"DSK" wrote in message
. ..
... Current battery technology is terrible.

Only in comparison to fossil fuel technology. It may be physically
impossible to store as much energy in electro-chemical bonds per pound as
is available in a pound of gasoline.


Jeff Rigby wrote:
For fixed storage, weight is not the issue, it's economics. IF you have
10 batterys in a state like Arizona for for use at night, that might work
but for Florida where we get cloudy days you might need 30 batterys.
And every 2-3 years you need to replace those batterys. Not economical
at the current cost for fuel unless you live outside the power grid and
transporting fuel is too prohibative in cost economics again.


Well, Jeff, a lot of people are doing it. I assume they've weighed out the
cost & benefit; if it doesn't actually save them significant cash then
maybe they value independence that much.

You seem to overestimate the need for batteries, probably their cost too,
and how much a household that is set up to run efficiently would use.

I'm not trying to sell you such a system, but they exist, they're
practical, and they're more popular than you'd think.





I'd love to live in N. Carolina by a stream that I could use to provide
hydo-electic power, to be totally self contained. Ain't happening.

Not many suitable locations, and what there are, the land is expensive
enough that you'd be much better off with an off-the-shelf battery/solar
charge 24V DC system.


Homes are a LONG term investment and people need to look out 30 years into
the future when they are designing them. Assume that energy costs are going
to become the biggest expense for the home owner and try to make the house
energy efficient. High ceilings, ceiling fans, lots of insulation, solar
water heaters, appliances that turn on at night to use energy when it's less
expensive, Driers that pull air out of the attic that's already 130 degrees
and doesn't have to be heated, lcd panel tv's instead of plasma (80 watts vs
900 watts), solar powered refrigerators, and more that could be developed.
All of these are doable NOW.

You still need the power grid in most areas at least for some of the
seasons. But you could reduce energy needs by about 50%. An economic
payoff that at todays energy cost would pay for it'self in 20 years and if
energy costs increase allow you to maintain the same comfort level without
damaging your pocketbook.