Posts: 1,779
Threads: 73
Joined: Aug 2006
Net-meter solar is most certainly not low cost at the front end.
Payoff period? At 2005 HELCO prices, about 10 years. Have not had time to recalculate the multiple intervening HELCO price increases --the higher HELCO goes, the quicker we pay it off. Will HELCO rates continue to increase in the next 4 to 8 years?
The cost, including installation, is less than the purchase price of an 8-cylinder, 4wd, SUV -- the maintenance cost, the return on investment, and resale value are much better for the solar. We drive a 33mpg car, wear second-hand clothes, grow our own food, stay home, and do other practical things that are not so 'well-heeled' in order that we may live clean and with a clear conscience.
btw: I only know one person on this island that refers to me as 'dr james'... hope you are not using a computer at work 
James Weatherford, Ph.D.
15-1888 Hialoa
Hawaiian Paradise Park
Posts: 990
Threads: 22
Joined: Dec 2007
James, no i'm not and will cease using it if you wish. So we're talking around 30k, what is the panel life expectancy? Please understand i'm not knocking it or jealous, i'm looking at getting some type of solar, i think we need a thread to cover this whole solar thing. Incidentally thanks for breaking the helco in to metering, I suspect it has been a unique experience in building. I had been told it wasen't available here by helco. Did they require you to buy and hookup their system by their people? I'll bother you no more with it, starting a new thread. Enjoy NZ!
Gordon J Tilley
Posts: 382
Threads: 13
Joined: Feb 2007
We are also on Solar, and we have a helco connection, but our system is independent and we don't send anything back to helco. When the power goes out we don't even know it. Net metering isn't that great in hawaii...nor are you ever really self-reliant. The cost must be less not having a power bill at all or buying batteries, but those stormy nights when the lights stay on make you feel really glad that you don't depend on helco for power. I can't wait to start using our extra juice to charge our EV that we are building. The extra juice also makes other things possible too, why give it to Helco?
Daniel R Diamond
Daniel R Diamond
Posts: 1,727
Threads: 29
Joined: Feb 2006
quote:
Originally posted by Glen
Here, here, Hotcatz. Lets have a horse-riding lane parallel to 130! (Not on 130....or anywhere near 130 --no airbags on horses).
With all the rain, we will need some really nice looking carriages as well.
And a blacksmith!
And a saloon!
And some rough and ready cowboys! Back to the egg nog.....
Great idea, Glen! I like it! We can have some livery stables, too. Amble into town, park the horse/ox/goat/etc. do a bit of shopping and amble on home again. We can also use the "alternative" road for slower moving things like electric powered golf carts, bicycles with carts, slower electric cars (it is hard to design one which will go fast enough for the highway), etc.
The Alternative Road should be scenic, too, since folks will be going slow enough to enjoy it. With the occasional picnic/rest stop. Using the Alternative Road could be so pleasant folks would just want to use it whether they had to go anywhere or not.
"I like yard sales," he said. "All true survivalists like yard sales."
Kurt Wilson
Posts: 990
Threads: 22
Joined: Dec 2007
Electric slow? Google Tesla electric cars and Zap electric cars. Electric was killed by the auto makers, kinda like james is doing with geothermal!
Vested interests are always suspect!
Electric was in cars before gas or deisel!
Gordon J Tilley
Posts: 151
Threads: 8
Joined: May 2006
Steve & Regina
Hawaiian Acres / North Lake Tahoe
'If you don't know where you're going, any road will get you there' - George Harrison
If the future is now, and there is no more gasoline... what about something like This
[:o)]
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Don't Click here
Posts: 6,214
Threads: 354
Joined: Feb 2006
HELCO does not, currently, offer off peak pricing to residential customers, but by recharging at off peak, you are not increasing the load on the system. Peaker power production here is with some of the states most pollutiing plants, so recharging off peak is better for the environment. Peak hours are 5-9 pm. best recharging hours 11 pm -4 am (for the environment & to limit electrical production expansion)
Some electric car owners mainly recharge on PV, during daylight hours. (There is an EV in Kona that does...) I would love to see more PV charged EV's, but there are few dealerships anywhere & none on the islands... anyone want to invest? That has always been the major stumbling block for EV's.. lack of large stakes investors.. at the beginning of last century EV's were on par with gasoline, at the beginning of this century there was the beginning of a slight rebirth, followed by near total collapse of the industry (not just within the 'normal' vehicle manufacturers, but included many of the manufacturers that had been manufacturing commercial EV's for industry use....)
www.zapworld.com has some interesting low & mid-speed EV's with a more 'normal speed' EV coming on line. *Edited with the CORRECT site
www.phoenixmotorcars.com has the most practical & longest range (& soon to production & distribution) EV's ever, but limited to CA right now...
Posts: 179
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Joined: Aug 2006
I think you meant http://zapworld.com
At a shareholders' meeting a few years ago, they spent a lot of time talking about the testing they had just done at freeway speeds with an electric car. I was ready to buy one, until they told me the one I was buying was only rated for 25 mph. No sale! I don't think they have ever sold highway speed automobiles. [  ]
Posts: 4,533
Threads: 241
Joined: Jan 2006
How about a GOOD hele on system that just goes the red road triangle (Pahoa/Kapoho/Kalapana) with a dog leg to Keaau to connect to a Hilo bus. Not a 30 passenger bus but a smaller one - say 15 passengers.
What about making our island really bicyclist friendly?
As for the big truck issue - we have a F250 - sucks up gas big time - it is used on as needed basis. When we go out and dont need it - my little ugly camry is the car we drive. My thought is use a big truck IF YOU NEED it, but adapt the size of vehicle to usage.
Okay everyone - beware of what comes next ---- toll booth as you go into hilo town. You got 4 passengers, its free. Three is 25%, two is 50%, one is full toll. You ride the bus, your fare is 25 cents. (I know the bus is free now but really that isnt sustainable).
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