Thread: ...Lesson for Nasa! US Airmail and Aviation
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Old May 25th 06, 01:19 PM posted to sci.space.policy,sci.space.history,sci.space.station
Dave O'Neill
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Default ...Lesson for Nasa! US Airmail and Aviation

wrote:
But if everyone could harness solar and wind energy through a single purchase
item, unlike a car that needs gas, or a home that needs electrical power, then
the big money boys are out.

That demonstrably cannot happen - even at a 100% rate of conversion,
not enough wind and sunlight hit, say, an office building, to meet the
energy demands of that building.

Depends on the "office building", but if you consider the average home,
even in the relatively sun starved UK, covering the roof in PV cells
should make a typcial home a nett exporter of electricity.

The problem is currently it doesn't make economic sense for the
individual because energy is still so cheap.

Last numbers I saw, a typical PV set up with batteries for storage and
the adaption to your main power connection to allow for you to "sell"
power back into the grid would cost circa £20,000 - my electricity
bill runs at under £400 a year, so there's no pressing need for me to
change over. Besides, I'm unlikely to stay in this place.

Dave