Solar Power

[Hawkeye]

I used the following link in another thread to illustrate a point but I think it bears further examination. The article announces that the Army just unveiled a 12 acre solar panel array at Fort Carson, CO, that will provide electricity to power 540 homes. That breaks down to apprx 1000 square feet of solar panel per house. The article says the panels will last at least 40 years. I'm trying to decipher how the cost would compare to conventionally supplied electricity from coal, nat gas, or fuel oil burning gen plants?

What the article failed to mention was the cost of the solar panels and we all know the Army pays top dollar for everything. However, we also know that the more of something that is manufactured and adopted the cheaper per unit it becomes.

What would be your best educated WAG as to how much electricity the average 1400 square foot house would use over the course of 40 years? At the current burn rate and costs, my house electricity costs would be apprx $150,000 over the course of 40 years, and that doesn't factor in ever-escalating electricity costs. I dare say that a 1000 square feet of solar panels, batteries and battery maintenance, and controls could be purchased and installed for considerably less than $150K or $150.00 per square foot of solar array. Or could it not, IYO? My guess is that the cost of solar array would have to be about half that ($75 per operable SF) to be cost effective, but I believe that is doable with an all out Apollo moon shot effort, paid for with the taxes and leases derived from domestic oil production.

Here again is the article;

http://www.military.com/features/0,15240,160387,00.html

[Fish-Bait]

I saw a documentary of sorts on this and a fella' equiped his house for around 75K and also had co-op power....his bill was around 22 bucks a month or so, but he would be paying a mortgage of sorts on the equipment of around 650 a month for 30 years.....sooo...I dunno. I guess if you had the cash layin' around in a shoe box.....then it seems like a good Idea....screw the power company.

[Hawkeye]

I saw one such news story where the power company was actually having to send the homeowner a check for for the surplus energy he produced. If you're not home all day and the excess power generated is fed into the power lines after your batts are fully recharged, your pay off could be much faster. Once your batts are charged, all other electricity is wasted if you're not selling it to the co-op.

If I were a young man, like you, I would definitely consider such alternative energy source in concert with passive solar home design and orientation.

[Goobersmooch]

the price of solar power has come WAAAAY down

[Hawkeye]

The biggest restraint, obstacle or bottleneck up to this point has been the limited supply of polysilicon. But, more companies are gearing up production capacity.

Trivia note; There is enough recyclable polysilicon in discarded computers and cell phones to build untold square miles is solar panels.

[carsalesguy]

i have an acquaintance that works at FGH- and he gave me a solar panel about 10 years ago-

i soldered i think it was 5 or 6 of those things up and powered a walkman with it- obviously on a really sunny day it fried everything- but it was cool knowing i was getting at least 12-15v dc out of that thing-

before i head down there next time hawk i'm going to have to bring that piece of the hubble telescope's solar panel that i have- my uncle worked with GE/Boeing on the project that brought us the hubble- and he sent me a piece of that panel. it's no thicker than a piece of paper-

[Fish-Bait]

I have a solar powered electric fence that will know your **** in the dirt.

[Hawkeye]

I have a solar powered electric fence that will know your **** in the dirt.

A "D" cell will did dat wif de right step up transformer. Hell, I had a fake cell phone with one AA that will do that.

[BassCatter]

Hawk, we have a Solar division of our Alternative Energy Performance Unit. We even have some of the panels out here for our IMMS system ( a system that feeds data via satellite phone to a computer on the beach showing platform orientation and video ) for storms. The system is on normal power, and doesn't use the solar but for when we cut power. The system is Very Low Voltage and will last for about 4 days with the panels charging the batteries. The panels were made by my company and I can tell you they are VERY expensive. I can see where it would be more expensive than buying the energy from Mississippi Power or Pear River Valley if you were counting on the Solar system alone rather than a supplement.

[Hawkeye]

The article I linked about the Fort Carson solar array said it would power 540 homes but didn't go so far as to say what it cost and whether or not that is what it was installed for, to power 540 homes.

More than likely, these things are being installed at all military bases for backup power to important electronic comm.

As for BP in the solar panel business - come on, I study this. BP allocates a minute percentage of R&D to solar and other enviro-friendly alternatives.

However, there is no doubt whatsoever that the major energy producers will totally control alternative energy when it becomes more viable. Similar to the Big Pharma companies, Big Earl will let the small cap solar players do all the R&D and then buy them out. Given ample polysilicone supply, solar can be manufactured cheaply as market acceptance improves. It will take the big solar users to act as the role models and then of course solar producers will charge whatever the market will bear keeping it competitive with fossil fuels, while playing off the "clean energy" pitch in addition to the "less dependence on foreign crude, thus more independence" sales pitch.

[Fish-Bait]

A "D" cell will did dat wif de right step up transformer. Hell, I had a fake cell phone with one AA that will do that.


Yeah, but we are talkin' solar power.......it charges up the 3. whatever volt battry....then BAM!!!!! OMG...My **** is in the dirt....aaahhhhhh.......gwwwaaadddd.......arghhhhh ......jjeeeeess.....hep me..........lawd.............ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh...... .......@#$^%@&$ (*&88

!$@!$!!!! lk;asjdfk....that hurt like hades.:eek:

Rambo don't sweat it though.

[Hawkeye]

I know this; payday on Friday and sh!t no run uphill. In addition, if dumbass touch fingers to wrong place, fire will fly from ass. wonhunglow

[Fish-Bait]

We get paid on Thursday, if'n you was standin' on the equator and did your business with butt pointed to the North Pole.....it would run uphill.

fire will fly....no doubt about it.

They (SMEPA) just put up some caution lights out on Hwy 42 West. The Solar panel is only about 12-16 inches square and runs the lights 24-7 with a battery I guess. And they are those big stop light type lights. Pretty neat.

[Goobersmooch]

heres a few solar power links

http://www.celsias.com/2007/11/23/nanosolars-breakthrough-technology-solar-now-cheaper-than-coal/

http://www.popularmechanics.com/science/earth/4243793.html

http://www.reuters.com/article/environmentNews/idUSSYD22647720071104

http://www.otherpower.com/wardsolar.html

http://www.inhabitat.com/2008/01/14/energy-breakthrough-storing-solar-power-with-salt/

[BassCatter]

Here's another

http://www.bp.com/modularhome.do?categoryId=8050&contentId=7035481

[bpitt]

We plan on building our next house in about 5-10 years. When we do, I'll plan on implementing a solar panel system. Just how much depends on the cost. I'd like to go whole house, and feed excess to power company, but I dunno.

[Fotno]

Our new house will be utilizing solar power also.

Solar power is getting cheaper every day.

[bpitt]

I've looked into alternative heating sources as well. They've got the 'heaters' that will burn anything. They sit outside your house and have ducts that go into your house for heating. You can burn corn cobs, woods, paper, whatever will freakin' burn, plus, you can use them to heat water as well.

[Fotno]

I'd like to do the heated flooring also.

[bpitt]

That heated flooring is nice. My father-in-law installed it in someones house, in their bathroom, no more cold floors!