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Should Homeowners With Solar Panels Pay To Maintain Electrical Grid?
NPR ^
| 11 Dec 2014
| Peter Overby
Posted on 12/11/2014 5:39:22 PM PST by Theoria
click here to read article
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To: WhoisAlanGreenspan?
81
posted on
12/13/2014 2:07:58 PM PST
by
familyop
(We Baby Boomers are croaking in an avalanche of corruption smelled around the planet.)
To: mrsmith
"
Can you quantify its performance and payback?"
Cost recovery will very from one kind of build and climate to another. I only recently built up the PV solar electric system enough here to keep the computer on and connected to sensors for data gathering and analysis. Pretty busy around here for now.
But Gary Reysa, retired aviation engineer at builditsolar.com (site linked in one of my previous comments in this thread), posted some payback time info and other info about his systems at his site. Remember that these systems are built and modified in many ways to fit various situations (e.g., heavily insulated concrete tanks), but they'll work well just about anywhere.
The Solar Shed -- Using Solar Collectors Mounted on an Outbuilding for House Heatinghttp://www.builditsolar.com/Projects/SpaceHeating/SolarShed/solarshed.htm
$1000 Solar Water Heater --Overviewhttp://www.builditsolar.com/Experimental/PEXColDHW/Overview.htm (best tutorial to start with, in my opinion)
Look for the info on system sizing, BTUs (regarding the water storage tank), etc.
Gary's climate in Montana during winter (farther north, less sunny but lower elevation and generally warmer situation farther from peaks) is only a little warmer but slightly less sunny than mine.
The following might be useful when reading about the BTUs stored in a tank of water.
A BTU is the amount of energy needed to raise the temperature of a pound of water by 1 degree, Fahrenheit. A gallon of water weighs about 8.34 pounds at 62 degrees, Fahrenheit.
I was completely new to thermal tech. not long ago and am still not very educated in it.
All of that said, passive solar builds are generally much more cost effective than active ones. South-facing sun rooms with greenhouse vents can be very nice if well built.
82
posted on
12/13/2014 2:42:15 PM PST
by
familyop
(We Baby Boomers are croaking in an avalanche of corruption smelled around the planet.)
To: mrsmith
The following is the first in a series of tutorials on building a collector that is great for modular/seasonal, quick-disconnect installs. Very light weight and easy to handle.
Hot and Cold: D.I.Y. Solar Hot Water Collectors (Part 1)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QPxQVv1hmQE
83
posted on
12/13/2014 2:47:21 PM PST
by
familyop
(We Baby Boomers are croaking in an avalanche of corruption smelled around the planet.)
To: Ted Grant
"
They still benefit from the grid - stoplights, for example. They should contribute."
Taxpayers/feepayers with PV solar systems already pay for those and for other energy used for comforts by the following (not to mention the medical insurance benefits and pensions).
Heavy Hitters: Top All-Time Donors, 1989-2014
http://www.opensecrets.org/orgs/list.php 2
American Fedn of State, County & Municipal Employees $60,949,129
[Democrat] 81% [Republican] 1%
Leviathan (Uncle Sam employs more people than you think) National Review ^ | 02/03/2011 | Iain Murray
"
...nearly 40 million Americans employed in some way by government."
About "
70 million" people are receiving good incomes but are also steeped in debt and can't borrow more for big ticket items (see groups above).
84
posted on
12/13/2014 2:55:36 PM PST
by
familyop
(We Baby Boomers are croaking in an avalanche of corruption smelled around the planet.)
To: All
one big power company pays one big political campaign contribution.
too many solar panel owners are too hard to obtain political contributions.
(see cromnibus)
What happens to government inspectors and utility panels when all homes are independent.
85
posted on
12/14/2014 9:07:50 AM PST
by
longtermmemmory
(VOTE! http://www.senate.gov and http://www.house.gov)
To: longtermmemmory
What happens is everyone pays more for less electricity.
In unusually disadvantageous weather conditions they go without electricity. Home industry (like welding) disappears. Heavy industry must charge it’s customers for the higher price of reliable energy.
Hardly worth the advantage of independence for most people.
Though strictly low energy intensity areas may profit from something in this vein since they already commute to their jobs and could have a limited grid for limited high intensity energy demand.
86
posted on
12/14/2014 9:24:37 AM PST
by
mrsmith
(Dumb sluts: Lifeblood of the Media, Backbone of the Democrat Party!)
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