[XCSSA] Solar and Green events in SA

[xcssa@xcssa.org]

On Monday 14 May 2007 20:07, xcssa-admin@xcssa.org wrote:

> I find that very funny coming from you Tweeks.  What percentage of
> your income do you spend on food and clothing? 

Hehe.. I know.. man. Heck.. 1 big chunk pays off the student loans! hehe
My passion for computing systems more one of learning and person growth than 
anything physical.  But It could all go up in flames and I'd be okay with 
that..  It's the DIY challenge and love of learning and passing on that 
nowledge that really drives me.  That.. and quoting my grandma.. hehe


> And don't you have 
> selfless concerns that you devote some of your resources to? 

Well sure man.. duhhh..  most normal people do.. 
For me it's running the XCSSA group.. 
I ran a soup kitchen for 7 years... etc...


> I have 
> selfless concerns too, like what's going to happen to this planet and
> its inhabitants in the future.

Don't get me wrong man.. I love the idea of renewable energy.  The current 
system is the last great semblance of the choke hold the really big 
capitalists have over the people (leveraged through detroit and the oil king 
pins).  To me going 100% renewable is a no brainer.  The greedy captiolists 
just don't want to lose all those recurring revenue streams!

I think a lot us engineer, sci-fi and geek types hold to that same idealistic, 
futuristic, Star Trek nirvana (TNG of course) hope for the future:
 No capitolism, no taxes, just a bunch of unitard clad space hippies exploring 
the universe and bettering ourselves... oh yeah.. and free energy!.. ;)  
The problem is.. "The Man" is holding us back.. 
Forcing us to burn that oil... 
Suckle that tit we call "the grid"..
heh...

I just hate to see big business step in and take advantage of altruistic 
people's good intentions to make a buck!  That really pisses me off...  
That's like.. like.. So Ferengi!
(hehe.. sorry, couldn't resist...)


[...]
> Windtricity and REC's generally are a voluntary free market system.
> I would think you would like it for that reason.  If you don't like
> it, you don't have to pay for it.

And I won't.. I would rather get a power inverter and a few PV cells and just 
lower my monthly bill...  Call me Laissez-faire.

wow.. this is way off XCSSA topic.. 
but whatever.. it's fun.. :)


[windtricity]
> I put my money where my mouth is.  I would have thought you'd give me
> some respect for that.  Most people I meet do.


I do... I just don't fully trust (or respect) the folks behind windtricity.   
You're paying MORE $$ to help them build out THEIR infrastructure that THEY 
will get "free power" from to turn around and continue to charge you for...  
What the heck?!
That's just playing back into their recurring revenue net.
A net I would like to escape from.  At least a little.. :)

If I can buy a few of my OWN PV cells and inverter..  pump the juice back onto 
the grid, save a few bucks a month while decreasing my "carbon footprint" (as 
they're calling it now).. That's would be a "better position" wouldn't it be 
(unless you live in the shade of a high rise or something)...

No Charles.. I respect your intestinal fortitude and altruism... It's their 
trickery and greed that I don't care for.  The windtricity model 
(financially) would be like a solar PV company not selling me a solar panel.. 
but only allow me to rent it from them.. so it guarantees them a permanent 
revenue stream.. and me in perpetual financial servitude to them...

That's the deal I would like to avoid.. that's all.


> You also have to remember that most of your
> electricity (and none of mine, haha) comes from coal plants that toss
> the mercury and other deadly stuff right into the atmosphere where
> you're breathing it right now. 

Okay.. you DO realize that the juice flowing to your house comes from wherever 
the power company pulls it form right?  It's all just a numbers game.  And 
chances are.. the electrons that are powering your mail client's PC on which 
you read this came from the magnetic fields, from the turbines, spun by 
steam, generated by our own coal powered CPS right?  Energy credits are just 
traded like banks trade electronic cash.  
(sorry.. not talking down to you here.. just keeping it on the level for the 
good of the list here)


> Coal plants release lots of foul 
> stuff, not just CO2.  Theoretically, fluorescent lamps are supposed
> to handled as toxic waste and put in special landfills with no
> leakage to groundwater.  In some cities they have special procedures
> for that.

Do you drink tap?  I don't..


> Most environmental analysts have concluded that the tradeoffs favor
> the fluorescent lights, on balance.

Hmm.. maybe..  But I was just jabbin' ya man.. Playing devil's advocate 
there.. I use CF's more and more here at my place too man.. ;)

Good stuff to debate though...

Still though.. I probably won't go to an eCar until I can get one with a full 
blown fuel cell based system for energy storage, with multiple renewable 
sources (e.g. combo of a built in roof solar PV trickle, AC plugin backup 
charger, as well as some form of liquid hydrocarbon (gas, ethanol, etc) for 
those long range road trips).  (yes.. some fuel cells can do direct liquid 
hydrocarbon->electron conversion now.. no more combustion needed :)

Gotta sleep..

Put some stuff together for a presentation Charles!

Tweeks