Headline July 04, 2016/ ''' *ZERO VALUE ELECT-GAS BILL* ''' : ART WORK.

''' *ZERO VALUE ELECT-GAS BILL* ''' :

 ART WORK.

IN ONE BROAD CONTEXT  -Pakistan, the first historic conceptual host and trustee of the World Students Society, reverently called, !WOW! is-

Nothing short of a good *half-a-century* plus +++   behind America and the loss of all the great benefits, and the quality of life, that entails. 

And that is something that just won't wash away that easily. After all  What progress amid tumult? Anyone?

Unless, this very great nation and the students of Pakistan roll up their sleeves and get back to some solid hard work and sacrifices.

The future generations are not going to just walk away whistling, from this history.    

The shortages of energy has changed the entire behaviour of the people of Pakistan. It is no more, and has not been, for over many decades, a very happy country.

[If I ever can get hold of Student Mustafa Imran Basit from the Engineering faculty of LUMS paradigm, I am going to question him closely. 

Will get to his great professors in no time for some learning and leaning curves]..

For the Pakistanis'  and for the developing world, the queues and tariffs for energy consumption and survival  will continue to grow as their sufferings and dreams get longer and extended into oblivion..

On this great suburban experiment in the U.S. which aims for free energy: ''We know very little about how all these devices interact  -we have so much to learn,'' said Mark Duvall, director of-

Energy utilization at the  Electric Power Research Institute. ''Hopefully at the end of the day we can contribute to a greater understanding of how these technologies work together and what it really meant going forward.'' 

To do that, Mr. Narayanmurthy said, it was important to conduct the study, in partnership with the California Public Utilities commission and its program manager, Itron, in real homes with people using them the way they normally would.

But they also needed to have groups at homes clustered on individual transformers to allow them to compare the results with the traditional method of providing power.

With that information, they can determine the value for homeowners and grid system operators of adding features like solar panels, heat pumps and, in some cases, battery storage.

They find a willing collaborator in Meritage, a leading builder of energy efficient homes, and are expanding the test program to additional subdivisions in Southern California, the Central Valley and the Bay area.

For buyers, part of the appeal of a home built to be zero-energy is that they do not have to change their behavior to save energy.

At Meritage, the company insulates every house with spray foam, sharply reducing the amount of heating and cooling needed, and allowing smaller or fewer to be installed. Making the homes even more efficient are dualpane windows-

That help retain or keep out heat  (depending on the need), LED lighting and advanced water heaters that work by funneling heat from the ambient air into the water.

All of the test homes have SunPower rooftop solar systems, which are among the most efficient on the market. And because they were designed   along with the houses, the arrays can be oriented for maximum production.    

Half of the test homes also have energy storage systems with L.G, batteries and  Eguana Inverters, which help manage flow of electricity between the solar installation, home and grid, to allow researchers to test and compare how much value they add.

The house come equipped with A.O. Smith water heaters that can be remotely controlled and Trane smart thermostats that can manage all the equipment and can connect to cameras and security systems.

If homeowners feel any effect, it is in the pocketbook , at least initially.The houses, all with three or four bedrooms, cost more than the $373, 990   to $476, 990 standard for the subdivision  about 20 minutes west of San Bernardino.

But because the cost is wrapped into the mortgage, and paid over an extended period of time, it is more easily affordable, and the larger payments are generally offset by the savings on energy bills.

'' With this stuff thrown in you can afford a lot more house, and you get a lot more value,'' Mr. Genau, 31, said.

Back in the East, where the Genaus' previous house had a big foyer, their energy bills could go as high as  $500  a month. 

''I'd rather be cold sometimes than see the bill,'' Ms. Genau, 29, said.  

''It was ridiculous''.

*There energy bill now?  About $10*.

And they feel little effect, living in comfort and controlling the temperature in the different zones of their  2,800 square-foot, three bedroom home from a smartphone.

'' I think I did a dance or something when I saw it.......it was so cool,'' she said adding that if she feels it's getting warm, she will sometimes turn on the air-conditioning from her pew at church, where they often brag about the house.

''I think they get tired of us talking about it,'' she said.    

With respectful dedication to the Students, Professors and Teachers of the world. See Ya all on !WOW!  -the World Students Society and !E-WOW!  -the Ecosystem 2011:

''' The Watchdog '''

Good Night and God Bless

SAM Daily Times - the Voice of the Voiceless