SB: Re: really old mesg on Solar Power

["Grace Benjamin" <grey_sea@hotmail.com>]

> **On:
>
> Date: Thu, 25 Jan 2001 13:34:46 -0700
> From: Andreas Georgiades <AGeorgiades@Gain.com>
> Subject: Solar Ideas - long but hopefully informative
>
> **Andreas said:
>
> I've been considering buying a PV (photovoltaic) solar panel
> system but I
> was pretty shocked at how significant the initial cost would
> be...<snip>
>
> Any ideas out there from all you supersmart people from all over
> the world?
>
> ..·´¯`·.¸ <º))))>< ¸.·´¯`·.¸.·´¯`·.¸.·´¯`·.¸ ><((((º> ¸.·´¯`·..·´¯`·.
>
> Is it even reasonable that it takes me the better part of two months to
read
> my mail?!?!
>
> Well, while I don't claim to be supersmart, I would like to respond to
this
> bit about solar panels and so on, the damage making them does to the
> environment, and whether that offsets the clean energy they produce and so
> on...
>
> I will probably be flamed and villified for months to come, but I think
the
> best possible approach is to use as little electricity as possible, and
just
> can the whole concept of a PV array.  I mean if the sun is going down,
isn't
> this a cue that the work day should be over?  More seriously though, I
> respect that there are some neat, fun, and exciting things that require
> electricity (this cute little box I'm typing on for instance)  But several
> of the electronic items we've come to enjoy as a matter of course can be
> powered with their *own*  PV system.  There's a neat thing that Real Goods
> has- a little panel just to run your laptop on, there's a fridge that
comes
> with a panel just to run itself (I can't remember the manufacturer, but if
> you
> contacted the folks @ www.dancingrabbit.org they would be delighted to
tell
> you all about their fridge) but there are lots of these specific use
devices
> out there that skirt the business of getting an all out solar array.
>
> "Well alright Miss Grace.  You think you know it all?  Well what about
> broader things like getting my permit approved for my house, and having
> enough electricity for my 13yr old to play Atari, and living a real life,
> not some ascetic, off-the grid, no TV, no washer, no dryer life?"
>
> Two points:
>
> We could all benefit from less electronic "stuff".  Atari's fun, but
when's
> the last time your 13 yr old has had a good long conversation with you?
> I mean, the most fun I had with my mom was hanging laundry- not
> because hanging laundry is fun (believe me, I've tried alone, and it just
> doesn't have the same sparkle as when done with company, at least for me)-
> but because just hanging (hee, hee, get-it?  "hanging") with my mom was
nice
> sometimes.  Frankly, in human history, "family time" has never been this
> artificial period of time when you would *find* something to do together
> (let's go to Mouseworld!!); but rather, time spent attending to the
business
> of everyday life together, as well as time taken for the reverence of
shared
> celebrations.   So while I'm NOT suggesting that you shove your
electricity
> sucking dryer out the window (you could hurt someone); I'm suggesting that
> you evaluate for yourself why you need it, and what it gives you, and how
> much it costs for you to get it VS any alternatives you can brainstorm.
>
> This actually leads me to my other point.  After you've brainstormed and
> figured out what you really need, and why you need it- start brainstorming
> about how to get it cheap in your context.  Think out of the box, keep it
> simple, and I'll bet money the least expensive way will involve sharing
with
> other folks.  The best idea I think I've had about how to get the
> electricity I need in a way that can be permitted is in the format of a
> group development, that's right you and some like minded folks who are
> building, first build near by each other, then pool your $$ resources for
> electricity and build, are you ready for this?  A biodiesel generator
> station. If say, you bought 5 generators and divided that between four
> families, in addition to battery storage units, and a fuel tank, and a
> housing unit- the total initial cost would be about $30K, and the monthly
> cost of fuel and maintenace would be about 25 bucks per family for much
more
> than enough electricity to run the average American home, year round,
> independent of the sun or your climate.
>
>
> just my nickel's worth-
>
> Grace
>

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