Comments on: Free Power - the upfront cost? http://www.johnmurch.com/2007/01/22/free-power-the-upfront-cost/ John Murch Wed, 07 Jan 2009 01:55:01 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.7 hourly 1 By: Roderick http://www.johnmurch.com/2007/01/22/free-power-the-upfront-cost/comment-page-1/#comment-2601 Roderick Mon, 30 Jul 2007 21:07:17 +0000 http://www.johnmurch.com/2007/01/22/free-power-the-upfront-cost/#comment-2601 We put up our own photovoltaic panels. It wasn't cheap, and the financial payback is only about break-even, but I have no regrets. http://www.angelfire.com/ca2/roderick/solar/photovoltaic.html The figure I heard for the powering the US electric needs from solar panels is a square 132 miles on a side. I guess it depends on a lot of assumptions, like whether you use the most efficient panels, or just average. It would break down as a practical discussion, because of the distribution issues mentioned. It would be better to have 100,000,000 small setups distributed throughout the country than one giant one. We put up our own photovoltaic panels. It wasn’t cheap, and the financial payback is only about break-even, but I have no regrets.

http://www.angelfire.com/ca2/roderick/solar/photovoltaic.html

The figure I heard for the powering the US electric needs from solar panels is a square 132 miles on a side. I guess it depends on a lot of assumptions, like whether you use the most efficient panels, or just average. It would break down as a practical discussion, because of the distribution issues mentioned. It would be better to have 100,000,000 small setups distributed throughout the country than one giant one.

]]> By: wants to learn http://www.johnmurch.com/2007/01/22/free-power-the-upfront-cost/comment-page-1/#comment-500 wants to learn Tue, 08 May 2007 18:53:28 +0000 http://www.johnmurch.com/2007/01/22/free-power-the-upfront-cost/#comment-500 Photovoltaic Photovoltaic

]]> By: wants to learn http://www.johnmurch.com/2007/01/22/free-power-the-upfront-cost/comment-page-1/#comment-499 wants to learn Tue, 08 May 2007 18:52:33 +0000 http://www.johnmurch.com/2007/01/22/free-power-the-upfront-cost/#comment-499 What about the thin Photvoltaic laminate strip panels that attach to metal roofing? Has anyone attempted them? How effective are they? What about the thin Photvoltaic laminate strip panels that attach to metal roofing? Has anyone attempted them?
How effective are they?

]]> By: Hippy Green - Where Green Meets Technology http://www.johnmurch.com/2007/01/22/free-power-the-upfront-cost/comment-page-1/#comment-314 Hippy Green - Where Green Meets Technology Fri, 27 Apr 2007 02:05:00 +0000 http://www.johnmurch.com/2007/01/22/free-power-the-upfront-cost/#comment-314 [...] Since I have received over 184 page views for my article on Free Solar Power for Your House and over 58 page views for Free Power the Upfront Cost, I have decided to make a dedicated blog towards green technologies. [...] [...] Since I have received over 184 page views for my article on Free Solar Power for Your House and over 58 page views for Free Power the Upfront Cost, I have decided to make a dedicated blog towards green technologies. [...]

]]> By: Free Solar Power for your House! http://www.johnmurch.com/2007/01/22/free-power-the-upfront-cost/comment-page-1/#comment-69 Free Solar Power for your House! Sat, 24 Feb 2007 03:20:31 +0000 http://www.johnmurch.com/2007/01/22/free-power-the-upfront-cost/#comment-69 [...] I think everyone and their grandmother is thinking green. With all this talk of global warming and CO2 emissions, you would expect solar power to be the next hot topic. I previous posted about some solar panel kits that could be used to power your portal electronics, but the upfront cost of solar panels is HUGE. Well the people over at Citizenre would like you to think different. [...] [...] I think everyone and their grandmother is thinking green. With all this talk of global warming and CO2 emissions, you would expect solar power to be the next hot topic. I previous posted about some solar panel kits that could be used to power your portal electronics, but the upfront cost of solar panels is HUGE. Well the people over at Citizenre would like you to think different. [...]

]]> By: antics http://www.johnmurch.com/2007/01/22/free-power-the-upfront-cost/comment-page-1/#comment-43 antics Wed, 24 Jan 2007 13:29:29 +0000 http://www.johnmurch.com/2007/01/22/free-power-the-upfront-cost/#comment-43 sorry for the long link. one other 'reduce your footprint' tip. When you are not charging things unplug the charger (i.e. cell phone, iPod, toothbrush). This stat is a bit vague but powerful. "If 10 percent of the world's cell phone owners [unplugged the charger when not in use], it would reduce energy consumption by an amount equivalent to that used by 60,000 European homes per year." sorry for the long link. one other ‘reduce your footprint’ tip. When you are not charging things unplug the charger (i.e. cell phone, iPod, toothbrush). This stat is a bit vague but powerful.

“If 10 percent of the world’s cell phone owners [unplugged the charger when not in use], it would reduce energy consumption by an amount equivalent to that used by 60,000 European homes per year.”

]]> By: antics http://www.johnmurch.com/2007/01/22/free-power-the-upfront-cost/comment-page-1/#comment-42 antics Wed, 24 Jan 2007 13:23:34 +0000 http://www.johnmurch.com/2007/01/22/free-power-the-upfront-cost/#comment-42 i think the problem is that for the cost of 80 sq miles of solar panels you could build enough conventional power plants to power the entire solar system. I talk to my brother Mike (hes an energy freak) about this a bit as you can imagine and have basically concluded that the best thing you can do is reduce your energy footprint. Green energy is getting better but is still too expensive to be economically feasible (not that that is the only reason to do it but it is the gate to getting large scale acceptance). You will do more good by getting a high efficiency fridge and front loading washing machine instead of solar panels for your house. If you really want to be cool do both! You can go to any aubuchon hardware store and get compact flouresent light bulbs for less than a buck each. They use 1/5 of the energy and last 5 times longer than incandescent bulbs. At the very least outfit your house with those. Not sure if they offer the discount online but they do in-store (you fill out a small form - it may be a VT thing as well): http://electrical.hardwarestore.com/13-41-compact-fluorescent/maxlite-micromax-spiral-465930.aspx i think the problem is that for the cost of 80 sq miles of solar panels you could build enough conventional power plants to power the entire solar system. I talk to my brother Mike (hes an energy freak) about this a bit as you can imagine and have basically concluded that the best thing you can do is reduce your energy footprint. Green energy is getting better but is still too expensive to be economically feasible (not that that is the only reason to do it but it is the gate to getting large scale acceptance). You will do more good by getting a high efficiency fridge and front loading washing machine instead of solar panels for your house. If you really want to be cool do both!

You can go to any aubuchon hardware store and get compact flouresent light bulbs for less than a buck each. They use 1/5 of the energy and last 5 times longer than incandescent bulbs. At the very least outfit your house with those.

Not sure if they offer the discount online but they do in-store (you fill out a small form - it may be a VT thing as well): http://electrical.hardwarestore.com/13-41-compact-fluorescent/maxlite-micromax-spiral-465930.aspx

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