On Fri, 11 Aug 2006 06:58:49 GMT, Don Tuite
wrote:

On Fri, 11 Aug 2006 02:20:14 -0400, Roger
wrote:

Depends on how you look at it. A good size solar set up requires a
hefty set of batteries. Some of the really good batteries are quite
toxic. Will they be able to recondition them or have to dispose of
them? I don't know.

What you posted next -- about the envionrmental impact of
manufacturing solar panels is valid. But about the need for
batteries, see:

http://www.elecdesign.com/Articles/P...rticleID=13242

I'd forgotten some areas are able to generate enough power and have
this option.

He's a long way from Michigan and we may see that some day, but no
real incentives to install solar that I know of plus Michigan is a
cloudy 43'37" N ~ 85W. Here it' would take many years to pay off a
system that size. If I was lucky I could expect to come out with maybe
a third the power generated per year that he sees, but I'd bet it'd be
far less than that due to clouds and average length of the day.
Then we'd have maintenance caused by storms plus low output due to
snow and ice covering the collectors.

AT a rounded up 8 cents per KWh his system would save me $415 dollars
for the year figuring 1/3rd the power generated. Unfortunately we
don't have near the sunshine they have in Ca in either hours or
strength.

Also, I'd want a system that could operate in a "stand alone" mode as
I've put well over 100 hours on a 9500 Watt generator in the last 6
years due to power outages. To be piratical most of this area would
require batteries or we'd be at the mercy of the power grid. Plus I'd
need some method of storing any excess generated and IF I could get
the power company go to along it'd be great as every little bit does
help. OTOH considering our power usage the generator would be far
cheaper than batteries.

Also we pay a graduated rate based on amount, not time of day.
Our highest rate is about 7 cents per KWH.

If I go by the figures in that article our average electrical use in
July last year was 22KWh per day. (We cut that to 11 KWh even with
this year's heat wave) With the much shorter days coming up the
electrical use will go up considerably as will the gas. The first day
of Summer the sun rises well before 6:00 AM and There is plenty of
light to fly by at close to 10 PM. Twilight ends near 11:00 PM. Our
days are something like 3 hours longer than down south that time of
year. In the Winter the sun rises around 8:00 AM and sets around 5:00
PM. Today was 14h and 6m long while tomorrow will be 2m 35s shorter
with the largest change coming the first day of Fall.

However, Solar may not be the answer up here, but wind is a strong
viable alternative, or could if we had the electrical grid capacity to
handle it. The state of Wisconsin agreed to purchase the excess power
from a wind farm that wasn't used. Unfortunately they found out just
how inadequate the electrical grid is in that area when it cost them
many millions of dollars. Inland in this area the wind is too
unpredictable, but there are nearby areas where it works, or would
work well. We have almost the ideal average, but they get that
average between very windy days and calm days.

Roger Halstead (K8RI & ARRL life member)
(N833R, S# CD-2 Worlds oldest Debonair)
www.rogerhalstead.com

Don
Roger Halstead (K8RI & ARRL life member)
(N833R, S# CD-2 Worlds oldest Debonair)
www.rogerhalstead.com