[mythtv-users] [Slightly OT] solar power for all our gadgets

[Marc MERLIN]

On Mon, Mar 09, 2009 at 12:44:41PM -0500, Jeff Walther wrote:
> > True, same here, but understand that similar subsidies are going into
> > Solar or Wind plants. One of them might as well be on your roof :)
> 
> True, more or less.  Another option is to stop subsidizing overpriced
> generating capacity, but that is not an individual decision.
 
Correct. I work with what the system provides :)
For now, it looke like the government is going to throw more money into 
subsidizing cleaner energy with the hopes to bring their cost down. I might
as well get some of my tax dollars back :)
 
> >> While you might expect that 3000 watts of capacity would yield
> >> approximately 3KW X 12 hours/day X 30 days/month = 1080 KWH/month, the
> >> reality is that you'll get about 400 KWH/month if you're lucky.  Further
> >> north, e.g. in Ohio, you could expect 300 KWH/month.
> >
> > The math isn't quite right,
> 
> Other than omitting the word "average" before my monthly figures, my math
> is quite right--for Austin, TX.  We do not have the incredibly complex
> rate structure that you do, so all that discussion about a KWH at noon,
> vs. one at midnight is irrelevant here.  However, I can see where it is
> terribly relevant where you are.

Oh, I see. My bad then, I had assumed you had a tiered rate too. In that
case forget what I said.
I think an easier way to look at this is that if you don't pay over 15c/KwH, 
solar doesn't quite make sense yet.

> With our rate structure here, it makes no sense, which doesn't stop the
> media from hyping it, nor our city from subsidizing it.   I hope our power
> is never so expensive that it does make sense, although I suspect our
> local enviro-weenies hope the opposite.
 
It depends on where you get your power from. If it is from burning some kind
of fuel, fossil, or gas, it will go up sooner or later.
If you get hydro or nuclear, those are cheap actually.
 
> I must say, though, if your power is that expensive, you guys need about a
> dozen new nuclear power plants, rather than futzing about with all those
> subsidies for over-priced power.

Dude, I'm all with you on that one. I think the public is finally coming
around on that one. It's about fscking time.

Marc
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