Posted by admin | Posted in Green Energy | Posted on 24-01-2010
Tags: alternative, energy, green, solar, water
How do you feel when somone mentions alternative energy like solar and wind power?
The past month it just honks me off listening to people chanting – like a mantra in church – about all the benefits we could get from alternative and renewable energy like solar and wind. None of these people have any solar panels on their house – why? Why don’t you have some?
Solar panels cost $740 for one 130 watt 12 volt panel. But, to make it work you need to deposit that energy into a battery (cost$$) and then convert it from 12vdc to 120vac house current using an inverter (cost$$). 130 watts is enough to power two 60 watt bulbs. Putting this together is not cheap or easy.
Four years ago I put the first solar panel on the side of my house. Last summer I added three more. It’s enough to operate my dishwasher and hot water heater full time.
My question. Why are so many people spouting about this technology – but I don’t see anyone else doing it? I hear the talk – nobody is doing the walk. Why???
Whoo-hoo…I love to hear people talk possitively about clean, renewable alternative energies, like wind, solar, tidal.
I’d like to see every exsisting home put in some sort of alternative energy (wind, or solar). I’d love to see more people take pride in becoming more independent, and having that good ol’ American “can do” spirit.
However I think that the pride in being independent, and “can do” spirit is completely lacking in the average American. I think most of them wouldn’t even tie their own shoes, if they could get someone to do it for them.
I’d love to see laws that required that every new home build had some form of alternative energy that worked best in the area the home was being built in. I’d love to see laws that required that all homes built will luxury items, like swimming pools, hot tubs, and A/C units had to produce enough energy to COMPLETELY power these things.
I’d love to see the Government completely cut farm subsidies, and instead spend the money on “We The People,” by subsidising the installation of solar or wind, every time a home got a new roof, or remodel, that included an addition to size.
I’d like to see people stop being brainless putzes and stop voting down the wind, and solar projects due to be built by them. If they did vote them down, I wish it would mean a coal plant would automatically be built there instead.
People need to wake up and realize that yelling N.I.M.B.Y. (not in my back yard) no longer works. The world has become too over-populated. New things ARE going to be built in someones back yard….so your choice…wind plant, solar plant, coal plant, nuke plant, school, strip mall, housing development, or prison.
People need to think about what they would actually like to have in their back yard.
People also need to realize that money has NOT been spent to keep the electrical infrastucture updated and at pace with our growing population. If we want more energy, it does not matter what the source of that power is, We The People, will be spending a LOT more in tax payer dollars to have that done for us. Or We The People, could just get off our arses, and install our own homeowner power sources, and take the strain off the grid.
~Garnet
Permaculture homesteading/farming over 20 years
Husband works on the commercial wind turbines
Building straw bale home completely off grid within five years (probably going to actually break ground next year)
Solar water heaters take off in China
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