Living in Solar House since 1997

Too much talk, not enough action. Just get some panels on your south facing roof and REALLY take part in the refitting of America. This is a great effort, and a good forum for the well intentioned, but even Pickens WInd Farm idea is faulty, in that (to make it profitable to the entrepreneur) it is CENTRALIZED. THere are many people out and around who have figured out the beauty and efficency of EATING LOCALly raised food, living close to the job, and PUTTING YOUR OWN POWER PLANT UP. If you are in the coutnry, and it is windy, get a wind generator. If you havee an adjacent stream with a good drop, get water power, and if, like most of us, the sun shines on your roof some of the day---GET SOLAR PANELS AND GET GOING. My original house here in Hawaii cost was $135,000 and solar power was $10,000 of that. If you are willing to adjust your habits by 15%, you can save 50% of the cost of the set-up. The solar panel dealer will not agree, but he wants to SELL YOU MORE PANELS. And never mind a solar water heater for now---let competition bring the price down on those---the $5000 it would cost will pay a third of the seet up for ALL YOUR LIGHTING and, in my case, even the refrigerator. So now my propane eis only $300 a year for the gas. Now contact your LOCAL SOLAR POWER guy, and buy half of what he recommends, and enjoy. In my state it pays for itself in less than 4 years. Oh , and yes, that first house was in an area that got 18 FEET of rain per year, and was cloudy much of the time. THe new house still sees 150 inches a yeear, which is good, because we are water independent too---using catchment from the roof to fill the two 2500 gallon tanks. So thanks for the tip, Mr. (Swiftboat) Pickens, and happy to have your energy, but lets all get out and collect that free power, that free energy ourselves, from the sun and wind. And, as Pickens says, save the gasoline for the tasks that need it.

Tags: catchment, individual, local, panels, power, solar, water

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Comment by Glenn on September 9, 2008 at 7:05pm: It's "nice" that these stories are being shared. But Washington, and Wall Street, and Detroit, etcetera - are NOT "nice". They are concocting, as I type - and as you read - to corner these markets you speak of - and they will - because they always have - and because that is the way things are now set-up - and they way that "business" is being done in Washington - and the world. The current MEGA-STINKING-FILTHY RICH "administration" has just about completed it's job of financially raping and ruining this country (and at the same time, stuffed their own pockets with cash - to help secure the future of them-SELVES, and that of THEIR progeny), and the next administration WILL either be "more of the same" (recall, John McCain has already been "caught" in one major financial scandal, is an admitted womanizer (and there's a great combination - eh!) - and he's married to a woman who is worth a cool $100-MILLION) so where do you think HIS TRUE interests lie?? OR, we will get the other "guy" - who, though possibly well-meaning or however well-INTENTIONED, really hasn't got a clue - he's merely a GREAT salesman, with a large contingent of wealthy extremists and plain old regular folks who are just simply sick, tired and fed-up of being so raped by the reptiles in Washington and big-business. Barack Obama has never really done much of anything to speak of since college (other than the typical, SELF-ish, egotistical, political back-stabbing crap). How is he - or any of the radicals that he is sure to hire (with more of OUR money) - going to restore to the people, that which IS the peoples? Picking Biden was a smart move - a smart "marketing & sales" move.

You may well take care of your-SELVES - but what about your children - and their children - and their children - and so on? What about America?? There will be NOTHING left for these children, and their descendants and generations after them at the rate we are going. There really will NOT be. Or are you simply teaching them the Chinese language now - already??? Better throw-in some Spanish lessons, and whatever the hell they speak in India as well.

Have a "nice" day.
Glenn Conner

Comment by Auntie Tutu on August 6, 2008 at 8:05pm: I have just leaerned that the new law requireing solar water heaters on new houses built in Hawaii from 2010 on will allow an exemption for those who want to have a gas on demand water heeater, which cost much less to begin with, And make sense eif you want to have a gas stove eanyway, which you do if you are off the electric pole line.
My gas bill dropped to $290 a year about after I built the new house with enough panels to power the refrigerator too. And the rifrig is twice as big as the old gas frig.

Comment by Auntie Tutu on July 15, 2008 at 10:36pm: Eactly. THere are so few people on here with actual experience3 of living solar. And they ARGUE with all their might, but facts is facts, and solar panels are amazingly durable, the whole system is easy to run===you get a little meter that tells if you are using too much, so you can shut off the TV for a while or even unplug the frig if needed. This way I seldom use the generator, and only have to run it an hour to get the batteries charged up again, and YES the mini system is SO WAY BETTER THAN NOTHING! I lived once upon a time for two years with NO power, and hated it.

Comment by Kevin on July 15, 2008 at 8:52pm: Excellent advice "find your local solar guy and buy half of what he recommends, and enjoy". I read many are concerned of the upfront cost, well just buy what you can afford and add on later. I really like your outfitting a rental with one panel and two batteries with a mini inverter. Creative and effective actions done within a reasonable cost and consumption framework. Excellen.

Comment by Auntie Tutu on July 13, 2008 at 12:23pm: I oyutfitted a rental house in 2000 with ONE panel and TWO batteries and a mini inverter, which gives it enough poower for one big flurescent light on for two hours each night and running a radio all day and all night if you want. WAY BETTER THAN NOTHING. And the $10,000 it cost to pwer a house 2 miles from the grid in 1007 paid for itself in just FOUOR YEARS. And that is not a statistic, that is the TRUTH>

Comment by Jennifer Jones on July 13, 2008 at 12:17pm: The pay off period for alternative energy sources continues to decline as the cost of mainstream energy continues to increase, and technology lowers the cost of installing a solar and/or wind system. The recoupment period is all relative. Our second home in rural Eastern AZ is about 25 miles from the grid, so solar and wind are pretty much the only way to go there. Although we still have to rely on propane to supplement our wood stove for heating, refrigeration, and cooking, the majority of our energy needs are well provided for by 3 solar panels and a small wind generator.

Our lifestyle there is much more conservative than our lifestyle in the city. We really don't miss our energy consuming appliances (fortunately swamp coolers are practical for the entire summer in that area). However, we plan to eventually incorporate solar into our lifestyle in Phoenix, as money permits. Although the payback will probably be 10 years out, it will pay for itself in the end. And the benefit of deriving energy from a clean, renewable resource will benefit everyone in the end!

Comment by Edward on July 11, 2008 at 11:17am: I'ld like to do some solar here in TX, but it seems the upfront cost is stil so high... Of course the loan for the panels I do buy would be offset by lower electric bills, but not 100%. I guess for you, maybe a breakeven of roughly 5 yrs. is worth it, but the estimates here are close to 10yrs.