bob haller wrote:
On Oct 3, 4:54?am, ransley wrote:
On Oct 2, 10:46?pm, Ashton Crusher wrote:

I ran across a website that says it's easy to build your own solar
panels and home made windmills. ?Anyone actually done this?

alt.energy.homepower is a group that would have alot that do this

for windmill you must have a windy unobstructed spot, preferably high
on a hill.

my best friend built one in 1960 it has a 14 foot prop, a sophiscated
control system that detects faults and shuts it down in say a
overspeed condition if the brakes fail. too high a speed can rip it
apart, as he once found out when the brakes got covered with ice

but it has never produced power in big useful amounts

solar panels require a sunny climate, the sunnier the better. their
upfront costs are so high they are rarely a good investment, unless
you live somewhere like arizonia or southern california.

a solar water heater can provide some return for heating your homes
water, to supplement you regular water heater

probably better way to spend money is super insulating your home, with
closed cell foam, new windows etc. at least the payback wll be in your
lifetime...........

sorry to be a gloomy gus but its just the facts..

Yep. The sun lays down 745 watts of energy per sq meter. At noon. On the
Equator. On sunny days.

The only way to increase this value is to move the orbit of the earth closer
to the sun.

After adjusting for latitude, conversion efficiency, clouds, etc., you might
get, at best, 200 watts per sq meter of collector. Plus, accounting for the
energy costs to build the equipment, transportation, and installation, the
pay-back period is almost forever.