03-08-2008, 11:59 AM
Oh, and solar heating of water, which I'm very familiar with is only about a 10 percent solution, as we have frequent cloud cover. I'm at 2700 feet, and 40 degrees at night is pretty typical. I have an electric(?!!?) hot water heater that I cycle the wood stove through, or will, when I get to it. I build wind generators, and when the trades blow they'll make the juice I need. Solar just isn't very good here, and hardly keeps the LED lamps at my gate alive. Besides, a 1 KW array will cost you about 15000 bucks, and at 50 cents a KWH will take 10 - 15 years to reclaim. That's a lot for unreliable power, and from November 1 to March 1 you won't get a stich of power. My gas generator, which I run to power my big tools, does even better than that, and sadly it just doesn't add up. I added it up. Gas would have to be 25 bucks a gallon before it paid to go PVA.
As for the grid? It's all petrol anyhow and 3000 bucks just for the pole. Obviously they don't want the customers.
As for the grid? It's all petrol anyhow and 3000 bucks just for the pole. Obviously they don't want the customers.