Introduction:

Who am I?

I am a semi-retired engineer, originally from Connecticut, now living in Atlanta, GA by way of CO, FL, NH, MA, and IN. I have 35 years of engineering experience in electronics, RF technologies, systems and software, industrial and commercial controls, particl accellerators and other sundry gadgets. I am now a Realtor in South Metro Atlanta.

In the 70's I got interested in alternate energy systems in conjunction with the "new shelter" phenom championed at the time by Rodale Press, among others, while living and working in Nashua, NH. I am also an amateur radio operator, sailor and private pilot. In NH I spent about 10 years in local and state politics, providing ideas for improving NH life, support for local school issues and reorganizing work for local government (at the time controlled by old-time locals).

My basic interest lies in "techie-things", especially new and different concepts and techniques.Atea of interest in Alternate Energy include:

1. Solar and other heating methods.

2. Wind, PV and other methods of electrical generation and power handling.

3. Independent and netwroked "residential systems" - consisting of independent small generation/capture/storage systems for locally powering home systems, and then linking a community (like a subdivision) into a "local grid" system for sharing.

4. CNG and fuel-cell powered vehicles of all sorts and sizes.

I sincerely believe in distributed systems, typically having a mini-solar plant on each house in a subdivision which generates enough electricity to serve the needs of the house and in some cases additional power to share with those that can't generate enough for themselves. These individual units can be linked within their neighborhood and if extra power is generated above the needs of the neighborhood it can be sold back to the grid. The legals for this have been esablished - not that there are no opposing forces, which have been encountered elsewhere and dealt with - and buy-back mandated, if not "forgotten" in the relative disuse, and now there are new storage methods being developed which will allow 24/7 self-sufficiency, except for extended periods of uncooperative weather.

I would like to hear from others who may have similar ideas, or thoughts on how to market this to homeowners, subdivision associations and builders. Areas like GA and FL where so much elecricity is consumed by air conditioning - needed most during high periods of sun, of course - this scheme could alleviate considerable burden on public generation and transmission infrastructure and work where there is not a lot of wind.

What do yo think? Please lets keep this non-political and positive - there is much to do...