PV Gap

Barbara Said:

I really believe you should vote for donald trump?

We Answered:

You live in a dream world. Donald Trump would declare the US insolvent and he would run off with Fed Helicopter Ben Bernanke to Timbuktu with all the money in new numbered accounts in China and Tibet

Willie Said:

question about GE solar panels?

We Answered:

I wasn't aware that GE made solar panels. Perhaps they sold their name to someone, as they've done for all of their consumer electronics.

But a 190-watt panel is $661.20 from the place below.

Earl Said:

How many gallons of OIL does it take to make ONE Wind Turbine?

We Answered:

Hey Soros, it isn't BS, I'll explain. This issue of, "Embodied energy," keeps coming up again and again, but for some reason, it only seems to apply to solar and wind. Nobody ever questions how much oil it takes to build a coal fired electric plant, or a nuclear one. For some reason, it's as if it doesn't matter.

First, there have been studies done on the embodied energy requirements for various renewable energy devices. Solar panels generally take between 1.5 and 6 years to, "earn back," their embodied energy. The range has to do with where the silicone was first mined, then refined, and how far the panel had to be shipped before final installation. Almost all panels today are warrantied for at least 25 years, and generally they last much longer than this. For wind turbines, the timeline is actually a bit shorter, 2 - 4 years, but it is a little harder to get an exact number on because they come in such a range of sizes. The largest solar panels don't measure much over about 300 watts, one person could actually carry it back to their remote cabin on foot. Most wind turbines do not have this option. But in the end, none of this matters.

Electricity has been around for over a century now, so it isn't going away anytime soon. The question is, "What is the best way to produce it?" Let's say you took a modern wind turbine powerful enough to run a small neighborhood, maybe 25 KW. Then you put it along side a similar sized natural gas fired turbine generator. Which device earns back its embodied energy sooner? Turns out the natural gas turbine never does. We forget that once you invest the energy to build, ship and install a gas powered generator, you now have to keep feeding it natural gas for the rest of its life, so in the end it keeps digging itself a deeper and deeper embodied energy hole that it can never crawl out of. At least the wind turbine will get even some day, and later will be some distance ahead environmentally. The same is true for coal, oil and yes, even uranium.

As far as the government banning something so the producer can stop making something that offers them no profit, I can assure you if GE, Sylvania or Phillips did not make profits on incandescent bulbs, they would stop making them without the governments input on the matter. You can buy into whichever consipiracy you like, but if you have not taken the time to write your congressperson on the matter, then the decisions in this world will be made without your input. We've been pining for an end to those old energy hog bulbs for years, and now it looks like it might happen. Did you know when you turn on a 100 watt incandescent light, 96 watts are converted to heat, and the other 4 are converted to light? Each watt of input equates to 3.35 BTU's of heat, so that 100 watt bulb is also adding over 300 BTU's of heat to your home. If you are running an air conditioner, it will have to work that much harder to cool your home, so now you are wasting energy at the bulb, and again at the compressor. This is why those squiggly little bulbs can pay for themselves in half the time in an air conditioned home. You might now be thinking that using those old bulbs is an excellent way to heat your home? It would cost exactly the same as running an electric heater to do the job, this is why most people use natural gas or oil to do the job, it costs less.

Like Roderick, we power our home with the wind and sun. We've been doing it for about 11 years now. I really couldn't tell you exactly how much energy our equipment makes, but our electric bills come in at about 5 - 10 dollars a month now, so I know we are getting ahead. Making your own electricity is not for everyone, it requires expensive equipment and some TLC over time. Some people grow their own tomatoes even though it might be cheaper to buy them at the store, for them it's a hobby, we just grow electrons in our garden. While we may not get our cash investment back over time, I know we are getting our energy investment back, and will again and again as time goes on. There are some excellent websites you can check out on the subject, I'll list some below. Take care, Rudydoo

Patricia Said:

How do you help the environment?

We Answered:

I use compact florescent in as many light fixtures as I can. I recycle as much as I can. I compost. I grow and make as much as I can by myself. I have a garden, I make my own bread, clothes, soap etc. I figure every time I cut out the factory it has to better for the environment.

Jean Said:

I have heard alot about Green Jobs. And how they are coming. Question being when, In what states. Doing what.?

We Answered:

Solar panels made cheaper in China than we can make them China sell below cost. Most green company's will be build outside the USA only installation will be in the USA. Not much there. Besides solar panels need direct sun and how many months up north is there direct sunshine??Wind whopper need wind and when ice and snow are frozen on them they won't work. Seems it didn't take a rocket scientists to figure that out.