Solar Power---It is Coming Back

One of the things about solar power in Wisconsin is that it really sucks in the winter. It is a good idea and all, and very well intended. After all it is free---except for the cost of producing the gear, which by the size of the bill for the equipment, would seem that to really offset the gains the panels and inverter would have to make a multitude of watts.


In fact, today I learned that the panels never in their lives will produce enough energy to equal the amount that was used to produce them. Oh wow! Just what does that say?



Anyway, for us rich guys who have the setup, today's sunshine was a pleasant reminder that the mother sun is very nice, but there is a gap there of about one month each side of solstice where, between nature's preference for clouds and the steep incline of the sun, there is very little power produced. The freezer was taken off a few weeks ago and won't go on for another 2 weeks. We are down to running the sound system and say four lights.


I suppose if it was 1910 that would still be significant, but 2010? What it comes down to is that there are limits to these no fangled alternative energies---particularly when the grid power is dirt cheep.

Still, the sun was out today and the inclination of the sun is up, the days are longer. We did a bit of a walkabout as the batteries charged.