America looks to Solar

[BrianH]

And, highly skilled slaves that can produce the solar cells. How else can they be produce cheap enough?

Prison Labor...simple as that.

 

[Chris]

What on earth does patriotism have to do with it? You seem to be the only person incapable of an open mind or reason. You're not gonna get a lot of support telling people how to live their lives. This is the reason you get the crap you get on these boards. It isn't because you're a died in the wool AGW fanatic, it's your complete and utter refusal to acknowledge or objectively consider anything that you don't currently agree with. Have you considered that people disagree with you really only because you're a disagreeable person?

You get a lot of crap for your staunch AGW stance and go green or else mentality when the truth of the matter is that whether you believe in it or not, whether solar energy, wind energy, etc. works or not at the end of the day is irrelevent. While various people will disagree as to the extent things will help or hurt at the end of the day very, very few are going to disagree that we should be stewards of the environment. Whether that be cleaner energy, recycling and just plain being concientious of your impact on the environment makes no difference it is definately something to strive for.

As a country we have well passed the hump of moving on to cleaner alternatives. In the immediate future it isn't the U.S. that is going to be the problem, it is all of the developing and currently industrialising countries, like China and Inida. If you're going to insist on your my way or the highway bent, perhaps your energy would be better spent barking up their tree.

You don't know much about building houses. Every builder is told by the goverment how and where to build. To incorporate clean energy and energy conservation into building is no different for a builder than obeying our current building codes.

 

[chapstic]

Every home in America should have solar shingles and a small wind turbine. That is the most patriotic thing any American could do.

The Israelis are building the largest solar power station in the world...

Israel to Build World's Largest Solar Power Plant - Inside Israel - Israel News - Arutz Sheva

instead of just talking the talking how about you walk the walk. shingle your home with solar shingles, put that wind turbine in your back yard. lead the way kirk! as i've stated before, you put solar shingles on your roof and get that wind turbine, ill do the same. i need you to blaze the trail.

 

[editec]

Me thinks the environmentalist would fight all the those new reservoirs

No reason they would.

They could easily be closed systems that in no way effect the environment.

 

[editec]

Who wouldn't make their house energy independent if they could afford it?

If I had $100K or so to invest I'd get off the grid in a heartbeat.

I'm not at all sure, given where I live, the return on investment would really make sense, but if I could afford to do it, if I had money to burn, I'd do it anyway.

 

[LordBrownTrout]

I'm planning on building a new house in about 2 years. Before the slab is poured, I hope to have geothermal coils placed below the house approx 10 to 12 feet to capture the year round ambient temps, 65 to 70F. Also, drill for water, construct a cistern type of catchment for rainwater, and install a few solar panels on the roof, the prices have come down in the last couple of years. My main reasoning behind this is independence from govt in the form of utilities, water, elect,etc. Could care less about green also.

 

[Chris]

Who wouldn't make their house energy independent if they could afford it?

If I had $100K or so to invest I'd get off the grid in a heartbeat.

I'm not at all sure, given where I live, the return on investment would really make sense, but if I could afford to do it, if I had money to burn, I'd do it anyway.

The $200 wind turbine....

The Green Toolman - DIY Expert of Green Solutions

 

[DiamondDave]

Again... in the amounts and levels needed for the US to be reliant on wind power for anything more than adding minor amounts to the power grid, there needs to be much improvement in the technology... which I am all for researching and gaining that technology... in the MEAN TIME, it is best we also look into fixing the infrastructure of oil power and gasoline consumption, which will not be going away in any form in the short term...

stop ignoring the realities of the situation, just so you can have your head in the pot cloud, Kirk

 

[Chris]

Again... in the amounts and levels needed for the US to be reliant on wind power for anything more than adding minor amounts to the power grid, there needs to be much improvement in the technology... which I am all for researching and gaining that technology... in the MEAN TIME, it is best we also look into fixing the infrastructure of oil power and gasoline consumption, which will not be going away in any form in the short term...

stop ignoring the realities of the situation, just so you can have your head in the pot cloud, Kirk

Pot cloud? I think you were exposed to too many depleted uranium shells.

Fuel conservation is the best short term solution as Barack pointed out. We waste an enormous amount of energy.

 

[chapstic]

thanks kirk, for just talking the talk. you have no plans to shingle your house with solar panels or put that wind turbine in your back yard. i've called you out twice, stating i'd solar shingle my home and put a turbine in my yard once you did. you clearly have no plans to do it, or just can't afford it(hmm maybe like the rest of the country). again you prove to us you are clearly full of it.

 

[Zoomie1980]

I'm planning on building a new house in about 2 years. Before the slab is poured, I hope to have geothermal coils placed below the house approx 10 to 12 feet to capture the year round ambient temps, 65 to 70F. Also, drill for water, construct a cistern type of catchment for rainwater, and install a few solar panels on the roof, the prices have come down in the last couple of years. My main reasoning behind this is independence from govt in the form of utilities, water, elect,etc. Could care less about green also.

Geothermal is the way to go to largely eliminate your a/c and heating costs. The average temp 50 ft down is 56 across much of the US. That is more than enough to cool in summer and then you only have to heat from 56 up to 70 or whatever in winter which is a lot better than heating from 20 or 0 or -20. In summer you then just have to remove humidity, not cool. Add solar or a small wind turbine and you'd be almost completely off the grid much of the year. Geothermal, though, has to be done at building time. Putting one in AFTER the fact is much tougher. Helps to live on a hillside, too.