PV Gap

Francisco Said:

What is the name of this movie? It;s about how bad we are treating the earth....?

We Answered:

the day the earth stood still

Mildred Said:

What type of home construction in best suited for the climate of Denver?

We Answered:

To get really accurate answers you will need to ask a home construction person, but I will give you some rough ideas.

>> What climate factors need to be considered when building a home in Denver?
Denver gets cold. It can get below zero and stay there. In summer it can stay over 90 for weeks. The heat and cold are dry so it rarely gets really hot or really bone-chilling cold. I consider Houston really hot. I consider the east coast really cold. I have never been that miserable in Denver. A well constructed, well insulated, passive-solar designed, south-facing house is a big plus.

>> How well should the house be insulated? I would suggest R30 or above

>> What is the number of heating degree days?(mean below 65 degrees F)
At night temps gets below 65 a good deal of the time. A well build house will retain heat so there is no need to turn a furnace on until it gets a lot colder than 65. I have friends who turn off their furnace from May to September.
http://www.go-colorado.com/Denver/Weathe…

>> What is the number of cooling degree days?(mean above 85 degrees F)
I was born in Colorado, and have never used air conditioning in a house. You get a few well places fans and there is no need for air conditioning. Again, dry heat.

>> Is solar energy an option?
Absolutely! With over 300 days that are at least party sunny, solar is an excellent option. Passive solar is one of the best options around. See the link to CRES last time I answered your question

>> Should I worry about water conservation?
Absolutely! Colorado is high desert. We have serious water shortage problems that are only partially being addressed. Consider xeriscaping your yard and use water wisely.

Michele Said:

solar enegy ups and downs 10 points to most answers?

We Answered:

The Thermosiphon hot water system is the best. No moving parts and no electricity needed. The size is dependent of the number of people using it. The down side is the weight of the system. If you have the space on the ground, it would be ideal. If not you may need to make your roof stronger.

Solar systems work better in tropical zones. If you live in outside this area you need more panels. Best if you talk with several solar companies and compare prices.

Photovoltaic systems to convert sun to electrical is very expensive at this time, but some parking lots in my state (Hawaii) have installed solar lights with wind generators to keep the system going 24/7. That system has been running for over four years and is a wonderful addition to any area where you want security lights during the nights. The downside is the noise from the wind generators. It will keep you up all night if you are a light sleeper. I purchased a couple of solar spotlights and it's ok but only gives about six hours after the sun goes down.

Solar cookers designs are all over the Internet. Best if you build and design one yourself.. The down side is most people are working during the day to get full advantage of this system.
Hope you get your 100 dollars.

Brittany Said:

What is a drawback of solar energy? LIke what are the bad things about it?

We Answered:

When the sun goes down, it is no longer produced. If you lived somewhere like seattle where it is very rainy and there is little sunshine, it wouldn't be too effective.

Megan Said:

In Science Class my teacher is making us wright down What are the good and bad things about solar energy?

We Answered:

with solar pollution, there is no direct pollution.

So they don't give off smoke which is damagin to the environment and they are long lasting so can be quite cheap.

negativley, if there isn't much light, they don't produce much electricity and in places where they dont get much sun, they couldn't be used. Also, you have to have very big solar panels to get enough light, so you have to buy lots of them,