ECN Forum Forums General Topics of the Trade General Discussion Area Look what Target sells

Interesting what I found at Target.

I wonder how many they sell, and what instructions comes with them..
http://www.target.com/gp/detail.html/ref=br_1_5/601-2152377-4139354?%5Fencoding=UTF8&frombrowse=1&asin=B000CSKSQG

This looks like the deal they sell to sail boat folks to keep their battery up. I suppose it is pretty safe, basically just a 400w 12v battery charger. I may buy one if the money is really about right. I would like to know more about who makes it. Wonder what the max wind rating is? The only real installation issue is probably keeping it from blowing away.

The wind comes here about 20 days a year, the sun is there every day, i would think $700 plus, would buy a nice solar array, and invertor.

Solar arrays cost $4-5 a watt, so it is about as much as this wind charger. I suppose it really depends on what you can use.

I was told in another forum that recent interest in solar cells and limited production has driven the cost up to $8/W!

I wonder how many of those wind gens Target will sell to people who have no clue. Then they will try to hook it up to their house panel and fry it BEFORE calling an electrician to fix it all! Then get angry because the electrician tells them the truth about what it will all cost.

I'm hoping one day someone will invent real, real small solar panels and they won't be a major pain in the butt to install. Getting up on those roofs and installing them is no picnic. And the elecrician has to do it because of the grounding that needs to be done to each panel.

looks like a lighting rod with a propeler. I can see some home owner installing it him/her self and then offering to install one for friends

There is an article in this month's EE Times from the guy at Cypress semiconductor who makes most of the PV arrays in the US and he says the cost of the parts should be about $3.50 a watt wholesale based on his cost but installation is another $4 a watt. I guess there is another couple bucks in there somewhere for folks who buy the parts retail.

Lightning is not what I would worry about with this. It is getting it rigid enough so it doesn't become flying debris in the storm. ... or just a blender that shreads your roof.