PV Gap

Stanley Said:

Do you think the Pickens Plan is like salad dressing without the green?

We Answered:

For the last time, nobody is banking on wind to meet ALL our energy needs. It's a part of the solution, not the solution.

I believe the hope is that cars will be manufactured to take natural gas from the start. This will be much more economical than converting exisiting gas cars.

Photovoltaic solar panels are expensive currently, but concentrating solar thermal plants are not. A mix of solar thermal and wind will save us tons of fossil fueled energy.

Jared Said:

Are solar powered ceiling fans available?

We Answered:

yes they do

http://store.altenergystore.com/Lighting…

Adam Said:

What type of power storage system should I get?

We Answered:

You just get the standard 12 volt deep cycle marine batteries. Any auto parts store should have them. The problem is that you want to run a heater. When heaters need on average 1500 watts and your charger is only 45 watts. I can't give you specifics on how many batteries you need but its more than one. You should probably try two and see if that works OK for you.

Benjamin Said:

I want to make my hyundai sonata 2009 solar powered?

We Answered:

The only practical way to solar power a car is to have an electric car charged by a solar array at a charging station during the day. The amount of solar needed to charge the batteries is far larger than you can fit on a car. Some companies like Google are providing their employees with a solar charging station built into a carport in the parking lot to recharge their electric cars.

Many people do put solar on their RVs to power the lights and TV and such, but you can't put enough on to make it run.

Gertrude Said:

is a 78amp Hr 750CCA battery considered deep cycle?

We Answered:

Deep cycle batteries are constructed differently from batteries used to start vehicles. The SUV battery you mention is probably designed to deliver large current for a short time (i.e. starting the engine) whereas a deep cycle battery is designed to provide less current but over a very long period of time (almost to the point of discharge). If you use a starter battery as a deep cycle battery it may not last long due to the lead plates deteriorating.

Pauline Said:

If I add 4 large 12V computer fans to my roof vent and power them by a solar panel, will it make a difference?

We Answered:

We had a solar vent put in our roof, and were amazed at how much cooler the house got. Years later, the house was still cool, but when I went up to check the fan, I found that the solar panel had burned out, and the fan was not moving. Apparently, just having a large vent near the ridgeline, even without forced air, is enough to make a huge difference.

If I had to do it again, I would put one of those wind-powered vents, the kind that looks like a turban, up there. In our neighborhood, those things have been on people's rooftops for like 20 years. They've rusted, but I still see them turning in the breeze.

If you really want to use the existing vent, maybe consider one of those really powerful attic fans, that plugs into AC. You would only need to run it on low, or maybe just for a few minutes to clear out the hot air.