PV Gap

Freddie Said:

Just moved into a rental property, I have a switch marked 'hot water booster' in my laundry. What does it do?

We Answered:

It usually turns on the upper element in your hot water cylinder, to provide a small amount of hot water whenever the main heat source (central heating, solar or cheap-rate electricity) is unavailable.

However, you really should ask your landlord.

Carrie Said:

How to make your house more green?

We Answered:

grow something in your basement for ur "glaucoma" ;)

Howard Said:

Where can I find an app. for a federal grant?

We Answered:

Good luck with that. Be sure you ask for enough to cover the EPA studies you will require. A lot of alternative energy projects have been sunk because they can't afford to do the studies on the impact on fish, fowl or other wildlife, even when they are trying to work on existing sites. Here in SC we have hundreds of old Mill Dams. They already exist, nothing new is being built. But nothing can be done with them because the costs of the studies are so ridiculously high.

Brian Said:

Can solar glass be curved to any shape?

We Answered:

If you are talking about a solar collector for the direct heating of hot water, then the panel is made up of individual solar collector tubes plugged into a manifold pipe at the bottom.

There is not doubt that the mainfold and frame could be curved, but you would need to search for an installer willing to do it and it would increase the cost

There are specialist glass manufactures that will make curved glass sheets to you specification - it is done by heating the glass and then letting it 'sag' on to ceramic formers

I assume yo wish to curve it for 'artistic' reasons as you are unlikely to improve the efficiency by curving the array

Justin Said:

Where can I find a fed. grant application?

We Answered:

You can go to the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) http://www.cfda.gov and Grants.gov http://www.grants.gov - these are two sites created by the federal government to provide transparency and information on grants. Browse through the listings and see if you can find any grant that would support your purposes. Once you find a grant where you can qualify, apply for it at Grants.gov

Even if you buy books on "how to get grants" or list that supposedly has information on grants -- all of them are mere rehash of what CFDA has, albeit packaged differently.

Note though that these grants generally support non-profit organizations, intermediary lending institutions, and state and local governments. Most of the federal grants are given to specific target groups with specific requirements (e.g. minority business owners involved in transportation related contracts emanating from DOT - Grant#20.905 Disadvantaged Business Enterprises Short Term Lending Program. Individuals especially for personal purposes are not eligible for federal grants.