Hippies and libertarians have become unlikely allies in a war against solar power

[merrylander]

Originally Posted by donquixote99

Wellm not so much much hydropower is made in Maryland, AFAIK. And do you have a big export market for power in Maryland to fund your infrastructure?

Hydro is passe in Ontario, it is now mainly CANDU reactors on the Bruce peninsula. Quebec did complete a big hydro installation on the James bay before I left 30 years ago. The biggest difference is that power generation there is provincially owned, hence no shareholders and the need for profits.

Meanwhile back here in Baghdad on the Potomac. . . . The last CEO of the electric company was an investment banker, not an engineer, and he was not even a good investment banker as he lost a ton of profits.

[piece-itpete]

A number of years ago an old mine in northern Ohio was converted into a compressed air 'tank', run the compressor during off peak hours and use the air to run generators during peak, I can't find anything on it, I'd love to know how it turned out.

Pete

[MikeG22]

Oh if only Tesla was still around, or Edison for the text book believers

[MikeG22]

In most of the US the only way you can truly go off grid is to have a backup generator for the times your stored energy runs low. Few days of overcast or running AC in the summer and your burning fuels because you've exceeded your supply.

Creating your own energy using home generators is extremely inefficient. It's the same argument that electric cars make sense despite their use of energy. Power plants are 3-4 times more efficient at creating a kW from the same amount of fuel and create less pollution.

[Wasillaguy]

Originally Posted by MikeG22

In most of the US the only way you can truly go off grid is to have a backup generator for the times your stored energy runs low. Few days of overcast or running AC in the summer and your burning fuels because you've exceeded your supply.

Creating your own energy using home generators is extremely inefficient. It's the same argument that electric cars make sense despite their use of energy. Power plants are 3-4 times more efficient at creating a kW from the same amount of fuel and create less pollution.

Not to mention laws and regulations in many urban/suburban areas make if very difficult if not impossible to run a generator, or a wind turbine.
Same goes for digging your own well. In most places where municipal water is available, digging your own well is near impossible to do legally.
Once again, the big money has you hog tied via the wonderful government.

SOFC technology is coming along rapidly, and I have hope it will some day kill the electrical grid entirely.

[djv8ga]

Originally Posted by Wasillaguy

Same goes for digging your own well. In most places where municipal water is available, digging your own well is near impossible to do legally.
Once again, the big money has you hog tied via the wonderful government.

SOFC technology is coming along rapidly, and I have hope it will some day kill the electrical grid entirely.

What really sucks is when you drill a well and the county decides to meter ALL wells regardless if Muni water is available or not. We have been fighting this in Cochise county.

I'm just about finished with my solar powered well. After drilling & casing a 340' x 6" bore hole, buying & mounting 6 Schott Poly-240 panels, sinking a Groundfos AC/DC pump ($$$), and just all the labor, I'm scared to death the benefits are going to be blown to bits by them slapping a meter on the thing.

I plan on using propane for backup. I see lots of guys grabbing the Onan generators out of old RVs as a cheap & quiet solution.

As a side note, I would never install panels on a roof if at all possible.

I've really enjoyed reading the thoughts that all of you have posted. With all of the technology & watt-cost dropping like a rock, solar is fascinating to play with IMO. I hope it all doesn't get derailed by the powers that be.

[Dondilion]

Originally Posted by djv8ga

Cochise county

Flashback to my comic literature: Sitting Bull, Geronimo, Lone Ranger and Tonto, Buffalo Bill.

[djv8ga]

Cochise was an amazing man. His writings of fighting the Mexicans & Americans at the same time are gut-wrenching.

[merrylander]

Originally Posted by MikeG22

In most of the US the only way you can truly go off grid is to have a backup generator for the times your stored energy runs low. Few days of overcast or running AC in the summer and your burning fuels because you've exceeded your supply.

Creating your own energy using home generators is extremely inefficient. It's the same argument that electric cars make sense despite their use of energy. Power plants are 3-4 times more efficient at creating a kW from the same amount of fuel and create less pollution.

We have an emergency generator for the times when the local flicker and flash goes out.

[Dondilion]

Mikeg22, I certainly appreciate your knowledgeable input.

Did not know that about solar re noise and bats.