Author Archives: lukefrugalev

We have discussed several solar and or battery projects in previous posts. Usually the economics are rather abysmal with payback periods stretching into the decades. At the heart of this is the relatively low per-kWh electricity price, of only 10 c/kWh “ish” (source). Compared to say Californians who must fork over 33 c/kWh (source). ButContinue reading “A cheap way to boost solar?”

I recently installed an Emporia power monitor in my electrical panel. The installation procedure was fairly straightforward and took me about an hour or so to do. I have about half a dozen 240V circuits in the house which go to “power-hogs” such as the heat-pump, hot water tank, EV charger, Stove, heat-pump dryer etc.Continue reading “Experiments with a Power Monitor”

A while back in a prior post, we discussed using a simple battery powered fan to slow the heat build up which accompanies fast charging on the 2018 Nissan Leaf. Our results at the time suggested that the simple fan did make a small difference. For that particular trip, it was 360 km North BayContinue reading “Tremblant run with “active cooling””

The Pickering nuclear plant has been a reliable back bone of Ontario’s energy mix for well over five decades. But in 2026, it must either shut down or undergo serious (e.g. expensive) renovations to continue to produce power. The site sits in the heart of the greater Toronto area (GTA), and could lead to someContinue reading “What to do about Pickering Nuclear?”

Price of electricity varies greatly depending on the time of day. Here in Ontario, 1 kWh will cost you 3c at night, but 30c during peak hours. This is where a home battery might comes in handy, why not charge up during the the night on cheap-electrons, and discharge during expensive hours? Lets explore theContinue reading “Home battery economics”

Ski-fewer got you down? Why not hit the slopes at Mount St. Louis Moonstone? Its only 150 km from Toronto, so an easy day trip, even in a 5 year old 2018 Nissan Leaf. Charging is available (albeit expensive) at the ski-resort so no need to charge really, unless you prefer cheaper charging, there isContinue reading “Mount St. Louis Moonstone”

During icing conditions, heat-pumps have to de-ice themselves to keep heating your home. This is something that does happen, from time to time, but most heat-pumps have the ability to briefly de-ice themselves (running in AC mode usually) which melts the ice in a few minutes, giving it the ability to keep heating your homeContinue reading “My heat-pump is frozen”

There is some verbiage online suggesting you should not use a schedule on your heat-pump (source). While we have largely suggested that you do. Lets get into the science a bit and see the arguments on either side. Briefly, as heat-pumps generally produce less heat, they will struggle to raise the temperature in your houseContinue reading “To schedule or not to schedule your heat-pump usage?”

While there are a few 7 seater EVs out there, the selection is a little skimpy. Hence one may have to settle for a plug in hybrid, like the Mazda CX-90. On a recent trip to California, I gave it a spin. Cabin space is excellent, with lots of leg room, even in the thirdContinue reading “Driving the Mazda CX-90 plug in hybrid”

While electric vehicle (EV) sales are still growing, (source), some automakers expected a faster growth (source), this combined with generous incentives, particularly in some jurisdictions has combined to create a golden opportunity for those in the market for a new EV. So golden, than some models are now cheaper than their gas powered equivalents, atContinue reading “Is this price parity?”