Solar Power?

[Hamloc]

Today was our annual Boxing Day family dinner. Was sitting across from my brother in law who is a brilliant electrician. I had been thinking about putting in some solar panels to run the heaters in my cattle waters so I asked what would be involved. They use almost 2000 watts, so he said I would require 4000 watts worth of solar panels. I believe he said a common size generated 200 watts. Panels cost roughly 3 dollars a watt, so 12000 for panels but he feels this price will come down in the near future, hopefully to 2 dollars a watt. Then he said with current battery tech it would take about 4000 dollars worth of batteries. Then of course an inverter and hook up, all said and done probably 25000 would get it done to build a stand alone system to run my waterers, I certainly hope it gets more affordable.

[AlbertaFarmer5]

You obviously made the mistake of asking the wrong person. You should have asked Justin, or Racheal, they know much more about this panacea called renewable energy.

[oneoff]

Things might look altogether different when the federal election promise is enacted. Then everyone can use much larger portions of their brain to see how we can keep from literally freezing to death at an affordable cost. LOL!


One thing to expect is that it will cost up to multiple times more for energy and the reliability will be a fraction of what has come to be expected.

[agchat]

I know I have said this on Agriville before, but certain countries climate, Canada one of them, certain utilities that are a must will never get to the point were huge rates will happen. Years ago rumors had it natural gas would cost eight hundred to a thousand a month for the average home owner. Do you realize average home owner could not afford a bill like that every month. I am not saying rates wont go up, that luxury heating (car garages, small hobby work shops), will become to expensive to heat besides trying to heat your house. Power I feel the same, sure it may go up to the point were luxury lighting ( pot lights in soffits, driveway lights, yard lights, may need to be controlled in lighting times. Basic power, heating will always be affordable to average canadiens and provinces will vary in rates.. Like a quote from my neighbor, "Anything can be affordable, but you have to make it affordable. Driving a new vehicle can be affordable, they range anywhere from twenty thousand to eighty five thousand for the average person".

[Hopalong]

One xmas day discussion in our family was about carbon dioxide injection deep under ground.
Concern expressed that earthquake or other events could cause release.
Own opinion is it has a lot going for it, Sask power problem is more about recovering it from power plants.

[Braveheart]

We use solar power for the common things that many farmers do. Some fencers, and an off site watering system. They work well until daylight hours get short then batteries aren't enough.

For winter, we prefer the energy free systems, like insulated top mining tire waters. If enough head drink they're great.

I still wonder why more people don't look at passive solar. I see so many new homes built with no thought to southern exposure or careful window consideration. Many Millennials concerned with climate change do little actively to conserve energy.

[Hamloc]

I also found it interesting that the life expectancy of the solar panels is 25 years and that the batteries 5 to 10 years. If you were totally off the grid for a house an electric stove and clothes dryer are out of the question these would be natural gas or propane. He also said you have to live a little different and spread out your use of electrical appliances and of course you would require an electric generator for back up.

What would occur in cities is a little different, cover your roof with panels and tie into the grid with a meter which would sell power to the grid when you weren't using much and buy from the grid when your use excided generation. Then when the sun isn't producing you would have natural gas powered generators to provide power, so twice the generation capacity to provide the end result. Still doesn't seem efficient to me, nuclear or hydroelectric makes far more sense.

[TOM4CWB]

Braveheart,

I do wonder with 'Passive' Solar... if we couldn't be doing more with our air bins... seems there could be a good gain in drying by pulling air off a passive solar heater to reduce RH and speed drying time of the grain. A good heat exchanger on the south west side of the bin... with a small low hp fan to move air to the main bin fan... shouldn't be hard to raise air temp 20c and shorten cooling and drying time by 50 percent you would think!

Cheers

[mustardman]

Tom I have used 'solar bag 'to help warm air before going thru bin fan. It does work reasonably well. Bought it thru 'green book' somewhere

braveheart I totally agree on Passive solar.

We built our house in full of '89 with southern exposure and a longer overhang on eave on south.
2600 sq ft ,well insulated and Good vapour barrier
Natural gas cost for Entire year is $400 !!
Sask energy actually came out to check meter as they thought something was wrong it.
Winter sun shines thru south windows and furnace Shuts off

[15444]

Hamloc, you need to forget about heating the water and use a self-draining system so that the water goes below the frost line and can't freeze. Use the solar power for pumping only.

I've got two heated waterers left, one at home and one at a rented property, and hope to be rid of both in the next couple of years. Can't afford such luxuries in the 'new' clean, green Ontario.