What is Digg?Sponsored by Best Buy
Best Buy casts another employee in holiday campaign. view!
youtube.com/bestbuy0 - Jarice Brodie has done some cool things in his life. Next: Best Buy’s holiday campaign.
59 Comments
- rocknog, on 07/16/2009, -0/+14Agenda? You want an agenda? Look in the mirror. You're lashing out at anyone proposing any energy sources not based on fossil fuels. WTF is wrong with alternative energy?
- johnomaz, on 07/16/2009, -0/+12They were probably very dirty, maybe cracked. But ya, my Dad has panels on his house, and they are practically maintenance free.
- rocknog, on 07/16/2009, -2/+13The *****, do you have investments in oil and coal, or what? WTF, outrage at technology that reduces energy demands and makes use of alternative energy? What sense is there in that? I don't see what you're so pissed off about.
- pathouston22, on 07/16/2009, -0/+10There's communities here in Houston that are partnered with GE, the houses come with solar panels and other energy items, along with a monitor that tracks your water/electric/gas usage.
They are pretty nice communities, but not really cost effective yet. Solar panels are still too expensive. - jerbaker, on 07/16/2009, -0/+10First, there is no "maintenance" to perform on solar panels other than hosing leaves and ***** off of them periodically. However, as an anti-environmental activist I don't expect you to let facts get in the way of whatever point you thought you were making.
http://ezinearticles.com/?Maintenance-of-Residenti ...
http://www.solarpanelsbook.com/solar-panel-mainten ...
http://www.thesolarco.com/what-kind-maintenance-do ... - Evazan21, on 07/16/2009, -1/+10If your home is net-zero energy why would you care about on and off peak hours.
- chriskzoo, on 07/16/2009, -0/+71) Don't start trying to control my power consumption.
2) Offer cheap and efficient ways for me to produce my own power.
If I could put up a cheap windmill that would give my house all the power it would ever need for say a $10K initial investment, I would do it in a heartbeat. What I'm not going to do it put in some $30-50K system that only gives back a marginal return. - dalittle, on 07/16/2009, -4/+9Dugg for the submitter and his pic. I think he is Korean.
- dhjackburton, on 07/16/2009, -0/+5Yeah, what kind of maintenance is required? Was it by chance damage from ice?
- rocknog, on 07/16/2009, -0/+4Oh, those were awesome times. I remember all of those ad-banner-supported free dial-up ISPs. I also remember how easy it was to get rid of the banner with a lot of them (my favorites were the ones that would just let you connect using the default connection in Windows - thus neatly bypassing their software altogether).
- Barackalypse, on 07/16/2009, -0/+4What does the "smart grid" have to do with this exactly? If I stuck 4 kW of solar panels on my house I'd be net-zero also with zero need for a smart-grid.
- jerbaker, on 07/16/2009, -1/+5Whether GE benefits from cap & trade has nothing to do with whether this technology is viable and/or effective.
- JayTee44, on 07/16/2009, -3/+7because these homes still are connected to the grid and still must buy power sometimes. Other times they sell it. You want to (ideally) produce excess power during peak demand times and buy it during times of low demand.
How many of you diggers couldn't figure that out? That's sad. - marcb83, on 07/16/2009, -0/+3they were cool when they were "defenders of the free world" then they started charging like d-bags.
- EnergyGuy1985, on 07/16/2009, -0/+3"Studies show that when consumers have more detailed information on their energy use, they can find ways to reduce consumption by 5 to 10 percent. When utilities have variable, or time-of-use, pricing, consumers could cut electricity use by 15 percent at on-peak times, typically in the morning and early evening. "
GE's not doing anything new here. The Energy Detective has had that technology for years and the upcoming TED 5000 model takes it to the next level. http://demo.theenergydetective.com/Footprints.html - cplusplus, on 07/16/2009, -0/+3You and Ronald Reagan.
- inactive, on 07/16/2009, -3/+5Dugg for NetZero, the best ISP EVER!
- cplusplus, on 07/16/2009, -0/+2The Enphase Microinverter System
http://www.enphaseenergy.com/products/ - inactive, on 07/16/2009, -0/+2dying
- 0mnio, on 07/16/2009, -1/+3Couple this with simple permaculture efforts which mean sustainable and year-round household crop production.
We need to be moving towards decentralized energy production. Centralized power plants which feed our energy is a dieing trend. Our true freedom lies within community and individual energy production. My grandfather was a coal miner in Uniontown, PA for 40 years and wants to see this industry die like all his friends did from black lung. Visualize lightweight cars and homes and personal greenhouses which are in consistent communication through our phones. As my old miner grandfather once said: What you consume is what enslaves you. Coal, please die. - pathouston22, on 07/16/2009, -0/+2Yeah I follow the solar industry pretty closely. I'm invested in several American and Chinese solar manufacturers. They have a bright future, espesially once they get their cost per watt lower. The sooner the better!
- rocknog, on 07/16/2009, -1/+3And what the does this article have to do with any agenda being forced on people? See what I mean, you're the one with the agenda here. ***** you and your propaganda *****.
- Akairenn, on 07/16/2009, -0/+2Dugg for NetZero reference.
I remember being cheap and not buying a BBA for my Dreamcast, thereby necessitating the need to use NetZero for online gaming with it. :p - duewydo, on 07/16/2009, -0/+2There are systems out there already at the $10k mark that are close to meeting your needs. The only problem is they don’t work well in most urban and city environments. I really want to get a windmill that is about 2.4KW at about $6~7k. That just the head unit and tower, I would install my self. No, it is not enough to run your home 24/7 unconnected. You would remain connected and probably average a zero net or close to that. Which means all you may have is a monthly connection fee from the power company.
- marcb83, on 07/16/2009, -3/+4Dugg for "set it and forget it" referance.
- xeomage, on 07/16/2009, -1/+2I didn't know you could cook with neon lights.
- Railz, on 07/16/2009, -2/+3I had solar panels on my house when we moved in. We took em down because they hadn't been properly maintained by previous owners and were pretty useless by then. Not an eye-sore but I'd be all for it again if it meant something cheaper then LIPA D:
- Niocan, on 07/16/2009, -3/+4Slowly lulling the energy interdependence away from the average person, one degree at a time ;)
Self powered property = good
Connected to any grid = counterproductive - esc27, on 07/17/2009, -0/+1There are some nice things here like programmable thermostats and hot water heaters (neither of which is new technology.) But a lot of it seems "regressive." The last thing I want is the power company (or even some know it all computer software) turning off the hot water in the middle of a shower just because I am not bathing at the right time, or draining my electric vehicles battery so I can't drive when I need to. Then there is the inevitable glitch that turns off (and defrosts) your freezer.
- KibibyteBrain, on 07/19/2009, -0/+1I do think they could do a better job clarifying that net-zero energy != net-zero power bill. But they didn't even really imply you'd get by free so I can't hold them to that. I would be worried about power utilities structuring pricing plans so that they are more of a ripoff than ever, however, making you still pay up the arse when you are mostly self-sufficient.
- sybont, on 07/16/2009, -1/+2They are right now, but I've been pretty excited lately about companies like FirstSolar and NanoSolar. I highly recommend that you take a look at some of FirstSolar's reports. They are consistently cutting the costs of solar panels and I think in a couple of years we may see some great products. The manufacturing cost per watt was $1.29 in 2007 and it has been reduced under $1 per watt now. They have a goal to have the cost reduced to $0.65 per watt in 2010-2012 which could lead to around $1 watt/installed which is considered to be much more cost effective than options now. Check out one of their latest reports here:
http://phx.corporate-ir.net/External.File?item=UGF ... - JayTee44, on 07/16/2009, -2/+3connected to any grid = good for the individual and the community at the same time, actually.
- buckrogers1965, on 07/16/2009, -0/+1Once the batteries for your house are charged up the solar panels go into float mode. The full power of the panels are available at that point and would go to waste otherwise. This is the time to run your water pumps and washing machine or to sell the excess power back to the grid. If you are peaking out the power for hours a day you might want to consider a bigger battery bank.
- Barackalypse, on 07/16/2009, -0/+1"A net-zero energy home would cost about 10 percent more by 2015, executives said. "
For the sake of fun, lets assume its 10% more right now, so my $150,000 house represents $15,000 in extra cost to save on my $90 a month electric bill. So, a one time investment of $15,000 to save $1080 a year on electricity is a 7.2% rate of return, which makes this worth doing. - buckrogers1965, on 07/16/2009, -0/+1Wind is tough, you have to be in the right location for that to work. The wind has to be blowing at 20+ mph to generate a lot of power. Places like that are not the most comfortable to live at. Water power generation is a bit better, location still matters, but it is more predictable and dependable. Solar is good, but only works when the sun is out, so if there is a few cloudy days, you are running on generator power.
- buckrogers1965, on 07/16/2009, -0/+1They have had cheap inverters for decades now.
You know, you can get just about anything in 12v versions as well. Including PC power supplies and LCD monitor power input. - Railz, on 07/16/2009, -1/+2The replies. Christ. Lot of you latched onto that word maintenance for a reason. For once they were dirty beyond all hell, the wiring had been chewed by the birds looking to makes nests and there was a crack on one from the acorn tree right over it.
- JayTee44, on 07/16/2009, -0/+1I keep reading about that too, but good luck finding panels on the retail market for $1.29/watt.
Where the hell are they? - JayTee44, on 07/16/2009, -0/+1That monthly fee is now $ 80/month in connecticut. I'm fuking furious about it. Actively thinking of how to disconnect from the grid.... several solar panels running a 12volt motor home freezer might be a start.
- marcb83, on 07/16/2009, -1/+1the best thing about them was my parents using aol to block content and times I could be on-line and I would just use those for porn and late night web browsing.
- JayTee44, on 07/16/2009, -0/+0Wind power, solar thermal, geothermal, tidal, and hydro power are great examples of how wrong you are. These types of power are by nature, centralized.
Some coal gets mined in dangerous, environmentally bad ways, but some doesn't. - kb6110, on 07/16/2009, -1/+1haha, he said they have a bright future...
- agfresh8, on 07/16/2009, -0/+0What people need to learn (particularly politicians) is the term "Incidence". The incidence of a tax is the group of people the burden of the tax falls on. For example, if companies must pay 10% more for energy costs, and they decide to raise their prices to cover that rise in costs, the incidence of the tax is anybody who purchases anything from these companies. The statement that 95% of people will not see a raise in taxes is a joke, because those people will be the incidence of higher taxes, albeit indirectly.
- Zaeboes, on 07/16/2009, -1/+1The idea is that you can SELL the extra power from your 4kW solar panels that you don't use. The smart grid would deactivate unneeded powerplants if enough homes were producing a surplus to cover needs.
- pathouston22, on 07/16/2009, -3/+2Cool, apparently I'm an anti-environmental activist.
If I didn't want facts, I wouldn't of asked the OP what was wrong with his solar panels. Shouldn't you be in class or something anyways? - JayTee44, on 07/16/2009, -2/+1It's hilarious, some of the replys. Ronald Reagan? My limp-wristed brother in law always blames Ronald Reagan as the person 'who prevented solar energy'. Naturally he votes in precisely the ways that have created modern california. Thanks so much.
Reagan did end the Carter subsidies and tax breaks for alternate energy, at a time when when cost cutting had to be done. Alternate Energy at the time simply wasn't workable.... and it can only be helped by research, not by by the dummies at the time who were putting up small wind turbines that didn't last 2 years. His skeptisicm was much like you diggers now have for corn ethanol and hydrogen power. - Sharky35, on 07/16/2009, -2/+1People, people...
Are you ready for Obama to tell you your thermostat is set too low?
Are you ready for him to decide that every American needs to keep their house at 78 in the summer and 68 in the winter?
He said that he would do this, I am not paraphrasing him...
Oh well, you can just use your fireplace in the winter... NOPE, he said fireplaces were major producers of carbon and needed to go.
If you didn't know this and you voted for him, and these things piss you off... you are a traitor to your country. - rocknog, on 07/16/2009, -2/+1I'm not being unrealistic. I realize the technology isn't there yet. I just think it's ridiculous that any mention of developing alternative energy gets instantly attacked. Like fine, you don't want the government to force it on you, I get that, but it seems more that these people are just attacking the concept of alternative energy, as if there's something wrong with researching and developing technology in that field, and I don't get it at all.
- dhjackburton, on 07/16/2009, -4/+3because you are a fan of marketing ploys?
- nerfman, on 07/16/2009, -2/+1When they find a way to integrate a cheap DC-AC inverter into the system so that the power from the solar panel is actually useful I'll be impressed, until then.... meh.
-
Show 51 - 59 of 59 discussions
© Digg Inc. 2009
— Content created and posted by Digg users is