Benjamin Nead
LightNews LightNews
banner
bisbeeunplugged.bsky.social
Benjamin Nead
@bisbeeunplugged.bsky.social
1.3K followers 2.3K following 480 posts
Observing the ongoing struggle to mitigate the climate crisis via electrification, from a rural southern Arizona perspective. Favorite topics include EVs, solar, batteries, etc. Please interact with my public posts and don't DM me. Thanks!
Posts Replies Media Videos
bisbeeunplugged.bsky.social
Part 2 of photos documenting my Sun Day In Tucson event . . .
The "conference" area at the opposite end of the carport overlooking my backyard and a view of the Mexican border, just about 5 miles away. A 6.3kWh Bluetti AC200L/B210 system assembled there is more than capable of handling another Bonbowl induction hob and a Panasonic FlashXpress micro oven. These are actually the most often used components in my 120V kitchen. A trio of Renogy 115W bifacial PV panels on the cement pad in the backyard photographed just after a light rain shower passed through the area. Until recently, a rickety metal shed lived out there. Now, the pad is a testing area for quickly-deployable solar arrays. Just off the carport entrance to the house is an enclosed back porch, which currently houses my Samsung closed loop heat pump 120V washer/dryer. Also just inside the backdoor is a Reencle kitchen composter. An Iceco 12V portable dual zone refrigerator/freezer in my kitchen is yet another highly efficient small scale consumer device that's perfect for efficient but comfortable solo living. While I didn't get high foot traffic, that was more than made up by the handful of knowledgeable and enthusiastic locals who appreciated what I was showing and had stories of their own to share. Long time off-grider Steve Austin and independent energy analyst Kevin McArthur were among those who stopped by to compare notes on everything from home battery backup systems to renewables on the grid.
September 23, 2025 at 12:19 PM
bisbeeunplugged.bsky.social
The 3rd and final photo album for my Sun Day in Bisbee event. Click each of the photos for a narrative . . .
A self portrait by yours truly at the end of a very satisfying first-ever Sun Day in Bisbee 2025. A rainbow appears over Old Town Bisbee, just about 5 miles to the northwest, as I was in the process of packing up for the day. The shaded carport proved to be the ideal setting for this event, which witnessed mostly sunny skies getting punctuated by a welcomed late afternoon seasonal monsoon rain shower: a perfect day in the high Arizona desert.
September 23, 2025 at 3:25 AM
bisbeeunplugged.bsky.social
Here's part 1 in a series of photos detailing my Sun Day In Bisbee event. Click each of the photos to read individual narratives . . .
The carport entrance to my home in Bisbee, viewed due south by southeast, and showing repurposed signage from my Tucson days. The 2012 Mitsubishi i-MiEV, which is now proving to be excellent for regional rural travel, will be celebrating it's 10th anniversary with me later this fall. The lead display table shows a collection equipment common to do-it-yourself solar projects: Some Victron MPPT controlers, A Giandel inverter, a Battle Born LFP battery, a 100W HQST monocrystalline PV panel and a 100W BougeRV CIGS flex PV panel. Will Prowse's Mobile Solar Power how-to book and a small solar generator - a Bluetii EB3A - are also shown. Portable induction hobs can instantly allow you to retire your gas cooktop. Because induction cooks with magnetism, it's a natural for cast iron pans and skillets. Joining the larger Duxtop units is the diminutive BonBowl, with it's latex-wrapped magnetic stainless steel vessel: super efficient (535W) and convenient for flame-free single-person cooking. Renewable energy activism, science and history are acknowledge with books, charts and posters. The green pool noodle wedged into the frame of the sliding glass window allows for weather/insect sealing of a robust interior outlet used for 120V EV charging. Also on the table - next to yet another EB3A - are various low voltage energy harvesting technologies, including an EcoFlow solar hat.
September 23, 2025 at 3:12 AM
bisbeeunplugged.bsky.social
I'm hosting a Sun Day event on Sunday, September 21, at my
home. Specifically, it's a "rain or shine" event under my carport.

Explore the interactive map at sunday.earth/events
and look for the star at the southeastern corner of Arizona, which would be Bisbee. Click the below graphic as well.
Sun Day is a global day of action on Sunday, September 21st, 2025: a celebration of the unstoppable rise of clean energy. Sun Day is being presented nationally by Third Act: a community of Americans over 60 founded by activist and author Bill McKibben, focused on climate and democracy. Bisbee joins a growing number Arizona cities - including Tucson, Tempe and Flagstaff - hosting a Sun Day event. Hundreds of communities across the United States and counting - and internationally - will be participating. My shaded carport - come rain or shine - will be set up to display a variety of interesting and affordable devices that will help you move away from a dependency on fossil fuels . . . solar panels, storage battery systems, induction cooking tech, heat pumps and the like. And, yes, because it's my carport, my electric car will also be there . . . probably plugged in and charging when you arrive. I'd like to have one-on-one conversations with my neighbors, here in Bisbee and in surrounding communities, on how we might be able to ditch our gas stoves and furnaces for good, consider an EV for your next car and go with solar, whether that's a traditional grid-connected rooftop system or one of the new modular/portable ones. There are efficient devices and energy harvesting technologies available today to match virtually any price point or budget. Those of us who are concerned about climate change - and I hope that's everyone reading this - will be reminded that electrifying your life is one of the most effective ways to make a positive impact in this capacity, even if the politicians aren't currently paying attention. When a sane national energy policy returns, even the smallest the investments you make today will allow you be ready for the more expansive - and less expensive - cleaner energy world of the future. No suffering or sacrifice needed along the way. Just a little perseverance. Benjamin Nead https://actionnetwork.org/events/sun-day-in-bisbee-3
September 10, 2025 at 2:38 AM
bisbeeunplugged.bsky.social
We had a nice turnout for our Bisbee, Arizona, Good Trouble Lives On mobilization. About 80 of us, all told, assembling in Grassy Park. Thanks to all who joined us and lent their voices. Photo set 2.
Good Trouble Lives On. Thursday, July 17, 2025. Bisbee, Arizona. 4 of 6. Good Trouble Lives On. Thursday, July 17, 2025. Bisbee, Arizona. 5 of 6. Good Trouble Lives On. Thursday, July 17, 2025. Bisbee, Arizona. 6 of 6.
July 19, 2025 at 1:35 AM
bisbeeunplugged.bsky.social
We had a nice turnout for our Bisbee, Arizona, Good Trouble Lives On mobilization. About 80 of us, all told, assembling in Grassy Park. Thanks to all who joined us and lent their voices. Photo set 1.
Good Trouble Lives On. Thursday, July 17, 2025. Bisbee, Arizona. 1 of 6. Good Trouble Lives On. Thursday, July 17, 2025. Bisbee, Arizona. 2 of 6. Good Trouble Lives On. Thursday, July 17, 2025. Bisbee, Arizona. 3 of 6.
July 19, 2025 at 1:28 AM
bisbeeunplugged.bsky.social
Bisbee will be participating in Good Trouble Lives On: a non-violent mobilization in tribute to Civil Rights pioneer and Congressman John Lewis, on Thursday, July 17, 5PM to 7:30PM. Our location is Grassy Park in the old town. Click the illustration for more details.
Good Trouble Lives On, staged on this fifth year since the passing of Civil Rights pioneer and U.S. Congressman John Lewis, is a national day of nonviolent action to respond to the ongoing attacks posed on our liberties by the Trump Administration. Pertaining to what John Lewis fought for and against all his life, we are now witnessing the expansion of Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE) into nothing short of a Gestapo-like paramilitary that is now prepared - and now officially funded by congress - to round up sizable portions of the U.S. population and confine them to remote and inhuman Gulags with perverse names like Alligator Alcatraz. Closer to home, this ongoing militarized anti-immigrant and racist agenda will manifest itself as unnecessary border wall construction resuming, with the negative ramifications there also encompassing a threat to the wildlife ecosystem and even more ground water depletion. Meanwhile, the funding cuts to federal services to pay for us becoming a police state, along with the ham-fisted attempts by Trump himself to manipulate world markets for personal gain, will mean the eventual closing of things like rural hospitals and the elimination of social services that will particularly impact those on the lowest economic rungs. Everything you and I buy at the store becomes more expensive in the coming months and years, unless you're an oligarchy class insider. Don't like any of this? Maybe you've got the wrong skin color or tattoos, or you've submitted the wrong essay to a local newspaper. You may find yourself joining the other "undesirables" in confinement without legal due process. This is not a drill. Bisbee is aligning nationally on Thursday, July 17, from 5:00PM to Sundown (approximately 7:30PM) for our contribution to Good Trouble Lives On. Our location will be in the old town at Grassy Park, adjacent to the Bisbee Mining & Historical Museum. See you there.
July 10, 2025 at 12:56 AM
bisbeeunplugged.bsky.social
A couple more shots from Bisbee on No Kings Day, courtesy of Deja Foxx on her Bluesky page . . . bsky.app/profile/deja...
A couple more shots from Bisbee on No Kings Day, courtesy of Deja Foxx on her Bluesky page . . . https://bsky.app/profile/dejafoxx.bsky.social A couple more shots from Bisbee on No Kings Day, courtesy of Deja Foxx on her Bluesky page . . . https://bsky.app/profile/dejafoxx.bsky.social
June 16, 2025 at 5:07 PM
bisbeeunplugged.bsky.social
We were part of No Kings Day yesterday in Bisbee. Ours was a significant element of a larger Pride Day parade . . . which, in turn, is part of a big day-long annual celebration down here. So, even though we weren't an official dot on the national map, we did the deed. Good times were had by all.
We were part of No Kings Day yesterday in Bisbee. Ours was a significant element of a larger Pride Day parade . . . which, in turn, is part of a big day-long annual celebration down here. So, even though we weren't an official dot on the national map, we did the deed. Good times were had by all.
June 15, 2025 at 11:59 PM
bisbeeunplugged.bsky.social
A little smaller than April 5th was here, but May 3rd's mobilization was still a success, with an estimated 150 participants and considerable enthusiasm. You gotta love those signs!
The start of our May 3rd mobilization in Bisbee, AZ, was a march from the Iron Statue to Grassy Park. About 30 of us got it going. A panorama of the Grassy Park assemblage in Bisbee, AZ. We estimate about 150 were there at the height of the afternoon on May 3rd.
May 5, 2025 at 4:58 AM
bisbeeunplugged.bsky.social
Notification here that Bisbee, Arizona, will host a public mobilization on Saturday, May 3rd, 12Noon to 2PM.
We march from Bisbee's Iron Man Statue at Noon to Grassy Park just a few blocks away, all in the historic old town. Click the photos for a more detailed narrative.
Of all the atrocities committed by the current political majority in Washington, I'm particularly troubled by the dismantling of clean energy initiatives, denial of climate change as a factor in our planet's future and the general repudiation of logic, sound economics, science and sanity related to all of this. This photo shows the sign I've made for May 3rd. If these issues are as important to you as they are to me, look for my sign on Saturday. I'd like to talk with you further specifically on this. The 1930s WPA era Iron Man Statue in historic old town Bisbee, Arizona, in front of the Cochise County Courthouse. This is where we'll assemble just before 12:00 Noon on Saturday, May 3rd, 2025, for a march down Main Street. We'll end up in Grassy Park , just a few blocks away, moments later for a mobilization gathering that included an open mic for you, your friends and neighbors to verbally express your concerns about our current state of affairs. The Mule Mountain Democrats will also have voter registration forms and information on this fall's special election to fill the US House seat now left vacant after the recent passing of the late, great Raul Grijalva. Conveniently, the May 3rd march and mobilization are rolled into an annually-scheduled weekend celebration we call Hippie Heritage. That event honors the young counterculture optimists who moved here in the early to mid 1970s, just as the copper mining economy was fading, to establish arts, crafts and forward-thinking culture that make this place unique and vibrant today. So, after our mobilization, you're only a few steps away from live music and food. Dress casually for the day. If you've got a tie-died t-shirt and well-worn jeans, you'll fit right in to both the mobilization/march and the Hippie Fest.
April 29, 2025 at 6:33 PM
bisbeeunplugged.bsky.social
OK, I just watched the live reveal earlier tonight for the Slate EV Truck and put down a refundable $50 deposit. If this thing gets here, it promises to be a highly configurable EV that starts at $25K before tax rebates. www.slate.auto/en
OK, I just watched the live reveal earlier tonight for the Slate EV Truck and put down a refundable $50 deposit. If this thing gets here, it promises to be a highly configurable EV that starts at $25K before tax rebates. https://www.slate.auto/en
April 25, 2025 at 4:50 AM
bisbeeunplugged.bsky.social
The cover image from Der Spiegel dating to November 12, 2016. This perfectly sums up Trump's danger to us all on Earth Day 2025.
The cover image from Der Spiegel dating to November 12, 2016. This perfectly sums up Trump's danger to us all on Earth Day 2025.
April 22, 2025 at 10:33 PM
bisbeeunplugged.bsky.social
This Saturday, April 19th, 9AM to 1PM, I'll have an Earth Day display of solar PV and lithium storage battery tech at the Bisbee Community Market, Vista Park in Warren. There are also a host of Hands Off! mobilizations nearby that same day. I'll have additional information coming up soon.
This Saturday, April 19th, 9AM to 1PM, I'll have an Earth Day display of solar PV, lithium storage battery tech and home electrification tips at the Bisbee Community Market, Vista Park in Warren. I'll also have my EV parked just a few feet away. Obviously, with Cheeto Jesus in charge, what sensible and sane people should be doing to get fossil fuels out of their lives is now characterized as the "Green New Scam." More to say about all of that in the coming days. There are also a host of Hands Off! mobilizations nearby that day in old town Bisbee, Douglas and Sierra Vista. We'll have information on when and where, exactly. The Mule Mountain Democrats are on it. I believe the source of this artwork is The New Yorker magazine, circa 2017. Same stupid "clean coal" policy then as now. This Saturday, April 19th, 9AM to 1PM, I'll have an Earth Day display of solar PV, lithium storage battery tech and home electrification tips at the Bisbee Community Market, Vista Park in Warren. I'll also have my EV parked just a few feet away. Obviously, with Cheeto Jesus in charge, what sensible and sane people should be doing to get fossil fuels out of their lives is now characterized as the "Green New Scam." More to say about all of that in the coming days. There are also a host of Hands Off! mobilizations nearby that day in old town Bisbee, Douglas and Sierra Vista. We'll have information on when and where, exactly. The Mule Mountain Democrats are on it.
April 14, 2025 at 5:35 AM
bisbeeunplugged.bsky.social
#HandsOff #HandsOffAZ We had approx. 250 people show up for our April 5th 'Hands Off!' event in Bisbee, Arizona. Other communities dotted around southeastern Arizona, such as Douglas and Sierra Vista, had similarly impressive turnouts. Click the photos for further details and acknowledgements.
Approximately 250 people assembled at Grassy Park in Bisbee, Arizona, for our April 5th 'Hands Off!' event. Acknowledgment to the local coalition of the Mule Mountain Democrats, ReSisters and Women In Black, as well as our friends with Hands Off! and Indivisible. We also have received word that nearby southern Arizonan communities of Douglas and Sierra Vista had similarly strong showings. Well, I certainly had fun assembling my protest sign collage with a variety of "found objects" culled from online sources . I don't know who the artist responsible for the drooling Trump Roman Emperor image was (I know it dates from about 8 years ago,) but it's particularly poignant rendering for commemorating the 2nd reign of "Comb-over Caligula."
April 6, 2025 at 6:29 PM
bisbeeunplugged.bsky.social
All over the US tomorrow, April 5th - and in Mexico and Canada, from what I hear - non-violent "Hand Off!" mobilizations will be occurring. Here in rural southeast Arizona in towns like Bisbee, Douglas and Sierra Vista, we'll be part of it. Stay safe, everyone.
April 5, 2025 at 5:02 AM
bisbeeunplugged.bsky.social
OK, getting off the political beat and back to the ongoing story of efficiently electrifying my homestead here in southeast Arizona, I just bought a Samsung Bespoke 120V washer/dryer combo machine, with a heat pump drying tech, and luvin' it so far. Click the photo for a more detailed description.
A picture of my new Samsung Bespoke washer/dryer combo unit with heat pump drying technology. It's a beast, weighing in at almost 400 Lbs. The heat pump function dries the clothes very nicely and, operating at only 120V, is super efficient. The Energy Star rating is for $14 worth of electrons annually under typical use (watch for Trump/Musk to scrap that very helpful Department of Energy efficiency database for appliances again, just because they're a bunch of dickish goons. Fuck 'em.) The old washer began leaking the other week and was doing a poor job of cleaning the laundry even before that. I still have the old 240V dryer, but will soon be having that hauled away, probably donating it to charity. Note this is one of those machines where you put the laundry inside, close the door, push a touchscreen, and then come back several hours later with all the cleaned cloth completely dry. I have a lot of zero phosphate powdered detergent, and it requires very little of that. Alternately, I can use liquid soap and have that automatically dispensed. I got the optional pedestal stand, extend warranty, etc. So far, so good after putting 3 loads through it. The other result of all this, since I no longer need a separate dryer, is that I now have a free dedicated 240V/30A circuit in the utility panel that can eventually become Level 2 charging for my EV.
February 6, 2025 at 3:29 AM
bisbeeunplugged.bsky.social
Smile for the camera, guys . . .
February 4, 2025 at 10:18 PM
bisbeeunplugged.bsky.social
The Mule Mountain Democrats here in Bisbee, Arizona, encourage everyone, everywhere to NOT tune in or stream live media coverage of the inauguration on January 20th. We'll, instead, be holding a NON-watch party . . .
Join the Mule Mountain Democrats of Bisbee, Arizona, for our 2025 Presidential Inauguration NON-Watch Party. We'll be celebrating, instead, the significance of the Martin Luther King Jr. Federal Holiday and continue to honor the memory of recently passed former US President Jimmy Carter.
January 15, 2025 at 7:44 AM
bisbeeunplugged.bsky.social
"Oh Gawd, I'm itching all over! I never had this problem when I heated my house with freshly-fracked methane. Make it stop! I'll vote Republican next time, I promise! Just make my electric HVAC itching go away!"
A photo of a woman who is, apparently, a victim of the dreaded and mysterious electric heater itch phenomenon, as described by President-Elect Trump at a press conference on January 8, 2025.
January 9, 2025 at 5:33 PM
bisbeeunplugged.bsky.social
These work well. I installed one a few years ago at the rented house in Tucson, purchased at the local ACE for about $20. Heck, it's even made in the USA. Basic science dictates that, when compressed, water squirts out efficiently and at a good force. Buy yours before The Orange Menace outlaws them!
The Wheldon model #USP1C Saver Shower Plus: a high quality, affordable and high-velocity low-flow shower head, made in the USA, that can be purchased for about $20 at many local hardware stores. Buy one for yourself before Trump outlaws them!
January 9, 2025 at 4:50 PM
bisbeeunplugged.bsky.social
Buy a can or two of wet cat food and place it away from but near the panels. Try to catch them while they're eating. Adopt if you can. If you can't see, see if your local animal control has a spay/neuter/release program for stray cats. Picture of a rescued stray I had, found living in my shed . . .
Rooney, a beautiful stray and semi-feral cat I had, 2010-2016.
January 9, 2025 at 6:38 AM
bisbeeunplugged.bsky.social
Click the photo for a detailed written description outlining additional information on a very affordable modular non-gas stove I built for a house rental situation, which is also perfectly suited for any owned-property budget conscious scenario.
Here's a modular all-electric stove that can be built for around $1000. This is a cost effective solution that can work where you would want to get rid of an old gas stove, but don't have the capability to bring in a new, dedicated - and expensive - 240V/50A service line. If you're a renter and you'll be needing to move again someday, everything here can be broken down to component level and easily taken with you. The use case here was a rental property, where the last gas appliance on site was the kitchen stove. We worked with the landlord, who didn't mind taking the old stove back and having it in inventory for his other properties. Everything is housed in/around a stainless steel restaurant prep table (24" X 30" top, ~$250) that arrives flat packed and easily assembles. The Breville air fry convection oven (~$500) is large and powerful enough to bake a loaf of bread or roast a small turkey. It's a 120V device that can plug into the dedicated outlet, down low and against the back wall, where the old gas stove did. Up top, an optional stove-cover butcher's block (~$30) and space for a restaurant-grade single element Duxtop induction hob (~$175.) Most reasonably modern kitchens are wired to have at least a couple of 120V outlets on individual dedicated countertop circuits (independent of the one that the oven is already plugged into) where you can safely plug in and operate several of your favorite electric cooking devices at once . . . other hobs, InstaPots, etc. Advantages: a big money savings over getting a conventional induction range, which can start at around $1500 and go up from there. Remember, if you go that route, you will also have to budget for a dedicated 240V/50A circuit, which can easily cost $2000 or more, if you have to upgrade your service panel from 100A to 200A. More advantages: cost of operation should be similar, possibly less, than cooking with gas. Induction cooking is flame-free, cleaner, safer and with no harmful fumes.
January 8, 2025 at 9:24 PM
bisbeeunplugged.bsky.social
Just arrived today: Voltaic's C117 energy harvesting circuit board with a lithium ion capacitor, along with a pair of their P122 mini solar panels.
Just arrived today: Voltaic's C117 energy harvesting circuit board with a lithium ion capacitor, along with a pair of their P122 mini solar panels.
January 7, 2025 at 11:34 PM
bisbeeunplugged.bsky.social
2025 is going to be the year I develop an educational (STEAM) solar electric car. The Volta Racer from 2014, pictured below, was one I took to many public EV events. It was a kid magnet. I'd ditch the foam plastic for wood composites and include energy harvesting electronics with a supercapacitor.
Volta Racer toy solar car, circa 2014-17.
January 6, 2025 at 12:46 AM