[SixClub] QRP and Small Engines

[KB0NLY]

These are reasons I am putting in a plan of alternative energy for my home. 
I am surrounded by wind turbines here, everywhere you look there is wind 
turbines, but it doesn't affect my local price because the power is sent 
down huge lines to surrounding states where they can sell it for more than 
they can locally.

I plan in the next couple years to have both wind and solar on my home.  I 
look at it as an investment in my future.  Analysts are saying it could cost 
the average family an additional $1000-$1500 a year on electricity.  I have 
been pricing technology to help with this for a while now.  Its about $1 a 
watt for wind and $2 a watt for solar looking at all my options.  I know 
some will say they can do it cheaper but I don't believe it.  I have been 
pricing systems for a while now, and even the cheapest baseline setups are 
going to run that.  Good solar setups run more like $3-$4 a watt.

However...  With an increase of $1000-$1500 on the horizon, its not a matter 
of if it’s a matter of when in my opinion, I could invest in wind pretty 
easily.  I have been pricing small residential systems that are roughly 
$1000-$1500 installed (me doing the install to save money) for about 1kw of 
wind power.  It might take years for it to pay itself off and it might not, 
it all depends on energy costs.  Eventually I want to have 1kw of wind and 
1kw of solar, I have done the math with my consumption and I think other 
than the coldest days of the winter I would be breaking even most months, 
maybe even making some extra.

With the new grid tie systems and not having the expense of the batteries, 
which are normally 3/4 of the system cost and require maintenance and have a 
limited life, alternative energy is becoming more easy to accomplish for the 
average family.  Add to that the use of LED bulbs and low consumption 
appliances its very possible to be bill free and off grid, but if everyone 
stayed on grid and fed excess power to the grid we could also help alleviate 
the load on the power plants as well.

I never thought about it before, but lately I have really had my head in 
alternative energy.

73,

Scott KB0NLY



-----Original Message----- 
From: Mike Pappas
Sent: Wednesday, February 02, 2011 10:01 AM
To: World Wide Six Meter Club
Cc: K8RI (Roger on six)
Subject: Re: [SixClub] QRP and Small Engines

And in Germany where the gas prices are $7 per gallon, taxes account for 65% 
of the price.

And those taxes help fund the "green" initiatives in Germany and the high 
prices force people into mass transit which also gets a portion of the gas 
taxes..

With the EPA now regulating CO2 and the Dept of Interior stopping all off 
shore drilling and stalling land permits and California Botox Boxer 
introducing a bill to kill drilling off California coast you will see these 
types of taxes and price increases coming soon to a pump near you.

Here is a our Fearless Leader's comments on gas prices

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t4Tmi_fpUHs

$4 a gallon won't stop me from driving but it will hurt the lower middle 
class and poor disproportionally.

Mike Pappas
advanceddigital at mac.com



On Jan 31, 2011, at 9:20 AM, K8RI (Roger on six) wrote:

> Most of Europe and Asia pay at least 50% more than we do currently and a
> good portion of that is because the us currency is the world standard.
> If we loose that then you will be looking at $6 or $7 a gallon. At $3 or
> $4 we have some of the cheapest gas in the world.

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