Shading the Ithaca solar panels (City of Evil)

Ithaca Journal ^ | Originally published Wednesday, March 19, 2003 | EDITORIAL

[Behind Liberal Lines]

Imagine a situation where someone builds a new home with a great panoramic view. Then, after a few years, another person legally builds a house on an adjacent lot, blocking out the entire scene.

The first homeowner would definitely be frustrated, but there is little that could be done since the second person had every right to build there.

[Behind Liberal Lines]

Oho, this is rich.

As noted on The View From Arlen:

...[now] all the global warming on earth won't make those solar powered white elephants do what the enviros wanted.

If you asked my opinion--and no one in Ithaca ever would--the solution is to move the solar panels, all right...to a building in Florida.

Sell the panels on ebay and cut the county's losses.

Of course, that would mean that a group of liberal politicians would have to admit they were wrong....and the odds of that happening are, pardon the pun, pretty dim.

Ithaca is the City of Evil.

[Behind Liberal Lines]

bump

[jdege]

If you want to build something on land that could be rendered useless by the actions of the owner of adjacent land, you buy an easement.

If you can't reach an agreement on a price for that easement, you either don't build, or you assume the risk.

This isn't rocket science, except to those who think that they have a right to things they haven't earned or paid for.

[muawiyah]

This is government vs. government. None of that ownership stuff counts!

The library should make a quick alliance with the National Guard and simply make war on the city.

Then again, this is a parking garage going up in a part of the world that still has plenty of unused sidewalks to use! (ommon in Europe).

Don't these people have something better to do?

[Uncle Sausage]

Anybody have any idea what the pay-back on a $550,000.00 investment in solar panels is? I realize to these people, ROI was never part of the equation, it's all about feeling good and protecting the environment blah, blah, blah.

Are they for generating electricity or for heating water? Are they practical in any way at all?

[Soaring Feather]

BIG TIME LOONY BIN BUMPS

PI$$ off a Liberal, hang flags inside every window in your home!

:-)

[Behind Liberal Lines]

It's pretty much been recognized by everyone but the enviro wackos (which, of course, includes pretty much everyone in Ithaca government) that the solar panels won't recoup their expense.

Now, of course, the argument is "the money savings aren't important, the symbolism is."

blech.

[thatsnotnice]

I know Ithaca is sort of north-ish in NY state. I’ve never been there. I’m familiar with Watertown and Canton, both of which are more north/northeast than Ithaca from what I know.

The point is that Watertown has had snow in September, and also had snow in June from what I’m told - and every month in between. They essentially have a small window in which they have “good” weather. The rest is overcast/snow. My understanding is that moisture is picked up from lake Ontario and dumped there.

Snow isn’t good if it’s on your solar panels. You can clear it, but it’s usually overcast when snowing, so a clear panel doesn’t operate optimally. It snows a lot there. It’s overcast a lot there. It’s beautiful country (especially Canton), but isn’t solar panel country. Go to Death Valley or the Mojave if you’d like an example of good solar country.

Maybe Ithaca doesn’t get nearly the snow as the towns in NY state I’m familiar with. That’s entirely possible. Still, it seems like a crappy place for solar panels to me.

[thatsnotnice]

...and every month in between

Every month between September and June, not between June and September... though I wouldn't be surprised.

[Behind Liberal Lines]

Ithaca's no Watertown. But snow beginning in October and ending in late April or even early May is not totally unexpected.

And when it's not snowing, it's quite often rainy and/or overcast.

It's that dark cloud of evil that hangs over the city. ;-)

[stands2reason]

Not in New Mexico. For the short time I could stand to live there, I saw many people buy property for their "dream house" only to be told that they can't build because it would destroy peoples' views.

[Behind Liberal Lines]

Good point. Here, however, the problem was that the moe-rons who designed the one story library, sited it in a spot zoned for SEVEN story buildings.

[stands2reason]

I know it, I just wished to make a gratuitous slap at NM.

[stands2reason]

BTW, every once in a while I'll think of you and shudder. Wait, that's not as bad as it sounds---what I mean is, well, I live in the political antithesis of Ithaca--Midland, Texas. Where you can say something pro-Bush at the workplace without fear of ridicule or even people not agreeing with you. It's the (closet) liberals that have to sit there and smile awkwardly.This town goes 80% Republican consistently. There's absolutely nothing to Freep, no anti-war protests, nada.

Like I said, I lived in Northern New Mexico for awhile, so I know it can get bad (that experience actually turned me into a full-fledged conservative), but I can only imagine what you must go through.

I hope your I:TCOE threads grant you some release--let's you "vent"---still I'll pray for you. :-)

[kidd]

Solar panels in Ithaca?

Probably as useful as an air conditioner in Nome.

[Behind Liberal Lines]

Probably as useful as an air conditioner in Nome.

Probably LESS. At least an air conditioner can be used as dehumidifier.

[Under the Radar]

OMG, that is too funny. I haven't laughed this hard in days-- thanks, BLL!! :)

[mdmathis6]

I agree generally with your views and posting....other than the "send the panels to florida comment". Solar panels have become efficient enough now to be useful even in overcast weather(obviously bright sunlight is still prefered). One could argue about cost-benefit ratios, ect.