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greenspun.com : LUSENET : Renewable Energy / Home Power : One Thread

Well, every forum has to have a "welcome letter", so here's ours. ;-)

Our team at Energyland.net is still working on the Renewable Energy / Homepower section of the website, but I think you'll be pleased with the end result when it finally debuts.

We've set up this forum to discuss any and all issues relative to the topic of renewable / alternative energy sources, more commonly (and perhaps inadequately) described as "homepower".

Our only request is that you keep the discussion on topic. If you're in the RE/Homepower market, and would like to tell us about the benefits of your product, feel free - but we'd appreciate it if you didn't just simply cut and paste your regular advertisement into the forum. Any "cut and paste" advertisements will be deleted.

The primary reason we put this forum online is to discuss the benefits of renewable energy sources. What are your personal experiences with the technology? Is it too expensive, or too complicated to deal with? Do you need some advice on setting up your own system? Why haven't U.S. state and federal governments embraced and actively promoted the use renewables via tax incentives and enabling legislation? We hope that we'll be able to explore some of those questions (and more!) in this forum.

-- Rick Cowles (rick@csamerica.com), January 06, 2000

Answers

Dear Rick,

We are going to be living .75 mile up a dirt track up a mountain in the Caribbean Island of St Kitts.No power at this site.However back in 1700's there was a windmill but it has long since gone.We are considering wind power & solar.Problem is we need to generate sufficient power to dead start a heavy machine which is necessary for the business.At present the beater is starting happily with a three 5hp 3 phase motor.(UK) Of course we could buy a genny but seems a shame with all that sun & steady breeze.

You could say I'll be following this forum with interest !!

-- Chris (griffen@globalnet.co.uk), January 06, 2000.


Hi, Rick. I am happy to see that you are getting this forum up and running.

I have twenty-five years experience with various forms of alternative energy: passive solar house design, solar water heaters, woodstove water heaters, and hydraulic rams. So far I have found many alternative energy systems to be way too expensive. I have a basic understanding of hydroelectric, too, but don't have the water source at my location, unfortunately (hydro can be a VERY cost effective system when conditions are right)

One problem I see is the need to have batteries for so many types of energy systems. It would (will?) be nice to have batteries which will last long enough to justify their expense.

I almost bought a solar pump setup for y2k, but decided I'd just haul water from my flowing artesian well to my house if the power stayed out long enough for me to use up all the water in our 2500 gallon tank.

Solar pumping systems are one area which SHOULD be cost competitive with conventional pumping systems. I think they will be at such time as they get more popular. The great thing is that you don't need batteries. The bad thing is that a one half horse DC pump costs six or seven times as much as a one half horse AC pump. I assume it's because they aren't being manufactured in as great a volume?

It's very discouraging to me that hardly anybody (and this certainly includes my fellow building contractors) makes the SMALL effort to design their homes in a solar efficient manor. There are a few rules of thumb which can make a home much more comfortble and save energy both during the winter and the summer. If anyone is interested, I could write them down. But not today, as I seem to have caught the flu :(

I'll be checking back in frequently; hope more people discover the site.

-- jumpoff joe (jumpoff@ekoweb.net), January 10, 2000.


Chris, what a great adventure. Never been to St. Kitts, but I've been in the Caribbean, and where I was the trade winds blew almost constantly. Might very well be a good spot for wind power. I would thing there would be plenty of sunshing for solar, too. Which brings to mind, it's very weird that I have never seen a solar water heater in the tropics. Mine works great here in Oregon, but I have to drain it for the winter, so it won't freeze. So why do you suppose no one in the tropics uses this system year round? I don't get it.

-- jumpoff joe (jumpoff@echoweb.net), January 10, 2000.

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