Economy of size would bring that cost way down. And improving products will make even more dents in the numbers. As it happens, oil producers will start to get the message and prices will start to move down. Genie will be out though and the government needs to keep pushing the change. The evil America message will swell internationally as they will claim we are trying to affect their economies and keep them poor. As for the not afford message, that argument also accompanied the new discoveries of central heating, air conditioning and indoor plumbing. I think most of those things have found their way into today's must have category!
I own a current model prius. Milage is leagues better then any other car I've driven. The best part about the car however, is it is quiet. When power is not needed, it is SILENT. The only thing you can hear is the sound of the wheels on the gravel driveway. If I were a salesman, this is what I'd sell. When i bought my latest computer. I got a big cpu and big video card. The noise to keep it cool via fans was unbearable. So I had some fun watercooling it. Now its near silent! However, unfortunately it looks like i'll need to upgrade again and the novelty of installing it appears to be gone. Once you've had a taste of less noise, its hard to go back. Fuel cells may be the way of the future, but hybrids are filling a gap now.
These right-wingers are full of shit. I was looking for the post where the poster states that his parents do not save any money after installing solar panels. Then I read the following: http://news.yahoo.com/s/usatoday/20060309/ts_usatoday/califtakingpowerofsunmainstream On a sunny winter morning, Reg Gage's electric meter is spinning backward - and that's good. It means the 36 rooftop solar panels are producing more electricity than his new five-bedroom house is using. The surplus electricity goes out to the "grid" - back to his utility, Pacific Gas & Electric Co. - and Gage gets a credit that lowers next month's bill. I scrolled back to look for the post so I could quote the idot. He must have deleted his post. Either he was lying. Which would be normal behavior for a right-winger. Otherwise his parents must be southerners. That would explain why they had difficulty reading the installation guide correctly.
You do understand this stuff, conman? Try this link, its basic but covers some good ground -it takes forever and a day to load up though, its huge. http://www.powerfromthesun.net/chapter12/Chapter12new.htm
Wow, again, you're wrong. I didn't delete anything, its still there. You must have missed it reading over your own posts! Oh, by the way, it's spelled i-d-i-o-t. NOT idot. I wasn't lying, they said it doesnt make much difference, maybe they're lying. No, they're not southerners, and neither am I, Im just smart and do a little investigating before making decisions. I said "Im all for solar energy". It's just not to the point where it works very well yet. For the record, my folks are die hard liberals from the north who'd actually vote for Carter again if given the chance. Your stereotyping has failed you many times, try another approach.... BAM
Hmm, I don't quite agree. I think we're more at the point of trying to drive a screw with a hammer. In a limited roll I think solar supplementation is excellent. My parents have taken their solar cells and localized the power supplement to running just the furnace and air conditioner. There is enough surplus battery capacity to run the units for two days before it would have to switch back over to the main grid. They've been running 100% battery at night based on this setup. This past winter they felt comfortable enough to switch the refrigerator circuit over to the solar setup. Pops added another battery for his own personal comfort. They have solar lighting along the driveway also. And to look at the home you wouldn't know it (solar) until you went up to the roof. His plan this fall is to double his cell setup and see about managing the whole house (2,500 sq. ft.) to efficiency. And his behavior has spilled over. My brother is building his home in Houston with a solar setup. And my new home in Dallas is now being planned with even better solar components. I am planning an innovative concept for the home altogether and I can't wait to spring it on the family this fall.
They are in Chicago and we were hoping they'd get a real testing winter (bad ain't I?). Damn, it was soft. But the parents bills have been unbelievably low in comparison to their friends. They have one couple who has almost the same style/sized home and I haven't asked about the differences in their costs this year, but I will. The last two winters there have been soft as Chicago goes. Their summer bills are way down. As much as 50% for last June and July. That's not a great gauge yet though as they beefed up the insulation in the attic also so we can't say savings have all been from the solar moves. What I can say is they love the lower utility hit and they weren't scared into panic about rising rates this past year. That in itself is a priceless value for us, the sons! As for my brother, his family moves into the house in about two months. They are a commuting couple who has now decided Houston will be the base. With the family in there we'll get to really see what real difference it makes. He's a claims adjuster who got bounced to Houston to better cover some of the damage review from the last hurricane season. While he says there are clearly savings, it's been for a home that has not been put to the full use test, KIDS!