Solar & Wind Power

[westcliffe01]

Larry, those of us who cannot afford to retire with the ridiculous property taxes being charged, simply have to make a move to places with lower taxes and usually, what you find is low population density, small government, no colleges bleeding the people dry and no utilities. I can afford to buy a solar array (once) to produce 10kw of power, but I can't pay $400-$1200 per month in taxes for as long as I live.... I also don't intend to wait until I am 64 to retire either....

You are very right. If I was completely off-grid, I would use even less electricity than I use now. I have a neighbor who is completely off-grid, just because he didn't want to pay the power company fee for running lines ($85,000). He uses very little electricity. Heat is solar hydronic with about 70 cubic yards of concrete thermal mass. A separate system supplies his domestic hot water. It's a thermal siphon system that does not require electricity. For AC he chills the hydronic system at night and with an evaporative cooler in daytime. Domestic water is a PV 48 volt piston pump to a water tower. Domestic electricity is a PV system and 3000w inverter, which is far more capacity than he uses.

It's a luxury to design for energy efficiency from the beginning of construction. His system had big up-front costs, but he has no utility bills.

My house is 45 years old, and I had to retrofit for energy efficiency. There were no energy codes when it was built. Thanks to my own timber, I have no shortage of firewood. There is more wood falling off of trees than I need for domestic heat. 20 years of remodeling have upgraded the insulation, windows, doors, and we just ponied up for cellular blinds on the south side of the house to reinforce the low-E U.36 windows. I installed a 2500 gallon spun poly cistern to compensate for low well flow in the late summer, and put it above the level of the house. Bingo, gravity feed water. You are right about the solar hot water. 50% of the energy costs of a typical household goes to nothing but heating water. I have just been too lazy to deal with it.

I don't get much concerned about external inputs. When things get tough, externals may get expensive but they will be available. The trick is to reduce the amount you need. The advantage of conservation is that it pays even if the lights stay on.

 

[teg]

...So, the question still remains - who did it and why?

TBN is the "WE" and "No reason" is all they need. This is their site, TBN lets us play here... for free. Sorry but that's the rules....

 

[buckeyefarmer]

Re: Solar & Wind Power

Oldmcdonald,
That was my post that peeved you. Sorry that you lost your dad due to mining. I know it happens, but in the area i grew up, that still has underground coal mines, it is rare. I was just making a statement of personnal fact based on something someone had earlier stated.
Black lung was a problem at one time, not sure if it still a widespread problem.
Don't think the whole mining industry should be stopped because of it. I know more people killed working in construction, that doesn't mean we should stop all construction.

 

[OldMcDonald]

Re: Solar & Wind Power

buckeyefarmer, It was not you or your post that peeved me - it was the fact I was not allowed to respond. I am fairly sure there are no deep mines in Britain anymore. I remember seeing a few months back that the last one in England had closed. Growing up in a mining area, with miners on both sides of the family, I knew of many people who died due to illness from coal dust inhalation - not necessarily Black Lung (easier to spell than pneumoconiosis). They frequently died from what is generally called Industrial Bronchitis, and apparently considered an earlier stage of Black Lung.

In the late 1990s/early 2000s there was a government hand out of ｣10,000 for the widow or children of those who had died due to pit contracted diseases, but like many, my mother considered it blood money and refused to claim hers.

Unfortunately I understand it is becoming an increasing problem in the US again.

 

[Egon]

Nuclear industry update.
Cannot verify but the list of references is significant.

[video]http://www.safewater.org/PDFS/reportlibrary/HumanHealthImplicationsUraniumNuclear.pdf[/video]

 

[KennyG]

Nuclear industry update.
Cannot verify but the list of references is significant.

[video]http://www.safewater.org/PDFS/reportlibrary/HumanHealthImplicationsUraniumNuclear.pdf[/video]

I may spend a little time looking in more detail but my first reaction (as a professional in the industry) is that it's amateurish - not particularly well done even for an undergraduate. The references may seem impressive but I quickly recognized a number of them as being out of date and/or discredited. There's a million of these papers around but there are many more qualified sources.

 

[buickanddeere]

Paid education for military personal is a paid benefit in return for service . It is not a perk or subsidy.

 

[buickanddeere]

My view is that the government should encourage private industry...and pubic utilities of what ever ilk...to develop alternative sources of energy. R&D are usually tax deductible, which is the way it should be. Government subsidies for fledgling industries that are currently not able to compete is another matter, and should be used sparingly especially in areas that don't need them in the short run. There are plenty of areas where subsidies and pilot projects would serve the purpose. Ever been to the U.S.Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico; i.e. the West Indie Islands? Electricity, water and utilities in general are very expensive; operated, for the most part on fuel oil from Venezuela. In fact, even in those beautiful areas, wind generators are beginning to sprout up, and rightfully so. I say let's keep it all in perspective.


http://www.eia.gov/state/?sid=VQ

The places you mention do not the the same type of national electrical distribution grid that mainland USA has . A large electrical grid with low cost base load hydro electric , coal and nuclear . Vs a high cost small island electrical grid powered with $$$ diesel gen sets. There is a place where wind and solar can be a benefit.
I'm finding here that few people actually understand how electricity is generated, distributed and used. No different really than John Q Public does not grasp where and how thier food is sourced.

 

[buickanddeere]

Re: Solar & Wind Power

buckeyefarmer, It was not you or your post that peeved me - it was the fact I was not allowed to respond. I am fairly sure there are no deep mines in Britain anymore. I remember seeing a few months back that the last one in England had closed. Growing up in a mining area, with miners on both sides of the family, I knew of many people who died due to illness from coal dust inhalation - not necessarily Black Lung (easier to spell than pneumoconiosis). They frequently died from what is generally called Industrial Bronchitis, and apparently considered an earlier stage of Black Lung.

In the late 1990s/early 2000s there was a government hand out of ｣10,000 for the widow or children of those who had died due to pit contracted diseases, but like many, my mother considered it blood money and refused to claim hers.

Unfortunately I understand it is becoming an increasing problem in the US again.

As soon as it was obvious that "Durham Region for Nuclear Awareness " is involved. The report's credability went out the window. DRNA is a "tax free charatable organization ". Whose business is to scare donations from the general public to pay the wages, expenses, travel, hotels and various perks for the executives.

 

[IslandTractor]

Nuclear industry update.
Cannot verify but the list of references is significant.

[video]http://www.safewater.org/PDFS/reportlibrary/HumanHealthImplicationsUraniumNuclear.pdf[/video]

Helen Caldicott (referenced about half a dozen times or more in this paper) has been ranting about nuclear energy for decades. Yes, there are risks with nuclear power generation. What this paper ignores is that there are risks with every other source of power generation too. Fossil fuel certainly has major health implications and has directly and indirectly killed many hundred thousands more than nuclear energy. Fossil fuels are also the leading cause of man's contribution to climate change whereas nukes have almost no effect. I'd say it is fair to work to understand and minimize the risks associated with nuclear power but silly to exaggerate such concerns out of context.