XPost: talk.politics.guns, sci.energy
From: muratlanne@gmail.com
"Scout" wrote in message news:unjgg0$20t0h$10@dont-email.me...
"Jim Wilkins" wrote in message
news:unhung$1mvqc$1@dont-email.me...
> "Scout" wrote in message news:unhfak$1koaa$2@dont-email.me...
>
> Ok.. and how much are you going to spend on getting and maintaining such a
> system?
>
> How large will it need to be to charge your EV each day as well?
>
> So now you're effectively paying twice as much for electricity.. what was
> the benefit again?
>
> ---------------------------------
>
> The break-even point to operate my system is between $0.20 and $0.30 per
> KWH, depending on claimed vs realized battery life, which in turn depends
> on how much I can squeeze from them with monitoring and careful
> maintenance.
Given in most areas rates are far below that. I think I'm paying $0.135 per
kWhr right now.
It would take a rather large increase in rates to even make such a system
viable, assuming your assumptions work out.
You could also take a bath if a hail storm comes through 3 years later and
wipes out 90% of your panels.. How long would it then take to even think of
breaking even?
> Lead-acids have lasted me up to 15 years. It will never repay its capital
> cost (which was less than a riding mower) but neither will a backup
> generator, they are for independent reliability rather than economics.
Yes, but I can get a backup generator for a small fraction of the cost of a
solar system, and have much greater reliability when I need it. Since all I
really have to buy is a the generator head, and a few bits to adapt it to my
tractor and safe guard my tractor for unmonitored use (low oil pressure and
high temperature shut off primarily). I think the cost when I got it was
$600 for a 10kW unit delivered. Some welding, a bit of scrap mental, and
maybe about $150 in drive shaft, sprockets, chain, bearings and such.
Best part is the whole thing is totally portable and I can now have serious
electric power anywhere I need. Let's me use a small light cheap electric
chain saw instead of a much heavier and more expensive conventional one for
cutting brush and small trees when clearing fence lines and such. Need to
build something I can now have power on site without having the expense or
delay of trying to get in a temporary power hookup.
---------------------------------
The rate here is presently $0.22 / KWH and was $0.33 during the previous
billing cycle. A rough measurement of electricity vs gasoline for my small
inverter generator showed nearly $1 per KWH.
The worst case I plan for is a blizzard with ice forming on everything,
which limits outdoor generator use because I don't have a fireproof covered
but ventilated space for one away from the house, and may not be able to get
to it without risking a fall, at my age a serious consideration. Clearing
the path to the woodshed can be slow and difficult enough. I don't
completely trust rubber fuel lines not to crack and leak, or carb float
valves not to stick and flood the ground.
I gassed the motorcycle at a station I'd never used before, and when I
stopped at work smelled gas; the carbs were overflowing. The gas had been
wet and picked up rust which condensed out into balls like kidney stones in
the engine-warmed carburetors and blocked the float valves from closing. I
had to disassemble and clean the four carbs on my lab bench.
I saved a failed alternator to rebuild and connect to the PTO on my tractor
to have battery 12V for the winch and inverter 120V for tools. I haven't
bothered to do it because the only remote power I've needed was compressed
air at the sawmill, from a long hose back to the house. The trees here are
mature oaks, much too big for an electric chainsaw. A 20" bar is barely
enough.
--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)
|
