MEOW is the Milwaukee Energy Optimization Workgroup, or if you'd prefer a recursive acronym, the MEOW Energy Optimization Workgroup. The purpose of the group is to explore different ways of generating, storing, and using energy in an efficient, reliable, and conservational manner in order to improve our lives and foster a respectful attitude toward the forces of nature from which this energy is provided. What does this mean? We get together and find ways to gather and store energy and put it toward meaningful uses. We look at what we're using energy for and why. We look beyond our current energy paradigm and find ways to make improvements. We have fun and build community through the creative process (i.e. making things) because if someone should do something about it, it may as well be us doing it.

Jack: I'm basically hoping to get people together to build things. Awesome things. Energy is the foundation of existence and I think it's one of the most interesting and important aspects of human life to consider. Energy is also at the foundation of our society, and our relationship with energy is changing in some fundamental ways. We'll have to keep up with these changes, and I hope this group will enable us to do that more effectively while having a lot of fun in the process. Here's a graph from the excellent Do the Math blog that illustrates the important question that needs to be addressed:

See also: Galactic-Scale Energy

This is the place to list any projects underway, news, etc.

Meetings: First meeting is planned for Saturday, June 2nd at 1pm. Subsequent meetings will be the first Saturday of the month at 1pm unless otherwise noted.

March 2nd 2013

• First Meeting in new location!
• Occupancy sensors, lighting controls and energy monitoring - Vishal
• SVO system planning - Jack
• Discuss the upcoming sustainability summit, maybe work on posters

December 1st, 2012

• Special off-site field-trip day to work on ambulance - installation of diesel-fired heater.
• Installed heater…into enclosure…and tested for extended time; temperature is regulated well, pulsation of tubes not noticed, believed due to trapped air. To be continued…

November 3rd, 2012

• Special off-site field-trip day to work on ambulance cooling system.

October 6th, 2012 - AT BARCAMP AT BUCKETWORKS

• Due to Barcamp, this month's meeting will be at Barcamp. I may or may not be presenting on things and/or other things. I will, however, be there during the usual meeting time - 1pm-4pm, so you may attempt to search me out.

September 1st, 2012

• Arrive
• [This is where you add things you want to happen at the meeting]
• Making small solar panels, discussion of charging/etc controllers
• Bringing in and organizing more equipment for WVO system, possible design discussion
• [This is where the meeting happens]
• Leave

August 4th, 2012

• Arrive
• Testing of high-efficiency loudspeakers with higher power. They are painful at close range, so :) (Jack)
• Leave

July 8th, 2012

• Arrive
• Talk with Ben Nelson (Jack [note-not planned]) Topics included: diesel mercedes engine in pickup, hybrid electric drive, biodiesel.
• Work on plans for Window-Attached Solar Air Heater (Jack)
• Test high-efficiency loudspeakers with high-efficiency Class-D amplifier, take some measurements (Jack)
• Leave

June 2nd, 2012

• Arrive
• Making small solar panels (Jack, Andor)
• We discussed making small solar panels; Jason is looking to make a cell-phone charger and has numerous cells and possibly access to an oven, Andor has cells as well and is looking to make 12v panels. We decided to focus on using EVA for encapsulation and sylguard as a secondary method. I'm interested in making 3v modules which can mount in some sort of thing that will determine the voltage and keep them secure.
• Leave

http://wiki.milwaukeemakerspace.org/projects/ambulance

We have LT 100S current sensors, however they measure instantaneous current, so we'd have to find a way to average the measurements.

There are inexpensive sensors that measure up to 10A which would be useful for some circumstances ( Murata 10A)

Anything over 10A goes up to the $7-10 range. ( ICE 50A Triad 130A Honeywell 100A)

Things to decide:

• Measurement: individual circuits or whole-box
• Lighting sensors
• Do we need to know what's running or how much current it's consuming (accuracy)
• How to isolate low-voltage from mains
• Choose sensor types
• For loop sensors: how large does the ID need to be

References and commercial products:

• Sensors: Rogowski Coil Ferrite Toroid Hall Effect Current Transformers
• Which Current Sensor for Power Monitoring
• How to choose and implement Current Sensors
• A Current Sensing Tutorial
• Energy monitoring with MCP3901 (pdf)
• MCP3901 Low Cost Energy Monitoring Reference Design (pdf) $80 Reference Kit
• SmartHome Cent-a-Meter
• TED Current transformers ($47)
• Custom-built split-core current transformers - theory

Projects:

• Whole House Current Monitoring
• How to build a cheap current sensor w/ ferrite clamp
• Home Power Monitoring with current sensors - installation section
• Arduino Home Energy Shield
• Open-source Wireless Mesh Networking Energy Monitor
• Monitoring Your Home Energy Use
• Powerline monitor w/ homemade hall effect ferrites
• Home power monitoring using current transformers
• Clamp Sensor Power Monitoring

Parts:

• 30A Clamp sensor - $12
• split-core clamp sensor 5mm ID, $6/ea in lot of 10
• 6mm ID 50A $7/ea lot 10
• 1/2" ID Clamp-on Ferrites $2.50 ea
• 14mm ID $4/ea
• 13mm ID pre-built $11/ea

DIY Solar PV starting from cells can potentially save some money. I'd propose that we start with small panels because we already have a small vacuum table, it's easier, and small panels are the least economical in the marketplace. The best guide I've seen is the "Making decent solar panels" series on the otherpower forum. The cells are soldered up, placed between glass and a backing and encapsulated in EVA film before being mounted in a frame. We need:

• Cells Andor/Jason have cells
• EVA
• Backing material
• Frames
• Working vacuum former (anyone know the status of the one at the space)
• ?

When faced with the prospect of limiting energy consumption, I was disheartened to think of all the loud, outdoor music I'd miss out on. Enter: the horn-loaded speaker. What do you do when your most advanced amplifiers provide less than 100 watts and you have a 100-seat theater? You get these. For every 3db increase in loudspeaker sensitivity, you can achieve a similar sound level with only half the power. I'm hoping to put together a capable PA using some of the designs from Bill Fitz-Maurice. I'm finishing up a set of Jack 10s at home right now, but I'll be working on the subs down at the MakerSpace. Since increased efficiency decreases energy use, I'm going to call these “green” and consider this a “green energy” project, and there's nothing you can do to stop me, MWAHAHAHA.

Build it Solar - lots of resources and projects

Do the Math - musings of a physicist on energy

Contact me, Jack Driscoll, by addressing an electronic mail to my name with @gmail.com appended to it. NO SPACES.