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1 members (Scott35),
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Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 9,931 Likes: 34
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It is more efficient to heat by burning something if you are off grid, for whatever reason.
Greg Fretwell
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Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 7,382 Likes: 7
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Harold:
Yes, there are a few 'other' small solar setups in town. The Raritan Center Railroad has a few for some type of signaling or crossing system. I'll scope them out, time permitting.
Greg:
Back in '05 at the PGA tournement, we burned 102k gallons of diesel (99.9% in gensets) and about 2k gal of reg gas over 9 days. Good thing the majority of the gens were diesels!
John
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Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 2,233
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John,
My ex foreman ( now in his own business) lives way up north in Sussex and there is a farmer up there with both PV panels on roof and a wind turbine in the yard. He is generating so much power that his electric bill is under $10 per month. I don't know what his original bill was, or how much the 2 systems cost to install. I am sure it wasn't cheap!
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Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 9,931 Likes: 34
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When my wife was prairie building a community (no power, water or roads) they ran the construction trailer off of a 36kva generator and they figured it was costing 40-50 cents a KWH by the time they rented the generator and bought the fuel.
Greg Fretwell
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Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 1,273
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Their website makes it clear that their experts are ready and able to justify higher rates to the various PUCs across the land when required to 'take advantage of solar.'
How nice of them!
Bottom line: it's a boondongle designed to transfer USD from our pockets to this project.
Tesla
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Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 2,233
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I guess I am all for solar systems, but you still have to think, what do you do with the panels after they all start to fail? Are this system safe in the fact that if there is a fire on/in the house, will firemen be safe from the DC voltage that the panels are putting out? You would have to remove all of the panels in order to replace the roof. Other than that!  Maybe if the panels were installed on the ground and away from the house, I would feel safer.
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Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 9,931 Likes: 34
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The solar company I was talking to did offer ground mounting for the panels but when you start laying them out on the ground you figure out how big they really are. Shadows are more of a problem in the ground too since level low shrubs will be a problem in the winter. In my case it is an oak tree that is not on my property.
It is kind of ironic that to cut green house gasses we may have to cut down trees.
Greg Fretwell
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Joined: May 2005
Posts: 984 Likes: 1
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Our big installation here in Chicago is completed and online.
It's mounted with the low end of the angled panels about 2 feet off the ground and I now have one word to explain why ground mounting isn't the best of ideas...
WEEDS.
Ghost307
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Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 9,931 Likes: 34
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It is all part of the stimulus package.
They have to hire a crew to weed eat, then they need another crew to wash the dirt off the panels from the weed eater. Those crews need a supervisor and a union rep. They will both need lawyers. Pretty soon you have a whole industry that comes up around this free electricity.
Greg Fretwell
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Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 2,233
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Around here in north NJ some of the farmers are installing them in their fields. It helps them with bills and power to their barns.
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Posts: 57
Joined: August 2003
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