PV Gap

William Said:

How much does it cost to build this?

We Answered:

You need to look for a few things. Is the old foundation still there and in good shape? If it is you can use that. If it had a basement, did they just fill it in? One of the reasons that folks up North use basements is that you have to go down at least 3 feet 6 inches to get below frost line so the foundation will not heave. It may be more in Maine you need to check. If the home is two blocks or 16 inches above ground you already have 4 foot 10 inches of the basement done all you need is another 3 foot 2 inches. Next how is the land situated and how much sun does the site get. If it has a slope to the lake drainage will not be a problem. If it is in a valley solar may be a problem.
For the septic system, check with local officials of what is required by a lake. A standard septic system or is a fancy one required that will not leach into the lake.
Normal houses cost about 100 to 110 per square foot. You could surely get this done for 80,000 dollars or less if no extenuating circumstances are present. The assumption is that the lot is accessible from a road and that you can get trucks and heavy equipment there to excavate for the basement.
Did the old lake house have power and water? If so the cheapest thing to do is to reinstall them. If not you can start with a generator, but you still need a well of some sort. After a bit look at wind and solar for lights, refrigeration, and whatever other power is required. Make an allowance in the build for these things.
Another question to ask yourself is how much do you intend to use this cabin? If only for a few weeks, use the generator.

Mabel Said:

Would you support this type of stimulus package?

We Answered:

Absolutely.

The whole idea of a stimulus in a recession is that it will used unused factors that are currently idle - for example are capacity utilization rates are all quite low now, as is investment and unemployment is high.

Thus, we get all this stuff for little cost.

The economies of scale argument still holds, since the government won't be manufacturing the panels themselves (as if economies of scale don't hold regardless!).

I think you way overestimating the cost. That is assuming an installed cost of 10-12 dollar a watt. But you can buy panels right now for $1.00 a watt, and I don't know why installation should be ten times cost. If the government doesn't need to make a substantial profit, I think $5.00 a watt is more likely. That means an overall cost of 180 billion - somewhat more than the cost of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars per year. We could solarize the nation in a few years.

Also, there would be many places where solar was unfeasible.

Dorothy Said:

Im looking to build a solar charger for my ipod and phone. How do i build one?

We Answered:

no idea
but it is probably possible.........
........

Annie Said:

home built hybrid car?

We Answered:

Anything is possible...it's a question of reliability, practicality and economical use of power. It all boils down to energy density and storage plus efficiency....a gas-powered car is merely a product that is designed to make use of the energy density in gasoline which is readily available for refilling and fairly transportable. To build a hybrid car, you'll have to find an electric motor that is powerful enough to move the car up to road speeds in a fairly reasonable time and a bank of batteries with enough reserve power to accelerate while being charged. Recharge time is a factor along with the energy loss from converting the gas engines power to electrical energy. Battery weight is also an issue...a bank of standard lead-acid batties is pretty heavy and puts a penalty on the drivetrain to move that extra weight versus a lighter but more expensive battery pack which is why most hybrids are build around lithium-ion or similiar battery types that offer a much higher energy per pound or density.
If you can cut costs by using surplus or used motors and batteries, you might be able to build one fairly reasonably. Motor weight is another issue...many hybrids have purpose-built and designed electric motors which are very light....the Tesla roadster's aluminum motor only weighs around 75 pounds.

Good luck....

http://www.rqriley.com/plans.html

Shawn Said:

With solar and wind power, do you use light switches?

We Answered:

Any type of energy, be it solar or wind, generate electricity in a motor (think of a turbine turning a motor) to create a build up of charge that is stored in batteries often around the unit. So yes, you still will use light switches to create an electrical circuit between the batteries and the lights. Breathe easy ;).

Hope this helped.

Danielle Said:

Wind Turbine Power For Average Home?

We Answered:

I've been following alternate energy for several years, and re wind power, it seems as though you need to live in an area where the AVERAGE wind speed is approximately 13 mph in order to guarantee yourself uninterrupted power from the entire system you install. If you don't fall into this category, re-think the wind power solution, and consider others which will give you more return on your investment.