The following is a semi-organized list of interesting websites that we have discovered.
I don’t plan to constantly monitor them to be sure they all work. Please let me know if you find one that is broken.
Also please let me know if you have other topical websites to suggest. Thank you!
Ways to electrify
Mobile Solar Power – do-it-yourself instructions from William Errol Prowse IV, and the website we refer people to when they want advice on adding solar to their RV or travel trailer; if you’re looking for input on solar panels, batteries, inverters, etc., this is a good place to start
AM Solar – Design guides plus kits and parts for RV solar and battery installations; also links to dealers and installers
RV electricity with Mike Sokol – this man knows his stuff and can explain everything from the basics to the advanced topics
SunWork – a California (Bay Area and Central Coast) nonprofit that works with trained volunteers to make solar affordable to low-energy-footprint homeowners; contact them if you own a home there or are interested in volunteering and learning how to install solar (John worked for them when we lived in San Jose)
PVWatts – a calculator you can use to estimate how much solar energy you might be able to generate by adding panels to your roof
Rewiring America IRA Calculator – discounts and tax credits you might qualify for through the Inflation Reduction Act
DSIRE – a database of state incentives for renewables and efficiency
Heat Pumps, Hooray! – easy-to-understand description of this excellent technology and a calculator of potential cost savings
Sealed – helps homeowners convert to heat pumps (and improve home insulation) by connecting them with contractors, with zero upfront payment – they recoup costs via your energy savings; available in New York initially
DIY Solar Power Forum – a place to ask all kinds of technical questions and hopefully get useful help
The Induction Site – a bunch of information about induction cooking
Magnetic Cooky – reviews and comparisons of induction cooktops and cookware; the link goes to RV-specific cooktops but there are plenty of other options on the site
Inspiration
Inside Climate News – in-depth reporting on current climate stories (one of my favorite email newsletters)
Project Drawdown – ways to reduce the CO2 in our atmosphere; so many great ideas!
How to Save a Planet podcast – an entertaining podcast featuring a variety of approaches and possible solutions, all while trying to answer the question “How screwed are we?”
Mothers of Invention podcast – former Irish president Mary Robinson and comedian Maeve Higgins talk to women all over the world who are doing amazing things to make the world a better place. So inspiring. Go ladies!
GRID Alternatives – installing low-cost solar in underserved communities, while providing training to volunteers; an amazing model that accomplishes multiple goals at one time (John has been volunteering with them for years)
Heath and Alyssa Padgett and the RV Entrepreneur podcast – one of my earliest inspirations for creating a business (or in our case right now, a “business”) while living on the road, with tons of great advice. I can draw a direct line from the first RVE summit to the creation of this very website.
Honnold Foundation – climber Alex Honnold is working to increase access to solar energy around the world
“How to solve climate change and make life more awesome” podcast episode with Ezra Klein and Saul Griffith – paints a picture of a potentially amazing future and makes me hopeful
2015 Wait But Why post about Tesla and also fossil fuels, climate change, the history of cars, electric vehicles, and how to change the world
And in a related but slightly more graphic comic, The Oatmeal’s description of the Tesla Model S as An Intergalactic SpaceBoat of Light and Wonder – a car that is powered by the motherfreakin’ sun (and now we have a truck like that!)
xkcd’s Earth Temperature Timeline – a history of temperature changes on our planet compared to the recent rise, in easy-to-read graphic form
republicEn – conservatives who care about climate change; they are focused on carbon pricing, which is one important piece of a larger plan; I don’t agree with everything they stand for, but I do agree with that, so if there’s a way to make it happen, we should be talking about it – a lot
RethinkX – their energy report has an optimistic projection that we will switch to mostly solar, wind, and batteries (SWB) in the near future, creating a large surplus of electricity, which will lead toward electrification of many things due to dropping costs of energy. They call it “super power” – and we all need some super power in our lives!
Electric trucks and earth-friendly trailers
Rivian – maker of Tug-E, our electric truck. This fun and amazing vehicle can tow Howie and gets us much closer to being a real All-Electric household (powered by the motherfreakin’ sun!)
Tesla Cybertruck – looks… different?
Homegrown Trailers – eco-friendly trailers powered by solar
ZETA (Zero Emission Transportation Association) – A group of electric vehicle manufacturers, charging station-related companies, utilities and more, working together to advocate for EV sales with an aggressive ramp-up timeline
Tracking real-time % renewable generation
California ISO – current demand and % renewables
Austin Energy – solar, wind, and non-renewable mix
(I need to research this a lot more; an aggregate for all regions would be really nice)
From the New York Times – How Does Your State Make Electricity? – with excellent and colorful graphics (updated in 2020)
More reading
The Green New Deal – the actual text, a framework of ideas that the United States could focus on to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, develop jobs, promote justice, and provide clean air and water, climate resilience, healthy food, access to nature, and a sustainable environment for all; a quick and worthwhile read
Rewiring America handbook – by Saul Griffith, a free document (in exchange for your email address) that describes how we could use current technology to electrify the economy, create lots of jobs, make our environment cleaner and safer, reduce CO2 emissions, and basically make everything better
Carbon Brief – news and analysis about all things climate related
Rocky Mountain Institute study about adverse health effects of using gas stoves, with the recommendation to electrify your appliances
Products we own (not affiliate links at this point)
Solar panels from Alt-E Store – options for various types and sizes; we have 4 x 395 watt panels
Inverters from Alt-E Store – sized based on your system; we have a 4000 watt, 24V Magnum Energy MS4024
Inverter remote – similar to the one we use to control and program the inverter from inside the trailer
Charge controller options – we use a Morningstar MPPT60
Battery monitor – our TriMetric monitor is invaluable for knowing the battery status (especially % full) and power in/out
24 volt to 12 volt converter – to change voltage from the 24V battery bank to the 12V system in the trailer
I’d love to be able to point you to the place where we bought our used lithium batteries (4 at 138 Ah each), but that was a one-time deal on eBay that we haven’t seen replicated; if we find another great deal that lasts, I will put it here
Induction cooktop – what we use for all of our stovetop cooking
Stackable induction-compatible cookset – great for a travel trailer with limited storage space
Electric “Billy” kettle – we use it every day to heat water
Instant Pot – so easy! We keep finding more uses for it; beans and lentils, potatoes, vegetables, tamales, and more
Ceramic heater – this link is an example, not our exact model, but looks like it should do the trick (other sizes and styles also available)
Footrest heater – keeps my feet warm while sitting at the desk on chilly days, and who doesn’t love the name “Toasty Toes”?
Ben’s Discount Supply – including DC fridges and DIY solar kits; our new refrigerator came from Ben’s
Fridge thermometers – option 1 (self-contained) and option 2 (wireless with external readout), super helpful in our refrigerator retrofit and now we just like to know what the fridge is up to
Arduino Uno and the Getting Started book – we used these for our fridge controller project
Pioneer mini split heat pump – we love this heater / air conditioner; it’s something of an experiment to add it to a travel trailer but so far it is working great; quiet, efficient, so much better than the old AC unit and propane heater
JC Refrigeration – provided our retrofit kit to change from propane to electric fridge; the company and their products seem sound (they also do the retrofit service if you want to bring your rig to them), but I’d suggest retrofitting only a newer model fridge; see the blog posts about our experiences: Initial retrofit and the Arduino controller we built
Kill-a-Watt meter – super handy device for tracking energy use of a 120V AC appliance