On May 23, 10:05*pm, aemeijers wrote:
dpb wrote:
wrote:
...

If I can ever afford it, I'm going to setup solar panels and wind
generators, and tell the elec co to shove it.

Chuckle...

And there's the bottom line -- you can't do it for less, even for a
minimal amount such as a single dwelling.


You may be able to do it though with fed and state subsidies kicked
in. I'm going to a seminar this week at HD to find out what the
current deal is here in NJ. Of course, the problem with the subsidy
approach is that to get to any significant replacement of the cheaper
conventional energy sources would require a lot of money that even the
govts don't have. And the subsidy is coming out of everyone elses
pocket, including low income families that are paying for guys like
actor Ed Begly to feel good about themselves.





--

Not if you insist on using electricity as the only way of storing and
moving energy. For people who want to live 'off the grid', the answer is
to minimize how much electricity you need, and do as much as possible
via other means. Passive solar, ground thermal, big south windows and
Sola tubes for as much 'free' lighting as possible, windmill and water
tower to minimize the need for well pump and water heater, etc, etc.
Once you get over the front-end costs and the effort to recreate 1930s
tech, you can get by with very little 110/220.

It does take a lot more work on a daily basis to exist that way. All
that low-tech stuff takes a lot of upkeep. That is the reason
electricity caught on so fast- it is so damn convenient.

--
aem sends...