Sunshine, Lollipops and Rainbows
Now that we've survived the winter solstice, let's talk about something bright and sunny: Solar Energy!
My Tesla is still several months off (July-ish), but in preparation I've re-wired my electric service at 400 amps to support the Roadster's 70-amp charger. At 220 volts, that's over fifteen thousand watts. Zzzappp!! And like many prospective owners, I've pondered whether I should add a few solar panels to my roof to help offset the electric bill.
Now, here's the confounding issue. Rincon Point is dusty. I'm not quite sure why, but around here, any clean outdoor surface soon becomes covered with a significant layer of dust. After a week or two, that becomes a rather thick layer of dust. (It could be salt spray off the ocean, or soil from the local hills, or even particulates from the nearby freeway.) For solar power, in which the most optimistic statistics are computed based on clean panels, and still take 10-20 years to break even, this is a showstopping problem, unless I'm regularly out on my roof cleaning the panels. Also, the custom work required to install the panels, on my slanted tile third-floor roof, would likely be prohibitive.
But then, the whole point is that the power flows back onto the grid, where it can be used from anywhere! So... why can't I turn the idea on its head, and place the solar panel somewhere that's NOT my house??
Here's my vision: I'd like to see a company buy up a few acres of cheap flat dust-free land (or unused flat rooftops), start setting up arrays of solar panels, and let individuals like me SPONSOR the panels (by paying the cost of installation) in exchange for a monthly rebate or credit on my electric bill. I'd gladly sponsor 10kw of solar panels in such an arrangement; the setup and maintenance of the panels would benefit from standardization and economy of scale, and I'd get both an ongoing financial benefit, and peace of mind from doing something nice for the planet. Does such an arrangement already exist? If not, it certainly should!
On the Rainbows front, I have a bone to pick with fluorescent lightbulbs. I've installed a dozen of them at my house in the past few months, and two of them have already burned out. (So much for their highly-touted 6-year lifespan. Also, if you buy a 4-pack at Home Depot and one burns out, they won't replace it. I've tried.) But I can live with that. At full brightness, they're virtually indistnguishable from incandescent, in terms of color temperature. I also like the fact that dimmable CFL's are now available; although they have a minimum brightness about 10% of maximum, as opposed to incandescent, which scales all the way to 0%. That's fine; I can live with that too. But I still highly miss the warmth of dimmed incandescents; the reddish tint really helps set a mood, whereas a dimmed CFL tends to evoke nothing more than a poorly lit public restroom.
So, I have a suggestion. Manufacturers should add a couple cheap orange LEDs to each dimmable CFL bulb, with frosted outer glass to blend the light. That way, the perceived color temperature will change as the bulb is dimmed; from bright white to dim orange! What do you think, is there a market for this?
Finally, on the Lollipops front, I don't really have much to say, except that candy canes are in season. (And particularly cheap this week.) Crunch all you want!!
My Tesla is still several months off (July-ish), but in preparation I've re-wired my electric service at 400 amps to support the Roadster's 70-amp charger. At 220 volts, that's over fifteen thousand watts. Zzzappp!! And like many prospective owners, I've pondered whether I should add a few solar panels to my roof to help offset the electric bill.
Now, here's the confounding issue. Rincon Point is dusty. I'm not quite sure why, but around here, any clean outdoor surface soon becomes covered with a significant layer of dust. After a week or two, that becomes a rather thick layer of dust. (It could be salt spray off the ocean, or soil from the local hills, or even particulates from the nearby freeway.) For solar power, in which the most optimistic statistics are computed based on clean panels, and still take 10-20 years to break even, this is a showstopping problem, unless I'm regularly out on my roof cleaning the panels. Also, the custom work required to install the panels, on my slanted tile third-floor roof, would likely be prohibitive.
But then, the whole point is that the power flows back onto the grid, where it can be used from anywhere! So... why can't I turn the idea on its head, and place the solar panel somewhere that's NOT my house??
Here's my vision: I'd like to see a company buy up a few acres of cheap flat dust-free land (or unused flat rooftops), start setting up arrays of solar panels, and let individuals like me SPONSOR the panels (by paying the cost of installation) in exchange for a monthly rebate or credit on my electric bill. I'd gladly sponsor 10kw of solar panels in such an arrangement; the setup and maintenance of the panels would benefit from standardization and economy of scale, and I'd get both an ongoing financial benefit, and peace of mind from doing something nice for the planet. Does such an arrangement already exist? If not, it certainly should!
On the Rainbows front, I have a bone to pick with fluorescent lightbulbs. I've installed a dozen of them at my house in the past few months, and two of them have already burned out. (So much for their highly-touted 6-year lifespan. Also, if you buy a 4-pack at Home Depot and one burns out, they won't replace it. I've tried.) But I can live with that. At full brightness, they're virtually indistnguishable from incandescent, in terms of color temperature. I also like the fact that dimmable CFL's are now available; although they have a minimum brightness about 10% of maximum, as opposed to incandescent, which scales all the way to 0%. That's fine; I can live with that too. But I still highly miss the warmth of dimmed incandescents; the reddish tint really helps set a mood, whereas a dimmed CFL tends to evoke nothing more than a poorly lit public restroom.
So, I have a suggestion. Manufacturers should add a couple cheap orange LEDs to each dimmable CFL bulb, with frosted outer glass to blend the light. That way, the perceived color temperature will change as the bulb is dimmed; from bright white to dim orange! What do you think, is there a market for this?
Finally, on the Lollipops front, I don't really have much to say, except that candy canes are in season. (And particularly cheap this week.) Crunch all you want!!
posted by Ben Weiss at
1:31 AM
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