Let the sun do it - Going solar saves more than money

Daily Hampshire Gazette ^ | 03/08/08 | Bob Flaherty

[vrwc54]

Global warming looks really cold and snowy up there!

[SIDENET]

I'm going to burn some old tires to make up for this guy's "contribution" to the environment.

(sticks out tongue)

[DBrow]

“For example, if Dee and Jarred are using their computers at the same time, a large chunk of stored energy is swallowed up.”

These must be huge computers, or their actual solar capacity is tiny.

Mine uses 285W total.

There are more caveats than facts in this article.

[Tex Pete]

“Dee, a sculptor from Wisconsin who spent many of her formative years protesting nuclear power plants on Lake Michigan.”

You’re part of the problem, not the solution.

[Vince Ferrer]

'Potentially, this could get very bad,' said Clapp. 'We could be back in the Dark Ages.'

You're already there.

[Rembrandt]

Kumbaya my friends, kumbaya...

[squidly]

'Six hours of direct sun generates enough electricity, as long as you're conservative, to last three or four days,' said John Clapp, 59. 'With heavy use, it might only last a day.'

Herein lies one of many problems. Energy must be reliable and plentiful. If you want to live by candles, and cook on open fires, fine, you are free to do so.

But until there are viable, and more economical energy resources than those that are currently available, we are forced to go with those that are most viable and most economically available. Average middle class people have no other choice. We cannot sell out our families for pie in the sky technology.

So I wish that the greenies would spare me all this nonsense. When it's ready to go, I'll sign up. I'd be happy to. But it's not ready to go. Until it is, the efforts to persuade us to use it are nothing more than intrusion and harrasment.

[Army Air Corps]

Three of the 13 rooms in the house are used for the Starlight Llama Bed & Breakfast, which the couple operates, interestingly enough, not as a strict money-making venture, but as a way to introduce guests to solar power.

Thirteen rooms? Are they related to John Edwards or Algore? Great busuness acumen there: you have 13 rooms and three are for the B&B. Aside from their bedroom and room for the kids, they should still have more than three rooms available for their "business."

[Drango]

Though this bold plan would require huge federal subsidies over a 30-year period...

Oh OK. No worries. Sign me up. /s

[ApplegateRanch]

To make that a reality, a vast area of photovoltaic cells would have to be erected over 250,000 square miles of barren land in the Southwest.

1. The "environmental damage" shading would cause would drive envirowhacks lividly crazier, with predictable results;

2. the massive transmission problems would be a nightmare;

3. the 'eggs in one basket' problem with any kind of disaster, would be catastrophic;

4. transmission losses by the time power reached the East Coast would be massive;

5. Great, while the sun was up...photovoltaics don't work at night, and are poor early & late in the day.

Build more nuke plants, where & as needed.

[rfp1234]

Hey, antinuke enviromorons: the SUN is a giant NUCLEAR reactor, which emits... (drum roll)... lots of radiation!!!

[Army Air Corps]

It'll run about $10,000-$12,000 for batteries, PV panels and an inverter, with another $3,000-4,000 to install, unless you're a jack of many trades like John.

Damn! How long do the batteries last? They'll have to be replaced sometime since they cannot charge and discharge forever and not lose capacity.

[Army Air Corps]

Don’t forget the Earth. It, too, is a source of radiation.

[tarawa]

I have to admit, though, living ‘off the grid’ would be somewhat appealing. I wish I could do that, as well as pay cash for all purchases.

[Mygirlsmom]

Make it a double for me, won't you?

We have a "solar consultant" in my business group. Nice lady, but is waaay overboard on a lot of things. Won't buy candles from the Gold Canyon rep in the group because the paraffin is a petroleum product. I have't asked her yet how much petroleum she thinks is used in the farming of the soybeans for her "ecologically friendly" soy candles.

[DaveArk]

“Scientists say that the energy in sunlight striking the earth for 40 minutes is equivalent to global energy consumption for one year. “

And these bozos think that man has the power to warm the entire planet. I skoff.

[LibFreeOrDie]

The solar house...sits on 65 acres ...part of the 700-acre dairy farm and sawmill he grew up on. When his father died, the land was divided between John and his four sisters.

Not all of us are lucky enough to inherit 65 acres of land to do with as we please.

[Army Air Corps]

Also, how much energy was used to process the metals and glass for his solar panels? Ditto for the batteries?

[Army Air Corps]

Bingo.

He had the money and land to do it. This is almost like a politician who can vote for their own pay increase telling others how to economise.

Going off the grid would be great, but it is currently a bit costly for an average family.