Colin Mckinney's Groups
Power from SOL
Colin Mckinney's Blog
PV Prices and more conservation
array.xlsx I see PV prices are trickling down. Possibly getting close to the point where they are affordable. The spreadsheet has several "kit" prices listed.
I am seeing prices just over $5 a watt for the complete kit. Installation adds around $1 - $1.5 per watt to the total – so DIY will save about $3K - $4.5K. The trick will be getting the permit,… Continue
I am seeing prices just over $5 a watt for the complete kit. Installation adds around $1 - $1.5 per watt to the total – so DIY will save about $3K - $4.5K. The trick will be getting the permit,… Continue
Posted on August 24, 2008 at 2:30pm —
Beginning
Thought I would start a blog to keep tabs on my goal towards energy independence. I started last year with a solar water heater, the cost was a little high - $3800, but there was a tax incentive for 30% and a $500 Florida State refund – so the final bill was $2060. The savings on our electric bill is around $45 /mth, but we do not look at it terms of making our $2K back; we look at it this way; there are very few things you can buy with $2k that will pay you $45 per month for the next 10 years a… Continue
Posted on August 11, 2008 at 6:44pm —
Profile Information
- Are you interested in becoming an organizer in your area?
- Yes
- Tell us about your experience with alternative energy:
- I use a solar water heater, love to add PV panels. Keep doing the math until I can afford to.
- What excites you about this campaign?
- It is time that America, and the world, wakes up to the fact that we have more free energy available then we could possibly use. There are unlimited opportunities - wind, solar, sea currents, etc. Many jobs can be created. Many more opportunities will come from cheap and abundant energy – desalination to produce clean water and to transport it is just one. I am excited that so many people are beginning to see that Oil is but one source of energy – and the scarcity of it will uncover better and cleaner sources that nobody needs to fight over.,
- What do you want to do to help?
- I live in Florida, wind is not the best choice - but solar is - I would like to be a part of spreading the news that we can produce the equivalent of several coal plants with power from the sun. I’d like to help find ways to augment residential and small commercial energy needs with solar. Water heaters are a start, but coming up with a way to add PV in 2-5KW packages, tied to the grid would be great, if the cost and complexity could be managed. Maybe 1000 homes or small businesses signing a contract to install 2KW as a package deal would lower the cost. Maybe out of 1000 people the knowledge to install, bid on materials, handle logistics, petition rebates could all help to lower cost.
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27FEB09
Honorable Speaker of the House Congresswoman Pelosi,
I am an Electronic Technician Chief in the US Navy with 27 years service stationed overseas. I’m outlying an idea to assist and work with current plans for achieving energy independence. I urge you, as speaker of the house and the driving force to form the select committee on energy independence and global warming, consider for discussion and introduction into the house US Treasury Savings Bonds for Energy Independance.
In WWII America sold war bonds supporting the war effort. When young, my mother told me her primary school raised enough money through bonds to build a tank to support troops. I am impressed with the patriotism and purpose of our greatest generation that accomplished so much.
Selling energy bonds for RE (Renewable Energy) development would lower foreign oil imports and assist with the complex problem of funding. Bonds sold as “Energy S” could support new solar trough plants, “Energy W” to support wind farms, Energy “H” to support hydroelectric plants, Energy “T” to support RE transportation such as electric bullet train routes powered by RE, Energy "C" COOPS for small communities only needing a small quantity of turbines, and Energy “I” for needed infrastructure high voltage power lines to the RE site. Bonds will have the project name and include an artist’s perspective of the project and an American flag. President Obama had great success with the internet during his campaign. In a similar manner, using the internet, energy bonds could have a website listing current projects and an “electronic checkout” could purchase a bond $25 or higher. Simpler methods of payment such as “PAYPAL” and credit cards would be available and after an electronic purchase is complete a color print out of the bond is available with a follow up of the bond in the mail. The website would limit quantity of projects for each category until funding is complete. After a project becomes funded, a new project will be available. A tab on the site will show history and status of previous projects. Purchasers may take great pride in “collecting” and displaying bonds of various RE projects and participating at different levels of financial support. Solar trough plants in the multi-hundred MW size capacity with molten salt energy storage in California, Arizona, and West Texas can provide a major portion of electric needs. North Dakota has potential to support 1/3 of our nations electric needs in it’s class 4 wind zone areas. There are plenty of suitable proposed wind turbine farms now around the nation to significantly increase our RE if funded. Mid sized hydro-electric has not been used in America to it’s full potential. Following the example of our neighbor, Canada, it would provide a significant increase in percentage of electric production. Developing all three we could provide the majority of our electric and heating needs through renewable energy in a "New New Deal" fashion allowing natural gas for transportation as T. Boone Pickens is working for. Bullet train routes have proven a viable alternative to commercial domestic air service and when powered by electricity provided by RE suppliers America would be in the forefront of world technology. Example, I heard of discussion for a commuter train from Denver to Colorado Springs. Such a route built as a renewable energy project with charter requirement legally requiring to only purchase electricity from available renewable energy sources would be a model example. There are many train routes, city bus systems, and government vehicles that can be converted to run from alternative energy sources and fuels. Jobs created would bolster the economy, lower trade deficit, and strengthen national security. I would take great pride in print outs of bonds with graphics of each project I supported and many other Americans would also. The energy bonds could have tax breaks. BLM lands may be a viable place to start for some projects.
I contacted the US treasury department and was told that the marketing department for savings bonds closed several years ago. I was told there would be problems because savings bonds are at the federal level while the projects will be at the state and local level. I disagree and believe that these can easily be figured out in the way of grants to the state and local level using money from the bonds for those specific projects. I was told to check out auctions on the www.treasurydirect.gov website and found them to not apply to citizens wanting to buy savings bonds to support a cause such as energy independance. I was told by the treasury department to look into CREB (Clean Renewable Energy Bonds). I found CREB to be large scale funding that a citizen would not be able to participate in as a US Treasury Energy Independance Bond would provide. If given the tools to participate directly, the power of the citizens of the United States to help achieve energy independance could not be denied. Americans mean well and the Energy Independance Savings bond program will give citizens the power at their level to make it happen. If marketed through a web page, commercials, and to federal employees the word would get out and participation would spread like wildfire.
Mr. Paul Gipe, a resident of Bakersfield CA, an author of several books about wind energy, and recipient of multiple awards as a pioneer in the industry since the 1970's has put a letter I wrote to Senator Dorgan on this subject as well as an older letter I wrote on wind COOP in JAN07. These websites are:
http://www.wind-works.org/coopwind/RenewableEnergyBondsforEnergyIndependence.html
and
http://www.wind-works.org/articles/AmericanEnergyIndependencethroughCooperativeInvestmentinWindEnergy.html
Sincerely and very respectfully,
ETC(SW/AW) Mike Kendall USN
Mailing address: PSC 476, Box 879, FPO AP, 96322 USA
Telephone (803) 265-4756, Email: michael.kendall@ymail.com
Please checkout this website, as this is a Sun, Heat and Wind energy system in one, please give us your feedback as we try to improve it.
www.solarbotanic.com
Looking forward to hear from you
Alex
Let me start by thanking everyone who is part of the search for solutions to our collective independence from foreign oil and climate endangering use of gasoline and diesel vehicle fuel.
One of the largest obstacles locally to T. Boone’s plan is the lack of open to the public CNG fueling stations, and the fact that few if any are in the planning stages. To correct this and allow for Central Florida to become part of the solution to our collective problem, I am looking for assistance from legal and accounting professionals that would be part of a group to study the feasibility of establishing a not for profit corporation.
The not for profit corporation would be used to jump start the establishment of Central Florida CNG and Hydrogen fueling stations that would be open to the public. By establishing open to the public CNG and Hydrogen fueling stations the public would be encouraged to purchase or convert vehicles to CNG, and would allow companies like Honda to make available Hydrogen vehicles like the FCX Clarity. At present Honda is producing the FCX Clarity only in limited quantities and those vehicles will not be available anywhere in the southeastern U.S. because we have no open to the public Hydrogen fueling stations.
I am also looking for people with prior fund raising experience and volunteers that would be interested in pushing this agenda. Anyone who is interested in discussing this further is encouraged to contact me either by Pickens Plan email or forum post on the Local projects group forum “Starting a CNG fueling station”
Just wanted to take a second of your time to invite you to view the solar solution equivalent of the PickensPlan.
www.powur.com/homeenergy1
click View Our Mission and if interested click the back arrow to Become an Ecopreneur.
Also you can see what we offer home owners - www.glenburniesolar.com
Thank You For Your Time