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Solar panels Dave 05-29-2007
|--> Re: Solar panels thestuccocompan...05-29-2007
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Posted by CWatters on May 30, 2007, 4:16 am

> Solar heating of water is quite common in Italy.

A friend has a home made solar water heater here in the UK (not known for
it's sunny weather). It doesn't eliminate the need for a conventional boiler
but it seems to do a good job of pre-heating the water so reducing the bill.



Posted by Kay Lancaster on May 30, 2007, 5:42 pm
> Solar heating of water is quite common in Italy. My observations while
> touring the country while on furlough in the Navy. The visual cue is on
> their roofs.

There are some new solar heating gadgets that are more efficient and
less obvious. I'm thinking of buying an evacuated tube collector to
play with, just to see what it does under our conditions. Looks like a
reasonable design for radiant floor heat, though I might need a greenhouse
as a place to dump excess heat (twist my arm!!! <g>)
http://www.toolbase.org/Technology-Inventory/Plumbing/solar-water-heaters

PV for running a water pump for a solar heat collector also looks like
reasonable payback. PV in "off the grid" amounts is still iffy,
judging from the data I've been able to collect around here.
(BTW, our climate is much like that of London, England --we don't
get huge temperature swings like continental climates.)

Kay

Posted by Dave on May 30, 2007, 12:10 am
> Dave wrote:
>> Saw on TV news report last night about solar panel installation.
>> Apparently, there's a tax discount for this. Local facility will do a 30
>> sq. ft. installation with needed wiring and panel modifications for about
>> $22K. City of Austin, TX offers a $13K discount as well. Must be done
>> by a contractor, not a do it yourself. If so, no discount.
>>
>> Am waiting for a installation kit for the DIY guy. Possibly with support
>> from a qualified electrician for installing panels to reintroduce power
>> to the power company to allow supplying the grid and get discount on
>> same. Hopefully, less expensive. Would like to do the majority of the
>> south facing roof in solar panels. No obstructions on that side of the
>> roof. Would like to see support from the home insurance industry for
>> replacement in event of severe hail, and otherwise for fire and such.
>> Would also like to see this in new home contract as an option at minimum,
>> embedding the wiring and panels as part of the normal electrical plans.
>> Perhaps, leaving out all but the solar panel installation itself if the
>> owner wants same later. And, standardization throughout it all.
>> Dave
> Just my observation. I went to seminars on solar panels and they just
> aren't ready for prime time. Even the presenter at one seminar was very
> candid that right now this is "feel good" stuff and using current
> technology you won't even recover the installation cost. This is just
> politicians throwing our money away because they all seem to be afraid to
> advocate conservation. The tax discounts and subsidies come out of our
> pockets.

Seems to always boil down to 2 things (sex not included for this topic),
money and power. Money gets them voted in, they don't want to relinquish
their power once in.

Doesn't speak for home insurance slow to act on their part though.
Dave



Posted by M on May 31, 2007, 6:32 pm

>>
> Just my observation. I went to seminars on solar panels and they just
> aren't ready for prime time.

Well, I have done some research in this area. What you say may have been
true a few years ago. They have improved this technology. I considered
staying off of the grid because I built my house about a 1/2 mile from the
grid. I chickened out because the region I live in does not have enough
yearly sun exposure. I live in Maine. I do have some friends and
acquaintances though that do have total solar. They supplement with
generators. They do have to live a tad bit differently. They do not have
toasters, electric dyers, refrigerators. They do their laundry at a
Laundromat. The instead cook with propane.... they have a propane fridge.
They pump water on sunny days into a large cistern. One gut I know has a
pick up truck with a bank of batteries. He drives to work and when he comes
home he plugs his truck into the house to offer more power. he also has a
lot of battery operated devices. He likes being independent and also loves
it when storms blow through and everyone loses power except him. I think
people should let the government supplement people and the solar. Other
choices with solar could be a hybrid system. We need to reduce our
dependence on oil especially foreign oil. We are all too spoiled and waste
so much oil on electricity. We waste a lot of resources on things like
Christmas lights and the like.



Posted by benick on May 31, 2007, 11:46 pm

>
>>>
>> Just my observation. I went to seminars on solar panels and they just
>> aren't ready for prime time.
>
> Well, I have done some research in this area. What you say may have been
> true a few years ago. They have improved this technology. I considered
> staying off of the grid because I built my house about a 1/2 mile from
> the grid. I chickened out because the region I live in does not have
> enough yearly sun exposure. I live in Maine. I do have some friends and
> acquaintances though that do have total solar. They supplement with
> generators. They do have to live a tad bit differently. They do not have
> toasters, electric dyers, refrigerators. They do their laundry at a
> Laundromat. The instead cook with propane.... they have a propane fridge.
> They pump water on sunny days into a large cistern. One gut I know has a
> pick up truck with a bank of batteries. He drives to work and when he
> comes home he plugs his truck into the house to offer more power. he also
> has a lot of battery operated devices. He likes being independent and
> also loves it when storms blow through and everyone loses power except
> him. I think people should let the government supplement people and the
> solar. Other choices with solar could be a hybrid system. We need to
> reduce our dependence on oil especially foreign oil. We are all too
> spoiled and waste so much oil on electricity. We waste a lot of resources
> on things like Christmas lights and the like.


If it were REALLY about reducing dependence on foriegn oil in a
SIGNIFICANT way we would be building nuclear power plants everywhere. (Like
Europe is)The Navy has been using them on ships and subs for 50 years with
no problems. CHEAP ABUNDANT CLEAN POWER...... Instead we get theses feel
good TAXPAYER financed programs. Like the original poster who wants the
state,feds and insurance company to fund his solar panels that will never
be cost effective so he can FEEL GOOD or the total BS ethanol which is no
more than sweet deal for farmers at taxpayers expense because IT WILL NEVER
BE COST EFFECTIVE. Don't even get me started on hybrid cars and Carbon
Offset Payments.....

And to the guy from Maine...who the hell are you to decide how much power
anyone uses? Do you live in a Teepee and ride a bike to work or do you just
like to lecture other people to feel superior like your buddy Al Gore and
the rest of the Limosine Liberals??? Let me guess..Do as I say not as I do ,
right??? Moron...

I'm from Maine too... Ever on AMG???
>
>



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