PV Gap

Martin Said:

Is it time to throw the greens under the bus?

We Answered:

nuclear? really? do you honestly think that any city would want a giant red target that says "terrorists: please strike here"? plus no one wants to house the nuclear waste as it is, heck no one even wants to allow the transfer of nuclear waste across their state.

and as far as your criticism of solar energy- solar is only part of it- no one is saying there is one magic solution. they are saying that solar, wind, geothermal, tidal power plants can help us bridge the gap to sustainable energy. there is no question it is a long process- which is why we need to start now and now backtrack to a 50s technology that no one wants to deal with the repercussions of.

Jeffrey Said:

Calculus Word Problem Help?

We Answered:

If you don't know how to define those functions, then you need to sit down with a tutor who can help you work through it step-by-step. It would be pretty hard for anybody to write down the whole explanation of how to solve it without actually handing you the answer.

You wouldn't want anybody to just hand you the answer, would you? 'Cause you're just wasting your time and money by going to school if you do.

You probably can get help from your prof during office hours, or if not, then you probably can get help from one of your classmates.

Martha Said:

What price is your children's future worth?

We Answered:

There is no price on earth equal to it.

"Posterity: you will never know how much it has cost my generation to preserve your freedom. I hope you will make good use of it."
John Quincy Adams

Stanley Said:

When will either the Labor or Liberal government allow all Australians to be paid for solar power?

We Answered:

Currently the Australian government will contribute $8000 toward the cost a new 1 Kilowatt solar system. Most energy companies will also contribute a few hundred dollars (maybe $600) for Renewable Energy Credits (Rec's). (Conditions apply. mainly Panels must be new and you need to use a licenced solar installer)

I recently received quotes for about $6500 for a 1 kilowatt system. (fully installed) This would also save me in the order of $280 /year in reduced power bills.

There needs to be another meter added so the energy company can prove the renewable energy source. You can actually be paid if you generate more than you use. Most homes would need a 2-3 KW system to provide surplus power.

I agree that there is profiteering going on. I can buy 1 KW of solar panels, new for less than $8000 and an inverter for less than $2000. I'm also a qualified electrician with plenty of experience with solar panels. I can't get the rebate since I am not a licenced "solar installer."

I can also tell you that the installed price in April was $7500 (before the rebate double to $8000)

If the government were to relax the rules of compliance and simply allow meters to spin backwards, the cost of installation would drop dramatically. Probably enable an off the shelf package to be developed that could be installed in a few minutes by even a restricted electrical licence holder.

The larger companies would not be in complete control then, would they ?

Anyway if your interested here is a link to the current programme. There is a link to installers on this site also.

http://www.greenhouse.gov.au/renewable/p…

I'm hanging out to see if I can get a better deal, after November. Both sides seem suddenly interested in the environment recently, wonder why.

(Queensland by the way)

Louise Said:

What do you need to be a photovolatic design engineer?

We Answered:

It looks to me like NABCEP is directed toward installer certification rather than design, but they would probably teach the NEC requirements and make you familiar with the specialized products available.

You could study the photovoltaic product manufacturer's literature and contact some of them to see if they have information not on their web sites. Go to trade shows and energy fairs and talk to the vendors. Attend seminars put on by suppliers. Keep looking for trade magazine type web sites and subscribe to any related print trade magazines you can find.

Eng-tips.com might help:
http://www.eng-tips.com/threadminder.cfm…
http://www.eng-tips.com/threadminder.cfm…