Solar has been hijacked/co opted. A wakeup?

[Hedges]

So each one has to have excess capacity for its loads.

Pacific North West can be a good source of hydro, to feed other regions.
Southern locations can be a good source of PV to feed regions socked in with clouds.

Infrastructure hasn't kept up with growth of population, and housing is being built where A/C is required.

Things are operating closer to the edge.

Controlling loads to shave peaks and fill valleys would reduce cost of power and make system more robust. Time of use rates and dynamic pricing could help get people/companies to shift.

I envision pagers integrated with thermostats to set them back 10 degrees. That could be offered with a 5% rate reduction for those who choose to adopt. Thermostat disconnect would be an even simpler to install device, but doesn't regulate demand as well. Some automated compliance testing would be needed. Adjusting thermostat briefly and checking meter is simple, but doesn't work if customer has A/C off.

Not likely we can get regions to do the regional power (increased cost for customers), but we as individuals can spend much more to supply our own critical loads.

I do think a stage of grid selective load shedding should be implemented prior to blackouts. Rolling blackouts is what they've come up with.

 

[aenyc]

So each one has to have excess capacity for its loads.

Pacific North West can be a good source of hydro, to feed other regions.
Southern locations can be a good source of PV to feed regions socked in with clouds.

Infrastructure hasn't kept up with growth of population, and housing is being built where A/C is required.

Things are operating closer to the edge.

Controlling loads to shave peaks and fill valleys would reduce cost of power and make system more robust. Time of use rates and dynamic pricing could help get people/companies to shift.

I envision pagers integrated with thermostats to set them back 10 degrees. That could be offered with a 5% rate reduction for those who choose to adopt. Thermostat disconnect would be an even simpler to install device, but doesn't regulate demand as well. Some automated compliance testing would be needed. Adjusting thermostat briefly and checking meter is simple, but doesn't work if customer has A/C off.

Not likely we can get regions to do the regional power (increased cost for customers), but we as individuals can spend much more to supply our own critical loads.

I do think a stage of grid selective load shedding should be implemented prior to blackouts. Rolling blackouts is what they've come up with.

You are still assuming they are sincere.
They are not
They are setting things up for the great reset.

 

[12VoltInstalls]

we can address them by not tying everything together into one vulnerable basket

Yes, in the spirit of this thread:

I hate “outdoor wood furnaces” but I’m considering one because I heat with propane.

Being solar only offgrid I’m debating in my head what to do about electricity if I don’t have gasoline to run the generator the ~15 times this winter I’ve needed a boost. I’ve been getting plenty of sun for weeks now, but The Dark Months are a concern. Probably could mitigate with outdoor refrigerator because it’s cold in winter where I live, that is nearly a kWh a day, maybe 700Wh. Not much but something.

I have a source for firewood for cheap if I cut it. I’m probably going to buy 15 or 20 cord, cut and split it, sell some to cover my expenses, and have 2-3 seasons on hand maybe. Maybe more.

Anything is possible but thankfully not as likely as many who are concerned about that might think, imho.
But I’m not too big on gambling really.

 

[marionw]

I like dual fuel generators (propane or gas) as propane does not have a shelf life like gasoline. A number of 40lbs tanks that you can get filled as needed or a larger fixed tank.

 

[Oldphile]

I hate “outdoor wood furnaces” but I’m considering one because I heat with propane.

What don't you like about outdoor wood furnaces? My neighbor and I had an indoor model installed in the new garage we built. We burned our own wood for 4 or more years. We're not up for the physical labor anymore and purchased firewood is expensive. We fired it a few times last winter when temperature went below 10F. We haven't fired it this winter. It's a good backup. I kept the neighbors home warm for 2 weeks when his oil burner failed. We both have propane now as the primary heat source.

 

[Daddy Tanuki]

What did I say that sounds like whining?

it was meant as a joke, sorry if it did not come over that way.

 

[Oldphile]

it was meant as a joke, sorry if it did not come over that way.

I didn't get the joke. Another member didn't as well, but we'll move on and forget it. Thank you for the apology.

 

[Daddy Tanuki]

I didn't get the joke. Another member didn't as well, but we'll move on and forget it. Thank you for the apology.

I meant to put smilies at the end and the one with a stick poking at you but did not that would have made it easier to understand, as I did not its my fault and an apology is fully warranted.

 

[AlaskanNoob]

Yes, in the spirit of this thread:

I hate “outdoor wood furnaces” but I’m considering one because I heat with propane.

Being solar only offgrid I’m debating in my head what to do about electricity if I don’t have gasoline to run the generator the ~15 times this winter I’ve needed a boost. I’ve been getting plenty of sun for weeks now, but The Dark Months are a concern. Probably could mitigate with outdoor refrigerator because it’s cold in winter where I live, that is nearly a kWh a day, maybe 700Wh. Not much but something.

I have a source for firewood for cheap if I cut it. I’m probably going to buy 15 or 20 cord, cut and split it, sell some to cover my expenses, and have 2-3 seasons on hand maybe. Maybe more.

Anything is possible but thankfully not as likely as many who are concerned about that might think, imho.
But I’m not too big on gambling really.

Have you looked into a wood gasifier to run your generator? I want to go this route but I'm still collecting information on how best to implement it.

 

[G00SE]

All this wood talk had me looking at outdoor wood broilers as a backup option as well for heat and water heat
Now I’ve gotta learn about gasifiers too!
You guys are always expanding my knowledge or exposure of things for the potential of knowledge

 

[12VoltInstalls]

What don't you like about outdoor wood furnaces?

For smaller demand systems/households it uses a higher volume of wood per btu, and when not full heating season it uses a lot of wood. And I don’t have my own woodlot.
An indoor woodstove makes more sense to me in the grid-down circumstances we’re discussing.

Have you looked into a wood gasifier to run your generator?

I’ve thought about that, incidentally.
It could be an alternative to consider. Diesel seems more attractive since you can burn various basic things that you can self-source the ingredients for.

 

[Oldphile]

If you are in New England check out Tarm Biomass That's where I bought my wood boiler.

 

[Billwilson]

My local zoning laws now want to charge for the water coming off my AC coils this switch to fees and fines is a shitty way around taxation without representation King George must be laughing his ass off.

 

[Daddy Tanuki]

My local zoning laws now want to charge for the water coming off my AC coils this switch to fees and fines is a shitty way around taxation without representation King George must be laughing his ass off.

are you pulling my leg? OMFG.

 

[robstrom]

My one time thought rolled for 13 pages.
My little solar trailer project was ALL about preparedness/ resilience separate from ANY government.
Just like the '60s hippies" did.
Now, it's about rebates n broke gov, from people who take your dollar, n give a penny back.
I'm disappointed.

 

[robstrom]

If someone smarter can manage a new categtegory of prepper, that might be handy.
NON political.
Preppers know politics is unrelated to real life.

 

[robstrom]

From the comments.
There is no economic 'growth"
There is stagnation to contraction.
$1 growth w $3 debt doesn't equal growth.
SEEDS economic model is not tefutable.
Peak everything is done.
Plan\ get used to it.
There is NO American 'exceptionalism.'
Just another of many empires that come n go.

I'm next door in Canada.
I'm stuck next door to a dying empire, with petulant politicians thinking they're someone..
Not good

 

[D71]

f

If someone smarter can manage a new categtegory of prepper, that might be handy.
NON political.
Preppers know politics is unrelated to real life.

not really true. Preppers in Holodomor event in Ukraine had govt take their stuff ….food and what not. Ppl were removed from their farms. Politics matter.

Communist politicians painted preppers as pigs and locked some preppers up for hoarding the foods they had prepared and stored away. The foods were distributed to others that had not prepped.

Politics matters and communist take for the State. The individual suffers and is often cheated.

 

[SunDave]

My one time thought rolled for 13 pages.
My little solar trailer project was ALL about preparedness/ resilience separate from ANY government.
Just like the '60s hippies" did.
Now, it's about rebates n broke gov, from people who take your dollar, n give a penny back.
I'm disappointed.

Hi Robstrom,
Everyone has opinions and thoughts. No need to be disappointed. No need to agree.

You sparked some conversation, that's all.

 

[Johneb]

My one time thought rolled for 13 pages.
My little solar trailer project was ALL about preparedness/ resilience separate from ANY government.
Just like the '60s hippies" did.
Now, it's about rebates n broke gov, from people who take your dollar, n give a penny back.
I'm disappointed.