What is Digg?74 Comments
- gavinhudson, on 08/20/2008, -0/+21Man, a home with solar panels in SF must go for ungodly prices. I can't imagine the real estate value of that.
- AronadoHumantic, on 08/20/2008, -1/+16Awesome...I am hoping to see this done in Colorado very very soon as well. Why the hell aren't all states supporting this effort?
- winmywii, on 08/20/2008, -0/+8It's probably going over my head, but I don't see the relation?
- 72doubledown, on 08/20/2008, -1/+9I wonder how durable the panels are. We get pretty big hail in Texas.
- jgoodstein, on 08/20/2008, -0/+7I got the solar water heater and hoping for the first time I go under 2KV, But would love to see pricing and durability reports in hurricane zones like Florida
- deathtoartists, on 08/20/2008, -1/+8Large scale solar farms are a big way to change the "power" dynamic in the world.
- IzMan2008, on 08/20/2008, -0/+6SoCal will definitely benefit from an effort like this. I can't wait until it hits down here.
- zacharytelschow, on 08/20/2008, -1/+7Wind and solar may be the future, but no alternative energy source is currently a viable replacement for coal, oil, or nuclear, and to pretend otherwise is ignorant. In addition, plug in cars would draw the majority of their electricity at night, when power plants, which can't shut down, have excess capacity and energy going to waste. It has been estimated 3/4 of the US could drive plug in cars as long as they were recharged overnight without increasing current nuclear or coal power plant capacity of fuel usage. Do some reading.
- inactive, on 08/20/2008, -1/+7OMG....
Solar panels!!!
I just came. - samanathon, on 08/20/2008, -0/+6Especially with the 300 average days of sunshine we get!!
- inactive, on 08/20/2008, -0/+52kw system? You gotta be kidding, must be SF, no kids. What happens in two years when GM electric cars start showing up in people's garages?
- pathouston22, on 08/20/2008, -0/+5The market will dictate solar's growth. Make it cheap(er) and continue the tax credits. The wallet talks.
- NJank, on 08/20/2008, -0/+5super efficient solar... just 4 years away for the past 20 years...
- AuroraDark, on 08/20/2008, -0/+5Conservative America: "People working together for the common good is godless communism."
- sardion2000, on 08/20/2008, -0/+5Jesus guys, just wait 4 years, by then nearly invisible thin film PV will be able to compete with Solar Thermal(60 % efficiency). Thin films are progressing at a rate consistant with moores law so any adoption of solar technology now will be rendered obsolete in the very near future.
- buddyfarr, on 08/20/2008, -0/+4that is true in michigan. I don't know the laws in california though. Michigan states that the electric company HAS to buy it back but not at retail prices, at the price it costs them. Indiana states that they HAVE to buy it back at retail prices, (same price you pay for it), which is much better.
- zacharytelschow, on 08/20/2008, -0/+4As with every single freaking article on someone "going green," there was not one single mention of actual cost or payback period. There's a reason for that.
- roddack, on 08/20/2008, -0/+4Give me Cold Fusion damn it
- subliminalurge, on 08/20/2008, -0/+4And in many places they're only required to "buy back" the amount that you used from the grid. Meaning you can offset some or all of your bill, but no matter how much you overproduce, they never have to actually cut you a check.
- xsecretfiles, on 08/20/2008, -1/+5The sun is not going to be happy about this....
- BluFire, on 08/20/2008, -0/+3Wait a second.
So we can get like 1 solar panel and give it to a block.
A big panel - skiddles, on 08/20/2008, -1/+4Try an buy insurance on something that will likely be destroyed by a single hail storm and you will find out that it is very expensive.
If you complain to much insurance companies will just excluded damage to solar cells by wind and hail.
72's question is perfectly legitimate.
Luckily some of the newer technologies seem like they will be less susceptible to hail damage than traditional glass topped solar panels. - jimfeet, on 08/20/2008, -0/+3A 2kw system is meager only when you don't make the effort to improve the efficiency of the rest of your house. And 2kw won't provide adequate power to meet your instantaneous needs unless you can bank it somehow and pull it out at a higher rate. Batteries and an inverter are one option - selling it back to the utility is another means of banking electricity and pulling it at a higher rate when needed.
My 2700 sf home is off-grid and loaded with appliances and technology. At 2.8kw we generally have power to spare even when we get a week of snow storms. Our biggest limitation is our aging batteries. - jimfeet, on 08/20/2008, -0/+3Not sure where you get the 10 miles factor but it's just plain wrong.
I live 1.5 miles off the grid. I was quoted $22k to run power to my property - and that was way back in 1991! At the time I reminded the utility company that after spending $22,000 with them, I still had the privilege of paying for my electricity each month. I suggested that $22,000 would build a dynamite solar power system - and it did.
I've been happily off-grid for over 12 years.
http://www.raymesa.net/raymesa.net/Ray%20Mesa%20Po ... - rogerebert4real, on 08/20/2008, -2/+4Please tell everyone you know that solar and wind are the future. People who think that hydrogen is a solution are just morons. The coal powered plants needed for your plug in hybrid won't solve any problems either.
Who will be the first to take a pickup truck, fill the bed with batteries and make a Tonneau cover out of solar cells. The pickups suspension can handle the weight. And the surface area is big enough. A really smart person might be able to use the heat to create steam power or a boiler to maximize and reuse the energy.
***** the planet, it is about saving ourselves. - CoolHandLuke, on 08/20/2008, -1/+3"And 1BOG isn’t stopping with San Francisco. The company already has 40 people signed up in Washington, DC, 15 people signed up in Las Vegas, and a number of people signed up in Portland, Oregon. Ultimately 1BOG hopes to expand into 12 cities. “We definitely have a lot of work ahead of us,” said Ventura. “But right now our priority is to complete the San Francisco campaign—to have a proof of concept.”"
Two things...
1: They are still looking for proof of concept?!?
2: Out of the three major cities listed (DC, Las Vegas, Portland) they only got 67 people to sign up?!?
If it's the end all be all of renewable energy then WHY aren't people jumping on the wagon? If I had to guess, it's because your grand children will be dead before you see an ROI on this thing. - rdoger6424, on 08/20/2008, -0/+2because you can't count to 6
- inactive, on 08/20/2008, -0/+2For the same reasons I wouldn't buy a first gen car or other device I think I would wait a year or two before investing in a technology that in a few months could be much more efficient.
There will be some huge advances in solar tech in the next year or two now that there are so many different companies investing in the technology. - inactive, on 08/20/2008, -3/+5They dug you down because you're from Texas. Green threads are always chock full of liberal goons.
- ZebZ, on 08/20/2008, -0/+2Plug-in cars are exactly what we should be doing.
If we can centralize the pollution sources instead of having millions and millions of individually polluting vehicles, future advancements in power plant technology will be magnified and meaningful. - DiggItalia, on 08/20/2008, -2/+4I see many of those solar panels on roofs over here.. they say you can also sell the exceeding energy you generate to the regular eletric network and make some extra money. I'll think about that when (and if) I'll buy my house.
- billbugger, on 08/20/2008, -0/+2Their next city should be here in Las Vegas, it's a goldmine of sunshine out here.
- zacharytelschow, on 08/20/2008, -1/+3Would solar farms really gain anything from being on a grand scale? Do solar panels gain any efficiency by being grouped together? If this really is the way to go, why don't you have 'em on your roof?
- bratterscain, on 08/20/2008, -0/+2When they come in more use, I'm sure there will be installable covers which can deploy out with the flip of a switch if there isn't already. Perhaps hooked up online to check local weather in case the owner isn't home. Maybe I should patent that.
- CoolHandLuke, on 08/20/2008, -0/+2Zebz,
After checking their website a little more it seems that all 1BOG does is work with a solar panel company to negotiate bulk pricing. I would think that marketing would be the only item in their budget. They also state that the more people in an area that sign up, the cheaper the prices on the hardware. - subliminalurge, on 08/20/2008, -1/+3Yep, ROI is the key. I'd love to have a roof covered in solar panels to reduce the outrageous electric bills I'm paying every month. Unfortunately, even if they double my rates, it's still cheaper to just buy it from the power company than to install either solar or wind to produce my own.
If you're a hardcore tree hugger, I suppose that's not such a problem. However, I'm much more interested in saving my wallet than I am in saving the planet, and there are many others like me.
Make this stuff affordable, and people will flock to it. Until then, it's going to be the exclusive domain of rich hippies. - AmaDaden, on 08/20/2008, -0/+2a house with solar panels > a house + solar panels + installation
do I see a new house flipping method in the works ? - afruff23, on 08/20/2008, -0/+2My microwave is 1200 watts.
- Idigwine, on 08/20/2008, -0/+2Err... there's nothing wring with communism when it's voluntary. This is just a group of people gaining a discount for a bulk purchase.
Your talking about a derogatory meaning of the word were people are forced into a system that they didn't approve of. - DemonWasp, on 08/20/2008, -0/+2We *are* off the first rung. In fact, we're several rungs up: the panels are cheaper and more efficient than they've ever been, and improving every year. We aren't at the top yet though, which is why we still need to develop the technology more, and also why we should make do with the technology we have right now.
Waiting until we have the Ultimate Solar-o-tron won't work because the year after that there'll be Ultimate Solar-o-tron mk.II. - bratterscain, on 08/20/2008, -0/+2Screw the planet? What planet do you think we get our food, shelter, oxygen, water, and clothing from? We are part of the planet.
- DemonWasp, on 08/20/2008, -0/+22. Did they actually advertise, or is this spread by word-of-mouth? If it's by word-of-mouth, and this is a small project (which is what it sounds like), then they're doing quite well.
3. It isn't the be-all and end-all, it's just a step in the correct direction. If your goal is to climb a ladder, do you forgo taking the first step because it isn't the be-all and end-all of ladder-climbing, or do you just take the steps one at a time? - PabloMac, on 08/20/2008, -0/+2http://www.coldfusion.com
- pbd1637, on 08/20/2008, -0/+1Why do the states have to support it? If it is economical feasible, the states don't have to support it (they will find a way to tax it though). Which leads to the next question; What is the cost? And how soon will I make up the cost in savings from the electric company?
- inactive, on 08/20/2008, -0/+1They aren't mature at all and they are increasing efficiency almost monthly.
Go ahead and buy some, you'll regret it in a year. - DrJG, on 08/21/2008, -0/+1There is a lot of solar water heaters being installed in India (we use it for bathing every day, every one, except north in summer - even apart from dishwashing and so on) and some lights as well. One family I know used solar cooking for decades and had pretty low expense for fuel, which helped them survive on practically nothing after retirements with low pensions.
Why are you guys sceptical, dragging your feet? Like being chained to west Asia? - DrJG, on 08/21/2008, -0/+1We would love to see your place, jimfeet! - That is only half a joke, we would have liked our new place to be solar, at least for some lights and water heating, but the stupid builder did not do it, and we have to wait for building a house, not trivial.
- tomarocco, on 08/20/2008, -0/+1You gotta be over 10 miles off the grid for solar to be a worthwhile investment.
- roddack, on 08/22/2008, -0/+1touche
- inactive, on 08/20/2008, -1/+2Your knowledge of solar PV systems, your electric bill, and basic astronomy is simply appalling.
1. PV systems are rated at max or optimal energy production.
2. Maximum wattage output is only delivered for a short period on fixed installations. The sun angle is only optimal for a short time during the day.
3. We experience the phenomena of nighttime. This is where the sun goes below the horizon and electrical output from a PV system becomes negligible.
4. Your electric bill shows AVERAGE energy usage per hour.
5. Just because your average kwH is below 2kw doesn't mean you don't have peaks were you go above 2kw. What happens when the AC, fridge, TV, and washing machine kicks in during the summer?
So let's say you do in fact average 1.5kwH for your home. Having a 2kw PV system won't let you live off the grid. For your size house you'll probably find that you need a 6-8kw system just to break even meaning your electric bill is near zero (remain on the grid selling while your not using but using the grid at nighttime and during peaks of high electrical needs). If you truly want to cut-off from the grid you might need more because you'll have to charge batteries as well.
PLEASE (!!!!) do a little research, it's not too hard. I say this with all due respect, it's idiots like you that spout off crap about things they know nothing about that's ruining the planet. -
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