Internetworkers: http://www.ibiblio.org/internetworkers/

[Chris Hedemark <chris AT yonderway.com>]

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On Wednesday, December 11, 2002, at 12:23 PM, 
childers.paula AT epamail.epa.gov wrote:

> SO, I've been thinking - how to TRULY prevent this sort of thing?
> Answer: SOLAR PV panels.

This can be done in phases.  I was actually getting ready to put my 
house on battery backup, which is one step towards moving to PV (which 
doesn't power the house directly, but rather charges a bank of 
batteries).  Unfortunately the company I was working for disappeared 
out from under me and plans changed.  After this ice storm, I plan on 
moving ahead with the battery system as soon as I am back in the saddle 
again.  Basically you run the whole house off of batteries, and the 
grid hookup powers nothing more than a big fat battery charger.  Pairs 
of 6VDC golf cart batteries wired in serial to each other, and parallel 
across pairs, provide the 12VDC input for the inverters that supply 
110VAC to the house.

Adding PV panels would be pretty straightforward after such a system 
were in place.  Same for generator.

> Generators require you to leave your house and purchase gas.

Only if you use a gas generator.  Get a diesel generator, and have the 
local oil company deliver heater oil to your door (same as diesel, but 
without the road tax).  Better yet if you don't mind getting yourself a 
little dirty, try recycling some used cooking oil ( 
http://www.greasecar.com is aimed at automobiles but this could be 
adapted to generators).

> Solar is quiet, clean, safe, morally responsible, requires little
> maintenance when installed correctly, and can be wired to reduce (or
> even eliminate!) your power bills continuously while adding green power
> into the grid for others to use, as well.

Anyone here actually do this yet?  I'm wondering if there are tax 
credits available for going PV in this state or not.

As it stands today, PV only breaks even after many years of use.  If 
you plan on keeping a house less than say 7 or 8 years, it is probably 
a losing proposition (guesstimate).

The other hidden cost of going PV is refitting your light fixtures & 
appliances.  For example, if you are using incandescent lighting to 
illuminate your home, you're not ready for PV yet.  Check into Compact 
Fluorescent bulbs.  I've gotten my house almost completely converted 
over the last few years.  The bulbs consume about 1/4 the electricity 
for the same amount of illumination as a given incandescent bulb.  For 
example, a 100w incandescent can be replaced with a 27w CF bulb.  They 
are pricey up front but prices have dropped dramatically, especially in 
the last year.  But they last for 5+ years (my experience bears this 
out) so they are actually cheaper than lighting with incandescents over 
extended periods.  In addition, you can use a much brighter bulb than 
you would normally be able to in many smaller fixtures.  Have a 
favorite lamp that isn't rated for more than a 60w bulb?  Slap in a 27w 
CF bulb and you have a killer bright reading lamp.  Personally, I use 
9w CF bulbs pretty liberally as well as 14w CF's and only a few 27w 
bulbs.

When moving to PV you need to also look at where your hot water is 
coming from, air conditioning, refrigerator/freezer, and laundry 
facilities.  These are all typically major consumers of electricity and 
need to be addressed when switching to PV.  Some homes are even heated 
with electricity (!!!) so be careful here.

My computer habits have also changed to reduce my power consumption in 
preparation for moving to PV.  My PC was sucking up hundreds of watts 
with the 21" CRT turned on.  The server without a monitor was sucking 
about 175w 24x7.  My PC has been replaced with an Apple notebook which 
consumes anywhere from 7w to 14w on average.  My PC server was replaced 
with a Sun server which consumes about half the power of the old PC 
server (PC processors run HOT).  Hard wired network ports consume less 
juice than wireless.  CRT's consume WAAAAY more than LCD displays.  I'm 
very happy now with my Powerbook as a replacement for my Linux desktop 
machine.

Have any nightlights?  Traditionally these are incandescent bulbs which 
burn a small but measurable amount of power steadily.  There are newer 
night lights out that glow a soft green like a firefly, and burn a 
nearly insignificant amount of electricity.  They don't cost much and 
they live much longer than their incandescent counterparts.

Before seriously looking at PV, seriously look at your own home & 
lifestyle and correct wasteful energy use there first.  It doesn't 
require reduced comfort, and will make your PV system smaller, less 
expensive and less intrusive on your property.

Chris Hedemark .. Hillsborough, NC .. http://yonderway.com
Homeland Security begins at home; support your Second Amendment.


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