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

[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

[donquixote99]

Originally Posted by MikeG22

There are very few areas of the US that you can run an off grid system.

Can you expand on why you say this? I'm sure high sunlight availability and low heating/cooling demand are ideal, but is it fair to say you 'can't' be off-grid elsewhere? Just takes more auxiliary generation or heating-fuel use, I would think. There mey be a 'don't want to' based on cost and stuff, but there isn't a 'can't.'

[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.

[piece-itpete]

Saw a doc on Netflix (can't remember the name!) about solar in a small upstate NY town, they fought it and won. A very hippy-ish group was behind stopping it. Apparently they are very noisy among other issues, and they explode bats.

Pete

[MikeG22]

Originally Posted by piece-itpete

Apparently they are very noisy among other issues, and they explode bats.

Awesome!

[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.

[piece-itpete]

D'oh! I'm an idiot. It was about WIND power.

Pete