Comments on: Five (very good) Reasons For Home Made Renewable Energy in Britain

By: Adam

Adam — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 04:54:22 +0000

Hopefully everyone starts this sooner than later. It’s easier than most people think to start using renewable energy at home.

By: Uncle B

Uncle B — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 18:30:56 +0000

China and India will determine oil prices in the future. We (the rest of the oil consuming world) will either pay up or shut up! Micro-generation beats the hell out of the alternative, doing without!

By: phil campbell

phil campbell — Sat, 07 Jun 2008 09:37:52 +0000

regardles of expense. i’m not gonna be the one arguing the fact when all we have to live on in a tiny bit of rock. if i can get a subsidy from the government to offset the price, i’ll invest in it. not doing ya bit on a subject like this is not something to be sniffed at.

By: Mark Seall

Mark Seall — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 20:26:42 +0000

@weee: You make a good point. Sad, but probably true.

@Skylar: Yes, it is expensive – TODAY. See points 2 & 3.

@Warren Raftshol: Your reading the wrong blog my friend. The flat earth blog is this way ->

@George Fragos: This is a very valid point in many locals right now, however many governments are addressing this through smarter feed-in tariffs, as suggested by the British Government’s report.

@wooo: Good for you, although I’d suggest that you try getting a life.

@Someone & @Ken Simmonds: you are right to question to current economics, which is what the report does. It’s conclusion is that today it doesn’t necessarily make sense, but with a few simple legislative changes this could all be very different.

@terrab: Exactly!

@steve: You are right – I could add a number 6, but I kind of took that as a given..

@Dan Isaacs: That’s exactly what has been seen to date in Germany vs in the UK. The Germans have as a result made massive progress on solar installations.

@Christopher Keys: Yep, you clearly get it.

By: Christopher Keys

Christopher Keys — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 19:31:04 +0000

A decentralized power system made up of personal solar power or wind turbine systems that are then grouped into a super grid is the future it seems. In the U.S., you can get a personal wind turbine for a $13,000 price tag via Southwest Wind Power, Flagstaff AZ, (plus congress should pass a tax subsidy for wind power an individual generates any day now). The energy your home generates can also be sold back to the grid, 7 states already offer subsidies. There are related systems that will grow with this markets, like the home storage battery from Grid Point. Dealers, Installers.

Energy Transmission supplier ABB says these types of systems are going to be built it’s just a matter of who’s gonna do it, and operating by 2012.

Carbon offsets could be used to help fund this transition to provide cash incentive/subsidy for home owners who otherwise would not find current solutions affordable.

By: Dan Isaacs

Dan Isaacs — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 16:28:40 +0000

Hey, if the Feds start subsidizing it (how about a %50 credit up to 10K spread over 4 years, instead of $2,000) I’ll get a 2 or 3KW system up by the end of the month. Trouble is, because I get a lot of heavily subsidized nuclear power, the + .04/kwh I’d net selling it back won’t yield enough savings to repay my investment for over 10 years. And adding batteries is of dubious environmental benefit for the value they add.

Increase the subsidy and offer some low interest loans (let’s say %4) and half my 22 home street would have them up pretty quickly.

To Skylar: it all depends on how much you are playing per KWH now. Sure, it’s too expensive for me at under a dime, but if I were paying .33 like some Californians it’d be a no-brainer.

And George, rates are higher during the day, when demand is the highest. I think you got some bad information.

By: steve

steve — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 11:39:00 +0000

Funny, I didn’t see the increasing scarcity of carbon based fuel supplies on the list.

By: Gavin Hudson

Gavin Hudson — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 07:59:22 +0000

@terrab: I value your observations. Thanks.

By: terrab

terrab — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 05:04:30 +0000

i burn up my energy and I have no eco-friendly power sources, but honestly I would be more than happy to pay a bit more in order to give further generations a chance to have the same good life that i have.

I know it will cost me more and i really think its going to get worse before it gets better, but i am willing to take the responsibility so that my children, when i have them, will have the opportunity to enjoy nature as i do.

I am really bummed that so many people would rather save a buck and screw the environment and the future just to save a buck a gallon…

No need to retort on my entry, i know that a lot of you out there are more caught up in left vs. right to give a few seconds to think about the bigger picture.

… a gun owning, small business owning, left wing, techno listening, honky, 22″ rim rolling, independent….

By: Marty

Marty — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 05:00:42 +0000

What about independence? This would be my biggest reason.