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So you don't actually live here now? I just wondered because all of a sudden you are on a bunch of threads, but then you said you worked next to this business I'd never heard of here, so it didn't quite fit together.
Carol
Every time you feel yourself getting pulled into other people's nonsense, repeat these words: Not my circus, not my monkeys.
Polish Proverb
Carol
Every time you feel yourself getting pulled into other people's nonsense, repeat these words: Not my circus, not my monkeys.
Polish Proverb
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No, my Hawaii living experience is on Oahu, although I have spent time on Hawaii. I have considered, off and on, buying a few acres up in Kohala area Kamuela/Waimea (Dry Side) or N. Kohala.
The thing about Puna I find interesting is the vulcanology. Other than that, not really my style. Three of the things I hate most are humidity, mosquitoes and pit bulls - and crocodiles too, but they are not found there (thankfully).
The feeling I get from speaking with him about Fuel Cells is that they are more for larger buildings, like a Costco, or a warehouse etc., but they may make them small enough for a house, if you use a fair amount of juice. You'd need a convenient source of Hydrogen, and that pretty much means natural gas, which you don't have, unfortunately. I am not an expert in them, but he did spend some time telling me about them etc., so my information may be quite incomplete. I was amazed that when they finished a job, they would have wood crating materials to dispose of, and all the fittings, nuts, bolts, screws, washers etc., were all stainless steel or chrome plated, and they ended up in the dumpster with the wood, so it seemed like a pretty high-dollar business.
Stay safe.
quote:
Originally posted by csgray
So you don't actually live here now? I just wondered because all of a sudden you are on a bunch of threads, but then you said you worked next to this business I'd never heard of here, so it didn't quite fit together.
Carol
Every time you feel yourself getting pulled into other people's nonsense, repeat these words: Not my circus, not my monkeys.
Polish Proverb
Ono - So Fast - So Tasty!
Ono - So Fast - So Tasty!
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As far as current technology, I have hope that Tesla corporation's new $5 billion battery factory in Nevada may be a game changer for solar power storage. One of the reasons solar suffers is lack of power storage for more than a day or two. But the Battery Gigafactory might bring lithium batteries into the range of affordability. Much more capacity, much less weight, and no pesky battery acid to maintain. Highly possible that the sun could power your car AND your house. Instead of the huge lead acid or glass mat 2 volt cells it takes to get decent storage now, you might have a closet full of lithium cells that would power your house for a week or two even if the sun doesn't come out. Suddenly solar makes a lot more sense.
http://www.teslamotors.com/about/press/r...igafactory
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quote:
[i]--AND THEN DID YOU SEE THE AD IN WHICH THERE IS AN OUTLET ON THE WINDOW AND YOU CAN PUT YOUR PLUG FOR ANYTHING RIGHT IN THERE.
Plug for anything? Oh my, no. One of those solar window stick-ons that actually made it to market takes 13 hours to charge a little 1300 mAh Li-ion battery. In other words, you could use it as a trickle charger for a cell phone. Not a fast charger, a trickle charger.
Technology is great, but there's a finite limit to the amount of energy carried in sunlight and falling on a given surface. Tiny surfaces capture tiny amounts of electricity.
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finite limit to the amount of energy carried in sunlight and falling on a given surface
True, however the real limiting factor is that cost-effective PV conversion is still around 15%.
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"Major Hawaii geothermal project cut in half, switches areas on Big Island"
Title of news article from Pacific Business News. Essentially Helco wants a 25 megawatt plant instead of 50 megawatts and wants it on the west side of the island where the growth is. There is no mention of the lava flow.
http://www.bizjournals.com/pacific/news/...a=e_du_pub&s=article_du&ed=2014-09-29&u=WjBtJe8ZRO+iQWLkXeoflw085ebe9a&t=1412040819
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quote:
Originally posted by PunaLover
As far as current technology, I have hope that Tesla corporation's new $5 billion battery factory in Nevada may be a game changer for solar power storage.
Battery storage for solar PV is going to be almost base load power but it won't come cheap for a long time. There are already lithium-ion that could replace the lead acid, twice the capacity for the same volume. But this one costs over $4,000:
http://www.getlithium.com/Standard-serie...y.html#top
The Tesla battery pack is 85kW and $12,000, expected to go down with the Gigafactory. 85kW backup would last several days on just battery power for a medium residence. There are plans to use electric car battery banks as storage for residential solar PV.
The change in the geothermal RFQ to 25MW for the west side makes sense. At one time, the PCDP had plans for a 1,000 acre industrial park in south Puna and that isn't going to happen in the smokiest of pipe dreams. Probably decreasing residential numbers can be expected also. There isn't much growth expected for the east side and certainly not for south Puna now, so there is no demand for more power , only the goal to phase out oil burning plants. The west side also has the high voltage lines to connect to a new geothermal plant.
"We come in peace!" - First thing said by missionaries and extraterrestrials
*Japanese tourist on bus through Pahoa, "Is this still America?*
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quote:
Originally posted by lavarat
There is no mention of the lava flow.
No mention, but you can bet it has a lot to do with it. One plant about to be isolated and possible retrofit to reduce power output to just the residents of lower Puna. Im sure they will still have to sell power to HELCO at reduced rates per KWH just not as much volumes of it as they used to.
At one time it looked like a good idea to place it here, Maybe not so much now.
Refreshing news to hear the change of direction or location of future geothermal. This old experimental plant needs retired and the new plant can run cleaner in kona. Have a few questions though. Where are they proposing the new plant to be exactly?. Where is the some 32,000 or more of water a minute used to create steam going to come from?. Will it be american owned and will they have plans of evac, health studies, or needed medical attention close, if needed?.
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