[SGVLUG] Off-topic - home guerrilla solar systems

[Don Gibbs]

While the group entertains this off-topic thread ...

I've wondered about the long-term benefit of PV (photovolatic) 
systems.  I've done a some searching but have not seen any decent 
analysis evaluating the overall energy efficiency  of such systems. 
For instance, for a non-steerable, residential system capable of 
delivering 1kW peak (noon, mid-summer, surface normal to sun) in the 
LA area and tied to the neighborhood utility, how much total energy 
was required to build and install it and how much total energy will 
it deliver over a ten year period?  I suspect the payback is pretty 
good.  But my gut judgements have proven wrong before.

Thoughts about the waste/pollution issues of PV manufacturing are 
another topic.

Maybe I should search out a PV centric mail list!  :)

   --Don

>How could I hate our group? Never!
>
>For me, I just look forward to steadily pumping about 100W back into my
>house's system during bright sunny days.
>
>It is my version of Deep Space One with it's ion thruster: I know 100W
>isn't much at any given time, but every sunny day, for a good hand full of
>hours I'll be reducing my electrical load from the utility. In the long
>term I know it makes a difference.
>
>For the long haul I might eventually like to get up to producing 500W,
>which means I could probably have no power coming from the utility during
>a good part of the day (assuming 500W is enough to overcome the
>refrigerator's load, and whatever other small loads (clocks and such) that
>run all the time.
>
>On the weekends on hot days, the 500W would even mean my small window air
>conditioner (it's about 5000BTU and says it uses about 500W) would not put
>a load on the utilities either.
>
>But for now, a thousand dollars and 100W is what I am willing to try. I
>will keep everyone posted, and even put pics up on a web site somewhere.
>For now, I am at the "I'm gonna do it" stage, but haven't started to
>purchase anything. I now need to research what stuff to get, and what
>products are considered reliable, and cost effective, etc. I want whatever
>I build to last trouble-free for at least a decade.
>
>>
>>  hah, wow i have a lot to learn
>>  what happened to the topic of solar panel system? original poster must
>>  hate
>>  his mailing group =PPPP
>>
>>  ...
>>
>
>
>--
>"Knowledge is Power" -- Francis Bacon
>
>Robert Leyva
>mrflash818 at geophile.net


-- 
========================================================================
Don Gibbs		| "Somehow it seems to fill my head with ideas
dgibbs at jpl.nasa.gov	| -- only I don't know exactly what they are!"
818 354-2990 - office	|
818 653-9531 - cell	|       Alice, after reading JABBERWOCKY

Sec 316, Flight S/W & Data Systems - Group B, GN&C and FSW Testing
Opinions expressed are not necessarily those of JPL/Caltech or NASA