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SOLAR PANELS, STORAGE BATTERIES & ELECTRIC CARS

As you guys may have surmised from some of my previous posts, I'm a bit of a tech nerd as well as a gear head and a building tech enthusiast.

One the things I tend to read about on a very regular basis is the convergence of technologies.  As luck would have it, Elon Musk seems to be leading the charge in these very fields.

So, I've been thinking a lot here lately about selling our house that we've lived in for the last 12 to 13 years and building an energy efficient (zero net energy or + net energy) house incorporating a solar roof, whole house storage battery and getting at least one electric car.

I thought I'd poll the crowd here and see if anyone else shares the same interests and whether or not anyone has done this?


dino

Comments

  • I too am very interested in getting off the grid and being as self sufficient as possible, as little overhead per month as possible.  I like natural energy not because of global warming (which i do not believe in anyhow) but for my own longevity and quality of life.  I like the idea of a minimalist, have very nice things but very few things.  My last home had solar and we liked it a lot.  We relocated to Chapel Hill and now seek a more self-sustaining residence, grow some of our own food, solar with storage and we already have a hybrid electric car that gets 40+ miles to gallon (seems odd to speak gallons for electric but it gives you an idea). We live in very uncertain times.  Jobs are very insecure, the world is on edge and im sick of being monitored by technology. I definitely want to get the hell out.
  • Londy,

    great points!

    I too am interested in all of the above.  My motivations are not at all related to reducing my carbon footprint.  I too think that that whole bag of hair is a load of hooey.

    But I do like the prospects of knowing what my monthly expenses are gonna be.  To be able to have a house that has NO Monthly electric or gas bill as well as No Gasoline bill really interests me.



  • Londy3Londy3 Master
    edited August 2017
    exactly.  I dont want to live for my house.  I just want to live and i dont want the world to know every step I take or every move i make... (hehehe)
  • I like the idea of an energy efficient house and of getting away from the claws of the oil/energy companies. Sounds like a plan.   
  • This world has become to PC and overly sensitive about everything. I'm out.
  • If I had the money to build, I would find the right contractor, and use geothermal, solar, and wind technologies as possible. It's past time to get off carbon-based fuels and move to newer technologies.
    The great thing about science is that it's true whether or not you "believe in it".
  • Geez! Are you guys switching to Vaping too? LOL (just figured if you were so interested in new technology....)
  • I drive an old Prius with 104,000 miles on it. So far NOTHING has required fixing.

    @PappyJoe -- I was surprised to see how EA Carey Europe is invested in vaping. Not so in the US.      Silly Brits.


  • Jud,

    with all due respect, DO NOT Turn this thread into a MMGW Religious thread.  The Science IS NOT SETTLED and no, 97% of ALL SCIENTIST DO NOT AGREE.

    That was not the intent of this thread. 

    If that's what you wanna talk about.  Start your own thread!
  • So,

    Back to the intent of this thread.

    Anyone else out there doing or considering this?


  • I wanted to run Solar and Wind turbines for the house and my hunting blinds, the problem is when I called about Wind Turbines they said we didn't get enough wind in our area, as for Solar, they said to many clouds and I wouldn't get 100% use.  To me it sounded like they didn't want to push their products in Kentucky because we always have wind and most of the time have Sunshine!  I have thought about getting a small Solar system for my hunting blinds/cabins and seeing how that does, maybe run a TV and some surveillance cameras out there.  lol
  • I've been doing quite a bit of studying up on things and think that I'll more than likely go with a solar thermal/photo-voltaic hybrid panel, killing 3 birds with one stone.

    It's essentially a regular pvt panel that has a series of cooling coils mounted on the underside.  This keeps the panels cools and increases their efficiency  considerably.  The side benefit is that you are essentially then getting your hot water for free.  Hot water, which depending on where you live can be one of your largest expenses on your utilities.

    But, with the new Solar Roof introduced by Tesla, I'm rethinking the regular panels and might go this route, just wonder how they would integrate with the solar thermal component.

    I also read that Ikea is now selling solar panels and storage batteries.

    Interesting times we're in for sure.


  • I waiting for Tesla's long promised solar house shingles.
  • me too motie.

    Saw a brief news clip on one of the tesla fanboy youtube channels where elon and one of his executives have had them installed on their houses.

    From what I understand they've already sold out for the rest of the year.

    Definitely exciting time's we're living in (sans the ridiculous political polarization).  I'm looking forward to being able to have a house independent from the grid and driving a car independent  from the whims of  the speculator daytrader driven gas hikes.
  • <<Definitely exciting time's we're living in (sans the ridiculous political polarization)>>

    Yeah, that and the renewed threat of nuclear war........
  • Would an Electo-magnetic pulse take out a solar panel?
  • From what I've read over the years, the panels are expected to survive, it's the associated gear that's the problem...

    https://www.backdoorsurvival.com/will-solar-panels-survive-emp/

  • I've been doing quite a bit of studying up on things and think that I'll more than likely go with a solar thermal/photo-voltaic hybrid panel, killing 3 birds with one stone.

    It's essentially a regular pvt panel that has a series of cooling coils mounted on the underside.  This keeps the panels cools and increases their efficiency  considerably.  The side benefit is that you are essentially then getting your hot water for free.  Hot water, which depending on where you live can be one of your largest expenses on your utilities.

    But, with the new Solar Roof introduced by Tesla, I'm rethinking the regular panels and might go this route, just wonder how they would integrate with the solar thermal component.

    I also read that Ikea is now selling solar panels and storage batteries.

    Interesting times we're in for sure.
  • I've been doing quite a bit of studying up on things and think that I'll more than likely go with a solar thermal/photo-voltaic hybrid panel, killing 3 birds with one stone.

    It's essentially a regular pvt panel that has a series of cooling coils mounted on the underside.  This keeps the panels cools and increases their efficiency  considerably.  The side benefit is that you are essentially then getting your hot water for free.  Hot water, which depending on where you live can be one of your largest expenses on your utilities.

    But, with the new Solar Roof introduced by Tesla, I'm rethinking the regular panels and might go this route, just wonder how they would integrate with the solar thermal component.

    I also read that Ikea is now selling solar panels and storage batteries.

    Interesting times we're in for sure.
  • Forget the electric car, I'm currently working a an energy efficient rubber band operated motor vehicle based on the principles of the 'spool tank'. By the end of the decade I predict my vehicles will be all you see spinning across the American highways. 

  • @ghostsofpompeii Your almost as messed up as I am...
  • @ghostsofpompeii -- My whole pack made those in Cub Scouts.....
  • @Bonanzadriver I've used Passive Solar to help heat the house through my South facing enclosed porch and a dark colored heat absorbing tank. 
  • My whole montra has be Be Analog.  Meaning, the old ways are the best ways. Less complicated. 
    No Vapes, Tobacco and a lighter
    No fancy pots n pans. Iron is the best.
    No digital music. Records sound best.
    No Kurig. Fresh ground perk
    No dry furnace heat. Sun and wood for heat
    I could go on forever.
  • @Londy3, you are right on the money.
  • @Londy3 I've always considered myself an analog musician living in a digital world. During the 70s' when I was in the band Vesuvius I had something like 13 analog keyboards surrounding me ... Mini-Moog. Korg K2, The Cat by Octave, PAIA and ARP synthesizers,  an Orchestron, several electric pianos, Clavinet, Hammond B3 organ, and a few other odds and ends ... and loved them all. Great ballsy sound. Unfortunately the analog synths were always a tuning problem as they drifted in and out of key the longer the keyboard was turned on and the circuits heated up. Once I got back into music in the 90s' everything was digital ... and although not nearly as ballsy sounding - they did remain in tune, and offered so much more options than the monophonic keyboards of the 70s'. And one Korg work station could do everything and more than my whole 70s' set-up. So in one respect the digital keys of the present are far better than those of the 70s' ... but the deep rich sound of the analog synthesizers has yet to be properly captured by today's digital keyboards.  
  • @ghostsofpompeii Agreed. It's hard to explain to some that we prefer the warm full sounds to the digitally "perfect" sound...
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