[amsat-bb] Satellites and Solar

[Stephen Nelson]

Talking solar with my non Ham friends and there is a misconception that solar can be used for emergency power, which at least in my area, it cannot be. Solar inverter shuts down once the utility main sense is lost. 

I have also heard strange rumors that the panels go bad just after the cost of the system has paid for itself. This might be a wives tail, as remote sites I have seen, the solar panels last much longer than 10 years. 

Sent via iPhone 5s.....73's KD6VEX

Stephen N. 

> On Apr 8, 2016, at 9:35 AM, Robert Bruninga <bruninga at usna.edu> wrote:
> 
> Solar Rant:
> 
> 
> 
> Last night I gave a talk to a local Ham club about Emergency Power (solar)
> for the Ham.  Turns out, I had given a similar talk on the same topic to
> the same group 6 years ago (2010).
> 
> 
> 
> But the world has CHANGED (and most of us (and them) have not… except get
> older)..
> 
> 
> 
> I began “How many of you pay about $200/mo for electricity?”  Most hands
> went up
> 
> 
> 
> “How many of you went solar since my last talk?” (one hand went up).  “Why
> not?” I ask.
> 
> 
> 
> General response was, “.. it costs too much…”
> 
> 
> 
> I went on, “Do the rest of you with the $200/mo electric bill realize you
> have spent almost $15,000 to the utility since my last talk, and did not
> also take the $5000 tax credit, so you have wasted over $20,000 and have
> absolutely nothing to show for it except another $200 a  month for the rest
> of your life, and another $24,000 thrown away every ten years (probably
> twice that with inflation)…”
> 
> 
> 
> “Don’t tell me it costs too much…. It costs too much to do nothing!”
> 
> “This other solar guy hardly pays anything now, or the last 6 years or the
> rest of his life!”
> 
> 
> 
> Most people in the room said they would probably go solar “someday”.  But
> now they are starting to realize that every single month they send another
> $200 to the utility, that is another $200 thrown away… when instead it
> could have gone for their solar investment which remains EQUITY in their
> hands, on their roof, or in their yard and which pays back over 10% annual
> return on the investment every year for the rest of their life.
> 
> 
> 
> Sorry for the rant.  Every AMSAT station needs power.  Are you going to
> continue to burn coal to supply your energy and pay the utility forever, at
> higher cost, or are you going to do something about it now and start
> getting free power forever and breath cleaner air.
> 
> 
> 
> See http://aprs.org/solar-now.html
> 
> 
> 
> AMSAT TOO:  I just looked it up. I gave this talk at the AMSAT/TAPR Dayton
> Banquet in 2011.  In the 5 years since, you (with $200 electric bills) have
> spent over $12,000 in electric bills and have not taken the over $3600 tax
> credit either.  How many more years are you going to throw away good money
> every month and do nothing?
> 
> 
> 
> Sorry, if you have shade, you are out of solar luck, but hug your trees and
> birds instead!  In some states, such as Maryland, you can still invest in
> community solar where your solar panels will be credited to your bill.
> 
> 
> 
> Also in Maryland and some other progressive states, if you have some remote
> land or antenna farm somewhere else,  You can install your solar panels
> there, and get that electric meter to provide 100% credit to your own home
> bill.  Neat!  Its called “virtual-net-metering”.
> 
> 
> 
> It’s a whole new world of energy changing under your feet…. Every day..
> 
> 
> 
> Bob, WB4APR
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