wind generator

[Lasgambler]

I have replaced the bulbs in the most used lamps to cfl's. I bought one dimmable spot for a can light in one of the halls that stays on most of the time. I am gradually replacing the Halogen Floods and Spots in about 20 can lights thoughout my home. Every little bit helps.
As mentioned before the cfl's are so much cooler, that alone makes them worth the price when you live in an area that can see 120 + degrees for days at a time. To each his own. I don't have a Kill-a-watt, I just trust what the package says for energy consumption. Terry

 

[Doc_Bob]

As mentioned before the cfl's are so much cooler, that alone makes them worth the price when you live in an area that can see 120 + degrees for days at a time.

A neighbor who installed CFL talks about how much cooler her small bathroom is since installing them. I agree. Much cooler on a hot day.
Bob

 

[john_bud]

Everyone talks about pay back with renewable energy (RE). I think that is the wrong way to look at it. Really wrong. Let me explain.
!

Actually, Return on Energy Invested is a better metric. It takes energy (co2 producing kind) to build, transport, install and maintain a wind generator. The total energy across the lifetime of the generator is higher than the energy needed to power the same devices / home. The total CO2 expelled to do the build, transport, install and maintain a wind generator is again HIGHER than the energy from the power company. Small scale distributed power generation is a horrible energy "investment" !

So why ever have one? It may be too expensive to plug in. 3RRL's house is a good example of initial investment to plug into the grid being high. I would use one at my hunting land for example.

PV cells are the same. But, the manufacture of them also uses some of the most deadly chemicals in existence. So they have more CO2 expelled and they also pollute! If you think corn ethanol is bad, have you thought about PV electricity? Do the math on the area the USA would need to dedicate to PV if we dumped all CO2 and nuke options. It's the size of the entire mid-west! Think about the price of food if we pave over the mid-west?

I use the squigglie bulbs and have dropped power bills. But I am also a hawk on turning stuff off (unlike a certain spouse of mine...). My bills have gone UP a little, but the service charge has gone up and the per kwh has doubled.


There is a book on "the falicy of efficiency" that I read last year. Every time EPA standards have gone up total gallons of fuel consumed have risen FASTER. It's the mentality that a good economy car is "so cheap" to run that it gets used a lot. The book also explains how government subsidies of the squiggle bulbs has cost huge amounts of energy. Why? It has slowed down the development of LED and other lower power bulbs. Can't compete against a "free" bulb!

If you want a "hoot!" look up how Al Gore's carbon credit trading has cost virgin rain forest. Why? To be able to sell the credits you have to plant eucaliptis trees. To plant them they clear cut rain forest! Thanks Al! You get rich and we lose biodiversity. Then again, what do you expect from a politician?

 

[Doc_Bob]

Actually, Return on Energy Invested is a better metric.

You are right, but most folks struggle with ROI, let alone ROE.
Bob

 

[tanglefoot]

I bought a Skystream 3.8 on a 70' tower. Installation was completed a month ago. It is grid-tied, so when the power is off at the pole, the turbine quits turning. On windy days I see the meter turning backwards at times. Our home normally averages 1200 KW usage per month over a year's time, and I'm expecting to get 400 KW from this machine. I don't think that happened in the month so far. I would not do it again if I had that option, but my main problems were in dealing with my installer.
Butch

 

[dillo99]

I believe high power LED is the future of lighting. Extremely long life and very low power consumption.Once Walmart starts selling 120V LED's (within 5 years i'll bet) for $6.99 nobody will be buying CF bulbs.

I bought some LED's from this place about 18 months ago (SUPER BRIGHT LEDS home). They were for some outdoor spot lights I have where the incandescent bulbs were burning out every two months or so - a real pain to replace and pretty pricey pin type spot lights. The LED's are awesome. The only downside is that they don't melt the snow! So my spot lights end up buried and they stay buried!

While I was at it I purchased a few other LED bulbs to try them. Definitely the future - once the cost comes down. It is too bad that so much is being invested in the florescents when LED's are clearly the better long term option.

 

[QRTRHRS]

PV cells are the same. But, the manufacture of them also uses some of the most deadly chemicals in existence. So they have more CO2 expelled and they also pollute! If you think corn ethanol is bad, have you thought about PV electricity? Do the math on the area the USA would need to dedicate to PV if we dumped all CO2 and nuke options. It's the size of the entire mid-west! Think about the price of food if we pave over the mid-west?

Absolutely! I worked in the semiconductor industry for twenty years with about fourteen of those in crystal growth and wafer fab, the rest in the clean rooms. The plant used some ~1400 different chemicals and compounds. This particular company actually invented and/or perfected many of the the processes. Along the way, not all of the side affects were known so there are/were some problems.

But then, why single out PV cells since the computer that I am typing this on along with our cell phones, LED lights, etc. etc. are all produced with the very same technology?

 

[EddieWalker]

John,

Might be time for that chill pill. We're just discussing personal observations here. I could care less what you do or believe. Seriously.

John and everyone else,

Sorry for this comment yesterday. I woke up this morning and felt bad about it. I know John was just making a point and I didn't need to be rude to him in return.

Eddie

 

[john_bud]

But then, why single out PV cells since the computer that I am typing this on along with our cell phones, LED lights, etc. etc. are all produced with the very same technology?

Well, I wasn't just singling out PV cells. But computers, cell phones etc aren't touted as solving all the earths energy issues and PV cells are.

Hey, I would LOVE IT if we could get solar cells to power our lives and heat our houses. (actually, I do use organically grown solar to heat the house .... wood)

If you really really really stop and think for a long while, you will see where some smarts can reduce energy waste. Here are some of my hair brained ideas, in no order

- Outlaw all vehicle colors other than glare white or polished metallic. Then less heat will be absorbed and less global warming
- Outlaw all home / building colors other than glare white or polished metallic for the same reasons.
- Mandate pavement color a bright white for the same reasons.
- Mandate a doubling or tripling of insulation in homes
- Mandate energy standards for appliances. Most people don't know that TV's are energy users about equal to a side by side fridge/freezer when they are OFF. True.
- Give tax breaks ( or tax penalties) for set back thermostats that are connected and programmed by satellite the way new clocks are. The government could easily mandate this and force the utilities to double or even 10x your rate if you didn't convert to a government programmed setback thermostat.
- Give tax breaks for riding a bike to work.
- Give tax breaks for moving closer to work to minimize or eliminate vehicular commutes

 

[jim_n_nh]

Eddie,
You have style and class for posting the apology.

Jim