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

[Brad Templeton]

On Sun, Mar 08, 2009 at 05:48:42PM -0700, Marc MERLIN wrote:
> On Sun, Mar 08, 2009 at 03:05:54PM -0700, Mark Knecht wrote:
> >    I'm at an impass with this whole MythTV thing. Our PG&E bill is
> > running $350/month right now, about 60% is electricity. ($200 last
> > month) We have a gas heater and gas water heater, but electric pool
> > pumps and oven/range. My Kill-a-Watt told me that if I assume the
> > MythTV server is the most expensive electricity I buy (because it is a
> > luxury) then it's costing me about $18/month to run the backend. My
> > old fridge is about $30. We've got 6 PCs running here, 1 STB, 1 HDHR,
> > a couple of TVs, monitors, wireless phones, network equipment, etc.,
> > etc., etc. so I'm pretty sensitive to the electricity usage at this
> > point. We converted the whole house to CFL already. I figure it's
> > probably $10-$15/month to rent an STB and also pay the electricity
> > bill to run it. If I end up with 3 - 1 on the main TV and 2 for
> > recording, then MythTV is starting to look like $40-$60/month in
> > reoccurring costs along with about $125 going to Comcast already.
> > Ugly...
> 
> Now we're pretty off topic, but the best investment you can do with your
> money today is solar panels if you have a house: currently in CA with the
> brand new uncapped federal credits, you can get solar for 50% off.
> 
> That's what I did and my bill will now be around from now on. It'll take
> about 5Y for me to break even, and around 8-9Y for the system to pay for
> itself. From then, on, I get about 20Y of free electricity.
> 

As a late addition, no, if you want to promote green electricity, solar
panels are among the worst choices, in terms of bang per buck, by which
I mean MWH removed from the grid for dollars spent.

I blogged this recently
    http://ideas.4brad.com/are-solar-panels-wasteful-way-go-green

There's a spreadsheet there where you can calculate the cost of
various methods (solar, promoting wind, giving your neighbours
CFLs, giving your neighbours brand new fridges.)

Yes, giving your neighbours a few brand new fridges makes the
grid greener per dollar than putting up solar panels, even
without you saving a dime on power!