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World Community Grid Forums
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Forum: Chat Room
Thread: Let's put our heads together and see what is available |
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Thread Status: Active Total posts in this thread: 5
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Movieman
Veteran Cruncher Joined: Sep 9, 2006 Post Count: 1042 Status: Offline |
One of the biggest issues with what we do is the electrical cost involved.
----------------------------------------Over on the XS forum we've been discussing what options are out there. Solar appears to be the most viable unless you live in an area with nice steady winds above 11-13MPH or are blessed with having water run thru your property. (A small creek or stream thats 3ft wide, 2 ft deep and has a 3+MPH flow can CHEAPLY power your entire home.) For the vast majority of us wind and water aren't viable options and that brings us back to solar power. Even up here in New Hampshire it's possible to completely eliminate your electric costs BUT to do so involves a huge investment in dollars. Back in 2008 I researched the cost of generating 3000 KWH/Month(2700KWH/Month average usage) for my modest 26x48 ft raised ranch style home. At that time the parts cost was app $78,000.00 Based on my monthly average elec bill it showed a 26 year payback and thats based on todays rates which will increase. Just not a viable option IMHO. Now where I think we need to go with this is to find a way to bring down those initial costs and make solar a "doable" option for the masses. I won't even get into the huge benefit to the ecology and also the added benefit to us in the US of cutting our dependance on foreign and domestic oil. It's a huge win-win IF only we can find a way to bring down those costs. What is the answer? To me the answer is to find a company that produces solar panels. find out what the true costs of producing those panels are and see if we can "cut a deal" with them. My understanding is that today there is a "glut" of panels on the market as very few are buying them due to the high cost and lack of payback over their lifespan( 25years BUT diminished output over the last 1/2 of that lifetime) Bottom line to me is that the cost has to be halved at a minimum to get people interested in buying. Cut it by 2/3'rds and I'm writing a check today. What are your thoughts or who do you know in the panel production business thats interested in doing some volume versus sitting on the product they are manufacturing? Thanks for reading.  |
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sk..
Master Cruncher http://s17.rimg.info/ccb5d62bd3e856cc0d1df9b0ee2f7f6a.gif Joined: Mar 22, 2007 Post Count: 2324 Status: Offline Project Badges: 
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There are three ways to reduce outlay:
1. Reduce energy requirements (ie. get more efficient electronic utilities, including computers, and turn things off). This reduces initial equipment costs and could be done over time. 2. Get a price reduction (perhaps get 10 or 100 people interested and cut a deal, or better still setup a crunchers deal). 3. Partially invest now, and expand when you can afford it. Investing in green energy now is expensive, but set to fall with new discoveries and equipment. Now is not a good time to over-invest! Of course people could do more than one of these things. By the way, getting green energy is not the only green/economical way forward. If you have a big uneconomical plasma TV that you watch a lot, get a newer, cheaper and more economical TV and offset its purchase costs by selling your existing one. Chances are you will save a lot of energy, and offset your purchase by savings in your electric bill. Probably much faster than the 20years by buying solar panels! The same applies to other appliances, Cookers, Kettles, Ovens, Lights, washing and drying machines... oh and an economical car also helps the wallet. |
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David Autumns
Ace Cruncher UK Joined: Nov 16, 2004 Post Count: 11062 Status: Offline Project Badges: 
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Solar Cells do what they say on the tin and Grid Tie Inverters easily bring that power into your mains supply.
----------------------------------------I ran a one year virtual test to find out how much energy a 1200W wind turbine would generate in the UK. From memory I think it was 86W averaged over the year! and the grid tie inverter has to cope with peak generation and so is more costly with wind PV Cells are the way forward and getting cheaper especially if you build your own panels and 250W Grid Tie Inverters are coming down in price. If you are in the States you are lucky there's a very nice Solar Cell Why do I say you are lucky if you live in the States.... Well if you live in the UK you end up paying more to Her Majesties Revenue and Customs in import duty than you do for the plant to make the solar cells and the vender to ship them out via Fedex to the UK This makes a great green solution that is relatively cheap to deploy unviable. Give yourself a pat on the back HMRC you are green taxing geniuses  The other way is efficiency - see my sig - 10.4 Ghz of crunching and 4 days a day going on right next to me for less than 100W at the socket see http://www.worldcommunitygrid.org/forums/wcg/viewthread_thread,29297 for details I am still waiting for one of these to show up outside of Japan http://www.cpu-world.com/CPUs/K10/AMD-Phenom%...GR%20(HDT55TWFGRBOX).html to see if I can beat my own benchmark - there's a challenge there to see if you can beat the Autumns At the moment I live in a flat so no roof space or garden for a panel but that means just the one outside wall. Very Green. No Car for nearly 2 years now I go everywhere by public transport and recycling bins in the basement. It's not easy being green but you can make a change for the better http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hpiIWMWWVco dave  |
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Movieman
Veteran Cruncher Joined: Sep 9, 2006 Post Count: 1042 Status: Offline |
Solar Cells do what they say on the tin and Grid Tie Inverters easily bring that power into your mains supply. I ran a one year virtual test to find out how much energy a 1200W wind turbine would generate in the UK. From memory I think it was 86W averaged over the year! and the grid tie inverter has to cope with peak generation and so is more costly with wind PV Cells are the way forward and getting cheaper especially if you build your own panels and 250W Grid Tie Inverters are coming down in price. If you are in the States you are lucky there's a very nice Solar Cell Why do I say you are lucky if you live in the States.... Well if you live in the UK you end up paying more to Her Majesties Revenue and Customs in import duty than you do for the plant to make the solar cells and the vender to ship them out via Fedex to the UK This makes a great green solution that is relatively cheap to deploy unviable. Give yourself a pat on the back HMRC you are green taxing geniuses The other way is efficiency - see my sig - 10.4 Ghz of crunching and 4 days a day going on right next to me for less than 100W at the socket see http://www.worldcommunitygrid.org/forums/wcg/viewthread_thread,29297 for details I am still waiting for one of these to show up outside of Japan http://www.cpu-world.com/CPUs/K10/AMD-Phenom%...GR%20(HDT55TWFGRBOX).html to see if I can beat my own benchmark - there's a challenge there to see if you can beat the Autumns At the moment I live in a flat so no roof space or garden for a panel but that means just the one outside wall. Very Green. No Car for nearly 2 years now I go everywhere by public transport and recycling bins in the basement. It's not easy being green but you can make a change for the better http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hpiIWMWWVco dave Thanks for the input David. I think I know the place your talking about. Sells "parts" to make 3-57w panels for $99.00 I might buy one or 10 just for the mental exercise to see what it puts out.I have the time and hey,can't hurt.. Also just found out that 500ft behind my house is a small creek that has year round water BUT is on town property. It's out in the woods,have to check it out to see if it's feasable for a water wheel then see if I can sweet talk the town into giving me permission to build a water wheel there and generate some electrical power for myself. Ok,more ideas folks.. Lets get some of you geniuses in here and speak your minds! [Edit 1 times, last edit by Movieman at Jul 17, 2010 12:45:14 AM] |
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Former Member
Cruncher Joined: May 22, 2018 Post Count: 0 Status: Offline |
Great big body of water 500 yards away sat there doing nothing....we call it the English Channel.
Good for keeping Francophone at bay  |
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