you five minutes to cook dinner. Feel like you’re being responsible.
• Vacuum your refrigerator? Sounds a bit ridiculous, I’ll admit. But when dirt and grime build up in your fridge’s coils, it has to work twice as hard to keep your food cold.
• If you haven’t brewed coffee, played video games, or watched TV in a while – unplug your appliances! Surprisingly, many consume electricity even when they’re off.
• Have an attic? A basement? Even a crawlspace? Inspect your insulation regularly to make sure that it’s dry. When moisture seeps in, it greatly impacts the insulation’s effectiveness. Cold air leaks out during the summer, and in during the winter, making it very difficult to stay warm or cool (depending on the season).

Well, there you have it. 10 easy steps to reducing costs and energy consumption. And remember, when it comes to global warming – we’re all in this together. So take the time to make sure you’re being as energy-efficient as possible. Tell a friend. Make a difference.

As Ghandi once said, “If we could change ourselves, the tendencies in the world would also change. As a man changes his own nature, so does the attitude of the world change towards him. We need not wait to see what others do.”

[ energy consumption, global warming, Ghandi, nrglab, nrglab pte ltd, nrglab сингапур, nrglab singapore, ana shell, annie j, anastasia samoylova nrglab ]

您还相信政府吗？

每天晚上，政府的不当行为似乎都是新闻播报的头条。来吧；让我们随便挑选一个国家——任意一个国家。

有 “自由之地”之称的美国在暗中监视它的公民。窃听他们的私人通话。查看他们的电子邮件。而这些都是100%合法的！（不论从宪法还是道德上来讲——这绝对不合法）

而在土耳其，警察被迫动用高压水枪，试图驱散约15,000名的闹事民众，他们都是亲AK党人士。想想看，在明年三月的市政选举中，会有多少人在投票站欢呼喝彩，又有多少人会挥舞着土耳其国旗。

朝鲜要求解散驻韩“联合国干预机构”。朝鲜大使申善昊（Sin Son Ho）指责美国使用韩国领土进行对朝战争准备，警告称战争“随时”都会爆发。而且，我们在这儿谈论的并不是另一场朝鲜战争。而是第三次世界大战。核毁灭。生命的终结，就像我们所知道的那样。

外国领导人之间也很难再开展直接面谈，因为他们害怕被所谓的盟友的绝密无人机监视。那些无人机在二者之间在做什么？为什么要监视您？这根本不需要理由！就连开明的美国总统巴拉克·奥巴马也曾使用无人机发动袭击，以除掉恐怖分子嫌疑人。没有审判。没有人宣读他们的权利。最糟糕的是——无辜的市民也被卷入了战火。

无论您是否接受，在我们以科技为驱动力的时代，“隐私”这一概念在迅速发展。是什么允许了政府发动入侵活动，只为了抓捕一个杀手？您如何权衡个人权益和集体利益？这是一些非常棘手的问题，也要求我们对此做出艰难的决定。但是，您能相信您的政治领导人吗，让他们替您作出决定？

这就是为什么NRGLab试图让人们独立的原因。通过随处可用的可负担电力，您就能访问各种信息。这会塑造出一位消息灵通的选民。负责任的公民，借助于一台无碳发电机，如SH-Box（多晶体发电机），他们就能约束自己的消费习惯。他们可以更好地学习循环利用技术。最重要的是，他们可以与世界分享自己学到的东西。而通过这个信息网，一个人也可以创造历史。

因此，千万别放弃！如果您觉得为了节省一瓦特的电力，而关闭额外的照明灯，不会带来任何改变——事实的确如此！请以身作则。贡献自己的力量，确保大家能享有一个更好、更洁净的未来。

从英文版翻译而来。原文于2013 6月26日， http://annie65j.blogspot.sg/2013/06/do-you-still-trust-government.html

[ NRGLab 项目, NRGLab推出的SH-box, 政府, sh-box, ana shell, anastasia samoylova nrglab, annie j, nrglab pte ltd, nrglab singapore, nrglab, ana shell, sin hon ho ]

How one idea can change the world

As history has proven time and time again, one idea can change the world. Guttenberg’s printing press transformed the way people exchanged information. The steam engine inspired the Industrial Revolution. Manufacturing. Mass transportation. Manifest destiny. Did orators and others see these innovations coming? Were they prepared for such dramatic cultural changes?

            Yes, the Earth changes gradually – but culture changes in the blink of an eye. All it takes is that big idea. A special invention. The SH-box by NRGLab is exactly that. A generator built with custom crystal technology, the SH-box produces zero-emission, cost-efficient electricity. And by designing the SH-box to be integrated with any existed energy grid, NRGLab is prepared to make an immediate impact.

              The Internet is arguably the last great invention to change the world. This was followed shortly by the “dot com bubble.” Now, a majority of retail shopping is done online. Bills are paid online. In fact, the American post-office has been forced to undergo a major overhaul in order to stay afloat in an increasingly paper-less world. Facebook. YouTube. Twitter. These things could not exist without the Internet, and just think how they’ve played a role in our society. Twitter has usurped a tyrant in Egypt. YouTube has exonerated the wrongly accused. Twitter has rendered the television nightly news obsolete.

            Now imagine a world where those monthly energy bills you’re paying online are a third of what they currently are. And in that same world, imagine reading news on your Twitter feed about the end of the energy crisis. No more crazy fluctuations in gas prices. Global warming slowed for the first time since before the Industrial Revolution. Even the third-world is thriving with access to affordable energy. The Earth finally seems to be coming together – not crumbling.

            This world isn’t far off. In fact, it may already be here. Be one of the first to invest in an SH-box, and join in the green-energy revolution. Visit nrglab.asia for more information. 

By Vladimir Semenov sg.linkedin.com/pub/vladimir-semenov/67/5b9/140/

 [ nrglab pte ltd, nrglab, nrglab singapore, nrglab сингапур, ana shell, research council, sh-box, anastasia samoylova nrglab, research council nrglab ]

Possible agreement between U.S. & China could score historic victory against global warming

Several weeks ago, United States Secretary of State John Kerry met with Chinese officials in Beijing to discuss rising tensions between the U.S. and North Korea. Although progress has been made on that front, it’s a surprising bi-lateral agreement regarding climate change that could ultimately leave the biggest mark on history. 

A long-term relationship between the two superpowers would help ensure economic stability and environmental sustainability for generations to come. The U.S. and China are responsible for 45% of all greenhouse gas emissions. They’ve cited several environmental implications, such as melting ice caps, oceanic acidification, and super-storms as justification for the joint-resolution.   

Kerry’s meeting marks a historic precedent. Global warming has finally shifted from being a political stance for or against, to being a matter of fact. The agreement opens up channels of international communication and cooperation by establishing a Climate Change Working Group. Hopefully, this will inspire the United Nations to get aggressive with climate change and adopt a similar collaborative attitude.

Strategic and Economic Dialogues like this have been helping to bring governments together for the last six years. In the past, however, discussions have centered on trade proposals and market fluctuations. The creation of the Climate Change Working Group forces the U.S. and China, politicians indebted to campaign contributors and greedy corporate executives alike, to face the difficult challenges on which our future depends.

When dealing with different governments in a democratic fashion, or even representatives within a national democracy, real issues tend to get bogged down by bureaucratic nonsense. And since the very real issue of climate change encompasses a variety of other issues like national security, foreign trade, and renewable energy, it’s often difficult for legislation to get passed.

Perhaps most importantly, the agreement between the U.S. and China will target specific philosophical differences between the governments’ understandings of climate change. Resolving these differences now prepares the U.N. for down the line, should they ever decide to follow suit and begin working on a unilateral strategy.

It’s time to end the debate. We need to come together and accept responsibility for the damage we’ve done to the planet. Companies like NRGLab have already begun to assemble a team of brilliant engineers and scientists with a likeminded vision for the future. That vision includes clean electricity. A completely revamped energy infrastructure. Manageable carbon levels.

That vision includes the SH-Box.

Visit nrglab.asia for more information on the SH-Box generator and updates on upcoming auctions being held by NRGLab.

[ nrglab singapore, nrglab, nrglab сингапур, nrglab pte ltd, NRGLab 项目, ana shell, anastasia samoylova nrglab, annie j, energy project, listrik indonesia, listrik murah ]

Keyakinanku pada NRGLab

Pada publikasi terakhir, saya menyebutkan sasaran saya untuk proyek bersama dengan NRGLab Pte Ltd. Saya berniat membuka pasar energi murah untuk setiap insan manusia di Bumi ini. Baik dikehendaki atau tidak, kita semua melalui kegiatan-kegiatan bisnis atau pembelian barang dan jasa, atau melalui cara-cara lain apapun, terlibat dalam proses produksi energi. Secara bersama-sama dengan pasar energi (energy market) yang sesungguhnya, sebuah pasar derivatif (saham, indeks, quote, pinjaman, dsb,) telah terbentuk. Banyak perantara keuangan mengaitkan kehidupan kita sehari-hari dengan derivatif-derivatif rumit mereka.

Saat ini, semua uang yang ada di dunia ada dalam energi dan perdagangan derivatif. Perdagangan, pertukaran, bank .... kita berada dalam sebuah perkawinan tak berimbang dengan “mafia energi” ini. Adakah yang tahu pangsa energi dan derivatif dalam GDP dunia? 50%? Salah, 90!

Gagasan saya adalah agar orang tidak lagi terpaksa memanfaatkan pelayanan dari mereka yang memonopoli energi dan perusahaan-perusahaan global. Sebaliknya, mereka dapat memproduksi energi mereka sendiri. NRGLab akan mengembalikan margin “energi” dan membayar untuk pelayanan kembali kepada masyarakat, misalnya, melalui obat-obatan, ilmu, proyek-proyek pendidikan, kegiatan-kegiatan amal, dsb. Penolakan atas “kebohongan” dan kebanggaan akan menjadi hal yang menguntungkan dalam “bisnis”. Begitu banyak hal terbangun atas saran-saran, kebohongan dan membohongi diri. Akibat krisis global, energi murah yang ada saat ini akan memungkinkan tumbuhnya pasar baru bagi hubungan bisnis langsung.

Negara mana yang akan menjadi lingkungan “energi” bebas pertama? Andalah yang memilih! Mungkin saja itu menjadi negara yang Anda cintai, tempat Anda dilahirkan!

Diterjemahkan dari Bahasa Inggris. Artikel asli diterbitkan pada 26 Maret 2013 di http://annie65j.blogspot.sg/2013/03/my-belief-in-nrglab.html

[nrglab, nrglab pte ltd, nrglab singapore, nrglab сингапур, ana shell, anastasia samoylova, anastasia samoylova nrglab, sh-box, environment, pollution, energy project, research council, research council nrglab, nrglabs, listrik murah, listrik indonesia]

可持续资本主义与新技术

美利坚合众国享有两大自由：民主和资本主义。这些体制旨在分配财富、调控供需关系，并确保倾听到每个公民的呼声。然而，当人民发出反对的声音时会发生什么呢？当那些用于保护人民安全的体制导致了相悖的结果时，又会发生什么呢？

在最近一次美国总统选举中，到处都在谈论1% 以及美国权力分配不均的问题。随着经济危机席卷全球，这一比例还将持续降低。究竟要降到何时才能“让人满意”呢？是整个国家变得贫穷，且所有资源都掌握在一两个金融寡头手中的时候吗？

但是，有一种资源将绝不会被窃取或购买：那就是我们的创新思维。历史证明人的大脑能成就伟大的事业。从了解宇宙的浩瀚，到生命组成部分的渺小，创新思维始终推动着社会的进步。

NRGLab公司的研究员们也遵守着这一准则。为了完善生产能源技术，NRGLab公司的员工日以继夜地工作，正是这种不辞辛劳的工作让NRGLab公司站在了创新前沿。如果他们对未来的憧憬变成现实，那么，电力不仅将是人民能负担得起的，更是普遍可用的能源。可持续能源是维持资本主义和民主等其他体制运转的关键。它将改善竞争环境。让其健康发展。创造全新的机会。推动人们思考和检验公认的准则。最为重要的是，此项新技术将保证人人平等。

得益于类似NRGLab这样的公司，在地球的漫长历史进程中，我们的世界很快就可以第一次拥有真正的自由和和平。留待今后讨论的问题是：你将发现自己站在历史的哪一边？

从英文版翻译而来。原文于2013年2月8日发表在http://nrglabjohnwish.wordpress.com/2013/02/08/sustainable-capitalism-and-new-tech/

[ 新技术, ana shell, nrglab сингапур, nrglab pte ltd, nrglab, research council, sh-box, environment, nrglab, anastasia samoylova nrglab ]

My Goal for the Project with NRGLab

I came to Singapore at the invitation of NRGLab Pte Ltd. My cooperation with their team before my arrival here was rather short. We had two month correspondence with Ana Shell and several talks via Skype with Zeev Drori from Israel concerning my participation in the company activities. I communicated with all company members on increasing progress of their energy project. This project made a lot of sense for me then, while nowadays my positive opinion about it has only increased. I did not ask for the salary or position in their company, so we came to decision that I would be engaged in the Research Council formation as a volunteer.

Right now I am in Singapore, where I help the team to form a Research Council, which will involve scientists from companies of different countries. My contacts per week have greatly expanded thanks to applications from representatives of energy companies in Indonesia, Malaysia, Poland, Pakistan, India, etc. Businessmen, politicians, some crazy people message me. My aim for this spring and summer is until October to form working groups within Research Council so that at the first meeting in October we could define Strategy of plants and structures on service around the world. Development strategy of this new business is very important, as only in the last month the company decided to expand the line. It is going to develop the 5 and 8 kW/h SH-box for the private market.

I have suggested to the company’s management quite a simple and obvious strategy – so that every ordinary businessman from any country could participate in the project. To prevent capturing of technology by global players, more rights should be sold to private hands. If person wants to invest one thousand dollars, we should give him/her this opportunity. For one thousand dollars you can buy 20% of SH-box at 5 kW / h. Five neighbors can unite and buy generator at 1 kW/ h per family. In this case, one family in Asia can save in a year to 15 cents per each kW – that is more than one thousand dollars per year. Logic is clear for everybody – person will receive energy at $ 1,500 a year and save $ 1,300 a year. My opinion is also clear – we need to give everybody the right to use this technology. And I’ll find arguments to convince the company to open the market of cheap energy for everyone, as it is a humane and socially just. If you support my idea, please, email me: annie65j@gmail.com

[nrglab, nrglab pte ltd, nrglab singapore, nrglab сингапур, ana shell, anastasia samoylova, anastasia samoylova nrglab, sh-box, environment, pollution, energy project, research council, research council nrglab, nrglabs]